RCI's upgrade - Day 8

[jamstew Member Find all posts View Profile Close jamstew]

I've been watching for Bonnet Creek to open up for next May almost daily for a good while. Now I can't see the resort at all. It seems to have disappeared along with nearly 20K others against my two better deposits. I'm also seeing an extremely high percentage of studios and 1BR when all my deposits are 2BR.

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

Better performance with Safari browser

I was getting nowhere using IE 7 so I took a shot with Safari from Apple and my RCI searches are much faster and I haven't gotten any errors.

[Joan-OH Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Joan-OH]

Is anyone having any luck searching "last call". I click on it and it goes straight through to Extra vacations. Also, my generic Wyndham deposits are still missing. I emailed RCI, but so far have just received an acknowledgement of my email.

Joan-OH

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Day 10

granted I am searching weeks with points so I wouldn't "see" the points resorts but...


I searched all summer 2010 and LM for SE VA Beach to Myrtle Beach + WBurg and this is all I come up with:

The Historic Powhatan Resort (#1046)
Williamsburg, VA, USA

RCI Points Range: 40,000
Available Unit Size: 2 - 2
Check-in Date Range: 8/28/10

Map it


%26i_resort_id%3D1046%26searchSource%3Dnull%26sear chResults%3Dnull%26resortid%3Dnull%26checkInDt%3Dn ull%26count%3Dnull%26veflag%3Dnull
http://www.rci.com/RCI/RCIW/RCIW_ind...6veflag%3Dnull


King's Creek Plantation (#5246)
Williamsburg, VA, USA

RCI Points Range: 33,500
Available Unit Size: 1 - 1
Check-in Date Range: 6/27/10 - 8/28/10

Map it


%26i_resort_id%3D5246%26searchSource%3Dnull%26sear chResults%3Dnull%26resortid%3Dnull%26checkInDt%3Dn ull%26count%3Dnull%26veflag%3Dnull
http://www.rci.com/RCI/RCIW/RCIW_ind...6veflag%3Dnull


Riptide Beach Club (#0400)
Myrtle Beach, SC, USA

RCI Points Range: 27,000
Available Unit Size: 1 - 1
Check-in Date Range: 8/14/10

Map it


%26i_resort_id%3D0400%26searchSource%3Dnull%26sear chResults%3Dnull%26resortid%3Dnull%26checkInDt%3Dn ull%26count%3Dnull%26veflag%3Dnull
http://www.rci.com/RCI/RCIW/RCIW_ind...6veflag%3Dnull


Barclay Towers (#1407)
Virginia Beach, VA, USA

RCI Points Range: 27,000
Available Unit Size: 1 - 1
Check-in Date Range: 8/28/10

SNAFU for Day 10 as well.

[bnoble Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bnoble]

I've got a theory. I'm going to let it simmer a little more, but the short version is that trade power really has changed. It looks to me as though what used to be about 5-6 very discrete levels of trade power has changed into a much larger number of much more fine-grained trade power levels. My evidence for this: I had two weeks on deposit that were both tigers, and traded exactly the same. Now, they are very slightly different---they differ by less than 1% of total units---but one is consistently just a little better than the other. RCI feedback email has confirmed that my units are in fact now different in trade power, and they are supposed to be.

So, what does that mean? Why is all the "good stuff" gone? I don't think it is so much that all the tigers dropped (though some probably did a little bit because I know that at least one of mine did), but that many other deposits also moved up a little bit, and that sea change snapped up a lot of weeks all at once in pending ongoing searches and people who could suddenly book things they couldn't previously book.

So far, this theory seems to fit the evidence we have. It seems to explain a lot of things---the fact that all of the "tiger" deposits saw units drop by at least 10K over the course of just a few days, and that none of us can find any of the "good stuff" that used to be there.

There are two competing theories I can come up with, but they don't fit the evidence as well. One competing theory is that they all went to rentals. But. I don't think we've seen them---there are no 2010 DVC weeks for rent, for example, and there were probably 30-40 2010 weeks before the Big Change that have since just disappeared.

The other competing theory is that trade power of the "good stuff" went so high that no one can see them. But, if that were true, then *someone* would be able to see them, because *someone* has to have "good stuff" on deposit. Furthermore, Points-side searches see less than "they should" as well---which means that those weeks just aren't there, becuase Points sees everything at a non-Points resot in the next 10 months.

I'll know more when the next DVC deposit comes in. Should be sometime this week, though I'm out of town on Thursday and Friday, so I might need a hand there.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

I've got a theory. I'm going to let it simmer a little more, but the short version is that trade power really has changed. It looks to me as though what used to be about 5-6 very discrete levels of trade power has changed into a much larger number of much more fine-grained trade power levels. My evidence for this: I had two weeks on deposit that were both tigers, and traded exactly the same. Now, they are very slightly different---they differ by less than 1% of total units---but one is consistently just a little better than the other. RCI feedback email has confirmed that my units are in fact now different in trade power, and they are supposed to be.

So, what does that mean? Why is all the "good stuff" gone? I don't think it is so much that all the tigers dropped (though some probably did a little bit because I know that at least one of mine did), but that many other deposits also moved up a little bit, and that sea change snapped up a lot of weeks all at once in pending ongoing searches and people who could suddenly book things they couldn't previously book.

So far, this theory seems to fit the evidence we have. It seems to explain a lot of things---the fact that all of the "tiger" deposits saw units drop by at least 10K over the course of just a few days, and that none of us can find any of the "good stuff" that used to be there.

There are two competing theories I can come up with, but they don't fit the evidence as well. One competing theory is that they all went to rentals. But. I don't think we've seen them---there are no 2010 DVC weeks for rent, for example, and there were probably 30-40 2010 weeks before the Big Change that have since just disappeared.

The other competing theory is that trade power of the "good stuff" went so high that no one can see them. But, if that were true, then *someone* would be able to see them, because *someone* has to have "good stuff" on deposit. Furthermore, Points-side searches see less than "they should" as well---which means that those weeks just aren't there, becuase Points sees everything at a non-Points resot in the next 10 months.
I'll know more when the next DVC deposit comes in. Should be sometime this week, though I'm out of town on Thursday and Friday, so I might need a hand there.

Points see evrything at non-Points resorts in the next 2 years which is why I am SURE this stuff isn't there.

I have been looking from Points at weeks just to see if my tiger got blown up or to see really what doesn't exist in the system. Plus even though more cumbersome has been faster and more stable for me the last 10 days.

[Laurie Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Laurie]

I've got a theory. I'm going to let it simmer a little more, but the short version is that trade power really has changed. It looks to me as though what used to be about 5-6 very discrete levels of trade power has changed into a much larger number of much more fine-grained trade power levels. My evidence for this: I had two weeks on deposit that were both tigers, and traded exactly the same. Now, they are very slightly different---they differ by less than 1% of total units---but one is consistently just a little better than the other. RCI feedback email has confirmed that my units are in fact now different in trade power, and they are supposed to be.

I have a few theories too, even tho I have nothing to search with at the moment - and by some, I mean that maybe there are 3 things happening - similar to what you are saying, Brian, and other are too:

1. Something is really messed up, whereby only one date or one unit or one unit per size is showing up, when there are really multiple units and dates avail. Apparently some of their ongoing searches have this error too. I'm hoping this is soon fixed.

2. Something else is now accurate. Trade power used to really vary a lot more than 6 levels, and we know this to be fact from old TUG trade tests. When RCI went live with their new website, trade power was newly simplified to way fewer levels. Perhaps they are now restoring it to the variations it was supposed to have, and always did have, until that unveiling. So yes, trade power was set at deposit, but for awhile their computer system and website wasn't accurately reflecting that. ie trade power hasn't exactly changed - in their minds they have "corrected" an error.

3. They really have permanently removed more exchange inventory into rental-land.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

This is going to sound like a dumb question, but here goes anyway.
How come you are expecting to see alot of options for 2010 when most people have not even paid their maintenance fees yet and have yet to deposit their weeks? I know I have not paid my maintenance fees for 2010 on any of my 5 weeks so why do you guys expect to see alot of options so early? Is this bulk deposits that you are trying to see? Just curious because I'm clueless on this stuff still. As a matter of fact I just deposited a week into points yesterday because I was leary of doing it earlier with all the computer problems but got cheated out of 10,000 points because I waited so long to deposit.

[bnoble Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bnoble]

In part, the expectation is based on history. But, RCI gives the most 'credit' for a deposit a full 12 months prior to use. You can deposit as early as two years prior to use, and some people/resorts do.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

In part, the expectation is based on history. But, RCI gives the most 'credit' for a deposit a full 12 months prior to use. You can deposit as early as two years prior to use, and some people/resorts do.

I've tried to do this but they won't take the deposit until you pay the maintenance fees and I don't get the bill til about November so how do you do this? I do it with my triennial use points resort with RCI but how do you do this with the weeks resorts?

[bnoble Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bnoble]

Call your resort's management company, and tell them you want to pay early to deposit. Mine has me pay the prior year's fee, and then sends me the bill for the difference after that year's budget has been established.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

Call your resort's management company, and tell them you want to pay early to deposit. Mine has me pay the prior year's fee, and then sends me the bill for the difference after that year's budget has been established.

Another silly question, but why would I want to pay so early? And I'm sure most owners don't do this so where are the weeks coming from? Honestly most people I know pay their maintenance either in December or later so unless we have lots of TS forum members depositing all their weeks early because they are fiscally fit and these are the ones we are seeing, I'm curious where these other weeks are coming from. I for one pay my maintenance fees scattered since I have 5 to pay. So I pay one in December, Jan, Feb. Mar. and April. I know it pisses off the associations but it's the way I do it. Most of my weeks don't start until week #24 anyway so I can still deposit it within 6 months in Jan. I guess if you own a Week 1-20 you'd have to do this early to get the benefit of your week. Is that why there are already deposits there?

[jamstew Member Find all posts View Profile Close jamstew]

My available units seem to be increasing ever so slowly, but I still can't see Bonnet Creek at all I think I can see every other Wyndham on the planet, but not this one. I'm also seeing the HGVC Orlando properties, so I don't understand why no BC. It's not like it's a tiny resort with limited availability.

[SteveChapin Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close SteveChapin]

CMV white weeks got a 25k boost

I hadn't tried any searches until yesterday, when I saw that my two CMV Timbers white weeks (week 39, deposited 7 months out) went from pulling about 100k pre-"enhancement" to pulling about 125k. So, not tigers, but certainly a move up from mediocre to decent.

I'll do a comparison at some specific resorts/areas to points and see what it is they're missing.

sc
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[Ann-Marie Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ann-Marie]

I always pay my maintenance fees 2 years out. I have floating time, and I want to get the most popular date when it is available. That day usually is gone by the end of the day that it is available to book, 2 years out. AS far as paying so early, I only pay maintenance fees once a year, but they are for 2 years ahead.