Black Sunday / Golden Sunday

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

A few weeks ago, RCI shut down its computers all weekend for a major overhaul. When they were back up, there was a major change for SA timeshares, which were now put in the same database as other areas and trading power is based on the same factors like VEP and supply/demand for each resort and week. In the past much of SA seemed to trade the same.
There are winners and losers, as better resorts and weeks have increased trading power (for them, it was Golden Sunday) and lesser resorts and weeks have lost trading power (they call it Black Sunday). Generally, it seems that the white week owners took the biggest hit, as their weeks used to trade like red but now don't. For flexi week owners, it means learning which are the best trading weeks within the parameters of the weeks covered in the flexi period and asking for those to maximize trading power.

How many SA owners have gained or lost a significant amount of trading power as a result of these changes?

[Carol C Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Carol C]

For me it's Black Sunday 'cause I own white time at Sudwala. I also own a peak red there, but I heard Sudwala may have taken a beating across the board. It was a pretty nice ride for awhile though. I do wish the best to those enjoying improved trade power. For them it's been a long time coming.

[Sydney Contributor - Bronze Find all posts View Profile Close Sydney]

I have 2 SAs. One at Sudwala and another at a lesser known resort. Have not deposited any wks since black/golden Sunday. I read that Sydwala white weeks has taken a beating. Have been using DAE more with SAs anyway as I'm winding down my RCI membership. Their fees are way too high for my liking. They shoot themselves in the foot with their fees because I have two popular wks and once the commitment with RCI is up, guess who will get those spacebanks when we aren't using the wks ourselves? DAE.

[michelle Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close michelle]

Mine (Strand Pavilion and The Place on the Bay) are trading much better.

When I bought, I had to take into consideration the fact that we will be moving back to SA in a few years time. That meant that we would be trading using the RCI SA point system, so I had to choose resorts/seasons/size that would give me as much points as I could afford.

For the last few years now, I have wondered if I had made a mistake, and if I should have bought white studios and just sell them later, but now I am happy with the RCI USA "upgrade".

[cindi Member Find all posts View Profile Close cindi]

Still works for me

I don't have any post black sunday weeks to compare with yet, but I suspect that even with reduced trade power, my white Sudwala will still work well for me. I use it mostly to trade into Orlando in non peak times, so I am hopeful I will still see most, if not all of the resorts I am use to pulling.

My red, Gold Crown week is going to be interesting though. Even with the pre black sunday power, it would pull a few higher tier resorts than my white sudwala.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Thanks for posting about this...I had NO idea what everyone was talking about in regards to "Black Sunday".

I resisted the SA craze (almost closed on a red week somewhere!) and purchased 2 Island Park Village Summer weeks instead. These have turned out to be FABulous traders with RCI and I have recently added them to my II account to see what they will pull. Not as good as RCI because quality rules with II but it will be interesting to test these against my Foxrun weeks......

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

The real angle of SA always had to do with advantage of the extremely weak rand against a very strong dollar. It was always based more on quirks in currency exchange rates as opposed to quirks in trading power. That started changing some time ago. There is still some advantage, but nothing like it used to be. There were, however, some quirks in SA trading, mostly that it seemed that most weeks trading about the same, white weeks like red and better resorts like lesser resorts. That is what the recent change is about, and it is probably something that should have happened a long time ago.

[jd2601 Member Find all posts View Profile Close jd2601]

St. Mikes pre and post

I have a peak red week at St. Mike's. I have noticed a huge improvement in trade power in RCI. I have one week pre and one week post so it is easy to do a direct comparison.

Is it possible to redeposit my week. I have a June 2006 week that was deposited before the change. Any ideas how to redeposit it and would less then a year from date be a major consideration.

Thanks

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

I don't know where Dikhololo stands in the overall scheme of things, but our 2006 1BR week was deposited last April. I was playing with it on RCI July 24, and poof! Up came a 2006 Christmas week at Villas of Sedona. We own there, but usually deposit our 2 BR with SFX, so we were very pleased with the exchange.

[jd2601 Member Find all posts View Profile Close jd2601]

I was pleased with my preblack Sunday week I was able to trade for a 2 bedroom Grand Mayan, Nuevo Vallarta spring break 2007. With all the great reviews for this resort we are looking forward to this trip. I have been very pleased what I am able to pull post black Sunday also.

[ELE Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ELE]

[QUOTE=jd2601]I have a peak red week at St. Mike's. I have noticed a huge improvement in trade power in RCI.


What Saint Mike week do you own? I own week 2 that used to be great. Now I am very disappointed. I deposited my 2007 week and it trades the same as the 06 week that I deposited in December.

[jd2601 Member Find all posts View Profile Close jd2601]

I have 2 bedroom week 25. I have always deposited over a year out. I hope the trade power from last year will continue.

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

My South Africa weeks trade like dogs. Loufeld Lodge and Sea Pointer. Glad to hear other high rated resorts are trading better.

My RCI guy told me Dikolo and Sudwala still are good traders. Buff/Scott

[SteveH Member Find all posts View Profile Close SteveH]

I have one SA left a week 2, peak 1BR and I thought that post Black Sunday it would trade like gangbusters! Well I deposited it about 9 months out - I would have deposited it over 12 months but the resort gave me 'we don't have our calendar set for 2007.' It always amazes me how difficult it can be to deposit a fixed week in SA.
I digress, the week traded like a dog and after two weeks I was able to pull it out of the bank and will redeposit with one of the independents. RCI is continuing to reward me!
Steve