Another RCI question

[jjj444]

Hi I have a question regarding RCI. We own a gold crown resort in Maui and traded it in for a week at Disney. We own a week, but it shows up on RCI as a trading power of 37. I put in an ongoing search a few months ago with all the disney resorts on RCI for this fall and so far 1 came up, but the dates didn't work. I called RCI and the man on the phone said that RCI gets their room stock from members trading in their weeks and from Disney itself. Is this true?? I am wondering what my chances are of getting something if not through a trade in but by Disney itself?? So confusing. Anyone with any knowledge about this plaese share!!

 

[Shellandscott]

When a DVC member wants to trade their week thru RCI they call DVC and DVC deposits the week for them. It is DVC's choice what unit gets deposited and for what time frame. It appears that they deposit at the 11 month mark and deposit 1 bedroom units most often. But they can deposit anything up to 11 months. DVC members are not direct members of RCI so they can not directly deposit anything. You have to keep looking, as when a DVC unit comes up it does not stay in inventory long.

 

[hakepb]

For any timeshare trade to work, someone has to trade out before anyone else can trade-in. (otherwise Owned rooms are double-booked)

It sounds like RCI trading formula has assigned your week a lower number because it sounds like there can be many DVC options in RCI unless you are looking for a 2BR+ or a specific resort or time)

 

[jjj444]

that is what I thought too until the man at RCI said Disney gives us weeks to use too. I assumed it was just from members trading in their weeks. We want October and I am starting to worry about that month with everyone saying it is a busy DVC time. I have an ongoing search so should I be on RCI's website searching for availability or will the call me? Hope this comes through!!

 

[chalee94]

that is what I thought too until the man at RCI said Disney gives us weeks to use too.

when DVC gives RCI one of its weeks, it's usually for a cash rental.

We want October and I am starting to worry about that month with everyone saying it is a busy DVC time.

i think the oct deposits have about dried up but that info is kept up over at TUG. they have a sightings board there for members that shows what is available for exchange.

I have an ongoing search so should I be on RCI's website searching for availability or will the call me?

if you have enough Trade Power Units, it should match (never hurts to check the website, though). but i thought DVC villas were going for over 40 TPUs now, or are you just looking for a studio at 37 TPUs?

 

[jjj444]

i think I have on the search a 1 bedroom. They keep assuring me over at RCI that I will get something, but after reading these boards, I am not optimistic!

 

[hakepb]

In Most of the timeshare world, developers deposit some unsold inventory just to get in more "fresh meat" for sales presentations. DVD appears to do some depositing of their inventory, but they are not aggressive soliciting sales presentations from traders.

 

[chalee94]

i think I have on the search a 1 bedroom. They keep assuring me over at RCI that I will get something, but after reading these boards, I am not optimistic!

i think the 1BRs for oct - what few there were - were 41 TPUs...

the trade power requirements for DVC have varied a ton over the last year or so...

 

[jjj444]

I just called RCI again and she did a search for me and said that all 1 bedrooms were going for 41 points in October. So I switched my search for studios as well and hope that something will come up that way. She did say RCI buys space at DVC properties(all high demand properties) from time to time when they have high demand times with people wanting Disney at certain times. Who knows what they consider "high times". She also said that closer to the dates that you want RCI will cut the TPU's in 1/2 to use up the week. So I again am hopeful I can get something???

 

[bwvBound]

She also said that closer to the dates that you want RCI will cut the TPU's in 1/2 to use up the week. So I again am hopeful I can get something???

An excellent strategy for booking something near WDW!

 

[Brian Noble]

I would encourage you to join TUG (tugbbs.com) or timeshare forums (www.timeshareforums.com). A few of us keep careful track of exchange availability, and you can get a sense. I don't think October is completely done yet, but we are getting there. 37 is just exactly enough for a studio. However, personally I would not take that exchange.

For starters, I think of studios as glorified hotel rooms, and I'd rather stay in one of the better offsite resorts in a 1BR instead. For example, there is a late October 1BR right now at HGVC I-Drive that you can get for a trade power of only 15. Vistana has 1BRs for the entire month available for 11-14, depending on dates. I'd take either of those before taking a DVC studio, even if the trade power was the same.

Even if you are interested in a studio, consider renting points from someone instead of taking this as an exchange. Studios in October range from 70 to 120 points, give or take, depending on resort and view. You can easily rent a reservation at $10/point, if not here, then at some of the other places with a rent/trade board. But, if you exchange in, you will have to pay the $190 RCI exchange fee, the $95 DVC "nuisance fee", *and* you use an entire year's worth of your timeshare assets. Unless your MFs are extremely low, it would be better to rent and save the RCI deposit for something with better value.

 

[ltktmk]

I have tried numerous (at least a dozen times checking whol regions) times to exchange for RCI (including year long searches) with no success. I never use to have problems getting Interval properties, has the process changed or am I just unlucky or is there a trick to RCI?

 

[ccgirl]

I would encourage you to join TUG (tugbbs.com) or timeshare forums (www.timeshareforums.com). A few of us keep careful track of exchange availability, and you can get a sense. I don't think October is completely done yet, but we are getting there. 37 is just exactly enough for a studio. However, personally I would not take that exchange.

For starters, I think of studios as glorified hotel rooms, and I'd rather stay in one of the better offsite resorts in a 1BR instead. For example, there is a late October 1BR right now at HGVC I-Drive that you can get for a trade power of only 15. Vistana has 1BRs for the entire month available for 11-14, depending on dates. I'd take either of those before taking a DVC studio, even if the trade power was the same.

Even if you are interested in a studio, consider renting points from someone instead of taking this as an exchange. Studios in October range from 70 to 120 points, give or take, depending on resort and view. You can easily rent a reservation at $10/point, if not here, then at some of the other places with a rent/trade board. But, if you exchange in, you will have to pay the $190 RCI exchange fee, the $95 DVC "nuisance fee", *and* you use an entire year's worth of your timeshare assets. Unless your MFs are extremely low, it would be better to rent and save the RCI deposit for something with better value.

Could not have said it better myself.

I have tried numerous (at least a dozen times checking whol regions) times to exchange for RCI (including year long searches) with no success. I never use to have problems getting Interval properties, has the process changed or am I just unlucky or is there a trick to RCI?

What are you using to trade? What is your TPU? You really need around 37 to even be able to trade in and resorts owned within a certain radius from WDW cannot be used.

 

[jjj444]

We own in Maui and have a trading tpu at 37. I had two bites, but neither of them were the right dates. SSR and WL both were offered to me and I had to turn them down because we couldn't travel for the times they were available. Scared since I turned 2 down I am not going to get anything now

 

[ccgirl]

We own in Maui and have a trading tpu at 37. I had two bites, but neither of them were the right dates. SSR and WL both were offered to me and I had to turn them down because we couldn't travel for the times they were available. Scared since I turned 2 down I am not going to get anything now

With DVC, I have found I need to be flexible with my dates. We own Maui too. Have you looked at Wyndham Bonnett Creek? That might be a great option if you can only travel a certain date and DVC is not available.

Good luck.

 

[jjj444]

Bonnet Creek isn't available either. We want to go in October and want to stay on property to take use of all the benefits(EMH, transportation). We really have no other dates in mind because when we started this whole search we were told by 3 different RCI reps that we would have no problem exchanging!!

 

[Brian Noble]

No, Bonnet has come and gone for October by this point. Even November is almost gone. December has not been deposited yet, but should be any minute now (Wyndham is "late" with the December deposit).

It's up to you, but again---if being onsite is that important, I would rent points from an owner for a studio stay and save your deposit for something else. If it is within reach to rent points for a larger unit, I'd rather be in a 1BR, minimum, with a party of four.

 

[jjj444]

OP here

I went into my RCI account today and checked DVC availability and they have Old Key West stdio in early September for 43 tpu's. I am so confused!! I was offered a 1 bedroom(at the wrong timeframe) at SSR and I only have 37 tpu's. How do they base the tpu's?? I have been seeing 1 bedroom DVC going for 41 and now a studio for 43. Someone explain how the points vary so much??

 

[Brian Noble]

They vary based on season and size. But, you are seeing an anomaly. This year, the early/mid summer period (up to the last week or two of August) saw studios at 43, and late Summer into fall studios have typically been at 37. For some reason, though, some of the late summer/fall OKW studios were mis-pointed, and listed at the "early/mid summer value" of 43 even though the 1BRs were 41 for the same period.

I was offered a 1 bedroom(at the wrong timeframe) at SSR and I only have 37 tpu's.

I believe you mis-remember this. The lowest 1BRs have been around 41 for quite some time now. However, the default RCI search shows you inventory for which you do not have sufficient trade power, so "seeing" it is no the same as being able to book it.

But, to beat what is not yet a dead horse: if you are willing to settle for a studio, go rent one from an owner, and use your timeshare assets for some other vacation. You will almost certainly come out ahead in the end.

 

[ccgirl]

They vary based on season and size. But, you are seeing an anomaly. This year, the early/mid summer period (up to the last week or two of August) saw studios at 43, and late Summer into fall studios have typically been at 37. For some reason, though, some of the late summer/fall OKW studios were mis-pointed, and listed at the "early/mid summer value" of 43 even though the 1BRs were 41 for the same period.


I believe you mis-remember this. The lowest 1BRs have been around 41 for quite some time now. However, the default RCI search shows you inventory for which you do not have sufficient trade power, so "seeing" it is no the same as being able to book it.

But, to beat what is not yet a dead horse: if you are willing to settle for a studio, go rent one from an owner, and use your timeshare assets for some other vacation. You will almost certainly come out ahead in the end.

I agree. I haven't seen any 1BR for lower than 41. For timeshare, you have to plan ahead or be very flexible with your dates. I would say that the possiblity of getting an onsite timeshare for October at this point is slim to none. I would start looking offsite if I were you if you want to go in October. If you must stay onsite, I would look into renting points. Maybe you can rent your timeshare out to offset the cost??