Anyone used points for RCI?

[ErieCruiser08]

Hi,
Just curious to see who has used their DVC points to stay at non-DVC destinations or RCI resorts?
Where did you stay and whats your opinions?
( I already know its a better value to stay at DVC--just curious about those who have used their points elsewhere).
Thanks

 

[CandyMandy]

Given the RCI exchange program only started two months ago, it's somewhat premature to be asking this question.

That's because exchanges generally require putting in requests far in advance (a year isn't unusual), so almost everyone in the small universe of DVC members who have put in RCI exchange requests are either still waiting for a match or have bookings for trips months or even a year or more out. I'm an example, I put in a request for an exchange back in early January -- for a stay this July. I did get my first choice property. So I'll let you know how it worked out...four and a half months from now.

As for "I already know its a better value to stay at DVC," not so fast. Relative trade value is a function of what you are trading into (beware of those who broadly generalize about the DVC selected RCI properties, there's a wide range of quality), the time of year you are echanging into and the comparative point cost of the same type of villa at your preferred DVC resort at the same time of year.

As example, I'm getting into a two bedroom at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club at the Flamingo in Las Vegas in mid July for 270 points. The villa size and layout is comparable to a DVC 2BR lockoff. As for quality, they've all been recently refurbished (granite countertops, flat screen TVs, etc). A similarly equipped accomodation at my home resort (BWV) in a preferred/BW view location (the Flamingo resort is in a prime location in LV, so that's the proper comparable) during the exact same period in July would be 350 points.

So, for a "savings" of 70 points (which will be use to bulk up next year's warchest) I get to try out a new resort in a great location in a prime destination area. One which to boot has a pool complex that frankly puts the one at the Boardwalk to shame.

Now what were you saying about "value?"

 

[jjpenguin]

Nice to hear a positive take on exchanging!

 

[phyllisnnj]

Given the RCI exchange program only started two months ago, it's somewhat premature to be asking this question.

That's because exchanges generally require putting in requests far in advance (a year isn't unusual), so almost everyone in the small universe of DVC members who have put in RCI exchange requests are either still waiting for a match or have bookings for trips months or even a year or more out. I'm an example, I put in a request for an exchange back in early January -- for a stay this July. I did get my first choice property. So I'll let you know how it worked out...four and a half months from now.

As for "I already know its a better value to stay at DVC," not so fast. Relative trade value is a function of what you are trading into (beware of those who broadly generalize about the DVC selected RCI properties, there's a wide range of quality), the time of year you are echanging into and the comparative point cost of the same type of villa at your preferred DVC resort at the same time of year.

As example, I'm getting into a two bedroom at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club at the Flamingo in Las Vegas in mid July for 270 points. The villa size and layout is comparable to a DVC 2BR lockoff. As for quality, they've all been recently refurbished (granite countertops, flat screen TVs, etc). A similarly equipped accomodation at my home resort (BWV) in a preferred/BW view location (the Flamingo resort is in a prime location in LV, so that's the proper comparable) during the exact same period in July would be 350 points.

So, for a "savings" of 70 points (which will be use to bulk up next year's warchest) I get to try out a new resort in a great location in a prime destination area. One which to boot has a pool complex that frankly puts the one at the Boardwalk to shame.

Now what were you saying about "value?"

It's not the best value when you compare the cost of exchanging a DVC timeshare vs a non-DVC timeshare.

If you own at BWV you're paying $1501.70 ((270 DVC pts X 5.21 MF/pt) + $95 exchange fee) to trade into the HGVC Flamingo. You may be sitting at the pool next to someone who also exchanged into the HGVC Flamingo using a non-DVC timeshare for half the cost.

We're paying a premium for our DVC points so the best value is to primarily use them for a DVC stay.

If you have plans to exchange on a regular basis, you may want to spend some time on the Timeshare User Group (TUG) forum and look at other less expensive timeshare options. I would suggest reading TUG's timeshare 101 article - http://www.tug2.net/advice/TimeShare-101.htm

Another option is to rent the week that you want. Sometimes renting can be cheaper than exchanging depending on the location.
See this list of rental sites - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17673

 

[phyllisnnj]

Hi,
Just curious to see who has used their DVC points to stay at non-DVC destinations or RCI resorts?

You can locate old threads using the SEARCH function at the top of this page or using a GOOGLE search (by typing in the search criteria followed by the site)

Here's a example of a google search - http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=concierge+collection+site:disboards.com&start=0&sa=N

 

[Lynne M]

It's not the best value when you compare the cost of exchanging a DVC timeshare vs a non-DVC timeshare.

If you own at BWV you're paying $1501.70 ((270 DVC pts X 5.21 MF/pt) + $95 exchange fee) to trade into the HGVC Flamingo. You may be sitting at the pool next to someone who also exchanged into the HGVC Flamingo using a non-DVC timeshare for half the cost.

That's the key point here.....when we talk about DVC being a poor value for exchanging, we're not talking about how many points it takes.

Compare the cost of your DVC purchase....initial cost, maintenance fees....to the cost of another timeshare. You'll find that you'd be spending a lot more on the DVC points. Especially considering that you can find exceptional deals on the resale market for other timeshares. Far cheaper than DVC.

Many people who want to divide their vacations between DVC and other locations do it this way: They buy only enough DVC points to cover their stays at DVC resorts, and then pick up another timeshare at resale to cover their other stays.

 

[CandyMandy]

If you have plans to exchange on a regular basis, you may want to spend some time on the Timeshare User Group (TUG) forum and look at other less expensive timeshare options.

Thanks, although I've been a TUG member for six years and am more than familiar with all their FAQs as well as the range of opinion in their forums.

If you own at BWV you're paying $1501.70 ((270 DVC pts X 5.21 MF/pt) + $95 exchange fee) to trade into the HGVC Flamingo. You may be sitting at the pool next to someone who also exchanged into the HGVC Flamingo using a non-DVC timeshare for half the cost.

Actually a little less than that since I purchased at BWV way back when it opened with those sweetner deals.

But to your main point, the core presumption in it appears to be that an exchange into another property isn’t as good a value if any other timeshare program allows access into the same property for a "significantly" lower net investment. Which is certainly true.

However, I feel the argument weakens somewhat when put into practice. Just as it is virtually impossible to board a flight knowing with 100% accuracy that you indeed got a better deal than most other passengers, the same is true with the dynamics of timeshare exchanges. I don't care how many times RCI or II members check availability, definitively knowing you are at, below or twice the level of “parity expense” with all the other guests present during your stay is virtually impossible (and frankly a silly thing to be pondering by any pool). Neither you nor I know where those other guests are coming from (home resort owner using assigned week, exchange via a program like RCI /II etc., cash, rental or staying as a guest of their cousin Billy Bob). I know, what nags is the principle that "some" people are paying a lot less than you, not exactly who or exactly how many. But the airline analogy remains.

One also has to take into account trading power and the value some people put on convenience and simplification. To facilitate my exchange, I didn’t have to invest in/manage another timeshare account, worry about the strength of an ownership week, get into all the logistics of renting my points out or search for another DVC member to do a point dump with. I simply decided on the first, second and third choice resorts and dates, picked up the phone and (to my luck, but hey, it’s happened three times now) put in and got a relatively quick match for my first choice resort and dates. Yes, some people enjoy DYI trade value mazimization. Others value simplification and turnkey service.

I certainly agree that if one plans to primarily exchange, investing in DVC is a poor idea. But I still feel ocassional targeted trades (e.g. once every 3-4 years, for cherry-picked properties planned far in advance) is not a “waste of value” and is the key (in my and I suspect a good number of other DVC households) to preventing the more-common-than-admitted syndrome of Disney destination burnout.

Many people who want to divide their vacations between DVC and other locations do it this way: They buy only enough DVC points to cover their stays at DVC resorts, and then pick up another timeshare at resale to cover their other stays.

I know and it's great strategy - if you are relatively disciplined. It requires an owner to envsion at time of purchase what they will be able to live with and only buy enough points to (as it was put) "just" cover that. However, I suspect many "split" owners eventually end up banking and borrowing more than they anticipated, to facilitate all those stays that don't fit into the "fixed" template originally envisioned (which in turn perhaps results in not going to DVC as often as originally envisioned). Also, there are recurring costs to any time share membership, which suggests owning imultiples may sometimes add up to close to or even more overhead than a single carefully managed DVC one might have (obviously depending on the size of the DVC one and the type of other time share membership being purchased). Every situation is different; I did pro-formas on this two years ago and concluded that buying into Marriott or joining RCI at the time didn't make financial sense for us given our exchange patterns. But it may have for someone else.

 

[Dean]

As for "I already know its a better value to stay at DVC," not so fast. Relative trade value is a function of what you are trading into (beware of those who broadly generalize about the DVC selected RCI properties, there's a wide range of quality), the time of year you are echanging into and the comparative point cost of the same type of villa at your preferred DVC resort at the same time of year.

As example, I'm getting into a two bedroom at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club at the Flamingo in Las Vegas in mid July for 270 points. The villa size and layout is comparable to a DVC 2BR lockoff. As for quality, they've all been recently refurbished (granite countertops, flat screen TVs, etc). A similarly equipped accomodation at my home resort (BWV) in a preferred/BW view location (the Flamingo resort is in a prime location in LV, so that's the proper comparable) during the exact same period in July would be 350 points.

So, for a "savings" of 70 points (which will be use to bulk up next year's warchest) I get to try out a new resort in a great location in a prime destination area. One which to boot has a pool complex that frankly puts the one at the Boardwalk to shame.

Now what were you saying about "value?"

Or put another way, for a cost of about $3000 worth of DVC points, you got a unit you could have gotten for a cost of well under $1000 through other timeshare means or by rental, enough difference to pay for a trading option through RCI or II for many situations. There are similar Hilton units in July now that would cost me about $300 for a 2 BR unit total. DVC is ONLY a good value if trading for something you can't easily get otherwise. For II it was only maybe 70 resorts in the Western Hemisphere that were a fair value to trade for and even then it was often only part of the year. Most of those were Marriott's, Hyatt and Westin. For RCI it's even less, for HI, only really the Hilton is truly a good value. The other issue is that those top options are often not deposited with RCI or II as the owners tend to use them directly and/or rent them privately. This isn't a situation unique to DVC but applies to any high end, high demand, high cost option. And as the recent change demonstrates, this could all change tomorrow. All this adds up to the fact that buying to exchange even only part of the time is an extremely poor choice.

One looking to buy in has the unique opportunity to address this issue on the front end and as noted, simply buy the DVC points they truly need. Or even less if they want to supplement by trading into DVC through RCI part of the time.

 

[ems_mom]

Well Dean, since you appear to be the resident "expert", may I ask If this was a good or reasonable exchange, given our time constraints?

I called late January for a Sat.-Sat. Kauai exchange for the week of 4/25 and got an instant match for Lawai Beach Resort. Knowing nothing more than it was in the Poipu area where we have stayed before I took it. (Quite suprised anything was available at that late date.) This is the first leg of our 12 night trip - our 25th anniversary.

Good news/bad news??? Any information would be appreciated. Mahalo.

 

[Dean]

Well Dean, since you appear to be the resident "expert", may I ask If this was a good or reasonable exchange, given our time constraints?

I called late January for a Sat.-Sat. Kauai exchange for the week of 4/25 and got an instant match for Lawai Beach Resort. Knowing nothing more than it was in the Poipu area where we have stayed before I took it. (Quite suprised anything was available at that late date.) This is the first leg of our 12 night trip - our 25th anniversary.

Good news/bad news??? Any information would be appreciated. Mahalo.

HI is tough. LBR is with both RCI and II. Over the years I've steered people away fromit because they put exchangers in the coral building as a rule. But it is HI and RCI has less than does II. I'd say a neutral grade for that trade, a take it or leave it. If it fits your needs and you are happy, that is an important piece of the puzzle. Enjoy and let me know back how your unit assignment goes.

 

[phyllisnnj]

But to your main point, the core presumption in it appears to be that an exchange into another property isn’t as good a value if any other timeshare program allows access into the same property for a "significantly" lower net investment. Which is certainly true.

No, that is not what I meant (see comment below)

However, I feel the argument weakens somewhat when put into practice. Just as it is virtually impossible to board a flight knowing with 100% accuracy that you indeed got a better deal than most other passengers, the same is true with the dynamics of timeshare exchanges. I don't care how many times RCI or II members check availability, definitively knowing you are at, below or twice the level of “parity expense” with all the other guests present during your stay is virtually impossible (and frankly a silly thing to be pondering by any pool). Neither you nor I know where those other guests are coming from (home resort owner using assigned week, exchange via a program like RCI /II etc., cash, rental or staying as a guest of their cousin Billy Bob). I know, what nags is the principle that "some" people are paying a lot less than you, not exactly who or exactly how many. But the airline analogy remains.

Using your airline analogy, a DVC exchange would be similar to paying close to the highest airfare available. I'm just saying that it would be a better value to use a timeshare that would be similar to paying closer to the lowest airfare available. You are not guaranteed that you paid the absolute lowest but you can rest assured that you didn't pay close to the highest.

I actually like the way Littlestar stated it into a similar thread (click on the arrow to see the full thread)

......But if you're buying to use it to exchange through RCI, you're basically buying a Mercedes to trade when you could have used a Chevette or a Pinto to do it.

One also has to take into account trading power and the value some people put on convenience and simplification. To facilitate my exchange, I didn’t have to invest in/manage another timeshare account, worry about the strength of an ownership week, get into all the logistics of renting my points out or search for another DVC member to do a point dump with. I simply decided on the first, second and third choice resorts and dates, picked up the phone and (to my luck, but hey, it’s happened three times now) put in and got a relatively quick match for my first choice resort and dates. Yes, some people enjoy DYI trade value mazimization. Others value simplification and turnkey service.

Another way to look at it using your airline analogy.... Some folks may prefer to make their reservations using the "search by flight" option regardless of price because they're willing to pay whatever for convenience and simplification. Other folks may prefer to make their reservations using the "search by price" or "search by calendar" option and looking at other possible date combinations and other websites because they're willing to to spend a little more time and effort to get a better monetary value.

As you stated above, it all depends on which "value" you seek.

I certainly agree that if one plans to primarily exchange, investing in DVC is a poor idea. But I still feel ocassional targeted trades (e.g. once every 3-4 years, for cherry-picked properties planned far in advance) is not a “waste of value” and is the key (in my and I suspect a good number of other DVC households) to preventing the more-common-than-admitted syndrome of Disney destination burnout.

For those who want an occasional trade every 3-4 years or don't want to buy another timeshare, you can rent a timeshare.
For those who bought too many DVC points, you can rent your DVC points for the years that you want to trade. Depending on your destination, your DVC rental may cover your timeshare rental along with some other travel expenses.

Where to find rentals:

(1) RCI's public rental website is http://www.wyndham-vacations.com (NOTE: If you have friends that have a RCI Membership, they may have a larger selection along with better rental rates and they can book timeshare rentals for you using a guest certificate)

(2) Interval International's public rental website is www.condodirect.com (NOTE: If you have friends that have an Interval International Membership, they may have a larger selection along with better rental rates and they can book timeshare rentals for you using a guest certificate)

(3) TUG's Websites for Exchange Companies - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51125 (NOTE: Trading Places, Hawaii Timeshare Exchange and Platinum Interchange doesn't require you to login to see their rental listings)

(4) TUG's Frequently mentioned resale and rental websites - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17673 (NOTE: Redweek is a very competitive rental website)

(5) TUG Classifieds - http://tug2.com/timesharemarketplace/

(6) Expedia.com sometimes have timeshares available for rent (NOTE: Always check to see if their prices are better than the timeshare website. You may be better off booking directly at the timeshare rental websites - Hilton.com, Marriott.com, Starwood.com, Atlantis.com, etc).