Banking DVC points with RCI?

[psimon]

After moving reservations around, I have now ended up with 2011 points that are dying at the end of August. Member Services suggested I bank them through RCI!

Does anyone know about this? Is it worth it? What does it get you?

I hadn't heard of this before. All info greatly appreciated!

---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[JimMIA]

If you deposit the points into RCI, they will be valid for RCI exchanges for two years. Generally, the expiration date is actually the last day of the month two years after deposit -- so if you deposited on August 18, 2013, the points would expire on August 31, 2015.

Obviously, if you don't use the points for an RCI exchange, they are gone. If you do an exchange, you will also pay DVC their $95 exchange fee.

There is one other option if you know you're not doing a trip this summer, and it is NOT one MS will recommend to you because it competes with DVC.

That option is to rent those points...or more accurately, rent a reservation using those points. The DVC Rent/Trade board is one place to rent. Others are TUG and Redweek.

Also, David's rental service (dvcbyrequest. com) is another option. David serves as a broker between owners with points they can't use and renters.

A lot of the feasibility for either RCI or renting depends on how many points you have. If you don't have enough to make a reservation, neither option may be possible. OTOH, you'll sometimes find folks who want to rent only a short stay, which might be a perfect match.

 

[psimon]

If you deposit the points into RCI, they will be valid for RCI exchanges for two years. Generally, the expiration date is actually the last day of the month two years after deposit -- so if you deposited on August 18, 2013, the points would expire on August 31, 2015.

Obviously, if you don't use the points for an RCI exchange, they are gone. If you do an exchange, you will also pay DVC their $95 exchange fee.

There is one other option if you know you're not doing a trip this summer, and it is NOT one MS will recommend to you because it competes with DVC.

That option is to rent those points...or more accurately, rent a reservation using those points. The DVC Rent/Trade board is one place to rent. Others are TUG and Redweek.

Also, David's rental service (dvcbyrequest. com) is another option. David serves as a broker between owners with points they can't use and renters.

A lot of the feasibility for either RCI or renting depends on how many points you have. If you don't have enough to make a reservation, neither option may be possible. OTOH, you'll sometimes find folks who want to rent only a short stay, which might be a perfect match.

Thanks for the response.

I am in the 180 point dilemma. I got that way because I had a reservation for 4 nights in a 1 bedroom but it was 2 nights here and 2 nights there. Sunday night when I checked, a contiguous 4 night stay was available in a 2 bedroom, so I took it. I had to borrow to make that reservation, but I got back all of the other points. Those points were banked and dying points, so now I am stuck with them. They die August 31.

I have used David before and was quite happy through him. Unfortunately, because these have only 3 months of life left, they go into their "quick sale" deal which significantly reduces their value (almost half!).

Consequently, I'm not sure what to do with them. RCI may be my safest bet, even though I really didn't want to go that route.

---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[asunutgirl]

My husband's mom has an old timeshare with an RCI membership. I'd dump the points into RCI - I think you get one week with 160 points. Then you have two years to use them.

RCI has some good properties and some not so good ones. Look for Gold Crown resorts - they are the best ones. I'd recommend the Hilton Grand Vacations resorts if you can get them. Last time we went to WDW (before being DVC members) we stayed at a HGV in Orlando and had a great time. They also have a beautiful property on the Big Island of Hawaii. We've also had good luck with the Wydham properties through RCI.

We've been to Hawaii (although hard to get), Cozumel, Cabo, Vegas, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Florida and the Bahamas all using RCI exchanges.

 

[JimMIA]

Just remember that with DVC/RCI you only have access to about 600 of RCI's more than 3,200 resorts.

I would look through that inventory and see if there are places you want to go, and then check here or on the DIS Mousecellaneous board about successes/failures other DVC owners have had exchanging into those particular resorts.

You might also try the TUG DVC forum with those same questions.

With RCI, the best strategy is to look for availability as far out as you can, and then do an "ongoing search" if you don't find what you want. Obviously, the broader your search the better your chances, but you don't want to include any resorts you wouldn't want to visit to improve the odds. Most people book RCI exchanges a year or more ahead.

 

[psimon]

Just remember that with DVC/RCI you only have access to about 600 of RCI's more than 3,200 resorts.

I would look through that inventory and see if there are places you want to go, and then check here or on the DIS Mousecellaneous board about successes/failures other DVC owners have had exchanging into those particular resorts.

You might also try the TUG DVC forum with those same questions.

With RCI, the best strategy is to look for availability as far out as you can, and then do an "ongoing search" if you don't find what you want. Obviously, the broader your search the better your chances, but you don't want to include any resorts you wouldn't want to visit to improve the odds. Most people book RCI exchanges a year or more ahead.

I looked at the locations in Hawaii..... Availability doesn't start until September 2014!!!! A little too far out for me!

---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[JimMIA]

I looked at the locations in Hawaii..... Availability doesn't start until September 2014!!!! A little too far out for me!

---Paul in Southern NJ

Welcome to RCI exchanges!

Of course Hawaii is very popular; not all destinations will be that difficult. And there is also the possibility of availability opening up. Quite often, major timeshare systems (Hilton, Marriott, DVC, and others) make what are called "bulk deposits" much closer to the checkin dates. Those are the opportunities an "ongoing search" is designed to catch.

If you are interested in exchanges -- before you deposit to RCI -- go to TUG (www.tug2.com ) and do some research on timeshare exchanges. For some of the forums, you will need to subscribe to TUG ($15 per year), but many are open to anyone. You will find an unbelievable amount of info there, although there are some equally savvy exchange folks here on the DIS.

 

[asunutgirl]

Yes - Hawaii is hard to get. (See my note above.) Many people who own in Hawaii don't trade. It is one of the reasons we purchased at Aulani.

But we've been to some very nice resorts in other places with RCI.

If you are set on Hawaii, I'd rent your points. If you are open to other places then RCI would be a good option.

 

[Dean]

If you deposit the points into RCI, they will be valid for RCI exchanges for two years. Generally, the expiration date is actually the last day of the month two years after deposit -- so if you deposited on August 18, 2013, the points would expire on August 31, 2015.

Obviously, if you don't use the points for an RCI exchange, they are gone. If you do an exchange, you will also pay DVC their $95 exchange fee.

There is one other option if you know you're not doing a trip this summer, and it is NOT one MS will recommend to you because it competes with DVC.

That option is to rent those points...or more accurately, rent a reservation using those points. The DVC Rent/Trade board is one place to rent. Others are TUG and Redweek.

Also, David's rental service (dvcbyrequest. com) is another option. David serves as a broker between owners with points they can't use and renters.

A lot of the feasibility for either RCI or renting depends on how many points you have. If you don't have enough to make a reservation, neither option may be possible. OTOH, you'll sometimes find folks who want to rent only a short stay, which might be a perfect match.

Jim, it's a little different with DVC from what I understand.

...at any time thereafter, but no later than the end of second calendar year after the date of the deposited Vacation Time.

I think you'll also have to deposit a full week, not just a few points but you should check with DVC to be sure.

 

[JimMIA]

Jim, it's a little different with DVC from what I understand.

"It" may well be. I've never deposited DVC points into RCI, so I may have been mistaken.

But please, don't leave us hanging! What is different? The points expiration?

 

[Dean]

"It" may well be. I've never deposited DVC points into RCI, so I may have been mistaken.

But please, don't leave us hanging! What is different? The points expiration?

Just that as I understand it the expiration is the end of the second year from the time deposited and not 2 years from the deposit. We've discussed this before a couple of times and my recollection is that others that had deposited were given that expiration as well. I can email you the documents from last year so you can look and see what you think.

 

[Lorelei528]

We had to do this because friends of ours who we HAD rented to, ended up cancelling and the points were going to be lost..

I was able to book a whole week in New Orleans over Christmas and we had a GREAT time!!

There really are options, you just can't be too picky about a specific time or place.

Renting is normally a good option too. It's up to you, but don't listen to all the RCI naysayers.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Basically putting unused points in RCI keeps your points longer instead of them just expiring in Disney. You can view RCI destinations on the DVC website. There are many. I will warn you that getting a reservation via RCI is not an easy thing. I live in California and tried for San Diego and all it's surrounding area (LEGOLAND), Hawaii, San Francisco and couldn't get anything. Even a year in advance. They will always tell you to go on waitlist but how does that help if you need to schedule time off from work and arrange travel and they don't tell you till a week ahead? We were finally able to go to Lake Tahoe using RCI points in December 2012 but only stumbled upon it at the right time because someone canceled. I do recall a rep. saying it's easiest to get a reservation in Las Vegas. I just try to use up all my points because I don't think RCI is worth it.

 

[JimMIA]

Basically putting unused points in RCI keeps your points longer instead of them just expiring in Disney. ...I just try to use up all my points because I don't think RCI is worth it.

Right, and I think that is true of any timeshare...not just DVC. All systems are designed to deliver maximum benefit when used within that company's internal system.

So, in most cases, trading out is not the preferred option. It's generally what you do with points you're going to lose.

There are probably two factors that will make your exchange work better than average. Exchanges will be easier (for obvious reasons) in "overbuilt" areas like Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, Orlando, Branson, etc. They will be more difficult for premier resorts, premier destinations, and premier times like race week at Daytona, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, etc. Other more difficult exchanges are at resorts where people simply don't exchange out -- some Hawaii resorts, Wisconsin Dells in the summer, Flagstaff or West Yellowstone in the summer, and others. And, as others have noted, the more flexible you are with resorts and dates, the greater your likelihood of success.

Ongoing searches, begun FAR in advance, give you a better chance of success -- although...some on TUG say RCI ongoing searches don't always work the way we think and it's wise to check morning, noon, and night independently of ongoing searches.

If you have to commit to a particular week far in advance to schedule your vacation, obviously you will have to limit your search to that period...which will lessen your chance of success. It's not a perfect world, and we're talking about points you are going to lose anyway.

 

[lilpooh108]

We had to do this because friends of ours who we HAD rented to, ended up cancelling and the points were going to be lost..

I was able to book a whole week in New Orleans over Christmas and we had a GREAT time!!

There really are options, you just can't be too picky about a specific time or place.

Renting is normally a good option too. It's up to you, but don't listen to all the RCI naysayers.

Which resort in New Orleans did you stay in?

OP--- it's a good deal if it works for you. I think in general the value isn't there because you'd be trading down, but if you have no choice since points will expire and you don't wanna rent them out...then what choice do you have? Also---watch out for alot of the higher quality Mexico properties. Alot of them require all inclusive fees, so avoid that.