DVC deposits into RCI

[tomandrobin]

If the points are deposited by the member, and a search started/found for the trade, how can DVC tell RCI "Thanks, we got yor resort, but you have to wait 3 or 4 months for ours."

In theory, during the priority window, the BCV owner reserved a room at their home resort to trade to RCI. The BCV owner chose to use the priority window, so the points really have to stay at BCV.

This is where they can use their corporate account. DVC can give unsold inventory to RCI, it doesn't have to be from a specific resort or from a specific time period.

 

[tomandrobin]

Perhaps trading power rules are different with RCI. I could be wrong but I thought I read somewhere that peak dates and deposits placed well in advance of checkin impacts RCI trading power.

This is true, even for II. Disney can deposit unsold inventory to RCI in advance, if it choose to do so. All of the other timeshare companies do it, why not Disney. It serves as a marketing tool and a way to enhance trades for other DVC owners.

 

[Brian Noble]

That's right---it's a difficult balance to strike. And, RCI weighs these two factors (season and lead time) much more heavily than II does. In II, most resorts can't even be deposited until one year prior to use date. In RCI, anything less than a full year prior to use date is considered "late". As an anecdotal data point, Sheraton does its developer deposits to RCI much much earlier than they do in II, presumably for this reason.

On the one hand, you want DVC to deposit "good time" so that Members can most easily obtain the exchanges they desire. On the other, you want to deposit "low-demand" time to preserve internal availability. These are necessarily in conflict with one another, and you can't please everyone all the time.

I think that, overall, DVC did a good job striking this balance with II deposits---mostly, but not exclusively, low-demand time. I would expect the same will be true in the current relationship as it develops.

 

[phyllisnnj]

This is true, even for II. Disney can deposit unsold inventory to RCI in advance, if it choose to do so. All of the other timeshare companies do it, why not Disney. It serves as a marketing tool and a way to enhance trades for other DVC owners.

See the posts on page 7 on the link I gave above

Dean stated "....The basic formulas for RCI and II are the same. The main difference is RCI puts a little more emphasis on depositing in advance, usually at least 10 months and II puts far more emphasis on unit size and a little more emphasis on resort quality."

So Starwood and others in II get away with late deposits. It doesn't seem to work that way with RCI if DVC cares about trading power. Orlando is overbuilt so I think DVC needs all of the trading power it can get.

 

[tomandrobin]

I think that, overall, DVC did a good job striking this balance with II deposits---mostly, but not exclusively, low-demand time. I would expect the same will be true in the current relationship as it develops.

I just don't know if DVC can fit there units into the RCI exchange program. Seems to me the DVC will get the short end of the stick, even more so then when they were with II.

 

[tomandrobin]

So Starwood and others in II get away with late deposits. It doesn't seem to work that way with RCI if DVC cares about trading power. Orlando is overbuilt so I think DVC needs all of the trading power it can get.

In Starwood's case, they aren't late deposits. Starwood pre-deposits weeks into their corporate account. Then when an owner wants to make an exchange, Starwood reached into their II account and puts one of those pre-deposited weeks in to your account. This really benefits the Starwood owners. I get the benefits of an early deposit, without doing it myself.

For example, I made a late deposit with a St John week that I didn't use. The week had actually passed, there was no more availability for the year, but I was still technically in my season. So I deposited my unreserved week in July, I ended up getting a Westin Maui week deposited into my account from the December before.

 

[Brian Noble]

I just don't know if DVC can fit there units into the RCI exchange program. Seems to me the DVC will get the short end of the stick, even more so then when they were with II.

That's a different question: should DVC participate in RCI at all. For better or worse, that question has been answered for the time being.

 

[phyllisnnj]

In Starwood's case, they aren't late deposits. Starwood pre-deposits weeks into their corporate account. Then when an owner wants to make an exchange, Starwood reached into their II account and puts one of those pre-deposited weeks in to your account. This really benefits the Starwood owners. I get the benefits of an early deposit, without doing it myself.

For example, I made a late deposit with a St John week that I didn't use. The week had actually passed, there was no more availability for the year, but I was still technically in my season. So I deposited my unreserved week in July, I ended up getting a Westin Maui week deposited into my account from the December before.

I think Starwood has more flexibility because they have more locations. Starwood can pre-deposit tons of weeks at their lower demand resort areas such as in Arizona, California and Florida.

I'm not a Starwood expert but from what I read about the Starwood II relationship, I think you got lucky with a Westin Maui week deposited into your account. Normally when a Starwood owner wants to make an exchange, Starwood reaches into their II and generally places one of their lower demand resorts into your account. I believe this is one of the reasons why a lot of Starwood owners who own at high demand resort like Harborside, St John and Hawaii don't deposit with II and rent their week instead.

 

[tomandrobin]

I think Starwood has more flexibility because they have more locations. Starwood can pre-deposit tons of weeks at their lower demand resort areas such as in Arizona, California and Florida.

I'm not a Starwood expert but from what I read about the Starwood II relationship, I think you got lucky with a Westin Maui week deposited into your account. Normally when a Starwood owner wants to make an exchange, Starwood reaches into their II and generally places one of their lower demand resorts into your account. I believe this is one of the reasons why a lot of Starwood owners who own at high demand resort like Harborside, St John and Hawaii don't deposit with II amd rent instead.

That is true, sort of. If you tell Starwood you are are trying to trade into Disney, they won't deposit an Orlando week into your account. At the time of your deposit, you need to tell Starwood what you are trying to exchange to and they will try and deposit a week to get your request.

As far as Starwood owners not depositing the big three, you are correct to a point. Another part is the high MF's that go along with those weeks. My St John and Harborside weeks have MF's over $2300 each. But I can rent them for 2-3 times that amount.

 

[alice99]

I understand what you are saying, but why deposit the points at 10 months. Why not deposit them at six months out to give all DVC owners a chance at any available inventory. This is exactly what Starwood does. At 8 months out, owners at "other" resorts are allowed to trade into inventory not used by the home resort owners. After a month or so the picked over inventory is then given to II and pending trades.

I had this discussion with my sister, this morning. Right now RCI members are at an advantage over DVC members.

We belong to RCI, because of another timeshare we own. My sister banked her SSR points into RCI and tried to exchange for a November week , that came up available in RCI, in Boardwalk Villas. Members Services told her NO, because you can't use banked points in to take back from resort on property. I hope I am articulating myself properly.
She then used banked week from her other resort to secure the Boardwalk Villa. She used the SSR points to book HHI. I hope this is making sense.

I had a similar idea..... let DVC owner reserve at the 12 (or more) month window at their home resort., and to book at another DVC resort @ 11 month window. Then give RCI leftover inventory @ 10 months, if that is their time frame.

 

[Chuck S]

I had a similar idea..... let DVC owner reserve at the 12 (or more) month window at their home resort., and to book at another DVC resort @ 11 month window. Then give RCI leftover inventory @ 10 months, if that is their time frame.

I think a great many people are much happier with the current 11/7 window than they would be with a 12/11 window. I know I definately would not like only a one month booking window for my home resort.

Your sister was blocked because she was trying to trade a WDW area property (SSR) for another WDW area property (BWV). The same rule would have applied for ANY property near WDW, just as you can not trade your WDW DVC resort for a nearby non-DVC timeshare, if you didn't want to stay at a WDW DVC. It isn't just resorts on property, it is all WDW area timeshares.

 

[alice99]

I definitely agree with being happier with the 11/7 window. But, if Disney is depositing into RCI @ 10 month window, where does that leave DVC owners waiting for the 7 month window. Inventory, for them, will be significantly reduced.

I believe this may be becoming a problem already - I see lots of complaining about waitlists. Not because of RCI , per se, but for whatever reason. I believe RCI will only add to the problem.

I am new to DVC membership, but very familiar with timeshare and RCI membership. I welcome any knowledge of the ins and outs of using the system to my advantage.

This is just more of a reason to "buy where you really want to stay".

It seems to be becoming more necessary to have a strategy.

 

[Chuck S]

I definitely agree with being happier with the 11/7 window. But, if Disney is depositing into RCI @ 10 month window, where does that leave DVC owners waiting for the 7 month window. Inventory, for them, will be significantly reduced.

7 Month DVC trades to other DVC resorts are where they have always been, "based upon availability." Remember that the RCI week placed at 10 months IS being used by an owner at that resort, in theory reserving a week during their 11 month window. It still would not be available to another DVCer at 7 months...whether they trade to RCI or the Disney collection and the room is placed into cash inventory, a room can not be rented twice on points.

 

[jpmom]

Can someone clarify:

My relatives own several weeks of timeshares and are part of RCI.

Can they bank their weeks and trade for DVC?

They are not on a point system.

Thanks

 

[Chuck S]

Can someone clarify:

My relatives own several weeks of timeshares and are part of RCI.

Can they bank their weeks and trade for DVC?

They are not on a point system.

Thanks

That would depend upon the strength of the trading power of their resort...is it high demand?

 

[Megsmachine]

What do you think the full and partial means?

 

[Megsmachine]

That would depend upon the strength of the trading power of their resort...is it high demand?

We have a March week at a gold crown in Kissimmee and it is red time year round....is that high demand?

 

[Chuck S]

We have a March week at a gold crown in Kissimmee and it is red time year round....is that high demand?

Kissimmee resorts are unable to trade into the WDW DVC locations. There is an area block for the greater Orlando area. DVC Members can also not trade out to other local timeshares.

 

[Dean]

Still not seeing them. Looking with my father-in-law's units. One is a 2 Bedroom Diamond Royal Palm Beach Club (Gold Crown in St Maarten, though I think it was deposited rather last minute a little over a year ago - don't know if that makes a difference) and the others are lockoffs at Vacation Village of Bonaventure. I didn't think the Vacation Villages would pull DVC, but I thought that RPBC might.

Doubtful as St. Marteen is the Branson/Orlando/LV of the Caribbean. Maybe if you get a week 7 or similar deposited 10 months or more out OR you're around the 45 day window.

Does anyone else here feel like this is unfair to DVC Members?

These weeks are here for the public, but aren't even available to you, as an owner, yet. They are "giving away" the inventory before it's even made available to DVC members.

These vacations are more than 7 months away. What if I wanted to stay in one of these resorts? They are gone before we are allowed to book them.

People have been on here complaining about availability and waitlists. It's only going to get worse, much worse.

To me, this is worse than the points changes that initiated that ridiculous mega thread.

Not me as in my eyes they are being used by members at those resorts. IF DVC deposits a week more than 7 months out, it only does so with points from that resort. To me, a member deposit to RCI is more deserving than another DVC members trading resorts.

Disney can do that to benefit DVC owners in general. They already control the trading in and out of points, so why not.

For example, I own Starwood (Westin) timeshares. Starwood controls the II inventory, similar to DVC (except you can actually access II). I own Atlantis Resort and I want to deposit my week so I can trade into II. Starwood would then take my week and would probably deposit a Arizona or California resort in my II account instead of Atlantis (the more desirable week). The Atlantis week would then be made available for another Starwood owner to use. This allows Starwood to keep the best resorts and the best weeks in the internal system for all the Starwood owners.

As noted, DVC keeps to the 11/7 month reservation window for the points in question. My understanding was that Starwood does the same or waits until the non home resort window opens.

Things may well have changed but close friends of ours bought a "red week" at a very popular RCI property for around 3K for a timeshare w/o expiration- for a 2 bedroom unit. There are fees involved for their exchanges....but for someone who paid so little for their timeshare to be able to get what I paid so much for at DVC, I just can't see the value of the exchanges we're making with RCI. Think what a week in a 2 bedroom villa at BCV would cost in terms of points, or the SSR week over a holiday for us, as members, to get the same thing as someone who was able to exchange from RCI. It's not gonna happen with my points, esp. with the economy now dictating low cash rates for similar properties if I were to pay cash and rent my points to pay for such a stay.---Kathy

To a degree. However, what one paid isn't the issue as much as what the true value is. Generally what you could rent it for on the open market. Also the demand and quality of the resort would come into play. With II there were likely only about 50-70 resorts that were truly on par with DVC and many of those were seasonal resorts and mostly Marriott, Hyatt and Westin. For RCI it's even less and part of those you can trade into for a song. My guess is the agreement with RCI, as with II, required a certain amount of deposits in advance. Plus with RCI, more than II, you lose trade power under 10 months out.

 

[Dean]

This is true, even for II. Disney can deposit unsold inventory to RCI in advance, if it choose to do so. All of the other timeshare companies do it, why not Disney. It serves as a marketing tool and a way to enhance trades for other DVC owners.

In the past DVC has never used developer deposits and since they don't actively market to exchangers, no reason they should.

I just don't know if DVC can fit there units into the RCI exchange program. Seems to me the DVC will get the short end of the stick, even more so then when they were with II.

DVC might not but the members likely will though more due to lack of top end options than anything else.

That's a different question: should DVC participate in RCI at all. For better or worse, that question has been answered for the time being.

Hence my contention that gearing up the BVTC to allow direct exchanges to companies like Hilton, Hyatt, Westin, Wyndham, Bluegreen, Shell and the like would have been far better. Even Marriott if they get their internal trade system going themselves. I don't think DVC or the members are especially well served with a general exchange company membership. DVD may be a different matter due to the ability to rent out excess inventory. Of course the two are not necessarily exclusive of each other so hopefully we'll see more direct exchange options down the road.

I had this discussion with my sister, this morning. Right now RCI members are at an advantage over DVC members.

We belong to RCI, because of another timeshare we own. My sister banked her SSR points into RCI and tried to exchange for a November week , that came up available in RCI, in Boardwalk Villas. Members Services told her NO, because you can't use banked points in to take back from resort on property. I hope I am articulating myself properly.
She then used banked week from her other resort to secure the Boardwalk Villa. She used the SSR points to book HHI. I hope this is making sense.

I had a similar idea..... let DVC owner reserve at the 12 (or more) month window at their home resort., and to book at another DVC resort @ 11 month window. Then give RCI leftover inventory @ 10 months, if that is their time frame.

You can't trade back in to DVC using DVC points with RCI, couldn't do it with II either.