Help me understand trading! Please!

[supersuperwendy]

I just don't seem to understand how to trade with RCI. We can make a request for up to 2 years out correct? Do we need to have an actual DVC reservation to trade or our points? If I want to travel in 2 years would it be my 2012 or 2013 use year points? Or do I need the points now? HELP!!! Can someone give me a play by play of the process! Thanks!!!!

 

[RobDoc]

You will need to bank your points into the World Passport Collection and then you have 2 years to use the exchange.

You can check with MS for current availability before putting your points into the system, but I think you'll need to have the points deposited to request an ongoing search for a specific resort/specific dates.

The more flexible you can be regarding resort and dates, the easier it will be to find a match, but ongoing searches do work.

Good luck!

 

[erionm]

RCI Booking windows:
Nightly Exchanges
Located: Worldwide
Length of Stay: Nightly (minimum number of one night)
Booking Window: From 10 months to 48 hours before check-in date

Weekly Exchanges
Located: Worldwide
Length of Stay: Weekly (7 consecutive nights)
Booking Window: From 2 years to 24 hours before check-in date

Signature Selections Exchanges
Located: North America
Length of Stay: Weekly (7 consecutive nights)
Booking Window: From 10 months to 48 hours before check-in date

 

[Dean]

I just don't seem to understand how to trade with RCI. We can make a request for up to 2 years out correct? Do we need to have an actual DVC reservation to trade or our points? If I want to travel in 2 years would it be my 2012 or 2013 use year points? Or do I need the points now? HELP!!! Can someone give me a play by play of the process! Thanks!!!!

You're making it too complicate. All you need to do is to decide when and which resorts you want. Let DVC worry about the points themselves. Do investigate the resorts well and make sure they have the unit size and start days of the week you want. Pay attention to whether they're points resorts or not (found on RCI's website) and whether they have mandatory all inclusive. Make sure you're searching at least 12-13 months out if they're not points resorts, better still at 2 years out as you are. For points resorts, search at least 10 months and 1 day out but again better 1-2 years out. If you are coming up on a banking window and haven't matched, go ahead and bank any applicable points.

If your looking at doing a deposit first to extend the life of some points, post that info as the answers are totally different in that circumstance.

 

[Anal Annie]

You're making it too complicate. All you need to do is to decide when and which resorts you want. Let DVC worry about the points themselves. Do investigate the resorts well and make sure they have the unit size and start days of the week you want. Pay attention to whether they're points resorts or not (found on RCI's website) and whether they have mandatory all inclusive. Make sure you're searching at least 12-13 months out if they're not points resorts, better still at 2 years out as you are. For points resorts, search at least 10 months and 1 day out but again better 1-2 years out. If you are coming up on a banking window and haven't matched, go ahead and bank any applicable points.

If your looking at doing a deposit first to extend the life of some points, post that info as the answers are totally different in that circumstance.

Dean - can you please explain the RCI points thing a little more? I was searching this evening for nightly options in CA (thru the DVC link) and I noticed that a small percentage said RCI Points but most did not. How does that affect the trade? What does that mean? I assumed if I request a search for nightly resorts in CA that anything on the list is available. Is that incorrect?? Why would they show up then? If there are 6 choices in San Fran but only 2 say RCI points do we have to only consider those 2??

Also if a listing says the property has studios, 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom units how do we know the points required per night for the diff. size units? Do we just have to call MS and ask?? (thanks!)

 

[erionm]

Dean - can you please explain the RCI points thing a little more? I was searching this evening for nightly options in CA (thru the DVC link) and I noticed that a small percentage said RCI Points but most did not. How does that affect the trade? What does that mean? I assumed if I request a search for nightly resorts in CA that anything on the list is available. Is that incorrect?? Why would they show up then? If there are 6 choices in San Fran but only 2 say RCI points do we have to only consider those 2??

Also if a listing says the property has studios, 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom units how do we know the points required per night for the diff. size units? Do we just have to call MS and ask?? (thanks!)

My understanding is those that show RCI Points can be reserved on a nightly or weekly basis. Those that don't show RCI Points can only be reserved by the week. The member website has point charts for nightly, weekly and signature selection exchanges.

 

[Anal Annie]

My understanding is those that show RCI Points can be reserved on a nightly or weekly basis. Those that don't show RCI Points can only be reserved by the week. The member website has point charts for nightly, weekly and signature selection exchanges.

Then why do these other properties show up on the list if you do a search for nightly exchanges? That's silly to even put them in as options. Thanks.

 

[erionm]

Then why do these other properties show up on the list if you do a search for nightly exchanges? That's silly to even put them in as options. Thanks.

I see no way to search by either nightly or weekly. The link from the member website lists all destinations that DVC selected for exchanges.

 

[Dean]

Dean - can you please explain the RCI points thing a little more? I was searching this evening for nightly options in CA (thru the DVC link) and I noticed that a small percentage said RCI Points but most did not. How does that affect the trade? What does that mean? I assumed if I request a search for nightly resorts in CA that anything on the list is available. Is that incorrect?? Why would they show up then? If there are 6 choices in San Fran but only 2 say RCI points do we have to only consider those 2??

Also if a listing says the property has studios, 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom units how do we know the points required per night for the diff. size units? Do we just have to call MS and ask?? (thanks!)

If a resort is ONLY RCI points it likely will not be available at all until 10 months out from the check in day unless the developer deposits ahead but you still don't know if it'll be available for shorter than a week. IF a resort was a weeks resort and later converted to points there will likely be both weeks owners and points owner and each group will function independently to a degree as it relates to RCI deposits with the points weeks being limited to 10 months out and the weeks owners able to deposit as much as 2 yrs out. There are a few exceptions and special considerations such as if you own RCI points at a sister resort.

For the most part it will only be points resorts that are available for less than a week but even if they are points resorts they often are not available for less than a week. The resort must decide it if wants to fool with shorter term rentals or not. Some do it aggressively and others don't at all. To my knowledge DVC hasn't done shorter term deposits other than specified 3 & 4 day options at OKW. Some resorts do it purposefully and charge enough on the housekeeping to make money on that alone.

As for the points required, look to see if it's red time or not. If it's red time assume it's likely to be HIGH season for DVC. This would be 134 for a studio, 160 for a 1 BR and 270 for a 2 BR for a week. There is a break down on the DVC website for the nightly charges that are applicable. It looks like they use the highest points totals for stays less than a week even if it would be lower for a full week. In some cases, that combined with the housekeeping fee may make it worth getting a full week even if you don't need the entire week. There is also the usual Fri/Sat premium in points.

For availability you'll just have to call DVC and ask but you could also have some of us with access to take a peak to see what MIGHT be available. Have them check to see if what you want is available and if not, put in an ongoing search. I don't think they'll do an ongoing search for less than a week though and as noted, you'll have to be 10 months or less for these options. In your example, you already know that 4 of the 6 SF resorts will not be available for less than a week but you don't know if the other 2 will or will not be. In some cases they also have 3 and 4 day deposit options so there may be some exceptions to the info I've provided.

Then why do these other properties show up on the list if you do a search for nightly exchanges? That's silly to even put them in as options. Thanks.

They just have one resort list with a link under both the weeks and nightly exchange areas. This is an RCI managed list from an IT standpoint but DVC controls the resorts that are on the list.