Should I Switch from Weeks to Points?

We own a Week 26, 1 bedroom unit at the Windjammer Landing in St. Lucia. Right now, I use it to trade via RCI and seem to have been successful in getting what I want for trades. But, in reading all the weeks vs points dicussion I'm wondering if I should convert to the points system now. The cost to switch would be $499 and the week would be worth 60,000 points. I'm not sure what those 60,000 points would get me in terms of trading via points or if I am better off leaving the week in the "weeks" system.

Tugger's thoughts?? Thanks!

I'm new...but...

I asked a similar question (buy a points wk to trade with or wait for the "trade credit" thing....there's a thread in the exchange forum about it...from RCI to happen).

$500 isn't bad (most places are $3k to change over). How much is your MFs there? The standard advice I've been given is to get it less than $0.01/point (i.e...if you get 60k points, then $600 MFs) if possible. Might be better to find a cheap points week somewhere with low MFs.

AFARR


Here's the thread.....http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118636

Wait. You have a great week and should be able to get good trades with it. RCI is trotting out a new Premium Points program designed to separate you from your money. If it is successful from their standpoint, points may not be the way to go. Keep reading TUG and decide later.

I prefer my weeks trades to my points trades. I seem to "see" more with the weeks deposit. So, if you are getting what you want, why change to the unknown?

Go for it

$500 for the conversion to points is a very reasonable price. Based on our experience with various points programs, including RCI's, I wouldn't hesitate to make that change. Nothing they do in weeks is likely to equal the much more flexible and feature rich points system

Is there a RCI points grid available to look at so I can get some idea of what kind of exchanges would be available for 60,000 points? I really don't have much knowledge of the RCI points system at all. I've been reading here on TUG but man, it is CONFUSING!!! Some people say it's great, others think "weeks" owners are getting shafted, some find it neutral.

AFARR, maintenance fees are right at $600 per year.

Go to RCI

RCI dot Com.

Look at the resorts.

Then at the bottom of the listing is usually a link to the RCI Points grid for that place (based on week and bedrooms).

Caveat....I don't own a points week, but I look to get an idea of what they value various things. Also...having a points value doesn't guarantee any availability...but you can at least see what 60k points will get you.

AFARR, thanks so much! I didn't even realize that info was on RCI.

You own a PRIME school vacation week. Owners of PRIME weeks usually use or rent. Why give away a PRIME week for a lottery(slim to none) chance of getting a PRIME week, when mostly owners of dog weeks convert. I don't care how many poits you have, if a weeks owners doesn't convert you can not get that week.

e.bram,

Thanks for your thoughts. Those are exactly the kinds of questions I've been asking myself. I just didn't know enough about the RCI points system to know whether switching to points was worth it or not. After doing some serious research today I can see that it is NOT worth it to me to switch our week.

Thank you to everyone who took time to answer and provide your input. It helped so much. As always, TUGGERS are the BEST!!!

Jan

janT:
aynone urging to swith to points probably switched their dog week to points hoping some PRIME week owners will swith to points so they can use their pointsdog converted) to switch into a PRIME week. Do not do it!!!

You still have the underlying week!

Just because you convert your week to points doesn't mean that you lose the underlying week. You still have the exclusive right to reserve your exact week and unit. For $500, why not have the best of both worlds.

- Michael

Michael,

I understand I don't lose the underlying week. I'm just not convinced that converting to points will gain me anything. I get some pretty good trades the way it is now. I don't know what I would get if I switched to points.

For me mostly, the switch to RCI Points has mostly been the last minute exchanges

JanT said:

Michael,

I understand I don't lose the underlying week. I'm just not convinced that converting to points will gain me anything. I get some pretty good trades the way it is now. I don't know what I would get if I switched to points.

Click to expand...

Do you have flexibility to travel on last minute availabilities? Are you looking to get more vacations out of your one week's worth of maintenance fees (plus exchange fees)?

I have made 3 full point exchanges since getting into points a couple of years ago (July on the Outer Banks 2BR and Easter week beachfront on Cable Beach 3BR). I cancelled an Easter week 2 bedroom at OKW in Disney. These aren't exchanges to turn your nose up at in my opinion (dog locations during dog weeks, ha!). The rest of my exchanges (and there have been many) have been in the 45 day or less range (6000-9000 points). I see lots of stuff all the time in the last minute window. If you have a degree of flexibility, there always seems to be availability (mostly after midnight online). These are prime locations for the season, many during holiday weeks. I saw many Easter Weeks in great warm locations at great resorts (1-3 bedrooms).

If you find RCI Points don't work for you, it's not something that you have to stay in. You will still have that underlying week.

There are two very strong sides on the Points debate here on TUG. As has been suggested, perhaps wait and see what RCI has up its sleeve for the Weeks side. Keep researching it in the meantime. Ultimately, your decision. Base it on the best decision you can make for youself after weighing the potential benefits versus the money spent to convert and finding it doesn't work for you.

e.bram said:

janT:
aynone urging to swith to points probably switched their dog week to points hoping some PRIME week owners will swith to points so they can use their pointsdog converted) to switch into a PRIME week. Do not do it!!!

Click to expand...

e.bram keeps claiming that people have only switched dog weeks into points. I don't know why. It is not based upon experience.

Right now, the furthest out that you can search with points is the first two weeks in February. That would make the most trades into Colorado (ski weeks) and Arizona (sunbirds) highly desirable trades at the moment (that is not "dogs"). I just did a quick search as what was available online within Points vs Weeks. Despite the fact that there are many fewer resorts in the Points system, there were seven resorts available in Colorado in Points vs. six within Weeks; ten resorts available within Arizona in Points vs. five in Weeks. Add to that, almost all the Gold Crowns that showed up were in Points. (That is part of a trend. If you look at the resorts at Hilton Head, almost all the Gold Crown resorts are now listed as Points resorts. The "dogs" as far as resorts go are being left in the Weeks system.)

I am not saying whether you should switch or not, Jan, but don't buy into the idea that there are nothing but dogs in Points.

Right now we do not have the ability to travel last minute but that will probably happen next year. My thoughts in regards to converting to points was to do as you suggested - picking up last minute trades to good resorts in the 9K point range and getting more trades out of the one week.

I'm just going to hang tight right now and see what RCI does with it's points system. I may or may not switch it.

And I'm sure that not all people who switched from weeks to points were "dog week" owners. I think people just have to do what works for them. And if someone owns a lesser week and could convert that to points and that results in them getting some prime weeks, hey good for them!!!

It really depend on what you want to exchange. You will get a lot more weeks for 60k points if you can use the last minute exchange. But you will also pay more if you want to exchange for premium point destinations. For example, you won't be able to get a week in Manhattan Club, DVC or a GC summer two bedroom in Northeast with 60k points.

had an rci week for years, switched to points several years back (pd $2500 to do it) big mistake, waiting for my contract to expire. Week program gives much better lead time to plan vacation if exchanging. check rci directory to see which resorts are points and which are still weeks. might help you decide.

nunzioescargot said:

had an rci week for years, switched to points several years back (pd $2500 to do it) big mistake, waiting for my contract to expire. Week program gives much better lead time to plan vacation if exchanging. check rci directory to see which resorts are points and which are still weeks. might help you decide.

Click to expand...

The bolded statement is not relevant. Why? Because just because the resort is in points doesn't mean that more than a handful of owners there have switched to points. So many if not most of the owners may still be in weeks and their deposits should show up in weeks not points.

If you've got a premium week and you are happy with the trades that you get in the week system, then I don't see any need to convert.

If you want the flexibility/options that points provide you could convert. RCI points exchanges are not limited to just those resorts that are RCI points, you can search two years out for RCI weeks inventory that is available with RCI points.

The advice that only "dog" weeks are available is absurd.

You should consider that as an uninformed opinion.

Some exchange examples (your opinion of "dogs" may vary):

Morritt's Grand Resort
Manhattan Club
Smuggler's Notch
Valdoro Mountain Lodge
Disney's Old Key West Resort - Grand Villa
Samoset Resort - July (6,500 last minute)
Tristram's Landing - August (6,500 last minute)
Water's Edge Resort - Sept (6,500 last minute)
Disney's Boardwalk Villas
HGVC Grand Waikikian
HGVC King's Land
and
Numerous Airline Reservations

Yeah, some people win the lottery too. But I wouldn't plan my life around it.
(I know, some people do, not I)

When someone "wins the lottery" eleven times (like the post prior to ebrams) it is not the lottery anymore. Points have worked for me numerous times. I have had dog trades. They were all before I joined Points.