- Joined
- Mar 15, 2012
- Messages
- 415
- Reaction score
- 487
- Points
- 273
lindner, while it's true that RCI gives fewer TPU for smaller units and charges more to trade into larger ones, I think their setup allows you to maximize your value better than II. With our RCI units being all year reservations, we can reserve high season 1 bdr weeks for deposit and get more TPUs. Then, I've noticed that in many off season weeks that we trade into (but still during good weather for traveling), the TPU difference between trading into 1 and 2 bedroom units is often only 1-2 TPUs. So this is a reasonable way to trade up in bedrooms without a stiff cost like II's new upgrade fee.
We try to limit our RCI tpu combining to once a year at most, or as needed if less than that. While it would be nice not to have that fee, it happens less often than an upgrade fee would for us in II. I think II instituted their fee to try to limit studio deposits, which I'm guessing they weren't getting as many trades into as they wanted. We also see less available for trading into with our studio deposits now than we used to in instant online exchange.
So, too bad II, you will lose most of our future fees that would have come from studio deposits, and even some 1 bedroom units. Those will go into Platinum, Trading Places, and DAE now (because those units of ours are not affiliated with RCI). Even though those other trading exchange systems have upgrade fees too, because they have no annual fee or quality filters, they are a better deal IMO, providing you can find desirable units to trade into.
I like RCI's system better than II's, especially being able to see all deposits available to trade, and not having to request them, plus the TPU system. Just wish they had more of the quality units like II, or especially that we could deposit any of our units into any trading system of our choice. We'll have to continue to use II, RCI, and other exchange systems strategically to make the trades work best for us. However, II will definitely get fewer deposits and trades from us now due to their upgrade fees, and our Marriott internal trades and DC points use will increase.
We try to limit our RCI tpu combining to once a year at most, or as needed if less than that. While it would be nice not to have that fee, it happens less often than an upgrade fee would for us in II. I think II instituted their fee to try to limit studio deposits, which I'm guessing they weren't getting as many trades into as they wanted. We also see less available for trading into with our studio deposits now than we used to in instant online exchange.
So, too bad II, you will lose most of our future fees that would have come from studio deposits, and even some 1 bedroom units. Those will go into Platinum, Trading Places, and DAE now (because those units of ours are not affiliated with RCI). Even though those other trading exchange systems have upgrade fees too, because they have no annual fee or quality filters, they are a better deal IMO, providing you can find desirable units to trade into.
I like RCI's system better than II's, especially being able to see all deposits available to trade, and not having to request them, plus the TPU system. Just wish they had more of the quality units like II, or especially that we could deposit any of our units into any trading system of our choice. We'll have to continue to use II, RCI, and other exchange systems strategically to make the trades work best for us. However, II will definitely get fewer deposits and trades from us now due to their upgrade fees, and our Marriott internal trades and DC points use will increase.
. I have all 2 bedroom units, but many times got 3 and 4 bedroom units in Williamsburg. Vacationing with family is often better in large units 
