• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Managing Annual points to Zero - non-VIP owners

BDMX2

TUG Member
Joined
May 21, 2017
Messages
330
Reaction score
216
Points
154
Location
CT
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Santa Barbara
Wyndham Bonnet Creek
I'm wondering how most of you usually plan and use your points to zero out by the end of the use year. We're in our 2nd year of Wyndham ownership and still learning the best approaches for some of these little details.

Here's my scoop:

We have two contracts, both a January 1st use year. We bought resale in 2017 and membership finally transferred in late December so the remaining 2017 points were just deposited to RCI since I couldn't do much more with them at that late hour (nor did I expect to use them...so being able to get them on time to bank with RCI was gravy). Anyway, then in 2018 we knew we were planning on taking a trip to Hawaii and taking my parents along, so I got our 2018 plans squared away by March 31st and banked everything else forward to 2019 and our 2018 points were zero for the remainder of the year. So now here in 2019 we've taken our trips and I'm sitting on 500 points remaining, which I know is really very little. Too few to transfer to RCI of course. And I know the dollar amount I'm talking about in dues is really tiny as well, but I hate to leave anything on the table, and next year whit if it is in the thousands rather than just 500. So I imagine we either lose the 500, donate them to Wyndham to use for military families, or plan to find some sort of weekend getaway before December 31st and borrow the balance from 2020. Any other option I'm missing? What do most of you (non VIP) normally do? Have everything planned by the banking deadline like I did last year? End up losing a few every year? Something else that I'm not considering?
 

paxsarah

TUG Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2010
Messages
3,771
Reaction score
2,915
Points
448
Location
Athens, GA
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Ocean Boulevard, Flagstaff, Grand Desert
500 is really worth in the neighborhood of $2-4. Any effort I’d make toward using that few points is going to cost way more than the $3 they’re worth. If I’m going to have more points than the value of the deposit fee of $39, so maybe 7-8k, I’m typically a planner and know as you did by March that I want to deposit them. We also use RCI for Disney vacations every year or two, so a deposit to RCI will get used with purpose in our case.
 

bendadin

TUG Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2016
Messages
1,932
Reaction score
620
Points
223
Location
Virginia
I would borrow to use them up. I had a few thousand left once and I bought up to the 10k to deposit them to RCI. I wouldn't do that again, though, because I find it difficult to spend my RCI Wyndham points and I've already had to pay to extend one set of points. I'd hate to pay just to extend 10k.
 

bnoble

TUG Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2006
Messages
11,634
Reaction score
5,369
Points
798
Location
The People's Republic of Ann Arbor
I usually have a good idea by the end of March what my plans are for the rest of that year, and will either roll forward anything I don't use, or plan to deposit to RCI. The latter is a good way to get high-value exchanges for reasonable costs. Disney is one example. Some city-based locations are others. For example, Wyndham Austin is much less expensive through RCI in terms of point costs than if you book internally. That requires that something is deposited in the season you want to go, but that's not always so difficult. Oahu would be another good example.
 

Richelle

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Messages
2,675
Reaction score
2,064
Points
348
Location
Location, Location.
Resorts Owned
Wyndham National Harbor
Wyndham Canterbury
Wyndham Atlanta
Bay Club of Sandestin
Williamsburg Plantation
I usually have a good idea by the end of March what my plans are for the rest of that year, and will either roll forward anything I don't use, or plan to deposit to RCI. The latter is a good way to get high-value exchanges for reasonable costs. Disney is one example. Some city-based locations are others. For example, Wyndham Austin is much less expensive through RCI in terms of point costs than if you book internally. That requires that something is deposited in the season you want to go, but that's not always so difficult. Oahu would be another good example.

It maybe cheaper point wise, but you have to factor in the $239 fee. You also have to factor in that availability is even more limited with RCI. So even if it is cheaper, it’s harder to get.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

paxsarah

TUG Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2010
Messages
3,771
Reaction score
2,915
Points
448
Location
Athens, GA
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Ocean Boulevard, Flagstaff, Grand Desert
It maybe cheaper point wise, but you have to factor in the $239 fee. You also have to factor in that availability is even more limited with RCI. So even if it is cheaper, it’s harder to get.

As with anything RCI, flexibility is key (along with ongoing searches to get better than the leftovers), but even right now there's a studio week at Wyndham Austin for 9/22 check-in for 77,000 points. Directly through Wyndham it would be 203,000 points. That more than covers the exchange fee.
 

cbyrne1174

TUG Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2018
Messages
1,916
Reaction score
1,598
Points
274
Location
Tampa, FL
Resorts Owned
Club Wyndham, Marriott, DVC
100% resale!!
Just do a weekend getaway at your closest resort and borrow from next year. I make sure my 6 reservation transactions, 2 guest certs (rentals), 497 HK credits are used every year.

I personally just wasted 140 HK staying 2 nights at Reunion for 39,000 points on sale. It was the same price as a bonnet creek 1 bedroom deluxe. I borrowed the points, but had the extra HK that were going to exp in Dec. Use everything!!! You pay for it.
 

Richelle

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Messages
2,675
Reaction score
2,064
Points
348
Location
Location, Location.
Resorts Owned
Wyndham National Harbor
Wyndham Canterbury
Wyndham Atlanta
Bay Club of Sandestin
Williamsburg Plantation
As with anything RCI, flexibility is key (along with ongoing searches to get better than the leftovers), but even right now there's a studio week at Wyndham Austin for 9/22 check-in for 77,000 points. Directly through Wyndham it would be 203,000 points. That more than covers the exchange fee.

That covers the reservation fee, but it’s the only unit that is currently available. And it’s a one bedroom. If that’s not the week you want to go, or you need a bigger unit, then it’s useless to you. You’re also limited in what days if the week you can check in. Yes, flexibility is key, but you can afford to be less flexible with Wyndham then you can RCI. I’m not saying RCI doesn’t have its benefits because it does. Especially if you want to travel to a place that doesn’t have a Club Wyndham resort. It’s also great for international locations. I just wouldn’t use it to stay at a Wyndham resort because I don’t want to fork over the fee in addition to the maintenance fees I already paid for those points. I’d rather use RCI for locations I cannot get with Wyndham.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

bnoble

TUG Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2006
Messages
11,634
Reaction score
5,369
Points
798
Location
The People's Republic of Ann Arbor
I just wouldn’t use it to stay at a Wyndham resort because I don’t want to fork over the fee in addition to the maintenance fees I already paid for those points. I’d rather use RCI for locations I cannot get with Wyndham.
And that is certainly your prerogative. However, the math can work out such that it is cheaper to go the RCI route. And, because you can run a search without having points on deposit, it is a no-risk proposition. I just hit on a 1BR at DVC today, but also had a search at Bonnet Creek for the same week. If the BC week had hit, it would have cost me 105K plus $240 to exchange vs. 166K to book internally. The resulting ratio (just under $4/K given you are "buying" the equivalent of 61K for $240) is better than nearly any Wyndham ownership.
 

Richelle

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Messages
2,675
Reaction score
2,064
Points
348
Location
Location, Location.
Resorts Owned
Wyndham National Harbor
Wyndham Canterbury
Wyndham Atlanta
Bay Club of Sandestin
Williamsburg Plantation
I should also add, that unit is September 22nd of this year. I could have booked the same unit 60 days out at a discount with an upgrade if it was available. So instead of 203k, it’s 132k. RCI is 55k cheaper. My maintenance fees on 55k points is about $275. That makes RCI $36 cheaper but no upgrade.

Also, with RCI, if you cancel, you don’t get your $239 back. You get your points back, I believe, but not the booking fee. If you pay a booking fee through Wyndham and you cancel, you also lose it but you lose at most $29. Not $239. Also, often times, there will be additional housekeeping fees or taxes. So RCI is not always cheaper. Couple that with less availability and fixed check in dates, and having to book full weeks in most places, means RCI is not always the right choice. Depends on the member and situation.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Richelle

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Messages
2,675
Reaction score
2,064
Points
348
Location
Location, Location.
Resorts Owned
Wyndham National Harbor
Wyndham Canterbury
Wyndham Atlanta
Bay Club of Sandestin
Williamsburg Plantation
And that is certainly your prerogative. However, the math can work out such that it is cheaper to go the RCI route. And, because you can run a search without having points on deposit, it is a no-risk proposition. I just hit on a 1BR at DVC today, but also had a search at Bonnet Creek for the same week. If the BC week had hit, it would have cost me 105K plus $240 to exchange vs. 166K to book internally. The resulting ratio (just under $4/K given you are "buying" the equivalent of 61K for $240) is better than nearly any Wyndham ownership.

It’s NOT a no risk situation. If you have to cancel your plans after booking, you lose that $239 fee. With Wyndham, at most you lose $29. As I mentioned above, I get points discounts and upgrades at 45 days. I get no discounts with RCI and upgrades at 14 days. I got a hit on Disney to but released it because plans changed. I thought you had to pay the $239 fee upfront, when you set up the ongoing search? Maybe that’s just the RCI weeks side.

Either way, limited availability, less flexibility on checkin days, and the fact that you have to book full weeks in most cases (in every case for resale only owners), and RCI loses its appeal. It’s great for international locations and locations where there are no Wyndham’s resorts.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Richelle

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Messages
2,675
Reaction score
2,064
Points
348
Location
Location, Location.
Resorts Owned
Wyndham National Harbor
Wyndham Canterbury
Wyndham Atlanta
Bay Club of Sandestin
Williamsburg Plantation
No one ever said that, though.

We were talking booking fees and maintenance fees. You implied that the math is better for RCI. I disagreed. Did I clarify that for you?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

paxsarah

TUG Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2010
Messages
3,771
Reaction score
2,915
Points
448
Location
Athens, GA
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Ocean Boulevard, Flagstaff, Grand Desert
We were talking booking fees and maintenance fees. You implied that the math is better for RCI. I disagreed. Did I clarify that for you?

Brian specifically mentioned Wyndham Austin as one example of a Wyndham resort that is routinely (maybe not necessarily always) cheaper in RCI. You suggested that didn't take into account the exchange fee. I presented a real-life example of an Austin exchange where even taking the exchange fee into account, the week is still noticeably cheaper through RCI than through Wyndham. The math can be better for RCI. Many people assume that due to the exchange fee, RCI can never be cheaper. I apologize if my details on one specific example let you to believe I was advocating that RCI was cheaper across the board. If I inadvertently used the word "always," that's my mistake.
 

dgalati

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
3,393
Reaction score
1,327
Points
298
As with anything RCI, flexibility is key (along with ongoing searches to get better than the leftovers), but even right now there's a studio week at Wyndham Austin for 9/22 check-in for 77,000 points. Directly through Wyndham it would be 203,000 points. That more than covers the exchange fee.
Exactly 126,000 less points needed, lets assume you are a VIP and can book at discount in 60 day window and only need 101,500 at $5/1000. RCI Is less. RCI can be used to travel to Wyndham for less then a VIP if your flexible on travel dates.
 

paxsarah

TUG Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2010
Messages
3,771
Reaction score
2,915
Points
448
Location
Athens, GA
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Ocean Boulevard, Flagstaff, Grand Desert
Exactly 126,000 less points needed, lets assume you are a VIP and can book at discount in 60 day window and only need 101,500 at $5/1000. RCI Is less. RCI can be used to travel to Wyndham for less then a VIP if your flexible on travel dates.

In that situation, the platinum VIP discount is a better deal than RCI with having to pay the exchange fee. RCI is not always cheaper.

However, the discussion of what a VIP might do is pretty far afield from the OP’s question, which specifically asked what non-VIPs - who don’t have an extended window to use points deposit, who don’t get reliable discounts and thus don’t really have an incentive to book last-minute - do with a handful of points left at the end of a year.
 

dgalati

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
3,393
Reaction score
1,327
Points
298
In that situation, the platinum VIP discount is a better deal than RCI with having to pay the exchange fee. RCI is not always cheaper.

However, the discussion of what a VIP might do is pretty far afield from the OP’s question, which specifically asked what non-VIPs - who don’t have an extended window to use points deposit, who don’t get reliable discounts and thus don’t really have an incentive to book last-minute - do with a handful of points left at the end of a year.
Just replying with options for a non VIP. Depositing points to RIC can be a good value if plans to travel are flexible
 

bnoble

TUG Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2006
Messages
11,634
Reaction score
5,369
Points
798
Location
The People's Republic of Ann Arbor
It’s NOT a no risk situation.
You appear to be mis-reading my post. The search is a no-risk proposition, because you don't need to deposit points to perform one. However, once you deposit points, they must be used in RCI, so no the booking is not without risk so it's unwise unless your plans are relatively firm. But, there are some people who might find themselves in that situation, and this is another way to get value from a Wyndham ownership. It's not something that everyone will or even should do, but it's also not something that should be dismissed out of hand.
 

Richelle

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Messages
2,675
Reaction score
2,064
Points
348
Location
Location, Location.
Resorts Owned
Wyndham National Harbor
Wyndham Canterbury
Wyndham Atlanta
Bay Club of Sandestin
Williamsburg Plantation
In that situation, the platinum VIP discount is a better deal than RCI with having to pay the exchange fee. RCI is not always cheaper.

However, the discussion of what a VIP might do is pretty far afield from the OP’s question, which specifically asked what non-VIPs - who don’t have an extended window to use points deposit, who don’t get reliable discounts and thus don’t really have an incentive to book last-minute - do with a handful of points left at the end of a year.

Good point. In this scenario, the VIP discount shouldn't be accounted for by me. In the OP's case, RCI is better value (we'll leave out the word cheaper) sometimes, because they use fewer points sometimes. If they had 10,000 points left over, I would say to deposit them. However, they would have to rent 9,500 just to deposit them. That's $114 on top of the $239 fee. Can they deposit points from multiple years into one deposit? So can they deposit the leftover 500 points, and 9,500 points from next year to avoid having to pay $12 per 1,000 points?
 

Richelle

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Messages
2,675
Reaction score
2,064
Points
348
Location
Location, Location.
Resorts Owned
Wyndham National Harbor
Wyndham Canterbury
Wyndham Atlanta
Bay Club of Sandestin
Williamsburg Plantation
You appear to be mis-reading my post. The search is a no-risk proposition, because you don't need to deposit points to perform one. However, once you deposit points, they must be used in RCI, so no the booking is not without risk so it's unwise unless your plans are relatively firm. But, there are some people who might find themselves in that situation, and this is another way to get value from a Wyndham ownership. It's not something that everyone will or even should do, but it's also not something that should be dismissed out of hand.

Now you're the one misunderstanding. I never dismissed RCI. I said RCI has its benefits, especially in locations where there is no Wyndham or internationally. I just didn't agree with using points for Wyndham locations, unless there are no other options. That is my opinion. People, including you, can form their own opinion.

You never did answer my question about the ignore list. You said I was on your ignore list, but you are seeing and responding to my comments. So I guess no? Feel free to add me to your ignore list if you don't agree with my opinion, as you do with other people who you don't agree with. No hard feelings.
 

paxsarah

TUG Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2010
Messages
3,771
Reaction score
2,915
Points
448
Location
Athens, GA
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Ocean Boulevard, Flagstaff, Grand Desert
Can they deposit points from multiple years into one deposit?

I’m pretty sure two different years is two separate RCI deposits. That’s why my choice for 500 points would always be to let it go. I’m not going to borrow from next year and take a previously unplanned weekend trip just to use up $3 worth of points, either. But it is a good general discussion for what to do when you have, say 7,000+ points left to deal with.
 

OutSkiing

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2015
Messages
538
Reaction score
241
Points
153
Location
Columbus, Ohio
Resorts Owned
Midtown 45, Bali Hai, Margaritaville
Wow, even folks that are super helpful and I normally view as quite friendly seem to be getting snarky lately. Must have missed nap time.

Bob
 

BDMX2

TUG Member
Joined
May 21, 2017
Messages
330
Reaction score
216
Points
154
Location
CT
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Santa Barbara
Wyndham Bonnet Creek
Thanks for all of the discussion and input everyone!

I’m pretty sure two different years is two separate RCI deposits. That’s why my choice for 500 points would always be to let it go. I’m not going to borrow from next year and take a previously unplanned weekend trip just to use up $3 worth of points, either. But it is a good general discussion for what to do when you have, say 7,000+ points left to deal with.

I hadn't thought about combining points for depositing to RCI, but sounds like that might not work anyway. At the end of the day for this year, though, you're right Paxsarah...I did the math and we're talking about $3.44...not worth having conversation over, but a good exercise to think about future years.

As always, you guys give lots of food for thought, thanks!
 

schoolmarm

TUG Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2014
Messages
372
Reaction score
246
Points
254
Location
Toledo, Ohio
Resorts Owned
Wyndham CWA, Bali Hai, and National Harbor; Summit at Massanutten
Oh, geez, the SIMPLEST way to use up all your points in a use year is with Wyndham bookings FOR that use year. Annnnnnd, borrowing from your NEXT use year to 1) complete the last night of a reservation or 2) when you are in the express period, you can borrow from your next use year for all or part of a reservation. If you have 500 points left for this use year, you can just go somewhere nearby for a night or two and borrow the rest from you next use year. OR what the heck, go for a whole week...there are lots of places to go during the express period.

You are not VIP, so you will not have to worry about discounts/upgrades, etc. This way you don't have to pay a fee to RCI to book a WHOLE week somewhere sometime in the next two years. Maybe you just want to go for a weekend.

I run my use year out EVERY year. One year I had to pay for about 10 housekeeping credits...no big deal.
 
Top