II - Club Interval Gold

[winnipiseogee]

Last year one of my home resorts (Harbor Ridge in Maine) allowed me the option of depositing my weeks into II's new points program. I took them up on it and deposited 2 weeks and got a little over 200k points.

Since then its been impossible to get a decent match for the points.

I tried experimenting this morning using my CIG points and another mediocre week I have deposited from the same resort. The mediocre week was pulling 4 bedroom suites at the Grand Luxxe in Nuevo Vallarta. The points were not even showing me 2 bedroom units at the GL.

It would appear these points are friggen horrible!! Anyone else have this experience?

 

[dominidude]

CIG is not new, it's been around for a little while, below see somethreads

http://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?threads/2011-confused-interval-international-points-now.151087/

http://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?threads/club-interval-gold.204933/

http://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?...-gold-what-does-65-000-points-get-you.251968/

http://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?threads/ii-points-how-many-members-own-points-good-idea.240813/

http://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?threads/points-vs-non-points.247915/

 

[Saintsfanfl]

Last year one of my home resorts (Harbor Ridge in Maine) allowed me the option of depositing my weeks into II's new points program. I took them up on it and deposited 2 weeks and got a little over 200k points.

Since then its been impossible to get a decent match for the points.

I tried experimenting this morning using my CIG points and another mediocre week I have deposited from the same resort. The mediocre week was pulling 4 bedroom suites at the Grand Luxxe in Nuevo Vallarta. The points were not even showing me 2 bedroom units at the GL.

It would appear these points are friggen horrible!! Anyone else have this experience?

I have never heard of someone joining II points without shelling out a few thousand. It sounds like you were able to do it without paying anything?

As for as what you can get for the points. You are supposed to be able to get anything your points balance can pull, so there isn't really any trading power involved. Or at least that is the theory. 200,000 seems like quite a bit and Mexico is a super easy exchange so I would call II and find out what the problem is.

 

[winnipiseogee]

I did pay but it was only $500 to enroll both of my weeks and it came with about 75,000 bonus points. Harbor Ridge in maine is the most owner friendly resort I have ever encountered. They are wonderful to deal with.

I did finally speak with II and they told me that the points system "definitely had more inventory" than the weeks system did. So I demonstrated that there were properties - like the Grand Luxxe - that weren't showing up when I tried to exchange using points. They responded that certain higher end properties - like the Grand Luxxe - have opted out of points. I pushed them on what other properties "opted out" but the rep said he couldn't remember off the top of his head.

At the end of the day I haven't been successful getting a single match with my points yet. I am particular about the resorts I want and with young kids I'm locked into school schedules but I was always able to find something using weeks before. Rather disappointed with II's points system.

 

[amycurl]

Yes, I think the points system is very limited in II. The HOA board thought it might provide some better trading options for owners of off-season weeks. I'm sorry that you haven't been able to find something. (And I totally agree about them trying to be owner-friendly.)


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[taterhed]

Sounds like the 'New Coke' and 'Pepsi Clear.' Of course, I loved the clear Pepsi. Not so much the Coke.

 

[dominidude]

I did finally speak with II and they told me that the points system "definitely had more inventory" than the weeks system did. So I demonstrated that there were properties - like the Grand Luxxe - that weren't showing up when I tried to exchange using points. They responded that certain higher end properties - like the Grand Luxxe - have opted out of points. I pushed them on what other properties "opted out" but the rep said he couldn't remember off the top of his head.

According to the link below, the inventory for points and weeks is the same.
http://timesharegame.com/all-about-interval-international-points/
It's the first time I hear that some resorts have opted out of points.

 

[tschwa2]

According to the link below, the inventory for points and weeks is the same.
http://timesharegame.com/all-about-interval-international-points/
It's the first time I hear that some resorts have opted out of points.
To me it would seem that some resorts, like the one you mentioned, have not yet joined the II points program. The result is the same though, meaning that you wouldn't be able to exchange into a unit of a non participating resort.
It's easy to find out which resorts participate in the II points program.
Just get the II club interval gold guide.
At the end it lists the resorts participating in II points.

Do you have a link to the guide. I have never seen a list of the points participating resorts.

 

[dominidude]

Do you have a link to the guide. I have never seen a list of the points participating resorts.

I got confused. There is no list, that I am aware of, that list CIG participating resorts. This is the guide that I am speaking of:

https://preferredresidences.intervalworld.com/iimedia/pdf/iw/buyers-guide.pdf

Pages 11-56 lists II member resorts, whether or not those resorts belong to the CIG program.
Sorry.

However, I also came across this page:

http://www.insidethegate.com/2011/11/club-interval-gold-points-to-increased-sales/

It says:“Developers also appreciate the fact that consumers can access resorts across Interval’s network, not just those participating in Club Interval Gold.”

Weird then, that OP cannot see Grand Luxxe with CIG, but can see it with a non-CIG timeshare.

 

[tschwa2]

The weird thing is that she can see 2 bedrooms at Grand Luxxe but not the 4 bedroom units there. 200,000 cig points should be enough to see 4 br even in with a tdi of 150.

 

[winnipiseogee]

The weird thing is that she can see 2 bedrooms at Grand Luxxe but not the 4 bedroom units there. 200,000 cig points should be enough to see 4 br even in with a tdi of 150.

Sorry if I mis-spoke. I can not see any units at the grand luxxe using my CIG points (but I can see lots of inventory using a week at the same resort). I was told that the Grand Luxxe "and a few other higher end properties" have opted out of CIG.

The did not tell me why and they did not tell me which other properties have opted out. I've been trying to figure it out myself but no luck yet.

 

[tschwa2]

Sorry if I mis-spoke. I can not see any units at the grand luxxe using my CIG points (but I can see lots of inventory using a week at the same resort). I was told that the Grand Luxxe "and a few other higher end properties" have opted out of CIG.

The did not tell me why and they did not tell me which other properties have opted out. I've been trying to figure it out myself but no luck yet.

Talk to Mark (the TUG interval rep) and have him verify if that is really the problem. I don't own CIG but I own a points property that uses a grid similar to CIG and I can see GL. It makes no sense that a property could "opt out" for an entire class of members.

I have recieved notification today that Interval has created a special email address specifically for TUG members who need direct assistance with II questions/concerns/issues.


tugmembers@intervalintl.com

feel free to use this email for appropriate situations where perhaps the regular website or phone number is not getting you the information you need.

Last edited: Aug 27, 2013
Brian Rogers - TUG Owner

 

[Saintsfanfl]

I did finally speak with II and they told me that the points system "definitely had more inventory" than the weeks system did. So I demonstrated that there were properties - like the Grand Luxxe - that weren't showing up when I tried to exchange using points. They responded that certain higher end properties - like the Grand Luxxe - have opted out of points. I pushed them on what other properties "opted out" but the rep said he couldn't remember off the top of his head.

This sounds like rubbish from a rep that doesn't know what they are talking about. There is no such thing as "points inventory" in II. II only has weeks. All the points does is enable you to no longer trade 1 unit for 1 unit. You can trade 1 unit for 3 units or 3 units for 1 unit.

I am willing to bet that Grand Luxxe wanted to block people from using points because it could hurt their sales. If people found out how little value the resort had for exchanging into they would look for a cheap high points value unit and get 5 for 1.

Mexico is full of "higher end" properties that are extremely cheap for getaways and cheap to trade into. It is unfortunate that II is blocking the ability to use points but that is another reason why their Interval Gold system has been around so long but never really taken off.

Another motivation by II in blocking points for this property is how many points would they require? They have it listed as premier but it is not a difficult exchange. They would be forced with either pricing it too low which has it's issues or pricing it too high when you can use a cheap trader as an alternative.

 

[HudsHut]

Winnipiseogee:
Please consider confirming what the guide told you with Mark Delcampo at
tugmembers@intervalintl.com

I think we'd all be interested to know whether it is true.

 

[tschwa2]

Also if anyone else who has CIG points could check to see if they can see any Grand Luxxe inventory using points.

 

[winnipiseogee]

I've got an email into Mark and will let you know what I hear.

I did have a friend from Harbor Ridge (who also converted to points) try a search in Nuevo. She sees the bliss, grand mayan and mayan palace but not the GL.

 

[winnipiseogee]

For what its worth, no response from Mark and I emailed him sometime last week. I've spoken to II a few times now and they are really vague and shady. I think that some of the higher end resorts have dropped out of CIG and they don't want people to know. I've done some pretty extensive off season searching and the only Marriotts (in locations like St Kitts and Aruba) that come up are an occasional studio.

 

[dominidude]

For what its worth, no response from Mark and I emailed him sometime last week. I've spoken to II a few times now and they are really vague and shady. I think that some of the higher end resorts have dropped out of CIG and they don't want people to know. I've done some pretty extensive off season searching and the only Marriotts (in locations like St Kitts and Aruba) that come up are an occasional studio.

This goes to show how CIG is different from (worse than?) other points based systems.
-First, you dont know which resorts you can exchange into, since there is no list of CIG resorts vs non-CIG resorts.
-Second, you dont know how many points you will need for a week you want. Just because in the past you are able to do an exchange with so many points, does not mean that in the future it will take that same number of points to do that same exchange. There seems to be several CIG users reporting widespread CIG point inflation required for exchanges. It never seems to be the case that fewer points are needed for particular exchanges.
-Third, you cant transfer a CIG points account to someone else, the way you can transfer an RCI points ownership.
-Fourth, CIG users have no increased likelihood of exchanging into brand-name resorts (Marriott, Vistana, Hyatt, etc) over non-CIG users.

 

[Panina]

For what its worth, no response from Mark and I emailed him sometime last week. I've spoken to II a few times now and they are really vague and shady. I think that some of the higher end resorts have dropped out of CIG and they don't want people to know. I've done some pretty extensive off season searching and the only Marriotts (in locations like St Kitts and Aruba) that come up are an occasional studio.

I would Email Mark again. Unlike him not to answer.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

-Third, you cant transfer a CIG points account to someone else, the way you can transfer an RCI points ownership.

Supposedly you can actually transfer a CIG points week to someone else for a small fee.

 

[winnipiseogee]

I owe Mark an apology. He actually called and left me a message the day I emailed him but I thought it was TS scammers and deleted his vmail!

I just spoke to him now and he was incredibly helpful. He told me that the Grand Luxxe and the Grand Bill are the only two properties not included in CIG. He said that these resorts wanted to insure that the people exchanging into them owned at comparably nice properties. With CIG these is no such control (I could have 4 or 5 weeks are crappy resorts and pool the points to get me into the Luxxe).

Not sure how I feel about Vidanta's policy but Mark was great!

 

[dominidude]

I just spoke to him now and he was incredibly helpful. He told me that the Grand Luxxe and the Grand Bill are the only two properties not included in CIG. He said that these resorts wanted to insure that the people exchanging into them owned at comparably nice properties. With CIG these is no such control (I could have 4 or 5 weeks are crappy resorts and pool the points to get me into the Luxxe).
Not sure how I feel about Vidanta's policy but Mark was great!

First, that is supposed to be a selling point of CIG, pooling crappy resort weeks to get you a better chance at a nicer resort week. I'm surprised that it is Vidanta doing this, not Mariott, Hyatt, Vistana. Maybe they are doing it as well, but calling it "preference period"?
Second, kudos to Mark

 

[Saintsfanfl]

I just spoke to him now and he was incredibly helpful. He told me that the Grand Luxxe and the Grand Bill are the only two properties not included in CIG. He said that these resorts wanted to insure that the people exchanging into them owned at comparably nice properties. With CIG these is no such control (I could have 4 or 5 weeks are crappy resorts and pool the points to get me into the Luxxe).

Here is the really big problem with that theory. Do you need a "comparably nice property" to exchange into Grande Luxxe? II has it tagged with a relatively low needed trading power. I have a 1BR with an annual fee of $314 and I can see every unit available at Grande Luxxe. So instead of using 4 or 5 crappy weeks you only have to use 1! Granted my 1BR has decent trading power, but only decent. It would never pull something like Marriott's Crystal Shores.

It defeats the entire purpose of whatever they are trying to accomplish. All they are doing it hurting CIG but they have never made it even a remote priority anyway.