RCI costs continue to astound...

[Magic1962]

This is why I us RCI...

This is a copy of one of my old posts..... WHY WOULDNT I belong to RCI???

How I leveraged my points for our trip to Hawaii...
Hello all! the question is asked on what is better points or weeks and while I don't have that answer I thought I would pass on how I used this years points for our trip to Hawaii in Nov.

1.) 2 bedroom at the Grand Waikikian by Hilton Vacations Clubs for seven nights 69500 Points plus money for trade to RCI...

2.) 7day car rental from Enterprise - Chevy Tahoe 50,050 points plus 25.00

3.) 2 bedroom at Shearwater for three nights 40,920 points plus money for trade to RCI...

4.) 3day car rental from Enterprise - Chevy Tahoe 22,500 points plus 179.23

TOTAL RCI POINTS :183000 points ~$1000.00 a year paid for MF for Grandview

$1000.00 MF Grandview
$ 219.00 RCI Trade cost for 1
$ 25.00 RCI cost for 2
$ 219.00 RCI trade cost for 3
$ 179.23 RCI trade cost for 4
$1642.23 TOTAL for lodging and transportation for 10 days in Honolulu and Kauai........

I feel that I have leveraged my points to the best I could because if you were going to pay straight up cash to stay in a two bedroom and vehicles you would pay TONS more then what I am.... oh and by the way the other couple who is going with us is paying half so now it brings it down to less then $822.00 for 10 days in paradise!!!!!! plus 950.00 each for airfare from Detroit.....

Dave (have I said how much I love Timesharing)...

 

[skimble]

This is a copy of one of my old posts..... WHY WOULDNT I belong to RCI???

How I leveraged my points for our trip to Hawaii...
Hello all! the question is asked on what is better points or weeks and while I don't have that answer I thought I would pass on how I used this years points for our trip to Hawaii in Nov.

1.) 2 bedroom at the Grand Waikikian by Hilton Vacations Clubs for seven nights 69500 Points plus money for trade to RCI...

2.) 7day car rental from Enterprise - Chevy Tahoe 50,050 points plus 25.00

3.) 2 bedroom at Shearwater for three nights 40,920 points plus money for trade to RCI...

4.) 3day car rental from Enterprise - Chevy Tahoe 22,500 points plus 179.23

TOTAL RCI POINTS :183000 points ~$1000.00 a year paid for MF for Grandview

$1000.00 MF Grandview
$ 219.00 RCI Trade cost for 1
$ 25.00 RCI cost for 2
$ 219.00 RCI trade cost for 3
$ 179.23 RCI trade cost for 4
$1642.23 TOTAL for lodging and transportation for 10 days in Honolulu and Kauai........

I feel that I have leveraged my points to the best I could because if you were going to pay straight up cash to stay in a two bedroom and vehicles you would pay TONS more then what I am.... oh and by the way the other couple who is going with us is paying half so now it brings it down to less then $822.00 for 10 days in paradise!!!!!! plus 950.00 each for airfare from Detroit.....

Dave (have I said how much I love Timesharing)...

Plenty of TUGGERS make it work. We are the exception.
I have a friend who owns two CA beach weeks. They used to trade one in RCI and use the other one each year. Some time over the past 5 years, the costs for an RCI trade reached a breaking point. It doesn't make sense for her. By today's standards, she would pay her maintenance fee of about $900, joins RCI each year for $129, $69 for full point value since her week falls about 5 months after her fees are due. $219 for a trade, $69 for guest certificate since she always let her adult kids use the week. Too much.

 

[JuliGee]

This is a copy of one of my old posts..... WHY WOULDNT I belong to RCI???

How I leveraged my points for our trip to Hawaii...
Hello all! the question is asked on what is better points or weeks and while I don't have that answer I thought I would pass on how I used this years points for our trip to Hawaii in Nov.

1.) 2 bedroom at the Grand Waikikian by Hilton Vacations Clubs for seven nights 69500 Points plus money for trade to RCI...

2.) 7day car rental from Enterprise - Chevy Tahoe 50,050 points plus 25.00

3.) 2 bedroom at Shearwater for three nights 40,920 points plus money for trade to RCI...

4.) 3day car rental from Enterprise - Chevy Tahoe 22,500 points plus 179.23

TOTAL RCI POINTS :183000 points ~$1000.00 a year paid for MF for Grandview

$1000.00 MF Grandview
$ 219.00 RCI Trade cost for 1
$ 25.00 RCI cost for 2
$ 219.00 RCI trade cost for 3
$ 179.23 RCI trade cost for 4
$1642.23 TOTAL for lodging and transportation for 10 days in Honolulu and Kauai........

I feel that I have leveraged my points to the best I could because if you were going to pay straight up cash to stay in a two bedroom and vehicles you would pay TONS more then what I am.... oh and by the way the other couple who is going with us is paying half so now it brings it down to less then $822.00 for 10 days in paradise!!!!!! plus 950.00 each for airfare from Detroit.....

Dave (have I said how much I love Timesharing)...

Based on your annual costs, this looks like great value. But I noticed you didn't include the purchase price of your timeshare unit. Wouldn't that need to be factored into your cost analysis to get the true total cost of your accommodations?

Juli

 

[Magic1962]

Based on your annual costs, this looks like great value. But I noticed you didn't include the purchase price of your timeshare unit. Wouldn't that need to be factored into your cost analysis to get the true total cost of your accommodations?

Juli

Back in 2011 I bought resale vacation Village in Parkway 74000 points, Plus an additional 74000 points in the contract.... I paid approx. 1000.00 for that... I used those points and Did a three bedroom in Myrtle Beach at the Wyndamn Ocean Blvd....for a week in December, 2012 over Christmas, got a 1 bedroom in Gatlinburg for my daughter and her husband for their Honeymoon and got a two bedroom at Las Vegas 2013 stayed for a week in a 2 bed room at Tahiti Village in Las Vegas.... I also bought my first Grandview Points 120000 points for 2,800.00... Used some of those points to pay for the airfare for our daughter and spouse to fly and me and my wife the same.... 2014 we stayed in a three bedroom at the island links at Hilton Head.... 2015 got rid of VV for nothing and bought my other Grand View 64000 for around1000.00 we flew to Florida and got a three bedroom at Bonnet Creek this past summer and usedALL OUR points for that trip.... And we used all our points for our trip to Hawaii..... I think I couldn't have done better..... But I study and plan all the time doing this.... Dave. I LOVE RCI and TIMESHAREING.... #### added.... so I guess if you look what I have spent ~$4800.00 for buying my properties and getting rid of the VV Parkway I couldn't stay at Bonnet Creek 3 bedroom or my Hawaii vacation for what I have spent

 

[geekette]

We are new to TUG and timesharing. What is a mini-system?

A mini-system is like a chain that allows internal booking, no exchange company (or its fees) required.

I own Bluegreen, a mini-system that uses points and no fees to use them (after paying maint fees and club dues, both once per year pmts)

Wyndham and Worldmark are also examples of mini-systems. Note that each plays by their own rules, including fees, booking rules, housekeeping fees, ability to let a guest use with or without fees, etc.

Being able to skip exchange company is great, but no mini-system covers the globe, I do still sometimes exchange or rent from an owner to get where I want to go outside my mini.

 

[Beefnot]

I get value out of RCI. Aulani 2BR exchange in 2015 for about $157 per night, upcoming two consecutive weeks this summer at Hilton Waikoloa 2BR for about $90 per night. A trade for a friend into Suites at Hershey for ~$70 per night. I own a dual affiliated timeshare that has decent trade value (~$16 MF/TPU ratio) and another timeshare that gets great trade value (~$10.50 MF/TPU ratio). I am not a buy where I want to go type of person because there are too many places I want to go. I am a happy camper so far.

 

[castleo]

RCI Withdrawal

I am actually thinking of withdrawing some of my points timeshares from RCI. Then I would just schedule them directly with the resort and if I wanted to exchange them, deposit them with a reasonable exchange company. That should work--right?

 

[castleo]

RCI Withdrawal

I am actually thinking of withdrawing some of my points timeshares from RCI. Then I would just schedule them directly with the resort and if I wanted to exchange them, deposit them with a reasonable exchange company. That should work--right?

I have been thinking that too. I have units that automatically get deposited into RCI annually totaling over $200,000 RCI points. I am having trouble using all the time and finding places and times I want to go. Also as stated many times here the fees are outrageous. Seems like they keep the best for rentals! Can I just tell the resorts I own NOT to deposit with RCI?

 

[tschwa2]

I have been thinking that too. I have units that automatically get deposited into RCI annually totaling over $200,000 RCI points. I am having trouble using all the time and finding places and times I want to go. Also as stated many times here the fees are outrageous. Seems like they keep the best for rentals! Can I just tell the resorts I own NOT to deposit with RCI?

Yes. I believe you have to let them know before 13 months prior. So if you have a fixed week, I believe it is 13 months prior to that date. If you own a float week you would have to contact your resort and actually reserve a week at least 13 months prior to when you see the points auto deposited. Some resorts use RCI for all aspects of points members reservations including home weeks. If that is the case you have to reserve through rci during the home week period. There is no fee for home week reservations through rci when made during home week priority.

 

[bogey21]

I am having trouble using all the time and finding places and times I want to go.

I understand that Tuggers stay on top of things and use their Weeks, Points, etc. But I wonder how many Weeks and/or Points get deposited into RCI (or II) and expire unused...

George

 

[rapmarks]

I understand that Tuggers stay on top of things and use their Weeks, Points, etc. But I wonder how many Weeks and/or Points get deposited into RCI (or II) and expire unused...

George

A good question. I have 44 tpus left which expire end of November and I have a search in. I will likely have close to twenty left and will have to decide whether to extend my time. I have nothing to add. As I am in southwest Florida it is hard to get a trade and really hard to get for twenty tpus, not sure what I will do.

 

[montygz]

I just booked at week in Florida for our daughter and son-in-law. Because we have to pay in Canadian dollars the cost was $303 exchange fee and $95 guest certificate. This is really getting crazy! I should have hung in for a few weeks to see if SFX came up with something but that's the only week they could go.

Lynn

$400 for a week seems like a bargain to me. One night in Orlando can cost that depending on the resort.

 

[PigsDad]

$400 for a week seems like a bargain to me. One night in Orlando can cost that depending on the resort.

But that is just the exchange fee. The total cost for the week is the exchange fee PLUS the maintenance fees for the underlying week / points that were needed for that exchange.

Kurt

 

[rapmarks]

But that is just the exchange fee. The total cost for the week is the exchange fee PLUS the maintenance fees for the underlying week / points that were needed for that exchange.

Kurt

Yes, add four hundred to the maintenance fee and no longer a bargain.

 

[Shankilicious]

I can get a week, no matter what size unit for $239. There may be a resort fee once I get there but that's gonna vary place to place. As a platinum member I get 25% off GCs so $66.75 and Points Protection is $64 if I wanted to add those. Add half my maintenance fee which would be $700 since this is only half my points. My Platinum membership is included in my resort MFs.
So $739+ resort fees (if any) to get a full week at a gold crown resort.

 

[MrockStar]

A mini-system is like a chain that allows internal booking, no exchange company (or its fees) required.

I own Bluegreen, a mini-system that uses points and no fees to use them (after paying maint fees and club dues, both once per year pmts)

Wyndham and Worldmark are also examples of mini-systems. Note that each plays by their own rules, including fees, booking rules, housekeeping fees, ability to let a guest use with or without fees, etc.

Being able to skip exchange company is great, but no mini-system covers the globe, I do still sometimes exchange or rent from an owner to get where I want to go outside my mini.

Same here geekette, we own bluegreen and also use there internal direct exchange option with Shell and Raintree access which is way cheaper than RCI.

 

[montygz]

But that is just the exchange fee. The total cost for the week is the exchange fee PLUS the maintenance fees for the underlying week / points that were needed for that exchange.

Kurt

I usually get 2-3 weeks for my week of maintenance fees. RCI and Vacation Villages (I own Grandview) often have sales. Last year we stayed at Saratoga Springs, Wyndham Bonnet Creek and Vacation Villages at Parkway and still had some of our 98K points left.

Sometimes sales don't require you use any points at all, sometimes they reduce points and sometimes they reduce the cost of an exchange.

Now, I did pay various resort fees and exchange fees on our stays, but the more you travel the more value you get out of these timeshare resorts compared to renting or paying for a hotel.

 

[castleo]

Yes. I believe you have to let them know before 13 months prior. So if you have a fixed week, I believe it is 13 months prior to that date. If you own a float week you would have to contact your resort and actually reserve a week at least 13 months prior to when you see the points auto deposited. Some resorts use RCI for all aspects of points members reservations including home weeks. If that is the case you have to reserve through rci during the home week period. There is no fee for home week reservations through rci when made during home week priority.

Thanks for the info. By them do you mean the Home resort or RCI? Will an email do? Plus I suppose one needs to explore where else they can deposit the week.

 

[castleo]

Have you ever withdrawn a week?

 

[castleo]

Yes, add four hundred to the maintenance fee and no longer a bargain.

Plus consider whatever you paid for it originally.

 

[moonstone]

Have you ever withdrawn a week?

I believe (somebody please correct me if I am wrong) but once you deposit/give RCI your week to exchange, even if you haven't found anywhere to exchange to, you can not get it back even if you want to go to your home resort for your deeded week. Another reason I wish we could do a 'fake' deposit with RCI just to see what a week could pull before actually giving it to them. They need to instill a 24 or 48 hr deposit so people could see what's available and if nothing is suitable then pull the week back to use it themselves.


~Diane

 

[silentg]

They have a trade power indicator on the page.
While on the subject of exchanges, we have had successful Marketplace exchanges thru TUG.
That is another option, if you are tired of paying exchange fees.
PM me if you have questions.
Silentg