RCI Points

Hello,

I am a II user but am looking to purchase some RCI points to goto the places II doesn't (new York London etc). How does the points system work? is it an instant exhange or do I need to request? How does the RCI points work with airlines?

Also, does anyone knows how many points I would need for a week in NYC?

Many thanks Martin

Martin R.

martinr10 wrote:
Hello,
I am a II user but am looking to purchase some RCI points to goto the places II doesn't (new York London etc). How does the points system work? is it an instant exhange or do I need to request? How does the RCI points work with airlines?
Also, does anyone knows how many points I would need for a week in NYC?
Many thanks Martin

============= You would need to own a resort in the RCI Points system. I have seen a post at TUG describing a 3-year lease for a TS in California. Allegedly you own a 3-year Right to Use with the option of renewing every three years. You would still need to pay a MF, RCI fees, etc.

Assuming you mean New York City, The Manhattan Club is the only RCI Points resort in NYC. IF AVAILABLE, the number of points required for exchanges range from 64,000 to 93,000 (per week) depending on season and unit size. You can also book partial weeks at a reduced rate. If you are just planning the occasional trip, you might want to just rent your current unit and use the cash to rent another in NYC or London.

Be advised that just because certain resorts are listed in the RCI directory doesn't mean they will be available for exchange.

In my opinion, using RCI Points for air travel is not very cost effective. I would only recommend it if the points were going to expire and be lost entirely. There is plenty of info here and on TUG about RCI Points.

Mike N.

Last edited by mike1536 on Mar 21, 2008 10:59 AM

Hi, We lived in Germany for 8 years and owned Fairfield, now Wyndham in the US. We wanted to use RCI for vacations in Central Europe. What a disaster. One time I put in a request six months ahead for about 40 locations and nothing came up. Finally, just before the time request was expiring a supervisior called to say that she was sure none of my requests would come up. She asked what I wanted and I said some place warm in October. So she got us two weeks in Calahanda, Spain in a third rate resort. NEVER AGAIN I said but we did again this past summer because the points had been deposited in there and were about to expire. One week in the Alps in Switzerland was okay, but the second week in France was so bad we walked after 3 nights. Bob

Robert V.

Last edited by rjvalentine on Mar 21, 2008 04:08 PM

A timeshare resale broker I've been talking with told me last week that it's nearly impossible to obtain exchanges INTO the Manhattan Club, whether using RCI Points or trading a week. I wouldn't bank on being able to get in there. The broker even said that there is some sort of rule at the Manhattan Club that if you get an exchange into the property, you can't get another one for a year or two. I wouldn't take any of this as fact, but my expectations are low. (I just bought some RCI Points very cheaply and plan to experiment with the program).

Steve R.

stever211 wrote:
A timeshare resale broker I've been talking with told me last week that it's nearly impossible to obtain exchanges INTO the Manhattan Club, whether using RCI Points or trading a week. I wouldn't bank on being able to get in there. The broker even said that there is some sort of rule at the Manhattan Club that if you get an exchange into the property, you can't get another one for a year or two. I wouldn't take any of this as fact, but my expectations are low. (I just bought some RCI Points very cheaply and plan to experiment with the program).

============= Points will work if you can plan vacations 10 months in advance. Flexibility is also important. If you have hopes for getting Gold Crown resorts every time you travel you might be disappointed. I found most European units to be studios or 1 bedrooms. The number of Points resorts in Europe is small compared withthe number of traditional weeks resorts, so this might also limit possibilities. Weeks resorts have to be deposited with RCI before they become available for exchange.

Another key is to have enough points for your plans. Trips to Hawaii require more points than trips to Florida. As for the Manhattan Club, units are available rignt now for January 2009 (after New Years)

Mike N.

I am a current weeks member with RCI. I was told by an RCI representative that in order to become an RCI Points member, I needed to purchase a points resort. I have now done so and wanted to know if as a new RCI Points member which covers weeks also, can I take my banked weeks and convert them to points with RCI so I can trade them for either a points or weeks resort within RCI or do I have to bank the weeks initially each year as points when I bank them. My resort automatically banks my unit as weeks once I book the week I am slotted for. I now have two weeks for 2007 and 2008 banked with RCI because my Massanutten Woodstone Deluxe unit banks as two seperate units and I get two weeks each year trading within RCI by banking each unit as a week.

Michael E.

michael3567 wrote:
I am a current weeks member with RCI. I was told by an RCI representative that in order to become an RCI Points member, I needed to purchase a points resort. I have now done so and wanted to know if as a new RCI Points member which covers weeks also, can I take my banked weeks and convert them to points with RCI so I can trade them for either a points or weeks resort within RCI or do I have to bank the weeks initially each year as points when I bank them. My resort automatically banks my unit as weeks once I book the week I am slotted for. I now have two weeks for 2007 and 2008 banked with RCI because my Massanutten Woodstone Deluxe unit banks as two seperate units and I get two weeks each year trading within RCI by banking each unit as a week.

============== That's a good question for the RCI rep. I'm guessing RCI will not give you points for weeks already banked, BUT there is no harm in asking.

For future reference, unless the resort can automatically deposit them in your POINTS account, you'll want to tell your resort NOT to bank your weeks with RCI. Book the week as you normally do, then call RCI to deposit it in your account. This way you control when the transaction takes place. You may want rent out your unit one year. I assume the unit is a lock-off. If so you'll want to deposit each lock-off separately. You'll get more points than depositing them together.

Did they tell you how many points you can get for you deposits? If not there is a guide on the RCI website which you can use to figure it out.

Mike N.

I owned 80 points at Club Intrawest which give 2 studio weeks with RCI. In 2006 I requested The Manhattan Club for APRIL 2007 through Club Intrawest and I got it right away. I have always been told that it is impossible to get to NYC , I guess we were just lucky but it is NOT IMPOSSIBLE !!! Q=stever211] A timeshare resale broker I've been talking with told me last week that it's nearly impossible to obtain exchanges INTO the Manhattan Club, whether using RCI Points or trading a week. I wouldn't bank on being able to get in there. The broker even said that there is some sort of rule at the Manhattan Club that if you get an exchange into the property, you can't get another one for a year or two. I wouldn't take any of this as fact, but my expectations are low. (I just bought some RCI Points very cheaply and plan to experiment with the program).

Vien L.

you can convert banked weeks with RCI into points, there is a fee for converting weeks to points, they have to be deposited in order to convert. I'm thinking it's about $25 to convert but i'm not sure, I did mine in Nov. 08

Wes R.

Does anyone know how to pull your timeshares out of the RCI points system? RCI said to contact the resort and the resort said they don't have any control over it. The only way we can think of is to sell the weeks and then quick RCI.

Steve D.

steved210 wrote:
Does anyone know how to pull your timeshares out of the RCI points system? RCI said to contact the resort and the resort said they don't have any control over it. The only way we can think of is to sell the weeks and then quick RCI.

My understanding is the initial RCI Points contract is for 3 years. If you do not renew your RCI membership, you still have your deeded week to use as you see fit.

Mike N.

I'm looking at buying an RCI points resort in eBay, but I have a couple of questions. The underlying deed is a floating week 1-52, so I'm assuming that I can reserve a week and then deposit that week into my points account. Is that correct? I don't have a points account yet, but I do have a weeks account. Will I have to pay two separate membership fees? Once deposited, how long do you have to use the points? Sorry if these are really dumb questions, but I have no experience with points.

Jamie B.

You don't have to have 2 accounts , open the point account and you just have to pay for that one. The point resort send your points to your account every year anf they are good for 2 years . If you can.t use them all , they can be transfered to the next year , there is a fee but I don't know how much , call RCI or go on their web site.

Vien L.

jamie473 wrote:
I'm looking at buying an RCI points resort in eBay, but I have a couple of questions. The underlying deed is a floating week 1-52, so I'm assuming that I can reserve a week and then deposit that week into my points account. Is that correct?

How many points will you get? This is very important since you have to be sure you get enough points to cover your vacation plans.

While your deed reflects a floating week, there should be some paperwork that indicates how many points your unit is worth.

On another note, be sure that the unit will NOT revert back to the standard "weeks" system which will cause you to pay possibly thousands of dollars to reconvert back to points.

Mike N.

I bought into a resort that is on the point system and was told by the seller that I could deposit my week into RCI for points. However, the seller had not converted to the point system and I was informed by RCI that it would take several thousand dollars to convert to the point system. Beware. Buying into a timeshare that is on the point system does not entitle you to deposit your timeshare week into RCI point system. You must first joint the RCI point system and that will cost you several thousand dollars.

John S.

jseiling wrote:
I bought into a resort that is on the point system and was told by the seller that I could deposit my week into RCI for points. However, the seller had not converted to the point system and I was informed by RCI that it would take several thousand dollars to convert to the point system. Beware. Buying into a timeshare that is on the point system does not entitle you to deposit your timeshare week into RCI point system. You must first joint the RCI point system and that will cost you several thousand dollars.

RCI only charges a few hundred dollars to convert a unit to the points system. Individual resorts are the ones charge exorbitant fees for the conversion.

Mike N.

mike1536 wrote:
jamie473 wrote:
I'm looking at buying an RCI points resort in eBay, but I have a couple of questions. The underlying deed is a floating week 1-52, so I'm assuming that I can reserve a week and then deposit that week into my points account. Is that correct?
How many points will you get? This is very important since you have to be sure you get enough points to cover your vacation plans.
While your deed reflects a floating week, there should be some paperwork that indicates how many points your unit is worth.
On another note, be sure that the unit will NOT revert back to the standard "weeks" system which will cause you to pay possibly thousands of dollars to reconvert back to points.

Mark M.

To be more exact this is the e-mail information: Buyer: “I understand this is an RCI point system timeshare. Do the rights to access to RCI points transfer to the buyer?” Seller: “The rights to access RCI points WILL transfer to buyer.” I contacted RCI and they informed me that the seller was not a member of RCI point system at the time of the sale. Although the resort was an RCI point system resort, I have a letter stating the fee to convert to the RCI point system would be $2,900.00. I guess that is a few hundred dollars!

John S.

jseiling wrote:
To be more exact this is the e-mail information: Buyer: “I understand this is an RCI point system timeshare. Do the rights to access to RCI points transfer to the buyer?” Seller: “The rights to access RCI points WILL transfer to buyer.” I contacted RCI and they informed me that the seller was not a member of RCI point system at the time of the sale.

If you bought via eBay, then I'm not surprised you recevied wrong information, especially if you bought from a PCC.

Quote:
Although the resort was an RCI point system resort, I have a letter stating the fee to convert to the RCI point system would be $2,900.00. I guess that is a few hundred dollars!

If the letter was FROM RCI, with RCI asking for the money, then I stand corrected. Did your letter indicate where to send the check, to RCI or the Resort?

Mike N.

Last edited by mike1536 on Jul 20, 2009 06:35 AM

If you bought via eBay, then I'm not surprised you recevied wrong information, especially if you bought from a PCC.

That is pretty funny. From whom can you get right information from in this industry? We've been timesharing since 1996. Glad I did. Got me to vacation more which I believe is very important. Have heard more lies in this industry than every other area of my life combined. Between Time Share Resorts, Time Share Resell companies, RCI and anyone else involved, I feel so sorry for people who have to work in an atmosphere that is full of lies. They have taken one of the most enjoyable things that families can do and have made it a nightmare for many. If I ran my household the way resorts run their properties I would have been bankrupt years ago. Maintenance fees and assessments are skyrocketing out of control. They are driving away people who could be good customers. So SAD. I say. TOO BAD. They say.

Scott S.