Putting Weeks into the Bank and Points Offered

I have about 4 weeks and many points from resorts I have placed in RCI. I am considering placing some of these in Redweek. I have checked a couple of units to see how many points they would earn---but haven't made th plunge yet. Two of the weeks I would probably be willing to put in the bank, a Polo Towers 2 bedroom, and a Palm Caanyon Resort, but the other two at Tahoe Beach & Ski I use annually.

That leaves the others currently in RCI points. To make sure I understand it---I would have to take them out of RCI points, schedule them at the resort and then arrange to place them in Redweek, if I wanted to make a change. Is that correct?

Is it possible for me to talk to someone, to evaluate my situation and determine which ones it makes sense to convert. It seems a bit slow to submit each one through the website and them wait for an answer.

Rich

castleo wrote:

That leaves the others currently in RCI points. To make sure I understand it---I would have to take them out of RCI points, schedule them at the resort and then arrange to place them in Redweek, if I wanted to make a change. Is that correct?

==================== If your weeks are at RCI Points resorts, RedWeek might not accept them. I inquired about depositing my home week and they told me they could not accept weeks from an RCI Points resort.

In any case, you can ask for a valuation without actually reserving the weeks. If you have a floating week, ask for three or four valuations using different weeks of the year to see which week might get the most points. High demand weeks will yield more points (first be sure that the week in question would be available to you). If you decide to deposit, reserve the week, and complete the deposit. FYI, you have 7 days to accept the valuation, after that you have to resubmit the week AND the value may go down.

Before depositing, search the exchange listings to see what point values you might need for your vacations (ignore the provisional listings). You don't want to deposit your week, and then find out there is nothing available.

castleo wrote:

Is it possible for me to talk to someone, to evaluate my situation and determine which ones it makes sense to convert. It seems a bit slow to submit each one through the website and them wait for an answer.

==================== Contact customer support via the link at the bottom of the page. They are good about responding within a few days. Be very specific with your questions. It seems if you ask a general question, you get a "canned" answer that sometimes doesn't help that much.

But it doesn't cost anything to submit various units for valuation. There is no need to wait for one response prior to submitting another.

castleo wrote:

That leaves the others currently in RCI points. To make sure I understand it---I would have to take them out of RCI points, schedule them at the resort and then arrange to place them in Redweek, if I wanted to make a change. Is that correct?

Exactly, you would have to use your RCI points to reserve a week (preferably a holiday week and/or a highly sought after week) at your points resort then deposit that reserved week with Redweek.

jayjay stated: >> Exactly, you would have to use your RCI points to reserve a week (preferably a holiday week and/or a highly sought after week) at your points resort then deposit that reserved week with Redweek.<< =============================================

Unless I am mistaken (...always a possibility), this CANNOT actually be done. As Mike previously pointed out, RedWeek will NOT accept a RCI points reservation as a RedWeek deposit. I believe (but may be mistaken) that this is because RCI itself prohibits any "secondary" relay usage of a RCI Points reservation, which would certainly include depositing with RedWeek for exchange.

Is that your understanding as well, Mike?

ken1193 wrote:

jayjay stated: >> Exactly, you would have to use your RCI points to reserve a week (preferably a holiday week and/or a highly sought after week) at your points resort then deposit that reserved week with Redweek.<< =============================================

Unless I am mistaken (...always a possibility), this CANNOT actually be done. As Mike previously pointed out, RedWeek will NOT accept a RCI points reservation as a RedWeek deposit. I believe (but may be mistaken) that this is because RCI itself prohibits any "secondary" relay usage of a RCI Points reservation, which would certainly include depositing with RedWeek for exchange. Is that your understanding as well, Mike???

This may be true, but I don't see how RCI would have any say so if someone reserved a week using their owned points then deposited that week with Redweek.

I do realize that Redweek can't accept RCI points.

jayjay states in part: >> ... I don't see how RCI would have any say so if someone reserved a week using their owned points then deposited that week with Redweek.<< ===============================================

Any and every RCI Points ownership still has an associated specific, underlying deeded week at a specific RCI Points resort, not just a "stand alone" annual allocation of RCI Points. My own limited understanding as a RCI Points week owner is that this underlying deeded week is, in fact (if you choose to reserve it in advance) the one and only week which you can do anything at all with besides "reserve and occupy". Some folks even assert (and I don't claim to agree or know) that an RCI Points week owner can't even rent out or exchange their own deeded, underlying week, even if they opt to reserve that very same week at their home resort! I don't claim to understand this latter detail with any certainty, since in the one and only RCI Points week which I own, I use those points elsewhere --- not at the "home resort" and not to rent or exchange.

In any case, I still believe that you CANNOT deposit ANY RCI Points reservation week with RedWeek for exchange. If I am mistaken, I'll gladly and humbly stand to be corrected upon seeing proof to the contrary...

ken1193 wrote:

Some folks even assert (and I don't claim to agree or know) that an RCI Points week owner can't even rent out or exchange their own deeded, underlying week, even if they opt to reserve that very same week at their home resort! I don't claim to understand this latter detail with any certainty, since in the one and only RCI Points week which I own, I use those points elsewhere --- not at the "home resort" and not to rent or exchange.

Earlier in the year, I contacted RCI regarding the RENTING of my home week which is at an RCI Points resort. Here is their response:

"As long as you reserve your home week (if you own fixed weeks) or the unit type and season that matches your floating ownership and confirm during the home week or home resort period, you may use or rent out that week. If you reserve a unit which does not match your ownership, or reserve after the home week/home resort priority reservation period, you may not rent out the unit."

ken1193 wrote:

In any case, I still believe that you CANNOT deposit ANY RCI Points reservation week with RedWeek for exchange. If I am mistaken, I'll gladly and humbly stand to be corrected upon seeing proof to the contrary...

I'm searching for the email I received from RedWeek elaborating on the reason for not being able to deposit an RCI Points home week. But, in a nutshell, it was RCI that prohibited the depositing of the week with RedWeek.

My guess is that unlike other TS where you reserve/confirm your week through the resort, an RCI Points "home week" is "controlled by RCI" and you have to make the "home week" reservation through them (is that correct Ken?). So therefore RCI being, what it is, would rather reap the exchange fees if the owner is NOT going to use their unit.

mike 1536 stated in part: >> ....in a nutshell, it was RCI that prohibited the depositing of the week with RedWeek. <<

That is exactly what I thought. =============================================

Re: >> My guess is that unlike other TS where you reserve/confirm your week through the resort, an RCI Points "home week" is "controlled by RCI" and you have to make the "home week" reservation through them (is that correct Ken?) <<

I can't say that I even really know, Mike, having never once reserved (or ever even attempted to reserve) at my home RCI points resort. ================================================

Re: >> So therefore RCI being, what it is, would rather reap the exchange fees if the owner is NOT going to use their unit.<<

Makes sense --- and is certainly consistent with RCI "priorities" (i.e., bucks, not members)....

castleo wrote:

I have about 4 weeks and many points from resorts I have placed in RCI. I am considering placing some of these in Redweek. I have checked a couple of units to see how many points they would earn---but haven't made th plunge yet. Two of the weeks I would probably be willing to put in the bank, a Polo Towers 2 bedroom, and a Palm Caanyon Resort, but the other two at Tahoe Beach & Ski I use annually.

That leaves the others currently in RCI points. To make sure I understand it---I would have to take them out of RCI points, schedule them at the resort and then arrange to place them in Redweek, if I wanted to make a change. Is that correct?

Is it possible for me to talk to someone, to evaluate my situation and determine which ones it makes sense to convert. It seems a bit slow to submit each one through the website and them wait for an answer.

Rich

Hi Rich,

Someone who owns RCI Points cannot actually reserve a week and transfer them into our system. Because the reservation of their week always has to go through RCI... and RCI won't transfer that week to us.

Hope that helps clear up any misunderstanding.

Thanks, Marty

Thanks for the confirmation that you can't rent an RCI reservation made with RCI points. I find this ridiculous as it would be the same as renting a reserved floating week, which IS allowed. I wouldn't be surprised if one day RCI states that you can't rent out a week under ANY circumstances, owned or not. RCI points members OWN those points (they were bought and paid for).

I wonder if RCI points salespeople tell prospective buyers the above information.

jayjay wrote:

Thanks for the confirmation that you can't rent an RCI reservation made with RCI points.

============= I just want to clarify. The original post pertained to depositing a week from RCI Points in the REDWEEK exchange system. RCI does allow an owner to RENT his/her home week that is an RCI Points week. He/she CANNOT DEPOSIT the home week in the REDWEEK exchange system.

Thanks for all the information. I appreciate it. It seems like there is another possibility to consider. Couldn't I withdraw one or more units from RCI points, thereby making them regular home resort weeks again. Book a week at that resort directly, and then deposit it in Redweek??

Rich

jayjay stated in part: >>Thanks for the confirmation that you can't rent an RCI reservation made with RCI points...... I wouldn't be surprised if one day RCI states that you can't rent out a week under ANY circumstances, owned or not. << ===============================================

Well, the GOOD news on that is that for an owner of a fixed, deeded, non-points week, RCI is completely irrelevant. RCI has no say whatsoever what an owner does with such a week --- and they never will.

Re: >> RCI points members OWN those points (they were bought and paid for).<<

BUT....(and I'm certainly NOT defending RCI here) the RCI Points program is a mutually agreed (and contractual) arrangement entered into with a resort. Part and parcel of that contractual arrangement is the acceptance of the RCI stipulations, terms and conditions regarding the issuance and use of RCI Points. While that doesn't make it right, it certainly DOES make it legal; it's a contract. Re: >> I wonder if RCI points salespeople tell prospective buyers the above information.<<

What I actually wonder is whether the salespeople at RCI Points resorts adequately understand the RCI Points system themselves in the first place, let alone what they tell prospective buyers. From some of the stories I read and hear, many (maybe even most) of these salespeople frequently don't really know what they're talking about in the first place. Some of those who DO know what they are talking about might STILL not choose to tell the truth.

mike1536 wrote:

I just want to clarify. The original post pertained to depositing a week from RCI Points in the REDWEEK exchange system. RCI does allow an owner to RENT his/her home week that is an RCI Points week. He/she CANNOT DEPOSIT the home week in the REDWEEK exchange system.

Oh okay, so you can rent out a week acquired with RCI points but you can't deposit that week with Redweek? Thanks for the explanation.

ken1193 wrote:

jayjay stated in part: >>Thanks for the confirmation that you can't rent an RCI reservation made with RCI points...... I wouldn't be surprised if one day RCI states that you can't rent out a week under ANY circumstances, owned or not. << ===============================================

Well, the GOOD news on that is that for an owner of a fixed, deeded, non-points week, RCI is completely irrelevant. RCI has no say whatsoever what an owner does with such a week --- and they never will.

Re: >> RCI points members OWN those points (they were bought and paid for).<<

BUT....(and I'm certainly NOT defending RCI here) the RCI Points program is a mutually agreed (and contractual) arrangement entered into with a resort. Part and parcel of that contractual arrangement is the acceptance of the RCI stipulations, terms and conditions regarding the issuance and use of RCI Points. While that doesn't make it right, it certainly DOES make it legal; it's a contract. Re: >> I wonder if RCI points salespeople tell prospective buyers the above information.<<

What I actually wonder is whether the salespeople at RCI Points resorts adequately understand the RCI Points system themselves in the first place, let alone what they tell prospective buyers. From some of the stories I read and hear, many (maybe even most) of these salespeople frequently don't really know what they're talking about in the first place. Some of those who DO know what they are talking about might STILL not choose to tell the truth.

================ Do all the salespeople themselves at RCI Points resorts understand that RCI Points members cannot rent out weeks obtained through RCI Points? The short answer in "No". I've had occasion to talk to several such salespeople recently who happily recommended renting out RCI Points exchanges--just like they themselves do. They could not believe it when I told them I'd read the RCI Points rules several times and commercial use was clearly illegal. There was no point in getting into an argument beyond begging them to read the rules themselves. If they dare to do it, this will put a rather large hole in their sales talk.

RCI's reasoning it that people are not supposed to buy timeshares for the purpose of renting them and should not skim prime weeks for that purpose when members should be getting these. Unfortunately, some of us have been persuaded to buy too much to use personally and would really like to be able to rent some out. RCI Weeks members CAN continue to do this by simply not depositing our owned weeks in RCI unless we actually want to make an exchange. RCI Points members pretty much give up that option so that more "stock" remains available for their personal use. MD