Buying a timeshare to exchange in RCI

Hello, I would like to get a timeshare in order to join RCI and book at other resorts. How would this work exactly? Do you get points to use based on the timeshare you bank? Thank you.

patriciaa534 wrote:

Hello, I would like to get a timeshare in order to join RCI and book at other resorts. How would this work exactly? Do you get points to use based on the timeshare you bank? Thank you.

I strongly recommend against buying any timeshare if your goal is only to "exchange" it within RCI. Keep in mind that whatever you buy will have annual maintenance fee obligations and you might still very well find (to your surprise and dismay) that you cannot even find any suitable "exchange" availability in the places / dates that you actually want to "trade" into; there are no guarantees. Also keep in mind that RCI membership itself is not free and that, membership cost aside, each and every individual RCI exchange involves a fee ($259 per exchange when I last knew, probably even more than that now).

The longer answer is more complicated, involving understanding RCI's "valuation" system. I'm not going to go into great detail here, but basically RCI utilizes a valuation "currency" they call "TPU's" (trading power units). Whatever week you own and deposit with RCI would be assigned a specific TPU value. Your deposit must have enough "TPU's" to acquire an exchange week (which has its' own, likely different TPU valuation) --- if you can find availability at all where / when you want to go. In short, you always have two different hurdles that you need to successfully jump in order to get an exchange with RCI --- space availability where / when you want to go and a sufficient number of "TPU's" in hand to actually conduct the exchange once availability is found. At the end of the day, you might very well be better off just renting a week exactly where and exactly when you actually want to go, rather than playing the expensive, uncertain "exchange game" --- and without the ownership costs of ever-increasing maintenance fees, RCI membership costs and RCI "exchange" fees.

If you're bound and determined to buy a timeshare, at least consider buying a week where / when you'd be willing to actually use it yourself. In my opinion, buying a timeshare only to exchange in RCI will very likely prove to be a very disappointing fool's errand, but maybe you are willing to "roll those dice". I know that I certainly would not do so or recommend anyone doing so. YMMV.

Just my personal opinion. As always, to each their own....

Thank you, that's very helpful. I read a short book about the positive side of timeshares and it made it sound very easy. I was puzzled as to whether you could book somewhere else if no one wanted to book your timeshare at the same time. It sounds like that is not a problem, but that it's hard to get a lot of points from the timeshare that you deposit if it's not a popular time of year. How about the last minute specials and "bonus weeks," are they a good deal?

patriciaa534 wrote:

How about the last minute specials and "bonus weeks," are they a good deal?

These last minute specials and "bonus weeks" are usually leftovers or "mud" weeks that are not very popular or in high demand. There is a a reason why they're called "last minute". If you can take off and book last minute, then these might be a good deal for you.

If you really want a timeshare check the resale sites. Some people are selling them or even giving them away to get out of them. The maintenance fees and exchange fees will add up to probably more than just renting out the unit on a travel site on your own. At least that is what is happening with our resort.

If you're bound and determined to buy a timeshare, at least consider buying a week where / when you'd be willing to actually use it yourself. In my opinion, buying a timeshare only to exchange in RCI will very likely prove to be a very disappointing fool's errand, but maybe you are willing to "roll those dice". I know that I certainly would not do so or recommend anyone doing so. YMMV.

rohans7 or sidhart34cv wrote:

If you're bound and determined to buy a timeshare, at least consider buying a week where / when you'd be willing to actually use it yourself. In my opinion, buying a timeshare only to exchange in RCI will very likely prove to be a very disappointing fool's errand, but maybe you are willing to "roll those dice". I know that I certainly would not do so or recommend anyone doing so. YMMV.

What would be your point in copying (word for word) a paragraph from my forum post here on October 18, 2022 and posting it now as your own -- 1.3 years later??? No harm done and maybe I should be flattered, I just frankly do not understand your intent.

Perhaps to give someone the same quality answer that you did. Ever heard the term of no need to reinvent the wheel...

I'm sure the lack of response is because he was stunned, you'd ask.