Q & A's from customer intersted in owning RCI Points

...You spoke with me while I was on vacation .... about a week ago. I am just now back home from Hilton Head and I’m catching up on various calls. You had left a message about a few possibilities for getting established with an RCI Points program that would free up PFD at our Summit at Massanutten, 4 Br sleeps 12, lockoff, red, floating.

Q: We also own a week at Plantation Resort of Myrtle Beach, RCI resort #1797, 2 BR sleeps 6, lockoff, week 11 white, floating (trades red w/RCI) however, this resort is in the process of allowing conversions to Points. We haven’t gathered any information on doing this with them.

A: Okay. So there will be a conversion fee, and make sure to ask about the points for Week 11. Is it s fixed week, and you mean that you bank with RCI and exchange? Chances are with a week 11, it won't be worth the conversion fee, but you never know.

Q: I’ve been trying to learn as much as possible about getting the most from the program, however, RCI only answers generic questions and developers paint bleak doom for weeks’ owners. I can’t be at their mercy for concrete information. The internet gives me pause because of my lack of knowledge. My gut tells me that it would seem best to purchase a property that has a low maintenance fee and has been “converted” to Points by the original owner and is assigned an RCI Points Account. This would give us some number of Points and allow me to convert ½ or all of my Massanutten property into PFD at my request for some fee. We were told that it would yield 60,500 pts for each half of the unit totaling 121,000/year.

A: Yep...your gut is right :) You're right on the money. This is a great strategy that will give you flexibililty from year to year on how many points you can deposit. From the chart we have, I show the region coming in less than that--but it only goes up to 3BR and that is most likely why. I have attached the Points chart that we use for reference. It's a general frame, so, it could be that your source is more accurate. It's important to know that if your week is Floating, the amount of points you can deposit each year will depend on the reservation that you make. In other words, I don't think Massanutten is RED 1-52; I think it has RED/WHITE/BLUE.

Q: I don’t know if RCI cares where you own as it does with weeks. Meaning, does what I own and “bank” with them allow me access to more or less inventory? In weeks terminology, “Power”? Developers state that it is best to own in high demand areas with less inventory. This is the “Power” formula for weeks ownership. Are not Points equal to Points and can the Points established by RCI for the owned resort allow us to go back to the owned original resort, at the designated deeded week, without additional Point purchases per perpetuity?

A: No, RCI doesn't care what your home resort is with Points; points are points and that's the power of them. There are no "seasons" with points and you can use them at any level resort, any season of the year. This is why the conversion fee is so steep for owners. They give you unfettered access to resorts. I am not sure I understand your second question but, I think I do. Some people want to consider where they own for a variety of reasons. You will always own at your home resort; this is your deeded property, and RCI every three years will ask you if you want to continue as a Points owner. You always have the option to go back at that points to your home resort use, size, etc. If in any year you want to use your week at your home resort as deeded, you need to give RCI 13 months' notice. However, you can use your points at your home resort and get priority reservations 12 months ahead. This matters to some folks; it depends on your vacation planning.

Q: My wife feels that we may not be seeing Gold Crown inventory in Park City , UT for Jan, Feb, Mar or southern CA in Sept with anything we own because we are restricted by being weeks’ owners. Of course developers agree. I don’t think that is the case. These locations seem to be weeks locations. Maybe we should bank our owned weeks for more than 12 months, which is our current practice, though I don’t think RCI gives more power for banking longer than 1 year? Do they?

A: As you said, points are points. You have access to any resort, as exampled in the email that I sent you. You should also know that you can actually use your points at NON-POINTS resorts. In short, you can use RCI points at ANY RCI resort, any time of the year, as well as RCI's points partners (like car rentals, hotels, airlines). You don't gain anything as far as I know by letting a banked week sit. I have never heard of that.

Q: We bought both properties through resale and not a developers “defaulted” resale inventory. We bought through brokers representing owners. We are now very curious about how we should proceed to enhance what we own. Your web site looked promising.

A: We'd love to work with you, and I am sure we can set you up with what you need. We have been working in timeshare for the upwards of ten years, and love getting folks set for vacation :)
Your annual MF budget is important to know and your desire for purchase price range. I am assuming that you would be okay with anything between 25K and 50K, and even a biennial award so that your MF is as low as possible. Again, all that you need is a Points account number to bank your Massanutten. I can start looking today, and we can connect about further details.