posted 03-18-2002 20:37               

Also, was it you, Kris, that wasn't that impressed with the trade power of a week you'd deposited? Which week was it?

I think it's pretty obvious that ski weeks, then summer weeks are going to be the best traders, but since an off-season week works for us for personal use ...

Also, is there any sort of priority given for internal trades?

posted 03-18-2002 21:02               

quote:

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Originally posted by BL:
... float periods are and are they consistent?
...the trade power of a week you'd deposited? Which week was it?
... priority given for internal trades?

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Greetings, Bev -

I'm not sure if all WJ float periods are consistent, but for our Ironwood 1/10th share there are two float groups. Float A are weeks 17-19, 42-48 and Float B are 21-24, 25-39. Maybe others can chime in with other floats for different properties.

The trade power of an early January week was recently mediocre, though in the past we've always gotten great trades with late April weeks. The poorer trading power could be a function of the recent changes at RCI? We always use our summer weeks.

In theory there is internal trade preference, and in the past it's been fantastic. Again, with the recent changes at RCI our internal preference appears to be "broken" or at least severely wounded (we didn't pull all the available WJ weeks or unit sizes).

If we weren't constrained by school schedules, I'd make September and March our Whistler months :-)

Hope this helps!
Kris

posted 03-20-2002 17:12               

quote:

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Originally posted by geoand:
Can you explain about WJ selling points. I did not know that WJ was on the point system.

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I think WJ may still sell fixed Whistler weeks, but they also offer the Raintree Vacation Club (RVC), which is a points system. It includes resorts like the Club Reginas, the new resort in the Tetons, a resort in Arizona and perhaps some others. I don't know the details, as we're not interested in paying to "upgrade" our ownership, but I did have a WJ employee tell me that RVC is fully administered by RCI :-)

posted 03-20-2002 19:55               

Each of these classifications then has specific trading powers and rights within the system. Many of the new RVC properties are considered quite upscale. My 2-bedroom, prime ski week in Whistler is not too far from the bottom of the RVC system.

posted 03-20-2002 21:23               

Maybe we need to start a writing campaign to Raintree to determine the problem.

posted 03-21-2002 05:21               

• My week is comparable to a one-bedroom spring week in a Club Westin in Mexico.
  
• Fitzsimmons ranks lower than other Whistler properties - for example, a two bedroom Week 13 at Powders Edge would be higher (how much higher, I don't recall).
  
• Most of the higher echelons are pretty much entirely owners from Teton Club and Cimarron.
  
• There are still categories below my week - representing lower demand periods and smaller units for both Whistler and Mexico properties.

------------------
Steve Nelson
**
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?
- W.H. Davies

posted 03-21-2002 07:59               

quote:

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Originally posted by Cyndi:
Maybe we need to start a writing campaign to Raintree to determine the problem.

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I had planned to write to demonstrate that the internal preference was no longer working (I called and spoke with Mary to explain the trading power changes, and also brought them up at the Owners Meeting), but I was leaving for vacation and had just used my last RCI deposit.

The loss of internal trading preference is one thing that we could easily test and document, if someone has multiple weeks (a Whistler week and another strong trader) available. I was seeing lots of on-line WJ availability with my parent's Santa Fe week that I wasn't pulling with my prime WJ week, in spite of our supposed internal preference. Often I would only pull one bedroom units (ours is a 2 br) when my parent's unit pulled lots of 2 bedrooms.

Kris

posted 03-21-2002 10:19               

------------------
geo

posted 03-21-2002 22:21               

Also Kris, I pull exactly the same things with my Wapato Point as Whiski Jack - no preference.

posted 03-24-2002 02:13               

Since we own weeks in a resort we love to visit and don't ever need to trade, the only really adverse impact any of this RCI and Mego stuff can ultimately have on us is in the cost and quality of maintenance. I'm pretty sure our original contract stated that the HOA is free to switch maintenance companies, so if it ever really gets bad we could initiate a switch -- and Whistler has several very good property management firms so I'd assume we'll be fine over the long haul.

Kris

posted 03-24-2002 02:25               

quote:

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Originally posted by edhues:
... RVC would only kick in a summer week or worse

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Ed -- Welcome to TUG!! One thing that may surprise you about Whistler is that a true summer week (i.e. mid-July through late August) is among the highest-powered Whistler traders you can own (ref. past experience and RCI Points values). It's also a FABULOUS time of year to be in Whistler. Still, your point about RVC depositing only "dog weeks" to RCI is well taken.

Another TUGger was told awhile back that this same rule would be applied to owners of "old" WJ fixed weeks -- that actual deposits would be placed in RVC inventory and a different week might be deposited with RCI. WJ folks have told me that this isn't true, and so far it seems that the weeks I deposit actually do end up in my RCI account.

If you love to ski, you can't go wrong with a resale prime WJ ski week. You might want to e-mail Steve Nelson, who just found a great one!