posted 04-17-2005 07:08               

I'm NOT a "points" person, but will "try" to answer some of your concerns.

If people buy "points" to use at other resorts (high-demand/value), then the availability, or "lack thereof" will prevail, and it will be "harder and harder" to obtain the "good" resort(s).

As far as "points" people buying at resorts "just to get the points" and not intending to stay there, it IS STILL their "home" resort, and they ARE responsible for their annual mx fees, so that shouldn't impact the various resorts.

If you DO use points, and stay (either at your home resort, or another resort) in an "off" season, or using a smaller unit (etc.), and paying "less" points for the stay, then you WILL have "extra points "left-over", which can (may) be used for stays at other resorts.

Hope I've answered some of your questions/concerns.

posted 04-17-2005 08:38               

First of all welcome to TUG. I would like to invite you to join and become a member for the low fee of $15; it will be best money you have ever spent. To do so allows you to access a large database of resort reviews, sales data, and to search the BBS for older posts with relevent information.

As to points, depending on where, when, etc., you want to travel, it may or may not work well for YOU. But you could say the exact same thing about the weeks system. Having been a member and daily reader on TUG for the last 3+ years, I have noticed that the people wanting to trade into high demand areas during high demand times tend to have more trouble getting what they want and thus become unhappy with the trade system. Often it is better to buy into these high demand places/weeks if you want to go there often. Others that desire to travel during less demand times seem to have a much better success in obtaining desired trades. You may want to consider this in your decision process.

You question owning at a resort and never going there. I own 2 weeks in Australia, in the points system and altough I do want to go there some day, I obviously don't use it. But there are plenty of RCI owners in Australia just waiting to book into my unit. That is how trading works. Don't assume that eveyrone wants to travel at the same time as you. There are plenty of people like myself that don't have kids, don't need to travel during school vacations, and frankly purposely schedule our vacations during the spring and fall times when the crowds and kids are much less. So I guess we are the typical off season traveler that is happy to go and use some of those less desired time periods and get great trades into some super places using both the points and weeks systems.

I might suggest that you take your time before making the plunge. There is a wealth of information on this site and it could take months to read up on most of it. Read and ask questions, then after you have a better understanding of what will work best for YOU, then and only then should you be making a purchase. Keep in mind that many people will offer an opinion of what you need to buy that is based on what works for THEM. I have repeatedly seen people recommend Fairfield to people living and traveling exclusively on the west coast and likewise recommendations of WorldMark to people living and traveling exclusively on the east coast. Both are good systems, but don't necessarily work for everyone. It is my personal opinion that to buy into any of these "systems" and receive a value for the additional membership fee, you need to be able to use their actual resorts to some degree. But every person has individual travel needs and thus every person as a unique mix of TS that fulfills THEIR needs.

Welcome.

Patty
( a happy owner of both points and weeks )

posted 04-17-2005 11:47               

Well you are most definitely in the right place to do your research. Glad to see you are a member. You are still listed as a non-member. Go up to the top of the page where it says profile and click on that. Then sign in to your profile and change yourself so you are listed as a member. And once again, welcome.

Yes it can be very confusing and there are so many ways to go, but that is what makes TSing good. With so many options, there is something for everyone. And you have already somehow managed to not make the mistake most of us did by buying from the developer the first time around. So you are already well ahead of the game. Congratulations on that!!

Keep reading and take your time. That good deal, or another like it, will stilll be there in a couple of months when you know better what will work best to get you where you want to vacation. It is a buyers market. TS can be a real value if you do it right, but it does take work and persistance. A lot of us here get almost as much fun from the thrill of the search as actually traveling, that is till we are at the resort. AT least the fun of searching online helps keep you dreaming and occupied between trips. Ahhhh - 4 more days of work till my next trip. And it really irritates everyone at work that we can manage to take 6-7 weeks of vacation every year and keep going to all these great places, all on a state employees salary. They just can't figure it out.

Patty

posted 04-17-2005 12:39               

quote:

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Originally posted by chris209:
... if so many people are buying points through resorts that they probably never plan to visit, are there not going to be more people with points than there are desirable locations to use your points at?

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Although quite a few Tuggers buy at resorts just to get into points, Tuggers are a very small fraction of the total population of timeshare owners. I suspect that the vast majority of people joining RCI Points are doing so because a salesman talked them into it. So, they aren't seeking out resorts just to join points.

I suppose some of the resorts being used as cheap entry to Points could end up having their point values devalued, *if* their contract with RCI allows RCI to devalue resorts that have low demand. I wouldn't think your 90,000 point GC would fall into this category, though.

quote:

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Originally posted by chris209:
...Also- if I have a deeded high-point value week at the resort , can I switch to another week at the resort that uses fewer points- ie stay there during the lower demand week I want and keep the excess points to use elsewhere?
Chris

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posted 04-18-2005 08:39            

quote:

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Originally posted by chris209:
.... The question that I still have is this- if so many people are buying points through resorts that they probably never plan to visit, are there not going to be more people with points than there are desirable locations to use your points at? If demand outstrips supply is there excessive competition for the good trades and, if so, am I foolish to buy points and then end up not getting anything I am really interested in? ... Chris

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This same scenario was true with the weeks system long before all the points programs got going. Conventional wisdom says that 80% of the travelers want to vacation is 20% of the time (i.e., everyone wants to go to the beach in the summer and skiing in the winter and have to travel when there are school breaks). Therefore, whether it is weeks or points, early planning is the key.

With points, if you have enough points and are first in line you should be able to trade well. If you wait to the last minute to plan your trip there will likely not be much choice available. The key is advance planning.

With weeks, you may own a week that might not have sufficient "trade power" to ever get you some really desireable location.

I own only weeks. They have worked well for us. However, I can plan far in advance and we also do not always want to travel during prime seasons. We bought all our weeks resale at good prices. If I were younger and just getting into timesharing though I would give serious consideration to the points systems now.

posted 04-18-2005 13:31               

quote:

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Originally posted by chris209:
The question that I still have is this- if so many people are buying points through resorts that they probably never plan to visit, are there not going to be more people with points than there are desirable locations to use your points at?

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Remember that us Points owners can always raid the RCI Weeks System!!

posted 04-19-2005 11:14               

You can also call up RCI and ask them questions. Most of the people answering the phones are not motivated to lie to you, although of course they will put a positive spin on things. If you ask if there is availability to a Points member in the times/places you want, they should be able to tell you something. Report back here what they said and somebody will comment on it.

posted 04-20-2005 11:51               

If I were looking for top shelf I would go with II.

posted 04-20-2005 17:23               

quote:

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Originally posted by caribbean:
Chris-

And it really irritates everyone at work that we can manage to take 6-7 weeks of vacation every year and keep going to all these great places, all on a state employees salary. They just can't figure it out.

Patty

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------------------
David

posted 04-21-2005 08:28               

Well after 25 + years with a lower salary than private industry, the vacation/personal leave time and the future retirement benifits are the only thing good about being a state employee. The older I get and closer to that final retirement date, 4 years/7 mths, not that I am counting, the more I am valuing that old defined benefits retirement plan; it's looking better every day!! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it isn't my husband's train ( enginner on railroad ) coming toward me.

Patty

quote:

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Originally posted by dw00103:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by caribbean:
[b]Chris-

And it really irritates everyone at work that we can manage to take 6-7 weeks of vacation every year and keep going to all these great places, all on a state employees salary. They just can't figure it out.

Patty

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[/B][/QUOTE]

posted 04-21-2005 09:52               

Got in too late for civil service retirement, too. Somebody remind me why I work there again? Oh yeah, it buys the groceries.

posted 04-22-2005 09:11               

You can make your point reservations on RCI's website but really also call as sometimes the RCI Guides will see things you cannot.