Vacation Village Points

I own 2 units at Vacation Village Weston and until a recent holiday never had been approached or informed about points.

Now I'm told that: - the cost of conversion is $4995 - I was offered a conversion cost of $2995 for the 2 units - I can only convert through the developer

Are there any other ways to convert?

morris119 wrote:

I own 2 units at Vacation Village Weston and until a recent holiday never had been approached or informed about points.

Now I'm told that: - the cost of conversion is $4995 - I was offered a conversion cost of $2995 for the 2 units - I can only convert through the developer

Are there any other ways to convert?

You haven't identified or specified the "flavor" of points involved here (and there are many), but I'm assuming it's RCI. If so, the simple answer to your question is no. You could buy a week which has ALREADY been converted to points by someone else, BUT.....some cagey resorts have "points" accounts which revert right back to being "weeks" again upon subsequent resale, so that the next poor fool can and will pay them all over again to convert to points (again) --- Oyster Bay and Oyster Pointe in Sebastian, FL come to mind as examples of this particular racket / practice.

The more critically important question, however, should be whether or not you MUST convert to points at all. If you have deeded ownership of fixed weeks which you like and which you use -- then there is absolutely no possible benefit to you that I can think of (but lots of "found money" cash to the resort, however) for you to convert over to RCI points. On the contrary, this exorbitant "conversion" fee may very well be more than the current market value of the week itself (which you ALREADY own --- so why buy it all over again?). You could also very well find in the future that you can't even be guaranteed to get into weeks / units which you already own now IF you convert to points. Making that unfortunate discovery too late (and thousands of wasted dollars later) would be a very bitter pill to swallow.

Thank you for your response & insight. Yes it is RCI Points that I was speaking of. One of the units is an annual unit, week 11. The other unit is a triennial unit week 42.

When I have tried to make an exchange I have not had much luck except for this past year, other than that I have gone to my home resort. MY goal would be to go when & where I would like and I'm told I have a better chance at that with points.

You do raise a concern, since my units are with Berkely, than if I convert and decide to resell the conversion goes down the drain.

There are many things to consider before signing on the dotted line. Boy did I learn that the hard way!

ken1193 wrote:

morris119 wrote:

I own 2 units at Vacation Village Weston and until a recent holiday never had been approached or informed about points.

Now I'm told that: - the cost of conversion is $4995 - I was offered a conversion cost of $2995 for the 2 units - I can only convert through the developer

Are there any other ways to convert?

======================================

You haven't identified or specified the "flavor" of points involved here (and there are many), but I'm assuming it's RCI. If so, the simple answer to your question is no. You could buy a week which has ALREADY been converted to points by someone else, BUT.....some cagey resorts have "points" accounts which revert right back to being "weeks" again upon subsequent resale, so that the next poor fool can and will pay them all over again to convert to points (again) --- Oyster Bay and Oyster Pointe in Sebastian, FL come to mind as examples of this particular racket / practice.

The more critically important question, however, should be whether or not you MUST convert to points at all. If you have deeded ownership of fixed weeks which you like and which you use -- then there is absolutely no possible benefit to you that I can think of (but lots of "found money" cash to the resort, however) for you to convert over to RCI points. On the contrary, this exorbitant "conversion" fee may very well be more than the current market value of the week itself (which you ALREADY own --- so why buy it all over again?). You could also very well find in the future that you can't even be guaranteed to get into weeks / units which you already own now IF you convert to points. Making that unfortunate discovery too late (and thousands of wasted dollars later) would be a very bitter pill to swallow.

morris119 states in part: >> I'm told I have a better chance at that with points.<<

Only maybe. Unlike with the (mysterious, unknown and undisclosed) trading power of weeks with the RCI "man behind the curtain", with points the numbers are at least fully known and right out on the table for all to see. That said, however, what you want and when you want it may still very well not be available at all anyhow, with EITHER weeks or points --- so don't get too starry eyed about RCI points based on the empty and meaningless promises of some sales-weasel. As an owner of both RCI weeks and RCI points, I will tell you that I have personally been quite unimpressed by any alleged improvement in "availability" with my using points to exchange. In the final analysis, AVAILABILITY is (and will always be) the critically important determining factor in exchanging, regardless of the exchanging currency or the exchange company. Ultimately, availabilty determines all... Good luck.

My advice is never pay a developer to convert you to points, when you can purchase a points package for really cheap and still have your weeks for really good trades. I own a set week at Sheraton and points with Wyndam as does my best friend owns set weeks at Marriott and points with Wyndam and we like having both. We actually purchase resale with Wyndam, and I upgraded through the developer to be able to pull my set week into the points system whenever I wanted to, which gives me even more flexibility. My friend loves the Marriott for her special vacations and we trade a lot between each other.

I had 7 units with Vacation Village, 5 were weeks and two were in the RCI Points program. I bought all of them resale. Initially Vacation Village wanted $4995 for each unit (5 units) to convert, then they lowered it to $2,995 for each unit. This was in late 2004 or early 2005 I think. I just didn't see the point since it would cost less to sell the 5 units and buy identical weeks which were already in the RCI Points program. A year later I was at the resort and went to a presentation and after quite a while they finally agreed to convert the 5 units for a total of $2,995! THAT was a good deal.

In retrospect though I should have sold off the 5 units, even if I lost $300-$500 on each, and bought one or two similar units in RCI Points. I never used all the points and while I sold six of my units two years later for a small profit I probably still lost money (not including the savings I got while using the units) since I think I let maybe 400k pts expire over a few years. That's like 5 annual maintenance payments over three years plus a few weeks didn't get used before I converted. It was fun though!

ken1193 wrote:

morris119 wrote:

I own 2 units at Vacation Village Weston and until a recent holiday never had been approached or informed about points.

Now I'm told that: - the cost of conversion is $4995 - I was offered a conversion cost of $2995 for the 2 units - I can only convert through the developer

Are there any other ways to convert?

======================================

You haven't identified or specified the "flavor" of points involved here (and there are many), but I'm assuming it's RCI. If so, the simple answer to your question is no. You could buy a week which has ALREADY been converted to points by someone else, BUT.....some cagey resorts have "points" accounts which revert right back to being "weeks" again upon subsequent resale, so that the next poor fool can and will pay them all over again to convert to points (again) --- Oyster Bay and Oyster Pointe in Sebastian, FL come to mind as examples of this particular racket / practice.

The more critically important question, however, should be whether or not you MUST convert to points at all. If you have deeded ownership of fixed weeks which you like and which you use -- then there is absolutely no possible benefit to you that I can think of (but lots of "found money" cash to the resort, however) for you to convert over to RCI points. On the contrary, this exorbitant "conversion" fee may very well be more than the current market value of the week itself (which you ALREADY own --- so why buy it all over again?). You could also very well find in the future that you can't even be guaranteed to get into weeks / units which you already own now IF you convert to points. Making that unfortunate discovery too late (and thousands of wasted dollars later) would be a very bitter pill to swallow.

Last year I purchased a week "New Year's Eve week" at Palm Beach Shores Resort. The first year I came there, they approached me regarding the point system. I kept my deed but did get in the point system. Tell me if I am understanding you properly. Now that I converted to points I am not gauranteed New Years Eve week should I want it?

Now that you are participating in the RCI Points program, if you want to use your deeded unit/week (assuming you own a fixed unit and fixed week) you will have to notify RCI Points 13 months in advance that you intend to use your specific unit/week.

If you fail to notify RCI Points 13 months in advance, then you have 12 month advanced reservation for your resort, 11 months advance reservation for your home resort group (your resort plus a few others are usually in a group of resorts owner by the same developer or property management company - but this doesn't mean your home resort group contains all the resorts the developer or prop mgt offers).

In the event you and all the other RCI Points participating timeshare owners do not elect to use their unit, or time at their resort or group, more than 10 months in advance, then all RCI Points members have access to all units at all resorts in the RCI Points system which haven't been reserved.

This means your best planning to stay at other RCI Points participating resorts is 10 months in advance. From that point forward the units slowly get reserved and become unavailable.

In the above reservation scenereo you may make 1 to as many night reservations as your points will cover. You never receive points discounts at any time for any of these reservations, even if you wait until 3-45 days in advance. However, members are allowed to deposit a weeks unit into the Points program. Members receive points for the deposited weeks unit of varying amounts (see RCI for details). These units may be deposited up to two years in advance I believe. If the weeks units are still available 45 days before checkin, they are discounted to 7,000 or 9,000 points! I've taken many vacations using these deals!

I'm not positive but there might be a possibility RCI Points members also have access to the Weeks deposited in the RCI Weeks program. Since I have both accounts I have seen cases where units are available in the Weeks account and not in the Points account for weeks units, but there are a lot of Weeks units available thru the Points account.