New points based Global Access and RCI points

Cimmarrons, who p1ssed in YOUR post toasties???

Get off your soap-box and let OTHERS make THEIR OWN decisions. Obviously, YOU are happy with the change (and paying more to "upgrade" than you already did to acquire your weeks originally...), but there are others of us that just don't like the new system offer.

To the others who have simply presented their thoughts and facts without insult to others... thank you!

We currently own 4 weeks at Orange Lake. In May 2006, we traded in one week for River Island and paid the upgraded price. We purchased thru Member Services and were told a new trading system was in the works and we would only have to pay $40. to exchange our RI week, rather than the RCI $185. Also, we were told ONLY RI owners would be allowed to stay in RI. This exchange program would be managed internally by OL, not thru RCI. At the same time, a relative bought at RI and also some friends. They were both told the same story. Our friends, who banked some of the RI time (they own 2 week, 3BR) are attempting to use their banked time, but have been told their chances of getting into RI within the next three years is 1%. We are now being told that the internal exchange program is Global Access, which is thru RCI, and we have to pay to join. How can this be when this was used as a selling feature when we bought? And why is RI so hard to get into if only RI owners are allowed? If we were to purchase Global Access and convert to points, would we be returning to our deeded unit each year? Has anyone else been given this information?

Oddly enough, after reading your comment about RI members being the only ones who could use RI... there was a RI unit available in January '08 through RCI when I checked last week.

Although I cannot answer your question with definite certainty, I would guess that if you convert to points through Global Access you would be able to "trade" your week (similar to RCI) through the new program, assuming (the huge factor here...) that there is availability when you want to travel.

With regard to your question: "How can this be when this was used as a selling feature when we bought?"... there is unfortunately very little honesty in timeshare sales -- it seems to be whatever it takes to get the sale!

That said, we have been happy with our trading power through RCI in the past, but are now attemptimg to sell our OLCC week due to the purchase of Starwood units.

I don't feel global points are in the best interest of the owners. They also are dividing your weeks into 4 different areas with RCI. The North, East, River Island, and the West. Even if you own in the North, East or River Island they are sending information to RCI that you own in the West. (The cheapest and oldest part of Orange Lake.) Therefore when you go to exchange RCI will put you in the West Village. We were told that if you bought in the newer villages you would always stay in the newest villages. Check your deposits with RCI and see if your deposits aren't all listed in the west. I have called RCI and also Orange Lake about this and each one blames the other, but will not change this. In RCI now Orange Lake lists 4 different numbers, not just one that used to be listed.

garyb123 wrote:

bryanf3 wrote:

This is a new system they are implementaing as so many of us had trouble exchanging with RCI. However, I do not like their plan and wish we could all let them know so. There is a fee (I don't recall what) and there is a strong push for you to upgrade when transferring into their point system. However, I feel much less secure with their choices of what I can use my points on and chose not to change away from my week arrangement. They can not make you change, but will definitely work hard to do so. They also have discontinued our ability to use our week in trade for RCI points. A way to get us to use their program. I will not.

I also do not like their plan and have told the rep so. I'm not sure it went any further...but if we all joined, 2000 owners at $1995...that's nearly $4million dollars to be able to switch weeks with another owner. Some body is making a lot of money at the owner's expense. The other fact, when I purchased I was told that all the weeks were the same..Red. Now with the points system, suddenly there are several levels...and I'm at the bottom which doesn't make me want to switch real soon. I would like the ability to easily switch weeks with another owner without having to pay the RCI fee..and I think that is doable for a lot less the $4 million...especially if we still have to pay $20-40 ($40-$80 going both ways) and all they have to do is enter it on their computer.

I aggree with you and brought up the fact that it would be great to have an internal exchange system without a fee amongst the owners. I brought it to the sales guys attention that I have another property in the Starwood system(Vistana Villages) and their is no internal fee for exchanging within their system. And they are much bigger than OCCL. OCCL only has one more property outside of Orlando and it's in Wisc. Wisc. is not at the top of my list for an exchange.

gingers20 wrote:

garyb123 wrote:

bryanf3 wrote:

This is a new system they are implementaing as so many of us had trouble exchanging with RCI. However, I do not like their plan and wish we could all let them know so. There is a fee (I don't recall what) and there is a strong push for you to upgrade when transferring into their point system. However, I feel much less secure with their choices of what I can use my points on and chose not to change away from my week arrangement. They can not make you change, but will definitely work hard to do so. They also have discontinued our ability to use our week in trade for RCI points. A way to get us to use their program. I will not.

I also do not like their plan and have told the rep so. I'm not sure it went any further...but if we all joined, 2000 owners at $1995...that's nearly $4million dollars to be able to switch weeks with another owner. Some body is making a lot of money at the owner's expense. The other fact, when I purchased I was told that all the weeks were the same..Red. Now with the points system, suddenly there are several levels...and I'm at the bottom which doesn't make me want to switch real soon. I would like the ability to easily switch weeks with another owner without having to pay the RCI fee..and I think that is doable for a lot less the $4 million...especially if we still have to pay $20-40 ($40-$80 going both ways) and all they have to do is enter it on their computer.

I aggree with you and brought up the fact that it would be great to have an internal exchange system without a fee amongst the owners. I brought it to the sales guys attention that I have another property in the Starwood system(Vistana Villages) and their is no internal fee for exchanging within their system. And they are much bigger than OCCL. OCCL only has one more property outside of Orlando and it's in Wisc. Wisc. is not at the top of my list for an exchange.

Thank you for bringing it to OCCL's attention. If more owners expressed their disappointment in their plan of 'points' rather then just an internal trade (week for week) they may get the idea and devise a plan that would work for the benefit of the existing owners. When we did our tour, the sale person took us to all the 'new' areas, talked us into buying into an existing area as 'all were equal' and now...suddenly they're not all equal under the points system.

After reading everyones blurb I can see alot of disappointment in the owners at OCCL. I am there with you folks. I too was lead to believe alot of stuff and was truly disappointed. Orange Lake is really a nice resort but the people behind the scene's are ruining what was the dream of one man. A place to bring ones family and have a memorable vacation. The old addage if it's not broke why fix it comes to mind.

If you have weeks keep them but don't buy anymore. One week is enough if you want to buy another week try anything in the Starwood system. (Sheraton, Westin and so much more) I own there also and know the difference. Here you have a choice to exchange your unit for another unit at a sister resort without the fee. Places like ST. John, Myrtle Beach, Hawaii, Florida and more. And if you decide to bank with Interval International you just might end up right inside at WWD at one of their timeshare units. Do you have that chance with Global Access or RCI? I think not!

Our family will return to our 3 bedroom unit at Orange Lake since my children like it there but I would not buy another unit from any of the sales people that hustle you to make a sale and not care what you open your eyes to tomorrow. OCCL needs to re-examine what made OCCL the place it is today. The answer to that is simple .....the owners.

Disappointed to say the the least! I hate being taken advantage of by a bunch of fast talking sales people telling you and promising the world! And then changing the rules to suit OL and there profits.I will rent out my RI week before i would ever buy Global Access And i sure won't bank it for them to use. I hope others think the same way! Things sure are changing at OL but not for the better! We will continue to go to OL We do love the place and the people we see there every year .We where thinking of buying another week at OL but it's not going to happen now! If i want to go there for an extra week i will rent a unit , there are lots of units available for rent privately!

If you purchase a resale unit, is it mandatory that you convert to the point system?

No, it isn't mandatory -- you may still either use your assigned week or exchange with RCI.

I had a look at this "enhancement" We own two weeks in a three bed Tennis villa, always got great exchanges. I had a look at the new GA "points makes prizes" scheme and Lo! suddenly our three bed red time with great exchanges was now worth a lowley 133,000 points per week, a total of 266,000 points for two weeks (we live in the UK so have no interest in short breaks, far to far to travel) back to blue time chaps! Now, under "super GA points" we would not be able to exchange even into our own unit at a different time of the year without adding a minimum of 44,000 points per week (an extra 88,000 points just to go in our unit a week later!) and as for River Island and EXTRA 61,000 points per week just for our weeks! Well, this would mean an upgrade to extra points of £8,000 ($16,000) just to get what we have now with weeks! Panama City and Lake Geneva don't even have 3 bed units, I dont want a two bed, if I did I would not have bought a 3 bed in the first place!

To add another week or two would also mean another maintenance fee admitted the GA salesman, so already we pay $1,360 a year, so we would double that probably just to get two weeks in our unit at different times, gues what? I can get two weeks in a 4 bed villa or in a decent hotel for much less than that! Plus you still have to join RCI for proper exchanges and pay the exchange fees and we have lost the opportunity to change our weeks into RCI points direct by this sham of GA points. GA points is a rip off in my humble opinion and I just don't see the majority of OLCC owners falling for it.

I just found out two days ago that OLCC has placed a restriction on depositing your week with RCI. When did this happen? I was never sent a notice saying that there was a change to the rules. Did I miss something? I went to deposit my 2009 week and was told that I couldn't do that until my 2009 maintenance fees were paid. We could always deposit our week with RCI to start a search in advance of paying any MF. RCI always tells you the sooner you bank the better your chances are of getting what you want. Every year the fees go up at OLCC so how do I know what I am going to be paying in 2009. I asked the RCI spokesperson when did this change and she said it has always been that way. I informed her that it wasn't since last year I took a 2007 banked week and did a search for Arizona. I paid my MF in 2007. What is the sense of belonging to RCI if you will not be able to bank a week 2 years in advance. It makes me wonder if OLCC did this on purpose so you would have to join GA.

As owners we should band together and see if we can hault some of the nonsense that is continually happening.

This should perhaps be in an entirely new forum but I'll give it a whirl as I have submitted to this site previously though this new query does effect all OL owners with or without Global Access Point Membership. Does anyone else out there have concerns regarding the recent e-mail update from OL announcing the partnership with the Holiday Inn Chain?? I'm curious as to how this will affect members. I'm not happy with units being rented out at other resorts we own at over expedia etc. I guess I just feel every owner has a vested interest in the property that mere visitors do not share, not to mention the investment of the initial buy in purchase. Any thoughts to share? Thanks

Resale is the way to go. Alot of you do not know that when you upgrade these to points, or purchased points they do not go with resale. So if you ever want to sell you lose that portion , the points. The OL will try and upgrade the new owner for $4-5K to get into the points system.

It all depends on how you use you current timeshare.. The point system isn't just another option I the timeshare world it's the replacement of fixed week trade as we know it.. Imagine the VCR vs the blu ray play. It took a while for the VCR to go out of business but it still was replaced by DVD.. Point will replace fixed weeks whether we like it our not becuase it works better and offer more control over ones timeshare. The problem is how the resorts sell the product to the consumer ..the high pressure and fast sales pitch leaves many of us confused and left with buy on impulse or emotion leaving us with the wrong package I the first place.... I got into point ASAP because I had inside help on how the system works, if u have a slow week then tough luck because points pay based on how demanding u unit and week is. The maintence fees are the same but u get more from the point bottom line. The cheapest way to get into the holidayinn club point system with resale weeks

In my experience as an owner at the resort me and my wife has learnt a thing or two about beating the system.. And we befriended one of the employees there to get more insight on what's going on. The result is we discover how to increase our point to VIP levels at a fraction of the cost not to mention we learnt how to bring in any resale into the vacation point system which is really worth wild.. Anyways we dont mind sharing this information for free. Just as long as you promise to share with others.. U can email us at black_swordman1982@yahoo.com

The cheapest way to get into the holidayinn club point system with resale weeks ...

No.. It's not .. You can opt out if you don't want to. But do ur research first before making that decision

ian126, if you have good information that you want to share, why don't you just post it here? That's what this board is for. Why e-mail, when you can get your info to everyone at once?

If I wanted to post that information on the forum. I would of.posted it already. This info is reserved for those who email me for the information what they do with the information after is up to them.. To protect the privacy of the agent that helped us..

Sorry man, it just seems a little strange to post that you want to share valuable info via e-mail for free "as long as that info is then shared with others"....however, you dont want to share the info on the forum to protect an employee of OL? How will having random people e-mailing the info around protect anyones identity? You have to admit....that sounds a little fishy.