I have a major complaint with RCI points!

rickandcindy23 · Mar 27, 2007

Okay, you know those wonderful 9,000 point exchanges that we are supposed to be able to get within that 45-day window? The salespeople really talk up this benefit, but guess what? Tonight, I checked weeks availability for Hawaii within points and no more 9,000 points exchanges for early-to-mid April weeks. They are charging regular points for these weeks.

I already knew the glitch, where the full points value shows, but when you select the week to book, the point value would go to 9,000 or less, but not tonight.

No warning or anything. They just strip a benefit and we have to accept it. :bawl:

:annoyed:

Fern Modena · Mar 27, 2007

Did you try calling to see if it is "for true," or some sort of new glitch? I think that would be the next thing I'd do. I'm guessing you saw this after the phone lines were closed for the evening, but I hope you won't accept this as true 'till you call and check. Good luck!

Fern

Pit · Mar 27, 2007

Madge posted here just last week that there are no restrictions on Instant Exchange, other than VEP. I was also told this by a VG over the phone within the last week.

However, as noted by wilmark and by Sydney here, many VGs are apparently not aware of the policy.

I, for one, would like to see this IE policy in writing to put an end to this nonsense.

Sydney · Mar 27, 2007

The VGs I spoke to say they run an instant exchange search and nothing showed up. I then asked them to do the search in my weeks account to show them that the weeks were there. They then acknowledged that the wks were there but said that because it's school holidays, there are restrictions. I rang back again for a different VG and was told the same thing by a supervisor. I have to rely on the VGs because we do not have pts online access in Australia, so that's another frustration.

This happened to me last year and now again this year. It is very annoying and is one of the reasons I'm closing my RCI pts account this July. Thus, these 9000pts I have left will expire unless I can use them.

I really would like to keep my RCI account but over the years, stuff like this just makes the fees less justifiable. I dislike the way they make changes that devalue my pts without even admitting a change has occurred.

When Pts first started, I was able to make even high demend wks instant exchanges by phoning as long as it was within 45days. Now even for an average timeshare, I can't even book it withing 2wks check-in.

Not a satisfied member.

:annoyed:

rickandcindy23 · Mar 27, 2007

RCI has some big problems! :annoyed:

Resorts deny points owners use of units because of the one-in-four, as happened to Gary at Vistana, but there are supposedly no such rules for points transactions. Vistana is a points resort, so of course the transaction was not in weeks. Vistana did not care and denied his usage! RCI did not back Gary up.

Now they are not allowing weeks resorts for instant exchange within 45 days for 9,000 points.

They are stripping our benefits without any warning.

Early-to-mid April is past spring break. That could not be it.

Sydney, my points resort is Mansfield in Australia.

rickandcindy23 · Mar 27, 2007

Fern Modena said:
Did you try calling to see if it is "for true," or some sort of new glitch? I think that would be the next thing I'd do. I'm guessing you saw this after the phone lines were closed for the evening, but I hope you won't accept this as true 'till you call and check. Good luck!

Fern

Fern, I sent an email. I hope I get a satisfactory answer. I hate talking to them on the phone. I get the recently hired VG that has no idea what I am talking about--EVERY TIME!

You would think RCI would love to take $164 for 9,000 points. My account has 92,000 points, so 10 weeks of these exchanges would be a big profit for them. Sometimes I think they forget they own nothing and are in the exchange business. :annoyed:

mocat · Mar 27, 2007

Also looking for an answer

FWIW, I also sent an email this morning to RCI asking for an explanation of the change in the Instant Exchange procedure. I hope that it is just a temporary problem with the system but somehow, I don't believe that is the real answer.

AwayWeGo · Mar 27, 2007

Just A Glitch? Or A Major Serious RCI Policy Change?

rickandcindy23 said:
I already knew the glitch, where the full points value shows, but when you select the week to book, the point value would go to 9,000 or less, but not tonight.

If this is just a glitch, I'm sure the in-person real-time phone answerers over at RCI can go ahead & make us our Instant Exchange reservations, just as before, for 9,000 points or 7,500 points or whatever reduced point value it happens to be for an exchange 45 days or sooner before check-in -- if it's just a glitch, that is.

Has anybody called'm up to find out? If Instant Exchange is no longer a feature of RCI Points, I would have to re-evaluate how bad I need to stay with RCI Points -- & surely I'm not the only 1 in that regard. Also, it's hard to imagine that RCI would do away with Instant Exchange on a stealth basis, rather than making some kind of announcement. Isn't it?

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.

Sydney · Mar 27, 2007

mocat said:
FWIW, I also sent an email this morning to RCI asking for an explanation of the change in the Instant Exchange procedure. I hope that it is just a temporary problem with the system but somehow, I don't believe that is the real answer.

I don't think it is temporary as this same thing happened to me last year but I brought it to Madge's attention a few weeks after the fact. It seems to be a matter of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing with RCI. The VGs know that there has been a change operationally because that's what they're telling me(although they say that it's always been this way), but there has just been no official change stated.

PA- · Mar 27, 2007

I just logged on to RCI Points, and see lots of stuff at the 7500 point level. They haven't taken away this benefit yet.

djyamyam · Mar 27, 2007

I was able to book

I had noticed this problem with my points account a couple nights ago. As you said, it typically shows the lower point value when you put the unit on hold or actually book it.

I called RCI today and spoke to a guide who processed the IE that I had on hold at the 9000 points (had seen it online). It was a for a 2BR Maui unit that the VG was surprised to see I had found.

Having said that, just because I was able to book, we do need clarification if this is truly a process change or system glitch. It's quite possible that I was speaking with a VG who just knew what we was doing and knew that IE should be less than the standard cross-over grid point value.

rickandcindy23 · Mar 27, 2007

PA- check Hawaii availability. This is what I see right now

Kona Coast Resort II (#4861)
Kailua-Kona, HI, USA

RCI Points Range: 60,000
Available Unit Size: 1 - 1
Check-in Date Range: 4/8/07

Map it

See Reviews

Alii Kai Resort (#2201)
Princeville, HI, USA

RCI Points Range: 80,500
Available Unit Size: 2 - 2
Check-in Date Range: 4/7/07

Map it

See Reviews

The Cliffs Club (#5124)
Princeville, HI, USA

RCI Points Range: 60,000
Available Unit Size: 1 - 1
Check-in Date Range: 4/7/07

mocat · Mar 27, 2007

PA- said:
I just logged on to RCI Points, and see lots of stuff at the 7500 point level. They haven't taken away this benefit yet.

It is true that the point values for some of the resorts do convert to the 7500-9000 level as they should within the 45 day search. However, as shown by rickandcindy23's post and my own investigation, this is not true for all resorts in the search for RCI weeks, so there is still a problem.

philemer · Mar 27, 2007

Cindy,
It has been reported that you must click on the rez. you want and then on the next page it will change to 9K or 7.5K points. Try it.

Phil

rickandcindy23 · Mar 27, 2007

Phil, I actually posted that glitch above. This is not the case with these weeks. When I choose the week, I am given the full points amount.

I was excited about the Bay Club that appeared last night. I checked airfare and found the fare was reasonable for our niece and nephew, then I went to book it and it was 80,000 points. I pay no attention to the amount on the initial screen.

djyamyam · Mar 27, 2007

I repeat:

djyamyam said:
I had noticed this problem with my points account a couple nights ago. As you said, it typically shows the lower point value when you put the unit on hold or actually book it.

I called RCI today and spoke to a guide who processed the IE that I had on hold at the 9000 points (had seen it online). It was a for a 2BR Maui unit that the VG was surprised to see I had found.

Cindy, if you've seen the week that you want, isn't it worthwhile to call a VG and actually book the week as opposed to sending an email and waiting for a response? As I've demonstrated, it's still possible to get the week with 9000 points. Personally, I think it's better energy spent getting the week than worrying about how things have appeared to have changed and getting all riled about it. JMHO

Pat H · Mar 27, 2007

rickandcindy23 said:
Early-to-mid April is past spring break.

Not really, it's big time Easter break this year!

rickandcindy23 · Mar 27, 2007

djyamyam said:
I repeat:

Cindy, if you've seen the week that you want, isn't it worthwhile to call a VG and actually book the week as opposed to sending an email and waiting for a response? As I've demonstrated, it's still possible to get the week with 9000 points. Personally, I think it's better energy spent getting the week than worrying about how things have appeared to have changed and getting all riled about it. JMHO

My email to RCI was to complain about another thing they have taken away without telling us. I know the week is gone forever. Do you think a person should just grab it and then call a VG the next day? I could have done that.

They were closed at midnight Eastern Time last night, so it was gone this morning. There were a few weeks last night.

Besides, how are you going to argue with an RCI rep that this is supposed to be a perk? They seem to be oblivious.

rickandcindy23 · Mar 27, 2007

Pat H said:
Not really, it's big time Easter break this year!

The kids here are off this week, but I guess the rest of the country does spring break a little later. They try to get the break in the middle of the semester in Colorado and school ends early June, so this is the halfway point right now.

Pit · Mar 27, 2007

Easter break, spring break, doesn't really have anything to do with the issue of Instant Exchange.

Madge has repeatedly and consistently stated that there are no restrictions, other than VEP, on Instant Exchange within the 45-day window. The problem seems to be one of training for the RCI Guides, as many of them do not seem to know about the 9K point maximum for IE.

If it were a week I wanted, I would have put it on hold, and called in the following day to confirm it at 9K pts.

Hopefully, RCI will fix their *@$#& web site, so these trades can be completed online.

djyamyam · Mar 27, 2007

Pit said:
If it were a week I wanted, I would have put it on hold, and called in the following day to confirm it at 9K pts.

That's what I did shortly after midnight. I didn't call to speak with an RCI guide until early evening of the second day. Maybe I got lucky with a guide that knew what he was doing.

bogey21 · Mar 27, 2007

djyamyam said:
I repeat:

Cindy, if you've seen the week that you want, isn't it worthwhile to call a VG and actually book the week

This happened to me a year or so ago and I did just what you suggest. I asked if I should't be getting the Week for 9,000 Points rather than what on-line was trying to charge me. The VC said "You're right" and gave me the Week for, actually she gave it to me for 7,500 Points. No problem. Just a phone call. Of course my finding the Week and calling were during normal working hours.

GEORGE

djyamyam · Mar 27, 2007

rickandcindy23 said:
I know the week is gone forever.

I think you should keep checking. Shortly before I made my earlier post and after Pit made his post, I checked Hawaii and saw the Bay Club you were talking about (April 7). Both the 1 & 2BR were there. I also saw a 3BR at the Kona-Coast Resort for the same time frame. I had seen them last night as well.

I suspect they will appear.

Sydney · Mar 27, 2007

In my case, I have called to no avail. I have to call as I can not book online. I have tried calling more than once and have even spoken to a supervisor who insists that there is indeed a restriction even within the instant exchange period of 45 days. I even told them to check my weeks account that the weeks only resort was actually available. They confirmed they could see the weeks but that it wasn't available because it's a school holiday wk. Now being a school holiday wk should have nothing to do with it but apparently, it does to the Australian VGs.

travelhound · Mar 27, 2007

I can confirm the 9000 pt thing is simply not the same in the 45 day, or even 14 day window. There are still low point opportunities, in low desirability areas or places where you can not get to on short notice.

I had a week on hold, and called in to confirm it for 9000 pts. The rep, who was well above average on job skills, said this change was made a month ago. They felt there was no need to notify users because this was a 'benefit', not a rule of the program.

I should not be surprised, because this is the way RCI and the developers work. Sell a deal, then after a year or two change it to a new deal. I am glad I always bought weeks I was truely wanted to use. I think the new gimick is giving 3 weeks for one. How long will that last? What will they think of next?

I have a major complaint with RCI points!

rickandcindy23

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