# One in four rule.  Has anyone ever been denied rental  access ?



## jeffwill (Aug 18, 2013)

This rule has been around a long time.  Is it completely ignored or just left in print as a scare tactic ? 

I recently booked (rented) 4 weeks in a row, at a single resort, who's developer lists the 1 in 4 rule at ANY of their six locations.

Who determines violation of this rule ?

Does anyone know of exceptions to the standard reading of this rule ?


----------



## tschwa2 (Aug 18, 2013)

The one in four rule is something that RCI has agreed to enforce with certain resorts (usually in active sales).  The resorts can set very loose rules or very strict rules.  Most do not include rentals (last call and extra vacations), most will count concurrent or adjoining weeks as a single stay.  Some will count each individual resort separately  (you can stay in each listed 1 in x years)and others as a system wide.  Most won't count exchanges made into RCI points weeks (not RCI weeks using points).  

A very few are very strict.  Rentals and exchanges count.  Basically if you stayed through your RCI membership in any way shape or form than you can not come back through RCI for another X years.  The stricter resorts will have the language in the urgent info section. In general RCI is programmed not to allow this.  If you have multiple RCI accounts (points/weeks, portals, etc) RCI's computers wont' catch it and will allow it.  For the most part resorts rely on RCI to catch it and won't police it themselves so if RCI allows you to book you are ok.  Many resorts with 1 in X rules end up with excess inventory because they are still in sales and have developer deposited units and people who might otherwise have stayed can't because of the rule.  If it is a very busy time (like NYE for example) and the resort is overbooked and has very strict statement in the urgent messages and they see names they recognize as having stayed recently or multiple times they might override the fact that RCI's computers allowed it and cancel your booking.


----------



## suzanne (Aug 18, 2013)

While searching availability at several resorts on RCI, we have gotten a pop up message that the resort is 1 in 3, 4, 5 years and therefore is not available for us to exchange into at the present time. Resorts were Orange Lake Country Club, doesn't matter which section you stayed in they all are linked for the 1 in 4 rule. The Hilton Sea World and Hilton International Drive resorts and the Sheraton Vistiana Resort. Also the Summer Bay Resort is a 1 in 4 Resort. We actually had reserved the Orange Lake West Village and RCI cancelled the reservation because we had previously stayed at the East Village Resort. These are for exchanges. I don't know how it would work for last call, points etc.

Suzanne


----------



## DaveNV (Aug 18, 2013)

Does a "1-in-X" rule apply to rentals?  I thought it was only for exchanges.  The only time I've seen it was when looking to exchange into a resort where I'd exchanged within the "1-in-X" timeframe. RCI wouldn't allow the exchange to happen.

And some places, like the Grupo Mayan in Mexico, frequently suspends the 1-in-X rule to encourage people to come back and stay with them.

Dave


----------



## Bill4728 (Aug 18, 2013)

BMWguynw said:


> Does a "1-in-X" rule apply to rentals?  I thought it was only for exchanges.  The only time I've seen it was when looking to exchange into a resort where I'd exchanged within the "1-in-X" timeframe. RCI wouldn't allow the exchange to happen.
> 
> And some places, like the Grupo Mayan in Mexico, frequently suspends the 1-in-X rule to encourage people to come back and stay with them.
> 
> Dave



I didn't think that the 1 in X rules applied to rentals either. BUT I'm not at all sure.


----------



## jeffwill (Aug 19, 2013)

It appears there are some unsure voices -- as is mine.  When I booked my weeks (RCI xtravac sale) the "urgent notice" sentence was in red but the booking went through and I recevied confirmation via email and written snail mail.  If my reservations are cancelled, who would that authority be ?  Developer, HOA, or mgt.co. -- inforcing a rule. 

If cancellation happens for any of us, would this not be grounds for discrimination ?  I am going to be a full time timeshare gypsy.  If this rule is inforced, it won't be long before I am blocked from many of my favorite destinations.  And for what purpose ?  I would assume resorts are wanting fresh meat for their sales staff, and are therefore manipulating free access for personal greed.  RCI should NEVER be a party to this scheme.

Should I just shut up ?    I've been told this before.


----------



## DaveNV (Aug 19, 2013)

jeffwill said:


> It appears there are some unsure voices -- as is mine.  When I booked my weeks (RCI xtravac sale) the "urgent notice" sentence was in red but the booking went through and I recevied confirmation via email and written snail mail.  If my reservations are cancelled, who would that authority be ?  Developer, HOA, or mgt.co. -- inforcing a rule.
> 
> If cancellation happens for any of us, would this not be grounds for discrimination ?  I am going to be a full time timeshare gypsy.  If this rule is inforced, it won't be long before I am blocked from many of my favorite destinations.  And for what purpose ?  I would assume resorts are wanting fresh meat for their sales staff, and are therefore manipulating free access for personal greed.  RCI should NEVER be a party to this scheme.
> 
> Should I just shut up ?    I've been told this before.



If you have any doubt at all, call RCI and ask them directly.  My understanding is that the 1-in-X rule does not apply to Extra Vacations or Last Minute exchanges -- only to direct "regular" exchanges.  This being RCI, who knows what sort of shenanigans they may get up to.  

Dave


----------



## Sandy VDH (Aug 19, 2013)

Sequentially booked weeks or multiple weeks in the same interval have in the past always been allowed at most resorts that have these 1 in 4 year rules. Rentals are a different matter, these restrictions do not apply

There are some notable exceptions, but it would list it in the description. 

RCI would not even let you book the weeks if it violated rules. 

There are occasions where resorts waive the rule for a given year, as has been recently the case with the Mayan Group of resorts.


----------



## bnoble (Aug 19, 2013)

> call RCI and ask them directly.


Good advice, though I personally would send *email* rather than call.  The phone reps are sometimes willing to make up an answer if they don't actually know.  The written responses seem to be a little more carefully thought out.


----------



## Passepartout (Aug 19, 2013)

My feeling is that there are enough exemptions to the 1-in X years rules, that the barest creativity will find a loophole. Like using Weeks for one exchange, Points for another, a different named (spouse for example) account, or a Last Call or Ex.Vacay for yet another. Once you have the confirmation number for a confirmed stay at the resort I think you're good to go. 

I don't recall any TUGger ever reporting being turned away from any resort when they had a confirmed reservation. Of course I haven't read- or remembered every post in every sub-forum, but if it's happened, I never saw it.

Jim


----------



## hajjah (Aug 26, 2013)

I didn't realize that the 1 in 4 rule applied to points exchanges.  I got a notice on RCI yesterday that I could not book at Holiday Inn Club/Orange Lake East Village, since we stayed there using points back in February.  It used to only apply to the weeks exchanges.  Each village at Holiday Inn Club/Orange Lake has a different resort number/ID.  It should not matter if you are staying at a different part of Orange Lake.  Any thoughts on this?  Am I wrong?


----------



## tschwa2 (Aug 26, 2013)

hajjah said:


> I didn't realize that the 1 in 4 rule applied to points exchanges.  I got a notice on RCI yesterday that I could not book at Holiday Inn Club/Orange Lake East Village, since we stayed there using points back in February.  It used to only apply to the weeks exchanges.  Each village at Holiday Inn Club/Orange Lake has a different resort number/ID.  It should not matter if you are staying at a different part of Orange Lake.  Any thoughts on this?  Am I wrong?




A couple of things.  Generally points reservations don't count but that is only when you are trading into points inventory.  You can generally tell the difference because of the $199 exchange fee into weeks vs the $159 for points.  Also the points reservations gives you the option to exchange for less and sometimes more than 7 days.  If it is over 10 months than it is also most likely weeks inventory.

Even if each village has a different ID a developer can have the 1 in x apply to multiple resorts in the system.  This is the wording from the additional info in RCI:  


> Additional Information
> The one in 3 year rule applies to all Holiday Inn Orange Lake Florida properties: 0670,8881, 8896 and 8897.
> Housekeeping fees Studio $71.80, 1BD $72.16; 2BD $96.59; 3BD $121.19- $157.25-L/O for points 7 night stays.
> THE 1-IN-3 RULE DOES NOT APPLY TO OWNERS.


----------



## tschwa2 (Aug 26, 2013)

Passepartout said:


> I don't recall any TUGger ever reporting being turned away from any resort when they had a confirmed reservation. Of course I haven't read- or remembered every post in every sub-forum, but if it's happened, I never saw it.
> 
> Jim




While I haven't heard of anyone being turned away, I have heard of people that were able to book and then 1-3 weeks later getting calls that the 1 in x applied and the reservation would be cancelled.


----------



## hajjah (Aug 27, 2013)

I thank you so much for the clarifications.


----------



## FlaKmunKy (Sep 10, 2013)

jeffwill said:


> This rule has been around a long time.  Is it completely ignored or just left in print as a scare tactic ?
> 
> I recently booked (rented) 4 weeks in a row, at a single resort, who's developer lists the 1 in 4 rule at ANY of their six locations.
> 
> ...



The 1 in 4 rule applies to exchanges ONLY.  If they are consecutive units you are usually fine (depends on the resort).  If they are on the same start date you are usually fine (depending on the resort).  The resorts enforce this rule.  If they get a reservation that they deem to be breaking this rule they will cancel the reservation themselves.

One exception (with RCI) is for points INVENTORY.  If you are a points member and you booked a weeks inventory week at a resort with this rule then you would not be able to book another WEEKS inventory week until that time frame is up.  Although, you would be able to book it if it was POINTS inventory that you were booking just because points inventory is exempt.  This does not mean that if you have points all reservations are fair game, its the inventory they are pulling it out of that makes the determination.


----------



## FlaKmunKy (Oct 21, 2013)

BMWguynw said:


> Does a "1-in-X" rule apply to rentals?  I thought it was only for exchanges.  The only time I've seen it was when looking to exchange into a resort where I'd exchanged within the "1-in-X" timeframe. RCI wouldn't allow the exchange to happen.
> 
> And some places, like the Grupo Mayan in Mexico, frequently suspends the 1-in-X rule to encourage people to come back and stay with them.
> 
> Dave



No the 1 in x rule does not apply to rentals.


----------



## WurldTravlr (Oct 21, 2013)

The 1 in X rule applies to 1 for 1 exchanges or points for weeks exchanges. This would not apply to extra vacations unless otherwise noted. An easy way around this if you do run into this restriction is if you have a 9000 points associated weeks account and then an old separate Weeks account, you can book a unit on both of these "Weeks" accounts. If you used to be a weeks owner and now you are a points owner, you should still have an old weeks account that you may not know about. Just call and ask if you aren't sure. 

If you do run into this issue, you can always contact a resort directly to see if you can rent a week directly from them, or RCI is always selling inventory (although I'm pretty sure this was a cause of a class action lawsuit) through various websites including www.ResortCerts.com, Endlessvacationrentals.com or Skyauction.com.


----------



## jehb2 (Oct 21, 2013)

Weird repeat.


----------



## jehb2 (Oct 21, 2013)

I once had a counselor who couldn't count.  It had been 4 years since we had last stayed at the MC, but she kept telling me I would have to wait another year.  Finally I just hung up and immediately called back and spoke to a different counselor.  I booked MC with no problem.


----------

