# Help me plan trip to San Francisco with pts



## llori7 (Aug 17, 2015)

Hi, I just got my timeshare (from this site)----its points, not week. Today I received my RCI member number and went on to book a trip to SF for next  summer, but nothing is available after April 2016---not even summer 2017. 

So, my question is are they not booking that far out, or is it so popular they are already booked???

Thanks for any help! I am so excited to be able to use the timeshare, and we were planning on SF next summer, so I'm bummed I can't book.

Lori


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## silentg (Aug 17, 2015)

Did you place an on going search?


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## DeniseM (Aug 17, 2015)

An ongoing search is like "wait listing."  Ongoing search requests are filled FIRST, before any inventory appears online, so the online inventory is the leftovers, after the ongoing searches are matched.  

So the most effective way to get an exchange is with an OGS.  How many points do you have for an exchange?


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## llori7 (Aug 17, 2015)

No, I didn't do an ongoing search. I just got my number today (still waiting on my welcome pack). I currently have 98,000 points.

If I do an ongoing search, do I have to pick a specific week, or can it be a time frame? How long does it usually take to know if it will work out or not?


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## DeniseM (Aug 17, 2015)

You can pick a specific week, or a wide time frame - your choice.

You could get an exchange right away - or never - there is no way to know.

Exchanging is kind of like gambling - you "place your bet," and take your chances.


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## silentg (Aug 17, 2015)

If you are flexible, give them a wide window of time, you are more likely to get an exchange.


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## llori7 (Aug 17, 2015)

I am trying to do ongoing search, but it says my total is $209. Do I pay that now? Or just if they find me something? How do you know if you get it or not? I just put in dates of whole summer. Not sure if i should just pick a week.


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## Ty1on (Aug 17, 2015)

llori7 said:


> I am trying to do ongoing search, but it says my total is $209. Do I pay that now? Or just if they find me something? How do you know if you get it or not? I just put in dates of whole summer. Not sure if i should just pick a week.



Welcome to the Exchange racket business.

If you can travel any part of the summer, putting the whole summer greatly increases your odds of a hit.


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## llori7 (Aug 17, 2015)

Ty1on said:


> Welcome to the Exchange racket business.
> 
> If you can travel any part of the summer, putting the whole summer greatly increases your odds of a hit.



Ok---great! So if they don't find me something, do I get my $209 back? Or if they find something, but for some reason between now and when they find it, that is a bad travel time?


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## Ty1on (Aug 17, 2015)

llori7 said:


> Ok---great! So if they don't find me something, do I get my $209 back? Or if they find something, but for some reason between now and when they find it, that is a bad travel time?



Here is some stuff for you to read:

http://www.tug2.net/advice/tugrcipoints.html

http://www.tug2.net/advice/FAQ-AskRCI.htm

http://www.tug2.net/advice/onlvsong.htm

http://pgs.rci.com/landing/InsideRCI/ongoingsearch/index.html?promo=VANNAENUSWInsideRCIOngoing - particularly pay attention to Step 4 here


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## DeniseM (Aug 17, 2015)

llori7 said:


> Ok---great! So if they don't find me something, do I get my $209 back? Or if they find something, but for some reason between now and when they find it, that is a bad travel time?



If a match comes up, you will get an email.  

To get your $209 back you have to request it, but most people just leave it on account for the next exchange - if you don't get this one, you will want to use the points for something else.

You can cancel if you don't want the exchange, but it's better to only request a time frame when you can go.  If your plans change, then you should change your request.  

A broad request is much easier to get than one particular week.


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## e.bram (Aug 18, 2015)

If you wanted SF you should have bought in SF. It is a hard trade like NYC and oceanfront in the summer.


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## tschwa2 (Aug 18, 2015)

What kind of points do you have?  Is it RCI points.  If so booking outside of your home resort group starts at 10 months out.  What you see beyond June 15 and what you search for with an Ongoing Search (OGS) is weeks inventory.  I am not sure if their are any SF resorts that autodeposit at 10 months into RCI points but it is worth continuing to search manually because the OGS won't usually pick up points inventory.

Also what size unit are you looking for many SF properties are going to be sleeps 2 or sleeps 4.  Requesting a 2 br in the summer has very little chance of coming through.


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## llori7 (Aug 18, 2015)

tschwa2 said:


> What kind of points do you have?  Is it RCI points.  If so booking outside of your home resort group starts at 10 months out.  What you see beyond June 15 and what you search for with an Ongoing Search (OGS) is weeks inventory.  I am not sure if their are any SF resorts that autodeposit at 10 months into RCI points but it is worth continuing to search manually because the OGS won't usually pick up points inventory.
> 
> Also what size unit are you looking for many SF properties are going to be sleeps 2 or sleeps 4.  Requesting a 2 br in the summer has very little chance of coming through.



We have RCI Points---49,000 a year. However, we are starting with 147,000 because the people we bought from haven't used it. I am looking for 4 people, but just a 1 bedroom. 

Can I use the Ongoing Search if I have points (instead of a week)? Maybe I will keep checking manually for a little while and see what happens. 

Thanks!


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## tschwa2 (Aug 18, 2015)

I looked and I don't see any regular points inventory there.  It looks like Wyndham is going to be the only one depositing points inventory and they don't auto deposit, they deposit excess inventory.  I wouldn't expect any summer inventory from them.  It won't help you get to SF in summer 2016 and it won't help with expiring points but you may also want to include summer 2017 to your search.  Difficult locations during prime time may require an 18-24 month search to secure if any at all.  I don't really track San Francisco inventory but from sightings, I know that during a typical summer there might be a dozen sleeps 2 accommodations and about 3-4 sleeps 4.




> So, my question is are they not booking that far out, or is it so popular they are already booked???


It isn't a question of booking.  It's a question of depositing.  It is so popular and limited inventory that many owners don't deposit.  It's one of those locations that have way more demand than supply.  I don't know the numbers but I would imagine it may be in the 1 deposit for every 50 people that want it.  Now many of the 50 won't bother with an ongoing search but still quite a few will so you are fighting over a handful of deposits so the earlier you start a search the better.


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