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HGV now exclusively RCI for exchanges

H

hurnik

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This started as an SFX-specific item, but the email confirmation I received from Hilton now indicates that HGV is only allowing exchanges through RCI now and no other exchange company. I have no idea if this also affects their various affiliated resorts that used to also be able to be exchanged into Interval International.

It started when I went to deposit into SFX and was told that they received an email from Hilton stating that SFX can no longer accept HGV deposited weeks and if Hilton finds out they will cancel the owners reservations.

I emailed HGV and got this response today:

"Thank you for contacting us regarding SFX exchanges. We are no longer able to offer these exchanges due to our exclusive agreement with RCI. We did not announce this "change" because it was never part of our program to begin with. I apologize for your disappointment with no longer having this option. We do still offer the same SFX properties to confirm using your club points.

Please let me know if you have any questions. "

I'm going to assume this will also affect ThirdHome, but not sure.
 
Interesting. I didn't know that was a thing and only knew about depositing in RCI.
 
Wondering with the loss of Disney to II if RCI gave HGV a deal they could not refuse to become exclusive. Between the high exchange and resort fees, the attraction for RCI exchanges is becoming limited. Perhaps this is by design to keep owner deposits within the HGVC system.

Is this is good or bad for DEX?
 
CalGalTraveler said:
Is this is good or bad for DEX?
Click to expand...

Hard to know. As long as DEX uses RCI for inventory on the back end, it strengthens RCI and DEX inventory.

How long is the agreement for?

Sounds like a new deal has been struck with RCI, so I suspect they will be involved for some time, but perhaps only as a back end for an expanded DEX?

Make no mistake about it, unless HGV passes some savings or new benefits to owners as part of the new deal with RCI, this is them making profits or striking better deals at the expense of limiting (exchange) choice for us.

I will reserve judgment until we see what happens. But overall, I see SFX going away as a negative (albeit unlikely to impact my usage).
 
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Yes the RCI fees and especially limitations for Vidanta resorts (1-4 rule now and no guest certificates) make things very restrictive and expensive. IMO
 
I would think that affilates that have an affilation outside of RCI can still leverage that. For example, many of the Sanibel and Captiva properties are affilated with Interval and could have their own Interval account.

However, if the ownership is also registered with HGVC and the unit is turned in for HGVC points - RCI would be the only option. The RCI limitation is all about using HGVC points.
 
GTLINZ said:
I would think that affilates that have an affilation outside of RCI can still leverage that. For example, many of the Sanibel and Captiva properties are affilated with Interval and could have their own Interval account.

However, if the ownership is also registered with HGVC and the unit is turned in for HGVC points - RCI would be the only option. The RCI limitation is all about using HGVC points.
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If it’s a fixed (or float) week property that previously exchanged with II, it still should be able to trade. Most of the SW Florida resorts, Scotland lodges and maybe Bay Club can trade if you set up your own account.
 
GTLINZ said:
I would think that affilates that have an affilation outside of RCI can still leverage that. For example, many of the Sanibel and Captiva properties are affilated with Interval and could have their own Interval account.

However, if the ownership is also registered with HGVC and the unit is turned in for HGVC points - RCI would be the only option. The RCI limitation is all about using HGVC points.
Click to expand...

I'm wondering about the dual-affiliated ones where it's activated with HGV, but not converted to points (ie, your home week is booked). Can we still deposit with Interval? I believe in the past you could, but not sure now.

Aren't affiliates "managed" by Hilton but owned by something else?
 
hurnik said:
I'm wondering about the dual-affiliated ones where it's activated with HGV, but not converted to points (ie, your home week is booked). Can we still deposit with Interval? I believe in the past you could, but not sure now.

Aren't affiliates "managed" by Hilton but owned by something else?
Click to expand...

I think the key point is that with an enrolled affiliate week, you have to deposit/turn in your week - it does not happen by default.

So if you do nothing you keep the week and have to use it or lose it. So HGVC would have no idea about it (or control over it).
 
@hurnik, my question I would follow up to them with (if you want or are willing) would be what benefits their new contract with RCI will offer to owners considering the new contract limits our options to only using RCI for exchanges?
 
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Another point - somebody in an affilate could also have a separate RCI account. If they don't turn in their week, they could trade in part of a lockoff (or both sides) and may have an upgrade advantage they would not get with RCI thru HGVC points. In fact, a silver week should get farther in a straight RCI trade than using HGVC points.

(I know there are not a lot of affilate lockoffs - but you get the point that it could be a better deal to deal with RCI directly in some cases.)
 
GTLINZ said:
I think the key point is that with an enrolled affiliate week, you have to deposit/turn in your week - it does not happen by default.

So if you do nothing you keep the week and have to use it or lose it. So HGVC would have no idea about it (or control over it).
Click to expand...
Or, in the case of Craigendarroch, rent it out. They offer a rental service to rent your week but either way, HGVC corporate wouldn't be aware of that.
 
I know this isn't the topic and I don't want to derail this discussion but I will be curious if Max acts like an exchange and only the weeks of people in Max are available for HVC folks to reserve versus all the weeks owned by HGVClub Legacy or bHC members.
 
I was pretty sure the HGV website used to list SFX as one of the exchange options,, but not certain as I never actually used it.
 
hurnik said:
This started as an SFX-specific item, but the email confirmation I received from Hilton now indicates that HGV is only allowing exchanges through RCI now and no other exchange company. I have no idea if this also affects their various affiliated resorts that used to also be able to be exchanged into Interval International.

It started when I went to deposit into SFX and was told that they received an email from Hilton stating that SFX can no longer accept HGV deposited weeks and if Hilton finds out they will cancel the owners reservations.

I emailed HGV and got this response today:

"Thank you for contacting us regarding SFX exchanges. We are no longer able to offer these exchanges due to our exclusive agreement with RCI. We did not announce this "change" because it was never part of our program to begin with. I apologize for your disappointment with no longer having this option. We do still offer the same SFX properties to confirm using your club points.

Please let me know if you have any questions. "

I'm going to assume this will also affect ThirdHome, but not sure.
Click to expand...
HuskerATL said:
I hadn't seen it until I looked on this page, https://club.hiltongrandvacations.com/en/club-membership/resort-vacation-exchange . It is listed with RCI and RCI Select. . Funny, we have Grand Mayan Rivieria Maya booked for next spring break but didn't realize it was through SFX....
Click to expand...

Not certain but maybe the difference that section has you book via club-points verse doing a deposit of a week.. I am guessing the point costs are higher than going the deposit / exchange route...
 
I got excellent value/usage out of my 7,000 HGVC points in 2022. If MAX changes availability of reserving at 9 months out, I plan to let HGVC membership lapse and deposit my SW FL week with II if not using it.
 
1Kflyerguy said:
I am guessing the point costs are higher than going the deposit / exchange route
Click to expand...
It is 7680 for a week in two bedroom next April...which I didn't think was too bad and it has a private plunge pool
 
elaine said:
I got excellent value/usage out of my 7,000 HGVC points in 2022. If MAX changes availability of reserving at 9 months out, I plan to let HGVC membership lapse and deposit my SW FL week with II if not using it.
Click to expand...
If anything they say is true, it should not impact anything over 6 months.
 
GTLINZ said:
I think the key point is that with an enrolled affiliate week, you have to deposit/turn in your week - it does not happen by default.

So if you do nothing you keep the week and have to use it or lose it. So HGVC would have no idea about it (or control over it).
Click to expand...

Agree with this as that is how it is with my Grand Pacific Palisades. HGVC only gets involved with my week if I decide to swap the week for points.
 
HuskerATL said:
If anything they say is true, it should not impact anything over 6 months.
Click to expand...

It could tighten things up at between 6 to 7 months if people in HGVC make their bookings earlier to stay in front of the new competition coming in at 6 months out.

Conversely, it may have more stuff free to book more than six months out if people are not spending the points that they are waiting to use in Max.

I am also very curious how many Max users there will be from the DRI side vs. the HGVC side.
 
This is very interesting from the DRI side. I wonder if this will include DRI Club owners. As of now, we are able to still exchange with II independent of RCI or DEX. So will this only affect HGVC owners or both DRI and HGVC owners.

This will be another reason why DRI owners may not wish to go with HGV Max.
 
So in regards to affiliates, this is what I got in reply. It also seems to indicate that HGV will not allow deposits into Third Home either. (unless affiliate week).

"Your Seawatch on the beach fixed home week can be exchanged through SFX if you want. You would contact them directly. If they find a guest for your week, you would then contact us to add the guest certificate. Since Seawatch is an affiliated property, and voluntary membership with HGV, this is why you can exchange with them. Using club points to book any reservation cannot be exchanged with SFX, only RCI.

This is not new, we have never had this type of relationship with SFX. We do have a relationship with them for exchanges of our properties for theirs. We have Grand Mayan and Grand Luxxe in Mexico, and Club Donatello in San Francisco. In return, SFX owners have access to select properties through HGV.

Please let me know if you have any more questions.

Kind Regards,"
 
Interesting - i wonder if you could do a GC equivalent directly with SeaWatch. You would have to deal directly with Seawatch if not enrolled. But HGVC is glad to get a GC fee out of this ! And SFX gets their fees when you exchange either way.
 
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