Do I really need an RCI Guest Certificate?

[reparker56]

My wife and are planning on letting some friends use a banked week we have with RCI to go to our home resort (Solmar, in Cabo San Lucas, MX). Times being what they are we would like to avoid th $59 charge for an RCI Guest Certificate (we will not be traveling with them). Is this Certificate mandatory, or just good to have? Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks
BobP

 

[gorevs9]

My wife and are planning on letting some friends use a banked week we have with RCI to go to our home resort (Solmar, in Cabo San Lucas, MX). Times being what they are we would like to avoid th $59 charge for an RCI Guest Certificate (we will not be traveling with them). Is this Certificate mandatory, or just good to have? Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks
BobP

In the past, I've contacted resorts and told them that my parents or friends were going to stay in the unit, and they had no problem with hot having a guest certificate. However this was always done in smaller resorts exchanged through II.

Since your friends are going to be in MX, it might be better just to bite the bullet and get the guest certificate. It save the potential hassle of being turned away at check-in.

If it was me getting ,what I assume to be, free use of your unit, I would gladly pay the $59.

 

[lprstn]

They need it...

I had booked reservations for friends/family before, and having that guest cert. makes things so much easier when there is a glinch. I had to learn the hard way, thankfully that time I did check in with my friend.

 

[Blondie]

I agree with gorevs9-
Geesh, in Mexico you're lucky if they can find YOUR reservation, much less throwing them the curve of having someone else use the room. That could really mess things up. I would not take that chance. Many resorts hold fast to RCI rules.
PS- Our friends went last Jan and LOVED it at Solmar

 

[Beat Nick]

Buy It

I would buy the guest certificate, it protects you and the property into which the exchange is going.

 

[ecwinch]

For II the T&C clearly state you need one - "Confirmations
are issued only in the name of the Member placing the exchange
request, and Host Accommodations may be used only by the Member
and accompanying guests, unless a Guest Certificate is obtained from
II."

Reality is it that it depends on the resort and the registration desk enforcing the policy - some do and some do not. Certainly does not hurt to call in advance and ask what they require. And there are a number of ways to work around the GC, but as others have noted - if you have problem you should not expect II to assist.

And nothing ruins a vacation as much as not having a place to stay.

 

[beanb41]

While it appears that a guest certificate is your safest option I believe guest certificates are a money grabbing ripoff. Having deposited your week and paid for the exchange what business is it of the exchange company who stays in the unit. You are no less responsible for your guests than had you been staying with them. The resort obviously needs to know who is staying not the exchange company. This is one reason among many whilst I use DAE because they dont charge for guest certificates.

 

[Steve NH]

I often trade back into a home resort - actually more often use bonus week to get a home resort. And often give it to family and friends.

I have never paid a guest certificate - I just call the resort - tell them I am an owner and they have me fax a letter stating who will be using my week.

The only catch - you have to wait until it gets close to the acutal week - RCI doesn't send them the trade info until it gets close to the week.

I'll even do that when I will still be there in another unit the same week. Makes it easier for my friends when the unit is actually in their name.

 

[Blondie]

Mexico is not a place where you want to take that chance.

 

[Ann-Marie]

My daughter used our week. She checked in as me, and I gave her a credit card for the security deposit that I could live without for a week while she was away.

 

[rickandcindy23]

In RCI Points, you can add your children to the RCI account, which has been great for us because our kids use many of our weeks. There is no "room" on the RCI weeks accounts to do this, but when our kids use our RCI weeks account (free with our RCI Points membership), I tell them that the kids are on the Points account, and they add them to the reservation as owners and don't charge us anything. It works well.

For my sister, when she uses our weeks, I call the resort ahead of time, or I give her my credit card to use for any charges. It's never been an issue, as most resorts don't care whether RCI makes that $59 or not.

 

[macko420]

In RCI Points, you can add your children to the RCI account, which has been great for us because our kids use many of our weeks.

Just wondering if there is a way to add family members to an II account? Is it a matter of paying an additional fee or just not possible? Of course, the fee would probably exceed the cost of a guest certificate anyway! Just a thought...........