Okay, let me make sure I understand... say I own 7k points (2bd/2bth, annual usage, plat.) and want to book at an RCI property, RED season of course. I could use my current year's pts to reserve at my home resort, just in case. Then I could use 4800 pts from the next year to book a 2bd/2bth platinum unit with RCI? If so, then I can book the RCI resort then cancel my home resort reservation. What happens to my 7k pts? Are they restored to the appropriate year? Will they rollover?
Also, are the fees for the ongoing search reasonable? In the same vein (regarding fees) does HGVC nickel-and-dime it's owners or do they seem reasonable as far as when/whether they charge fees?
I think it depends on the savy of the HGVC rep you have working for you. Let's say we're talking about points and stay for sometime in 2009. You book your home resort week/season/unit and your 2009 points are used. Next, you initiate an RCI search, paying the $169 fee (maybe $189, I forget). A bit later, say 60 days HGVC calls you back and says they have a hit through RCI and you accept this find. Your rep may cancel your existing reservation first, freeing up the 7000 points for 2009. THEN, book your stay through RCI using 4800 of the 7000, leaving 2200 points leftover for 2009. Your RCI booked stay then cost you 4800 points plus $169/$189 or whatever the RCI fee is.
They other way they might do it is to book it with 4800 points from 2010, then cancel your home resort booking, leaving you with 7000 points returned to 2009. I don't think it would work that way...but it might. If that's the case you then have your full 2009 points to use and you can "rescue" them, depositing them into 2010 before the end of 2009 for a $49. I would bet they could return the points borrowed from 2010 and take the 4800 from 2009, but I couldn't say for sure.
HGVC doesn't tend to nickel and dime you, but does have a fee structure in place to drive and discourage booking and cancellation approaches. The RCI fee upfront is to discourage frivelous searches (fishing) and clogging up the system & rep overhead. There is a $49 booking fee for an HGVC reservation with points when made on-line. If you do it through the call center is $69. On-line reservations are changable with limits on how far out you can cancel a reservation prior to the booked arrival date. All of these rules are in the membership book you receive after joining and on-line in the owners area of the HGVC website. Some HGVC resorts however do charge for parking (Hilton Hawiian Village) which I don't like, but that's largely the exception than the rule.
My experience is the people at the HGVC call center generally know the angles and will work the system to the best of their ability on your behalf. That isn't to say some are more able than others.
Here's the stated cancellation policy as attached to my current reservation for Orland next spring: "Cancellation of a reservation thirty-one (31) days or more in advance of the check-in date will result in loss of the $49 reservation fee, if applicable. Cancellation of a reservation thirty (30) days to fifteen (15) days in advance of the check-in date will result in forfeiture of 25% of the currency (ClubPoints or Open Season rental rate) used to confirm the reservation and the $49 Club reservation fee, if applicable Cancellation of a reservation fourteen (14) days to six (6) days in advance of the check-in date will result in forfeiture of 50% of the currency (Open Season rental rate or ClubPoints) used to confirm the reservation and the $49 Club reservation fee, if applicable. Cancellations occurring five (5) or fewer days in advance of the check-in date will result in 100% forfeiture of the currency used (Open Season rental rate or ClubPoints) to confirm the reservation and the $49 Club reservation fee, if applicable."
