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HUGE housekeeping fees listed on RCI now? [merged]

krmlaw

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Has anyone else noticed, since the change Im seeing pretyy big ($50 - $75) housekeeping fees now on exchanges?
 

rhonda

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Are these charges shown in RCI Points, RCI Weeks or both?
 

Keep Traveling

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These fees are crazy...They should have to be paid by the person exchanging the timeshare.

More and more are adding fees to the exchangers.

Utilities, housekeeping, AI, etc.

KT
 

bnoble

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Usually, these are for less-than-seven-night Points exchanges, to cover the fact that an extra cleaning is going to be required. The wording is often not clear.
 

Carolinian

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Some resorts outside the US charge fees for utilities or housekeeping. In some resorts, there are extra fees that exchangers pay that owners are not charged. Even inside the US, such fees exist, probably most notoriously the ridiculous ''hospitality fee'' at a certain NYC resort.
 

rickandcindy23

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No changes, there were always housekeeping fees listed on the resort info for Points. The fees in points make sense for less than 7 night exchanges. I have found most resorts do not charge the fees stated, anyway. VV at P has never charged us, and we have used the short stays several times to match great airfare prices.

These fees do not apply to weeks. You will not see those disclaimers on any week exchanges that didn't already have some fees disclosed, I don't think.

We are getting smokin' deals on our weeks, but once again, RCI Points are not working for us at all. Although, if I am being truthful, I am completely out of points for 2012 and hoping to use our last Shell points for 2012 to get something DVC before the time comes. I am specifically needing October for 2012. I am so disappointed in RCI Points, mostly. The 42K DVC 1 bedrooms are a great value, as are the studios for 28.5K, which our kids are happy to use. I will use my measly 143K every year. I did have 400K or so...
 

krmlaw

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ok - because im seeing them for weeks exchanges, but never did before. so thast makes sense. so they dont apply to weeks?
 

sunshine4

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There is no note anymore that says for points less than a week. Actually some say weekly.:( Some of them are very high. Has anyone checked this with RCI yet?
 

owen1521

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Fees are new on the weeks side

These fees do not apply to weeks. You will not see those disclaimers on any week exchanges that didn't already have some fees disclosed, I don't think.

I believe these housekeeping fees are new after the "site enhancements" I have been on rci weeks for 15 years and never have seen them on the weeks side (although I only search certain locations) I have certainly never been charged these fees on any of my exchanges. These new fees are listed under Urgent Information. I noticed them yesterday while trading into the Hilton in Orlando which I have done a dozen times without housekeeping fees listed.
 
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jlwquilter

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I was just checking for an Orlando stay for December... a few days in Points.

Silver Lake (where I happen to own) has a $30 DAILY housekeeping fee for the 1 bed unit listed in Urgent Info. 2 and 3 bed units list the housekeeping fee as 'weekly' at a rate that makes sense.

A $30 DAILY fee?? That can't be right! For the 4 days I am considering that's $120 fee! And you know they are not coming in daily. And even if they were.... no way.

So now I have to call RCI - which is going to get me nowhere. Or skip this resort for now. It's SO AGGRAVATING!

I was also looking at Wyndham Palm Something in Pompano - it listed a $75 fee weekly for ALL units, for ALL stays - and that was when I was looking at a full 7 day stay, but still under Points. That's new too. Just checked Wyndham Cypress Palms in Orlando... says the same thing - $75 for all units for all stays. Yikes.

Not good.
 
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jlwquilter

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I just checked Last Calls.

Guess what.

Yep. Housekeeping fee of $75 charged for Wyndham Cypress Palms there too.

This is outrageous. Owners pay for weekly housekeeping thru their MFs. Now the resort wants to 'double dip' by charging a housekeeping fee to full week exchangers too??

Is this only Wyndham resorts?

Answer: Vacation Village at Parkway lists a $20 housekeeping fee for a weekly stay for Last Calls too. Silver Lake lists the $30 daily fee for 1 bed units for Last Calls too.

What the heck is going on???
 
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littlestar

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I just checked Last Calls.

Guess what.

Yep. Housekeeping fee of $75 charged for Wyndham Cypress Palms there too.

This is outrageous. Owners pay for weekly housekeeping thru their MFs. Now the resort wants to 'double dip' by charging a housekeeping fee to full week exchangers too??

Is this only Wyndham resorts?

Answer: Vacation Village at Parkway lists a $20 housekeeping fee for a weekly stay for Last Calls too. Silver Lake lists the $30 daily fee for 1 bed units for Last Calls too.

What the heck is going on???

Here's a kicker - Endless Vacation rentals don't charge housekeeping fees for the weekly stays I looked at.
 

vacationhopeful

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I guess Wyndham has beat the c**p out of the owners for money and has figured out exchangers are NOT buying their points, so HERE is a new source of $$$ for Wyndham.

It surely is NOT going to the resorts to lower MFs. :hysterical:

But I will ask my HOA contacts.
 

fishingguy

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enhancements? yeah, sure...

I've seen this on some of the RCI rentals in the past (last calls and extra vacations), that you don't get charged for if you book via exchange. Some were Wyndham and other big chains, small mom-n'-pop resorts, etc. You incur an extra charge on your CC when you get them, and end up trying to figure out what they are on your monthly CC statement.

In some ways, I see a lot of similarity between the rental websites (RCI and Wyndham portals), and the recent "enhancements" -- and these fees are one of the things that make me believe that the recent changes were nothing more than a make-over of the rental websites. ...but hey, maybe these fees aren't supposed to be there, and they just didn't suppress the data?
 

rickandcindy23

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Something is very wrong. Look at the disclaimer for Star Island, which I am absolutely sure is not an all-inclusive resort???

•Urgent Information
•For important information regarding your All Inclusive Resort vacation and resort fees, visit RCI’s “All Inclusive” website AI.RCI.COM
•Print this page
•Mandatory All Inclusive Program. Fees are per adult, per night plus 14% tax. Minimum occupancy of 2 adults in studio units & 4 adults in 2 bedroom units.
•2011 Fees: Jan2-Feb3 US$94; Feb04-May05 US$100; May06-Jul14 US$76; Jul15-Aug18 US$87; Aug19-Dec15 US$70; Dec16-Jan05 US$118. Children 6-12 yrs old Jan02-May05 & Jul01-Aug18 US$30; Dec16-Jan05 US$40;
•May06-Jun30 & Aug19-Dec15, two Children 6-12 yrs old for free. The program includes all meals, beverages, entertainment and non-motorized water sports.
•The All Inclusive Fees must be paid upon arrival at front desk (cash not accepted). Fees are subject to change without notice.
 

rickandcindy23

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A sales ploy? We will waive/ reimburse the $75 (ironic amount of money, since that is what Wyndham gifts for a tour), if you take the tour. That way, they don't have to pay you to take the tour. YOU pay to not take it, or you don't get a gift, just a waive of the fee. No longer does Wyndham have to pay $75 to get you on that stupid tour.

NO THANKS. It's a win-win for Wyndham. If you don't stay there because the fee is a turnoff, then they don't have to clean a unit after you.
 

rhonda

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Oh, wow -- yes, I'm seeing the $75 housekeeping fee listed for weekly stays booked by RCI Weeks exchange at some Wyndham properties. Very sad!
 

Harmina

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Housekeeping fees

I checked my account after RCI did their updating.....I noticed that with the Villas @ Poco Diabolo, Sedona, it states $58. USD per stay for a one bedroom, and $48. USD per stay for a studio. These charges weren't there when I confirmed my vacation for November back in July. I will call RCI - I should not have to pay this when it wasn't there when I booked.
We also have the Pueblo Bonito, Los Cabos booked for March, which I also confirmed in July. it doesn't have any extra charges that weren't already there before, such as the State lodging tax & the tourist tax. We are weeks owners.
I noticed in the past that extra charges applied for stays of less than 7 nights for most exchanges.
 

jlwquilter

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Something is very wrong. Look at the disclaimer for Star Island, which I am absolutely sure is not an all-inclusive resort???

•Urgent Information
•For important information regarding your All Inclusive Resort vacation and resort fees, visit RCI’s “All Inclusive” website AI.RCI.COM
•Print this page
•Mandatory All Inclusive Program. Fees are per adult, per night plus 14% tax. Minimum occupancy of 2 adults in studio units & 4 adults in 2 bedroom units.
•2011 Fees: Jan2-Feb3 US$94; Feb04-May05 US$100; May06-Jul14 US$76; Jul15-Aug18 US$87; Aug19-Dec15 US$70; Dec16-Jan05 US$118. Children 6-12 yrs old Jan02-May05 & Jul01-Aug18 US$30; Dec16-Jan05 US$40;
•May06-Jun30 & Aug19-Dec15, two Children 6-12 yrs old for free. The program includes all meals, beverages, entertainment and non-motorized water sports.
•The All Inclusive Fees must be paid upon arrival at front desk (cash not accepted). Fees are subject to change without notice.

I noticed that one too as I am searching for Orlando for a short stay in November. Since I just stayed at Star Island (thru a TUG last minute rental posting) I KNEW it wasn't all Inclusive. But geez, all of this craziness is making it impossible for me to feel comfortable pulling the trigger on any type of exchange right now!

If I agree to this stuff that simply doesn't make sense, by clicking the 'I Agree' button to make the exchange, then where am I if they decide to actually enforce the craziness? $30 HK fee A DAY at Silver Lake for a 1 bed unit? An All Inclusive fee for Star Island which is not AI?

Calling RCI and getting a guide to say 'Oh, you won't be charged' does NOT make me feel secure. I'd have to get a supervisor with name, employee number and probably DNA sample coupled with a recording of the conversation by the FBI in order to feel a little secure that a fee wouldn't be actually enforced. Just not worth the hassle and worry for what was to be an impromptu weekend trip to Disney.

And on the flip side, many resorts that charge a HK fee for short stays are now mute on the topic during the exchange/rezzie process. Am I going to be able to refuse to pay the fee when check out time comes, because it wasn't listed when I did the exchange?? Again, not worth the worry. I don't want to be anticipating a 'fight' at check out or feel going into it that I could be charged some outrageous fee and I'd have no meaningful recourse.

I've done very well in RCI up until now but this 'enhancement' is by far the worst one for me personally so far. Mostly becasue I want to book thing NOW and not wait weeks while they un-screw everything up. :mad:
 

magiroux

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I called RCI last week because I noticed an exchange I had (pre-enhancement) now showed a housekeeping fee "per stay" which was new since the 'enhancement'.

Spoke to a guide who said, no, that is only for points stay and for stays less than 7 days. That is what her screen says. Since mine clearly stated something different I asked to be transferred to web support to report the glitch. The woman I spoke to at web support tells me that the particular resort I was referring to changed their policy on Sept 17th and that the fees stated on the Urgent Info are correct. When asked what was the policy about me confirming before these fees were in place (did they apply to me?) she says to call and work it out with the resort. RCI has nothing to do with it. Yes, but the terms I agreed to were with RCI and the fees were not part of the terms? She says that doesn't matter.

The conversation started going downhill when I informed her what the guide had told me (that it states stays for 7 days or less on her screen). Nope, she's wrong. Huh? I pressed her a little more and she got prissy so I just ended the conversation.

Bottom line - after 20 minutes on hold and talking to two different people at RCI I have no idea if I am being charged $61 housekeeping fee or not. :wall: The guide kept talking as if I was in a points account even though I kept telling her I was in weeks side. I'm thinking this may be an enhancement :rolleyes: in the weeks side. I have a direct phone number of a supervisor who was helpful to me a few years ago that I am going to call next week when I have some time.
 

tschwa2

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Call the resort and find out if they really charge the fee for 7 day stays. If they don't get the name of the rep and ask them to put a note in your reservation to that effect. Call back later to recheck if need be for peace of mind.

If they say they started charging it recently ask if they will waive it because you reserved before the change. Ask them to note it in your reservation.

If they charge and won't waive the fee, ask to speak to a supervisor and/or a manager and try to get the fees waived. If you don't have any luck, you can try to get RCI to cancel the exchange and refund your tpu's and exchange fee based on the change of terms. Or pay the fees - make sure you leave negative feedback both with RCI and with the resort management company about your displeasure about the fees being added after your exchange was confirmed.

Since the fees are paid directly to the resort, I don't think you will be able to get RCI to waive the fees or reimburse you for the fees if you are charged.
 

Carolinian

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. . . and now you know why the term ''enhancement'' is so Orwellian in the business world. Frequent Flyers have groaned for years when an airline announced it was going to have an ''enhancement''. ''Enhancement'' is corporate-speak for ''you are about to get hosed''.
 

fishingguy

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after a little more looking

I've noticed that not only are there now housekeeping fees for some of the resorts we've been to in the past (not there before), but a few that had fees before raised them by ~50%. This is for weeks and points account exchanges, extra vacations and last calls for these resorts -- it's the same identical data and format in all these listings.

A few were Wyndham, but I find it interesting that one is from a points resort we own a couple units at; it lists a HK fee @ ~$90 for a 3BR week now. On a positive note, these housekeeping fees don't show up if I book through my home or home resort group options on the right hand side of the search page. I just got the annual budget, report, etc. for the upcoming HOA meeting from this resort; there was no mention about any of this.
 

Tia

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Interesting it all of a sudden started showing up apparently at many RCI associated resorts.
 

bccash63

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The Resort on Cocoa Beach has a $75 fee listed as housekeeping--this is in the weeks exchange which never had a housekeeping fee listed before. Dawn
 
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