Instant Exchange Fee ?

[alfasat]

Newbie here, just purchased TS Points unit and in process of completing deal so I'm not registered with RCI yet to login and check fees. I've read many posts on TUG regarding "Instant Exchange", "Last Call" and "Extra Getaways" etc. Wondering what if any fees were attached to these options? Is "Instant Exchange" treated like a regular points exchange where its $159 exchange fee? Or a weeks exchange of $217 ??? Also like to know if there's added fee to "Last Call or Extra Getaways" ???
CZ.

 

[natasha5687]

Newbie here, just purchased TS Points unit and in process of completing deal so I'm not registered with RCI yet to login and check fees. I've read many posts on TUG regarding "Instant Exchange", "Last Call" and "Extra Getaways" etc. Wondering what if any fees were attached to these options? Is "Instant Exchange" treated like a regular points exchange where its $159 exchange fee? Or a weeks exchange of $217 ??? Also like to know if there's added fee to "Last Call or Extra Getaways" ???
CZ.

An instant exchange is what I commonly hear in the II world. When you book a week with RCI via points you will pay anywhere from $59-$199 per exchange (RCI points resorst allow for booking less than a full week, I believe that up to 3 nights is $59 with the price going up). The good part about a points resort is that if you exceed 7 days the exchange fee does not increase. If you use points to book a weeks only resort you will pay the $199 and are unable to book for less than a week. We have and do book a weeks resort and only use a portion of the week if the value is right. We just booked a week at Regal Vista and will only stay 4 days but we got the week for the exchange fee and 7500 points. With the last call and exrta vacations you just pay cash (no points or exchange fee). Last calls and extra vacations vary widely in cost and start around $244 for a week and go up from there. You could easily spend $1300 or more for a week in Hawaii via last call.

 

[deannak]

We've sometimes gotten Extra vacations for less than $200/week, which was even less than the going rate for Last Call vacations, and were able to book them several months in advance. Of course, the prices do go up from there!

Last call vacations are short-notice trips (booked no more than 45 days in advance). These have fixed prices based on your unit size, and they're always a great deal, unless you have to pay a high short-notice airfare to get there.

 

[alfasat]

Thanks for your replies, I figured that if you made an "instant exchange", there would be an exchange fee, and that makes sense if you book a points or weeks exchange, you would pay the respective fee. Thanks for clarifying the extra and last call options.

 

[jc92869]

An instant exchange is what I commonly hear in the II world. When you book a week with RCI via points you will pay anywhere from $59-$199 per exchange (RCI points resorst allow for booking less than a full week, I believe that up to 3 nights is $59 with the price going up). The good part about a points resort is that if you exceed 7 days the exchange fee does not increase. If you use points to book a weeks only resort you will pay the $199 and are unable to book for less than a week. We have and do book a weeks resort and only use a portion of the week if the value is right. We just booked a week at Regal Vista and will only stay 4 days but we got the week for the exchange fee and 7500 points. With the last call and exrta vacations you just pay cash (no points or exchange fee). Last calls and extra vacations vary widely in cost and start around $244 for a week and go up from there. You could easily spend $1300 or more for a week in Hawaii via last call.

Everything the poster said is on point. One thing to look out for, is that some resorts charge a "resort fee/ day". This fee is in addition to anything you paid to RCI and is charged when you get to the resort. Best way to guard against this, is to cal the resort before you book, and ask if the fee is being charged. and then make your decision to book or not based on that.

 

[alfasat]

Everything the poster said is on point. One thing to look out for, is that some resorts charge a "resort fee/ day". This fee is in addition to anything you paid to RCI and is charged when you get to the resort. Best way to guard against this, is to cal the resort before you book, and ask if the fee is being charged. and then make your decision to book or not based on that.

Thanks for the advice JC, I will definitely take that into consideration. Too bad RCI doesn't disclose this in their postings, what the "all in" charge is !
CZ.