Last Call-Featured Destinations - What Happened???

[Vodo]

This afternoon, I checked Last Call/Featured Destinations and found nearly 90 resorts with availability (I've seen as many as 155 resorts this week alone). I went to a hockey game tonight (go Lightning!) and when I got home, there were 5 resorts - three in Weston, FL and two in Mexico. What's going on???

Cindy

 

[donnaval]

Same here--noticed it around 6 p.m. I had really been enjoying checking out the wide availability. Hope it comes back! I get the same five resorts in both my weeks and points accounts.

 

[Jya-Ning]

Interesting, if you choice feature area, it back with 5. If you choice east coast, it back 8 and they are different. Are they put some new code in?

Jya-Ning

 

[DMB]

OR, could this be yet another case of RCI taking a good thing away from its members? Like the $49 Guest Certificate fee wasn't enough? Madge, please let us know if this is some change in policy or just a glitch in the system...

 

[Avery]

If you want to see what happened to those great Last Calls, check out "Extra Vacations..."

 

[Vodo]

I, too, suspect that much of the Last Call inventory was diverted to Extra Vacations at double-plus the price - though the two inventories were frequently the same in the past.

It feels to me like they're converting Last Call into something similar to that useless little Weekly Specials (or whatever it was called) that they had before they began the Last Call program. It had just a very small sampling of resorts from two or three areas (often Branson, for some reason).

RCI must need an additional revenue stream right now. They're charging for Last Call/Extra Vacation Guest Certificates, they're raising the price on non-web-confirmed Last Call bookings, and they're trying to make us pay double or more what we've been paying for Last Call stays by putting them in the Extra Vacations category (and they've even raised what would have been the old EV price on them there!). I, for one, hope it backfires on them. I know that my family won't be booking any further Extra Vacation stays when I know that same inventory should be in Last Call - especially at this time of year. I truly hope those weeks go unused and they have to eat them.

 

[DMB]

Well there goes my last reason to renew my RCI membership when it expires.

 

[Harmina]

I am pleased with my Last Call.....

I managed to pick up a Last Call week at Oasis Marigot for the week after our exchanged week which I had booked last Nov.
We are only staying an extra 3 days but it is worth paying $179.CD. for 3 extra days.
I booked it yesterday. RCI actually waived the fee if I was willing to renew my membership for either 3 or 5 years.
We were already paid up until 2017 and yesterday I extended it by 3 years , got a week at Oasis, all for a total of $240 CD.
I am a happy camper!

 

[CaliDave]

If everyone doesn't stop posting in this thread , it will keep getting bumped to the top and never get answered by Madge.

 

[Vodo]

I kind of figured that bumping it to the top might get Madge to notice it. Guess I don't know how Madge works. I did notice a couple of days ago that she had answered a bunch of posts above and below it, but skipped this one.

Anyhow, the latest answer I got from an RCI VC was that the aforementioned free Last Call weeks they're giving away with renewals has depleted the inventory. Phooey! Last Call resorts went from nearly 100 to only 5 in the course of an hour, and it's stayed at those same five resorts everytime I've looked for the last five days. That explanation just doesn't hold water.

At any rate, I'll bump no more after this post if that's what it takes to get Madge's attention. Sorry!

Cindy

 

[Madge]

Vodo,

I always try to answer the oldest posts first.

Last Call pricing is very favorable as many have commented. Because this is a new program, it is being watched closely by our Finance and Inventory Management folks. Adjustments will be made if we see inventory that we think will move in Extra Vacations. However, Last Call has been a great hit with members and is likely to continue long-term.

 

[Aldo]

Vodo,

I always try to answer the oldest posts first.

Last Call pricing is very favorable as many have commented. Because this is a new program, it is being watched closely by our Finance and Inventory Management folks. Adjustments will be made if we see inventory that we think will move in Extra Vacations. However, Last Call has been a great hit with members and is likely to continue long-term.

How are you going to continue it long term when you don't have anything there????

 

[rickandcindy23]

This answer is very disappointing and does not address the question

How did hundreds of Orlando weeks that were on Last Call just ten days ago(and other areas too) disappear overnight? Where did they go? Why is that benefit gone?

 

[pcgirl54]

Changing LC to the current mode will kill the program. It was successful as it was, members saw it as a value for once.
Converting LC weeks to extra vacations will intimidate some members who have seen RCI limiting trades due to the rental weeks programs. You will lose not gain members because of it.

It is not a good idea.

 

[ivysun99]

I Agree

Changing LC to the current mode will kill the program. It was successful as it was, members saw it as a value for once.
Converting LC weeks to extra vacations will intimidate some members who have seen RCI limiting trades due to the rental weeks programs. You will lose not gain members because of it.

It is not a good idea.

I total agree with you. Many members (including me) joined RCI for the last call. My timeshare week is affilicated with Interval (who usually have higher quality resorts) as well, plus I can trade with DAE (which no membership fee, trading power does not matter, and often have nice Hawaii and Vegas weeks) and other independent exchange company. If it was not for RCI's last call, I would not have joined. For RCI to compete with other exchange companies, it will be smart for them to keep the last call benefit as it was before.

Just wondering how many TUGs are in situation like mine that has weeks afflicated with both RCI and II, and also use independent exchange companies.

 

[MaryH]

I own a couple of resorts that is dual affiliated RCI and II and they are acceptable by SFX. I also have some RHC points which can be RCI or if I booked specific places, okay for SFX and independents.

I signed up for SFX earlier this year and am very happy with them but did sign up more recently for RCI for the last call and knowing one resort will not be accepted by SFX for next year IMO but if Last Call is reduced to a shadow of itself and things move to the higher extra vacation at 2-3x the price, I might cancell the RCI and just do private exchanges or use one of the other independents not as picky as SFX.

 

[roadsister]

Vodo,

I always try to answer the oldest posts first.

Last Call pricing is very favorable as many have commented. Because this is a new program, it is being watched closely by our Finance and Inventory Management folks. Adjustments will be made if we see inventory that we think will move in Extra Vacations. However, Last Call has been a great hit with members and is likely to continue long-term.

Madge,
If it doesn't move in Extra Vacations does it come back to Last Call? What is the cut off date for it to move over to Extra Vacations (2 weeks before checkin, one month before checkin)?
Thanks

 

[ann824]

I have a membership with Interval and RCI. I had let my RCI membership lapse and didn't renew. Then when I realized they had last call, I signed up again for a year and then three more years. I just missed the promotion for the free week. If the last call stays as it is now, I will probably cancel my membership. With the new charge for guest certificates and the reduced inventory in Last call, it's not worth paying the membership fees for two exchange companies.

 

[Vodo]

Vodo,

I always try to answer the oldest posts first.

Last Call pricing is very favorable as many have commented. Because this is a new program, it is being watched closely by our Finance and Inventory Management folks. Adjustments will be made if we see inventory that we think will move in Extra Vacations. However, Last Call has been a great hit with members and is likely to continue long-term.

So, essentially, if RCI can charge us more by moving it to Extra Vacations, we will never see it in Last Call, right? Honestly, it was bad enough that it was all removed from Last Call, but then they doubled what would have been the regular EV price for it and eliminated the free Guest Certificates. That was triple "kick in the gut" to members, and I will be disinclined to renew my membership when it expires unless Last Call is restored to some semblance of its original form.

I'm also doubtful that the whole of what was Last Call inventory will "move" as Extra Vacations, especially at the newly inflated prices.

Cindy

 

[Madge]

How are you going to continue it long term when you don't have anything there????

Aldo,

Last Call and Featured Destinations have units available. Perhaps VEP is an issue for some of the resorts currently available as compared with your home resort. Please send an e-mail to feedback@rci.com and enter TUG in the subject line. The Communications Team can do some checking to see what might be happening.

 

[Madge]

How did hundreds of Orlando weeks that were on Last Call just ten days ago(and other areas too) disappear overnight? Where did they go? Why is that benefit gone?

rickandcindy23,

Our Inventory Management staff reviews Extra Vacations inventory bi-weekly for the following 45-60 days to determine which regions we would like to highlight in Last Call. The regions are chosen based on utilization and total availability.

If an area was featured for a particular span of time, it may not be featured in the next two-week period. If we believe the location will confirm well in Extra Vacations, it may go there next. However, last-minute space may show up again in Featured Destinations if a large supply remains closer to travel.