NEWBIE!! RCI Help

[machatuanis]

Hello,

I have recently started managing my family's timeshare. We have a week at Vistana in Orlando that is managed (not sure if that is the term) with RCI. We have been paying and not using these much for a long long long time. I'm hoping to change that.

We currently have 102,000 RCI points. But they are hard to use. I never find anything available in their system for where and when I want to go.

I first wanted to ask if I'm stuck with RCI? Is this the best company? I'm really not sure how any of this timeshare stuff works.

Thanks! I'll be reading the threads and getting educated on this stuff but I would love any tips or tricks you have and any other special info I should be aware of to avoid pending money unwisely.

 

[WinniWoman]

I am not a points owner, but if you own RCI points you really are stuck using RCI. They have the most inventory anyway. For your deeded week at Vistana, if you want to go there that week, you need to book your ownership week a year ahead of time- not sure if it is 13 months or 10 months ahead- something like that. I am sure someone else will chime in.

The main thing to know is if you want to go to your own resort for your ownership week, or trade to go somewhere else, you have to make plans way in advance- a year or more ahead of time. To trade you need to have enough points deposited for the resort time you want. If you book your own resort week, there is no exchange fee, but there is a fee (over $200 I believe) when you trade to go elsewhere. There also could be a cleaning fee or another resort fee when you trade depending on the resort

 

[Jan M.]

I am a points owner and WOW you can do a whole lot with 102,000 points! It is even possible to sell and transfer some or all of your points to another owner. As a points owner I pay the extra $171 for 3 years as that was the best deal vs paying one year at a time for the platinum benefits. Those benefits give you free searches and among other things longer to use your points. You can set up searches to help you find reservations you would like or need. I saw on another thread where someone got a 6 months platinum membership to "try out" the benefits for something like $34. A search is $49, I think, if you aren't platinum but free if you are. And you can set up more than one search. If you are having trouble setting one up just call in they will help you do it so you know how to do it on your own in the future.

It will cost you $230 for each week you get, it is the exchange/booking fee. I've never paid a cleaning fee but sometimes resorts have amenities fees and that shows up when you begin confirming a reservation or you can see it by clicking on fees, the last box on the right when you are looking at the resort details.

Paying the RCI membership fee for the maximum of three years gets you the best price. It is currently $124 a year but three years is $327 which comes out to $109 a year. And don't forget to look over those platinum benefits. I make good use of them.

I can truly appreciate your situation as about 6 years ago I had points I had to use or lose for the second time. I finally made myself buckle down and really learn how to use the RCI website and system. Since then we have had so many wonderful vacations with our RCI points. Our 5 year old granddaughter is here visiting for a couple of weeks and then I will be taking her home and staying for a few days. If you want to learn what you can in the meantime, make note of your questions, you can call me after May 22 and I will have lots of fee time to talk to you and walk you through how to do things. Just click on my TUG member name to start a conversation with me and I give you my phone number.

 

[moonstone]

I recently found out that if I have enough points to book a 14 day stay at a resort then RCI will only charge me 1 exchange fee even though we are staying 2 weeks. I had previously thought there was an exchange fee for each week. I guess I need to get my brain out of the RCI Weeks system & more into their Points system!


~Diane

 

[ronandjoan]

Hello,

I have recently started managing my family's timeshare. We have a week at Vistana in Orlando that is managed (not sure if that is the term) with RCI. We have been paying and not using these much for a long long long time. I'm hoping to change that.



Thanks! I'll be reading the threads and getting educated on this stuff but I would love any tips or tricks you have and any other special info I should be aware of to avoid pending money unwisely.

Congratulations for picking up the neglected job of timesharing for your family. That's wonderful and you will be able to enjoy many great vacations. When we first bought, I had no idea what to do but TUG helped so much and I would certainly take Jan up on her offer to help you work through it. Good luck!!

 

[machatuanis]

Hi!

thanks for all the advice! I will certainly take Jan up on her offer! I'll be in touch around the 22 if that is still ok.

I do have a question since I did my first booking today. A screen grab is attached here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/769koxo3dvjkuiy/NANA.tiff?dl=0

First they faced me to pay $124 for a year renewal since its a near new year booking.. that is just annoying.
Im not sure what the difference is between the $119 of fees and $115 for point extend? are these for every booking to use the points or is the points extend like the year renewal that its just to do this year end booking.

The last question is I didn't add the guest certificate. is this necessary? its another $49. I ask since the person going is not the person named on the RCI account.

Thanks again for all the help!

 

[bizaro86]

A Vistana week is not stuck with RCI points. You could remove the unit from RCI points and either use it only at the resort or trade with Interval International

II is cheaper than RCI, has less inventory overall, and is usually considered to have higher quality inventory. In II you should get a preference for other Vistana (Sheraton and Westin) resorts. That has been hit and miss lately, and very few 2 bedrooms are deposited. This is potentially a problem, as II trades on a "week for a week" basis, so you get one week somewhere else for your week, whereas 102k RCI points almost certainly is worth more than a week.

The big disadvantage to switching is that it's permanent. You can't change your mind and go back to RCI points later.

 

[HudsHut]

Hi!

thanks for all the advice! I will certainly take Jan up on her offer! I'll be in touch around the 22 if that is still ok.

I do have a question since I did my first booking today. A screen grab is attached here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/769koxo3dvjkuiy/NANA.tiff?dl=0

First they faced me to pay $124 for a year renewal since its a near new year booking.. that is just annoying.
Im not sure what the difference is between the $119 of fees and $115 for point extend? are these for every booking to use the points or is the points extend like the year renewal that its just to do this year end booking.

The last question is I didn't add the guest certificate. is this necessary? its another $49. I ask since the person going is not the person named on the RCI account.

Thanks again for all the help!

Hi, and welcome to TUG.

You have to be a current member of RCI, so there's the annual fee.
You have to pay to make the exchange, so that's the exchange fee.
You have the "extend fee" because the points have accumulated over time, and are nearing the end of their term. Once you get to using the points regularly, you won't have to extend.

Please let us know where and when you wish to make a reservation; people help each other out in the Sightings section. You post what you need, and anyone who sees it can call/email/message you when it pops up.
Before you renew again next year, call RCI and ask if there is a discount for multiple year renewal.

 

[sfwilshire]

A Vistana week is not stuck with RCI points. You could remove the unit from RCI points and either use it only at the resort or trade with Interval International

II is cheaper than RCI, has less inventory overall, and is usually considered to have higher quality inventory. In II you should get a preference for other Vistana (Sheraton and Westin) resorts. That has been hit and miss lately, and very few 2 bedrooms are deposited. This is potentially a problem, as II trades on a "week for a week" basis, so you get one week somewhere else for your week, whereas 102k RCI points almost certainly is worth more than a week.

The big disadvantage to switching is that it's permanent. You can't change your mind and go back to RCI points later.

Anyone have any info on how you remove Vistana out of RCI Points? I have two weeks enrolled and thought it would be easy to remove at least one of them, but when I ask RCI, they said I had to contact Vistana. Kind of odd since I only contacted RCI when I joined points. I haven't had time to reach out to the resort.

Thanks, Sheila

 

[dominidude]

Anyone have any info on how you remove Vistana out of RCI Points? I have two weeks enrolled and thought it would be easy to remove at least one of them, but when I ask RCI, they said I had to contact Vistana. Kind of odd since I only contacted RCI when I joined points. I haven't had time to reach out to the resort.

Thanks, Sheila

Hello Sheila,
My understanding is that if you stop paying your RCI account, your week will stop being enrolled in RCI points. That means that you will have to call your resort to ask them to reserve your week. If you let your RCI account expire, when you call Vistana, you will need to tell them that you do not have RCI, so that your resort stops asking you to call RCI. Any points in the RCI account when the RCI account expires will also expire.

 

[sfwilshire]

Thanks for the info, but I'm not interested in giving up my account, just pulling out one of my weeks. I have trouble using all of my points and I would rather at least one of them be back in RCI Weeks.

Sheila