NOTHING about COVID-19 on RCI or II?

[bankr63]

We are leaving for the US tomorrow from Canada for a stay in HHI. I was surprised this morning the neither RCI or II have ANY statements visible on their sites about the (now) pandemic. With the travel restrictions announced yesterday by POTUS, there must be hundreds of Europeans who can no longer make their reserved exchanges. I know that there isn't much that the exchange companies are likely to do, but really, at least SAY something. Heck, Starbucks sends me an email every few hours with an update on the their response.

ETA: Actually, II is pushing European vacations in some of the hardest hit countries on me. THAT seems a little tone deaf.

 

[kanerf]

I sent RCI an email about that this morning as I have a trip to Williamsburg in a few weeks that I am thinking about cancelling. They just shutdown the capitol for tours until June.

 

[osloboso]

I sent RCI an email about that this morning as I have a trip to Williamsburg in a few weeks that I am thinking about cancelling. They just shutdown the capitol for tours until June.

This is the response I got in a chat with RCI today: ):We understand that members are concerned about the status of their vacation time and we are monitoring the situation closely. Currently, we are focused on our members who are scheduled to check in between now and April 5, 2020, for both domestic and international travel.

 

[PamMo]

​

Dear Valued Member: Your safety is important to us and so are your vacations. As the new coronavirus rapidly evolves, Interval is working to meet the needs of our members, affiliated resorts, and associates. We appreciate all of the feedback we have received and want to take this opportunity to provide an update. If you have purchased travel insurance for your upcoming vacation, please contact Allianz Insurance directly at 1-800-419-7642 to discuss your coverage and claim options. If you have not purchased travel insurance, or if your reason for cancellation is not covered by insurance, please read below for temporary adjustments that we have made to our cancellation policies to provide you with peace of mind during this unprecedented time. We will continue to monitor the situation and will make any necessary changes based on the circumstances. EXCHANGES: For all exchanges with check-in dates through April 30, 2020, members may change their destination and/or travel date without incurring an additional exchange fee. Travel must be completed by December 31, 2020. If you prefer more time to travel, we can provide you with our standard fee-based replacement-week certificate, which is good for one year. For all exchanges with a check-in date after April 30, 2020, our standard exchange cancellation policies apply. We commit that we will continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments as necessary. Members who make exchanges between March 14, 2020, and April 30, 2020, will have the option to retrade to another available destination and/or date if your plans change — without incurring an additional exchange fee. GETAWAYS: For Getaways cancelled with check-in dates through April 30, 2020, you will have the option to apply the amount paid toward a future Getaway. If you are unable to identify your travel destination/date at the time of cancellation, you will be provided with a no-fee replacement-week certificate for which travel must be completed by December 31, 2020. For any cancellation of a Getaway that is booked between March 14, 2020, and April 30, 2020, you will have the option to apply the amount paid toward a future Getaway. CRUISES: Members who book a cruise through Interval Travel will follow the policies of each individual cruise line. Please call Interval Travel, and we will inform you of your options and facilitate your cancellation for you. In order to better serve you, we will open our Member-Services Center on Sunday, March 15, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Please recognize that our call volume is very high right now, so if you do not have travel plans within the next 30 days, please wait before contacting us. We also encourage you to visit Community on intervalworld.com to communicate with your fellow members and stay abreast of any future policy updates. We value your membership and appreciate your patience and understanding. We are committed to supporting you in this time of uncertainty — and providing you with wonderful vacation memories in the future. Warm Regards, Jeanette Marbert President, Interval International

 

[pedro47]

I also received the above email from II.

 

[DayTraveler]

We were told if you book with RCI and cancel beyond the 24 hour window due to the Covid-19 issue they will refund your money excluding $350 which will be placed as a credit and must be used by June, 2020.

 

[Luanne]

There is information on the RCI website. It doesn't specifically say because of COVID-19, but a link is there.

Travel/Cancel Information

RCI is committed to providing you flexibility at this uncertain time. Please see adjustments to our current cancel policy as you consider how to proceed with your travel plans:
You may cancel confirmed points and weeks reservations that have a check-in date up to 30 days in advance by chatting, speaking with a vacation guide or filling out the cancel form and receive an exchange fee credit for a future reservation. The exchange fee credit will be valid for 3 months from your cancellation date to rebook a new reservation. Your travel may occur after this time, but must be within the expiration of either your deposited week or RCI Points originally used. Please note that hotel, rental car, cruise, and activities cancel policies are based on the individual provider and are not included in the RCI exchange cancel policy adjustments.

We’re committed to supporting as many of our members as quickly as possible during this unprecedented time and are experiencing very high wait times. If your reservation is within the next 30 days and you are not ready to rebook your vacation please click here to fill out a cancellation request. If you would like to cancel and rebook call 1-800-338-7777 (RCI Weeks), 1-877-968-7476 (RCI Points)- Monday-Friday 8AM-8PM and Saturday 8AM-5PM or chat with us on RCI.com If your travel is greater than 30 days away, please check RCI.com for future updates.

In this is a time of uncertainty we encourage you to review all advisories and recommended guidelines before you travel.

 

[bankr63]

Yes, there is some information there, but both seemed pretty slow to the plate. We did depart as planned on the 13th, returning to Canada on the 22nd. We are now self-isolation for another 10 days. The information on RCI didn't appear until mid-way through our stay.

Also, the wording of the RCI posting is confusing. I "think" they mean that if you are cancelling 30 days or LESS in advance, but wording it as "up to 30 days in advance" would indicate that you are NOT covered from day 29 through day 1.

 

[Luanne]

I learned the hard way that if you want to cancel your RCI booking due to COVID-19 you need to call them. I cancelled online and then when I didn't see a credit for the exchange fee I called. I called on a Saturday and the rep I talked to couldn't really help me. She told me to email Customer Service, which I did. But then I called on Monday and the rep I talked to then was able to straighten it out for me. I ended up cancelling and re-booking.