RCI Exchange fee, it was $50 in FEB now it's showing $299

[Chris-ATX]

I searched the forum, but didn't see what I was searching for...

We wanted to go to Nashville to visit our son and saw we could do a 3 day and a 5 day RCI exchange into some hotels there (e.g., Fairmont). While I was looking last week, the RCI exchange fee was $50. When I look today, the exchange fee is now $299. What gives?

For reference, I'm getting to RCI through the HGVC portal.

When the exchange fee was only $50 and the 3 nights were only 999 points, this seemed like a decent trade (5 nights were only 1500 points). But with the $299 exchange fee, this doesn't really pencil out.

Was there a special going on in FEB that I just didn't know?

 

[tschwa2]

The regular exchange fee is $299 for weeks inventory. Anything that is listed with either 3 or 5 nights in the resort name is weeks inventory. I don't know of any specials that were going on but sometimes I stumble upon them and when you do you need to jump on them or at least try to look up the promotion to see when it will be ending.

 

[dioxide45]

As this is a hotel, this must be some kind of Exchange Plus where you use points and pay a higher exchenge fee. This isn’t timeshare inventory. Just another way that they rent it travel agent bookings.

 

[escanoe]

As this is a hotel, this must be some kind of Exchange Plus where you use points and pay a higher exchenge fee. This isn’t timeshare inventory. Just another way that they rent it travel agent bookings.

While not timeshare inventory, that is the regular exchange fee.

They have figured out a way to dress these rentals up as exchanges and not pay sales tax.

 

[dioxide45]

While not timeshare inventory, that is the regular exchange fee.

They have figured out a way to dress these rentals up as exchanges and not pay sales tax.

Perhaps the fee just looks like a regular exchange fee due to the amount and it only being three nights? It could still be Exchange Plus. It would be good to see the breakdown of the $299. But it isn’t expanded to show that in the screenshot.

 

[tschwa2]

As this is a hotel, this must be some kind of Exchange Plus where you use points and pay a higher exchenge fee. This isn’t timeshare inventory. Just another way that they rent it travel agent bookings.

RCI sometimes puts the 3 day hotel inventory as regular exchanges. I see this with Great wolf Lodges. 3 days for the regular exchange price but the 5 and 7 are usually listed at exchange plus for $599-$1499. You also have to look because they often have resort fees too. Since they are put in as a regular exchange any promotional discounts on regular exchanges would also apply to these.

Not all 3 day stays at these hotel/resorts are regular exchanges. They could be exchange plus or they could be regular.

 

[Chris-ATX]

Thanks everyone.

My process was:
1. go to RCI from HGVC
2. select "exchange" and enter location (in this case Nashville)
3. I'd select the 3 night hotel option and look at dates
4. I'd pick my date and it said $50 RCI fee, no other fees or anything like that, and then also indicate the point cost
5. I wasn't able to nail a date down (busy life sometimes) so was just waiting to see if I could get things organized, I wasn't expecting the $50 to change...

Anyway, guess I'll keep just watching and seeing if I can recreate the $50 fee and jump on it sometime. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me what changed.... but I certainly like the $50 fee better!

 

[dioxide45]

Thanks everyone.

My process was:
1. go to RCI from HGVC
2. select "exchange" and enter location (in this case Nashville)
3. I'd select the 3 night hotel option and look at dates
4. I'd pick my date and it said $50 RCI fee, no other fees or anything like that, and then also indicate the point cost
5. I wasn't able to nail a date down (busy life sometimes) so was just waiting to see if I could get things organized, I wasn't expecting the $50 to change...

Anyway, guess I'll keep just watching and seeing if I can recreate the $50 fee and jump on it sometime. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me what changed.... but I certainly like the $50 fee better!

The $50 fee was some kind of promotion that had an end date.

 

[Chris-ATX]

The $50 fee was some kind of promotion that had an end date.

Thanks. I (now) figured that. will have to watch for a future special I guess! Wish I had known (and made some reservations!)

 

[tschwa2]

Thanks. I (now) figured that. will have to watch for a future special I guess! Wish I had known (and made some reservations!)

$50 was a glitch or a crazy low promotion. I think the chance of your exchange being lower than $100 in the next 12 months is less than 5%. Most promotions won't bring in down more than $100 which would be $199. Many promotions are something like $30-$50 off only or no discount off the exchange fee but a reduction on the number of points.