RCI New Cancellation Policy - Sept 7, 2020

[Papa2015]

From RCI Website:

Travel/Cancel Information
The vast majority of resorts in North America are now in operation and they look forward to welcoming you back on vacation. There are great vacation destinations waiting for you! If your plans change or you are unable to travel we have options for you.

Exchanges booked prior to September 7, 2020

• If your plans change or you need to cancel a reservation booked prior to September 7, 2020, the Trading Power will be returned to you without penalty to book another reservation if cancelled by December 31, 2020.
• For a limited time, RCI is pleased to offer enhanced Trading Power that now covers your exchange fee should you need to cancel. Purchase the enhanced protection before December 31, 2020, and if you are unable to travel, you’ll receive an exchange fee coupon for a future exchange valid for rebooking through March 31, 2021**. Protection always covers your Trading Power when purchased.
• If you already purchased Trading Power or are adding it for your previously confirmed reservation, you’re covered if unable to travel by March 31, 2021**

Exchanges booked on or after September 7, 2020

• If your plans change or you need to cancel a new reservation, the standard RCI cancellation policy would apply if you don’t have Trading Power Protection for that booking.
• For a limited time, you may purchase the enhanced Trading Power before December 31, 2020, and if you are unable to travel, you’ll receive an exchange fee coupon for a future exchange valid for rebooking through March 31, 2021** if you need to cancel. Protection always covers your Trading Power when purchased.

If individual resorts remain closed or are otherwise unavailable for travel, additional cancellation flexibility may continue to be available.

If you have Trading Power expiring and prefer more time to plan or travel, speak to one of our Travel Guides for additional options.

For additional information or to book your next vacation call 1-800-338-7777 (RCI Weeks) - Monday-Friday 8AM-8PM and Saturday 8AM-5PM or chat with us on RCI.com

* Please note that hotel, rental car, resort rental, cruise, and activities cancellation policies are based on the individual provider and are not included in the RCI exchange cancellation policy ** RCI will waive your next exchange fee up to the initial amount paid on your canceled vacation if you have Trading Power for that reservation. Exchange fee coupon valid for rebooking through March 31, 2021 for future travel up to the expiration of the Trading Power used for that transaction

 

[Dorothy]

Is everyone else reading this as.... Pay the $129 "Enhanced" Trading Power Protection fee, and then get your TPU's back in full....PLUS getting a coupon for the your next $239 exchange fee provided you book something by March 31, 2021......even if you will be booking something for traveling later?

So instead of losing the entire $239, you would really only be losing the additional $129 cost of the Protection Fee?
The two TPU's I would lose by cancelling right now, don't bother me as much as the loosing the exchange fee.

Had hoped they would continue the other policy that ended Sept 6, but my December trip to Canada didn't qualify or I would have jumped on that.

 

[tschwa2]

Is everyone else reading this as.... Pay the $129 "Enhanced" Trading Power Protection fee, and then get your TPU's back in full....PLUS getting a coupon for the your next $239 exchange fee provided you book something by March 31, 2021......even if you will be booking something for traveling later?

So instead of losing the entire $239, you would really only be losing the additional $129 cost of the Protection Fee?
The two TPU's I would lose by cancelling right now, don't bother me as much as the loosing the exchange fee.

Had hoped they would continue the other policy that ended Sept 6, but my December trip to Canada didn't qualify or I would have jumped on that.

I would think that would be true if they are offering the enhanced protection for something later than march 31. So I tried by booking something in April and the policy came up as listed $89 vs the normal $64. --
Cancel your vacation at ANY time before check-in, and all the Deposit Trading Power you used for that Exchange vacation will be refunded to your account.
For a limited time, when purchase before December 31, 2020 you'll receive an exchange fee coupon for a future exchange, valid for rebooking through March 31, 2021. Trading Power Protection is not insurance.

 

[DannyTS]

For the short term stays this policy is not good, the cost of the "enhanced trading fee" is about 50% of the cost of the stay (points plus the exchange fee). I am wondering what will happen if the US-Canada border remains closed and we cannot go in October to VT. They mention: "If individual resorts remain closed or are otherwise unavailable for travel, additional cancellation flexibility may continue to be available."

 

[tschwa2]

For the short term stays this policy is not good, the cost of the "enhanced trading fee" is about 50% of the cost of the stay (points plus the exchange fee). I am wondering what will happen if the US-Canada border remains closed and we cannot go in October to VT. They mention: "If individual resorts remain closed or are otherwise unavailable for travel, additional cancellation flexibility may continue to be available."

My guess if you booked before Sept 7 and it is cross boarder they still might be willing to waive or they may not and tell you that you can add the protection or not but regular rules apply if the resort is open. For bookings after Sept 7 I think they will not be waiving with the idea that you booked when you knew covid was a possibility and have or had the ability to book protection so they won't be waiving even cross boarders.

 

[Papa2015]

RCI is closed today.. but this is what is now on our confirmation page of the resort we are booked into on 18 Sept.
.
Highlands Resort At Verde Ridge #8651

Travel Dates:
18-Sep-2020 to 25-Sep-2020
Unit Size:
1 Bedroom
Max Occ/privacy:
4/2
Kitchen:
Full
Protect your Deposit Trading Power with Trading Power Protection.
With Trading Power Protection, if your confirmed RCI Exchange vacation is changed or cancelled for any reason the Deposit Trading Power used for that exchange will be fully restored.
Add Trading Power Protection for just 129.00 USD . Trading Power Protection can be purchased from 01-Jun-2020 to 18-Sep-2020.

So they are offering us this protection right up until the day of check in. We are going to cancel this tomorrow, assuming we will get our $229. exchange fee back (by coupon that can be used until December ) and our DTP, after we pay the Protection fee. So, in essence, we will lose $100. Up until September 6th, My confirmation stated that the cancellation Protection was $104 that would only give me my DTP credits back up until the day of check in. now it's changed to $129 that gives us DTP and fee credit that we can use for an exchange until 3/31/21.

I'll be interested what they say to me tomorrow, as we have another booking in Vegas the week after this one. (We booked it in February before COVID. Doesn't matter, but..) Want to cancel that too...(nothing going on in Vegas) so we'll have to pay two protection fees? Stay tuned....

 

[DannyTS]

My guess if you booked before Sept 7 and it is cross boarder they still might be willing to waive or they may not and tell you that you can add the protection or not but regular rules apply if the resort is open. For bookings after Sept 7 I think they will not be waiving with the idea that you booked when you knew covid was a possibility and have or had the ability to book protection so they won't be waiving even cross boarders.

Yes, I booked it a long time ago.

 

[escanoe]

My bet is that in due time they will start kicking the can down the road on both the 12/31 and 3/31 deadlines. Especially if the blanket policy is now to charge the inflated fees for points/TPU protection moving forward.

 

[Cyberc]

Am I the only one seeing a sort of free way of getting everything RCI charge money for?

as I noted in the previous thread about the same topic RCI Europe offers the same for free.

I’m thinking of moving my address back to Europe that way I can get everything RCI want $129 for.

 

[Dorothy]

Here is what totally bums me out. My two weeks for travel from US to Canada in December were made many months ago. I've been contacting RCI multiple times since July as cross border travel was not going to happen. Since my vacation was not til December, I was told to wait til after the Sept 6th offer expired. My other "local" trip for early this September was covered under the COVID cancellation and they gave me my TPU's and a certificate for the exchange fee for a future exchange for which I am grateful and promptly rebooked something that other members of my family could use. I would have willingly lost the degraded 2 TPU loss per week, if I could have gotten the certificates for the two exchange fees so I could use them in the US. But NOW, by waiting til their new rules came out on the 7th, The trading power protection fee has jumped from $104 to $129 per week. Yes, I would get my two TPU's back per week, but it will end up costing me another $129 x 2, to salvage the $239 x 2 of the original exchange fees. And for those of you who haven't checked out other RCI changes, you may want to look up the NEW RCI Weeks and Points Fee Charts that became effective as of Sept 7, 2020. Since the weeks used to book the Canada trip only have a few weeks left on the original use dates, I also now need to add a combining fee to extend them, so there goes another $231 investment.

 

[bnoble]

My two weeks for travel from US to Canada in December were made many months ago

I'd wait until we get closer to the date and see what happens. It is possible (though maybe not likely) that travel across the US/Canadian border will be possible by then. If it is not, it is possible that RCI will make an exception. If you confirmed the exchange before early- to mid-March of 2020, your chances might be even better; if you made plans after travel was disrupted I can imagine that RCI might be feeling less generous.

Either way, there is no reason to make a decision now; I think you have time to add protection and/or decide what you want to do.

 

[dsmrp]

What annoys me is with HGVC points, the points protection was $59, and could be purchased up to 1 day before check-in. It did not cover exchange fee. I called 2 weeks ago, and that's what they told me for my 2 exchange weeks to Mexico in December.

Now as of Sept 7, they no longer sell points protection on exchanges made prior to Sept 7. But any exchanges Sept 7 onward can buy protection which includes the exchange fee now.

Supposedly all the RCI CSRs weren't notified of the change until September 6.

Today's CSR indicated this is the policy related to COVID, until March 2021. If air travel to Mexico was banned or a Mexican quarantine initiated then RCI would have to credit exchange fee. But otherwise I'll just have to eat 2 exch fees when I cancel. I'm waiting until late October.

 

[Papa2015]

My husband called on Tuesday, Sept. 8th, and requested to cancel our consecutive exchanges to Las Vegas and Sedona on September 18th and 25th. He explained to the agent that this trip was booked before COVID in February, 2020. No problem, he credited our full exchange fees and credits. Need to rebook by 3/31/21. From what we read and what I posted on the 7th, this seemed to contradict the new policy. Maybe because we booked before COVID?

 

[gnorth16]

Vegas next week - cancelled
Two weeks in Cancun in December - cancelled
Next Xmas in Cayman islands - cancelled, not due to covid, but cause my kids didn't want to travel at Xmas anymore.

Used the protection two of the weeks cause i'll book something with the 104 TPU I have left remaining in my account. So my next two exchanges are paid for. May have to extend or combine those deposits as they give you back the same expiration dates as what you deposited.

Still have March in Cabo (fingers crossed, i'll cancel by end of December cause their policy is good) and two weeks in Hawaii for October 2021. I have grown to dislike RCI, but I will say that they have done members a solid by keeping up with their covid policy.

Canada is a jail right now - 14 day mandatory self-isolation upon international travel - even with a negative test. It's not the travel I have a problem with, its the two weeks of additional vacation I have to take to sit at home upon my return!

 

[moonstone]

Canada is a jail right now - 14 day mandatory self-isolation upon international travel - even with a negative test. It's not the travel I have a problem with, its the two weeks of additional vacation I have to take to sit at home upon my return!

Yes, that is a big problem for many. Our DD really wants to go somewhere (preferably warm but COVID free) and has 5 weeks of vacation to use by the end of the year but doesn't want to use 2 of them sitting at home in quarantine after a vacation. One of her co-workers got married 2 weeks ago in Toronto (with a small family gathering) and the boss told him he needed to quarantine for 2 weeks after being with so many people and in Toronto. We are 2 hrs north of Toronto and have very few cases in the area. Luckily he can do most of his work at home on the computer but he didn't really want to take 2 weeks off just to sit at home. He & his bride are planning a Caribbean honeymoon later this winter if the virus permits.


~Diane

 

[moonstone]

I called to cancel our Points exchange soon after the formal announcement was made to extend the Canada - US border closure to Oct.21st. this afternoon. We had booked a 10 night stay in VA beginning Sept.26th last April, foolishly thinking the virus would be over by now. I got a very nice rep and she said all the points would be returned to our account and a credit for the exchange fee would be added to our account for the next exchange. I did not need to pay any Points Protection Fee which we were happy about. Now to see if we can use all the points we are left with by their expiry next May. I hate paying to extend them and I doubt RCI will be extending anybody's use year by even 6 months, even though we couldn't go anywhere to use the points.

~Diane

 

[Krteczech]

I just cancelled April 2021 extra vacation week at Costa Rica. RCI kept $111 of the price I paid and returned the balance. I have until 3/31/2021 to use $111 credit on my next booking. They didn’t allow to use this credit to pay for my membership.

 

[Judy]

Before I throw another $129 down the rat hole, please tell me whether I understand RCI's cancellation policy correctly. In February 2020, I confirmed a unit in Bonaire for December 5, 2020. We can't go because Bonaire won't let us in. I used TPU's from a July 2020 unit for the exchange. I think:
If I cancel, I get my TPU's back.
If I buy Trading Power Protection and then cancel, I get my TPU's back and I'll have until March 31, 2021 to book another exchange. That exchange could be anytime before July 2022.

Is that correct?

 

[tschwa2]

Before I throw another $129 down the rat hole, please tell me whether I understand RCI's cancellation policy correctly. In February 2020, I confirmed a unit in Bonaire for December 5, 2020. We can't go because Bonaire won't let us in. I used TPU's from a July 2020 unit for the exchange. I think:
If I cancel, I get my TPU's back.
If I buy Trading Power Protection and then cancel, I get my TPU's back and I'll have until March 31, 2021 to book another exchange. That exchange could be anytime before July 2022.

Is that correct?

Normally you wouldn't get all of your tpu's back. It would be a % of the number you used based on when you cancel. They may give it all back to you if Bonaire is closed to travel, but that would be something you would have to call and get an exception. Normally I would think it would be maybe 50% of your tpu's if that.

Your understanding of the enhanced trading power is correct with the caveat that it wouldn't extend the expiration of the tpu's. If the tpu's you used would expire before july 2022 or when you want to travel, you would have to pay to combine (with an extension) or pay the extension fee. It looks like your tpu's would go until July 2022. Technically you could use the coupon for the exchange fee for travel for March 2023 but you would have to extend the tpu's or use different tpu's. The coupon isn't attached to those tpu's so if you have others you can use the exchange fee coupon for any exchange you make until March 31,2021.

 

[Judy]

Can we use the coupon for an ongoing search?

 

[elaine]

When your search matches you can call and ask them to apply the coupon.

 

[tschwa2]

As long as it is before the coupon expiration date.
If they ask you to prepay the exchange to start the ongoing search, I would use chat to see if they could start the seach for free since you have the coupon.

 

[longnoury]

Just got the shaft from money grabbing RCI again. Canadians are in a lockdown and advised not to travel beyond the grocery store, Have to get COVID tests before and after your flight at $200 a pop. According to RCI it's business as usual. So I Lost 2 exchange fees for Puerto Rico and got my points back that still expire in March. Offered the wonderful insurance for $190 a week so I could get a $330 exchange credit. These guys are worse than the mob.

 

[Cyberc]

Just got the shaft from money grabbing RCI again. Canadians are in a lockdown and advised not to travel beyond the grocery store, Have to get COVID tests before and after your flight at $200 a pop. According to RCI it's business as usual. So I Lost 2 exchange fees for Puerto Rico and got my points back that still expire in March. Offered the wonderful insurance for $190 a week so I could get a $330 exchange credit. These guys are worse than the mob.

the RCI policy is sort of different from country to country. I had my RCI account with a US address, then with all these new temporary policy changes I could see this going the wrong way for all the exchange fees I have paid and the ability to use them.

I therefore decided to my account to RCI Europe there the policy is a bit looser not by much. I get to use my credit until until end of February if not I will be hit by the new policies. I have more than $1K in exchange credits which I plan not to lose.

 

[moonstone]

Just got the shaft from money grabbing RCI again. Canadians are in a lockdown and advised not to travel beyond the grocery store, Have to get COVID tests before and after your flight at $200 a pop. According to RCI it's business as usual. So I Lost 2 exchange fees for Puerto Rico and got my points back that still expire in March. Offered the wonderful insurance for $190 a week so I could get a $330 exchange credit. These guys are worse than the mob.

We are very happy with RCI this year. I complained long, loud and often to RCI about being unable to use our points this year due to the gov't closure of the US-Can border. I complained to every rep I talked to on the phone, on the on-line chat, the feedback and the email on their 'contact us'. We had to cancel one of our vacations just 4 days before check-in due to the border closure extension. I told them it wasn't our decision not to travel, but rather we were legally not allowed to. Finally on Dec.12th we got a phone call (mesg. on our machine) with a follow up email from an RCI Customer Care specialist. He said " Special consideration is being given to Canadian members due to the border situation". He went on to say "RCI is in survival mode as we have been in negative cash flow since March, but we are trying to assist our members in accord with their situation and at the same time not go out of business as many have. That would not serve the best interests of our members, employees or resort affiliates. " He then said RCI was extending our points use year by an additional year (they were to expire this May) as well as adding an additional year to our RCI membership all at no charge (& with us not having points protection insurance).

So now we have all of last year's point to use, all of this years, as well as our own deeded week from last year that we were able to space bank, with full TPU value restored, less than 2 weeks before check-in. Let's hope the vaccination program ramps up so it's safe to travel again soon!


~Diane