RCI POINTS cleaning fees for 7 night stays

[DannyTS]

Through my RCI points contract I booked a 7 night vacation from the RCI weeks inventory . If I understand correctly, I do not have to pay for the cleaning fee. The disclaimer said that the RCI points reservations do pay the fee. The chat with RCI confirms that I would not, please see below. Can anyone tell me if this is what they experienced?

Me (11/21/2020, 11:12:11 AM): In the disclaimer for booking that resort, they mention a cleaning fee just for the RCI POINTS reservation. Since I paid for an RCI weeks unit I should not pay for the cleaning fee when I check in at the resort, right?
Angelin F. (11/21/2020, 11:13:48 AM): Yes, that is correct. Thank you for conveying your question with more detail.
Me (11/21/2020, 11:14:27 AM): so no cleaning fee. Will the resort be aware of that?
Angelin F. (11/21/2020, 11:16:50 AM): Yes, they will be aware since you booked the entire week.
Me (11/21/2020, 11:17:36 AM): Ok but I could have booked an entire week even if it was the RCI Points inventory
Me (11/21/2020, 11:19:50 AM): does it mean that the cleaning fee only applies for less than one week bookings?
Angelin F. (11/21/2020, 11:22:54 AM): Yes, very rarely resorts will charge for 7 night stay cleaning fees but mainly they charge for locations booked less than 7 nights.
Me (11/21/2020, 11:25:13 AM): in that case RCI should change the disclaimer and clarify that the fees are just for the RCI points stays for less than 7 nights.

 

[montygz]

When you look to book a resort, the fees should be spelled out under the "urgent info" tab.

Resorts decide what junk fees they want to tack on to exchanges, not RCI.

Sometimes the resort may have changed fees and not updated the "urgent info" so I would be good to print that out.

 

[tschwa2]

In addition to the fewer than 7 days, many resorts charge the extra fee if your 7 days or 7 + days are not during traditional check in, check out days. So if you book a -Wednesday not only may you have to change room mid trip you may have to pay an additional HK charge- chances near 100% if you move and probably above 50% even if you stay in the same unit. I think there are just more chances that a resort will charge a HK fee with a points reservation so it is better to keep the warning in the advisements.

I have stayed in a Virginia Beach Resort Sat-Sat where apparently it was points inventory that was actually the Sat-Sun part pf a Fri-Fri reservation and then a Sat from another week. We were charged the $64 cleaning fee and told that they would call us by Wed if we had to move. I asked if we would be refunded the $64 if we did not have to move and was told no. That was about 6 years ago.

 

[DannyTS]

The way I see it, my contractual relationship is with RCI not with the resort. I do not think it is unreasonable to know in advance what fees I am going to be charged at the resort.
The issue here is the inventory is RCI weeks so I paid a higher exchange fee to RCI (365 CAD vs a normal RCI points exchange fee of 283 CAD). Because it is an RCI weeks reservation I should not pay the cleaning fee. RCI kind of confirms it but I am not sure it will happen this way 100%

 

[AwayWeGo]

We have not paid any cleaning fees for a 7-night reservation via RCI points (straight points, Last Call, Extra Vacation, etc., mox nix.)

That goes for a Tuesday-to-Tuesday reservation 1 time at Grandview At Las Vegas, same as Friday-to-Friday & Saturday-to-Saturday & Sunday-to-Sunday reservations at Grandview & at timeshares in other locations.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[tschwa2]

It is very unusual to have to pay a cleaning fee when exchanging through weeks inventory for 7 nights and for the most part I would expect it to be noted in RCI if that is not the case.

I think your contractual agreement is for the exchange and rci tries to note any fees required by the resort but if the resort charges something not noted, I doubt rci would refund it or force the resort to take it back.

RCI has no problems encouraging resorts and HOA's from charging additional fees whether they call it resort fees, amenity fees, cleaning fees or what have you. I believe they do encourage the resort to notify RCI of the fees so they can list them.

 

[elaine]

never paid a cleaning fee for 7 night stay on RCI points.

 

[DannyTS]

It is very unusual to have to pay a cleaning fee when exchanging through weeks inventory for 7 nights and for the most part I would expect it to be noted in RCI if that is not the case.

I think your contractual agreement is for the exchange and rci tries to note any fees required by the resort but if the resort charges something not noted, I doubt rci would refund it or force the resort to take it back.

RCI has no problems encouraging resorts and HOA's from charging additional fees whether they call it resort fees, amenity fees, cleaning fees or what have you. I believe they do encourage the resort to notify RCI of the fees so they can list them.

I agree with what you said. Just that for the same reservation from the Weeks inventory, an RCI points member should not pay a different fee than an RCI weeks member. I did pay a higher exchange fee (RCI week inventory vs points) so I would expect not only the same higher exchange fee but also the same treatment when it comes to the cleaning fee.
Yet, there is nowhere on the reservation that mentions it is from the Weeks inventory. To the contrary, it mentions the points spent so it would be easy for a front desk person to argue that I should pay a fee. I am not saying it will happen (and I hope it won't).

 

[DannyTS]

never paid a cleaning fee for 7 night stay on RCI points.

even from the Points inventory? It actually makes sense since the cleaning fee is probably meant for costs that are not already covered by the maintenance fees.

 

[tschwa2]

The fact that you paid the higher exchange fee means it was weeks inventory. Weeks inventory is always in the same unit. They won't see how much you paid but they can tell it was weeks inventory. They can't even tell on your side if you booked with points or weeks or used USD or Canadian Dollars to pay the fee.

 

[montygz]

I'll add that I have never been charged a cleaning fee for a 7-night points stay, but have been charged for shorter stay. Sometimes you are better off just taking a week if you are trying to avoid paying fees.

Also, check out the fees in the urgent info before you book! Sometimes you way want to select a different resort because of the fees.

 

[sfwilshire]

Some of my points reservations have mentioned a cleaning fee for a 7-night stay in the urgent information, but I have never paid one. I have paid the indicated fees for shorter stays.

Sheila

 

[moonstone]

We have also never been charged a cleaning fee for a 7 night points stay, which is the shortest stay I've ever booked. We often book 10-12 night point stays (for the same exchange fee as a 7 night stay) and have never been charged a cleaning fee for those either.

~Diane

 

[Synergy]

I hate the wording of the boilerplate urgent info as well - it gives me no leg to stand on if the resort decides I owe the fee. I would always balk if the fee were charged on a weeks reservation, and would put up a bit of a fuss if it were a 7 night points reservation between normal checkin days. I can understand the argument that a (for example) Tuesday through Tuesday reservation requires a fee, amd would only express my displeasure - including on here and in reviews. I mostly wish the phrasing were more specific - it seems most resorts only charge this for short stays, and it would be nice if that were codified in the written policies. I don't have a problem with well disclosed fees, I just include them in my mental math when comparing properties.

 

[escanoe]

Some resorts are consistent in charging cleaning fees. However, in my experience many are not. Outside of my Massanutten trips, it seems like I only pay cleaning fees 50% of the time or less when RCI lists them as applying. I would list the resorts here that consistently do not charge, but I don’t want to bring it to their attention. At the ones that consistently charge it, I often book 7 days if the point level is low and the cleaning fee is high.