RCI Search

[DEROS]

Ok. I am leaning towards doing a RCI search. Have a question that is really not answered in the user manual or the website.

If I cancel a RCI search; do I get my points back? I would assume yes.

My plan was to do a RCI search up to a certain date. Cancel if they don't find anything and use the points to get a hotel room instead.

 

[Talent312]

Ok. I am leaning towards doing a RCI search. Have a question that is really not answered in the user manual or the website.

If I cancel a RCI search; do I get my points back? I would assume yes. My plan was to do a RCI search up to a certain date. Cancel if they don't find anything and use the points to get a hotel room instead.

You pay the search-fee upfront, but your points are taken only if you confirm a booking. The CS Rep will discuss your chances of success, even B4 the search-fee is paid, i.e. "I've been here for five years and never seen a unit available there." In lieu of booking a hotel room, you might consider renting a unit or apartment thru TUG or www.vrbo.co, www.redweek.com or the like.

 

[Sandy VDH]

You also get your upfront fee back if no match is made. You also get your points back, provided they are from a current or future use year and NOT a past use year.

I had this situation occur. I booked a Manhattan Club in 2007 for a 2008 exchange. Some of the points were 2007 and some were 2008 points. When I had to cancel my reservation in 2008, my 2008 points were returned to my account but my 2007 could not be returned because they were from a past year. What happens then is those points sit waiting for me to make a booking in RCI. You have 2 years from the end of the use year the points are from to make an RCI booking. So my 2007 points would expire the end of 2009. So this year I make a booking for Manhattan Club and used my 2007 and 2008 points for a booking a stay in 2009.

 

[GTLINZ]

I put in a search for the Keys in 2005 and accepted/confirmed a reservation for early 2007. I had to cancel later when I had found out a few months ahead that I had a conflict. My points were expired within HGVC but still valid within RCI for two years from the initial 2005 deposit. I put in another search, paid another fee and did end up going to the Keys in late 2007.

RCI is a nice way to save your points. In effect, I did not get them back because they could not go back but I did keep them alive. In fact, I originally bought in late 2005 and put them into RCI to keep from losing them. I did end up paying 2 reservation fees so I lost the original fee (was $149 at the time).