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RCI Upgrade or Resort Change Option only applies to owner-deposited weeks?

donnaval

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I have an upgrade/change request attached to my upcoming reservation and lo and behold when I look online the exact resort change I want is sitting there waiting to be booked. I tried different things to get it to attach to my upgrade request (such as pretending to book it and taking it out of the system for a few minutes) without success. Got onto a chat and the CS rep tells me that the upgrade/request will only work if the unit showing on the site has been deposited by an owner, and in this case apparently the resort deposited the unit. Has anyone else run into this situation? She said she was unable to override the restriction.
 

tschwa2

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A few in S and VA, a single resort in NC, MD, PA, and UT, plus Jamaica and the Bahamas
My understanding is the upgrade request check runs once a day and you just have to wait until that happens. The guides can't do it. So depending on when it becomes available during the day it has to sit untaken for several hours. Of course it has to be between 2 or 3 and up to 14 days. It has to be an exchange deposit (not an extra vacation). I am not sure about points inventory I would hope so but who knows.
 

donnaval

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Yes this particular unit meets all those criteria - it's been sitting there since yesterday afternoon, and check-in is on Saturday. It is available as a weeks resort and most likely on points too but I didn't look there since my upgrade/change request was on a weeks resort. Oh well, just another little wrinkle from RCI.
 

tschwa2

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Hopefully it will match tonight. It is hard to say whether removing the resort from your upgrade request and then putting it back on would help or put you further down the line but since it didn't go to anyone else either, I might be tempted to do so, like hanging up when you feel like you are on a terminal hold and trying with a new call.
 

Jan M.

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Wyndham Presidential Reserve at Panama City Beach
Club Wyndham Access
Grandview Las Vegas and Discovery Beach Resort - Both in RCI Points
Woodstone and Summit at Massanutten - Both in RCI weeks used as Wyndham PICs
I'm not sure how to phrase it but from my own experience some resorts just don't have the necessary oomph to qualify for the good upgrades.

Once I suspected this I tested my theory. Like the OP there was a resort I was really hoping my reservation would upgrade to but it wasn't happening. So I booked a reservation at a resort I knew I'd gotten to upgrade several times in the past. Sure enough it upgraded within a few hours. I cancelled that upgraded reservation because I already a had reservation. The next time I had occasion to call in I asked the rep a few questions about upgrades.

Something I've noticed recently on the RCI website is that it now tells me that my reservation won't upgrade to some resorts when I select them.
 

escanoe

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HGVC: Flamingo & Anderson Ocean Club
Vacation Village: Woodstone at Massanutten and Grandview (RCI Points) & the Colonies
Something I've noticed recently on the RCI website is that it now tells me that my reservation won't upgrade to some resorts when I select them.

I have seen this too. But I thought it was because the resort you wanted to change to was not eligible for the program. Not because of the strength of what was being traded or was previously booked.
 

donnaval

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The unit I wanted was still there this morning, and then disappeared a little while ago - I was surprised it hung on that long! I had tried cancelling the upgrade/change request and reinstating it, and paid attention when I redid it and there was no warning from RCI that it wasn't eligible for the program. I'm inclined to think the CS rep was right when she said units deposited by the resort itself won't match a request. Not sure why that is, but for whatever reason, whoever grabbed that unit today got a nice exchange lol.
 

silentg

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Fitzpatrick's Castle Holiday Homes,
Enchanted Isle.
I put in for an upgrade and didn’t get it. When I got to the resort we had a one bedroom and no one stayed in the adjoining lockout. They said it wasn’t available. It was empty the whole time. I no longer request upgrades with RCI because I never got one!
 

escanoe

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Vacation Village: Woodstone at Massanutten and Grandview (RCI Points) & the Colonies
I put in for an upgrade and didn’t get it. When I got to the resort we had a one bedroom and no one stayed in the adjoining lockout. They said it wasn’t available. It was empty the whole time. I no longer request upgrades with RCI because I never got one!
These upgrade transactions happen on the RCI side and not with the resort. Unless an empty larger room is deposited with RCI, there is no chance of your getting it.

I have often stayed at timeshares when all of the inventory in RCI has been booked, yet there are many vacant units during my stay.

I have gotten upgrades or resort changes in 2 out of 3 of my most recent RCI bookings. They do happen.
 
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