So RCI has done it again

[Ann-Marie]

A few months ago I was able to grab a resort on Kauai that was in my search which RCI had not assigned to my ongoing search. I could not figure out WHY it was not assigned to my ongoing search except for the fact that RCI does not know what it is doing. So I have now had an ongoing search for another week starting on 8/31/12 at 2 specific resorts to extend my Kauai vacation. I have been checking, but nothing. Today, I went online, nothing on hold, but low and behold, I was able to search for the exact unit I want and have had an ongoing search for about 2 months. And it was up for grabs for anyone else to have, and I grabbed it. I don't get it! But thankfully, my Kauai plans are complete with 2 weeks back to back.

 

[theo]

You're not alone...

A few months ago I was able to grab a resort on Kauai that was in my search which RCI had not assigned to my ongoing search. I could not figure out WHY it was not assigned to my ongoing search except for the fact that RCI does not know what it is doing. So I have now had an ongoing search for another week starting on 8/31/12 at 2 specific resorts to extend my Kauai vacation. I have been checking, but nothing. Today, I went online, nothing on hold, but low and behold, I was able to search for the exact unit I want and have had an ongoing search for about 2 months. And it was up for grabs for anyone else to have, and I grabbed it. I don't get it! But thankfully, my Kauai plans are complete with 2 weeks back to back.

Numerous others on TUG have reported their own firm belief, based on first hand experience and observation, that RCI's ongoing search feature is essentially dysfunctional, both before and after recent "enhancements".

I don't personally claim to know, since I do not use (...nor do I ever again plan to use) RCI...

 

[dougp26364]

All I can say is it's RCI. What do you expect? RCI has become such a bad option for timeshare owners that it's just a shell of it's former self. IMHO they are no longer a viable option for timeshare exchanges. I don't even feel confident that a confirmed exchange will remain a confirmed exchange. I've read to many complaints where RCI has called at the last minute to say there's no room at the resort they confirmed due to "over booking" or some other BS excuse. I just can't give them my money anymore as they can't be trusted.

 

[DaveHenry]

This happened twice to me

I've had this happen to two searches in the last month. Since I heard about the problem on TUG, I added common resorts that I didn't want to my request. Each time, when I saw the common units show up in the online inventory without a match, I called RCI web support. Each time the service representative didn't know about it, but I showed them the discrepancy. When they checked with their supervisor, he confirmed that this was a known error that happens sometimes when ongoing searches are entered online. He told them to re-enter my search manually.
In the first case, I got a match a couple weeks later (Summer Outer Banks!). The second case just happened today, so I haven't gotten a legitimate match yet.

 

[rickandcindy23]

My ongoing searches mostly aren't working well at all, but I hope the October 2012 searches do work.

On the other hand, I am still crazy about RCI, prefer it over II, and am hoping, hoping, hoping, I can grab a Maui week when the big Hawaii inventory hits in a few weeks. Okay, so I may be wishful thinking....

I love RCI lately! I never thought I would say it, but I say it often.

 

[Ann-Marie]

My ongoing searches mostly aren't working well at all, but I hope the October 2012 searches do work.

On the other hand, I am still crazy about RCI, prefer it over II, and am hoping, hoping, hoping, I can grab a Maui week when the big Hawaii inventory hits in a few weeks. Okay, so I may be wishful thinking....

I love RCI lately! I never thought I would say it, but I say it often.

I happened to find the Kauai week because of a sudden huge inventory that appeared in the last 2 days.

 

[Jimster]

RCI

And this surprises you because..........? Why people haven't abandoned RCI in droves amazes me.

 

[Sandy VDH]

That is why I use RCI as a last resort, when points are expiring or no other option is available.

I do like the TPUs a lot better, at least you know what the requirement is and you can combine if you like. I do really miss those cheap cheap cheap 28K Wyndham deposit. It was not a good deal it was a great deal. But alas that too is gone.

 

[Margariet]

A few months ago I was able to grab a resort on Kauai that was in my search which RCI had not assigned to my ongoing search. I could not figure out WHY it was not assigned to my ongoing search except for the fact that RCI does not know what it is doing. So I have now had an ongoing search for another week starting on 8/31/12 at 2 specific resorts to extend my Kauai vacation. I have been checking, but nothing. Today, I went online, nothing on hold, but low and behold, I was able to search for the exact unit I want and have had an ongoing search for about 2 months. And it was up for grabs for anyone else to have, and I grabbed it. I don't get it! But thankfully, my Kauai plans are complete with 2 weeks back to back.

That happens to all of us! But it happened to me also with Hawaii. So there might be something wrong with the Hawaii ongoing searches?

 

[travelguy]

FAIL

FWIW - I've had this happen with RCI ongoing searches to several different locations at different times over the last year (at least). Sometimes it hits a match and sometimes it totally misses a match and I find it in a manual search. There doesn't seem to be a pattern to the "ongoing search failure" that I can see.

It appears that the RCI Tech dept isn't even consistent in it's failures!!

 

[WinniWoman]

I never do on-going searches. I just keep looking on a weekly/daily basis until I can get something. Just don't trust them....

 

[MuranoJo]

I never do on-going searches. I just keep looking on a weekly/daily basis until I can get something. Just don't trust them....

Same here. I've had good luck with manual searches and in fact have never done an ongoing search because I find what I want online. But I also frequently check Sightings, a nice TUG member bennie.

As you may suspect, I don't subscribe to the oft-cited message that what's online is just leftovers.