Unhappy with my Points experience this morning

[sfwilshire]

I know you can't comment on individual accounts, but I want to understand the RCI policy on this.

I want to use my floating Points week in December 2006 for the first time since I have converted to Points. Your posts here, the info I received in the past from feedback@RCI.com and everything I have read indicate that I can reserve my own floating week during my home resort period at no loss/no gain on points.

I called prior to the 10 - 12 month home resort period to ask when I should call to reserve the week and named the desired date to the VC. He told me the exact date I could start to call, but I did miss it by a few days because I was busy. He never suggested that availability would be an issue.

When I called today to make the reservation, the VC (who was quite rude by the way) offered me a unit in an inferior section or two units at higher points values. I ask to speak to a supervisor, who said that it makes a difference because Vistana is such a large resort and that he can not offer me my week in the same section or one that would be equal in quality.

This is my first major disappointment with the Points system. Is it true that even though I followed all the rules, I may be unable to reserve my floating week as I desire for the points value that it is alloted?

When I last visited Vistana, the person at the sales desk had lots of bad things to say about RCI Points and the fact that owners were not being allowed to use their own units. I thought he was misinformed, but perhaps there was truth in what he was saying.

Please explain how this is supposed to work. It looks like I need to pull this unit, at least, out of the Points system.

Thank you for your assistance.

Sheila

 

[bogey21]

He told me the exact date I could start to call, but I did miss it by a few days because I was busy.....Is it true that even though I followed all the rules...

Shiela - Is it possible that missing the date is the problem? Just a thought.

GEORGE

 

[sfwilshire]

George,

I had ask for the first day I was eligible to call (since I had never reserved my own week and I wanted to confirm what I thought) and he made it quite clear that I could call anytime within the two months. He never suggested that availability might be an issue and that I should call on the first day.

I have never had a problem reserving Christmas week with my floating unit before I converted it to Points. Since Vistana is such a large resort, they always seem to have availability. I've even reserved that week rather late in the year with no problem.

I actually OWN week 51 per the deed, but Vistana elects to only give me an average Points value for all the weeks I can float the week. I can live with that as long as I can reserve the week I want with no loss. If that isn't going to be the case, I will be very unhappy.

Sheila

 

[jerseygirl]

Sheila,

When I owned a Cascades unit, I was told I could convert my floating week to the fixed week on the deed -- and that if you did it, you would not be permitted to convert it back to a floating week. I had a lousy (pink) deeded week, but asked if I could do the same thing with my Lakes unit, which was deeded to 26 or 27. They said no, Lakes did not have that clause in the deed.

If I remember correctly, your week is in Fountains I or II, right? You might want to call them and ask if your section is eligible. Then, you'd be eligible for the higher amount of points, instead of the blended average.

Betsy

Edit: OOPS -- sorry -- I just now realized this was an "Ask RCI" thread. Sorry to bump you.

 

[JEFF H]

If you had a fixed week you deposited into RCI points you could call during the designated window and get your fixed week back for your usage.
With a floating week however you would only beable to reserve whatever floating inventory RCI happens to have in the system when you call.
Vistana may not even bank week 51 with RCI or if they do they could be very limited.

To do what you want to do you would need to get your floating week back from RCI so you could reserve the week you want direct with Vistana but im not sure that is even a option.
convert your floating week to a fixed week 51 if possible as was mentioned in the post above.

 

[Madge]

sfwilshire,

This can be tricky because Vistana has so many different sections with different point values. You need to reserve your floating week in your own section to use the same number of points as your own week. However, sometimes there are units that just haven't yet been ceded into the Points system when you call. If you send a message to feedback@rci.com and enter TUG in the subject line, the Communications Team can work on that for you. Sorry to hear about the frustration this is causing you.

 

[sfwilshire]

Thanks, Madge.

The feedback@rci.com group has resolved the issue for me, but the resolution was delayed somewhat because I gather they were short staffed during the week between Christmas and New Years.

I know that it is typical in most businesses for many employees to take that week off, which probably just increases your work load if all the rest of us have time to work on our vacation plans.

My concern, since this was my first experience, was that all the Fountains weeks would be taken during the period of delay. Happily that was not the case.

I hope you will share my compliments regarding this group, as they are always just terrific about answering questions and resolving problems. They are obviously a special group of people.

Thanks again for your answer and your continued participation here.

Sheila

 

[Madge]

Sheila,

Glad to hear your situation was resolved. Most problems can be fixed -- if we absolutely couldn't have found a Fountains unit for you, we likely would have offered a newer section. Still sorry about the delay and that our Points Guide didn't go that extra mile for you.