VRI Trading Preference in RCI

[Riggo]

There is supposedly a VRI trading preference in RCI. Does anyone know how it works and whether it has any value?

 

[nerodog]

VRI benefits

You can pay 2 years of RCI membership and get one year free for being with VRI.. there are also opportunities to trade within VRI resorts and I think you get a preference if its from one VRI to another..( not sure if its throug VRI only tho)... VRI has a nice web site to browse... they have added resorts with another company from what I am hearing.

 

[pcgirl54]

Reduced RCI fees-3yrs for the price of 2 and the ability to see other VRI resorts over non VRI owners. I own a VRI resort-Brewster Green.

VRI owners through VRI can get reduced rates to other VRI resorts for single night or weekly stays/varies per resort and season. Some resorts require a 2 or 3 night minimum. They are not an exchange company that I can deposit and request other weeks.

For instance I stayed on Cape Cod at Cove at Yarmouth for $135 per night Labor Day weekend for 2 nights. A Cape Cod small hotel room cost between $150-$300 per night. I could have stayed at BG with a 3 night minimum $169 per night same weekend which was the reduced rate. This is the second time I have used this feature.

This also is a way to try other VRI resorts. It's their version of getaway stays with using II or RCI.

 

[Kozman]

VRI Preference

If you deposit a VRI resort into your RCI account you will be able to see any available VRI resort in the system before the general population of RCI. Also, you get a $20 discount on your trade to another VRI.

 

[bccash63]

Do you know how long this preference lasts? i.e. 30 days? 10 days? thanx

 

[Jolson]

I'm almost positive it's 30 days for all VRI owners. All VRI owners see this availability for 30 days in RCI before the week becomes available to the general public.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Yes - it's 30 days. For 30 days after a VRI unit hits the system the unit is supposed to be offered only to other VRI owners.

I also believe that the normal RCI trade power and VEP filters are in effect. That means that even though a Spacebanked unit might be in the excusive VRI exchange period, you won't be able to exchange into it with your VRI unit if it isn't an exchange you could have made absent the VRI preference.

 

[ausman]

Steve,

Are you sure about this. I just had a VRI Leisure Club International at Padre Island unit 7/14/08 check in that I used to obtain a VRI Cape Cod Brewster Green unit check in 7/26/09.

Prior to me jumping on the BG unit my unit traded poorly. I did wonder why it traded so poorly so there may have been other factors involved.

It did seem I saw more than I normally did.

 

[JudyS]

Back when Madge participated on TUG, she stated that VRI priority is only for the same color season, or lower-demand color seasons. Therefore, red VRI weeks would have a priority into all deposited VRI weeks, but blue VRI weeks would only have priority into other blue VRI weeks.

Also, now that VRI has purchased ORE, the weeks formerly managed by ORE may have the VRI priority too, although I am not sure.

Yes - it's 30 days. For 30 days after a VRI unit hits the system the unit is supposed to be offered only to other VRI owners.

I also believe that the normal RCI trade power and VEP filters are in effect. That means that even though a Spacebanked unit might be in the excusive VRI exchange period, you won't be able to exchange into it with your VRI unit if it isn't an exchange you could have made absent the VRI preference.

Steve,

Are you sure about this. I just had a VRI Leisure Club International at Padre Island unit 7/14/08 check in that I used to obtain a VRI Cape Cod Brewster Green unit check in 7/26/09.

Prior to me jumping on the BG unit my unit traded poorly. I did wonder why it traded so poorly so there may have been other factors involved.

It did seem I saw more than I normally did.

A while ago, I tried to get SoCal summer with a VRI July Orlando two-bedroom. A long-time ongoing search matched nothing, even though VRI owns a lot of resorts in SoCal. I was able to see a variety of other nice VRI weeks online, though, including Cape Cod summer, with my Orlando week. So, I assume that there is some sort of trading power restriction still in effect even with the VRI priority, although I'm not certain it's quite as strict as the trading power restrictions with non-VRI weeks.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Steve,

Are you sure about this. I just had a VRI Leisure Club International at Padre Island unit 7/14/08 check in that I used to obtain a VRI Cape Cod Brewster Green unit check in 7/26/09.

Prior to me jumping on the BG unit my unit traded poorly. I did wonder why it traded so poorly so there may have been other factors involved.

It did seem I saw more than I normally did.

It's what I was told by a VRI account specialist at RCI five or six years ago. The person I was speaking seemed pretty knowledgeable about the system and spacebank operations.

So, no I'm not totally sure. That's why I prefaced my comment with "I believe" ...

 

[Kozman]

VRI Resorts

At this time I get two July VRI resorts on the CA coast....San Clemente Inn and Gaslamp Suites with my VRI deposit.

 

[JudyS]

At this time I get two July VRI resorts on the CA coast....San Clemente Inn and Gaslamp Suites with my VRI deposit.

Kozman, what are you using to search with?

 

[Kozman]

VRI Search

Judy, Lehigh Resort.

 

[JudyS]

Judy, Lehigh Resort.

Thanks, Kozman. If Lehigh can pull California, I'm surprised that my Orlando week couldn't. Maybe I didn't start searching soon enough. In fact, if Lehigh can pull summer SoCal, I'm wondering if there really are trade power restrictions with VRI preference at all. Can you tell me what size Lehigh unit, and which week of the year? Also, were the July weeks you saw 2008, or 2009?

 

[Kozman]

Lehigh VRI Search

The Lehigh is a 1 br mid May week. '09 is beyond my search date range so the results were '08. The same two resorts still show up. I only searched coastal CA. If I search all of CA, I get 10 results for July.

 

[falmouth3]

Would I have to deposit my VRI week with RCI in order to get the discounted RCI rate for membership renewal? I just acquired a VRI resort, eoy, starting in 2009 and I'm not quite sure what I'll want to do with it yet, but my RCI memebership ends in June.

Sue

 

[DanM]

Would I have to deposit my VRI week with RCI in order to get the discounted RCI rate for membership renewal? I just acquired a VRI resort, eoy, starting in 2009 and I'm not quite sure what I'll want to do with it yet, but my RCI memebership ends in June.

Sue

I simply gave RCI the ownership info and took advantage of the discount. No problem. The unit is listed as available for deposit, but you don't have to deposit it. Unfortunately, as I understand it, you don't get the VRI preference in searching unless you deposit and search with a VRI unit.

 

[falmouth3]

Thanks Dan. Good to know.

Sue

 

[janapur]

I simply gave RCI the ownership info and took advantage of the discount. No problem. The unit is listed as available for deposit, but you don't have to deposit it. Unfortunately, as I understand it, you don't get the VRI preference in searching unless you deposit and search with a VRI unit.

I did this too with my recent VRI purchase. However, I was unable to get an RCI fee discount since I am paid up through 2012. So much for being an early bird. I am using the week for an ongoing search . . . so hopefully that works.

 

[JudyS]

The Lehigh is a 1 br mid May week. '09 is beyond my search date range so the results were '08. The same two resorts still show up. I only searched coastal CA. If I search all of CA, I get 10 results for July.

Thanks for the information, Kozman. May might be a popular month for Lehigh -- not sure. May is usually a slow vacation month, but Spring is very popular in Western Florida.

 

[Kozman]

Lehigh

Actually January through March are the high times in all of SW Florida. I wouldn't think May would be that high demand.