What's the real truth about Mayan exchanges??

[icydog]

I know this has been asked and answered before but I am more cynical now. How will Mayan Palace or Grand Mayan know if you've exchanged into their resorts before? I met people on our last trip to the GM in Riveria Maya and they had exchanged into there five times. Then I was so upset that I didn't take advantage of great weeks myself.

What's the real low down on MP and GM exchanges??

 

[PigsDad]

RCI is the only exchange company that I am aware of that has the 1 in 4? exchange rule for MP/GM. If you exchange with one of the indepenent exchange companies, I don't believe you are subject to that rule.

Kurt

 

[pittle]

I think he is right. It must be in the RCI database. But, some have said it was in the MP/GM database.

I have never challenged it as I own enough weeks that we have never had a problem. RCI will also let owners exchange back in at any time.

 

[blr666]

I used SFX and exchanged into the Grand Mayan two years in a row and didn't have any problems.

 

[icydog]

I think he is right. It must be in the RCI database. But, some have said it was in the MP/GM database.

I have never challenged it as I own enough weeks that we have never had a problem. RCI will also let owners exchange back in at any time.

My Friend owns the MP in a hotel unit. Do you mean she can deposit her week into RCI and if there is a bigger unit she can grab it? Or does she have to stay in the size she paid for. Or can she even exchange into a MP if she owns there? Can she exchange in a GM? Thanks.

 

[icydog]

I used SFX and exchanged into the Grand Mayan two years in a row and didn't have any problems.

The lady told me she has exchanged into the GM, or MP, 5 times total and she told me she had RCI as an exchange company. That's why I was wondering if they really care enough about this policy to enforce the rule. She obviously was not affected by the one in four rule.

 

[Larry]

The lady told me she has exchanged into the GM, or MP, 5 times total and she told me she had RCI as an exchange company. That's why I was wondering if they really care enough about this policy to enforce the rule. She obviously was not affected by the one in four rule.

The rule used to be 1-4 back to the same resort. So before they changed the rule you could have gone to ACA in year 1, Nueva Vallarta in year 2, Puerto Vallarta in year 3 and the Mayan palace Riviera Maya year 4. The rule now is any Mayan Palace or Grand Mayan resort for 5 years.

In addition as others point out this is only a rule between Mayan Palace resorts and RCI so you could go two years in a row by using RCI and then SFX, You could also go with different RCI memberships. I could go and stay in a 2BR unit one year and take another couple then in year 2 we could go again in a 2BR unit staying with the same friends in their exchanged RCI unit.

 

[pittle]

My Friend owns the MP in a hotel unit. Do you mean she can deposit her week into RCI and if there is a bigger unit she can grab it? Or does she have to stay in the size she paid for. Or can she even exchange into a MP if she owns there? Can she exchange in a GM? Thanks.

Yep - she can get what is available for the week she wants. Monica has posted before that she was able to get a GM week using a MP week. I almost always get a larger unit when exchanging. She has to call the special MP Owner RCI phone # 1-877-724-1001 to do this.

 

[icydog]

Can anyone give me a definitive answer to this one:

If I reserve a MP or GM week through RCI will they even know that I had exchanged in two yrs ago? Will they throw me out when I arrive at the front desk. I do not have an SFX account.

 

[janapur]

Before becoming a Mayan Palace owner we made two exchanges into GM for different weeks. An RCI rep called to cancel one of the exchanges. Not willing to test the rule, we bought a week on eBay.

 

[Sandy VDH]

It is by account number NOT by name. Like they can use name to uniquely identify anyone. NOT.

So if you have multiple RCI accounts, (I have 3, one paid by Wyndham, one paid by HGVC, and one I pay with RCI Points) then you can rotate through your accounts. If you add SFX in there, where there is NO limit on number of exchanges, I can get around the rules by using a variety of sources to trade in MP or GM.

 

[icydog]

Good thinking!!

I could set up an RCI account for Bluegreen but then I would have to pay for my other one. I could do that I guess. I hate RCI so much I don't want to give them one penny but in this case it may make sense so I can get to the GM or MP. Thanks for the suggestions. Marylyn

 

[rynker]

We had exchanged into Mayan PV in 2007 and only stayed 3 days due to problems that came up. We then got an exchange for Grand Mayan in Riviera, Cancun, confirmed it, and RCI called and cancelled it due to the 1-5 rule.

 

[herindoors911]

Can anyone give me a definitive answer to this one:

If I reserve a MP or GM week through RCI will they even know that I had exchanged in two yrs ago? Will they throw me out when I arrive at the front desk. I do not have an SFX account.

I can't give you a definitive answer, but I am sure no-one would stop you going to your unit once at the front desk.

Anyone wishing to go to a Grand Mayan sign up for a FREE account with SFX or Trading Places. They have a lot of "Mayan" inventory.

 

[icydog]

I can't give you a definitive answer, but I am sure no-one would stop you going to your unit once at the front desk.

Anyone wishing to go to a Grand Mayan sign up for a FREE account with SFX or Trading Places. They have a lot of "Mayan" inventory.

Trouble is, my resorts are already deposited into RCI. My timeshare company RHC will ONLY deal with RCI not SFX or any other exchange company. And the fact is, they deposited the worst weeks they could for me into RCI anyway. They used to deposit the best weeks they had but this time they couldn't have been worse. I have no recourse with them. I am just out all those maintenance fees since my deposits will not pull anything worthwhile, EXCEPT in MX where they pull everything!! Go figure!

ONCE, I reserved a good one bedroom week in London using one of my RHC weekly contracts. I deposited the week into SFX and I never got a decent exchange from them either. Of course I wasn't looking at the Mayans at the time.

 

[zara]

GM exchange

Question-If you own at GM, but use RCI points to exchange into the resort, can you then show them your membership card to use the gym for free, etc., or would that alert them to the fact that you are not using your own week?

 

[patty5ia]

What about renting MP or GM from RCI?

If you rent one of the Mayans from RCI, does that count toward the 1 in 4?

 

[pittle]

Zara - generally, if you show your ownership card when you get your wristband, you will get an owner band. Only once did they not give us owner bands on check-in. That was last year at Acapulco, but by Monday, we got owner bands just by asking the gal that issues the bands.

 

[icydog]

Deleted post. I am going to ask on the Exchange forum. Thanks.