Will RCI enforce their Mayan Policies? Never mind--I'm convinced!!!

[icydog]

I stayed in a one bdrm Mayan Palace in May of 2007.

I have three weeks banked into RCI. I want to exchanged my banked weeks for two weeks at the Grand Mayan in Nuevo Vallarta in October.

I called RCI and asked if I could book 2 consecutive weeks for this October at the GM. The Vacation Conselor was very willing to reserve the weeks for me.
She never mentioned that I was there in 2007.

How can they police their 1 in 5 policy? Do they police this policy at all? Since the rep was happy to put me into both of the weeks I wanted- will the reservation stand?

Should I just go ahead and book this vacation?? In other words, will I get caught.

 

[Luanne]

Is it RCI who has the policy or the resort? I thought I'd heard stories about RCI letting folks book, and then the resort notifying them later that they couldn't have the unit. I'm not talking about the Mayan Palace specifically.

 

[icydog]

From my understanding it is RCI who is charge of policing this policy, but I could be wrong.

 

[lprstn]

I've heard of people being turned away at the resort (or having to pay). I wouldn't take the chance. Sometimes I had booked at a 4 and 1 then was contacted by RCI that I had to make reservations elsewhere

 

[VacationPro]

From my understanding it is RCI who is charge of policing this policy, but I could be wrong.

I believe it is an RCI policy, not the resort. These resorts are available through SFX and there is no such policy.

 

[Passepartout]

I understand that if you book one time using RCI weeks then the next time (inside 4 years) using RCI Points, you can get away with it- of course you'd have to have both accounts. As mentioned, booking one through SFX would duck the rule, too. On check in, Desk clerk: "may I have your RCI number?" You: "Whats RCI?"

It's my understanding that 1-in-4 is a Grupo Mayan thing, and RCI couldn't care less. I don't think I'd use the same booking agent twice.

Jim Ricks

 

[DeniseM]

"Will I be caught by RCI" is not a good subject line...if you don't want to be caught by RCI.

Google your subject line and see what happens....

 

[JoeMid]

How can they police their 1 in 5 policy? Do they police this policy at all? Since the rep was happy to put me into both of the weeks I wanted- will the reservation stand?

Should I just go ahead and book this vacation?? In other words, will I get caught.

Normally "policed" by the resort as the bottom line, it's their policy to supposedly prop up sales, encourage you to buy there so you can go every year. RCI CSR gets a commission on everything they "sell" you. You do the math and decide if it's worth the risk and heartburn.

 

[icydog]

"Will I be caught by RCI" is not a good subject line...if you don't want to be caught by RCI.

Google your subject line and see what happens....

Came up on Google just like you said. I changed my subject line as you suggested, thanks.

 

[IreneLF]

Marylyn,
Smugglers (where we own) has a 1 in 4. They have been quite upfront saying that it is THEIR rule , not RCIs. They do not want people to be able to exchange in frequently, they want those people to buy...
I really think it is a Mayan rule especially because with Mayan it is not just one resort but applies to exchanges within the entire Grupo. Smugglers and Mayan can probably make this request stick with RCI, not so with the little guys is my thinking.

 

[icydog]

The reason I asked is I remember years ago that some people exchanged through RCI more than once in four and never got caught. I have to go through all my old posts to find this quote. Or maybe it was a PM which I know I no longer have.

In any case we decided not to go. The cost of airfare is too high, and to go on FF miles is not easily accomplished. We'll stay home like we have done all summer. This economy is very hard on fixed income folks.

 

[bnoble]

Here's the problem: even if some people did it, that doesn't really matter. It might give you better odds, but no matter what, the odds are not certain---it could still get canceled, either if Mayan figures it out, or if an RCI VC sees it while doing something else with your account.

 

[Keitht]

I'm pretty sure that I've read that this is a Mayan rule and covers all resorts in an area, not simply return to a specific property/resort.
The question you need to ask yourself is "Do I feel lucky? Well do I?" I'm afraid that my view is that if you know of a rule, and decide to ignore it, you will have nobody to blame but yourself if you arrive at the resort and they turn you away. It's a big world out there, go explore.

 

[icydog]

Okay I am not going to do it. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Sunterra]

Smugglers and Mayan can probably make this request stick with RCI, not so with the little guys is my thinking.

It's contractual between the resort and RCI, there's no question about making it stick.

 

[pammex]

In speaking to RCI at one point ( I am a Mayan Member) they told me it is the resort rule and it changes almost daily. The person I spoke to said they are as confused as we are....anyway I booked into Mayan thru RCI with an exchange as RCI said the rule was not in effect at time I booked, I think that was in Jan, not sure when I booked.....so who knows whose rule it is!!!

Sure is confusing and frustrating!!

 

[jtridle]

I am an owner at Morritt's Tortuga Club but before I became an owner and I was exchanging in there, Morritt's told me it was RCI's rule (1 in 4) and I followed up asking RCI about this and they told me it was Morritt's rule. The latter makes more sense to me. I don't know why RCI would care how many times you went to a resort. They don't own the resorts, they're getting their exchange fee. makes more sense to me that this is the resort rule because as another poster said, the resorts wants you to buy there rather than being able to exchange in.

 

[lprstn]

I wonder if other Exchange companies have this rule?

 

[Blondie]

I think the anser is NO. It is an RCI rule I believe

 

[Hoc]

The answers to the original post are quite confusing -- and substantively wrong. Is it an RCI Rule? Not quite.

The 1-in-4 rule is an option exercised by the resort. They do it to get "new blood" into their resorts so that they can lie to them and have a better chance of selling new ownerships.

BUT

The 1-in-4 rule is an option allowed only to resorts traded through RCI. RCI allows them to implement this policy. No other exchange company allows them to do it.

So, to say "it is an RCI rule" is technically accurate, but misleading. It is a rule allowed by RCI, but chosen and enforced by the resort itself. And given the reputation of Mayan Palaces for adversarial dealings with potential sales prospects and maximizing income, I would not put it past them to wait until you have flown to Mexico, have no return flight for a week, and suddenly announce at the check-in desk that you may not check in due to the 1-in-4 rule, and you must pay $2,000+ for the use of the week.

The 1-in-4 rule is applied per account. That means that, if you have 2 RCI accounts, you may use each one once in four years. If you have a points account and a weeks account, you may use each one once in four years. You can trade in unlimited times through SFX or another exchange company, because there is no 1-in-4 rule, but then you may also trade in once every four years for each RCI account you have.

 

[taffy19]

We own a timeshare at the Buganvilias in Puerto Vallarta and asked RCI if we could exchange it with a Mayan Palace in Nuevo Vallarta where we needed to stay and they said no. This was a few years ago and they said it was for the whole area. We ended up booking a "getaway vacation" with II in Nuevo Vallarta. RCI had so little inventory in "Last Call" and why are they making it so difficult for their members to make an exchange?

I would try Trading Places next time if they exchange with the MP or otherwise SFX and the resort can hardly refuse us as we have never stayed there yet. It's almost easier to rent a condo in Mexico from a private party if you need a kitchen and more space.

 

[guitarlars]

Mayan has frequent waiver periods

If you really want to go then call RCI and find out if the period you want to go is under a waiver. Recently called in for a trade and was given a Grand Mayan as a possible trade by the RCI rep. When told that I had been there only two years ago was told that Mayan was waiving this requirement during the period I wanted to visit.

I would suggest putting any unit you want on hold and then calling - the rep said that Mayan frequently has waivers during low demand seasons.

Good luck,

Lars

 

[Carol C]

If you disobey the Grupo's rules, as your punishment they will tie you to a chair and make you endure a 3 hour "90 minuto" presentation.

 

[icydog]

If you disobey the Grupo's rules, as your punishment they will tie you to a chair and make you endure a 3 hour "90 minuto" presentation.

That is exactly what happened! I went to a 90 minute presentation and it took us four hours to get free of the salesman. We only got out after he called us all liars!!

 

[lovemylabradoodle]

They ocassionally run specials where they lift the 1 in 5 rule for a period of rtime. I recently spoke to RCI and was told it was lifted from April-October. That may be why she did not say anything to you about already being there.