NO DVC since improvements???

[tlguinn_2000]

I have not seen any DVC come up for me since the "improvements" in the web site. The new search on the points side is nice but no DVC come up. With my Platinum membership last week I could see available units searching one month at a time, now nothing.

>

 

[JudyS]

When the system first came up Sunday night/Monday morning, there were a couple Bay Lake Tower units in Points, plus at least one Grand Californian unit in Points. I didn't see any DVC units yesterday in RCI Points.

There may be DVC deposits in RCI Weeks that can be seen only be signing into your RCI Weeks account. I'm not sure those would show up when searching RCI Points.

Also, it seems RCI Points no longer offer Disney Tickets as part of Points Partners, although I wouldn't expect that to be related to availability of Disney timeshare units.

 

[ccoulter]

DVC trading as owner

As an owner at Boardwalk Villas at the DVC i have limitations in exchanging through RCI? If we choose to bank days or weeks in RCI we have only a fraction of the RCI inventory to choose from and owners must go through Disney in searching for the resort. When DVC was with II we had to exchange in week blocks but that has changed with RCI. I do not totally understand how it works with RCI now but it is frustrating to have to go through Disney via phone to initiate a search. When we banked a Manhattan Club with RCI we could go directly through RCI and use our TPU to get weeks. Since Disney treats owners differently in exchanging through RCI it appears that Disney is not straight forward in dealing with RCI exchanges. I am assuming this from previous comments.

 

[MichaelColey]

I have not seen any DVC come up for me since the "improvements" in the web site. The new search on the points side is nice but no DVC come up. With my Platinum membership last week I could see available units searching one month at a time, now nothing.

With the improvements in searching, I'm not surprised. RCI members are now able to find available inventory for specific resorts much quicker and easier, so the best stuff will disappear quicker. (The flip side is that we'll be able to find stuff quicker and easier, too.) I can't count how many times I never even bothered to search in RCI Points because it was just so time-consuming.

As an owner at Boardwalk Villas at the DVC i have limitations in exchanging through RCI? If we choose to bank days or weeks in RCI we have only a fraction of the RCI inventory to choose from and owners must go through Disney in searching for the resort. When DVC was with II we had to exchange in week blocks but that has changed with RCI. I do not totally understand how it works with RCI now but it is frustrating to have to go through Disney via phone to initiate a search. When we banked a Manhattan Club with RCI we could go directly through RCI and use our TPU to get weeks. Since Disney treats owners differently in exchanging through RCI it appears that Disney is not straight forward in dealing with RCI exchanges. I am assuming this from previous comments.

DVC "protects you" from exchanging into "inferior" properties. The cost to exchange in, when you factor in your upfront costs and maintenance fees, is HUGE. If you really want to get an RCI exchange and DVC is the only thing you own, I would suggest one of the following two things:

1) Buy a good RCI affiliate (or even better, dual affiliated with both RCI and II) timeshare and use that to exchange. If you're going to exchange regularly, thats probably the best choice.

2) If you're limited on your vacation time and couldn't use both a DVC vacation and an RCI one, RENT out your DVC points (which you can do for a nice profit -- they usually rent for $10-$12 per point) and use the money to RENT what you want. You'll come out WAY ahead compared to exchanging. (The same applies to Disney Cruises and other ways Disney gives you to use your DVC points -- they're all bad deals.)

I don't say this lightly. I'm on the opposite end, owning RCI-affiliated timeshares and exchanging into DVC, so it benefits me to have more DVC owners exchanging into RCI (so more weeks are available for me to grab <G>). But it's really not a good deal for you.

 

[tlguinn_2000]

1) Buy a good RCI affiliate (or even better, dual affiliated with both RCI and II) timeshare and use that to exchange. If you're going to exchange regularly, thats probably the best choice.

.

I have a timeshare that is dual affiliated with RCI and II. So far I have just used RCI points. How do I get an II membership? What is the advantage to II? How do I use the points in II, do I have to deposit them or just use them like I do in RCI?

 

[MichaelColey]

II works similar to RCI. I don't see the need for most owners to have both, but owning a timeshare that could work in either certainly has advantages. For instance, if you're a big DVC fan and they switch from RCI back to II, you would be able to follow them more easily. II generally has higher end properties. I find RCI far more flexible for getting what I want for the least expense.

 

[tlguinn_2000]

Marriott

II generally has higher end properties. QUOTE]

That's what I figured. There are just a few in the II system that I might like to get. I would like to get some of the Marriotts. What is the best way to get into the Marriott system? I like the Marriott Grande Ocean at Hilton Head a lot, and have stayed there a couple of times.

 

[tlguinn_2000]

Note from RCI

I sent a note, and have talked to RCI, about the ability or inability of RCI points members to see DVC. Weeks side can see them but points can't.

My note

I am a Platinum member and before the "enhancements" a couple
of weeks ago I could see lots of Disney Vacation Club properties. I have
actually stayed at Disney's Vero Beach Club and have a reservation at
Disney's Boardwalk Villas in March 2012. Since the "upgrade" I have not
been able to see ANY Disney Vacation Club. There are others who can see
plenty of availability in RCI Weeks or from different portals (eg
Wyndham or Shell). When will this be fixed and why would RCI cut off
availability to its own members???

Their reply:

Hello,

Thank you for your e-mail.

We apologize for the problems you encountered with our website.
Unfortunately, RCI.com is currently experiencing a temporary problem.
This has been reported to our technical staff to resolve as quickly as
possible. We ask you please try again later and apologize for the
inconvenience this may have caused.

Kind Regards,

GXXXXXXX
Customer Communications Specialist
RCI North America

?????????

 

[rickandcindy23]

RCI has received a lot of inquiries from those of us who own Points. I personally see very little value in points currently, so of course this just adds to my negativity on RCI Points.

The value of RCI Points is in off-season for DVC properties. The values are so out of whack compared to weeks....

Values of a 1 bed DVC range in RCI Points from 41K-72.5K. But the 1 beds are all 32 points, no matter the season in weeks. How does that compute? It's all wacko.

 

[bnoble]

Dean has posted a few more insights into the situation over on DISboards.

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=43204859&postcount=39

 

[tlguinn_2000]

Strange NO DVC today

Lots of DVC in Weeks but none in Points. There are some in other areas that are not normally in points such as Marco Island and Bonnet Creek.

Unfortunately, Bonnet Creek has already come and gone for May 2012 in weeks. There may be some availability in Points.

There are lots for May and June in Points

1 Bedroom Max Occup (Privacy) 4 (2) Kitchen Full Points: 39,500

 

[Skittles1]

There is a message on RCI that the system will be down for "global system maintenance" for a few hours tonight. Fingers crossed that this maintenance fixes this problem for Points members.

 

[tlguinn_2000]

Real Personal Letter

Sent the note below to RCI, and their reply is below that. Nice to know that they are right on the problem and giving me personal attention. :hysterical:

My Note:This problem continues. I have listed below the Disney Vacation Club
resorts that are available on the RCI weeks side (may have changed by
now). There were none, ZERO, on the points search. As stated below
Points members should be able to "make reservations at RCI Points
affiliated resorts and RCI Weeks affiliated resorts". Disney
Vacation Clubs are POINTS resorts and I can't even see them in a
Platinum Points membership. My concern is that who knows what other
resorts my search is missing.


As an RCI Points(r) subscribing member, you can make reservations at RCI
Points affiliated resorts and RCI(r) Weeks affiliated resorts - and now
you can find both types of reservations with one simple search! With
just a couple of clicks, you can see all your Exchange Vacation options
in one place, and apply multiple filters to search for the vacation
you're really looking for!

Answer from RCI:

Hello,

Thank you for your e-mail.

We apologize for the problems you encountered with our website.
Unfortunately, RCI.com is currently experiencing a temporary problem.
This has been reported to our technical staff to resolve as quickly as
possible. We ask you please try again later and apologize for the
inconvenience this may have caused.

Thank you for your interest in RCI.

Kind regards,

GXXXXXXX.
Customer Communications Specialist
RCI North America

<<<<

 

[JudyS]

I think the problem is continuing. I saw only one Orlando DVC resort tonight in Points, but I saw a number of DVC units and resorts in RCI Weeks. However, the TPU cost was very high. The lowest TPU cost I saw was 39 for a DVC studio. DVC one-bedrooms cost up to 48 TPUs.

I actually think the TPU cost for a DVC unit *should* be high, considering the demand for them and the amount they cost DVC owners. But it looks like anyone who wants to book DVC through RCI Weeks is going to need a cheap sources of TPUs.

One would think that, since RCI is charging more TPUs for each DVC week, DVC owners who deposit into RCI should get a better deal. For example, DVC owners could be charged fewer DVC points to book a week through RCI. However, I am a DVC owner, and haven't heard of anything like that.

 

[tlguinn_2000]

Here is what they told me was the problem with my account:

I called Web Support and they had me change some settings in my browser and reboot. Nothing.....
.
Called Back
.
The lady could not see anything (no DVC) in her points account but could see them in another account. She asked me to hold again and was gone a long time.
She said that I was being "Blocked" because when I first opened an account at RCI it was listed as a Vacation Village Account. I only own timeshares in Tennessee, none in Florida. However when I call RCI from my home phone they recognize me as a Vacation Village member and put me thru to the special group. So they have me listed as being in the Vacation Village group. ONE of my timeshares is in Vacation Village group (below is a list of the ones that are in the group).
She said that she would change my membership to "Basic" and not a Vacation Village membership and that within 24-48 hours I should be able to see all DVC. We shall see. It does make sense.
.
If you can't see DVC with a Points account call and see if you are somehow associated with Vacation Villages group.
.
Is there a problem with NOT being in the Vacation Village group?




Alhambra at Poinciana
(Poinciana, FL)
Alhambra Villas at Poinciana
(Poinciana, FL)
Aquamarine Villas
(Oceanside, CA)
Blue Whale
(Oceanside, CA)
Canada House
(Pompano Beach, FL)
Channel Island Shores
(Oxnard, CA)
Club Sevilla
(Kissimmee, FL)
Driftwood Beach Club
(Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, FL)
Enchanted Isle Resort
(Hollywood, FL)
Fantasy Island Resort
(Daytona Beach Shores, FL)
Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort
(Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Georgian Inn Beach Club
(Ormond Beach, FL)
Golden Strand Ocean Villa Resort
(Sunny Isles Beach, FL)
Grand Lake Resort
(Kissimmee, FL)
Hollywood Beach Resort
(Hollywood, FL)
Hollywood Beach Tower
(Hollywood, FL)
The Jockey Club
(Las Vegas, NV)
Kingsbury Crossing
(Stateline, NV)
Lago Vista at Buenaventura Lakes
(Kissimmee, FL)
Laguna Shores
(Laguna Beach, CA)
Lighthouse Cove Resort
(Pompano Beach, FL)
Lifetime of Vacations Resort
at Grand Lake Resort
(Kissimmee, FL)
Magic Tree Resort
(Kissimmee, FL)
The Maverick
(Ormond Beach, FL)
Oakmont Resort
(Pigeon Forge, TN)
Palm Beach Shores Resort &
Vacation Villas
(Palm Beach Shores, FL)
Palm Springs Tennis Club
(Palm Springs, CA)
Plantation Island Resort
(Ormond Beach, FL)
Presidential Resort
(Spotsylvania, VA)
San Diego Country Estates
(Ramona, CA)
Silver Beach Club
(Daytona Beach, FL)
Silver Seas
(Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Snow Lake Lodge
(Big Bear Lake, CA)
Sunrise Ridge Resort
(Pigeon Forge, TN)
Sunrise Beach Club
(Ormond Beach, FL)
Traders Inn Beach Club
(Ormond Beach, FL)
Treetops Resort
(Gatlinburg, TN)
Tropic Shores
(Daytona Beach Shores, FL)
Tropic Sun Towers
(Ormond Beach, FL)
Ventura at Boca Raton
(Boca Raton, FL)
Villas at Fortune Place
(Kissimmee, FL)

 

[MichaelColey]

She said that I was being "Blocked" because when I first opened an account at RCI it was listed as a Vacation Village Account. I only own timeshares in Tennessee, none in Florida. However when I call RCI from my home phone they recognize me as a Vacation Village member and put me thru to the special group. So they have me listed as being in the Vacation Village group. ONE of my timeshares is in Vacation Village group (below is a list of the ones that are in the group).
She said that she would change my membership to "Basic" and not a Vacation Village membership and that within 24-48 hours I should be able to see all DVC. We shall see. It does make sense.

Hmmm, interesting. I'm in the Vacation Village group, too, because I own Grandview in Las Vegas. I'm always getting transferred to that group, when my questions have absolutely nothing to do with Grandview or Vacation Village. I wonder if I can get changed to "Basic" too?

 

[elaine]

please let us know what happens. I got my RCI book with a VV cover on it and a front pages saying "b/c you are in the VV family...." I thought "what are they talking about?" Then I went online and found that my Presidential Resort (Spotsylvania, VA) is now an "affiliate" of VV. I used PFD over to my RCI points account one year for this TS, so I am wondering if I have some crazy block as well. However, I can seeDVC-BLT with my points account--but no others.

 

[Skittles1]

Hmmm, very interesting... But I am not in the Vacation Village group. My home resort is in Hilton Head with the Coral Resorts, and I definitely cannot see any DVC with my Points account. SMH...

 

[tlguinn_2000]

Close to Disney

Coral Resorts is within 30 miles of Disney's Hilton Head resort???

 

[tlguinn_2000]

By the way, she said that she would have to put in a request to switch and it would take 24-48 hours before it shows up

 

[elaine]

I do not think there is a regional block for DVC-HHI. I traded a HHI property for DVC-HHI last year. Elaine

 

[Skittles1]

I hadn't thought about the proximity to DVC HHI. But I agree with Elaine, I was not aware of a regional block for HHI. Perhaps the glitch is related though. I may need to call web support too.

 

[JudyS]

This is interesting! I also own a Vacation Village resort (Aquamarine Villas, in California), but it was not the resort I owned when I joined RCI, and RCI has never said anything about my being a Vacation Village owner.

If there is some sort of Vacation Village regional block being put on our accounts, it only seems to affects Points, not Weeks. I can see DVC units in Weeks just fine.

 

[tlguinn_2000]

This is interesting! I also own a Vacation Village resort (Aquamarine Villas, in California), but it was not the resort I owned when I joined RCI, and RCI has never said anything about my being a Vacation Village owner.

If there is some sort of Vacation Village regional block being put on our accounts, it only seems to affects Points, not Weeks. I can see DVC units in Weeks just fine.

My account has not changed yet. She said that it would take 24-48 hours to change, after 48 hours I will call them again. This all appears to be related to their computer "upgrade", because they can actually see the DVC if they use a different system or different points account. If you call from your home phone, or whichever they have on file, the system will see that you are a Vacation Village member and send you to that group automatically. That is what happened to me. It kept sending me to the Vacation Village group, I could not get out of it. However from my work phone it would allow me to go to different areas (eg "push two for reservations"). You can also call and ask them if they show you in that group.

<
Does it hurt anything to not be in the Vacation Village group? Are there advantages to being in that group?

 

[elaine]

Judy, were you blocked from seeing ALL DVCs @ WDW? I would assume so. But, I also have the VV stuff going on and I can see some DVCs--which makes no sense. Elaine