guest certificates....how strict are resorts?

[chellej]

I have 3 exchanges through II and am debating on the guest certificates. 2 are the same resort, same dates and my Son is arriving on day one and we are not arriving until day 2. Anyone have experience with this....will the resort allow him to check in since we are arriving the next day or do I need a guest certificate? I did try to call the resort but they have limited hours and I have not been able to reach them yet.

Also, his middle name is the same as DH's on the certificate and I wondered if he would be able to show id showing middle name and be able to check in that way. I just hate paying $70 a pop for the guest certificate

 

[CMVer]

Call the resort. I've been able to bypass a guest cert. several times. I have only done it for my kids and brother who all have the same last name.

 

[talkamotta]

I've had a hard time with Wyndam resorts. If he has the same name i would just call and tell them you are coming a day later and it's your son checking in. Marriott resorts are easy in this area. Or you could just take the chance but be available while he's checking in. If it were a Wyndam, they are ruthless.

 

[chellej]

[QUOTEtalkamotta, post: 2262659, member: 1059"]I've had a hard time with Wyndam resorts. If he has the same name i would just call and tell them you are coming a day later and it's your son checking in. Marriott resorts are easy in this area. Or you could just take the chance but be available while he's checking in. If it were a Wyndam, they are ruthless.[/QUOTE]

="

Wyndham I know are stickers...they would not let me check-in the best man at my daughter's wedding at Bali Hai...I had to call and get a guest certificate for him even though I was there to check him in and we were staying in a second unit.

I'm still hoping that a last minute Marriott will pop up but if it does it will be really last minute...we are only 2 weeks out

 

[moonstone]

Wyndham I know are stickers...they would not let me check-in the best man at my daughter's wedding at Bali Hai...I had to call and get a guest certificate for him even though I was there to check him in and we were staying in a second unit.
I'm still hoping that a last minute Marriott will pop up but if it does it will be really last minute...we are only 2 weeks out

We had a resort in Williamsburg try that when we took friends a few years ago. We each had a 1 bedroom unit booked through RCI Extra Vacations. When the desk clerk told me (as the 4 of us were checking in together) that our friends would need a Guest Certificate. I filled out the registration papers with the 2 guys (DH & male friend) in one unit and myself & female friend in the other unit next door. Of course we didn't spend the week like that but the desk clerk was happy!


~Diane

 

[mdurette]

We had a resort in Williamsburg try that when we took friends a few years ago. We each had a 1 bedroom unit booked through RCI Extra Vacations. When the desk clerk told me (as the 4 of us were checking in together) that our friends would need a Guest Certificate. I filled out the registration papers with the 2 guys (DH & male friend) in one unit and myself & female friend in the other unit next door. Of course we didn't spend the week like that but the desk clerk was happy!


~Diane

This works when you all check in together - but OP son will be there a day before. Personally....I deal with a GC this way. If I'm not the one occupying the unit, I get one. Simple. Isn't that the whole idea of a GC anyway??

I have been at the check in desk of way too many resorts overhearing people having an issue because their name wasn't on the reservation.

OP, use it as an excuse to upgrade to platinum and get them for no cost!

Also, I would be worried II would sniff this out. Member has 3 units booked in their name only - no guest certs for any.

 

[Passepartout]

I think chellej is asking us to be psychologists. How would we be expected to know every check-in clerk at every resort? It's anybody's guess.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Most resorts don't seem to care about guest certificates. You can usually call the resort and let them know others will arrive. What do they care if II gets the fee? On the other hand, the platinum II benefits gives me free guest certificates, and so it works really well for us because we don't have to pay per time. We got the membership for half price because we paid for 3 years at once.

 

[tschwa2]

I think II cares (because they want the extra money) and if they get too many reports or read on forums about resorts or a specific resort allowing others to check in without guest certificates they may take notice and fine or punish the resorts that allow that practice. In their terms and conditions that they have in their agreement with II, they agree to enforce II's GC policy.

Just like there are people that follow all the rules as members of II, there are resort and resort representatives that follow all the rules and others that do not.

 

[easyrider]

I always think of the worse case scenario. For me, I would not let my son go a day before me without a guest certificate. Likely nothing happens but maybe something does and I would be no help as I wouldn't be there.

Bill

 

[chellej]

I think chellej is asking us to be psychologists. How would we be expected to know every check-in clerk at every resort? It's anybody's guess.

No Just interested in Folks experiences. If we weren't going to be there the next day and if it wasn't our son, it would be a no brainer...I would sign up for Platinum. The Platinum membership just frustrates me because my regular membership expires in July and I probably won't renew. This is the first time I have used II in several years...Have gotten by just fine with the independents for quite a while now. If the GC's were a reasonable amount I wouldn't mind...$69 just seems like a lot to change a name.

 

[GrayFal]

Chellej, RCI is now $89!

 

[chellej]

Chellej, RCI is now $89!

Pat

Isn't that what exchange fees used to be

 

[GrayFal]

Pat

Isn't that what exchange fees used to be

Yup!

 

[wackymother]

We're in RCI. We have one resort where we go pretty often and I know the people in the office are inclined to look the other way.

On the other hand, there's another place we go where I know they would NEVER look the other way.

In general, if it's family members and they have the same last name, I would probably call the office ahead of time or just risk it. (I might give them one of my credit cards to have on hand.) For guests who do not have the same last name, I would pay the price.

 

[tschwa2]

I am also more inclined to risk it if they are checking in during II's regular business hours. So if they are checking in at Friday at 4pm (ET). Worse comes to worse and the resort won't check them in it may take an hour to get through to II and pay the fee and have them transmit the info to the resort.

If on the other hand, they are checking in after a late flight at 11pm or Sunday and you are relying on II's emergency line it could take 3 or 4 hours before it gets straightened out during a worse case senario and if you aren't familiar with the resort or they already indicated that a II GC is needed then it wouldn't be worth the potential risk.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I have been pretty annoyed with my RCI Points home resort reservations at the 10-12 month window, where I reserve, then rent my weeks to get back my MF's, and in order to add a guest, I have to pay RCI.

I am about ready to take the weeks out of RCI.

Funny that inflation is something people expect for maintenance fees but not for other fees. I posted that my maintenance fees for Presidential Villas has gone from like $619 to $920 in about five years, and someone said that was reasonable. To me, it's not at all reasonable. I can buy the same car that I bought 15 years ago for $33K for $46K today. That seems reasonable for inflation.

On the other hand, people here on TUG are still saying that RCI Points should cost around 1 cent per point in MF's. They have been saying THAT for 15 years. Y'all kind of make me crazy.

 

[tschwa2]

I have been pretty annoyed with my RCI Points home resort reservations at the 10-12 month window, where I reserve, then rent my weeks to get back my MF's, and in order to add a guest, I have to pay RCI.

I am about ready to take the weeks out of RCI.

Funny that inflation is something people expect for maintenance fees but not for other fees. I posted that my maintenance fees for Presidential Villas has gone from like $619 to $920 in about five years, and someone said that was reasonable. To me, it's not at all reasonable. I can buy the same car that I bought 15 years ago for $33K for $46K today. That seems reasonable for inflation.

On the other hand, people here on TUG are still saying that RCI Points should cost around 1 cent per point in MF's. They have been saying THAT for 15 years. Y'all kind of make me crazy.

10-12 months is home resort reservation and is technically an exchange. With rci points you have to reserve prior to 12 months (12 months+1 day) in order for it to be a home week reservation (not an exchange) and no guest certificate fee should apply.

I don't think the amount that it has gone up was reasonable but $619 for a lock off 3 br was probably too low and as you know when fees are kept artificially low either the resort falls apart from lack of sufficient maintenance or a special assessment to make up for the deferred maintenance.

The reason they still say a penny a point is because what you get hasn't changed. Newer resorts often have higher point values and the older resorts stay the same. If RCI fees had stayed the same over the last 15 years then the MF's per point could have slowly risen and the deals would have remained the same. Unfortunately the RCI fees have almost doubled in the last 15 years and especially for the less expensive point value exchanges the rci fees make up a large percentage of the whole exchange cost (RCI membership+exchange fees+MF on the points used)

 

[bogey21]

Call the resort. I've been able to bypass a guest cert. several times. I have only done it for my kids and brother who all have the same last name.

In my TimeSharing heyday I owned Weeks at six different HOA Controlled Independent Resorts. Guest Certificates were not required. Whenever I had someone else using my Week for any reason all I had to do was send a letter to the Resort Manager telling them to mark my Week as being used by the person I designated in my letter. Never did I have a problem...

George

 

[rickandcindy23]

10-12 months is home resort reservation and is technically an exchange. With rci points you have to reserve prior to 12 months (12 months+1 day) in order for it to be a home week reservation (not an exchange) and no guest certificate fee should apply.

I don't think the amount that it has gone up was reasonable but $619 for a lock off 3 br was probably too low and as you know when fees are kept artificially low either the resort falls apart from lack of sufficient maintenance or a special assessment to make up for the deferred maintenance.

The reason they still say a penny a point is because what you get hasn't changed. Newer resorts often have higher point values and the older resorts stay the same. If RCI fees had stayed the same over the last 15 years then the MF's per point could have slowly risen and the deals would have remained the same. Unfortunately the RCI fees have almost doubled in the last 15 years and especially for the less expensive point value exchanges the rci fees make up a large percentage of the whole exchange cost (RCI membership+exchange fees+MF on the points used)

RCI Points isn't RCI getting the penny a point, it's the resort, and resorts have increases in maintenance fees, which someone said in 10 years is totally reasonable [to have doubled].