Caught in the RCI shuffle

[Bruce in PA]

So it looks like the switch from RCI to II is going to cost us 120 points. And there's not a thing we can do about it, according to Member Services.

Two years ago, we booked a week at an RCI resort in Costa Rica for June 2020. As we all know, COVID scuttled those plans. We were able to rebook for the following year, thinking that, of course, COVID would be nothing but a bad memory. Sadly, when we got to last spring, there were still travel warnings out for Costa Rica and we reluctantly decided to postpone once again.

At the time, we were told that we could extend our RCI points into 2022 by paying a fee before December 31.

Today, I called Member Services to do so, innocently thinking that even though DVC was leaving RCI and going with Interval, all RCI transfer points would still be valid. But that's not the case.

Any expiring points are not being extended. Period. No ifs, ands or buts. And DVC is doing absolutely nothing to make its members whole or to compensate for this last minute switch.

We are simply out 120 points and there is absolutely nothing we can do about. Except to voice our complete outrage online. We have been members -- happy members for the most part -- since 1995. And we feel we've been treated very poorly.

I'd be interested to hear how others see this. And if you see anything further we could or should do, please let us know.

 

[Brian Noble]

It might be worth calling back or writing to Member Satisfaction. In most other systems, point extensions are a tranaction with RCI, not the home resort system. DVC might work differently, but it might not, and you might have just gotten a Cast Member who didn’t fully understand the details.

 

[Bruce in PA]

It might be worth calling back or writing to Member Satisfaction....DVC might work differently, but it might not, and you might have just gotten a Cast Member who didn’t fully understand the details.

I wish that was the case, but I'm afraid it's not. I talked to both a Cast Member and then her Supervisor. They were both VERY adamant that absolutely nothing can be done, no extensions are available for exchanged points that expire in 2021.

I will be writing a note to Member Satisfaction, though. I do want them to know how disappointed and angry this has made us.

 

[Brian Noble]

The next step might be to write to Member Satisfaction. This is an obscure enough situation---it happens once every ten years---that even the supervisor might not be aware of every last option. There is also the chance of a bit of last-minute pixie dust from MS. It cannot hurt.

 

[bobbiwoz]

^ Please do that, and I hope you get what you need!

 

[Bruce in PA]

Thanks, I will post whatever response I get as a reply on this thread. I agree, it cannot hurt. And if nothing else, it will be a good way to "air my grievances" during Festivus season.

 

[limace]

I’m confused-once points are deposited into RCI isn’t this a transaction/conversation with RCI, not DVC?

 

[Narcoossee11]

I’m confused-once points are deposited into RCI isn’t this a transaction/conversation with RCI, not DVC?

This is exactly the issue./ situation. You moved your points to RCI. Your rci points have an end date of this year. RCI will not extend the life of those points
The pandemic has made traveling a mess.

 

[Bruce in PA]

I’m confused-once points are deposited into RCI isn’t this a transaction/conversation with RCI, not DVC?

You would think so, but it's not. If we were placing a reservation, we would do it via the RCI website. But when it comes to extending those points, we still work with DVC. We would have paid a fee ($100, I think) to extend the life of the points for another year.

 

[Narcoossee11]

I think the extension is not an option that RCI is offering any more since their partnership is ending Dec31 2021.
DVC has no power to force/ encourage them to help you.

Costa Rico was not in the cards for a trip. I feel for you since there is no availability to travel anywhere in the next 2 weeks I would imagine.

 

[Bruce in PA]

I think the extension is not an option that RCI is offering any more since their partnership is ending Dec31 2021.
DVC has no power to force/ encourage them to help you.

I understand that. However, you phrase it as if this change is due to RCI. My understanding is that DVC ended the relationship. They are responsible for the situation and, ultimately, for our family losing 120 points.

 

[dcfromva]

Gosh, I'm real sorry this has happened to you. In the back of my mind I am wondering what would your status be if you had already paid the fee prior to the announcement of the end of the relationship between DVC and RCI? And, what would have changed after the announcement?

The other thing that I don't know--what happened to the points that your deposited with RCI? Were they already used? Does DVC have to match them to your RCI reservation or are they 2 independent transactions? Seems like if your points were already used by someone in the RCI system that there should be some leeway under the current rules (which allows you to extend by paying a fee).

I hope you are able to ask questions and get a satisfactory result.

 

[CarolynFH]

what happened to the points that your deposited with RCI? Were they already used? Does DVC have to match them to your RCI reservation or are they 2 independent transactions?

I don't have any knowledge about the main issue here (extending the life of points already deposited to RCI), but I can tell you there is no direct correlation between DVC points deposited by owners and incoming RCI exchanges. For the last number of years, DVC has deposited into RCI almost exclusively 1 BR villas at SSR and OKW, with occasional ones at AKL and, for a few months after reopening when the resorts were nearly empty, some BWV popped up. Obviously the DVC owners who deposited their points owned at more than just those resorts!

 

[Sandisw]

I understand that. However, you phrase it as if this change is due to RCI. My understanding is that DVC ended the relationship. They are responsible for the situation and, ultimately, for our family losing 120 points.

I do understand and all you can do is reach out via Membership Satisfaction. It is frustrating, but DVC does have the ability to end the RCI partnership.

It has been announced that points there will get the two years so maybe you will be able to get them to somehow allow it. But it would still be up to RCI and regardless of who ended it, if they don’t want to allow extensions beyond the normal 2 years, then its really up to them.

 

[Bruce in PA]

Gosh, I'm real sorry this has happened to you. In the back of my mind I am wondering what would your status be if you had already paid the fee prior to the announcement of the end of the relationship between DVC and RCI? And, what would have changed after the announcement?

The other thing that I don't know--what happened to the points that your deposited with RCI? Were they already used? Does DVC have to match them to your RCI reservation or are they 2 independent transactions? Seems like if your points were already used by someone in the RCI system that there should be some leeway under the current rules (which allows you to extend by paying a fee).

I hope you are able to ask questions and get a satisfactory result.

Real good questions, and I can only guess at the answers.

I assume that if we had paid the fee to extend in, say, November, it would have been under the existing rules at the time and would have been no problem. The points would have been extended and would now exist in the RCI system as 2022 points.

And I have no idea about what happened to my actual DVC points, which we first transferred when we reserved this trip back before COVID. My assumption there is that the points were used by an RCI subscriber long ago.

I sent an email to Member Satisfaction earlier today, hope that maybe they will get back to me this week.

 

[Sandisw]

I don't have any knowledge about the main issue here (extending the life of points already deposited to RCI), but I can tell you there is no direct correlation between DVC points deposited by owners and incoming RCI exchanges. For the last number of years, DVC has deposited into RCI almost exclusively 1 BR villas at SSR and OKW, with occasional ones at AKL and, for a few months after reopening when the resorts were nearly empty, some BWV popped up. Obviously the DVC owners who deposited their points owned at more than just those resorts!

Points that went to RCI were good for 2 years, Owners could also pay an extra $100 to get another year out of them,

It sounds like the OP is getting the 2 years but wanted to pay for the extension for that 3rd year, But, since DVC won’t be trading with RCI after 2021, it sounds like RCI is not offering that extension any longer to those with points in the system.

 

[CarolynFH]

Points that went to RCI were good for 2 years, Owners could also pay an extra $100 to get another year out of them,

It sounds like the OP is getting the 2 years but wanted to pay for the extension for that 3rd year, But, since DVC won’t be trading with RCI after 2021, it sounds like RCI is not offering that extension any longer to those with points in the system.

Exactly. I was answering the question about what happened to the points they deposited, whether those points had already been "used" by RCI or not. And the answer is that there's no direct correlation between points deposited by owners to RCI and villas offered by DVC in RCI, so that's a moot point here.

 

[dcfromva]

And, this is from the email DVC sent:
"In the meantime, you can continue to book nightly and weekly exchanges in the traditional exchanges through our current program until Dec. 31, 2021. Additionally, any confirmed reservations or points that have been deposited to RCI will be honored through 2023. If you have confirmed exchanges with RCI, deposited points with RCI or made a booking with RCI using cash, you can always review your activity on the Member website. "

My impression is I would expect all the current rules to remain in place on points already deposited. If there was a rule that allowed extending points for a year by paying a fee, it would seem like that should be honored through the 31st of Dec. It seems weird that RCI is improvising here.

 

[Sandisw]

And, this is from the email DVC sent:
"In the meantime, you can continue to book nightly and weekly exchanges in the traditional exchanges through our current program until Dec. 31, 2021. Additionally, any confirmed reservations or points that have been deposited to RCI will be honored through 2023. If you have confirmed exchanges with RCI, deposited points with RCI or made a booking with RCI using cash, you can always review your activity on the Member website. "

My impression is I would expect all the current rules to remain in place on points already deposited. If there was a rule that allowed extending points for a year by paying a fee, it would seem like that should be honored through the 31st of Dec. It seems weird that RCI is improvising here.

It is possible, though, that the points being good until the end of 2023 is referring to all the points deposited in 2021 that have the 2 year guarantee. However, this certainly would be language that one can use to push to allow for the paid extension!!!

 

[Brian Noble]

It seems weird that RCI is improvising here.

I suspect the improvisation is on the part of DVC. RCI is not known for refusing to accept fees.