I am so irritated with RCI, can someone help

[Dizzy over Disney]

When we first got into DVC, we earned 270 incentive points. We could not use them at Disney by the time alloted and so we banked them with RCI .. big mistake.

I cannot seem to get a reservation with RCI .... everything is always booked. The points expire Dec 2011. Am I just an idiot here and don't get it?? We wanted to a beach vacation.. I tried calling... they looked at the entire summer and there was nothing in the state of South Carolina or NC. I was told I could be on a waitlist for 95 dollars.. but we wont know where we are on the waitlist. Do I do that??

Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

You need to plan this trip a long ways out. You can't call MS and look for a beach trip a few months out. Plan for next summer instead of this summer.

 

[Disneybuckeye]

The above poster is correct. For popular times and locations you need to put a request in a year or more in advance. That includes beaches in the summer, Disney at the holidays, and skiing in the spring out west. Yes, it is not great, but that is what you have to do. Kind of like planning Disney at 11 months to get what you want. I would put in a request for a beach vacation for next summer and set pretty broad parameters and most likely you will get something that works for you. Yes, you have to pay the fee for the ongoing search, but you can get your money back if nothing ever comes up. They will also call you periodically and offer suggestions for a match. You are correct in that you do not know where you are one the list, but keep in mind the lists are all different depending on overlaps of your parameters. Good luck and I hope you find something you like.

 

[Brian Noble]

I tried calling... they looked at the entire summer and there was nothing in the state of South Carolina or NC. I was told I could be on a waitlist for 95 dollars.. but we wont know where we are on the waitlist. Do I do that??

For high-demand times (and summer atlantic coastal *definitely* qualifies) you absolutely should use this feature. You'd be paying the $95 in any event for an exchange; using the waitlist (sometimes called an "ongoing search") just means you pay it in advance.

You will have much better luck searching for Summer 2011 than 2010, but even that's not completely impossible.

 

[Dizzy over Disney]

I did look for summer 2011

I guess we'll pay the 95

 

[Disneybuckeye]

Keep in mind that anyone who has a floating week cannnot reserve their week until 1 year in advance and thus can't deposit it until one year in advance. A lot more places for summer 2011 will start popping up over the next 4 months. The sooner you put your ongoing search in the higher priority you will be for next summer and the greater likelihood that you will find something you like. Good luck!

 

[Brian Noble]

I did look for summer 2011

When I say 'better luck', I mean with an ongoing search. When you just call and ask what is available, all you are seeing for the most part is the "leftovers" that don't match an ongoing search already in place. The earlier you place your request, the farther toward the front of the line you will be.

 

[ldo]

assuming you are including HHI, you should get something. We have traded my parents Orlando 2 BR timeshare for 10 years into Hilton Head in the summer--we usually start looking right after Labor Day for the next summer. Put a search in now and you should get something-you'll be ahead of a lot of others. There are lots of fun places on HHI and RCI has a good supply. Other NC beach places have less supply and more owner use them. good luck, Elaine (ps--for HHI, Waterside is our favorite--they usually have at least a couple summer units in RCI).