So, new to DVC, but been using RCI for several years with HGVC. Wanted to share a couple impressions, ideas, and questions. Initially, I was confused why DVC members had such low regard for RCI. On the face of it, DVC members get a great value. For the points for a DVC week in Dream-Premier season (depending on the resort), you can get 2 RCI red weeks, which are typically are premier destinations/resorts. I have such a resort, and can vouch that it was equivalent in cost to DVC to buy, so DVC members are essentially getting a 2:1 exchange ratio for equivalent resorts. Granted, there are *some* people getting equally good deals trading into DVC given DVC is red week all year long (as are other top resorts), so RCI doesn't really charge equitably for differences in seasons between exchanges (although generally DVC only releases weeks in lower seasons), however, I think *most* DVC members are getting a pretty good exchange rate. Also, on top of the favorable exchange rate, DVC members only pay $100 for exchanges vs. the typical $200 and pay nothing for Guest Certificates (vs. $59 typically). So, based on these two facts, I couldn't figure out why DVC'ers didn't like RCI. Then, I created a RCI "Waitlist" (aka "Ongoing Search") and figured out the rub -- Waitlists are nothing like traditional Ongoing Searches. The way RCI normally works, you can search for a range of dates, multiple resorts, and multiple bedroom sizes within a single Ongoing Search, then have two business days after a match is found to either Confirm or Release the match -- *prior* to any points being redeemed or the non-refundable fee being used to confirm the reservation. Searching this way makes it extremely easy to find good resorts if your flexible with your dates -- you just need patience. You set it and forget it up to 24 months in advance, and only when a match is found (which is pretty likely with flexible dates far enough in advance) do you get serious and start planning (booking flights, checking vacation schedule, etc.), and all the time you aren't committing any points and your fee is remains refundable/transferrable. So, compare this to DVC -- with DVC your RCI Waitlist is *automatically confirmed*, which means two very important things -- 1) your DVC points are transferred once any search result is found -- so if you cancel because the reservation doesn't work for you, you can no longer use those DVC points except for another RCI reservation and 2) you lose your $100 fee if you cancel, and have to pay at least another $100 to put in another search (or even the same search), and 3) if you create the same search after cancelling a match, you run the risk you'll find the same resort again -- which normally wouldn't happen since a normal ongoing search is smart enough to not find the same match immediately after releasing a match. So, these combined, make it nearly completely unworkable to find a resort since you're only safe option to use a Waitlist is to search for an exact resort and week that you've already planned for specifically (e.g. taken off vacation, booked flights, etc). However, this is practically worthless, since the likelihood of finding an exact date and resort is extremely low in RCI since this is antithetical to how a system based on very limited inventory at any given time works. So, Waitlists are completely unworkable as is IMO. That just leave the option of searching available inventory, which unless you search every day isn't going to be very fruitful, and even if you search daily, ongoing searches *always* take precedence unlike DVC waitlists. My guess is all of this has something to do with the lower $99 fee DVC members get -- RCI is willing to offer a lower fee in exchange for knowing they'll get to pocket the $99 even if you cancel, and they'll get valuable DVC inventory even if you cancel, which they are guaranteed to get another $199 for from another member exchange fee, plus will still get another $99 out of you when you use your deposited points. Needless to say, it would be much more valuable to DVC members if DVC opted for the normal fee structure, and had true Ongoing Searches -- this would allow DVC members to freely search RCI without risking valuable DVC points, or being forced to accept sub-optimal matches which will likely cause them to have higher flight costs since they'll be forced to accept plans regardless of flight costs. Needless to say, I was quite surprised to find out this is how RCI works for DVC members given the DVC membership guide (both physical and online) mentioned nothing about this and one would naturally assume RCI works the same as it works everywhere else. However, this certainly explains why people think RCI is worthless for DVC members since it really is only good for searching existing inventory which is almost nil. Meanwhile, people exchanging into DVC get the full advantage of normal RCI Ongoing Searches, so I can see how people feel RCI is benefitting RCI but not DVC (as it currently exists). So, what to do? First step is provide feedback to DVC. Call them, write them, email them. Tell them you want RCI to work they way it works for everyone else, even if that means higher RCI fees. There are two other mitigations which most people probably don't realize. First, per the Terms of RCI,
http://b2b.rci.com/RCI/termsandConditions.do?language=en&country=US&brandId=20, you have until the end of the *next* business day to cancel a *confirmed* reservation. By doing so you typically get the fee refunded and the points returned to your plan. I have done this myself with HGVC and they always tell me they "aren't supposed to do it" but ultimately it's in the terms on their website when logged in from DVC, and given DVC expressly states you aren't subject to DVC terms when leaving DVC to RCI, these are the only terms that apply. After reminding them of the terms on their website, they always have allowed me to cancel and refund the points. Can anyone confirm this works with DVC as well? If so, this still isn't as easy as simply clicking Release online since you have to hassle with calling an arguing and making sure it gets returned, and you only have 1 day, not 2 days like an Ongoing Search, so harder to plan your vacation in 1 day, but it is still a good safety measure given the way it currently works. Please let me know if anyone has tried this with DVC -- I know from experience it *should* work but always good to know for sure before relying on this. Secondly, can anyone confirm what happens when a match for a larger room size occurs? Based on what I've read here, only exact matches are automatically confirmed, and others you have the option to accept. So, my theory is if you search for a smaller room than exists at the resort(s) you are searching, you will never get an exact match. So, always choose "Hotel" as your room size, and you'll never get an exact match (unless the resort you are searching actually has a hotel room), and my theory is you will then be given the normal "Confirm" or "Release" option since searches are for "minimum room size" so a search for hotel will still find 1bdrm and 2 bdrm. Can anyone also confirm this is the case, e.g. that a match for a 2bdrm on a 1bdrm search will hold the match and give you the Confirm/Release option before transferring points? If so, this will work for 90%+ of resorts that don't offer a Hotel room option. If that's the case, I guess I'm OK with the DVC system given these two workarounds, and the lower RCI rates, but still think this is a lot of hoops to jump through and the average person isn't going to know any of this and be frustrated with the experience, so DVC should still opt for the higher fee with true Ongoing Searches for the benefit of it's members.
Cliff note version:
