Poll. How many of you use the ongoing request feature.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

Do you use the ongoing request in II or RCI?
If so how often?

Just curious because I keep setting them up and then cancelling them to book something else that I see online.
I guess I just have issues with instant gratification.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

Sometimes I do for tough exchanges- but mostly I try to grab what's available online searching (with II).

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

Made my last exchange with an ongoing search.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

To say that I can't remember when I ever used it to get any of our 120 exchanges gives it more credence than it deserves.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

I didn't know how exactly to answer the poll.

I have only done one ongoing request as long as we have had II and regret it very much because the lady told me that I was on top of the list with a 2 BR deposit and trying to make an exchange to our own resort for a week later. She told me that some people deposit 13 months out or even earlier (multiple week owners) and then 12 months out again so my chances were supposedly excellent. I had 14 1/2 months waiting time but now we are only 3 months out, if that. I keep calling but II claimed again this week that they haven't had one single 2 BR deposit all year long for the week we need and the resort we want.

I know that we are not flexible but she should have told me how difficult it would be and not tell a story. She may not have known how things have changed when the Marriott introduced their new DC club. Never again will I deposit in II if we do not get our request filled in Flextime. We will find a spur of the moment deal and jump on it but that will be our very last exchange with II. We don't use RCI and it will expire soon too. We can't cancel the Corporate account or I would too.

[StressCadet Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close StressCadet]

I'm a depends...this year I have several searches going because I want something specific/tougher. Many times I do pick up things instantly especially if I'm looking to "trade up" in II.

[FreeIn2010 Member Find all posts View Profile Close FreeIn2010]

I don't deposit w/ RCI Weeks. I've used my Wyndham/RCI Weeks account only for Last Calls and specials. I'm now in my 2nd year with RCI Points. Until recently RCI Points didn't allow ongoing searches...now they allow it but only for booking RCI Weeks inventory...not Points inventory. I've had good experiences so far with RCI Points at 10 months out.

A few years ago I heard/read that ongoing searches were processed manually. And if you really wanted something, you would do best to put in the ongoing search, but also search online yourself.

[gandalf252002 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close gandalf252002]

I have setup 1 up with II but then cancelled it a few weeks later. I'll probably try setting one up again, but for tougher resorts that are rarely seen. It'll be one of those searches that if it comes across, great but wouldn't hold me breath for. It will be a very WIDE net, with a number of different resorts in a variety of different nets.

That being said, I will also very shortly be putting one in with RCI and II for a specific week in Alberta for the convocation of my graduation. However I will also have searches in with SFX, Platinum and DAE on top of those two. There are a couple of very nice resorts that I would like so I'll make sure that I get a resort, and then keep searching for the one I really want.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

With II, my experience has been that searches get you what u want. I generally am looking for something specific to go with a resie I already have. Example would be getting additional units at Marriott Aruba Surf or Ocean to go with my owned week. As a Marriott owner, you can put in a request for one resort and one check in date. I find this very valuable For regular members, you have to have a combo of 3 dates/3 resorts. I do this when I want to "upgrade" in unit size say trading a studio for a 2BR at a resort that only has 2BRs. Many times online you can not make the exchange but by putting in a request, you get it the next day.

The other time a search is helpful in II is when u r trying to trade into a group of resorts that has a preference period such as Marriott or Starwood. You are never quite sure when units will drop off of the internal preference so having the search set up assures your place in line. An example of this would be trying to get a unit at Harborside Atlantis or Marriott Newport Coast using a CMV.

With RCI, most of my exchanges have been instant but I am very resort/time specific when using RCI.

With SFX, I use ongoing searches for best results but have purchased off the sell off list for last minute NYC exchanges.

[BWolf Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BWolf]

We've started using it for two or more requests per year. Right now, in II, we have a deposit first going and a request first going.

[stan2u Member Find all posts View Profile Close stan2u]

I've done it successfully with RCI in the past and plan on using it again

[timeos2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close timeos2]

I didn't know how exactly to answer the poll.

I have only done one ongoing request as long as we have had II and regret it very much because the lady told me that I was on top of the list with a 2 BR deposit and trying to make an exchange to our own resort for a week later. She told me that some people deposit 13 months out or even earlier (multiple week owners) and then 12 months out again so my chances were supposedly excellent. I had 14 1/2 months waiting time but now we are only 3 months out, if that. I keep calling but II claimed again this week that they haven't had one single 2 BR deposit all year long for the week we need and the resort we want.

I know that we are not flexible but she should have told me how difficult it would be and not tell a story. She may not have known how things have changed when the Marriott introduced their new DC club. Never again will I deposit in II if we do not get our request filled in Flextime. We will find a spur of the moment deal and jump on it but that will be our very last exchange with II. We don't use RCI and it will expire soon too. We can't cancel the Corporate account or I would too.

I found exactly the same thing. The minute you won't acccept the wrong times, resort, unit size the the "success" rate of ongoing II searches is near zero. I laugh when the II groupies jump in with the tales of great success "as long as you are flexible". If I wanted to be flexible I'd rent whatever is out there. I want nearly EXACTLY what I request an anything less is not a success - just an irritation and excessive cost / trade value wasted.

Now I know to use request first only OR simply rent as those guarantee you'll get what you request & expect not have to settle for things that aren't close rather than lose the deposit.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

To say that I can't remember when I ever used it to get any of our 120 exchanges gives it more credence than it deserves.

My simplest explanation for this is that I have not found a person or system who/that does a better job of getting what we want, when we want it, (if we want it) than me, or is more honest to me than me.



Also, we started when you had to call a Guide (VC at that time) to do anything, so that likely led to my dislike for putting it in the hands of anyone or anything else. It took ten years to figure that out, including a couple of years after RCI.com started, because things were still kept secret.

[gthorson Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close gthorson]

I like the ongoing search with RCI. With proper planning, you are more likely to get the really prized units. Only the leftovers show up online.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

26 is a far cry from millions of subscribers, but of the respondents, a little less than 12% appear to use ongoing searches regularly.

Hmmmm?!