HELP I'm in big trouble...

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

as a lot of you know I've had an on-going request for 3/30 thru 4/1/07 since 3/30/05 for a strict list of caribbean and SW Florida resorts. I'm using my cape winds 35 week.

We are now just a pinch over 7 months before our planned travel dates and no match.

I finally asked on "Ask RCI" forum OY and Madge responded telling me to query feedback@rci.com which I did.

I just got their response in my e-mail and things don't look good. Here is an excerpt:

In reviewing your search,
we
do not see any VEP or Trading Power issues at work....What is happening
is that the search contains very narrow parameters for resorts where we
have received absolutely no deposits for the requested dates. In
2006, we received only 20 deposits among all of these resorts for the
same week. Your search as you have it structured now is a longshot.

SIGH.

I knew the odds were going to be long and that is why I placed the search so far out but I had no idea it would be DAMN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE.

I could ride this out to the bitter end but the airfare would kill me if it came in at 30 days so I require help in adding more resorts to my list.

What RCI resorts would you recommend in Sarasota and Ft Myers Florida ( I am already seeking Sanibel, Marco and Sanibel)?

Which RCI resorts would you recommend on islands that DO NOT include St Maarten, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Aruba, Bahamas or Bermuda?

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

Look at these Resorts

Hi Lawren

I own at the Beach Club at St. Augustine, Florida. Cunningham Property Management is the managemnet firm for the Beach Club and several resorts in and around Sarasota including Little Gull. Check out their web site to see what some of the Resorts look like. I don't know if they have anything available but you could call to see if they are all filled up for your time period.

Walt

http://www.vacationfla.com/

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

Unfortunately in the time you have wasted waiting for what you really want you have 99% most likely missed anything that you would have settled for. They have already come and gone if they ever came in the first place.

At least RCI is fessing up~~~folks just aren1t giving them the good stuff any more.

Since you have been following my search and I have been following your search, you know that I have already decided that the handwriting is on the wall. That's why two weeks ago I took something nice in the Sarasota area for January, 2008. I did that search about 200 times before concluding A Gold Crown on Siesta Key is better than being in your fix. Even with 17 months left before our travel date I have concluded the odds are against us.

For all of Florida through RCI for your week there are only 33 resorts available. The pickings are so slim that all that is available at OL is studios! Now that's a barometer eveyone can go by!

I sent you a possibility, the one I thought is likely the nicest place to spend a week that is currently available. Unfortunately, it is not on the beach, but they offer a shuttle to the beach.

It is a Gold Crown, 2-bedroom, and likely the only unit available, during a very popular week, so I did see any use in drawing attention to it on the Internet.

The one check-in date (week) really did you in.

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

Lawren,

I realize that you are inquiring about RCI. However, just to give you an idea of what might be available on II.....I just did a search using your dates with my strongest trader, and the only thing that came up was Orlando, and Puerto Vallarta.......

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

Here Is Your Only Hope

Take the best available now, or soon, so you know you're going and can plan air, etc.

Then, keep searching. Also search the 14-day window to see what might pop up at the last minute when your travel dates get here. For another exchange fee you can switch to where you really want to be.

I know it's not high season, but there are 126 Florida resorts available for the next 5 weeks. There's no way to tell if they never were taken, are last-minute cancellations, or rentals tossed into the exchange pool when they didn't get rented. Anything deposited with 14 days of a check-in date does not match to ongoing searches, unless they have changed that policy.

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

I've also had a search with HGVC and nada..
I think HGVC will have priority over just about anything else.

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

as a lot of you know I've had an on-going request for 3/30 thru 4/1/07 since 3/30/05 for a strict list of caribbean and SW Florida resorts. I'm using my cape winds 35 week.

We are now just a pinch over 7 months before our planned travel dates and no match.

I finally asked on "Ask RCI" forum OY and Madge responded telling me to query feedback@rci.com which I did.

I just got their response in my e-mail and things don't look good. Here is an excerpt:

In reviewing your search,
we
do not see any VEP or Trading Power issues at work....What is happening
is that the search contains very narrow parameters for resorts where we
have received absolutely no deposits for the requested dates. In
2006, we received only 20 deposits among all of these resorts for the
same week. Your search as you have it structured now is a longshot.

SIGH.

I knew the odds were going to be long and that is why I placed the search so far out but I had no idea it would be DAMN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE.

I could ride this out to the bitter end but the airfare would kill me if it came in at 30 days so I require help in adding more resorts to my list.

What RCI resorts would you recommend in Sarasota and Ft Myers Florida ( I am already seeking Sanibel, Marco and Sanibel)?

Which RCI resorts would you recommend on islands that DO NOT include St Maarten, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Aruba, Bahamas or Bermuda?

This is killing me as just last week I saw availability at the Grand Mayan Alcapolco(sp) for your check-in dates....2BRs - my friend booked 2 1BR units for your dates and is going Saturday to Friday on Delta RT NYC for $376.

I know it isn't quite in your area but it would have been nice.

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

With Island park Village that sees everything!!!
No Caribbean.......
and this stuff in Southeast and southwest.....


Fairfield Fort Lauderdale at The Fairways of Palm-Aire (#3875)
Pompano Beach, FL 33069, USA

Available Unit Size - 2 - 2
Check-in Date Range - 04/01/2007 - 04/01/2007


Map

Reviews

Mizner Place (#7559)
Weston, FL 33326, USA

Available Unit Size - 1 - 1
Check-in Date Range - 03/30/2007 - 03/31/2007


Map

Reviews

Vacation Village at Bonaventure (#4025)
Weston, FL 33326, USA

Available Unit Size - S - 2
Check-in Date Range - 03/30/2007 - 04/01/2007


Map

Reviews

Vacation Village at Weston (#5773)
Weston, FL 33326, USA

Available Unit Size - 1 - 2
Check-in Date Range - 03/30/2007 - 04/01/2007


Map

Reviews

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

Lawren,
I also don't see anything in islands and not much in Florida for your dates.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

OK folks. Thanks for the contributions to this thread so far.

I think I am going to add Walt's resorts which look very nice ( I already had Little Gull on my list ). Does anyone know anything about any of them?
I know very,very little about the entire area so I'm still looking for suggestions.

Calini Beach Club
Englewood Beach and Yacht Club
Gulf Tides of Longboat Key
Little Gull Cottages
Longboat Bay Club
Sea Oats Beach Club
Siesta Sands

In the meantime I have applied for membership with DAE and will put a search first in for their Barbados and SW FLorida locations ( if they match me with something they can have my CW 35 for 2007 as I can't use it ).

I seem to remember reading that the lion's share of member deposits at RCI come in the 3 to 12 months out timeframe. (edited to add the following)

3-6 months out - 30%

6-12 months out - 29%

12-18 months out - 30%

18-24 months out - 11%(end edit)

I did see an acceptable Sanibel resort come up today for a week earlier than I need. Most likely I can afford to wait until end of November/December before I will HAVE to know where we are going for airfare purposes. Historically I see our best Easter air purchase prices in January.

I am happy to see that RCI was blatantly honest about my situation ( with real FACTS!). I just wish that I had those deposit figures a lot earlier in this process. I had a "feeling" that the deposits were minimal but 20 weeks in TOTAL across 25 different resort/locations is WILDLY low IMHO.

This may put the final nail in the coffin with my RCI membership. I can still use the banked week to extend my england trip next year or for Presidents week 2008 if they don't come through for us.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Unfortunately in the time you have wasted waiting for what you really want you have 99% most likely missed anything that you would have settled for. They have already come and gone if they ever came in the first place..

Jim you know and I know that the only acceptable resort came thru some time ago but it was a studio.

The key was the "if they ever came in the first place".

They haven't. Not in SW Florida and not in the caribbean ( with the exclusion of Morritts Grand which I got 1 in 4'd ).

That is why I am throwing out a rope to DAE now and seeing if I can't make a go of the independents. I just wish SFX would take my RID Cape Cod...they take the two Anaheim properties which are NOT by any stretch a high-end timeshare.

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

What are your looking for?

Hi Lawren,

Can you re-state what you really want for your time period. And where you are willing to go. Do you need a 1 bedroom? or a 2 bedroom? Is it for 1 week only? And what are the start days you need?

Email me and I may be able to help for this time period with the Cunningham Resorts.

Walt

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

What Lawren really wanted was one of the HGVC beachfront resorts in SW Florida on Marco Island, Ft. Meyers Beach or Sanibel/Captiva.

It is highly unlikely that any settlefors will show up, at least not before the last 14 days, including anything in SW Florida (except maybe Lehigh or Charlotte Bay) or in the Sarasota area.

Even when I search the current 14-day window, which is low season, only a few settlefors on Ft. Myers Beach show up.

The next step, which I fully anticpate through RCI, is that the settlefors in the desirable areas will stop showing up altogether, and all that RCI members will be able to get are the less desirable areas of NE Florida and the Panhandle.

That's the way things are heading.

I have been searching for SW Florida for January, 2008, for over 200 days now, and Bonita Resort and Club has not even shown up.

As many know I have been searching for a reason for the disappearance of the better resorts through RCI for a couple of years and have not pinned it down. If one is to believe what RCI told Lawren, it is because the owners have wised up and are doing something with their weeks that brings more value to them than RCI can.

Perhaps RCI will wind up being an exchange company only for resorts whose owners have no other options. I can see that scenario the way things are headed.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

What Lawren really wanted was one of the HGVC beachfront resorts in SW Florida on Marco Island, Ft. Meyers Beach or Sanibel/Captiva....As many know I have been searching for a reason for the disappearance of the better resorts through RCI for a couple of years and have not pinned it down. If one is to believe what RCI told Lawren, it is because the owners have wised up and are doing something with their weeks that brings more value to them than RCI can..

Not wanted, WANTS.

Lawren WANTS one of those very badly!

To be fair I added quite a few other things ( Including a few snowballs in hell. Who knew they were ALL snowballs? ). Here is my on-going search list:



0045 Plantation Beach Club at South Seas
0132 Sanibel Beach Club II
0229 Casa Ybel Resort
0344 The Surf Club of Marco
0613 The Charter Club of Marco Beach
0731 Eagle's Nest Beach Resort
0757 Sand Acres Beach Club
1853 Virgin Grand Villas
2023 Club Regency of Marco Island
2197 Shell Island Beach Club Resort
2765 Plantation House at South Seas Reso
3022 Tortuga Beach Club Resort
3023 Crane Beach Resort
3025 Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Reso
3042 Sanibel Cottages Resort
3044 The South Seas Club at South Seas R
3189 Sanibel Beach Club
3285 Lighthouse Resort & Club
3686 Bougainvillea Beach Resort
3870 Sunset Ridge Villas
4302 Westin Vacation Club-St. John
6390 Residences at the Crane
6926 Young Island Resort
7527 Trade Winds at Mimosa

and it isn't just week 13 that isn't showing up. It is and has been Feb 1 thru Apr 1, 2007 since I began this search. Although I don't check daily I check as often as possible and there hasn't been much at all. The ones that fell outside my check-in dates were posted as exchange opportunities for the use of the membership..

I don't begrudge the owners of these weeks the ability to use or rent. They get a lot more than the value RCI brings and it is their perogative to do so. I just wish I had known that only 20 weeks were deposited for ALL those resorts for week 13 in 2006.

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

Lawren,

I sent you a PM.