I don't know nuttin' 'bout RCI...

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

I'm currently looking for something in Orlando in late Feb '08. I'm not very particular. We spend most of our waking hours in the theme parks, so location is more important than amenities, and there are easily a dozen resorts that would work well for us.

I have a dog blue week that I've had an ongoing search with, but it hadn't been turning anything up. So, I switched the search over to a much stronger trader this morning. It's a Fairfield generic points deposit, and so I had to do that over the phone with an RCI VC. Of course, three good-but-not-great resorts on my list pop right up, no sweat. I put one on hold, and went to work.

I was all set to confirm it after talking with the Mrs. tonight, but it was eating at me all day. This is Orlando. I should not panic and use a strong trader to get one of over a dozen resorts in Orlando when I'm still almost ten months out.

So, I get home, and do a quick online search with my dog blue week. Still nothing in my list of acceptable places. But, I can't pull the trigger on the exchange, so I figure I may as well let the search keep going; there is still plenty of time.

So, I call, release the week on hold, and switch the search back over to the dog blue week. Bingo. One of those three from the morning hits.

Can anyone explain to me what happened? I *just looked* 10 minutes before I called, and there waddn't nuttin! Overnight, I can see something changing in the supply/demand. But in the span of ten minutes in the evening?

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

Even RCI has trouble figuring out how their system operates. Hey, when you have to maintain the system every weekend it must have serious deficiencies. I would guess the computer decided during the evening that there was ample supply for Orlando that week and allowed lower power weeks to access them. This has always seemed to be similar to the case when some resorts do a bulk spacebank.

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

So your Blue week picked up one of your resorts on a phone call? There was a time when I traded through RCI and at that time any Vacation Guide could overide anything (5 times a week) and give you what you want. Does that give you an indication of what may have happened?

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

Tony: this wasn't a spacebank, at least not at that resort. Maybe somewhere else that rippled. It's had units sitting around both before and after this week. But, somehow given how creaky their systems are, I doubt they are doing updates on trading power in real-time.

Spence: I half suspected that, actually. VCs have a commission incentive, no?

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

Did that blue week match happen on the phone, or with an online search?

I think there's often something not logical about the functionality of my RCI online searches. They'll match for something new that hasn't been sitting online I can see, which must be either newly deposited by a member or newly released by another search, but not for things I can see when I try a manual search. Sometimes. Other members have reported this too.

I've heard that if you have previously released an online search for a specific resort, it sometimes won't match for that same resort again even for different dates (!!) but there are times I think it doesn't automatically match again for a whole geographic area - or something like that.

And... if something's been sitting on line for quite awhile and I put it on hold, then decide I don't want it and release it, often that resort disappears for awhile - probably making the rounds to other online searches, for awhile - sometimes to another one of my ongoing searchs.

Stuff sitting online seems to function differently than stuff circulating to online searches. That's what I think. I'm not sure that fits what happened to you, but it might.

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

Laurie, it did not match a manual on-line search, but did match over the phone 10 minutes later.

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

I was thinking you found it on line. The VG's can do a little extra for you, but beware- they do make notes. I was stunned once when I cancelled an exchange and they waived the fee without me even asking. Who knows ? Maybe they are feeling some pressure or maybe it was be nice to blue day. Hey, there is going to be a blue moon this month.

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

I think you can put it down to the VG "finding" it for you.

Precisely the reason some people periodically check by phone to see how their requests are doing.

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

I see 30 Resorts.

I'm currently looking for something in Orlando in late Feb '08. I'm not very particular. We spend most of our waking hours in the theme parks, so location is more important than amenities, and there are easily a dozen resorts that would work well for us.

I have a dog blue week that I've had an ongoing search with, but it hadn't been turning anything up. So, I switched the search over to a much stronger trader this morning. It's a Fairfield generic points deposit, and so I had to do that over the phone with an RCI VC. Of course, three good-but-not-great resorts on my list pop right up, no sweat. I put one on hold, and went to work.

I was all set to confirm it after talking with the Mrs. tonight, but it was eating at me all day. This is Orlando. I should not panic and use a strong trader to get one of over a dozen resorts in Orlando when I'm still almost ten months out.

So, I get home, and do a quick online search with my dog blue week. Still nothing in my list of acceptable places. But, I can't pull the trigger on the exchange, so I figure I may as well let the search keep going; there is still plenty of time.

So, I call, release the week on hold, and switch the search back over to the dog blue week. Bingo. One of those three from the morning hits.

Can anyone explain to me what happened? I *just looked* 10 minutes before I called, and there waddn't nuttin! Overnight, I can see something changing in the supply/demand. But in the span of ten minutes in the evening?

I see 30 Resorts doing a weeks search for the Orlando Area from Feb. 15, 2008 for 5 weeks. I see 7 GC Resorts and 11 Silver Resorts.

Walt

[bevvy5 Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close bevvy5]

A VG can definitely override the system. Sometimes you have to beg and plead, sometimes they just do it of their own accord.

It worked out well in your case.

Bev

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

Overides are recorded, so if you get a few the next time you ask the answer may be no. Sometimes it's better to only ask when you are desperate.