You people are spoilt!

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

bunny hop , you sound like you work for RCI

those of us that have poor trading weeks have done all these things. What happens is RCI calls you and offers you something really poor and tells you basically to get real. you are not going to get such and such. Then they offer you a rental at a nice place during your search period.

Someone offered to let me use his week in november. There was a Tortuga on Sanible coming up with it. He and I both tried to get an RCI guide to let me have it on his account with me paying the expenses. Not only couldn't we get it to work, but they wouldn't let me have it with my week and it was 12 days before check in.

I believe I have started bpulling Sherry S's resort, which tells me they have devalued it. if i can get it,a nyone can.

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

SherryS, try putting your requests on an ongoing search. I've heard that some people think it works best.

If you have an idea on where you are thinking of going, and can search more on, types of vacations like: beach, golf, family, mountain, ect. try that. I think you can request up to 48 resorts for 1 week deposited in RCI, and I believe it's unlimited requests in II for 1 week deposited.

try it. it's worth a shot. After all, what do you have to loose since you're not pulling what you use to?

Also, when requesting, try to not limit your requests. it's 48 with RCI, and UNLIMITED with II. (I think) take advantage of the amount. And if you can, try to also have a large veriety of times you can travel.

let me know if you plan on trying it out. And how it goes. I'm curious. And if it works......

Honestly, bunny hop, I don't want to give RCI any more money "upfront" to put in a standing request. I HAVE done that in the recent past, and it doesn't work!! I have also tried depositing 14 months out instead of 23 months out. Again, no improvement! I HAVE owned these same 3 fixed weeks since the late 1980's and do know that they have been devalued A LOT in the last 2 - 3 years!
One of my examples is that I used to be able to "pull" Manhattan Club, but didn't want to go there at the time. Now I want to go there, and can't pull it (and can't get a guide to give it). I have many other specific examples........

[bunnyhop Member Find all posts View Profile Close bunnyhop]

to both rapmarks and SherryS. Sorry I wasn't able to get back soon enough since the 15th. I had to deleat some cookies and it made it look like no one had poasted. Untill today.

I don't work for RCI, but I've done a little research. I understand the delema of giveing money up to RCI for not getting anything in return.

If not putting an ongoing search makes you feel a little "safer," I would suggest you look by 12am et. I've read, while days go by, people put their searches on holds, and if they are held for 24 hours or more, this seems to be the time (12am et) that RCI lets those holds go, and puts them back on the web site, if no one has confirmed them.

This would mean you have to stay up a bit late unless you live on the pacific coast, you may get the chance to look at them by 9pm pt. I'd like to see if this is true.

On a day you have off, stay up to see if the site changes with availability. I hear it does,.....and quite well.

All I ask, is if you look to see if there is a tone of availability by 12am to 1:30am et. Maybe you could "score!" It's just a suggestion.

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

bunny hop: I've tried after 12 a.m., too (I'm retired and have done this OFTEN).... Still doesn't "pull" resorts that are sighted by many others or resorts I've previously "pulled" and confirmed NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, MY WEEKS HAVE BEEN DEVALUED BY RCI!!

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

Bunnyhop , you must own a really good week.

[bunnyhop Member Find all posts View Profile Close bunnyhop]

I'm sorry all this isn't working. what exactly are you looking for?

I'm just trying to piece some missing pieces of the puzzle toether in my head to see if ther's a possible reason things aren't working.

Have you tried to call RCI before 7am et. at all?
I've heard that some people my be able to get some strings pulled in their favor if they call before 7am et.

If you haven't, I'd ask for what's recently come in. They may be able to pull some strings for you.

Do you get Timeshareing Today Magazine? On Jan/Feb of 2007 issue, had a report about how Maria Martinez calls RCI and asks frquently of what comes in, and always get's up before 7am to check availability.

Do you frequently talk with the reps, I mean call offten to see what has come in? The web site isn't live so weeks can go before you even see them.
Reps can emediatly see all inventory and give you a week that just came in.

That's what it sounds like. Have you done this at all? Try it if you haven't. This may mean calling offten throughout a few weeks or months. But I'd like to see how it goes.

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

Me too, I don't have any weeks to play with!! or grab !! But I read these every day and can dream, can't I? Thanks, Lauren. shaggy

Same here!!! Just got back from a great vacation at Windjammer Landing St. Lucia but and I used my last RCI week to grab Allen House for vacation in London starting with Thanksgiving 2009 and I have nothing to play with in RCI. ( Got it during RCI glitch during first couple of days into new search engine when I was able to see everything worldwide for two years).

I do have two weeks available in II but can only get good trades during Flex exchange. Saving one week to go to Colorado this summer but need to wait till June to use Flex exchange. By then I should have something to search with in RCI for 2010.

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

I'm sorry all this isn't working. what exactly are you looking for?

I'm just trying to piece some missing pieces of the puzzle toether in my head to see if ther's a possible reason things aren't working.

Have you tried to call RCI before 7am et. at all?
I've heard that some people my be able to get some strings pulled in their favor if they call before 7am et.

If you haven't, I'd ask for what's recently come in. They may be able to pull some strings for you.

Do you get Timeshareing Today Magazine? On Jan/Feb of 2007 issue, had a report about how Maria Martinez calls RCI and asks frquently of what comes in, and always get's up before 7am to check availability.

Do you frequently talk with the reps, I mean call offten to see what has come in? The web site isn't live so weeks can go before you even see them.
Reps can emediatly see all inventory and give you a week that just came in.

That's what it sounds like. Have you done this at all? Try it if you haven't. This may mean calling offten throughout a few weeks or months. But I'd like to see how it goes.

YES! I HAVE DONE ALL THAT!!
I have owned and exchanged these same weeks since the late 1980's.
I have called and called and called at ALL TIMES of day and night. I have spoken to all kinds of guides from various countries. I have spoken with supervisors, EMailed, and wrote to RCI. I can get no satisfactory answers to why my weeks were devalued and why I can no longer "pull" and go to Manhattan Club, or summer on the California coast in San Francisco, Avila Beach, or Coronado Beach Club. I have subscribed to and read Timesharing Today for the last 5 or six years. I HAVE TRIED IT ALL!!!

Thanks to Lawren, I know these units are available, but not available to me in exchange for my weeks. I used to be able to trade into these resorts with my weeks. I used to be able to "see" these weeks with my weeks.

I find it difficult to understand why YOU can't understand that this situation DOES exist.

[bunnyhop Member Find all posts View Profile Close bunnyhop]

Sorry. I was only trying to help.
Not to think that you weren't doing anything right,
but just thought maybe there was some small little change was the cause for not getting what you want.
That's all.

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

SherryS,

When in life something doesn't work, try something else.

Or in the time sharing world, try another exchange company. Why stay with something that doesn't satisfy your requirements.

I do understand the frustration, the ever changing rules and work arounds hopefully to something that worked perfectly fine.

You have more than one week it seems so experiment a little with another exchange company or two.

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

YES! I HAVE DONE ALL THAT!!
I have owned and exchanged these same weeks since the late 1980's.
I have called and called and called at ALL TIMES of day and night. I have spoken to all kinds of guides from various countries. I have spoken with supervisors, EMailed, and wrote to RCI. I can get no satisfactory answers to why my weeks were devalued and why I can no longer "pull" and go to Manhattan Club, or summer on the California coast in San Francisco, Avila Beach, or Coronado Beach Club. I have subscribed to and read Timesharing Today for the last 5 or six years. I HAVE TRIED IT ALL!!!

Thanks to Lawren, I know these units are available, but not available to me in exchange for my weeks. I used to be able to trade into these resorts with my weeks. I used to be able to "see" these weeks with my weeks.

I find it difficult to understand why YOU can't understand that this situation DOES exist.

Well said - and many have reported the same 'downgrade' of their ownerships....you are not alone

Sorry. I was only trying to help.
Not to think that you weren't doing anything right,
but just thought maybe there was some small little change was the cause for not getting what you want.
That's all.

Bunny, the 'small change' is that RCI now rents many of the quality resorts/high demand dates they receive......there are abundant threads here and on other TS/vacation sites confirming the same thing. In a Press release that was linked over on the DIS Board - RCI was quoted as saying they would be making DVC resorts available to RCI members thru exchange and rental...almost ALL of the weeks RCI received by owners depositing in the past were available for exchange to other depositer/owners. That is no longer the case.

While you offers of help are appreciated and provide good information for many, the bottom line is that RCI no longer has TS exchange as their main business - hence the problem for many with the ability to exchange into what they sed to be able to get.

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

SherryS,

When in life something doesn't work, try something else.

Or in the time sharing world, try another exchange company. Why stay with something that doesn't satisfy your requirements.

I do understand the frustration, the ever changing rules and work arounds hopefully to something that worked perfectly fine.

You have more than one week it seems so experiment a little with another exchange company or two.

another great suggestion.

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

As I have stated before in this forum, my choice is to not renew with RCI, after trying EVERYTHING in the last 2-3 years to figure out how to work within RCI with their "new" system of "trading power". I have successfully used Trading Places for many exchanges, and am also going to try II beginning in 2010.