How to find and book gifted to me RCI week?

[jerrry94087 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jerrry94087]

I am not an RCI member. Friend of mine gifted his RCI week to me. But when I called RCI their rep told me that I have to ask my friend for his password or just sit with him and book it together.

I am not comfortable asking people, even my friends, for password. And also my friend lives in different town and is busy so I can't that easily sit with him shoulder to shoulder.

I can't believe RCI can't just give me my own password to do things online independently. It takes time to choose the week, I may need to think and come back over and over again. Desirable for me weeks might not be available right away.

So is this right that RCI can't solve such problem and can't give me my own password to manage my gifted week?

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

I know they cannot give you access to anyone's account, even with your own password. If your friend gifted you a room, ask him for his ID and password and then call him to walk you through the process.

Your friend could just book his week and get a guest certificate in your name. or have him put in an ongoing search for what you want.

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

I know they cannot give you access to anyone's account, even with your own password. If your friend gifted you a room, ask him for his ID and password and then call him to walk you through the process.

Your friend could just book his week and get a guest certificate in your name. or have him put in an ongoing search for what you want.

This is just how it is...it is not your account - u could be ANYONE calling up trying to access a strangers account.

When I allow friends to use my account to book a week, I temporarily change the password so the friend can access my account.
When the friend is finished - I change it back.

I also agree with what Jeri said - give your friend a list of the resorts u would like and your available dates - and your friend can put in an ongoing search. Hopefully you will get a match soon.

[jerrry94087 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jerrry94087]

This is just how it is...it is not your account - u could be ANYONE calling up trying to access a strangers account.

I am not trying to access other people's account at all.

Once he gave me a week it's mine, isn't it? So I hoped I could have my own account to manage it. Isn't this reasonable?

What you guys are saying is that RCI is very old-style, inflexible. And can't accommodate such situation like this. Won't do anything extra to ease customer's life.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

I am not trying to access other people's account at all.

Once he gave me a week it's mine, isn't it? So I hoped I could have my own account to manage it. Isn't this reasonable?

What you guys are saying is that RCI is very old-style, inflexible. And can't accommodate such situation like this. Won't do anything extra to ease customer's life.

Not really. Your own account would involve a separate membership, costs about $84/year or something like that. Your friend can gift you a week, that just means he can book it for you and you can use it.

Now I don't think many people would argue that RCI is the most reaasonably customer friendly company around (or even on the list), but I don't know of any exchange company that would allow what you are asking...

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

I am not trying to access other people's account at all.

I know that but how does RCI know that? You could call up and give my account number and say you had my permission to use my account - which is not true.

If you DID have your own RCI account (do you?) your friend could transfer the week he is giving you into your account and then you could do what u wanted with it.

As an example, 2 years ago, the poster above - Glitter - gave me use of a bonus week she had with SFX. She put a request in with my dates and resorts and when it matched, she called me and we did a 3 way call with SFX - she told them I had her permission to book the week while I was on the phone with her and SFX and I gave my CC info to SFX to complete the deal.

I have done the same with Interval International Accomodation Certificates and regular exchanges - but this can not be done without the participation of the owner of the account as well as yourself, sorry.

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

Did your friend give you the title to his week, and now you are the owner? If that is the case, you will need to open up your own RCI account. If he only gave you the use of one of his weeks, then you will have to go through his account if you want to exchange it for somewhere else. You can go online at www.rci.com and look at the directory of resorts so that you have an idea of where you would like to go, but be aware that not all weeks are able to exchange to all others.

[jerrry94087 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jerrry94087]

You can go online at www.rci.com and look at the directory of resorts so that you have an idea of where you would like to go, but be aware that not all weeks are able to exchange to all others.

But RCI.com only shows resort listings, no availability information, if I am not a member.

Can I get access to availability information as well? So I can decide which week is good for me and then just ask him to book it?

What is the big deal, why they hide availability from non-members?

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

But RCI.com only shows resort listings, no availability information, if I am not a member.

Can I get access to availability information as well? So I can decide which week is good for me and then just ask him to book it.

What is the big deal, why they hide availability from non-members?

Because even if u r a member, if you don't have a week on deposit to exchange with, you can not see 'availability'.

Jerry, every week is not available to every member - it all depends on what resort u own, what week u own and WHEN that week was deposited.

So what I see when I look in my account is different then what your friend is going to see and what Glitter sees and what Jacki sees.

Jerry, I say this with love....There seems to be a lack of knowledge on your part as to how this whole exchange thing works. Do you own a TS and if so, have you ever deposited and exchanged a week? And if you did, what company did you exchange with?

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

But RCI.com only shows resort listings, no availability information, if I am not a member.

Can I get access to availability information as well? So I can decide which week is good for me and then just ask him to book it.

What is the big deal, why they hide availability from non-members?

Availability is based on trading power of the week deposited, for one thing, and the inventory is constantly changing - so you could see something onine, but by the time you got your friend to try to book it it might be gone...

Why don't you just ask your friend for the login info, or tell your friend what you would like to request? Most trades are matched to ongoing requests, rather than to inventory just 'sitting there,' so that's your best bet regardless, depending on where you want to go.

You can also access our Exchange Opportunities after 30 posts, or making a contribution to the site - that will give you an idea of available inventory, but again, it is constantly changing... some things are "there one minute, gone the next."

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

I am not trying to access other people's account at all.

Once he gave me a week it's mine, isn't it? So I hoped I could have my own account to manage it. Isn't this reasonable?

What you guys are saying is that RCI is very old-style, inflexible. And can't accommodate such situation like this. Won't do anything extra to ease customer's life.

Okay, maybe we're misunderstanding some terminology...did he give you 1 week to use for a specific year or did he give you his week, every year forever and ever?

If it is the latter than you have to get your own membership with RCI, just as Glitter explained. However, you must have been through some closing process to put your name on the deed.

If it is the former, than in essence, all your basically doing is renting the week from him without payment. It is a gift of the week, not a gift to his account.

In other terms (I hope)
If I gave you a check as a gift, it would not entitle you access to my checking account just because you are the recipient of the check. You would use that check and that check only. But, you could cash that check and use it for other things....If for some reason, you didn't have a checking account of your own, your friend could cash the check for you and give you something else.

I hope I didn't muddy the waters

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

In other terms (I hope)
If I gave you a check as a gift, it would not entitle you access to my checking account just because you are the recipient of the check. You would use that check and that check only. But, you could cash that check and use it for other things....If for some reason, you didn't have a checking account of your own, your friend could cash the check for you and give you something else.

I hope I didn't muddy the waters

GREAT analogy!

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

GREAT analogy!

Thanks...sometimes it still works!!!!

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

So is this right that RCI can't solve such problem and can't give me my own password to manage my gifted week?

So, I see you are trying to explore the exchange side of TS. RCI can not help you on that. You will not be able to do search unless you have an account. And you can not open an account unless you own a TS. In theory, RCI is more or less like a private club. Between the club members, you can enjoy some stuff if none wants the benefits (Last call), although the best one will be used by RCI to public renting. For the reminding benefit, they just can not allow any person joint. Otherwise, no member will even want to deposit their week at all.

There is a point rent program, which will allow you to become owner for 3 years, in that 3 years, you will have both RCI week account and point account. With RCI point account, your friend can transfer the week to you.

Otherwise, you have to work with your friend. Either you visit them during weekend, or they add you to their account for x years, or they give you the password, and after you done, change it out.

Jya-Ning

[jerrry94087 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jerrry94087]

Availability is based on trading power of the week deposited, for one thing, and the inventory is constantly changing - so you could see something onine, but by the time you got your friend to try to book it it might be gone...

So I got 4th of July week in a Silver Crown resort in Minnesota.
What can it get in exchange, for example? Can I ever exchange to Club Bali Hai Moorea (#0782) for example?