Poll: Have you ever had an exchange canceled by the exchange company?

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

I wrote this OT, but this poll doesn't quite tell us what we want to know. The interesting questions are (a) what's the *rate* at which exchanges are cancelled (to account for volume) and (b) how often does the exchange company make good on it vs. how often they do not? That tells you a lot more about whether or not to use a particular exchange company.

For example, I have had RCI cancel an exchange, but they also gave me a larger unit at the same resort for the same dates to make up for it in the same breath. So, it was a perfectly fine outcome, and I presume it would not deserve a "vote" in the poll, right?

So, if they gave you a better unit, that's one thing, and if they said, "We have a legal department for people like you," that's another. Right?

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

Have had 3 cancellations from RCI.
#1) Resort pulled out of RCI network. Replaced by a much better unit.
#2) Hurricane destroyed unit. Replaced by more desirable unit at prime time.
#3) Grand Mayan/Mayan Palace mix-up. Were supposed to be in GM, placed in MP instead and given exchange week back.

All in all, I feel that RCI dealt very well with all situations.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

Have had 3 cancellations from RCI.
#1) Resort pulled out of RCI network. Replaced by a much better unit.
#2) Hurricane destroyed unit. Replaced by more desirable unit at prime time.
#3) Grand Mayan/Mayan Palace mix-up. Were supposed to be in GM, placed in MP instead and given exchange week back.

All in all, I feel that RCI dealt very well with all situations.

Sounds like RCI did well considering they might not have had a lot of choice in the first two. What happened at Grand Mayan is anyone's guess.

I had always thought that, under the agreement about depositing a unit, once deposited it was an exchange companies to do with as they pleased. I can't imagine how many cancelations RCI might have had from a resort leaving RCI's network. I also can't imagine any other exchange company giving up the weeks that were rightfully theirs after the owners had deposited and, most likely had made exchanges. Something doesn't really sound right with that one.

[rdcigc Member Find all posts View Profile Close rdcigc]

Cancelled on me one time then called me back and told me it was a mistake. One day of panic.

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

Something doesn't really sound right with that one.

It was a small resort on the English coast. I agree that the situation sounds unlikely, all I know is that RCI made it right.
You are correct about the hurricane also, it sure as heck was out of their control. In that case it would have been impossible to find us alternate accommodations on the island, but they were very helpful in arranging an exchange to a difficult destination at a busy season.
All in all I was impressed.

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

I've had 8 cancellations of RCI exchanges.

2 were resort or RCI fault: "member took back their week" and "resort changed their schedule." Ultimately got replacement weeks - one different week, same resort, one same week same resort - but it wasn't pretty, was time-consuming and anxiety-producing, and cost me some fees. In the first case I was comped a week - ie they used a comp week to make the new booking for different week, same resort.

2 were termed "disaffiliation" which turned out to mean resort closure. RCI didn't handle communication very well; I was only told "disaffiliation" and later learned about closure thru my own research. Ultimately got one replacement elsewhere (acceptable but not as desired by me), and I rented a unit myself to replace the other week.

1 was flooding in unit. RCI didn't cancel this for me; I had to learn thru my own research that this was probably the situation, and then make several calls to both the resort and RCI to determine the status myself. Got my spacebank + fees back but never a replacement accommodation, instead I rented a week myself.

3 were hurricane-related. RCI didn't handle the communication end of these too well in every case, but I rarely mention these instances since they were obviously natural disasters. Twice got spacebanked weeks back and fees back. Once I didn't get the exchange fee back from RCI, but I had purchased the kind of insurance they used to sell, and filed a claim to recover my exchange fee. I don't remember them offering to find me replacement weeks for any of these; they were just cancelled.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

I've had 8 cancellations of RCI exchanges.

2 were resort or RCI fault: "member took back their week" and "resort changed their schedule." Ultimately got replacement weeks - one different week, same resort, one same week same resort - but it wasn't pretty, was time-consuming and anxiety-producing, and cost me some fees. In the first case I was comped a week - ie they used a comp week to make the new booking for different week, same resort.

2 were termed "disaffiliation" which turned out to mean resort closure. RCI didn't handle communication very well; I was only told "disaffiliation" and later learned about closure thru my own research. Ultimately got one replacement elsewhere (acceptable but not as desired by me), and I rented a unit myself to replace the other week.

As for disafiliation. I guess RCI is desperate enough to have the most resorts that they'll take anything, good or bad, just to keep their numbers up and member fee's rolling in.
1 was flooding in unit. RCI didn't cancel this for me; I had to learn thru my own research that this was probably the situation, and then make several calls to both the resort and RCI to determine the status myself. Got my spacebank + fees back but never a replacement accommodation, instead I rented a week myself.

3 were hurricane-related. RCI didn't handle the communication end of these too well in every case, but I rarely mention these instances since they were obviously natural disasters. Twice got spacebanked weeks back and fees back. Once I didn't get the exchange fee back from RCI, but I had purchased the kind of insurance they used to sell, and filed a claim to recover my exchange fee. I don't remember them offering to find me replacement weeks for any of these; they were just cancelled.

WOW! I don't think I'm going to have you planning vacations for us. Since 1998, the only time we've had to cancel vacations has been this year and that was due to illness. We've had issues while traveling but nothing like what you've experienced just trying to go on vacation.

Most of these could and do happen to every exchange company with the exception of the first two. That situation appears to be unique to RCI. How does an owner really take their week back once you've reliquished it for exchange? How does an exchange company allow that to happen AFTER the unit's been assigned through exchange?

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

WOW! I don't think I'm going to have you planning vacations for us.

You could use my upcoming confirmations to predict natural disasters tho, and plan your own far away from mine!

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

You could use my upcoming confirmations to predict natural disasters tho, and plan your own far away from mine!

Now that's a thought.

While we haven't had any cancellations, you don't want to be on the same flight as us. We tend to pick flights that have delay's. I once missed a connection in which we had a 5 hour layover.

[rdcigc Member Find all posts View Profile Close rdcigc]

I'm just glad timeshare cancellations have a better record than flight cancellations and delays. If not, a lot of people would miss part of their vacation.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

I'm just glad timeshare cancellations have a better record than flight cancellations and delays. If not, a lot of people would miss part of their vacation.

The thing about flying is your ticket only says they'll get you there. It's never been a guarentee that they'll get you there at the specified date or time when you bought your ticket.

Anymore, the airlines are bad enough that I just figure I've purchased transporation for a general time and sometimes for a general date. When we're flying in to take a cruise vacation, we always fly in a day early. I don't trust the airlines to get us there when originally planed or to get both us and our luggage to the same destination at the same time or even on the same date.

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

It is not just the fact of the owners deposit, it is also that RCI confirms the deposit with the resort and does not make it availible for exchange until the resort confirms it. So the resort has signed off on it, and their feet should be held to the fire. As to m/f's being paid, most resorts will not confirm the deposit to the exchange company unless those m/f's are paid. If a resort confirms anyway, and the m/f is not later paid, then that should be the resort's problem, not the incoming exchangers problem or the exchange company's problem. Exchange companies should insist that the resort honor any confirmations it has made unless the unit has been damaged by hurricane, fire, flood, etc.

Sounds like RCI did well considering they might not have had a lot of choice in the first two. What happened at Grand Mayan is anyone's guess.

I had always thought that, under the agreement about depositing a unit, once deposited it was an exchange companies to do with as they pleased. I can't imagine how many cancelations RCI might have had from a resort leaving RCI's network. I also can't imagine any other exchange company giving up the weeks that were rightfully theirs after the owners had deposited and, most likely had made exchanges. Something doesn't really sound right with that one.

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

I'm just glad timeshare cancellations have a better record than flight cancellations and delays. If not, a lot of people would miss part of their vacation.

And with flight cancellations, most airlines will endorse your ticket over to a different airline to get you where you need to go. It happened to me last in Munich a few months ago. The incoming CO flight from the states did not fly due to snow, so there was no plane to fly out on. CO endorsed my ticket over to DL, and I got to my destination an hour earlier than my original itinerary.

Hotels also do this. A few weeks ago, I went to check in to my 3* hotel on the channel island of Guernsey and they had plumbing problems with several rooms, including mine. They charged me the agreed amount for my room, and took me to a better located 4* hotel and they paid the difference for a room for me there.

It seems like exchange companies should do the same. I had one experience from the resort side of things with the UK office of DAE (a misunderstanding in their office had the deposit for the wrong week) where they worked closely with the resort to make things whole for their member. DAE said that if the resort could not find another member willing to make a deposit for that week, then they would rent a week on the Outer Banks for their member. It worked out that the manager called an own-to-use member who had not returned her coming down letter, was told that they had a conflict for that week that year and would not be coming, so the manager successfully suggested they deposit it with DAE so they would at least be able to exchange it for something.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

I think this poll has already told me all I need to know about which company is the worst for cancelling vacations. Our decision to move away from RCI a few years ago still looks like a good decision to me.