What Can "Vacation Specialists" do?

[lookie Member Find all posts View Profile Close lookie]

I've been looking high and low to find a 2BR unit at a resort within driving distance of the midwest to use my 10kpoints that go to "saved" on 7/31. (I know that it's last minute, but I just bought this account and am trying to get the most out it.)

I've found nothing like that online. I've tried the +/- 3 days/ nearest resort et cetera.

Can the folks at the reservation center see anything that I can't? Or would I just be waiting on the phone while they perform the same searches that I did?

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

A couple months back I was looking for something at Christmas Mountain Village for the last week of July. Online you can search for the range, but it gets to be an over and over search if you want to check different date combinations. I talked to the specialist and they can look over a wider area. Even then, they couldn't find anything for me.

Continuing the search and knowing that my points were going to expire, when I did find an opening, I quickly booked the biggest thing I could find. The DW and I will be in a 3 bedroom unit. I guess we can play hide and seek.

The phone people will try to help you and will have greater search ability, but because of timing, you still may be limited or unable to find something.

[kcbedo Member Find all posts View Profile Close kcbedo]

Other people have reported that sometimes inventory doesn't show up online due to some kind of system glitch. It doesn't hurt to call and ask about availability.

The other thing you might look into is booking something through the RCI nightly/weekly exchange. You do have to pay an exchange fee, but you can book something up to 10 months for nightly or 2 years for weekly in the future. Once your points turn into saved, you can only book something 45 days in the future.

We used some points that were about to turn into saved for a really nice DVC vacation at Disney World. The points just need to be non-saved when you make the reservation, not when the reservation actually starts.

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

Also, you pay for the 800 number with your dues, so use it!!!

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

For me, if I can find what I need and do what I need online, I do it. No point involving someone that I have to explain what I want or need.

And maybe if we used the 800 number less, maybe the dues wouldn't rise as fast. But...probably not.