When Did This Start? (Unit size upgrade/Different resort)

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

Upgrades & Changes

Simply let us know if you'd like a larger unit, and specify up to five preferred resorts. If a match is found within 14 days of check-in, your reservation will be automatically updated! When a match is found, you will be charged the Upgrades & Changes fee. If no match is found, there is no fee.
- - - - - -
I don't pay close attention any more, but when we were actually using our timeshares, this was something we did quite a lot. For one SW FL in January, we "upgraded" twice. For a trip to Kauai, we upgraded twice. The upgrades came at the Last Minute, exactly what this is.

Back then it was because Trading Power went out the window when you got close to check-in, so that must still be the case.

Another thing I asked for back in the day was to be able to use two deposits to get a "better" resort. One must be careful what they ask for.

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

I first heard it reported about a month ago.

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

Like most (everything) they do, it's good for them. They got your original exchange fee. When something they have doesn't rent for more than an exchange fee, and you switch to it, they get another exchange fee. Then they may get another (second) exchange fee for the one you give back.

Win. Win. Win.



Back in the day, it was not automatic. You had to keep searching. Then, if you found something, you had to call and have a person "so the switch." That sometimes did not get done correctly, so you wound up with something you did not want, or nothing.

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

Like most (everything) they do, it's good for them. They got your original exchange fee. When something they have doesn't rent for more than an exchange fee, and you switch to it, they get another exchange fee. Then they may get another (second) exchange fee for the one you give back.

Win. Win. Win.



Back in the day, it was not automatic. You had to keep searching. Then, if you found something, you had to call and have a person "so the switch." That sometimes did not get done correctly, so you wound up with something you did not want, or nothing.

Definitely a money maker for RCI

This used to be a perk of RCI Platinum membership for "free". I believe Jackio was upgraded in unit size once.
But now ya gotta pay....and pay......and pay

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

i always thought the upgrade for Platinum was at the same resort, this offer says 5 different resorts. what is the fee?

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

Change took place November 15. Still free for platinum including the alternate resorts. There is a fee if you are not platinum. You can select other check in days plus up to 5 resorts. They have to be in the same geographic area- for example I have one for Massanutten in Virginia and I can specify another resort in the Carolinas and Southeast region.

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

Change took place November 15. Still free for platinum including the alternate resorts. There is a fee if you are not platinum. You can select other check in days plus up to 5 resorts. They have to be in the same geographic area- for example I have one for Massanutten in Virginia and I can specify another resort in the Carolinas and Southeast region.

If the tpus are higher, is a Platinum member charged the difference? I could theoretically book Mrco Resort and Club one bedroom, and a two bedroom opens at the Surf Club and get that instead?

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

Repeating stuff said before . . . the first year all the stuff was available in the bulk deposits at Grand Cayman, I booked that for us and our tag-along couple. We all got passports. Close in to our travel date, I discover that Travelocity had taken our airfare money but had not booked us flights from Florida, and nothing was available, so I had to cancel the Grand Cayman exchange and switch to a 1-bedroom at a lesser Ft. Myers Beach resort. Then, the week of travel a 2-bedroom showed up at Bel Air Beach Club, a nice little FMB resort. The Rapmarkses and the Conchmans shared a sunset party with us there.

Each of the switches cost us another exchange fee, of course, and I had to have something deposited to be able to keep looking.

When we went to Kauai 15 years ago, taking DW's brother and his sister with us, we started out with two weeks in a one bedroom at the Makai Club, a resort up north with no ocean view. Our first checkin date was Dec. 6. On Thanksgiving day I had to drive to Indianapolis for a show and DW had to go to Wichita. I saw a 2-bedroom at the LBR (in the DCB) for the first week, but since I had to call to do the switch, I had to wait until Friday morning. That was memorable because I was in Indianapolis and calling RCI in Indianapolis.

When we were both back home the following Tuesday I asked DW if what we had in Kauai was OK with her, and she said something like, "If you could get a 2-bedroom at the Embassy (Point at Poipu) for the second week, that would be nice." Joking, of course. I looked and there one was.

So, at the last minute we went from two weeks in a one bedroom not on the beach to two 2-bedrooms, both on the beach, m/l.

I don't recall there being others doing stuff like that back then.

When RCI Weeks announced the major changes that they were going to be making, switching to faux points, Inside Guy suggested I was going to like some of the stuff being done because he knew I had been asking for some of them. Of course he did not know, for instance, that we no longer could do the exchanges we had always done for one deposit.

That's the be careful what you wish for part.

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

If the tpus are higher, is a Platinum member charged the difference? I could theoretically book Mrco Resort and Club one bedroom, and a two bedroom opens at the Surf Club and get that instead?

No extra tpu's are taken. The upgrade is only from what is available 14 days or less from check in.

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

No extra tpu's are taken. The upgrade is only from what is available 14 days or less from check in.

No difference from the old days. It's just that you don't have to keep searching yourself now. (Not that I would trust it.)

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

If the tpus are higher, is a Platinum member charged the difference? I could theoretically book Mrco Resort and Club one bedroom, and a two bedroom opens at the Surf Club and get that instead?

I was upgraded once, 2 years ago, at Disney Saratoga Springs. I received an email 2 weeks prior to check in stating I was upgraded from a 1BR to a 2BR. No extra TPUs were charged. I was at BWV and my guests were at Saratoga Springs and they were thrilled.

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

No difference from the old days. It's just that you don't have to keep searching yourself now. (Not that I would trust it.)

There is a difference if you are a Platinum member - because you don't have to search and you don't have to pay an additional exchange fee or use more TPUs. It did happen to us, but only once. It was a nice benefit. Now if it is available to everyone, I wonder how RCI will decide who gets the upgrade if there is a tie. Will it go free to the Platinum member or to someone else via an extra fee to RCI? How much is the fee for non-Platinum?

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

How much is the fee for non-Platinum?

I don't know, but if it's less than an exchange fee, that's better than the old days.

Come to think about it, in the old days I don't think many knew you could do it, cancel one exchange and book another using the same deposit. The Guides had a hard time doing it, often screwing it up.

If you are Platinum, do you have to request it, or does it keep searching all exchanges?

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

If you are Platinum, do you have to request it, or does it keep searching all exchanges?

You have to request it at the time of confirming the exchange. Item 2:

https://www.rci.com/static/docs/name...ship_Rules.pdf

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

You have to request it at the time of confirming the exchange. Item 2:

https://www.rci.com/static/docs/name...ship_Rules.pdf

You can add it then or you can start the request or stop a request at any time. At least when I go into a current confirmed exchange it gives me those options. It doesn't really do any searching until 14 days prior to check in.