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I am very new to this timeshare stuff but when we purchased our timeshare (RCI) we recevied "2 Bonus Weeks a year" which we were told were good forever and for anywhere we wanted. When I got home I actually read the "certificate" and there are definate restrictions on this. Has anybody used bonus weeks and how difficult was it?
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Bonus week experiences
Hi, Sounds like you got a pretty good deal as we only got 1 per year for seven years when we bought into the Pahio Bali Hai. We've stayed at a Cathedral City(Palms Springs) Cimmeron studio one November, Klamath Falls, Oregon 1 bedroom at Running Y in March, and just had a studio at the Red Wolf Lakeside at North Tahoe last month. You call and register your certificate number, tell the person where you'd like to head for and see if they can't accommodate you with the size unit you want. These have been really nice places and I haven't tried the busy seasons as well like the quieter fall and spring times. I was able to make the first 2 rsvp's with the same call. My wife absolutely loved the Running Y room and compares T/Ss with against it. It snowed just a bit at the Running Y and at the Red Wolf, but that was ok for us. I'd like to hear other Bonus week experiences myself. Gary
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What is the fee to reserve a bonus week? Are the resorts that are available similar to what you see on last call?Comment
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similar to the exchance fees
The fees are similar to the exchange fees with RCI. It's like a Last Chance, but not with the 45 day restriction.
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There isn't a 45 day restriction? So I could try and sart planning right now for a Christmas holiday this year?Comment
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The first timeshare we bought back in 1992 we received a bonus certificate with a grid of places we could get. That certificate was only good for three months and was expiring in April so I contacted resort and got a replacement certificate good until December 31. I contacted RCI and received a great 2BR unit at Villa del palmer in puerto vallarta a location I never would have picked and fell in love with the location. The resort that we bought from paid the fee so it didn't cost us extra. A few years later we bought a resale from a broker and had to pay the first year maintenance even though we couldn't go on our assigned week because we didn't complete the closing papers in time. When I complained the broker gave us a RCI bonus week but this time we only got a studio and had to pay RCI a fee which at the time was $99 which I think was the last call equivilant at the time and went back to Puerto vallarta at the sister resort villa del mar. The unit and the resort was no comparison to our first bonus week but we still had a great time in PV.
LARRYComment
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How difficult would it be to try and use both bonus weeks consecutively at the same resort? Also I currently own a one bedroom sleep 4, would there be a cost to upgrade to a sleep six using a bonus week certificate?Comment
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Depends on season, definitely possible.Originally posted by DJNoBrow
What you own has nothing to do with a bonus week exchange.
You'd be looking for a 2BR bonus week.
StanComment
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Were you thinking that you could
use these bonus weeks for your 2 weeks in 2 bedroom on Oahu?
Sorry to let you know, but that is just not going to happen. RCI bonus weeks are left over weeks that nobody has taken either as exchanges or now as rentals, and the 2 most demanded weeks in Hawaii in an almost impossible to find 2 bedroom are not going to be surplus. GregComment
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No I wasn't thinkg of using these bonus weeks for that, I knew that would not be possible. I was more just curious what the regulations are for using bonus weeks.Comment
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I just read in another thread that RCI Bonus Weeks can be used for anything in the 45 day window.....Is this true? In the past I have tried that before and they would not let me use my Bonus Weeks for any high demand area and it was very restrictive to complete off season weeks where I would not want to go anyway. Has there been a policy change or am I missing something?"If a Nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.... If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
-- Thomas Jefferson to Col. Yancey, 1816Comment
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I also bought a timeshare at grandview Las Vegas , and got home and realised the certificate was only valid for 3 years.... However I live in New Zealand , hopefully low demand area, so I'm hoping I will easily be able to use these extra vacations to stay somewhere in my country....Comment
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Originally posted by 4ARedOctober View Post
Good question. I hope someone will come along to answer this.
I haven't had a bonus week with RCI in over 10 years and those were as you state. Of course I'm not counting the equally worthless 1 + 1 weeks that were always showing up in my account.Lawren
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There are many wonderful places in the world, but one of my favourite places is on the back of my horse.
- Rolf KopfleComment
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I also have thr RCI bonus weeks. I was told that we could "renew" the certificate every three years (on it's expiration) as long as we kept up w/ our maintenence fees. I'm hoping to be able to use my bonus weeks for Australia next year.Comment
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I guess those that posted different experiences with RCI bonus weeks missed the latest in this thread.....this will bump it up and hopefully we will get some answers.
Gord?????"If a Nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.... If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
-- Thomas Jefferson to Col. Yancey, 1816Comment
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