Last Call Price Increase

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

I just received this email from RCI

Last Call Vacations starting at $129 USD/week†

We wanted to let you know effective March 1, 2006, the pricing for Last Call vacations on RCI.com will be:

* Studio/Hotel Unit $129 USD/week†
* 1 Bedroom $179 USD/week†
* 2 Bedroom $219 USD/week†

I hope the increase has proportional affects on the last call inventory. Still a bargain, though!

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

These are still great prices. I am quite surprised that so many people were whining about this price increase. The pricing is fine. What I am disappointed in is the available inventory.

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

The pricing would be fine if they were somehow increasing value, but, unfortunately that doesn't seem to be part of the deal.
While I have been relatively happy with the exchanges I have been able to secure thru RCI, it seems that most of the actions they take have very little to do with increasing customer value and only with increasing RCI profits.
I do not begrudge them profits, that is what they are in business for, but, it seems that they should also be interested in keeping their customers happy.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

I just received the same email this morning. I had liked the old $99-$149 deals but I rarely took advantage of it being that I own so many weeks. I think in all the years I may have taken 2 Rci extra Vacations and 1 II extra vacation. BTW when I took the II trip. My unit was available both for exchange and for rent. It just did not pay for me to use my week so I forked over $300 for a Cape Cod week.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Last Call

used to be so much fun!

Now it is boring. Rare to see a LC to caribbean or hawaii any more. Pricing isn't bad but who wants to be in Ocean City, MD in March??

Where did I see that the number of exchanges FELL last year? They have to make up the shortfall somehow but it would be nice to see a few desireable locations again. THOSE sit in EV at exorbinant prices. Want to go to some non-descript Florida resort in March?

Holiday Beach Resort-Soundside

See Reviews 0674 Pensacola Beach, FL, USA 6/6 03/11/2006 - 03/11/2006 $516.99
Silver Lake Resort

See Reviews 2610 Kissimmee, FL, USA 4/4 03/31/2006 - 03/31/2006 $909.99
Club Sevilla

See Reviews 5169 Kissimmee, FL, USA 4/2 03/18/2006 - 03/18/2006 $909.99
Silver Lake Resort-Silver Points

6815 Kissimmee, FL, USA 2/2 03/31/2006 - 03/31/2006 $839.99
CYPRESS POINTE GRANDVILLAS - SUN

See Reviews 8080 ORLANDO, FL, USA 4/2 03/31/2006 - 03/31/2006 $759.

I mean REALLY a Silver Lake Studio for $840 or 1 Bed at same resort for $909?

Get REAL RCI.

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

Ah, I am still reminiscing about the wild LC ride we had last summer.... especially you, Lawren!! But we got in a couple great extra weeks too... That was when LC really felt like a perq of membership. So first they obliterate a great program in favor of ridiculous EV rates as pointed out above. That was AFTER they instituted a $49 Guest Certificate fee on LCs. The price increase on the heels of the GC fee and the watered-down inventory just doesn't smack of customer service, but I'm used to it by now... I'm still smarting a bit over the "extortion parading as insurance," whereby RCI won't break your kneecaps (reduce your trading power), if you pay them "protection..."

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

Yesterday, I called RCI to find out when I will receive the new directory since so many people have already received it including Californians. I read this on TUG. I asked her a few more questions.

One was about Last Call and Extra Vacations. She told me that every member sees exactly the same inventory. I thought that what you see has something to do with the VEP of your first resort and was different for all areas. I may have misunderstood her but I asked her more than once just to be sure. She kept saying that all members see the same inventory.

Anyone knows what the real scoop is here? TIA.

Emmy

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

Yesterday, I called RCI to find out when I will receive the new directory since so many people have already received it including Californians. I read this on TUG. I asked her a few more questions.

One was about Last Call and Extra Vacations. She told me that every member sees exactly the same inventory. I thought that what you see has something to do with the VEP of your first resort and was different for all areas. I may have misunderstood her but I asked her more than once just to be sure. She kept saying that all members see the same inventory.

Anyone knows what the real scoop is here? TIA.

Emmy

Bootleg has always contended that it is related to the first resort in your account - the first 4 numbers, hence VEP plays a factor.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Yesterday, I called RCI to find out when I will receive the new directory since so many people have already received it including Californians. I read this on TUG. I asked her a few more questions.

One was about Last Call and Extra Vacations. She told me that every member sees exactly the same inventory. I thought that what you see has something to do with the VEP of your first resort and was different for all areas. I may have misunderstood her but I asked her more than once just to be sure. She kept saying that all members see the same inventory.

Anyone knows what the real scoop is here? TIA.

Emmy

So it not just me that is unloved by RCI. No wish book here in NY and there have been posts from NJ and CT that members have received theirs.

Last Call and Extra Vacations are most assuredly based on the VEP of the founding resort of your RCI membership. It was shown in a trade test that Edie did ( with what at the time was called Bonus Vacations ) and also with a lot of individual testing that I have been involved with for Last Calls. We see different availability.

Bootleg speaks the truth there and the Guide you spoke to probably hasn't a clue.

edited to correct myself. Edie did that Bonus Vacation test, not Emmy.

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

Hope this year is not a repeat of last year.

I know some got some hot LC last summer but I for one am hoping this does not repeat. RCI was shoveling everything under the sun into LC and there was no chance for someone trying to trade a week exchange at the last minute in the 45 day window.

I wish they would have a pre Last Call section for exchangers to grab weeks ahead of the rentals. I'm not going to sit on the computer all day hitting the refresh button.

JMHO
Short

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

I know some got some hot LC last summer but I for one am hoping this does not repeat. RCI was shoveling everything under the sun into LC and there was no chance for someone trying to trade a week exchange at the last minute in the 45 day window.

I wish they would have a pre Last Call section for exchangers to grab weeks ahead of the rentals. I'm not going to sit on the computer all day hitting the refresh button.

JMHO
Short

Short you would be better served askng them to release the Extra Vacations. That is where the good stuff is when it exists. Plenty of Hawaii for March/April that I cannot pull up with a good trader on exchange.

Oh Wait! Those are supposed to be non-exchange inventory....

yeah right.

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

I got MY book in NY...it was here when I arrived home last week.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

I got MY book in NY...it was here when I arrived home last week.

I WANT MY BOOK!




My 3 year old Yellow one is falling apart. Maybe I really am on their sh*t list....

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

So it not just me that is unloved by RCI. No wish book here in NY and there have been posts from NJ and CT that members have received theirs.

Last Call and Extra Vacations are most assuredly based on the VEP of the founding resort of your RCI membership. It was shown in a trade test that you yourself have done ( with what at the time was called Bonus Vacations ) and also with a lot of individual testing that I have been involved with for Last Calls. We see different availability.

Bootleg speaks the truth there and the Guide you spoke to probably hasn't a clue.

Yes, I also have read Bootleg's posts about this. I really wonder if these ladies do not honestly know what is going on or are told to tell us that.

I also asked her about RCI renting member deposits out and she claimed that they never do this. She said that the developers are telling lies when they promise buyers good exchanges with their resorts that are not red, Gold Crown resorts in prime areas. What I read elsewhere is that RCI no longer lets you trade up so that's why so few weeks are available to us. You replied to that thread too but I don't know where it is right now.

I also asked her about the MC and she told me that RCI buys weeks from the developer so the members can go there cheaper than when you rent from the street.

I have never participated in a trade test because I hardly ever deposit our weeks so have no idea how good or bad the exchanges are for all of us. We were happy with our exchanges but most of them were a long time ago and the last one was in 2003 with the Buganvilias week #4 in PV. I am reluctant giving my weeks to RCI after reading so many complaints, I will try SFX or a direct exchange or rent, if I can.

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

I guess what I don't understand about the last call price increase is --I thought the reasoning behind it was to fill spaces that would be empty! Something is better than nothing!!.... so WHY the need to raise the price other than greed??