RCI Cancellation Insurance
Built within the RCI exchange program is the option for timeshare owners to purchase cancellation insurance in the event that the owner needs to cancel the reservation prior to the stay or the vacation reservation is canceled by RCI prior to the stay (i.e. natural disaster, construction, etc.). RCI’s term for this insurance is Vacation Protection. Vacation Protection is different for points and weeks members, and the differences are discussed below.
Vacation Cancellation Protection for RCI Weeks Members:
The cost for Weeks members is $49, which can be used for any cancellations made, regardless of the reason for canceling. Vacation Protection must be purchased within 30 days of confirming an exchange, but can not be purchased 14 days or less before the travel date. This basically means that Vacation Protection can not be purchased for last minute trips, or added on during the month before a vacation. Refunds are only processed up to two weeks after the protection is purchased and will not be given if the protection plan is canceled two weeks or fewer before the trip.
The benefit of Vacation Protection for weeks owners is that you will not lose the trading power of your deposited week if you must cancel a trip. Although the original exchange fee is not reimbursed under the Vacation Protection, a $100 credit will be posted to your account, which remains valid for three months and helps to defer the amount lost as a result of canceling.
Vacation Cancellation Protection for RCI Points Members:
The cost for Points Vacation Protection is dependent on the length of the stay scheduled. The breakdown for fees is as follows:
$29 for 1-2 night stay
$39 for 3-4 night stay
$49 for 5 nights or more
Vacation Protection must be purchased within 30 days of confirming an exchange, but can not be purchased 14 days or less before the travel date. This basically means that Vacation Protection can not be purchased for last minute trips, or added on during the month before a vacation. Refunds are only processed up to two weeks after the protection is purchased and will not be given if the protection plan is canceled two weeks or fewer before the trip.
The transaction fee is not refundable, but 100% of points are refunded in the event that a trip is canceled.
My two cents –
Is it just me, or does it seem that RCI is making out pretty well in this deal? Not only are they getting extra money from all of the people whose vacations go off without a hitch and do not need to be canceled, but they are also making out by not returning the initial transaction fee ($100 is reimbursed for weeks, but nothing for points).
Isn’t the out-of-pocket expense exactly the same whether or not you have the insurance and need to cancel your vacation? In one case you have been paying for the protection plan and are still out (or most of) your transaction fee, and in the other you have no been paying for the plan and are out of your transaction fee. The only thing taking a hit (presumably) is your trading power, the power of which is the center of much speculation anyway (see these posts for more – Murillo vs. RCI and Timeshare Owner Experiences).
Do you have experience with RCI Vacation Protection? Tell us about it on our Timeshare Forum @ https://rcivip.com/forum
BUYER BEWARE:
Although technically stated in RCI’s terms, the RCI Cancellation Insurance is misleading in its offering. It is a way to get back your trading power points. If you paid $370 to RCI as a guest vacation fee + insurance, you will NEVER see that money come back to you. At BEST your account MAY be credited.
I Purchased a Guest Pass and Insurance on my Friends RCI Account on 05/11/2017 to stay at The Sandcastle Beach Club Resort in Ft Meyers Florida the week of 09/16/2017 and on 09/05/2017 I had to Cancel due to Florida Declaring a State Of Emergency because Hurracane Irma & Jose right behind her. Looks like I lost all of my $358.00 dollars because of this scam policy. I called everybody and got nowhere. Lesson learned I called the resort direct and it would have been a little more money to book direct without RCI but you have better protection and Cancelation policy. So RCI enjoy my hard earned money I promise you won`t get another penny and I will right and protest against you from here on out. Timeshares are a Rip-Off !
Charles D. Hays
The protection plan is an absolute scam, another way for rci to make money. My advice, don’t buy it.
How do I cancel MY VACATION when the office is closed.
I purchased the Cancellation Insurance for a trip my parents wanted to take (using a Guest Certificate), thinking that there was a decent chance that they would have to cancel the trip due to my father’s health (he had just had heart valve replacement surgery). When my parents canceled their trip, I got on the phone to RCI to let them know and to ask for a refund for the Exchange Fee that they paid. The RCI rep explained that I couldn’t get a refund of their money, but they would credit the fees toward any exchange made during the next 3 or 6 months (I forget which). I was pretty pissed about that. I’ve been actually considering getting rid of the timeshare after owning it for over 20 years, and this has just added fuel to that fire. The maintenance costs have remained relatively constant, but there seems to be a “special assessment” every couple of years and the RCI fees have gotten very expensive! It never was a good value for me, all things considered, but that that is particularly apparent these days.
Is it possible to purchase trip insurance for a vacation that is not in relation to an RCI exchange?
RCI Cancellation Insurance is a good service to the timeshare owners as it will give them a kind of flexibility if ever they will cancel their vacation week. Although, it is an added costs to the timeshare owner, it will allow him/her to still used used his/her property if ever he/she miss using it.