Exchange companies on Crimeshare

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

It is curious that on the Crimeshare site, of the big exchange companies, RCI has a long page devoted to their activities, but II does not.

Among the independents, only Timelinx, which has largely stopped being an exchange company since the new Spanish owners took over from the Swedish founders and refocused the company a few years ago, is listed.

www.crimeshare.org/news.html

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

At first most thought highly of Rci, Once people see through the cracks that is when the complaints start as well as the class action law suits.

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

Greed and high pressure tactics

A company's call reps can give it a bad name very quickly....RCI's focus on high pressure selling of renewals, and its use of an incentive program for salaries of employees (by meeting a quota of completed transactions) encourage some unethical practices by its VC's and is certainly a part why people are angry with RCI.

For us, it is the constant stream of RCI's increasing fees, and the decreasing availablility of and timely access to exchanges....no wonder there are so many voices rising up against the company.

Factor in skyauction, and other rental sites like snaptravel and you have the momentum for a building wave of exiting members.

We are relatively new to II, and have already gotten one exchange into a Westin, and have good feelings about the AC program and availability for some upcoming trips we are hoping to take.

Meanwhile, back at RCI we deal with the continued hold-back of inventory until that "unmarketable" inventory window of 14 days....while folks who were dreaming of Hawaii, are still dreaming, it shows up on rental pages.

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

I tend to view postings on Crimeshare with a large pinch of salt. Although there are no doubt many genuine complaints raised through its pages, it does also seem to be a place for anybody with a real or perceived grievance, against any remotely timeshare related company, to vent their spleen.

When their homepage has faux dictionary definitions like these:-
timeshare,time-share, n. a fraud; a cheat; a scam; a method of extracting money under false pretences: timeshare'-r person who has been defrauded. [Eng.;to trick, to betray confidence] I think caution is justified.

TS4MS does its best to be even handed in its treatment of timeshare related issues. I'm not convinced the same can be said of Crimeshare.

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

Crimeshare does seem to post whatever it gets. There are a few defenses of RCI on their pages, as well as numerous gripes from both employees and customers.

What is interesting is the contrast between exchange companies, with all of these gripes about RCI and none for II. And Timelinx is the only independent exchange company to generate gripes, and of course Timelinx is no longer primarily focused on exchanging.

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

We are relatively new to II, and have already gotten one exchange into a Westin, and have good feelings about the AC program and availability for some upcoming trips we are hoping to take.

I don't see a lot of difference between RCI and II in the mode of operation. Your example of an AC is case in point. They give you an AC to encourage high value deposits which extend the 'trickle down' exchange of like for like properties and increases their revenues because the higher end properties produce a longer trail of exchanges. If you don't understand this it's just because I don't explain very well. The fact that they can give an AC, something out for nothing in, proves that they also have excess inventory because they accept deposits that aren't regularly taken in a regular exchange or accept too many of one type/date deposit. II offers cruise exchanges and the like which means they have to 'monetize' some of their deposits to pay cash for cruises, etc.

OK, now why does II not get as bad a rap? Do they do this all more quietly, or what?

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

I don't see a lot of difference between RCI and II in the mode of operation. Your example of an AC is case in point. They give you an AC to encourage high value deposits which extend the 'trickle down' exchange of like for like properties and increases their revenues because the higher end properties produce a longer trail of exchanges. If you don't understand this it's just because I don't explain very well. The fact that they can give an AC, something out for nothing in, proves that they also have excess inventory because they accept deposits that aren't regularly taken in a regular exchange or accept too many of one type/date deposit. II offers cruise exchanges and the like which means they have to 'monetize' some of their deposits to pay cash for cruises, etc.

OK, now why does II not get as bad a rap? Do they do this all more quietly, or what?

I understand the gist of your point here. And I have to agree, yes, II has some of the same techniques as RCI. And it does seem that they manage to do so more quietly...but is it possible that it is also because it is a more closed system...not entirely closed, granted, but perhaps they have fewer outside vendor deals? or perhaps they do provide enough opportunities to II members before they allow siphoning off to the general public? Or is it that even with the monetizing for deposits, II has found a way to offer more consistently a value to most of its members?

I still think that RCI is its own enemy in regard to
its business performance and perception.

I already feel more valued by II...I can call the same rep and I can have a relationship with that rep...whether it be for travel or deposits or exchanges. RCI has such a high employee turnover rate or employees who aren't well-trained or who are motivated by profit rather than service -- all of which destroys individual attention to its membership. Its website design is meant to keep available inventory hard to find...II has one click "all available destinations"....what can be simpler?

You just get a feeling that RCI has no idea of what a dues-paying member should mean to the company. Other than paying more and more fees for a product that RCI is de-valuing by diluting the very nature of "exclusive ownership privileges."

Is II doing the same....yes, I am sure...why don't they get the gripes in number? well, my guess is that what they are doing to monetize just doesn't get done in a way that gets as many of its members to feel disrespected and used. Or, they are just smarter than RCI

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

No gripes about II, except for high pressure renewal cold-calls; after 2, some selected comments about the callers mother ended that.

That said, I'm very happy direct exchanging, rent-swapping and using SFX when I need a bonus week/exchange. Gave away our II catalog to my niece to look for a place for me to send her on her honeymoon

Pat

[love2fly Member Find all posts View Profile Close love2fly]

That said, I'm very happy direct exchanging, rent-swapping and using SFX when I need a bonus week/exchange.
Pat

Good post Pat. Thanks to TS4MS I learned about alternatives.

RCI is so expensive, that I'm sticking to the independents. For me there is no compelling reason to use RCI