The RCI renter

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

More sleepless nights for me.

Do we take our Yukon, because it is more convenient, holds more crap, hauls more people, and gives the appearance of affluence, but makes us look wasteful, or do we take our Sunfire POC, because it is frugal and makes us look socially responsible, although it's inconvenient on a long trip, doesn't hold much crap, and can't haul as many people?

They're both the same year, not new and not old, so I am really wrestling with this. I really want to please everyone!
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We have stayed in our own timeshare only once, a long time ago. We showed up in an older Chevy Van, and 8 of us piled out. We probably looked like renters, but we were really just the Clampetts, owners.

And I bought another EOY week that week.

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

I believe they deserve some credit for keeping a 20 year old car running.

I like that! We also drive a 21 year old car but it is in mint condition but I am getting tired of it now. We had two offers to buy it from us recently for a darn good price so may take them up on it. They left us their name and phone number. We just had an offer too to buy our old VW GTI so we sold it and are looking for a new car right now. It is hard to decide what we both want. I want a Mini Cooper but that is a German car again and we had decided no more German cars for us as they last too long. Our diesel Mercedes is from 1985 so an oldie but a goodie. We are planning a trip to Oregon with it unless we buy that new one in a hurry.

We owned several rental houses in CA and AZ and some people were pigs and others took better care of their home than we do ourselves. You just don't know.

I am more scared of having a bunch of grown-ups drinking too much in a timeshare condo and getting pretty sloppy then. I feel that the bigger timeshare condos get much more wear and tear than a 1 br one. We have seen it with the MDSV-I once that was a 2 br condo. It had multiple stains on the sofa and on the carpet too. We made them clean it for us and were annoyed that they even offered it to us.

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

I would tend to agree with you regarding the age of a car, if that were the only factor. Personally, I would rather be driving my 38 year old MGB when I go to the beach.

Missing wheel covers/hub caps, however, do make a certain statement.

Most seem to be missing the more important point, however. This is a full occupancy period, and RCI is still renting out inventory to the general public. I am sure there were dues paying RCI members who were told ''nothing is availible.''

I find this thread interesting/disturbing. We own timeshares, but sometimes rent. We have more than one car, but often drive our now 17 year old van when we go to timeshares. How are we perceived?

Nancy

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

That immediately made me think of the comments on various t/s boards wondering whether renters would take as good care of our resorts as owners / exchangers.

Actually, you are the 1st one to stir the discussion about the risky factor.

This past weekend while I was on the OBX I visited with either the manager or HOA president at four resorts. When I arrived at one, it was changeover day ...
It also made me think that not only were the timeshares already essentially full this week, but so were even many of the motels, judging by the ''no vacancy'' signs. I am sure that there were potential exchangers who were told ''nothing is availible''.

Most seem to be missing the more important point, however. This is a full occupancy period, and RCI is still renting out inventory to the general public. I am sure there were dues paying RCI members who were told ''nothing is availible.''

Your post is 9/18, and you mention it is changeover day, thus, I assume it is the 2nd week of Sept. During the weekend it may still be highly occupancy time, but for a whole week? Not knowing the resort, I doubt many people will just rent a whole week and try to use it for a weekend, especially if it is Sat to Sat deal.

Don't know the rent price RCI rent to them, so can not comment on that, but don't know why the renters feel uncomfortable to step out of their car. I thought in this country, as long as you earn your money square, you can spent it anyway you like. Even if they get a cheap deal, they should not be the one feel uncomfortable. That does not speak very well for the TS.

Jya-Ning

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

Most seem to be missing the more important point, however. This is a full occupancy period, and RCI is still renting out inventory to the general public. I am sure there were dues paying RCI members who were told ''nothing is availible.''

OK, yes, I did miss that point. I don't like RCI's practices, either.

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

I missed that point too and thought that the post was about driving an old car too.

Why deal with RCI if you don't like what they do? Nobody needs them anymore because there are independent exchange companies too that you can exchange with. I would rather rent than try to exchange with a company that takes advantage of me. They don't even let you request first so you never know what you get or if you will get anything at all.

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

Actually, you are the 1st one to stir the discussion about the risky factor.





Your post is 9/18, and you mention it is changeover day, thus, I assume it is the 2nd week of Sept. During the weekend it may still be highly occupancy time, but for a whole week? Not knowing the resort, I doubt many people will just rent a whole week and try to use it for a weekend, especially if it is Sat to Sat deal.

Don't know the rent price RCI rent to them, so can not comment on that, but don't know why the renters feel uncomfortable to step out of their car. I thought in this country, as long as you earn your money square, you can spent it anyway you like. Even if they get a cheap deal, they should not be the one feel uncomfortable. That does not speak very well for the TS.

Jya-Ning

With all due respect, the issue about the rental people not taking care of resorts has been raised primarily by others, and that has been going on long before you were active on the various t/s boards.

I really don't know why they did not get out of their car.

As to September, it is usually easier to find a hotel room on weeknights than weekends, but people who go to timeshare resorts tend to stay the whole week, so if the resort is full on Saturday, it is also full on Wednesday.

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

I didn't miss it. I recognized it as an RCI-bash, rather than a comment on older cars, people who drive older cars, people who rent rather than own, people who judge people because they rent rather than own, people who judge people based on what kind of car they drive . . .

OK, yes, I did miss that point. I don't like RCI's practices, either.

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

With all due respect, the issue about the rental people not taking care of resorts has been raised primarily by others, and that has been going on long before you were active on the various t/s boards.

You are right, my statement is misleading. I should say you are the 1st one in this thread that stirs the discussion about the risky factor.

Jya-Ning

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

Maybe it was the resort's housekeeper's car and the resort wouldn't admit it.

I am just laughing to myself about the poster's real intentions of saying that he worries that RCI renters are not going to take good care of the units and who would really end up paying the price in the end.

Matters not what car they drive, but what a bargain they got from RCI! Now they can afford a true vacation, live it up and enjoy a week and hopefully leave it the same as they found it, minus a few dirty sheets and towels. Too bad RCI makes the money instead of the resort, but hey, we give RCI weeks and they are allowed to use them however they please.

The housekeeper's car is a reference to the post on tipping in "TUG's lounge," where people are saying they are entitled to a clean unit and see no need to tip. I disagree completely with that. I think tipping is the correct thing to do, even if it is only $5.00 at the end of the week, just to help that housekeeper feed her family and pay the rent and utilities. It is nothing to me. $5 won't even buy a Big Mac meal anymore, but it will buy a home cooked meal for four, if you are frugal. I tip more than $5.

What does it hurt to be generous? I would rather err on the side of generosity than feel like a cheapskate! I am glad I can say that one here.

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

Actually, several years back OY I posted our concern regarding increasing rentals to the non-timesharing public. Witnessing things first hand led to our concern as well as reports from our resort staff.

These renters/non-owners at our resort were doing damage, coming in with expectations that the resort should compensate them for minor inconveniences and such, making unusual or out of the norm demands of the housekeeping or maintenance staffs, etc...

....it became clear that because they were not familiar with concepts and structures of timesharing) and they were more familiar with hotels. For an example: If they had a gripe about the air conditioning and were not satisfied on the maintenance of such, they would go to the front desk staff and demand that they be compensated with a free dinner or such.


Some renters didn't grasp the concept of ownership, treated the furnishings and/or staff inappropriately, and had little regard for civil behavior. Some "renters" sent their 18/19/20 year olds in groups as a gift for graduation or spring break. Rules of occupancy were ignored, and some indescribable filth was left behind in some units or hot tubs or pools.

So, yes, there is some concern that the cheap rentals might bring some damage risk to the resort.

We owners pay maintenance fees, feel pride in ownership and want to have years of enjoyment to come. A renter will come for a week and may never plan to come back.

The other issue we were concerned about, and still are, is the one JLB mentions: the idea of being a dues paying member to RCI and having others get into the club without paying the admission price.

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

I've done this comparison before, but at the nicest golf course/club in the area, the marshals were once allowed to play for free. One abused that, brought others who played free, and shot his mouth off about it.

The course is owned by the POA, including at least one person who posts on TUG. I just played in his group when they were here, and his fee and his guest fee, as a property owner, is $49. The public fee is $80 or so.

Of course, the owners were outraged by what the marshals were getting, free golf, and that has all ended.

The feeling that veteran RCI members have is no different. We paid the big money upfront to join the club, and have supported both our resorts and the exchange companies for many years. How long would the golf pro/course manager last if he suddenly allowed anyone and everyone to come in and play for $30?

Come to think of it, the last pro was let go and this was one of the reasons.

The difference is that we don't have an owners' association (with the exchange companies), so we don't own the course. But the feeling of being disrespected is the same.

I hear this coming already, go to your associations and let them know you don't like what's going on. I don't want to be discouraging, because there's nothing wrong with contacting your association. Just don't expect anything. Very few will take on an exchange company. Very few are on the same scale and power. Very few see anything but the exchange companies enchancing their resort and they fear trying to make it without them.

It is not exactly the hand that feeds them, but it is a hand they do not want to bite.

The typical response by an association to a complaint like this is to ask their exchange company rep about it!

The other issue we were concerned about, and still are, is the one JLB mentions: the idea of being a dues paying member to RCI and having others get into the club without paying the admission price.

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

So far, I have gotten a good response talking to my resorts, and to leaders I know at other resorts. The more resorts hear the problems the more they will respond. The key is to offer some positive alternatives, not just complain about RCI. Tell them about the independents and also suggest dual affiliation with II.

One of the best things to send them is the link to the RCI class action lawsuit
www.thetimesharebeat.com/murrillo-vs-rci.pdf

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

Our resort is dual-affiliated, and with the independents, but with the board, RCI is still the goose that laid the golden egg.

Hey, how about you send it to the pres of our board? I'll give you his email address.

So far, I have gotten a good response talking to my resorts, and to leaders I know at other resorts. The more resorts hear the problems the more they will respond. The key is to offer some positive alternatives, not just complain about RCI. Tell them about the independents and also suggest dual affiliation with II.

One of the best things to send them is the link to the RCI class action lawsuit
www.thetimesharebeat.com/murrillo-vs-rci.pdf

[4dabirds Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 4dabirds]

Actually, several years back OY I posted our concern regarding increasing rentals to the non-timesharing public.

The crazy thing... I remember your post! Was it really several years back??? My mom always told me time goes faster the older you get (and I would tell her they don't teach us that in physics class MOoooM!), but I would swear anymore she was right!

I was thinking... maybe the couple in question didn't even "rent" it from RCI exactly... maybe they just "won" it on Sky Auction and used the booking feature to reserve the unit right out of the inventory!

Kim