Just got a call from "ITN"

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

I just got off the phone with someone that I thought was a customer service representative from RCI. I do have some points expiring at the end of the year, and RCI has sent me a couple of mailings about them. So when this person asked what I was going to do with my expiring points, I told them truthfully that I would be reserving my home week early next month and that would take care of the points. He then asked what plans I had for my two bonus weeks. I told him I didn't know I had any bonus weeks. He said everyone has two bonus weeks. I asked if I would be able to find the weeks on the website, and he said "yes".

After getting off the phone I looked all over the RCI site and could not find anything about my bonus weeks. To my knowledge I've never had such a thing available to me. So then I turned to Google to figure out what "ITN" was on my Caller ID. Unfortunately there are a lot of "ITN"s, but using the area code (407) and prefix 792 I was able to find International Timeshare Network.

Not sure what ITN's plans were for me. RCI must have shared information about my account to know that I had points expiring. Maybe they figured since I wasn't using my points (which I always do, and actually end up borrowing from next year) I might be interested in selling? Anyway, I'm a little put off about this bonus week thing--unless I do have them somewhere--because this comes off as dishonest.

[nicoledc109 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close nicoledc109]

I just got off the phone with someone that I thought was a customer service representative from RCI. I do have some points expiring at the end of the year, and RCI has sent me a couple of mailings about them. So when this person asked what I was going to do with my expiring points, I told them truthfully that I would be reserving my home week early next month and that would take care of the points. He then asked what plans I had for my two bonus weeks. I told him I didn't know I had any bonus weeks. He said everyone has two bonus weeks. I asked if I would be able to find the weeks on the website, and he said "yes".

After getting off the phone I looked all over the RCI site and could not find anything about my bonus weeks. To my knowledge I've never had such a thing available to me. So then I turned to Google to figure out what "ITN" was on my Caller ID. Unfortunately there are a lot of "ITN"s, but using the area code (407) and prefix 792 I was able to find International Timeshare Network.

Not sure what ITN's plans were for me. RCI must have shared information about my account to know that I had points expiring. Maybe they figured since I wasn't using my points (which I always do, and actually end up borrowing from next year) I might be interested in selling? Anyway, I'm a little put off about this bonus week thing--unless I do have them somewhere--because this comes off as dishonest.

Thanks for sharing.

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[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Not sure what ITN's plans were for me. RCI must have shared information about my account to know that I had points expiring. Maybe they figured since I wasn't using my points (which I always do, and actually end up borrowing from next year) I might be interested in selling? Anyway, I'm a little put off about this bonus week thing--unless I do have them somewhere--because this comes off as dishonest.

Or some someone (perhaps RCI employee, perhaps someone outside) hacked the database and sold pirated information.

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For a long time I've been pretty sure that there has been unauthorized "leakage" of owner information from resorts. In fact, given the value of the information it's naive to assume that it doesn't happen.

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The risks to our personal information are really not with companies selling information. It's much that rogue employees and hackers penetrate the information.

IMHO - when things like this happen it's far more likely that the data have been pirated than that the company has sold the information. the culpability of the companies is usually failing to secure data adequately.

[rikkis_playpen Diamond Club Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close rikkis_playpen]

It could simply be targeted scripting...

You both may be reading far too much into this....

It's very likely that they purchased a list of point owners. Some of these lists are generated by online marketers who collect data from form fills and websites, others are lists that are stolen from developers and sold in back room deals, and still others are cooperative ventures between companies where info is shared.

Good phone scripting will pull information from your responses that enable a "closer" to target both your personality and your property. This info is then used to create a rapport with you, and then ultimately- to sell you their product.

This phone guy was just fishing... If you would have confirmed that you had expiring points that you didn't plan on using- it would have opened a dialogue about how you should rent them with ITN.. If you had confirmed that you had bonus weeks, it would have opened a dialogue about how you should rent them with ITN..

He evidently wasn't that good, as no part of your dialogue mentions that he finally found a tidbit that would have allowed him to MENTION how you should pay ITN for an ad!

Quit worrying, and next time simply hang up the phone when they call!