Tweet
How many resorts in the RCI newtwork will jump ship to II if RCI loses the lawsuits?
-
-
Actually, if RCI loses the lawsuits, it will make resorts and members more secure. The scary thing for members and resorts would be if RCI won the lawsuits. Then it would be open season on resorts and members.
Right now, resorts should be considering dual affiliation and advising their members about the independents as they learn what RCI is doing with the rentals.Comment
-
RCI Points program is subversive
The RCI Points program is subversive and poisoness towards the RCI Weeks program. I think that's the REAL class action lawsuit that the lawyers SHOULD be pursuing.
Unfortunately, the 2 programs can not cooperatively co-exist. How is that? Why can't people find weeks to exchange anymore?
We'll, think about this... Leaving aside the argument of RCI raiding the weeks inventory to sell as rentals for a moment (That may or may not be true, I don't know). *Granularity of time*. Imagine an extreme case that all RCI Points owners take just 2 days of vacation (Tues, Wed) from the RCI weeks inventory. All of a sudden, the RCI Weeks program would cease to exist in a practical sense. Who can take a whole week anymore when EVERY week is occupied for 2 out of 7 days a week?
The ONLY fair solution is to draw a clear barrier between what you do with "Weeks" and what you can do with "Points". Weeks resorts can only exchange with Weeks. Points can only exchange with Points. Of course, that's not what happened with the launch of RCI Points, because they obviously had a chicken and egg problem of not having any Points resorts to exchange with. So, you do the obvious and poach the Weeks inventory. Not only that but you give Points owners "priority" over weeks, so they can grab stuff first. We'll, there goes your Weeks program.
Ok, that's the past, let's talk future. The class action lawsuit should, IMHO, define a clear barrier between the 2 programs. Ok, let the Points program exist, but after some "startup" time when the number of Points resorts gets closer to traditional Weeks programs, then that's it. Cut it off. No more poaching from one program to the other. If you're in a Points resort, you go to another Points resort, no if ands or buts. Same with Weeks programs. Or at the very least, define 1/2 of the resort as "Weeks", 1/2 as "Points".
This MUST be one of the outcomes of the CAL, otherwise long-term structural damage will completely kill the Weeks program. Yes, both programs can exist, but just not TOGETHER. Bottom line, as the old saying goes, you've got the fox watching the hens here.Comment
-
RCI won't change as you think
RCNET - I can see where your logic comes from but the result is not likely to be what you envision. RCI clearly prefers the Points based model and therefore has given Points owners a superset status. They are still weeks members with the same rights as they always had plus the newer access to Points resorts. Thats why its worth a premium to buy into.
The current class action(s) don't even try to address that relationship as it is strictly an internal operation. No one has the right to tell a company how they set up and market their legal products - thats for the market to decide. It is highly unlikely that anything they are doing with weeks/points is illegal.
If anyone is sitting back thinking these suits are going turn back the clock on RCI operations I believe they are not going to be happy. We are unlikely to see any real results from this for at least 4-5 years and by then the whole question may be moot as weeks will effectively be a bit player for RCI. It is unlikely that RCI will lose and any settlement that may occur will only help the lawyers not the users. Should the unbelievable occur and RCI actually got told they couldn't continue to offer the products as they do now - including rentals - my guess is they would simply close down weeks or sell it off as they aren't interested in that IMO.
In the meantime buy to use, find alternate exchange systems if you really like week for week trades and minimize your RCI use if you feel it isn't a value anymore. Don't depend on any outside action to make RCI "better" as in all likelyhood it won't happen. If you hang your plans on that you will end up on the short end - 99.9% certain.Comment
-
Murrillo complaint DOES address unfair relationship
From what I have learned the complaint filed in the Murrillo case DOES address the unfair relationship between Points and Weeks. The Chace complaint does not. Now the firms are supposed to be working together on a merged complaint. IMHO, it is absolutely essential for ultimate victory in the case that this issue stay in the forefront.
As to outside actions bringing reform to malpractices of big corporations, they DO sometimes work. One succesful one that I participated in, at least in a small way, was www.saveskymiles.com which reveresed Delta's trashing of its Medallion elite program.Comment
-
That is an example of pressure working but it was for a bonus program not the basic operation of the company. Your success might not have occurred if you wanted to change which routes were non-stop and which airports served as hubs for that airline. The type of fundimental operations we are talking about at RCI are decisions made by management not outside sources. And the timeframe for any type of action due to the class action process doesn't favor the users. it just isn't going to make any difference for many years if at all.Originally posted by CarolinianComment
-
3 or 4 Years ago I was told that the Week's Exchanges will be dead in 5 years!
Originally posted by timeos2
3 or 4 years ago I was told that the Week's Exchanges will be dead in 5 years. I was told this by a RCI trained salesman at the Fox Hills Resort in Wisconsin. The salesman was an owner at Fox Hills that never exchanged his week and was retired. He was not a saleman. He was doing this to make some extra income. Everything he knew about Points and Weeks was told to him by RCI. Because of TUG, I knew more about both programs.
When I asked Madge (Ask RCI) about it she wrote that RCI has no control what a salesman tells us. And that Weeks will remain their main Exchange Program. Right!
I believe that RCI does, indeed, wants to do away with the Week's Exchange Program. It may take more that 5 years, but I also believe unless something happens with the Class Action Lawsuit, RCI will kill their Weeks Exchange Program in the future.
This has nothing to do will which program is better. Points or Weeks. This has everything to do with money.
Walt
Comment
-
We still need a legal remedy, somehow
I agree about alternative exchange systems. We need fair "transparent" exchange systems. To borrow a phrase from the software world, we need "open-source" exchange system.Originally posted by timeos2
I really can't stand that my home resort has such an incestuous relationship with RCI, obviously they kickback a lot of money to them. My resort wants several thousand $$$ to "convert" to a points account. I understand that RCI charges only $199. Why can't I convert my account directly with RCI, instead of going through my resort?
However, the whole thing is a slippery slope. People that think that RCI Points are "better" are fooling themselves. Inflation could very well decimate RCI points down the road. "You went to this resort last year for 50,000 points. Sorry, this year it takes 65,000." It's a total screw job if people don't see this coming. Also, what's to prevent RCI from coming out with another plan 5 years from now, call it anything-you-want, say a RCI Dreams, or whatever, that replaces the Points program. "You want the best vacation inventory, you need an RCI Dreams account, that will be another several thousand dollars".
Bottom line, this stuff is neverending. Some sort of legislation is needed to prevent these clowns from constantly moving the goal posts.Comment
-
Yep. I have said this before as well. perfect example. Did they not change the terms on there Visa CC?Originally posted by rcnet
Timeshareforums Shirts and Mugs on sale now! http://www.cafepress.com/ts4msComment
-
Open End Contract With RCI Points Program!
Originally posted by rcnet
I can not believe that people are willing to pay more than the $199 to buy their weeks again with an Open End Contract, that allows RCI to Spacebank their Week and also allows RCI to change any part of the contract at anytime.
When do you think giving RCI the Deed to your Week's Ownership becomes part of the Points Program?
Walt
Comment
-
But at any change the user gets the choice to buy in or drop out. If they try pulling too many changes to the Points system owners will just quit. Like weeks it is optional. I look at the FF system on which RCI Points was at least partially based. The point inflation and wild value swings just haven't occurred in almost 20 years. No reason to think RCI Points will behave so diffferently.Originally posted by rcnet
I can never agree that getting Governnment involved with such a trivial process is a good idea. Let the natural market decide. if they aren't offering a value or if they are ripping people off word will get out and the company will fail. Certainly those who want to find out can read about what RCI is doing and take actions to correct things themselves. Legislation or more agencies just lead to higher costs and more loopholes to try to plug. It just isn't a big enough issue that would require such heavy handed actions. Let the market solve the problem. No one is forced to use RCI no matter what your resort or others says. It is an option and you can opt out. Thats why the lawsuits are going to fail. If I'm wrong please let me know 5-10 years from now as it will be that long before we hear. Meanwhile protect yourself don't wait for the suits to do it for you.Comment
-
IMHO, the market is trying to solve the problem by websites and consumers who are telling RCI that we are onto their games, we can see the writing on the wall, and we are taking action....as in the Class Action Lawsuit.
RCI is run by some folks who just believe that mega-giant corporations matter much more than the measly little guy who wants fair value.
The country is full of stories of how greed is becoming the common denominator of corporations and their CEO's. Cendant is obviously part of that scene.
Points are a corporate invention to fool a person into thinking something is "value"....the problem will become apparent as points are adjusted, fees are raised and "black out" areas are installed....just you wait and see...when that happens, those points owners will want a Class Action Lawsuit of their own!Life is short, live it with this awareness.Comment
-
When RCI is in a quasi monopoly position, there is no free market in exchanging, as long as many resorts do not dual affiliate with II or tell their owners about the independents. Most exchangers do not know they have other options. Thus ''the market'' cannot fix things until more work is done to create a free market in exchanging. Lack of a genuine market is what justifies legislation and litigation to protect consumers.
Maybe more of us should be proactive and help try to grow the market by encouraging our resorts to let their members know about the independents.Comment
-
RCI points - locked into RCI exchanges?
When on my vacation to Vancouver and Vancouver Island, I went to an Aviawest presentation. Their resorts only deal in RCI points. I have no intention of buying into that system but I was wondering if you're locked into exchanging only through RCI if you have RCI points. In other words, could I obtain a week with my points and then deposit it in SFX, for example?
SueComment
-
Sue and all others, sorry for jumping in here, I know it's not my forum. You may reserve a weeks worth of points at the resort where you own (or at one of several resorts if your ownership is part of a multi-site development, eg. Hilton, Worldmark etc.), and deposit that week with SFX for a vacation exchange.Originally posted by falmouth3
A timeshare purchase is "Separate & Distinct" from the use of an exchange company. If you were "locked-in" to using the service of just one exchange company, that may be a violation of both Federal and State Anti-Trust laws with regards to the creation of an unlawful "Tying-relationship". (You can research this under the "Sherman Act" and "Clayton Act".
Hope this helps...Comment
Comment