Can't Search Without A Deposit

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

I was helping a longtime TS owner/RCI member learn how to use RCI today.

Why do you spose RCI doesn't let subscribers see what's available if they don't have anything deposited?

Why not let you see everything available, and what it takes to get them, so you can decide if you wanna deposit?

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

That would provide the ability to make an informed decision. That is listed in the RCI terms and conditions under the heading 'Crazy Talk'.

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

I did my best to be the straight man, to allow someone the obvious answer.



It does not make sense that a person with a deposit of 1 can see everything, including the Manhattan Club (58-62), but take away the 1, and you can't.

Do you spose seeing what you can get would discourage depositing?

Of course, you can deposit, look, and if the deposit does not match, get it back.

Now you see stuff; now you don't.

[Mongoose Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mongoose]

I don't like it either, but it kinda makes sense. If they didn't require a deposit, people would sit on their weeks, cherry pick and then make the deposit. The ultimate end result would be low end units available only and all the decent trades would be held and not deposited until the last very second. People always want to trade up... not down.

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

I don't like it either, but it kinda makes sense. If they didn't require a deposit, people would sit on their weeks, cherry pick and then make the deposit. The ultimate end result would be low end units available only and all the decent trades would be held and not deposited until the last very second. People always want to trade up... not down.

Oh, like II.

Hmmm. There's still someone making good deposits?

[Mongoose Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mongoose]

Oh, like II.

Hmmm. There's still someone making good deposits?

Am I missing something? Last time I checked, you had to deposit your week in II to review exchanges?

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

No, you can search first with II. I haven't deposited anything with them in several years and no longer have an active membership, but I can still search exchange inventory against one or or more of my "enrolled" but not-deposited weeks.

You an also search first in RCI with some of the dedicated mini-system portals, e.g. Wyndham.

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

You an also search first in RCI with some of the dedicated mini-system portals, e.g. Wyndham.

You can also search first with RCI points but maybe because you already have a contract to give them your week anyway.

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

It does not make sense that a person with a deposit of 1 can see everything, including the Manhattan Club (58-62), but take away the 1, and you can't.

In this day of purported disclosure, it is inconsistent for them to regress to the withholding of information tactics of the past.

[Brogers92026 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Brogers92026]

Some II people must deposit first in order to search

No, you can search first with II. ... I can still search exchange inventory against one or or more of my "enrolled" but not-deposited weeks.

.

Not all II people can do a search first.

I own at S ands of Ka hana (which trades through II) and recently learned that I could no longer look first and THEN (if I found something that I liked) do a deposit. Instead I found that I had to call the S O K mgmt company (CON- solidated Re sorts Intl) and they would assign a unit from a bulk group. I don't know if that means that the assigned unit would have a fixed date (perhaps very short) or would be more reasonable for better trading purposes.

I spoke to a person at CON - solidated and while he was polite, he was a smooth talker and I still fail to see any personal benefit. It is my understanding that the decision to do the bulk assignment was NOT discussed at the recent annual meeting. It was just a unilateral decision by the mgmt company. BTW, the annual meeting was kind of a shame because it is run by the mgmt company and they are firmly entrenched. They determine what gets on the agenda, what gets tabled and they count the votes.

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

The exchange system is no different than the timeshare developer in that the primary product they sell is "the Dream!".. It is always much easier to sell the fantasy than the reality..

[bravesfan Member Find all posts View Profile Close bravesfan]

Jlb,

I thought you were over the exchange, why so much effort put into something that you dislike so much. Would not like to be in a border dispute with you as your neighbor.

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

Hello,

Thank you for your e-mail.

In order to request an exchange, you first need to deposit your week.
If members could request exchanges without depositing their own vacation
time, the exchange system could not function effectively. To illustrate
why, keep in mind that the exchange vacation you are requesting is only
available to you after another RCI member has deposited the unit with
us.

While we cannot guarantee that each member will receive his preferred


Kind Regards,

(Name Withheld)
Customer Communications Specialist
RCI North America

Of course, if you don't deposit it, they can't rent it.

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

Me:

I was gonna let this go, but it's been eating at me because it doesn't
make sense any more.

First, my wife and I have deposited more than 115 weeks over more than
20 years, so the tutorial is somewhat wasted on me.

Under the new system, a subscriber with as little as 1 TPU, which is of
no value or use to any other subscriber, can see everything available.
Personally, we don't have any deposits right now, just deposit credits,
which are of no use to other subscribers, but we can see everything
available.

It is the being able to see what's available that is the incentive for a
subscriber to deposit another week, or more.

The same goes for a subscriber with no deposits (just as useless to
other subscribers as 1 TPU). Their incentive to deposit something is
being able to see something they want. Without that, it's a throwback
to the era of non-disclosure, secrecy and subscriber-unfriendliness . .
. "give us something and then we'll show you what you can get."

This came up when I was showing an RCI subscriber who has never
deposited anything how to use RCI. Of course, when she couldn't see
what she could get, she didn't deposit any of her nine weeks. As one
subscriber goes, so goes the group.


Them:

Hello,

Thank you for your reply. I will
be happy to respond to your concerns in his absence.

You make a valid point, Mr. (Me). In fact, in an effort to educate
active members who have not yet deposited their timeshare weeks on the
exchange process, our marketing team deposited a temporary Deposit
Trading Power of 1, exactly to your point.

There is a balance between viewing availability without a deposit and
having a deposit but not having the inventory available to view.
Because our exchange program is dependent upon our members depositing
their timeshare weeks, it is very important that this part of the
equation is not lost. In your example, had your friend deposited
her nine weeks, or even one, another member viewing availability may
have found exactly what he was looking for and deposited his weeks. The
cycle continues.

With this being said, I have forwarded your concerns and this discussion
to the appropriate staff for further review. Thank you for taking the
time to bring your concerns to our attention. If you have further
questions or concerns, please let us know, Mr. (Me). We will be
happy to assist you.

Kind Regards,

(Name withheld)
Customer Communications Specialist
RCI North America