Speaking of RCI Rentals . . .

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

We were, weren't we?

I guess there's no need disguising them any more, since the classaction lawsuit made them SOP:

Vacations at Endless-Vacation-Rentals

file it under Be Careful What You Wish For

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

And, yeah, the resorts we own and are trying to rent out to minimize our loss are on it.

So, let me make sure I understand this.

We pay a fee to belong to an organization so that we can trade our weeks to somewhere else, and so that other people who pay a fee to subscribe to the organization can go to our place, except that we can't get somewhere else any more because the organization rents those to someone who doesn't pay a fee to belong to the organization because they can get more money from them, and other people who subscribe to the same organization can't go to our place because the organization gets more money by renting it to someone who does not belong to the organization.

That about it?

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

Except that by busting the exclusivity principle that the ownership / exchange model of timesharing was based upon wide open, RCI has depressed the rental market for owners / members, depressed the resale market, financially threatened HOA's, and made good exchanges more difficult to get for those members who use it for exchange (excepting, of course, those overpointed in Points Lite).

[timeos2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close timeos2]

Since the use / membership in RCI is totally voluntary why does anyone choose to place - at their expense - their costly ownership with a group that has the right and will turn around and rent it - with NO money back to the owner/resort - rather than offer it as an exchange as intended?

The enemy is those who don't find out what is happening and just merrily pay to have their ownership devalued for the profit of the exchange companies.

We have met the enemy and he is us. Pogo got it decades ago. Why can't timeshare owners?

I did my part. RCI hasn't seen a deposit of any of my time since around 2002. I have made sure there are no bulk deposits from any resort I own in the past 4 years. I have NEVER bought to trade. That is a losers game, always has been. That's all I can personally do - the rest is up to the other 99%+ of owners and resorts. No exchange company can rent what they don't have. It is really very simple.

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

Personally, I am renting my OBX week, and have deposited others to DAE and SFX. I had thought of using one of my UK summer weeks myself this year, but my schedule has just become definite that I will not be able to, so I thought of giving it to Donita's Vacations Unlimited, but am now leaning toward joining and trying out UKRE, which will give me 2 for 1 credit for the deposit. RCI is not the only game in town.

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

Yeah, as everyone here knows, we are attempting to rent out our worse than worthless timeshare weeks to reduce the loss from the never-ending financial obligation, and we are now in competition with the company that was most instrumental in orchestrating the members-only concept we were promised.

And, yeah, I understand how the buck-passing relieves all involved from any responsibility, but it is important to me that the first 30 minutes of our first tour was the RCI video, and about 90% of that tour and every one since was RCI.

And it is not all that hard to find the RCI propaganda to the Affiliates hyping them on how important RCI is to their marketing success:

Gotta go find it:

Executive Summary
THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF RCI EXCHANGE AFFILIATION
The following are key findings from a survey of RCI members residing in the United
States, quantifying the economic benefits of RCI affiliation for developers and resorts.
Conducted by mail during July-August 1999, there were 1,387 responses. All results apply only
to current RCI members residing in the U.S.
Importance of RCI in the Purchase Process and Value Added by RCI Affiliation·
88.5% of all timeshare purchases ever made by current RCI members were positively
influenced by the RCI exchange opportunity, according to members. These total about
2,686,000 weeks, representing aggregate sales of an estimated $20.1 billion by
developers, homeowner associations, and on-site resale companies.
· 38.7% of all timeshares owned by members would not have been purchased without the
RCI exchange affiliation, according to members. These total approximately 1,176,000
weeks sold for an estimated $8.8 billion.
· 41.5% of RCI members say they would not have purchased their first timeshare without
the RCI exchange affiliation. These total about 600,000 weeks sold at an estimated
aggregate sales volume of $4.5 billion.
· Members attribute and average 24.8% of the value of their timeshares to the RCI
exchange opportunity. This represents an estimated $5.7 billion of value added. Fully
94.0% of members feel the RCI affiliation adds some value.
· Of members who received one or more years of RCI membership with their most recent
timeshare purchase, 81.6% say this was of at least some importance in their purchase
decision, and 30.2% say it was “very important.”
Benefits to Resorts from RCI Exchange Vacations
· Timeshare purchases by U.S.-resident RCI members during exchange vacations total an
estimated 39,200 weeks per year, representing gross sales of about $453 million. RCI
members purchase a timeshare week during 4.4% of their exchange vacations. These
purchases average 1.2 weeks, at an average price of $11,570 per week.
· Cumulatively, over the years members have purchased an estimated 210,000 weeks while
on exchange vacations, representing gross sales estimated at $1.6 billion. Some 9.5% of
second purchases, 14.9% of third purchases, and 18.4% of fourth and subsequent
purchases are made during exchange vacations.
· In addition to purchases made during exchange vacations, members also have purchased
about 64,000 weeks at exchange resorts after returning home from exchange vacations,
representing total sales estimated at $480 million.
· An estimated 61,300 purchases are made each year by friends and acquaintances to
whom RCI members have recommended resorts the member first learned about during an
exchange vacation. In aggregate, members report about 736,000 such purchases over the
years.
· 34.5% of members “definitely” plan to exchange into a previously visited exchange
location again.
· 4.7% “definitely” plan to rent in a resort they have visited through exchange.
· 40.0% “definitely” will recommend an exchange resort to a friend or acquaintance as a
rental location, and 4.7% “definitely” plan to rent in a resort they formerly visited
through exchange.
· 31.0% “definitely” will recommend a former exchange location to a friend or
acquaintance as a place to purchase.
Expenditures at Resorts While on RCI Vacations
· During vacations generated by RCI – through exchange, ads seen in Endless Vacation,
“Travel Plus” vacations, and “Extra Holidays” vacations – members spend a total of $423
million per year on-site at host resorts. This is an average of $429 per visitor party.
Expenditures off- site in the local community are in addition to this, but were not
measured during the survey.
· Primary expenditure categories include: $123 million in on-site restaurants; $75 million
for on-site recreational activities such as golf; $61 million for on-site, non-grocery retail
purchases; $48 million in on-site grocery stores; $48 million for tours and rental cars
arranged by the resorts; and $40 million in other on-site expenditures.

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

The other day I got an offer of $400 for our peak summer week with $650 fee. I've been so excited, it's been hard to sleep, or control my bladder.



But, alas, I just got an email withdrawing that offer.