RCI Rag

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

I have not ragged about RCI for a long time, probably since for us the handwriting was on the wall some time back. Neither have I spent much time on exchange company boards, but I have noticed when I go through Todays Posts and New Posts that others are handling the task sufficiently.

I had reason to become even more dissappointed this morning. In addition to my regular daily searches, I searched some other areas for the next five weeks, plus Extra Vacations for the same areas.

I have to say that agree with the detractors, such as Mr. Perkins recent announcement of Proof Positve That RCI is Ripping Us Off!. It is very disappointing to see little or no exchange inventory available for popular areas (Hawaii, Vegas, SOCAL Coastal, etc.), while at the same time there are dozens of high-rent rentals being offered.

The focus and direction is obvious. It reminds me of the bullfrog theory. If you want to boil a bullfrog you do not just toss him into boiling water. Of course he would just jump out. You put him in regular water and slowly turn up the heat. At first it feels good, soothing and relaxing. He lays back and stretches out. And then he wakes up boiled.

I am not some dufus who just fell off the turnip truck and is going to be satisfied with a canned explanation from some flunky that was just hired off the street and put on the phone.

This is not the RCI that was presented to us when our money was taken from us.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

It is unfortunate that so few people really can see what is going on. The vast majority of RCI members probably just think that what they really want is hard to get and have no idea that there is even a lawsuit ongoing against RCI. The percentage that have heard the talk about rentals online is indeed minute.

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

That is why we have to talk about it here on the boards, no matter who comes along to shout us down.

Rentals and Points are RCI's cash cow....timeshare sales people don't give a c--p about how many vacations you will enjoy with your $26,000 plus dream week....they will promise you anything, and let RCI take the blame if it "doesn't happen."

So again, let us review:

RULE #1....buy RESALE, and Buy where you KNOW you want to visit again and again.

RULE #2...You DON'T have to use RCI or II only...there are independents who you can deposit with, who are less costly and don't require deposits up front.

RULE #3....well, let us just say that you shouldn't believe everything you hear at the sales table or from a vacation counselor with RCI/II (sounds nicerinstead of saying "lies fly" around these folks)

....and

RULE #4....if you want to find a trade, come here to TS4ms and get some advice and help in that endeavor BEFORE you deposit....

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

We also need to be proactive with our resorts to encourage them to get the word out on the independents. Write an item for your resort newsletter. Take some brochures or other info to your HOA meeting.

Better yet, suggest that your resort arrange to mail brochures for the independent exchange companies with their newsletter and get the independent exchange company to pay all of the postage. Both DAE and Platinum Interchange will do this. This helps the HOA by saving on postage costs so it is a win-win. Both of my own OBX resorts have already done this.
If they mail both, then that is the postage for the next two newsletter free for the HOA. In addition, Timesharing Today will also do this, so that would be three newsletters, postage free for the HOA.

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

Rent if you can get a better deal.

That is why we have to talk about it here on the boards, no matter who comes along to shout us down.

Rentals and Points are RCI's cash cow....timeshare sales people don't give a c--p about how many vacations you will enjoy with your $26,000 plus dream week....they will promise you anything, and let RCI take the blame if it "doesn't happen."

So again, let us review:

RULE #1....buy RESALE, and Buy where you KNOW you want to visit again and again.

RULE #2...You DON'T have to use RCI or II only...there are independents who you can deposit with, who are less costly and don't require deposits up front.

RULE #3....well, let us just say that you shouldn't believe everything you hear at the sales table or from a vacation counselor with RCI/II (sounds nicerinstead of saying "lies fly" around these folks)

....and

RULE #4....if you want to find a trade, come here to TS4ms and get some advice and help in that endeavor BEFORE you deposit....

RULE #5...If you can get a better deal renting than sell your week and rent.

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

Ask RCI answer to me about rentals and the (EX) Embassy Maui

See this post on Ask RCI on Tug.


http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12717

It would be nice if we could save this question and answer from Madge here before TUG removes it from TUG's Ask RCI.

I never had any question in my mind that RCI was using the Maui Embassy as a Money Maker after checking with the Embassy Maui.

The real interesting question I have now about the (EX) Embassy Maui is:

Where have all the Rentals and Exchanges for the Maui Embassy gone?

I haven't been looking the last few months but when I last looked for Rentals at the (ex) Embassy Maui I saw few if any. I also didn't see any exchanges for Jan to March 2007 when I was looking.

Walt

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

You might also look at the Ask RCI Insider thread on the RCI board on www.timesharetalk.co.uk where I asked RCI employee Anon about payback to the Weeks system for Points crossover trades, and he replied that RCI did NOT give ANYTHING back! Anon was giving his answers without having to be a company mouthpiece like Madge. Anon's bonafides as an RCI employee were also checked out by the TST owner who asked Anon to answer some specific question about the owners own RCI account that only someone with access to RCI's computers could answer. Anon came back with all of the correct answers.

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

I have not ragged about RCI for a long time, probably since for us the handwriting was on the wall some time back. Neither have I spent much time on exchange company boards, but I have noticed when I go through Todays Posts and New Posts that others are handling the task sufficiently.

I had reason to become even more dissappointed this morning. In addition to my regular daily searches, I searched some other areas for the next five weeks, plus Extra Vacations for the same areas.

I have to say that agree with the detractors, such as Mr. Perkins recent announcement of Proof Positve That RCI is Ripping Us Off!. It is very disappointing to see little or no exchange inventory available for popular areas (Hawaii, Vegas, SOCAL Coastal, etc.), while at the same time there are dozens of high-rent rentals being offered.

The focus and direction is obvious. It reminds me of the bullfrog theory. If you want to boil a bullfrog you do not just toss him into boiling water. Of course he would just jump out. You put him in regular water and slowly turn up the heat. At first it feels good, soothing and relaxing. He lays back and stretches out. And then he wakes up boiled.

I am not some dufus who just fell off the turnip truck and is going to be satisfied with a canned explanation from some flunky that was just hired off the street and put on the phone.

This is not the RCI that was presented to us when our money was taken from us.

Very astute analysis!
I have found a LOT more inventory in II than RCI - except in Points. My opinion: RCI is almost making it MANDATORY for their weeks members to pay to get into points.
1. IF you do not have a SUPER Trading Week like the Manhattan Club or DISNEY property, or Gold Crown in Hawaii etc.etc. (IN RCI WEEKS, it is next to impossible to get to the "premium" resorts unless you have POINTS. You have to have a LOT of points to get into the "premium" resorts. The PLUS is that you have the opportunity to vacation in ANY resort (with availability and long-term planning) with the option of a hotel room to a three bedroom.

2. Points means revenue for RCI - Fees for: Home resort priority period - 5 nights or more fee, 3-4 night fee, 1-2 night fee - Guest Certificate - Auto-Saving Points if no transaction has occurred in a year - Transferring Points - Additional "other RCI resorts" Points for deposit - Extending points - POINTS PARTNERS reservation transaction fees - Upgrade fees - Downgrade fees - 9000 points or less specials, an exchange fee - Renting Points-etc.etc.
RCI "probably" gets commissions besides their fees from their POINTS PARTNERS.

Points CAN BE a good program IF YOU KNOW HOW TO PLAY IT. You will ultimately PAY MORE but you WILL RECEIVE MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK.

The "Secret" is to pay - including initial purchase and maintenance fees - LESS than $.01/point AND utilize the 9000 or less progams that RCI "borrows" from RCI weeks.

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

Cendant Appears To Be Milking the RCI Cash Cow Dry!

It appears to me that the history of Cendant is owning Companies that have little or no assets with little expenses but a Balance Sheet with a high positive cash Flow.

An example is RCI. They do not own any Resorts. We, the timeshare owner, give them FREE weeks by way of our Spacebank Weeks. Cost to RCI. Nothing, if done on line. And the cost of the time of a VC if done by phone. This transaction done on line or with a VC doesn't add up to RCI's Fees. The only cost of doing exchanges is the cost of maintaining the on line site, phone lines, and the VCs wages.

It also appears to me that the History of Cendant is to Milk the Companies Dry and move on.

It also appears to me, that RCI is increasing all of their Fees without regard to the outcome of Timesharing's future. When the income begins to decline look for them to sell. With the recent sell off of Cendant's many companies they may just be increasing the short term income in order to show a better Profit and Loss statement for the sale of RCI.


Walt IMHO

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

You would think that exchanges would be going down with the lack of availability and the increasing cost, but here is some RCI exchange history:
2005 2,625,867 up 0.67 % from 2004
2004 2,608,397 down 1.0 % from 2003
2003 2,619,106 up 5.47 % from 2002
2002 2,483,299

Aside from the nice increase in 2003 over 2002, RCI's exchange numbers have been pretty static. I would expect a drop again in 2006 and that probably induced them to raise the exchange rate.

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

I Would Question Any RCI Exchange Numbers.

You would think that exchanges would be going down with the lack of availability and the increasing cost, but here is some RCI exchange history:
2005 2,625,867 up 0.67 % from 2004
2004 2,608,397 down 1.0 % from 2003
2003 2,619,106 up 5.47 % from 2002
2002 2,483,299

Aside from the nice increase in 2003 over 2002, RCI's exchange numbers have been pretty static. I would expect a drop again in 2006 and that probably induced them to raise the exchange rate.

The only problem with these numbers is that RCI was, and may still, be listing their Rentals as Exchanges.

I know this because I rented a week from RCI and my Confirmation sheet said it was an Exchange and they did not collect the necessary state and local taxes.

So are their Exchange numbers really just exchanges or are they listed both Exchanges and Rentals?

Walt

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

Well, Cendant is not known for it's accurate reporting of numbers.