Class Action Suit

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

I had a long detailed discussion with Gary today (SEE BELOW). I mentioned the 10-02-06 issue of the Travel Agent to him. He will get the article and email it to me and I will post on this forum.

The gist of our conversation was about the amount of complaining you read about in the forums YET very few of us do anything about it - but complain. Gary would like to talk to each and every one of the WEEKS members. He believes the case to be strong but he needs information. Call him, he is a nice fellow. . . and I believe HE CARES.

Sometime this week, I will search the RCI Corporate headquarters for a person who will be able to give us answers. I will post the conversation(s) within this thread and will give you names and phone numbers. WEEK owners THINK they are getting screwed . . . All of us - UNIFIED - can get the truth.

I believe it is time that RCI WEEKS members stand up and fight. We just might get some answers! I, for one, would like to KNOW the truth . . . and be able to make my decisions based upon the acquired information.

P.S. Many of the RCI posts lately have mentioned Cendant. CENDANT IS LONG GONE and has not been in existence since September 5. 2006.

__________________________________________________ _____________
The 4 law suits filed against RCI have been consolidated into one action. www.classcounsel.com

Thank you for contacting our firm about your experiences with RCI. Green Welling filed a class action against RCI in February 2006. Through its Weeks Program, RCI offers its members the option of depositing their vacation week in a spacebank to exchange it for a comparable week from the spacebank. RCI states that the vacation weeks deposited into the spacebank are maintained in the spacebank for exchanges. Plaintiff alleges that RCI actually rents out the most desirable and highly demanded vacation weeks from the spacebank, thus depleting the most desirable options available to Weeks Program members who seek exchanges.

If you are or were a RCI Weeks Program member you are automatically a member of the purported class and do not need to do anything to participate in or "join" the class action. A class member may decide to provide documents to help us in our investigation in the case, but is not obligated to do so. If a successful conclusion is reached in favor of the plaintiff, all class members will receive a Notice of Settlement informing them of the terms of the settlement and instructing them how to claim their benefits.

A class representative is a person named in the complaint who participates actively in the lawsuit, and may be asked to testify at deposition and trial, answer written interrogatories, and keep generally aware of the status and progress of the lawsuit. To become a class representative, we would first have to review your documents and specific situation. It is often beneficial to have several lead plaintiffs. Thus, if you are interested in this level of involvement, we encourage you to contact us to discuss it further.

Lastly, it will help us get a recovery for RCI members if we can add you to our RCI contact database and collect information about your experiences. The contact database will be kept strictly confidential. It will allow us to contact you in the event we distribute information related to this lawsuit. To be added, please provide the following information:

(1) Your contact information (i.e. name, address, email, phone number, etc.)

(2) Are you a member of the RCI Weeks Program Member? If yes, please provide the dates of your membership.

(3) If no, which RCI program are you a member of?

(4) Please detail the nature of your problem (i.e. difficulty in finding adequate exchange weeks).

(5) If you own a timeshare week, what is the designation of the week (i.e., red, white, blue)?

Please check out our website at www.classcounsel.com and feel free to email us with any questions or call us toll-free at 1-888-610-4768. Again, thank you for taking the time to contact our firm.

Gary V. Casavant
Paralegal


GREEN WELLING LLP
Tel: (415) 477-6700
Fax: (415) 477-6710
www.classcounsel.com

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

FOUR lawsuits? I was only aware of two, one with Susan Murrillo as lead plaintiff, originally filed in the federal district court, and one with Allen Chace as lead plaintiff, originally filed in State court in New Jersey. The law firm you are in contact with was counsel in the latter case, and I understand is now lead counsel for the consolidated case.

I agree that timesharers should do all we can to get info to these law firms. I understand that one of the attorneys who is heavily involved is a timeshare exchanger himself, and thus should work for some real relief. One of the lead plaintiffs has also been active on timeshare boards and has a strong personal commitment to reform. Those are reasons that we can hope for some meaningful reform to result from this action, not a pittiance payout to class members and a windfall for attorneys as too often happens in class actions.
The ongoing reform of the system is far more important than any financial payout.

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

The song I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool is going through my mind.

Years ago, probably 7 or 8 or 9, I gave a ---- about this. I was the one on TUG, along with Steve, posting links to the AGs and the FTC every time someone had a bitch. So I know all too well how few actually tried to do anything about things back at the beginning of the slippery slope, before the snowball got really huge.

Do I believe that RCI should in any way be involved with rentals? Absolutely not, because at the very least it is a violation of the trust we as owners had with them, the promise that the system is a closed one with deposits going to other members only. For a company with the reputation of Cendant, to rape and pilfer, cheat and steal, having access to prime resorts they can get $1000 for instead of an exchange fee, is simply to much temptation for the greedy.

But you know what, I have not gotten to know anyone with RCI that I did not like. Resort marketing folks suck, but RCI folks seem to be OK.

And I have done my daily searching and have demonstrated and recorded that stuff is not now available that usetobe. I don't know anyone else who has done what I haved one. An investigator for the class actions talked to me and did not care to pursue it further.

Why?

1. Perhaps because in all my efforts with all my resources, I have not been able to establish why we cannot get the resorts we used to.

2. We are still taking wonderful vacations, to resorts we probably don't have any right to be able to get into.

3. Out investment and expense is minimal.

So what is our loss? Is it really my fight? Why should I bust my butt for people who do not seem to care?

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

[QUOTE=Carolinian;83292]FOUR lawsuits? I was only aware of two, one with Susan Murrillo as lead plaintiff, originally filed in the federal district court, and one with Allen Chace as lead plaintiff, originally filed in State court in New Jersey. The law firm you are in contact with was counsel in the latter case, and I understand is now lead counsel for the consolidated case.

I agree that timesharers should do all we can to get info to these law firms. I understand that one of the attorneys who is heavily involved is a timeshare exchanger himself, and thus should work for some real relief. One of the lead plaintiffs has also been active on timeshare boards and has a strong personal commitment to reform. Those are reasons that we can hope for some meaningful reform to result from this action, not a pittiance payout to class members and a windfall for attorneys as too often happens in class actions.

The ongoing reform of the system is far more important than any financial payout.

Reform of the system within RCI or find an exchange company that wants to make money as a BYPRODUCT OF SERVICING THEIR MEMBERS.

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

Is it really my fight? Why should I bust my butt for people who do not seem to care?

Shall I amend the thread to read: With the exception of JLB, I believe it is time that RCI WEEKS members stand up and fight.

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

That would work. I stood up and fought long enough, and don't see that I, personally, have much to gain.

Mr. Bum is convinced I live way too far in the past, and that my hope that the original, unfair Weeks Program will be revised is not realistic.

Is it really my fight? Why should I bust my butt for people who do not seem to care?

Shall I amend the thread to read: With the exception of JLB, I believe it is time that RCI WEEKS members stand up and fight.

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

JLB
Is it really my fight? Why should I bust my butt for people who do not seem to care?
opkansas
Shall I amend the thread to read: With the exception of JLB, I believe it is time that RCI WEEKS members stand up and fight.
JLB
That would work. I stood up and fought long enough, and don't see that I, personally, have much to gain. Mr. Bum is convinced I live way too far in the past, and that my hope that the original, unfair Weeks Program will be revised is not realistic.
opkansas
I RESPECT JLB! I RESPECT HIS EFFORTS! I CAN UNDERSTAND HIS FRUSTRATIONS! I RESPECT THE FACT THAT HE ANSWERED THIS THREAD WHICH HAS RECEIVED TODAY 130 POSTS AND ONLY 3 PEOPLE HAVE POSTED COMMENTS. MOST OF THESE OTHER VIEWERS OWN WEEKS AND ARE THEREFORE PARTNERS WITH US IN THIS CLASS ACTION SUIT. IF THE ALLEGATIONS IN THE SUIT ARE CORRECT, THEN 125 OTHER RCI WEEK MEMBERS DO NOT CARE THAT THEY POSSIBLY/PROBABLY ARE GETTING SCREWED. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THEY WELCOME THE SCREWING RATHER THAN STANDING UP FOR THEIR RIGHTS.

I do not know if RCI is guilty or innocent . . . or somewhere in between. I, like JLB, am set in my 12 holdings (weeks - RCI Points - Sunterra Sun Options through II (AAA) AND II - having received wonderful exchanges with RCI Weeks in the past.

Last year I could not get the locations I wanted even though I Deposited AND REQUESTED 1 year in advance with Gold Crown property. I was surprised and used other property and found what I wanted through II. I was successful in a timely fashion - like RCI used to be.

I have two deposits remaining in my Weeks account and will probably give them to our 4 children and 12 grandchildren to use in Branson, Daytona Beach or, of course, Orlando.

Next year I will NOT deposit thoese properties into RCI Weeks. I will either deposit my weeks into Sunterra SunOptions to use through II OR II Weeks Account OR my RCI Points account (Points seem to have much more inventory than weeks.

Is there anyone out there who has any b_ _ _ _?

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

We are disturbed by the fact that RCI has so many weeks for rent in so many places for so little, and object to the cost of their fees, but we've never had a problem getting trades we wanted with them.
My favorite part is that we've made our last trade with them, and will let our membership lapse next April....Ergo, we can't take part in a class action suit.
I applaud your efforts to remedy the situation if you've been treated unfairly. May justice prevail. Cheers!

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

Hey OP, you remind me of me, back then.

Of course, back then I was breathing the same air as you, driving the same roads (watching all the folks with JO at the beginning of their license plate fly around us ), maybe drinking the same water.

Things are different, slower, down here in the sticks.

FWIW, I headed up my first campaign with an AG in about 1970, after going to Serpico.

In many ways this is similar to America, where some of those outside greatly dislike the decisions made by those at the top, but tend to like individual Americans.

I also believe that what is wrong with RCI is what you just stated, that the less value members see in it, the more they use other options, such as depositing to other systems in which they are affiliated. As I've stated before, unless RCI reverses their present course, they will wind up being an exchange company for lesser resorts, like individual resorts not affiliated with another network.

I believe RCI finds themselves in a bind, in a game they are not winning, and they are doing what they can to tread water. Their efforts to become contemporary and competitive are not succeeding and are driving their loyal following away.

RCI will be the place owners deposit weeks only when they do not have another choice.

I said above that we are still getting decent vacations, which, frankly, we did not for the first several years because we naively believed the things we were told, but we are getting those vacations only because of a lot of effort, scraping and scrounging on my part.

I don't remember that part in any of the tours we've been on!

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

New website on RCI class action

There is now a website that updates progress on the RCI class action:

RCI Class Action .com

One can also read the original complaint in one of these suits at:

www.thetimesharebeat.com/murrillo-vs-rci.pdf

[Arline Member Find all posts View Profile Close Arline]

We own 12 weeks of timeshare (4 are affililated with II; 4 are dually affiliated with II and RCI and 3 are only affiliated with RCI.) We have never deposited any of our quality Hawaii resorts with RCI, hoping for a comparable exchange. (We previously deposited our GC resorts with SFX, but got burned the last time. SFX's personal communication system has also deteriorated.) Our first RCI experiences came as the result of SA purchases, which included multiple RCI membership via the highly discounted SA rate. The SA exchanges we received through RCI were always upgrades in size and quality from the standard resorts we purchased. After Black Friday, when the trade power disappeared and the exchange costs increased, we sold our SA resorts and bought 3 Summer Bay Las Vegas 2br resorts for a minimal investment on eBay. Summer Bay Las Vegas is now being moved to the Desert Club with owners expecting a transformation to GC status with $$ invested by Harrah's as part of the property deal. With retirement coming July 1st, we plan to USE our weeks and not exchange them. If we decide to bank our Ocean Landings weeks, we can still get reasonable trades with II. Otherwise, we have had excellent results with Trading Places. Once our RCI membership expires, we will not renew! We could complain about RCI's shady practices, but we have tried to operate in a pro active manner (with expert help on the timeshare bulletin boards) and do what works for us. That does not include trusting RCI with our vacation plans. As far as getting involved in the class action suit, we have not allowed ourselves to be the victims of RCI's greed. They really are no better than the sleazy developer salespeople..."trust me". We came close to points involvment, with Sunterra but wised up and recinded within the allotted time. We were told lies which led us to believe we could deposit our standard SA resorts for valuable Sun Option Points. When we read the contract, we learned Sunterra would only accept GC resorts for deposit, and we had no intention of giving them our Hawaii units. We feel "ripped off" believing RCI is either renting the quality week deposits, or offering them to points members, but we have no proof or first-hand experience to report which would help the class action process.