1500 isn't a lot, is it?

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

Think Outside the 'Box' (Hotel Room)


John Peters, VP of business development, RCI Global Vacation Network, gave 1,500 vacation rental certificates to agents during his featured speech.
John Peters, vice president of business development for RCI Vacation Rentals, wants agents to think out of the box.

So he gave away resort vacation certificates worth $1,500 each during his featured speech at Travel Trade’s 25th Annual CRUISE-A-THON in Seattle to rouse agents from their comfort zone.

The “box” Peters wants agents to think outside of is the traditional hotel room.

A better, and even more lucrative, proposition for your customers, according to Peters, is the vacation home — condos, villas and cottages in major destinations in the U.S. and abroad.

The vacation rental market is a $36-billion annual industry and “your customers already know about it,” said Peters, noting that 40 million families a year use vacation rental homes because “they want to spend quality time with their families.”

Booking With Realtors

And, he added, “People are booking these rentals through real estate agents. Realtors? Moving in on our market? How did this happen?”

Peters continued that travel agents are leaving some $4 billion a year in commissions on the table by not going after the vacation rental market.

“This is a fantastic product that you need to get involved in,” said Peters, noting that agents should learn more about vacation rentals because it is not a difficult sale.

What is the vacation rental product?

A vacation home typically has a living room, dining room, kitchen, multiple bedrooms and a balcony or a pool.

For the rest of the article go here

[I-DE-HO Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close I-DE-HO]

I bet my deposit was one of those.

Phil

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

I-DE-HO, yours and so many more is my guess.

Here's a related article which I know was referred to a while ago, but it doesn't hurt to remind folks that RCI isn't just your exchange company..


Travel Agents sell Timeshare

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

I don't think RCI will be getting any more deposits from me.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

I've been saying for six years now that RCI has been going after the vacation rental market, and that they thing ResortQuest is their biggest competitor, not II.

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

Yes, we have been saying similar things along these years, haven't we...but for the newbie, who was sold that new timeshare under the guise of "exchanging" into the wide world of resorts, I just figure it is important to post some "old news to us" for it is "new news for the newbie"....is that okay?

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

So he gave away resort vacation certificates worth $1,500 each during his featured speech at Travel Trade’s 25th Annual CRUISE-A-THON in Seattle to rouse agents from their comfort zone.

I fail to see give out a $1,500 worth of resort vacation certificate can rouse agents from their comfort zone.

Jya-Ning

[joycapecod Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close joycapecod]

It may not move them from their comfort zone, but it is allowing them to know there is something else to increase their portifolio. As we all know (those who have been around for awhile) RCI is more of a rental company than an exchnage company.

How can we be able to buy an EV for $1025 at a specific resort, or get that same unit as a vacation rental on University Alumni Benefit Association for $349? UABA does not charge individual members a membershio fee, but to get an EV you need to be an RCI paying member. Does anyone but me see a problem here?

How come UABA has units available in Rome duirng summer for $349? Is no one looking for an exchange? How come they have Odessa Wharf in London for $349...the mf is three times that?

I degress...but if you've been around any time at all this is old news.

JMHO,

Joy

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

RCI = Rental Codominiums International

What is needed is to amend state timeshare disclosure laws to require exchange companies to provide extremely deetailed rental disclosures to developers that must be given to purchasers. They already have to give exchange disclosures, and this would just update the law to follow what exchagne companies are doing. If developers had to give those out, I would bet they would howl loud enough to cause RCI to reform its fraudulent practices.

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

I fail to see give out a $1,500 worth of resort vacation certificate can rouse agents from their comfort zone.

Jya-Ning

Would this rouse them out of their zone?

VACATION RENTALS 4 AGENTS OFFERS FREE* VACATION INCENTIVE FOR TRAVEL AGENTS
PARSIPPANY, NJ – (April 17, 2006) –Vacation Rentals 4 AgentsSM, part of the RCI Global Vacation NetworkSM, has just unveiled a new FREE* vacation program that rewards agents with complimentary accommodations for bookings.
Beyond the company’s commission program, agents can earn travel rewards for bookings made with Vacation Rentals 4 Agents. Here’s how it works: When a registered agent reserves five (5) 7-night vacation stays at any property offered by Vacation Rentals 4 Agents, the company rewards the agent with a complimentary 7-night Resort Vacation Certificate. The booking window for this special agent promotion is: 4/1/07 – 6/15/07. Clients must complete travel by 9/30/07. Send your clients on their vacation...and we’ll send you on yours: FREE*! It’s that simple.
For additional information or to book, visit VacationRentals4Agents.com or call 866-844-2017.


About Vacation Rentals 4 Agents
Vacation Rentals 4 AgentsSMprovides a vast selection of accommodation options ranging from one-bedroom and two-bedroom resort offerings in destinations across the U.S. and beyond, to villas, cottages and homes in Italy, France and Great Britain – expressly commissionable to travel agents. The company is changing the landscape of the vacation rental industry, providing superior service, offerings, technology, and internet capabilities. Vacation Rentals 4 Agents is part of the RCI Global Vacation Network, the global leader in leisure accommodations with exclusive access for specified periods to thousands of vacation properties in more than 100 countries.

link is here

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

Once people catch onto the idea that they can't get fare exchanges through RCI, RCI's business plan to rent out all these weeks could fall flat as people will discontinue depositing high demand weeks prefering to use them or rent them out themselves. What's good for RCI (rentals) is good for the owner of that week as well.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

They used to hide what they were doing - now it is RIGHT OUT THERE .....

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

Would this rouse them out of their zone?

No,

But it shall knock the TS owner out of our comfortable zone.

I think we are saying several different things here
1) Is RCI as exchange company cherry pick and give out my deposit week in this case? Smell pretty fishy here

2) Is RCI achieve what it want do in this case, maybe maybe not. But I don't believe they can achieve the purpose of encourage their people to outthinking outside of their box. The 1st one you post look to me is one of their dept. that tries to get vacation home inventories from landlord (or their incoming dept) so they can get more commision share in the vacation rental area, By giving 1500 free week each says worth $1,500 for that department probably means every one will get it, does not believe anyone will try to think out of box or try to get out of their comfortable zone. Since everyone probably got it, does not think it actually encourge anyone for out of their comfortable zone. In fact, they probably want to relax. The 2nd one you post looks like it another department that selling the inventory to renters (outgoing), like give out some bonus as encouragement. In fact, I know a lot of company give out gift. I have heard Alaska cuise, a new car. And in airline, I heard like 10% of the regular ticket for any employee. In any dept. store, they give discount. In Marriott, they give out similar stuff. This is just like that.

As owner of TS that has deposited some weeks to RCI and may deposit more in the future, it certainly make one wonder if they take my week freely to reward their employees? Or they take some week that paid by their company?

Thye need to kind of either find a way to disclose some important statistic that can easily show they did not mess the deposit. Or the owner need to figure a way to get the information they feel important to continue this "working relationship". I believe if you look at investment firm, see what they need to do to make the "trust" may provide a good idea how it work. Otherwise, no matter which one becomes the biggest exchange company, they will go to rent out their inventories. ANd they will be good friend with developers, and it will always has uneasy feeling they could mess up the deposit.

Jya-Ning