Time for another rant about no europe exchanges

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

I don't normally wander off to the Last Call and extra vacation pages. Usually because nothing of interest is in Last Call and Extra Vacations are too pricey.

Well today I saw London, Rome and Ireland prime weeks for a lot less than you can imagine. They are posted in RCI ex-ops

Resorts I haven't seen for exchange in a long, long time. Carpe Dieum, Odessa Wharf...

This makes me sick.
Where are the prime weeks going? Look no farther than RCI on-line itself.

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

I think I ranted quite well on the sighting pages. But you know this really is insane. I do know that the Ireland resorts are in sales right now. I own in Ireland, but still there should be something available for exchange with a good trader. I can't see these with a hot red week deposited 2 weeks shy of two years...and Lawren, you know how that week trades. I can't see these with points which was supposedly to level the playing field...I can't see them and I'm ticked.

If I wanted to RENT I'd go to ..VRBO® is Vacation Rentals by Owner® Vacation Homes Rentals by Owner and rent an apartment or house for a week. Heck, in London you can rent a small apartment for a comparable amount as charged by RCI and on the rentals now they charge tax I think.

Italy, the same and the same with Ireland. Ireland is actually cheap in comparision to the others.

Joy

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

Hello from STT......

I am so sad to see this post - RCI is truely screwing their customer base - I mean PEOPLE - who gave them the business they are in to start with....

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

With the Euro the way it is, I am not going back to Europe for a long time.

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

Frank, it is not about the the way the Euro is so strong against the Dollar. It is about having the choice to use your week for exchange as opposed to renting. If I wanted to be a renter I would not own timeshare...I would just rent someplace and be guaranteed the week and place I wanted.

I certainly agree that the Euro is very strong and our Dollar does not buy nearly enough to make a European vacation affordable; on the other hand, my husband is European. We will be going back to Greece again in September and would have liked to have been able to do another week in a different country. After all we are already in Europe and sticking another week on after or before the Greece visit would have been easy. There was nothing available. that was decent or where we wished to stay. I now see rentals for Italy, London, Ireland...all easy trips once you are in Europe.

I feel betrayed and used. RCI will take my good weeks and give me nothing in return...or give me something I settle for.

Just MOHO.

Joy

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Frank, it is not about the the way the Euro is so strong against the Dollar. It is about having the choice to use your week for exchange as opposed to renting. If I wanted to be a renter I would not own timeshare...I would just rent someplace and be guaranteed the week and place I wanted.

I certainly agree that the Euro is very strong and our Dollar does not buy nearly enough to make a European vacation affordable; on the other hand, my husband is European. We will be going back to Greece again in September and would have liked to have been able to do another week in a different country. After all we are already in Europe and sticking another week on after or before the Greece visit would have been easy. There was nothing available. that was decent or where we wished to stay. I now see rentals for Italy, London, Ireland...all easy trips once you are in Europe.

I feel betrayed and used. RCI will take my good weeks and give me nothing in return...or give me something I settle for.

Just MOHO.

Joy

Thats one reson I started to rent my own weeks and started banking with the independants.

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

Lawren,

At least you see the availability for these locations. They aren't even available to European members on 'proper' exchanges let alone our equivalent of Last Call.

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

That's the beauty of an independent like DAE. IMHO, they make a great effort in getting them exchanged before renting them out (at a great discount, may I add).
And no, I am not being compensated for this public service announcement.
B.

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

After being a member of RCI for nearly 20 years I am seriously considering not renewing. Up until a couple of years ago my unit would pull pretty much anything that interested me - or at least possibilities in all areas. Now I see very little of interest and next to nothing in the 'better' parts of Europe.

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

With the Euro the way it is, I am not going back to Europe for a long time.

Come to eastern Europe, where the prices are a heck of a lot better, and we don't use the danged euro.

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

With a good trader, I still see the occaisional gem, and have snagged one or two, but they are not out there like they used to be. Even the average trades in shoulder season are way down in choices and all too often also just not there. RCI is hosing its members. Once I match up two remaining deposits, I am through with RCI.

Hopefully the class action lawsuit will result in injunctive relief that will force them to deal honestly with their members.

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

With a good trader, I still see the occaisional gem, and have snagged one or two, but they are not out there like they used to be. Even the average trades in shoulder season are way down in choices and all too often also just not there. RCI is hosing its members. Once I match up two remaining deposits, I am through with RCI.

Hopefully the class action lawsuit will result in injunctive relief that will force them to deal honestly with their members.

I have one week deposited with them (a recent cancelation) - I am heading in the same direction.

[Sue S Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sue S]

Keith, they're available as Extra Vacations.

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

The real question is where to go for trades into Europe. I have had decent luck with DAE including 1BR summer French Riviera, UK canalboat in summer, 2BR Croatia coast in summer, and 2BR England in spring, but they still don't have the range of inventory that RCI had a few years ago. Hopefully that will come as people flee RCI.

Another possibility for the UK is to use HTSE's trading partner relationship with UKRE, but I haven't tried that as yet, and that would not help on the continent.

Hapimag has a good collection of resorts, but I don't know if I could stand a points-based system.

[Linda74 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Linda74]

It is infuriating....so many excellent resorts in Europe available such as Carpe Diem, that I cannot get with either my points or weeks accounts. RCI must get them in exchange but prefer to rent via Extra Vacations and quadruple their money. I wish there was a way to track your week when deposited and see where it ends up!!!!