Time for more open, vocal, and public disapproval of RCI policy

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

As RCI continues to erode the value of timesharing, and with their continued trend toward renting out member deposits, it is time to (as Emeril says) "kick it up a notch".

We are seeing and know that our deposits will yield fewer good trades.
I think it is once again time that we speak up loudly, so that newbies and others can get a true sense of what it means to work with RCI.

Here are the things we have experienced over the last 5 years:

• 1. An aggressive attempt at RCI to get our deposits while at the same time offering a decrease in the value of said deposit.
  
  
• 2. An increased presence and emphasis by RCI to rent units rather than trade them for exchanges.
  
  
• 3. RCI's efforts to push people toward points with added costs that decrease the value of buying and owning timeshare. RCI aids TS companies in re-selling weeks ownerships by offering to convert to points, which greedy TS companies sell at exorbitant markups. In essence, you get to pay twice for your already paid for ownership, and in the bargain, often lose value of what you owned.
  
• 4. Exchange fees are ever increasing, and now they have new plans in the works to add more costs to the exchange. There seems to be an apparent plan to push people to add cash into the cost in order to "upgrade", as evidenced by the icon that appears and disappears online during RCI's weekly maintenance. This icon identifies a unit as either "exchange" or "exchange plus cash."
  
• 5. Membership to RCI is not free....you pay for it, and yet, non-paying members can get units with no annual fee, thru many other ways.

This is just a quick list of how RCI is no longer worth paying for.

We are their consumer base, we should speak up loud and often and warn others about RCI. This is the only way to effect change that will bring timeshare exchanging back to the premise that buying a timeshare is a worthwhile purchase.

(In effort at full disclosure, we have about 15 months left to our membership with RCI, and only one deposit left with them which we will use....we are looking forward to the day when we no longer are RCI members, and are encouraging other TS owners to use the independents such as HTSE, Trading Places, SFX and DAE or seek other more creative ways to trade....RCI is not the only game in town, even when your developer tells you that you have to use RCI...it just ain't so.)

So what do our other experienced folks have to say about RCI?

[zdxlc9p6 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close zdxlc9p6]

I became a RCI member in 2000, but I had been disappointed with exchanges with them the last few years. A comparison of my last trade with RCI vs. SFX with the same unit, although I'm not sure how far in advance one week may have been deposited compared to the other. RCI got me Palm beach Shores Resort & Vacation Club for Oct. 2006, which they had available for Last Call rental for $299 two weeks before my chick-in. SFX got me Grand Mayan Riviera Maya for Jan. 2007, which RCI had available for Last Call rental for >$3,000 the week before my check-in.

I have one more exchange, and used 3 bonus weeks weeks since then with SFX. I'm happy with the resorts available, and great customer service either via email or telephone.

I let my RCI membership expire Feb. 2007!!!

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

RCI Weeks - dying and not a good value

[*]4. Exchange fees are ever increasing, and now they have new plans in the works to add more costs to the exchange. There seems to be an apparent plan to push people to add cash into the cost in order to "upgrade", as evidenced by the icon that appears and disappears online during RCI's weekly maintenance. This icon identifies a unit as either "exchange" or "exchange plus cash."
[*]5. Membership to RCI is not free....you pay for it, and yet, non-paying members can get units with no annual fee, thru many other ways.[/LIST]
This is just a quick list of how RCI is no longer worth paying for.

We are their consumer base, we should speak up loud and often and warn others about RCI. This is the only way to effect change that will bring timeshare exchanging back to the premise that buying a timeshare is a worthwhile purchase.

So what do our other experienced folks have to say about RCI?[/FONT]

While I agree with the basic idea that there should be a way to upgrade a dog week to a better week using cash - which goes to RCI rather than the owner of the better week - is the wrong approach. The points system(s) - which by design assign greater value to the better weeks thus avoiding the need to attempt convoluted "value adjustments" needed under week for week trades - are a better choice.

We long ago decided RCI Weeks are really not a good way to exchange (with the exception of the custom "request first" offered by the Wyndham FSP system and the ability to dump low cost 28,000 FSP deposits into that system to obtain reasonably priced trades). We dropped our RCI Weeks paid membership in 1997 although we continue to be members because of the Wyndham automatic RCI membership.

Overall RCI Weeks has seen it's day come and go - if we use anything from RCI it will be the Points system. And even that is a last choice of three available points systems we belong to.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Fighting RCI is probably not the best use of time and effort. It won't lead to anything useful and it will just keep your mind focused on the negative.

Rather, I would focus on creating and/or using an alternative. Every time you have success, you help someone out and are one step closer to putting an old dog to rest. And, the action will be much more positive.

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

I am down to two exchanges that I will use by July 2008 and one week left to exchange and when it is exchanged, I will drop RCI.

I have been faring very well with II, trading Places and DAE.

There are too many other choices than to put up with RCI's rising costs and shady practices. We can speak loudest by not depositing and dropping our memberships.

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

Fighting RCI is probably not the best use of time and effort. It won't lead to anything useful and it will just keep your mind focused on the negative.

Rather, I would focus on creating and/or using an alternative. Every time you have success, you help someone out and are one step closer to putting an old dog to rest. And, the action will be much more positive.

I totally agree. Fighting RCI is like trying to push water uphill. In common with just about everybody else I'm seeing less and less availability year on year. I own UK prime Red time which used to pretty well guarantee me availability of really good exchange possibilities. Now I often see nothing, not even the less good options.

[aliikai2 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close aliikai2]

The best way to handle RCI

is like any other vendor.
Vote with your checkbook.

I know that they figure some of us will leave, and they are hoping that the unsophisticated timeshare owner will still pony up their prime deposit for nada...

I help everyone that asks with using the other companies, and I don't mean II, they are almost as bad as RCI.

jmho,

Greg

[barndweller Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close barndweller]

My first timeshare was exchanged through II only. Seeing all the info at TUG, I purchased a 2 year membership at RCI when I bought an eligable unit at Avila Bay. I figured I could get value from my membership by using Last Call & Extra Vacations but I quickly found out that there was very little offered in the west that I could use. I ended up depositing my SLB at SFX after reading glowing reports from a long time TUGer (he is a MOD here, too) and have been very pleased with my exchanges at SFX. I continue to use II for exchanges that are more available with them and have added HTSE & TPI. In December my membership in RCI expired. In those 24 months, I never received a phone call nor did I ever find an EV or LC I could use. The only time I ever spoke with a RCI employee was the day I joined. I got a shiney new wish book a couple of weeks ago even though I am no longer a paying member.

I now have a Diamond account as well as my individual account at II. That serves me well. I will continue to use SFX and especially TPI (great customer service!) and HTSE for Hawaiian exchanges and I'm beginning to use some private exchanges as I meet more folks here.

I guess I missed out on the glory days at RCI because I have never seen any advantage for me to use them. Buh by, RCI.

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

I have one deposit left and membership for another 5 years or so. I will no longer deposit anything with RCI. I may keep the membership for cheap rentals or I may just cancel it and request a refund.

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

Katiemack,

Thank you for stating this so eloquently

. I have voted with my feet as well. My last deposit was made in 2006. My last exchange completed in Sept 07. Membership cancelled Sept 07.

I still see some great stuff in weeks. Less much less than 3 years ago.

Talking with our check books and thinking of alternates to a company who's policy is in direct conflict with their membership is the right thing to do. RCI will only understand a hit in the balance sheet.

We need to keep topics up here so the casual guest or first time timeshare buyer can see that there ARE alternates.

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

I have been a member for 5 years and only way I have been successful
is because of sightings here on TS4MS. Even then I had to go thru
several VC before one would allow me to exchange after much pleading.
I have the opportunity to go to Victoria BC this coming summer
and I wanted to use my Fairfield points for a few nights via RCI Nightly Points plan in Victoria. Both Lawren and Basham search for the Inn I was interested in thru RCI Points and both advised there was nothing showing available. I started searching for hotel room rentals on line and found a studio available for rent thru RCI's outlet, Holiday Network...
http://www.realtimerental.com/rrv10/visitor/search.asp
They have definitely seen my last deposit.

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

Fighting RCI is probably not the best use of time and effort. It won't lead to anything useful and it will just keep your mind focused on the negative.

Rather, I would focus on creating and/or using an alternative. Every time you have success, you help someone out and are one step closer to putting an old dog to rest. And, the action will be much more positive.

Actually I don't recall using the word "fight" in my OP. I don't suggest fighting RCI.

If you call being a whistleblower on RCI practices being negative, then I guess that is what I am.

You, BB, have used your energy into an enterprise that works for you and all the people that you help. You are to be congratulated for working so diligently and brilliantly at that.

Many folks become new members based on sales pitches that misinform...we know that, and that is why the OP.

I am calling for full disclosure to the people who come here hoping to find a way to handle their timeshares.

Sure, the minisystems may be at an advantage right now for some folks, but that will change too, if RCI can find a way to milk that cow.

But to call weeks ownership as "dying" or "not a good value" is only someone's way to push the minisystems and points...which I think misstates and borders on salesman tactics. The weeks ownership is a large percentage of folks....whether old-timers, or new....some have bought resales into weeks or have inherited them.

Weeks ownership is JUST as worthy of respect as your so-loved mini-systems and inflatable/manipulated points systems.

My point is that whatever is the ownership of your TS....RCI is not, repeat NOT all that....and if you want economical use combined with successful use of that ownership, you are ENTITLED to use your week outside of the sales lies.

RCI is ripping off the consumer, inventing new ways to misuse the trust of consumers who make deposits and they are NOT the only way owners can go.

If you want to call this "fighting" RCI, go ahead....I call it advocacy, being a watchdog, and standing up for the rights of owners. Again, if you call that being negative, so be it.

[regatta333 Member Find all posts View Profile Close regatta333]

61,782 units are currently available on Extra Vacations and every time I call RCI to check on or change an ongoing search, they try to push the rental alternative.

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

Can Someone Please Do An Rci Search For Me???

I have been a member for 5 years and only way I have been successful
is because of sightings here on TS4MS. Even then I had to go thru
several VC before one would allow me to exchange after much pleading.
I have the opportunity to go to Victoria BC this coming summer
and I wanted to use my Fairfield points for a few nights via RCI Nightly Points plan in Victoria. Both Lawren and Basham search for the Inn I was interested in thru RCI Points and both advised there was nothing showing available. I started searching for hotel room rentals on line and found a studio available for rent thru RCI's outlet, Holiday Network...
http://www.realtimerental.com/rrv10/visitor/search.asp
They have definitely seen my last deposit.

Interesting....
When you log on to RCI Holiday network, address is
www.rciholidaynetwork.com
when you search it becomes
www.realtimerental.com
and site wont let you copy and paste any search results.
Thats why the link in my original posted quoted above will not work....
A studio week of 7/6/08 at Aviawest at The Rosewood Victoria Inn (6789)
Victoria BC still shows available for rent thru RCI Holiday Network for $107.00 per night. Can anyone check RCI points or RCI weeks to see if any inventory shows for studios or 1 br's at this Inn for same time frame???
Thanks
Paul

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

Interesting....
When you log on to RCI Holiday network, address is
www.rciholidaynetwork.com
when you search it becomes
www.realtimerental.com
and site wont let you copy and paste any search results.
Thats why the link in my original posted quoted above will not work....
A studio week of 7/6/08 at Aviawest at The Rosewood Victoria Inn (6789)
Victoria BC still shows available for rent thru RCI Holiday Network for $107.00 per night. Can anyone check RCI points or RCI weeks to see if any inventory shows for studios or 1 br's at this Inn for same time frame???
Thanks
Paul

Weeks sees nothing for your timeframe. Nothing in Points either. A real nice Worldmark for end of May though!

WorldMark Victoria (#7595)
120 Kingston St.
Victoria , BC , V8V 1V4 Canada
250/386-8555
WorldMark, The Club Member Rating

Unit Options Select Unit Type Max Occ/Privacy Kitchen Check-in Date Check-out Date
2 Bedrooms 6 / 6 Full 05/31/2008 06/07/2008