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

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

So there's rental inventory but no exchange inventory???
Thanks for checking, Lawren....

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

So there's rental inventory but no exchange inventory???
Thanks for checking, Lawren....

So the lightbulb just went on Paul?
With RCI you would have had to put this search in 2 years ago. Or wait until the very last moment, so go with a cancellable reservation. I check that area every single morning. 13-jun-08 & 09 out 10 weeks. If it shows up I'll let you know.

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

Lawren
I know RCI have been screwing over its timeshare owner customer base
for years, and after reading the post detailing the new Global RCI, it looks
like its going to get worse.
I hope you, Katiemack and the others on this board continue to alert
newcomers to this forum on the fraudulent practices of RCI.
As you said , "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."
Unfortuately, I still have 2 weeks still deposited with RCI. After that, I am done with them.
Thanks again for running those searches for me.
Best wishes,
Paul

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

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

Hey, Paul , congratulations on unearthing something very interesting.

I cannot wait until Carolinian takes a look at this link:


Outer Banks Property Search

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

What do you think of this ONE

[Sydney Contributor - Bronze Find all posts View Profile Close Sydney]

Our RCI membership runs out in Dec 08. No more deposits with RCI left and don't in tend to. Their fees are way to high and they don't have that many good weeks. We have found DAE to be great! Very helpful, responsive and low fees. Can't say enough good things about them.

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

Why not listen to the video on this page...it is on the right side, and it is all about how the rentals are being enjoyed by travel agents....(see interview with John Peters under the video frame)

click HERE

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

"MULTIPLE AVAILABILITY FROM JULY 6 to JULY 27 2008"

JUST NOT FOR RCI WEEKS OR POINTS OWNERS!!!!


www.rciholidaynetwork.com

Search Results 7/6/2008 to 8/2/2008*

17 Records Page: 1 of 3

Aviawest at The Rosewood Victoria Inn (6789)
Victoria,BC

Rosewood Victoria Inn is an elegant, English-style bed-and-breakfast boutique hotel offering 17 suites with all the comforts of home, as well as ... More

Multiple Availability from:
Jul 06, 2008 to Jul 27, 2008
Priced From:
$ 107.14 per night*
Currency Displayed in USD

[regatta333 Member Find all posts View Profile Close regatta333]

I can't wait until I use my existing deposits with RCI, which expire late next year. If I could cancel my membership I would do so, but it is paid for in my Wyndham Fairshare Plus fees. I have tried to switch to II to no avail. Not only have the quality and quantity of trades available seriously deteriorated, but last year Wyndham put a stop to our ability to deposit weeks from our home resorts into RCI during the ARP (10-13 month) window. With no more searchable weeks, I am at the mercy of the VCs, who never seem to give me the same answer.

About the same time Wyndham changed the rules on this, I also stopped getting any email confirmations from RCI about matches on ongoing searches.
Today has been the third time in as many months that an ongoing search has been confirmed erroneously. Last two were due to VC errors--wrong resort entered into one of the searches and wrong YEAR into the other search. In both instances, I received no notification whatsoever. I've taken to logging in every day to look at my account balance, since this is the only way I can tell if something has happened with my searches--you cannot see any confirmations of generic searches online. Both times, I received assurances that notations were made on the searches and no further confirmations would be made without notification.

To be fair, I did get a call from them a week ago. They tried to confirm me to a 1BD even though the search had specified a minimum 2BD. This evening, I again noticed that my account balance had changed. No phone call. When I called in, they had once again confirmed me to a 1BD unit. I am beyond frustrated with this organization. I spoke with a supervisor to voice my frustration over the continuing problems with this. He said he made a change that would ensure I get email notification henceforth. Why am I skeptical that this will start happening now, when it's failed to happen up to this point? I also voiced my frustration about no longer being able to search online with deposits. He blames this on Wyndham and says I would need to take it up with them. When I've addressed this to Wyndham in the past, they blame RCI for not enabling the generic deposits to be searchable.

And for this they charge the highest fees of any of the exchange companies, make you deposit in advance, pay in advance, and hold on to your money for months while you wait for an exchange to come through. Just reinforces my decision to rely much more on independent exchange companies in the future,
and mainly stay within the Wyndham system whenever I can.

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

I have one more deposit left in RCI. When I can find something for that, I am out. DAE has done well for me.

Katie Mack does have a good point. We do need to spread the word. But where we need to spread it is among our fellow owners at our home resorts. Attend your HOA meeting and speak on the subject. Write an item for the the HOA newsletter letting members know about their options with other exchange companies. Talk to your HOA board about letting independents put a brochure in the resort newsletter in return for paying the newsletter postage (DAE and Platinum will both do this, and perhaps other will, as well). The key is to get the word out there widely that there are alternatives.

As far as RCI Points, yes the parasitic relationship that RCI has established with Points mooching off of Weeks is damaging to Weeks. This is another reason to encourage weeks-based resorts to encourage members to use other exchange companies.

Most on these boards already know the scoop. It is our fellow HOA members who never read these boards who are still in the dark. That is who we need to reach. Lets help grow the competition.

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

That OBX link is to a cottage rental broker. I flipped through several pages and did not find a single timeshare.

It would appear that RCI has folded its timeshare rental business in with yet another general rental outlet.

Hey, Paul , congratulations on unearthing something very interesting.

I cannot wait until Carolinian takes a look at this link:


Outer Banks Property Search

[regatta333 Member Find all posts View Profile Close regatta333]

Katie Mack does have a good point. We do need to spread the word. But where we need to spread it is among our fellow owners at our home resorts. Attend your HOA meeting and speak on the subject. Write an item for the the HOA newsletter letting members know about their options with other exchange companies. Talk to your HOA board about letting independents put a brochure in the resort newsletter in return for paying the newsletter postage (DAE and Platinum will both do this, and perhaps other will, as well). The key is to get the word out there widely that there are alternatives.

I think Wyndham owners are at a particular disadvantage, in several respects.

1. We cannot opt out of RCI membership; our monthly dues continue to fund it;

2. Because of Wyndham's ownership of RCI, they make policy changes that are aligned with their interests and not that of the owners. Net result has been dramatic decline in the trading power of our deposits and being forced to rely upon RCI VCs to make your exchange. They are always trying to steer me towards rentals and no two people give me consistent responses.

3. The Wyndham resort property boards are stacked with Wyndham employees. Even when a minority of seats are made available to members, they push their own candidates, who invariably get elected. I have tried to get elected to the board of one of my home resorts, when two seats became available. Their choices prevailed and now the resort has gone from Gold Crown to unrated. I also proposed having dual affiliation with II, but apparently their current contract prohibits this. What a surprise!

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

Having not read any of the replies, just responding to the OP, many have been quite vocal about all on your list, and about other things before things on your list were on any list, for a long, long time.

So . . .