The Brave New World of RCI

[Lisa P Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Lisa P]

My thought on this is that they have agreements in place that require resorts to give them units directly....they don't have to wait for your deposit.

I'm sure that all the exchange companies have such arrangements.

They will continue to get inventory as they have always gotten inventory. Owner inventory seems to be a very small portion anyway.

I agree. Many developers give them new inventory to bring in exchangers and renters... "fresh meat" for their sales pitches. Increasingly, the points mini-systems seem to retain prime weeks for their owners to reserve. So the better to own where or with whom we want to vacation the most.

According to a resort manager I talked to in Europe, they actually do that there, but that is not the case in the US or Caribbean.

How do you know that resorts in the US or Caribbean have no agreements to give exchange companies some of their red weeks? Larger developers do this all the time.

I just did an analysis of what I can pull up on the OBX for Nags Head, looking at four long sold out resorts, that have nothing to do with points, two of which have warned members that cruise exchanges are ripoffs, and which do not deposit HOA inventory to RCI.

Resort managers may or may not be aware of how weeks get moved into RCI. Yes, some owners give their weeks to RCI for exchanging. And some will use the poor-value alternatives like cruises (warned or not). But others will use their weeks from NON-RCI-Points resorts for PFD, which is heavily marketed at RCI Points resorts' sales pitches. Still others will give their our-of-system RCI weeks to WorldMark, Bluegreen or Wyndham to increase their annual allotment of points or credits within the mini-systems on an annual basis. Those systems accept the weeks, give the owner their own currency, deposit the out-of-system week with RCI for a credit to their corporate account. RCI may do whatever they like with these. And red weeks from resorts like Nags Head will give the individual owner top level points in return. Some resort managers may have no idea of this process.

The looting of spacebank deposits for rentals has clearly been ratcheted up another notch.

Maybe. Maybe not. It's probably premature to say, given that the current changes have not settled out yet.

I think I will continue my RCI membership for a while to be able to loot this inventory while I can.

My, my... how good it feels to get a deal, doesn't it?!?!

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

RCI uses a standard resort affiliation agreement in the US market, and I assume they do the same in the Caribbean. I have reviewed that agreement while serving on my HOA board. It does not require the resort to make any deposits. And for a sold-out HOA-controlled resort, the HOA likely would not have any red weeks to give them anyway, as most of the deedbacks and foreclosures are blue with a white every now and then.

A developer controlled resort that is still selling and a sold out resort are two different animals with different perspectives. Personally I am not inclined to own at the former.

Resorts that are still selling do indeed do developer bankings. HOA's at some sold out resorts would do so for various purposes until about six or seven years ago when RCI changed the rules for resort deposits. Prior to that time, it was like an individual deposit and the HOA got an exchange credit whether someone took it as an exchange or not. With the rule change, if someone did not pick it up as an exchange, RCI took back the credit from the HOA. Since most HOA weeks are blue, all of the resorts in my area that had previously sometimes done these deposits quit doing it entirely. RCI's new crap shoot made it not worth the trouble. I suspect that result was similar with the vast majority of sold out resorts.

I agree. Many developers give them new inventory to bring in exchangers and renters... "fresh meat" for their sales pitches. Increasingly, the points mini-systems seem to retain prime weeks for their owners to reserve. So the better to own where or with whom we want to vacation the most.


How do you know that resorts in the US or Caribbean have no agreements to give exchange companies some of their red weeks? Larger developers do this all the time.

At smaller resorts, I think managers are MUCH more inclined to know their members than you are. Indeed as an HOA board member, I know many members of the resort where I served. I do know a handful who own at points resorts, and the strong opinion of all of them is that they get screwed on points allotments for PFD and would not do it on a bet.

The German resort manager I talked with also seemed extremely knowledgable about her members, with points members in the small single digits and even RCI members numbers anemic, and also the few points members generally unhappy with the program. When I see all the $$$ only weeks at that resort, it is clear something is fishy.


Resort managers may or may not be aware of how weeks get moved into RCI. Yes, some owners give their weeks to RCI for exchanging. And some will use the poor-value alternatives like cruises (warned or not). But others will use their weeks from NON-RCI-Points resorts for PFD, which is heavily marketed at RCI Points resorts' sales pitches. Still others will give their our-of-system RCI weeks to WorldMark, Bluegreen or Wyndham to increase their annual allotment of points or credits within the mini-systems on an annual basis. Those systems accept the weeks, give the owner their own currency, deposit the out-of-system week with RCI for a credit to their corporate account. RCI may do whatever they like with these. And red weeks from resorts like Nags Head will give the individual owner top level points in return. Some resort managers may have no idea of this process.


Maybe. Maybe not. It's probably premature to say, given that the current changes have not settled out yet.


My, my... how good it feels to get a deal, doesn't it?!?!

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

I do like the Disney's resorts, Gurney's, and a couple of others that are restricted to RCI. However, I have trouble using the weeks that I currently own, so I have a hard time justifying picking something up for use in RCI.

Who knows, maybe one day.......

I can use RCI with Worlmark but I'd have to make a deposit to do any online searching and WM would pick the week-I don't like that. Otherwise you have to call. Seems like a lot of trouble to possibly be disappointed.

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

What a difference a day makes!

Looking at the same same Nags Head resorts today, the numbers of weeks for exchange only, including the better weeks, has gone up, the number of weeks for cash only has gone down dramatically, and the number for cash or exchange has remained the largest group. I looked at a few other resorts elsewhere on the OBX and the pattern today is the same.

Also a German resort that yesterday only had weeks for rent, and a pretty good number of them, today has mostly weeks that at least you have the option of trading into.

Still, looking at two hard to get resorts, both small and with nothing comparable nearby, and in desirable locations, Tybrisa near Savannah and Isle of Palms Beach Club near Charleston, I find at Tbrisa 5 for rental only, 2 exchange only, and 1 for either. At IOP, I find 2 rental only and 3 exchange only.

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

I view the idea of cash or exchange as an extremely positive direction for RCI to head. That is because cash is the ultimate point system. And, over time, price will be the crossover point between supply and demand.

The only thing that needs to be solved is that RCI needs to give cash for a week deposited instead of an exchange credit. Once that happens, then it will be a fair system and even Carolinian shouldn't have a problem with that. He may want for the world to be like it was in the 1960's, but that just isn't where the timeshare world is anymore.

For what it's worth, I like RCI so little that I haven't even logged onto my account since they changed to the new search function.

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

Back to Rental Condominiums International

How bizarre. After adjusting the inventory to put more exchanges back earlier this week, this morning shows some resorts skewed again to rentals.

Mondi Fereinclub Oberstauffen was all rentals and no exchanges when they first unveiled the new version of the website, Then it changed to where at least there was a rental or exchange option on most weeks. Now it is back to all rentals.

In Germany and in other places in Europe, I am seeing the same thing. Gemeunder Fereinpark Salzburg is showing numerous rentals but only two exchange options, in December/January. Schloss Grubhof in Austria is all rentals.

In the UK, rentals also predominate. Wychnor Park Country Club shows 20 rentals and no exchanges, although for RCI purposes, this resorts is a Weeks-only resort (It was taken over from the original developer by Sunterra, now DRI, which has its own points mini-system that trades through II; the weeks still in RCI are weeks-only). This one clearly shows the arbitrary nature of RCI assigning inventory to rental.

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

Just checked SE beaches, they are worse than at first

Rental Condominiums International is back in full force in the SE beaches, worse than when the new version of the website was first rolled out.

I did not count this time, but there are now clearly more cash only weeks at the Nags Head resorts and many fewer weeks that one even has the option of exchanging for. With Isle of Palms and Tybrisa, it is now all rental, no exchanges.

I don't understand RCI. They seem to be swinging back and forth wildly on this issue. It changes dramatically from day to day.

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

I don't understand RCI. They seem to be swinging back and forth wildly on this issue. It changes dramatically from day to day.

That's because they haven't got their act together yet. Many people (myself included) are forming instant opinions or instantly reinforcing preconceived perceptions about "this is good" or "this is bad". Look at yourself going from day-to-day. Looks at the posts OY about people freaking out because they can't see the Disney's anymore.

The key take-away from all this is that everything is still currently in a state of flux, moment to moment. So just keep doing what you've been doing and pounce when that really odd duck pops up (exchange or rental) because it's not going to last. Nothing like that little bit of fear to keep you on your toes.

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

Yep---nothing makes any sense. So, get while the getting is good, before things go back to "normal". The new normal may be different than the old normal, but we're not there yet, for sure.

[wayzer Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wayzer]

As someone with no experience with RCI, but one that has a lot of these threads - it is odd to me that RCI can change the rules of the game as new and old participants are still playing.

Does RCI issue explanations of their changes and/or answer questions from their members?

I am slightly scared/worried as a new RCI member (still waiting for my deeded unit) to see the many current owners vary in opinion.

I am keeping my fingures crossed and hoping my investment was not a waste of money.

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

Here's the thing about exchange: nothing is ever for sure. The rules of the game are always changing. This time, the change happened to be really obvious, and combined with a pretty good screw-up at the same time. But, this sort of thing is far from unusual.

The only thing you know for sure is what you own. Trade power can change, point values can change, resort affiliations can change, and so on.