RCI is listed in BBB's Rogues Gallery

I'm no RCI fan but, if you read the complaints, it's mostly people who do not understand timeshare or how to use it. One of the first complaints I read was that RCI wanted them to pay the membership fee before they'd allow them to make an exchange. I believe this to be SOP for most exchange companies that charge a membership fee. You must have an active membership for the year you want to exchange.

Interestingly enough, Interval International isn't listed. I'm not sure why since the same complaints that seem to be listed about RCI should also apply to I.I.

The one that complains that they can't get a good week in season while RCI is renting out prime weeks at places they want to go sounds like some complaints that have been stated on this board numerous times.

However, most of the rest of them sound like people who believed what the sales rep told them and don't realize that the developer who sold them the timeshare and RCI are completely different organizations.

Most complaints of the industry are created by the industry. After all these years it would be hard to believe that that is not intentional.

They have a keen way of being affiliated, even with an organization to help coordinate and orchestrate (ARDA), yet refuse culpability, each blaming the other for most things.

As to the rentals, although I have seen prime weeks for some areas on rental sites, in my daily more-than-ten-year study of the dwindling availability in SW FL in January, I, and others, are yet to find one of them for rent by an exchange company.

Actually, if you mean the real BBB BBB, RCI is squeaky clean.

Of course, the BBB is not really a consumer watchdog group, but, rather, a form of extortion of businesses, where they pay the BBB money for affiliation, which provides the consumer a false sense of security, IMO.

Here is what the BBB BBB says about RCI. It is a typical report in that if a company appears to make an effort to resolve an issue it passes the scrutiny of the BBB.


BBB Accreditation

This has been an accredited business by this BBB since December 1975. This means it supports the BBB's services to the public and meets our accreditation standards.

Customer Complaint History

When evaluating complaint information, please consider the company's size and volume of business. The number of complaints filed against the business may not be as important as the type of complaints and how the business handled them.

The BBB processed a total of 103 complaints about this business in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total 103 complaints in the last 36 months, 32 of those were closed in the last 12 months.

Complaints Concerned

Advertising Issues: 1
Outcome of the complaint -
Resolved: 1

Sales Practice Issues: 5
Outcome of all complaints -
Resolved: 3; |[1 - Company resolved the complaint
issues. The consumer failed to acknowledged acceptance to the
BBB.]| Administratively Closed: 2; |[2 - BBB determined the company made a reasonable offer to resolve the issues, but the consumer did not accept the offer.]|

Repair Issues: 1
Outcome of the complaint -
Resolved: 1; |[1 - Company resolved the complaint
issues. The consumer failed to acknowledged acceptance to the
BBB.]|

Service Issues: 29
Outcome of all complaints -
Resolved: 23; |[7 - Company resolved the complaint
issues. The consumer acknowledged acceptance to the BBB.]| |[10
- Company resolved the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledged acceptance to the BBB.]| |[1 - Company offered a partial (less than 100%) settlement which the consumer failed to acknowledge acceptance to the BBB.]| Administratively Closed: 6; |[4 - BBB determined the company made a reasonable offer to resolve the issues, but the consumer did not accept the offer.]|

Customer Service Issues: 8
Outcome of all complaints -
Resolved: 5; |[2 - Company resolved the complaint
issues. The consumer acknowledged acceptance to the BBB.]| |[2 -
Company resolved the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledged acceptance to the BBB.]| |[1 - Company offered a partial (less than 100%) settlement which the consumer failed to acknowledge acceptance to the BBB.]| Administratively Closed: 3; |[3 - BBB determined the company made a reasonable offer to resolve the issues, but the consumer did not accept the offer.]|

Guarantees or Warranty Issues: 3
Outcome of all complaints -
Resolved: 3; |[1 - Company resolved the complaint
issues. The consumer acknowledged acceptance to the BBB.]| |[1 -
Company resolved the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledged acceptance to the BBB.]|

Product Issues: 4
Outcome of all complaints -
Resolved: 4; |[3 - Company resolved the complaint
issues. The consumer acknowledged acceptance to the BBB.]| |[1 -
Company resolved the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledged acceptance to the BBB.]|

Refund or Exchange Issues: 33
Outcome of all complaints -
Resolved: 26; |[7 - Company resolved the complaint
issues. The consumer acknowledged acceptance to the BBB.]| |[16
- Company resolved the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledged acceptance to the BBB.]| Administratively Closed: 7; |[6 - BBB determined the company made a reasonable offer to resolve the issues, but the consumer did not accept the offer.]|

Contract Issues: 5
Outcome of all complaints -
Resolved: 2; |[1 - Company resolved the complaint
issues. The consumer acknowledged acceptance to the BBB.]|
Administratively Closed: 3; |[2 - BBB determined the company made a reasonable offer to resolve the issues, but the consumer did not accept the offer.]|

Billing or Collection Issues: 14
Outcome of all complaints -
Resolved: 14; |[7 - Company resolved the complaint
issues. The consumer acknowledged acceptance to the BBB.]| |[2 -
Company resolved the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledged acceptance to the BBB.]|