No Longer Able to Exchange My Week Through RCI

While we were vacationing at a Wyndham Resort which we had exchanged into, we were told by one of the representatives during an "Information Session" that within the next few years, RCI was not going to be doing any exchanges for owners that own weeks, but only points owners. He tried to talk us into converting our weeks into points, for a price, of course. We like having the weeks and always go for a week when we go. We have had many wonderful exchanges through RCI and was disappointed to hear that this may no longer be available to us. We are now retired and unable to put out more money towards a point system, but would still like to be able to exchange to other places. I hope RCI will reconsider this.

That was just a sales pitch... not based in ANY kind of fact. It's absolutely ridiculous. Please ignore it and go on, enjoying your timeshare(s). :whoopie:

Fact: RCI is partially owned by Wyndham, and they're working on changing the name to Wyndham Exchange Network (or something like that). Or, they may only call it that for Wyndham owners, RCI for non-Wyndham-owners.
Myth: RCI was not going to be doing any exchanges for owners that own weeks, but only points owners.

TS

We own Wyndam, and were at our home resort a few years ago. We had gone for an "information session" also, and were told the same thing. For the same reasons as you, we declined. We're still enjoying our week ~ have no interest in converting ~ enjoy your week!!

A Wyndham sales weasel spews. Lies abound. Wallets and bank accounts are in jeopardy. Any retail timeshare - run away! Wyndham sales - one step from a scam operation (but don't worry, they are Award Winning. Must be from Liars International I assume).

Not a hint of truth in what you heard. Just continue to enjoy what you own and don't worry about what these truth manglers try to feed you. But do keep collecting those $100-$125 gift cards! As long as you say no, and don't mind the time spent, it's good money and making them pay you is much better than paying them.

shar45 said:

While we were vacationing at a Wyndham Resort which we had exchanged into, we were told by one of the representatives during an "Information Session" that within the next few years, RCI was not going to be doing any exchanges for owners that own weeks, but only points owners. He tried to talk us into converting our weeks into points, for a price, of course. We like having the weeks and always go for a week when we go. We have had many wonderful exchanges through RCI and was disappointed to hear that this may no longer be available to us. We are now retired and unable to put out more money towards a point system, but would still like to be able to exchange to other places. I hope RCI will reconsider this.

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As you can see from the other responses this was a bold faced lie to try to get in your wallet.


You may want to look into a smaller exchange company that doesn't have this type of reputation and one that doesn't take the best deposits and steal them from the exchange pool as RCI has been accused of doing.

I use DAE and even though I don't have as many choices in trading as the big two, I'm very happy with the places I've been going to for the past 15 years.

I also save money because they are free to join and exchange fees are less.

There are other small exchange companies also.

It should be added that while the trend with RCI is to move the desirable inventory to rentals rather than exchange the upside is if you can travel even slightly outside the prime times the inexpensive rentals & great resorts/locations are a goldmine! We are traveling far more than we ever did when we owned 8+ weeks and doing it for 1/4 of what we used to pay in annual fees (which would be considerably higher now if we still owned all those weeks).

And you can get the prime times as well if you watch for deals. And still save vs trading. Enjoy the wealth.

Lies, lies, lies. What will happen is drawn up in your contract. Period. The only thing the words from a salesweasel's mouth proves is that s/he is awake.

Jim

Money to me

shar45 said:

While we were vacationing at a Wyndham Resort which we had exchanged into, we were told by one of the representatives during an "Information Session" that within the next few years, RCI was not going to be doing any exchanges for owners that own weeks, but only points owners. He tried to talk us into converting our weeks into points, for a price, of course. We like having the weeks and always go for a week when we go. We have had many wonderful exchanges through RCI and was disappointed to hear that this may no longer be available to us. We are now retired and unable to put out more money towards a point system, but would still like to be able to exchange to other places. I hope RCI will reconsider this.

Click to expand...

What if the Wyndham Resort rep. said to give all your money to Bart, would you believe him? Let me give you my address and I will watch the mail.
Bart

Lies. All they do is lie.

They lie because there are no consequences. By the time some figure it out it's too late and then it's not in writing.

shar45 said:

While we were vacationing at a Wyndham Resort which we had exchanged into, we were told by one of the representatives during an "Information Session" that within the next few years, RCI was not going to be doing any exchanges for owners that own weeks, but only points owners. He tried to talk us into converting our weeks into points, for a price, of course. We like having the weeks and always go for a week when we go. We have had many wonderful exchanges through RCI and was disappointed to hear that this may no longer be available to us. We are now retired and unable to put out more money towards a point system, but would still like to be able to exchange to other places. I hope RCI will reconsider this.

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This scammy practice by RCI Points Master Brokers was discussed at length some years ago on the old TimeshareBeat site, and RCI put out a statement then that these allegations were untrue and that they would get the Master Brokers to stop making them. As expected, RCI really did not stop the practice then, so it is not surprising that it still continues. With Wyndham and RCI in common ownership, this is even more of a smoking gun of RCI being involved with scammy practices than when their third party RCI Points Master Brokers did it.

However, RCI has degraded its exchange system in so many ways, and particularly with diverting some of the better inventory to rentals to the general public, and more negative changes coming all the time, the best bet is to swith to an independent exchange company like:

www.daelive.com
www.sfx-resorts.com
www.htse.net
www.platinuminterchange.com
www.tradingplaces.com

Thanks for all the input.

Thanks to everyone for your comments on the lies that some Wyndham Reps are spreading, in an attempt to convince us week owners to convert to points. We look forward to exchanging our weeks for many more enjoyable vacations.
Sharon

Why would RCI stop a cash flow?

shar45 said:

While we were vacationing at a Wyndham Resort which we had exchanged into, we were told by one of the representatives during an "Information Session" that within the next few years, RCI was not going to be doing any exchanges for owners that own weeks, but only points owners. He tried to talk us into converting our weeks into points, for a price, of course. We like having the weeks and always go for a week when we go. We have had many wonderful exchanges through RCI and was disappointed to hear that this may no longer be available to us. We are now retired and unable to put out more money towards a point system, but would still like to be able to exchange to other places. I hope RCI will reconsider this.

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This certainly appears to be a points selling ploy. Why would RCI stop accepting the exchange fees from Weeks Owners and possibly have them to give up their paid membership in RCI for another exchange company? They are in the business to make money, not stop accepting money. Their system is set up to exchange points or weeks so their current cost of continuing this effort is minimal. Stop accepting exchange fees! Not RCI!

Points versus Weeks

I owned weeks at a resort which tried every year to get me to convert to points. My standard answer was "offer it for free and I will consider it". Their answer was "RCI wil not allow that" Yet when I offered to buy the adjoining studio as a lock-off I was told my existing contract as well as the new one would all be points. "But, I thought RCI would not allow conversion to points without a fee", I would remark. The answer to that was incoherent! BS and lies concerning Really Crappy Inventory.

Why would I pay to switch to what I consider an inferior system especially the part about 13 months notice to get your own unit! RCI would never discontinue servicing weeks as it would be shooting themselves in the head. I can just visualize them pointing guns to their heads, saying "Convert to points or I'll shoot!"

Not only would they lose exchange revenue, they would have to refund membership fees. The good thing is it would drive them out of business and we would all be well rid of them as resorts flocked to the other exchange affiliations.

shar45 said:

While we were vacationing at a Wyndham Resort which we had exchanged into, we were told by one of the representatives during an "Information Session" that within the next few years, RCI was not going to be doing any exchanges for owners that own weeks, but only points owners. He tried to talk us into converting our weeks into points, for a price, of course. We like having the weeks and always go for a week when we go. We have had many wonderful exchanges through RCI and was disappointed to hear that this may no longer be available to us. We are now retired and unable to put out more money towards a point system, but would still like to be able to exchange to other places. I hope RCI will reconsider this.

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I have been told the same in "update" meetings more than once. I believe the "points" idea birthed because they simply conceived a method to extract more money out of timeshare owners without constructing new buildings. Points are not all they are cracked up to be. I have both weeks and RCI points. I believe weeks are better. "Just call and book 2 or 3 nights whenever you want" is not true. Trading points for hotel stays is not fair value for the dollar spent on the points.

Liars

I once attended an "update" meeting when I first visited a resort in Florida that I had bought over the internet. The salesperson brought in the big guns when trying to convince me to convert my four timeshare weeks' units from different resorts to points. I kept asking, "How much?" The final conversion amount was more than I had paid for the timeshares. I looked him in the eye and said, "How stupid do you think I am?" That was the end of the "update." Don't let them bully you. If you are going to an "update," make sure you go in prepared to counter all of the lies you will hear.

shar45 said:

While we were vacationing at a Wyndham Resort which we had exchanged into, we were told by one of the representatives during an "Information Session" that within the next few years, RCI was not going to be doing any exchanges for owners that own weeks, but only points owners. He tried to talk us into converting our weeks into points, for a price, of course. We like having the weeks and always go for a week when we go. We have had many wonderful exchanges through RCI and was disappointed to hear that this may no longer be available to us. We are now retired and unable to put out more money towards a point system, but would still like to be able to exchange to other places. I hope RCI will reconsider this.

Click to expand...

It is a lie that RCI will stop doing exchanges for weeks owners. Now, lets say that a TON of people convert to points in the next five to ten years (hypothetical) then that may limit the exchanges for the weeks members (because in that case it would be points inventory and weeks members cannot book points inventory).