RCI's published "Reviews" of resorts-- do they do more harm than good?

I once learned that when you've had a good experience, you tend to share it with 3 people. When you've had a bad experience, you share it with 7 people on average. Ever heard the phrase, "I haven't seen it, but I heard it's really bad" with regards to a movie. This skews the perspective of a potential customer.
I would venture to say there's a good split in RCI reviewers-- those who had a Great experience, and those who have something to complain about. Few will take the time to describe their average trip experience. And, most complainers Will take the time to air their opinions.
We would like to think that sour reviews will be balanced by good reviews in RCI. However, when was the last time you raved about a Satisfactory experience in a restaurant? Could you have a satisfactory time in a timeshare, neither memorable, nor uncomfortable... just ok? Are these people inclined to write reviews?
Sure, we would all like to have 5 star vacations every single time, but there's a large faction of timeshare users who are want to be in a location so bad that they're willing to accept what is there. Or maybe they get a late booking. Not all resorts in RCI are Marriott quality, but many are content with 2+ stars.
Reviews are tailored to the the tastes of the individual reviewer. Movies, like timeshares, I've found many reviews I don't agree with.
All RCI resorts have desirable elements-- or people would not have bought them in the first place.
But, can people overlook the 1 star review (from a single reviewer) and still anticipate a good time with an open mind? Will they be inclined to book a week like this?
Could sour reviews spawn more sour reviews? After they see 1 star, what are they going to look for? It's like gossip-- tell me something about a person, and what am I going to look for in them? Or might one be inclined to skip a 1 star resort (based on one review.)
Again... all resorts in RCI have a draw (whether it's golf or mountains or proximity to an attraction), or people wouldn't own them.
Since reviews for resorts are becoming far more prominent in the system now, could they potentially stifle trades into a resort unfairly? And, could this have larger ramifications on the owners of that resort?
TUG reviews are different-- we are users helping users. We are here for people who seek information like this. Some RCI users don't care-- they just want a comfortable bed to sleep in, but 1 or 2 stars under the resort name after a search might prejudice them.
[I post this for open discussion... I'm not saying RCI should do away with this information... I'm just pointing out the inadvertent detrimental effect it could have.]

One way to get a better balance of reviews is to take it upon yourself, that you will do a review of every TS you stay in. Not just the really great ones or the really bad ones. That way there will be enough OK reviews to know if that that bad review was an isolated problem or not.

On a related note - there's an Arizona timeshare that's been open less than a year and has managed to collect 7 glowing reviews. Long established resorts like Koll's Ranch, Orange Tree, and the Villas at Poco Diablo have 2.

http://www.rci.com/RCI/RCIW/RCIW_in...me&Nu=P_ResortCode&client=RCI&resortCode=8651

I wonder if they have some great marketing push..."leave us a great review and here's a $20 dining card." Or maybe I'm being cynical and it's an awesome resort. It struck me as odd, that's all.

I love the reviews on RCI. Maybe they are subjective but I still learn alot about the resort and the area. I wish II did it as well.

Bill4728 said:

One way to get a better balance of reviews is to take it upon yourself, that you will do a review of every TS you stay in. Not just the really great ones or the really bad ones. That way there will be enough OK reviews to know if that that bad review was an isolated problem or not.

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?Huh? ...because elephants have flat feet?

There are over 3000 resorts, all of which have certain appeal. If those little stars can destroy a movie or bankrupt a hotel... is there a potentially negative effect on a timeshare?
It's not a simple question and it doesn't warrant a sarcastic answer. I've never been to the Inn at Silver Lakes. But I was told by a guy who inherited it that he loved going there. Yet, the reviews on it give it one star, only one or two reviews. I'm not inclined to go because of this. Is this a fair assessment? For me, it keeps me safe-- a risk free vacation. So, in this sense, the reviews are helpful (but then I access all the reviews on TUG.) But then, could they be unfairly detrimental to a timeshare? Or, like another poster said, unduly positive?

I don't believe that you were getting a sarcastic answer

skimble said:

There are over 3000 resorts, all of which have certain appeal. If those little stars can destroy a movie or bankrupt a hotel... is there a potentially negative effect on a timeshare?
It's not a simple question and it doesn't warrant a sarcastic answer. I've never been to the Inn at Silver Lakes. But I was told by a guy who inherited it that he loved going there. Yet, the reviews on it give it one star, only one or two reviews. I'm not inclined to go because of this. Is this a fair assessment? For me, it keeps me safe-- a risk free vacation. So, in this sense, the reviews are helpful (but then I access all the reviews on TUG.) But then, could they be unfairly detrimental to a timeshare? Or, like another poster said, unduly positive?

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I think Bill was just suggesting that it's got to start somewhere with someone and since you brought it up, are you doing your part with giving reviews on okay resorts? No, there's no easy answer, but I think you may have taken his response in the wrong light. When I read his response, I didn't think he was dismissing your post.

Bad reviews will impact demand to some degree. They also impact expectations. Bad reviews reduce expectations, and may leave someone more positive if they go and it is not as bad as the review. On the other hand an overly positive review may heighten expectations and leave an exchanger dissatisfied if it doesn't really measure up. I look at the detail of why people rate a resort as they do and decide on whether those things are ones that matter to me or not, more so than the number of stars. With enough attenstion to detail, reviews are really useful, and the more entities that have them, the better. I used to like the reviews section on the Timelinx site in Europe, and one did not have to be a member of Timelinx to utilize it. Unfortunately, the old Swedish owners kept the rights to the reviews when they sold the company to the current Spanish based owners, and they were no longer avalilble online.

I find that what some people whine about have no relevance to me while what they rave about may also may have no impact on my decision. Of course, the reverse is also true as well.

Good or bad review, as long as the information is there and appears factual, it is helpful. Using other web sites like Tripadvisor.com or Yahoo, etc as a cross check is my standard practice and has served me well for new places I have not stayed at previously. I also always write a review on every stay.

Cheers

Maybe because the TS is brand new, Kohls and Poco Diablo are older resorts it may hastens the amount of pleasant reviews of the new resort. I'm sure they are well deserved. Comparing new to old is probably not going give the older resorts a leg up.

Still nice to see a new resort in the area.

tlsbooks said:

On a related note - there's an Arizona timeshare that's been open less than a year and has managed to collect 7 glowing reviews. Long established resorts like Koll's Ranch, Orange Tree, and the Villas at Poco Diablo have 2.

http://www.rci.com/RCI/RCIW/RCIW_in...me&Nu=P_ResortCode&client=RCI&resortCode=8651

I wonder if they have some great marketing push..."leave us a great review and here's a $20 dining card." Or maybe I'm being cynical and it's an awesome resort. It struck me as odd, that's all.

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x3 skier said:

I find that what some people whine about have no relevance to me while what they rave about may also may have no impact on my decision. Of course, the reverse is also true as well.

Good or bad review, as long as the information is there and appears factual, it is helpful. Using other web sites like Tripadvisor.com or Yahoo, etc as a cross check is my standard practice and has served me well for new places I have not stayed at previously. I also always write a review on every stay.

Cheers

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It never really mattered to me whether or not a resort was 5-Star, Gold Crown, Silver Crown, etc. As long as I get a clean unit and a comfortable bed; and problems are resolved, then I'm OK.

I always report even the smallest problems I find with a unit, so managment has the opportunity to have it corrected.

Unfortunately I feel RCI's rating are too influenced by a few bad reviews then they are by a multitude of good reviews. I own at one resort where one person wrote a bad review stating the units were too small (6 people tried to say in a 1 Bedroom unit designed for 4 people).
One AW-S*#!@ wipes out 1000 ATTABOYS

I can understand frustrations that people have if they exchange their Oceanview Marriott for an older Timeshare in the White Mts of New England. I own in Northern New England where timeshares are older and "quaint" with that New England feel. The quality cannot match the Marriotts, Hiltons, or Starwoods.

I think BOTH the TUG review and RCI review can have their detrimental effects.

With RCI's reviews, they are out there for the general RCI membership. This is RCI's way of getting the comment card type information out to the general public. The problem with the RCI reviews is that there is no incentive to write one up - so you get the glowing reviews and the lousy reviews, people who have strong opinions (again, you have a lousy time or a really great time you're more likely to talk about it).

With the Tug reviews, it is a bit different. The people reading the reviews here are more educated about timeshares, and may be more savvy about looking for the nice resorts. Once a resort gets 2 or 3 poor Tug reviews, more Tug members are likely to avoid it. Rather than make people more inclined to give further poor reviews, it results in NO reviews. If it's hard to recover from a few bad reviews (where at least the reader can find out what was wrong with the resort), it may be even harder to recover from OLD bad reviews, because you end up going in blind - maybe you'll be surprised and things improved, but they might have gotten even worse.

So the suggestion to review every resort you visit at both sites is a good one. More reviews means a broader selection of opinions, and more information.

The review system is good to give SOME idea's of a resort!

Problem is in all forums review sites many people that had no problems and had very nice time come home and do nothing. People that had SOME problems will run home and just trash a resort in reviews.

This makes it hard to really get to the truth because yes there was a problem but it might have just been that one unit and probably already fixed.

Owners will give great reviews on their resort so when it comes time to rent or sell.

When we are thinking of going to another resort I always check other sites and get many more reviews.

One of the problems I have is some people will trash a place because something wasn't up to their standards but never say anything good,so everything must of sucked! :annoyed:


I will write a review and try and remember some family reading my review might make there choice just from my review. I do not want to do this because we had one problem but everything else was alright,write both sides and try and be fair.


PHIL

Mel said:

I think BOTH the TUG review and RCI review can have their detrimental effects.

With RCI's reviews, they are out there for the general RCI membership. This is RCI's way of getting the comment card type information out to the general public. The problem with the RCI reviews is that there is no incentive to write one up - so you get the glowing reviews and the lousy reviews, people who have strong opinions (again, you have a lousy time or a really great time you're more likely to talk about it).

With the Tug reviews, it is a bit different. The people reading the reviews here are more educated about timeshares, and may be more savvy about looking for the nice resorts. Once a resort gets 2 or 3 poor Tug reviews, more Tug members are likely to avoid it. Rather than make people more inclined to give further poor reviews, it results in NO reviews. If it's hard to recover from a few bad reviews (where at least the reader can find out what was wrong with the resort), it may be even harder to recover from OLD bad reviews, because you end up going in blind - maybe you'll be surprised and things improved, but they might have gotten even worse.

So the suggestion to review every resort you visit at both sites is a good one. More reviews means a broader selection of opinions, and more information.

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Well stated!
For me, and others like me to get out and submit our reviews on every resort we stay in.... I don't think it will make a difference against the two extremes-- the terribles and the fantastics. I know, all it takes is for enough people to do the right thing for it to make a difference. It's like voting... stupid people off-set my rational votes every year.

SOFTBALLDAD3 said:

The review system is good to give SOME idea's of a resort!

Problem is in all forums review sites many people that had no problems and had very nice time come home and do nothing. People that had SOME problems will run home and just trash a resort in reviews.

This makes it hard to really get to the truth because yes there was a problem but it might have just been that one unit and probably already fixed.

Owners will give great reviews on their resort so when it comes time to rent or sell.

PHIL

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It's the trashing of a resort.... I have to wonder if that could have adverse effects on the value of the resort. Many might say low value based on bad experiences is warranted. Could it wipe out the trade-ability of an entire resort?
Gold Crown and Silver Crown status should be enough to tell a person about the quality they should plan to get, yet many are content with standard resorts. Reviews might be better left alone without ratings. If a person wants to go to a resort because of the Crown or the location, let them. If they're particular enough to want to read the reviews, chances are they'll see what they want. They may be deterred by the mosquitos or the early morning trash pick-up behind the building, but it won't put a general damper on the reputation of the resort.
The review-- the visual of the stars, I think may be problematic. It's just so simple to see 1 or 2 stars and NOT take the time to read the reviews or look with an open mind and heart for the golden nuggets embedded in a moderate review. The stars are a label and they have the potential to bias.

Was an RCI reviewer

but I have not been able to log on to add any reviews for resorts I stayed at more recently!

I do use both sites to help me choose resorts but trust TUG reviews more.

Labels are good. They allow us to make a quick determination regarding the resort experience others have encountered. If I have two choices, a one star and a five star, no need to look any further. It becomes apparent at that point, which resort will most likely satisfy. It also serves as an incentive for resort management to treat all guests with respect, since it only takes a few bad reviews to tank the resort rating. There is no bias at work, since all resorts are treated equally in such a rating scheme.

ctscribe said:

Maybe because the TS is brand new, Kohls and Poco Diablo are older resorts it may hastens the amount of pleasant reviews of the new resort. I'm sure they are well deserved. Comparing new to old is probably not going give the older resorts a leg up.

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I wasn't necessarily talking about cpomparing a new resort to an old one....I just thought it was interesting that the established resorts (which have had 1000s of visitors) had only 2 reviews while a resort less than a year old has managed to get 7 reviews. There seems to be a disparity in the reviews/visitors ratio. Just found it interesting....

skimble said:

It's the trashing of a resort.... I have to wonder if that could have adverse effects on the value of the resort. Many might say low value based on bad experiences is warranted. Could it wipe out the trade-ability of an entire resort?
Gold Crown and Silver Crown status should be enough to tell a person about the quality they should plan to get, yet many are content with standard resorts. Reviews might be better left alone without ratings. If a person wants to go to a resort because of the Crown or the location, let them. If they're particular enough to want to read the reviews, chances are they'll see what they want. They may be deterred by the mosquitos or the early morning trash pick-up behind the building, but it won't put a general damper on the reputation of the resort.
The review-- the visual of the stars, I think may be problematic. It's just so simple to see 1 or 2 stars and NOT take the time to read the reviews or look with an open mind and heart for the golden nuggets embedded in a moderate review. The stars are a label and they have the potential to bias.

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I would say no! One review isn't going to change the rating of a resort.

Most people will read many reviews on different sites to help them make up their minds.

When many bad reviews show up then there is a problem with a resort.

I read many reviews on Tripadvisor and the one turn off was bad reviews.

You have many people that stay in hotels many times and then try a timeshare and no matter how nice your not getting the service like your bags carried to your room and unpacked for you.

These people will write bad review because they are not timeshare people and don't understand the difference.

SOFTBALLDAD3 said:

I would say no! One review isn't going to change the rating of a resort.

Most people will read many reviews on different sites to help them make up their minds.

When many bad reviews show up then there is a problem with a resort.

I read many reviews on Tripadvisor and the one turn off was bad reviews.

You have many people that stay in hotels many times and then try a timeshare and no matter how nice your not getting the service like your bags carried to your room and unpacked for you.

These people will write bad review because they are not timeshare people and don't understand the difference.

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I disagree that Most people will read many reviews. Most people are Not a part of TUG, and most people only own one or two timeshare weeks. Most people blindly make their trades without much understanding of the system. I would venture to say, Most people would not take the time to research all their choices. I would venture to say, most people are going to make snap decisions based on the quick information--- the stars, trusting that the information contained in those stars is valid.
Like you, I'm inclined to go with the 5 star resort over the 2 star, and we're rational in doing so.

There are some very valid and interesting points being made here. The issue I have with reviews is that usually there is no middle ground - only highs and lows. I want to know what the average person felt, not just the fanatics who either loved or hated the place. (Not to mention the zealots who have an agenda, and write a fake review, to try to drive traffic into or out of a place.)

For me, it's more often about the location of a place I want to go, than it is about the uber-quality of the accommodations. I haven't yet planned a timeshare vacation where I'm going to sit around the resort all day. I like to get up and get outside, doing stuff, and I look forward to having a decent place to come back to at the end of the day. Whether a resort has Gold Crown status or not is not a serious deal breaker for me, as long as the place is clean, has a good bed, a quiet night's sleep, a clean bathroom with a good shower, and a place to make breakfast in the morning. Everything else is relative.

Case in point: When I wanted to stay at the southern end of the Big Island in Hawaii, to be near Volcano National Park, the only thing I saw available at the time was Sea Mountain, near the black sand beach at Punalu'u. RCI reviews weren't much, and TUG reviews weren't much more help. But I knew the area, so took a chance, and had a fantastic week. The place wasn't fancy, but it was everything I wanted. I've lived in apartments that weren't nearly as nice, so the week there was a pleasant surprise. My friends traveling with me also enjoyed themselves, and we agreed we'd stay there again if we wanted to be that far out of town.

I'm one of those who has made a mental commitment to review on TUG every timeshare I stay in, if only to help others. Some of my reviews have been quite good, some have been so-so, but all, I think, have been honest and helpful.

Dave

I have often felt that timeshare reviews are more harsh in general than say, what I may see elsewhere. I read about folks who dis a joint because it has a shower and not a tub, or because the weather is bad, or they had no view- and whereas those should be "observations" they end up being "evaluations." If travelers are uninformed or have inflated expectations to begin with then a bad review can result. I think Tuggers in particular are picky in what they write in a review. Sometimes it is necessary info and sometimes it is just too critical. IMHO

Blondie said:

I have often felt that timeshare reviews are more harsh in general than say, what I may see elsewhere. I read about folks who dis a joint because it has a shower and not a tub, or because the weather is bad, or they had no view- and whereas those should be "observations" they end up being "evaluations." If travelers are uninformed or have inflated expectations to begin with then a bad review can result. I think Tuggers in particular are picky in what they write in a review. Sometimes it is necessary info and sometimes it is just too critical. IMHO

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Case in point... here's a FIRST review for a resort. Look at the number of people who found this useful (this means they avoided the resort likely Just because of this review.) Note, this person gave ONE star for Every category.

"Best things about resortClose to shopping areas and restaurants

Review: As we arrived at the units, after checking in at a local strip mall office, we were very hopeful that the room would be nice. The grounds were well manicured and the surrounding area looked well kept. Once we arrived in our unit however, we were deeply dissapointed. The unit was very aged, carpet and furniture had stains and the decor of the unit was obviously old. The tv barely worked and the living room/kitchen/dinning and bedroom all together was the size of our master bedroom at home. OUr family left after one night and the unit office did not offer to rectify the situation. I would not recommend this location to anyone.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.

This person noted the "well manicured surroundings" yet Everything was rated one star. The TV barely works?? And, he must have a Large master. Also, anybody who would leave and not make the most of what they perceive to be a bad situation is obviously (at least to me, but maybe not your average review skimmer) not an average person. The unit wasn't dirty ("stains" are relative, and you'd be hard pressed not to find some in most resorts somewhere.)
The next two reviews of this same resort were "pleasantly surprised." Yet, this particular resort probably already has trouble drawing trades because of it's location. It's a golf resort, and the allure of it is relative. The next two reviews aren't balancing out the first one well enough to push past a lowly 2 stars.
And, more people found this review helpful than any of the three.

skimble said:

I would not recommend this location to anyone.

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Not sure why you consider this review to be a problem. The person was obviously not satisfied and has indicated such with a 1-star rating. Sounds to me like the system is working as intended.

I was looking at a review for Desert Vacation Villas on tripadvisor. While it only had 10 reviews, there were only 2 "negative" reviews. One reviewer gave a low rating because there wasn't a lot to do in the area except the pool and golf and because the weather was hot (Palm Springs in June ) Another reviewer stated the units were nice, but they had no view.
IMHO, it seemed a bit insignificant to give a low rating.