RCI changes= New strategies?

[Carolinian]

All that accomplishes is to make the lack of value of a blue week even more obvious, and make the bailouts come faster.

Also you seem to be suggesting FORCING people into points, something that would set off a revolution to overthrow the board at many resorts.

No problem.

Tax'em all the same.

Charge'm all the same maintenance fees.

Then assign'm all variable points values according to the primeness of the demand seasons of the respective weeks.

I mean, shux, something like that is already being done via the Red-White-Blue hierarchy of demand-season color-coding. So it's hard to imagine any administrative or quasi-legal barrier to formalizing something along the same lines via points valuation, which after all is out there in the open for everyone to see, right or wrong, unlike the vague & mysterious Trade Power formula of Red & White & Blue weeks that is known only to the back-room gnomes of RCI.

Problem solved.

Case closed.

Ready for the next case.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[Carolinian]

I am not sure that was ever their policy, but rather a scare tactic used by those opposed to points. Points came out at the same time that RCI was mulling over creating a premier club. I think that this is how they envisioned the program - greater benefits (at a price, of course).

It also came out at the same time their big rental to the public program kicked in, and I thnk that is the biggest connection points has with anything else.

 

[Carolinian]

That's a sweet sentiment, but it's wrong. The rental market determines what a week is truly worth. The days of closed-market exchange systems are over.

You might not like it (and I would be better off if it weren't true), but them's the facts. Accept it.

As long as RCI is allowed to skim the system for rentals for their own benefit, a massive conflict of interest with their quasi-fiduciary obligations to their exchange depositors, I think you have identified the root cause of the problem in RCI's exchange system.

There are other HONEST exchange companies out there which do not skim for rentals, and that is where you find an honest timeshare exchange market these days. We just need to work to grow the participation in the honest exchange companies.

The fact that RCI skims for rentals makes them an okay company to use for rentals but an awful company to use for exchanges.

 

[Egret1986]

I didn't mean to offend. From your posts, there doesn't seem to be anything positive

Gee that's a term I haven't seen on TUG for a long time. Some years ago, people here were being characterized here as either ''RCI apologists'' or ''RCI bashers''. I hope we are not going back to those days.

I have nothing per se against RCI as a company, but I do have quite a bit of concern about the customer-unfriendly and self-serving policies they have adopted since the Cendent takeover of RCI. When Cristel DeHaan was running the show and RCI was an independent company, they created what was the greatest timeshare exchange company that has ever existed. Unfortunately, they have been marching steadily backward since Cendent came on the scene. I would love to see RCI get back to its old self.

It has sometimes been amusing to debate some of the RCI ''deniers'' on these boards, the ones who always see anything RCI does through rose-colored glasses. I remember when the Seasons timeshare chain newsletter came out announcing they were jumping ship to II, and several Tuggers noted that what Seasons managment was saying about the dangers of rentals and points were exactly what I had been warning about for months. I was even accused of writing that newsletter. I also remember when I was the very first one on TUG to point out that RCI was going to go into the rental business to the general public. It was a simple matter of analysis and common sense. RCI was just rolling out GPN, which became RCI Points, and in a TUG moderated chat presided over by Fern, RCI was asked what they would do with the timeshare weeks they got in exchange for points partners exchanges and they responded that they would use them to introduce new people to timesharing. I immediately saw that as a euphemism for rentals to the public, especially since RCI would have to pay in some way for what they gave people in points partner exchanges. Some of the deniers jumped me on that and said absolutely not, RCI would never, NEVER, be renting our timeshare inventory to the general public. Their knee jerk defense of RCI in the face of the obvious was astounding, but it was not long that RCI acknowledged they were renting. One of those deniers who was probably the most argumentative on this issue of rentals at that juncture is still at it, and has even posted in the threads about RCI's most recent changes, still blindly defending anything RCI does.

In dealing with RCI into the future, one really has to seperate their rental side from their exchange side. Yes, they are unreliable on the exchange side, and the response until that changes is not to give them any deposits. But one also has to consider their rental side, which at least at present offers good value in many but not all cases. The solution is to change strategies to use them where they still provide good value, which is rentals. At this point, I do not know how to do that at the best value without continuing on as a member. That does not mean I approve of what they are doing with exchanges. I certainly do not. It just means I don't hate the company and as long as they offer good value on a fair number of rentals that I would use, I don't mind continuing to use them for that limited purpose.

I must have missed those posts. It just seemed odd that you were renewing your RCI membership to me.

I just don't understand why some folks on TUG berate the company, but continue on with their memberships. There has to be some benefit they're getting if they continue to pay for a membership. A membership is a choice.

I don't think I look at RCI through rose-colored glasses. I am aware what they're doing. You, as well as others, have shared what RCI does and I'm not in denial. RCI has worked for me since I first joined in 1984. I've never felt the need to use any other company as a means for my timesharing needs. I wring out everything I can get from my membership. I think of RCI as I do the timeshare I bought from the developer on the Outer Banks when I first became an RCI member. I got 25 years out of that blue week and wrung every drop of value and much more out of it. This year, I felt it no longer served my needs, so I found someone that wanted it gave it to them. I got 10+ times the value out of it than I put into it. RCI helped me accomplish that. When RCI no longer works and I receive less value from being a member than not, then I will get rid of my membership and move on.

To me rose-colored glasses would be hoping and dreaming that RCI would return to the days of old. That's not going to happen.

I didn't realize that in the past there was "RCI apologists" and "RCI bashers". I didn't mean to touch a nerve. I apologize for my remark.

 

[Egret1986]

Okay, I thought I had missed the positive RCI posts by Carolinian

Carolinian, why would you extend your membership after saying nothing good about RCI for ages? If I felt like you say you feel, I would quit in protest. Surely you should at least quit on principle.

I am reminded of people who complain about their job day after day, talking about how much more money they should be making, how much better other employers treat their employees, how their company couldn't make it without them, but they never seem to QUIT their job and go somewhere else where it is better.

Why are you CONTINUING TO PAY for RCI? This is the company you describe as a horrible, week stealing, owner inventory renting, supposed exchange company which is in reality nothing more than a rental company where you can NEVER GET A DECENT EXCHANGE. Yet you EXTEND YOUR MEMBERSHIP? You can't have it both ways if you are honest. It is either a horrible company you refuse to give another dollar of your money to and which you quit, or else they are a company which gives good value for the money they charge so you remain a paying member.

Your constant RCI slamming says that you think RCI is a company that no one should deal with, but rather than quitting, you pay them to extend your membership. So in reality your actions show that you personally feel that RCI is worth the money they charge to be a member. I would think that one would slow down on the anti RCI posts until they actually dislike RCI enough to no longer be a paying member, much less a member who just admitted that they payed to extend their membership in the same post that they were complaining about RCI.

You know there's a lot of posts and I could have missed that one.

But I promise not to use the term "RCI basher" ever again. I didn't realize that it was a worn-out term from years gone by. :ignore:

 

[AwayWeGo]

Offering Voluntary Low-Cost Points Conversion As 1 More Option.

All that accomplishes is to make the lack of value of a blue week even more obvious, and make the bailouts come faster.

It's obvious already -- glaring, even.

The idea is what to do about it to make the low-value weeks worth holding onto -- e.g., via points that can be used to snag outstanding reservations to stay at other people's timeshares. By way of illustration, we use our points to get week-long reservations in nice timeshares for just 7,500 points for a full week.

Also you seem to be suggesting FORCING people into points, something that would set off a revolution to overthrow the board at many resorts.

Conversion could never be mandatory, but only 1 more choice to be offered to owners who currently aren't able to get much use out of their off-season timeshare weeks.

Is this a great country or what ?

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[tombo]

You know there's a lot of posts and I could have missed that one.

But I promise not to use the term "RCI basher" ever again. I didn't realize that it was a worn-out term from years gone by. :ignore:

"RCI slamming" must be the appropriate description because I didn't receive a response telling me that I was using obsolete terminology. If "RCI basher" is no longer acceptable, I wonder if "RCI denier" is also an unacceptable old and worn out description? Perhaps we are no longer termed "RCI deniers" and instead are correctly described as people who are happy RCI members even though RCI is not perfect.

 

["Roger"]

...Also you seem to be suggesting FORCING people into points, something that would set off a revolution to overthrow the board at many resorts.

Actually I have suggested many times that boards should add the points as an option in that people could choose for themselves and you have always forcefully said you would never support that. I hope that we are at least coming to agree on this issue that people should be given their individual choice and not be forced into either progam by an HOA.

[By the way, as I have mentioned before, if a resort were to make points an option, then those in Points could no longer use that resort in the PDF - program something which you also oppose. Having a resort add a points program would do double duty --- allow people to make their own individual choice and end the PDF program at those resorts.]

 

[tombo]

There are other HONEST exchange companies out there which do not skim for rentals, and that is where you find an honest timeshare exchange market these days. We just need to work to grow the participation in the honest exchange companies.

The fact that RCI skims for rentals makes them an okay company to use for rentals but an awful company to use for exchanges.

Please list the HONEST exchange companies you pay to join that are better than RCI, and why you feel that they are better. I am always interested in a better option since I personally have been unable to find a better exchange company than RCI.

Also let us in on the other DISHONEST companies (other than RCI) that you continue to voluntarily pay to be a member of and why you continue to support them even though you constantly "slam" them. Do you still fly Delta and do you use a Delta credit card to accumulate skymiles even though you constantly post negative things about Delta anytime they are mentioned? Flying Delta for you should be the equivalent of renewing your RCI membership since both companies get numerous posts from you describing them as DISHONEST. I assume Delta (like RCI) is OK for you to patronize, even though they are a DISHONEST company, as long as they occasionally provide a cheaper flight than you can find on another airline you consider more honest.

If I want to rent a week somewhere I will typically use Travelocity, Expedia, etc, and these companies don't require annual fees to be a member. In all of my years as a paying RCI member, RCI has never gotten a dollar of rental money from me other than last minute rentals (which is as we know very cheap). I don't want to pay $1000 plus a week for rentals when I can travel much cheaper using my timeshares or exchanging them.

I use RCI almost exclusivelly for EXCHANGES. I know it is impossible to get a decent exchange with RCI, but amazingly I currently have 5 CONFIRMED EXCHANGES between now and September 2010 (and yes 2 have been confirmed since the enhancement). Even more amazing to some here, all exchanges are to locations and times I actually was excited to get, and most I feel are trades for places as good as if not better than what I deposited.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Moral Equivalency.

Perhaps we are no longer termed "RCI deniers" and instead are correctly described as people who are happy RCI members even though RCI is not perfect.

Basically Satisfied With RCI = RCI Can Do No Wrong.

Plus, don't forget -- Instant Exchange = Raiding The Weeks Inventory.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[tombo]

As long as RCI is allowed to skim the system for rentals for their own benefit, a massive conflict of interest with their quasi-fiduciary obligations to their exchange depositors, I think you have identified the root cause of the problem in RCI's exchange system.

There are other HONEST exchange companies out there which do not skim for rentals, and that is where you find an honest timeshare exchange market these days. We just need to work to grow the participation in the honest exchange companies.

The fact that RCI skims for rentals makes them an okay company to use for rentals but an awful company to use for exchanges.

If you really want RCI to stop renting out inventory, stop renting the weeks they list for rent. If the rentals go unrented, they will be returned to exchange inventory, problem solved. Don't complain about RCI stealing inventory to rent and then turn around and rent it yourself. People (like you) renting the cheap weeks is why they have a rental program. If you are truly outraged that they are renting out weeks that should be in the exchange pool, then don't rent the week allowing RCI to profit from their dishonest business practices!!!! You are proclaiming your outrage at their theft, and then turning around and remaining an RCI member for no other reason than to benefit from the cheap rentals that are only available because of the exact "DISHONEST BUSINESS PRACTICES" you are so incensed about!!!! It is like complaining abut thieves stealing everyone's car radios, and then buying a car radio from a guy on the corner because it was cheaper than you could buy it elsewhere.

You talk about a massive conflict of interest? You post constantly that it is wrong and dishonest for RCI to rent out owner's weeks, but then you rent them yourself because they are cheap!!! I guess it is only wrong if RCI benefits from the unethical rentals, but not wrong if you do.

 

[AwayWeGo]

No, No. That's Not It At All.

I guess it is only wrong if RCI benefits from the unethical rentals, but not wrong if you do.

It's only wrong if RCI rents out banked timeshare weeks to the general non-timeshare-owning public.

It is perfectly all right for RCI to rent out banked weeks to timeshare-owning members of RCI.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[tombo]

It's only wrong if RCI rents out banked timeshare weeks to the general non-timeshare-owning public.

It is perfectly all right for RCI to rent out banked weeks to timeshare-owning members of RCI.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

It is not OK for RCI to rent to RCI members or non members if one feels that RCI should not rent out any deposited weeks because it is a breach of "their quasi-fiduciary obligations to their exchange depositors". Whether the renter is a member or non member, the week should have been in the exchange inventory rather than rental inventory because it was deposited by a member to be exchanged with another member.

I actually agree 100% with Carolinian that RCI shouldn't be able to rent a single week that was deposited for exchange by members for any reason. RCI has loopholes in the members agreement allowing them to rent exchange inventory, but I wish that they couldn't, or at least wouldn't.

 

[Carolinian]

It seems some on these boards look only at personal feelings about a company, without any logic. I tend to look at common sense as to what is in my own best interest.

Take Delta. I switched my ff program to NW when DL first trashed theirs. Still I participated in www.saveskymiles.com , which ultimately reversed that set of anti-customer changes. I found NW's program so much better that I never went back even after DL waved a white flag and backed down on their changes. During that period there were some on FlyerTalk who opposed the SaveSkyMiles effort and said we should just accept whatever Delta did. Fortunately, most thought customer rights were worth fighting for. When DL bought NW, they had again taken some negative anti-customer changes, so I comped my elite status over to CO. Now when I moved to NW, I stopped totally putting flight miles on DL. I kept my DL Amex card long enough to build my balance to a usable cutoff, then dumped that. I did not walk away from my SkyMiles account, which had several hundred thousand miles in it. I continued to use those miles. All new miles went to NW, but of course I was going to use my DL miles until I zeroed out that account. Now in the takeover /merger they are snatching my NW miles as well, so I am burning those.

As to buying tickets, just because they have twice had major screwings of ff customers, I don't hate the company to the point of not buying tickets. I have prefered to buy personal, family, and business tickets on NW, but if there is a DL ticket that works substantially better, I can put their miles on my NW account, so that has been my second choice. Since the first of the year, I have still been flying NW because there are a lot of things I like about them even though they are now owned by DL, but of course I put my miles in my new CO OnePass elite account. Come October, I will not be able to do that anymore, so I will have to choose between flying CO or one of its partners which will probably end up mostly CO, with UA as a backup.

I am simply not going to take these things personally as some suggest, and cut off my nose to spite my face.

The same is true of RCI. Rental Condominiums International has some really good rentals and I have bagged several of them recently. I will continue to. They are continuing to screw exchange members, so depositing anything to exchange is another matter entirely. I have done well on exchanges with DAE, and will continue using them and am also exploring SFX which will take one of my resorts. I may also look more at HTSE, which seems to be a good company. What impressed me about the honesty of DAE was when they caught their old Swiss office renting out some weeks from their exchange bank, it was no slap on the wrist. They kicked them out of the organization.

Please list the HONEST exchange companies you pay to join that are better than RCI, and why you feel that they are better. I am always interested in a better option since I personally have been unable to find a better exchange company than RCI.

Also let us in on the other DISHONEST companies (other than RCI) that you continue to voluntarily pay to be a member of and why you continue to support them even though you constantly "slam" them. Do you still fly Delta and do you use a Delta credit card to accumulate skymiles even though you constantly post negative things about Delta anytime they are mentioned? Flying Delta for you should be the equivalent of renewing your RCI membership since both companies get numerous posts from you describing them as DISHONEST. I assume Delta (like RCI) is OK for you to patronize, even though they are a DISHONEST company, as long as they occasionally provide a cheaper flight than you can find on another airline you consider more honest.

If I want to rent a week somewhere I will typically use Travelocity, Expedia, etc, and these companies don't require annual fees to be a member. In all of my years as a paying RCI member, RCI has never gotten a dollar of rental money from me other than last minute rentals (which is as we know very cheap). I don't want to pay $1000 plus a week for rentals when I can travel much cheaper using my timeshares or exchanging them.

I use RCI almost exclusivelly for EXCHANGES. I know it is impossible to get a decent exchange with RCI, but amazingly I currently have 5 CONFIRMED EXCHANGES between now and September 2010 (and yes 2 have been confirmed since the enhancement). Even more amazing to some here, all exchanges are to locations and times I actually was excited to get, and most I feel are trades for places as good as if not better than what I deposited.

 

[Carolinian]

In the previous debates about RCI rigging the system against Weeks in the Points / Weeks interface by using a highly unfair (largely due to overaveraging) generic points grids for Points to Weeks trades, many pro-RCI posters told me if I coundn't beat them, I ought to join them and join Points so that I could plunder Weeks as well. On the rental issue, they are taking the other position and saying I should NOT plunder the system.

I look at things a little differently. The way RCI is going about this rental thing is making them more and more of a Ponzi scheme. The quicker it can be brought crashing down by members using the rentals, the quicker something better will take its place. And, heck, I'd rather at least see the rentals go to bona fide members who are real timesharers rather than the general public.

If you really want RCI to stop renting out inventory, stop renting the weeks they list for rent. If the rentals go unrented, they will be returned to exchange inventory, problem solved. Don't complain about RCI stealing inventory to rent and then turn around and rent it yourself. People (like you) renting the cheap weeks is why they have a rental program. If you are truly outraged that they are renting out weeks that should be in the exchange pool, then don't rent the week allowing RCI to profit from their dishonest business practices!!!! You are proclaiming your outrage at their theft, and then turning around and remaining an RCI member for no other reason than to benefit from the cheap rentals that are only available because of the exact "DISHONEST BUSINESS PRACTICES" you are so incensed about!!!! It is like complaining abut thieves stealing everyone's car radios, and then buying a car radio from a guy on the corner because it was cheaper than you could buy it elsewhere.

You talk about a massive conflict of interest? You post constantly that it is wrong and dishonest for RCI to rent out owner's weeks, but then you rent them yourself because they are cheap!!! I guess it is only wrong if RCI benefits from the unethical rentals, but not wrong if you do.

 

[Carolinian]

That is a blue smoke and mirrors solution. What you are suggesting is people change to Points so that they can use Points backdoor into the Weeks 45 day window. Don't you understand that it is the serious decline of the Weeks 45 day window that is the very cause of blue week bailout? Why would they pay extra for a more convuluted way to do something that is their major present problem with the system? Yeah they may get more than one 45 day window week, but it is the change in desirability of what is in the 45 day window that is the problem not the number of weeks you can get out of it.

RCI produced materials for years to promote the sale of off season weeks in order to use the 45 day window, resorts used them, and members bought on this premise. Know RCI has made substantial changes that have knocked the props out from under those members and the resorts they own at by substanially degrading the 45 day window. That is dirty pool any way you slice it. Personally, I think the only fair thing is to lets Points members have discounts on last minute Points inventory and get their hands out of the pockets of the Weeks system entirely.

It's obvious already -- glaring, even.

The idea is what to do about it to make the low-value weeks worth holding onto -- e.g., via points that can be used to snag outstanding reservations to stay at other people's timeshares. By way of illustration, we use our points to get week-long reservations in nice timeshares for just 7,500 points for a full week.

Conversion could never be mandatory, but only 1 more choice to be offered to owners who currently aren't able to get much use out of their off-season timeshare weeks.

Is this a great country or what ?

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[AwayWeGo]

No Smoke. No Mirrors. More Choices.

Via Instant Exchange, points members pay a bargain rate for a week they like better than their own.

Sure, it's a crapshoot -- not that straight-weeks exchanges aren't. Points members get a choice between the known-quantity off-season blue week that they own on the 1 hand, or on the other hand whatever is still available on the weeks side to reserve for peanuts within 45 days of check-in. No convolutions. Bargain rates rather than paying extra. No forced choices. Same maintenance fees, etc., as owners who remain in weeks. More options, not fewer.

So far, via Instant Exchange we have snagged Woodstone At Massanutten (twice), Cypress Pointe Grande Villas (Orlando FL), The Colonnade (Branson MO), Vistana Villages (Orlando FL), & I don't know what-all -- not a dog or a cat in the bunch (with the possible exception of The Colonnade, which pretty much made up for it by serving free breakfast every morning).

Individual owners & exchangers have to work out ways of using the system that work advantageously for them, taking nothing for granted. Generally speaking, offering more options & wider choices will expand people's opportunities for satisfying their individual needs & preferences.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[tombo]

In the previous debates about RCI rigging the system against Weeks in the Points / Weeks interface by using a highly unfair (largely due to overaveraging) generic points grids for Points to Weeks trades, many pro-RCI posters told me if I coundn't beat them, I ought to join them and join Points so that I could plunder Weeks as well. On the rental issue, they are taking the other position and saying I should NOT plunder the system.

I look at things a little differently. The way RCI is going about this rental thing is making them more and more of a Ponzi scheme. The quicker it can be brought crashing down by members using the rentals, the quicker something better will take its place. And, heck, I'd rather at least see the rentals go to bona fide members who are real timesharers rather than the general public.

I have posted numerous times that I don't like points. I assure you that I never told you to use the points system to plunder weeks. Unless someone convinces me otherwise you will never hear me say that I plundered using points or even became an owner of points because to me points is simply the newest ponzi scheme. If I post negative reviews about something, I don't turn around and patronize the business whether it is points or exchange companies unless my opinion changes. If my opinion does change, then I will post my mea culpas and kudos to the companies I once maligned.

Here comes the rationalizing. If you didn't rent the week, a non member might get it. It is going to rent whether you rent it or not. There are plenty of ways to justify it. However, if you really feel that the RCI rentals should stop, it is wrong for you to be a renter enabling them to make a profit while creating more demand for rental weeks. You can't morally defend a position where you say stealing weeks to rent for profit is wrong, but renting those stolen weeks because they are a bargain from the thief is acceptable.

In your noble quest to topple RCI you will have to endure bargain priced vacation rentals, RCI will have to fight to survive after renting those weeks to you, and the weeks you rent from RCI are the same tainted weeks that you insist that they shouldn't offer to people to rent. You will show RCI that they shouldn't make a profit renting those stolen weeks by personally renting those stolen weeks and giving RCI profit. That will teach RCI a lesson. :rofl: RCI will come crashing down because you, at great sacrifice to yourself, will rent weeks you want from RCI cheaper than you could rent them anywhere else. RCI members will bow down and thank you because we will all benefit from your cheap vacations. You are going to selflessly keep renting from RCI until you rent RCI out of existence. :hysterical: Could you actually type that explanation while keeping a straight face?

 

[Carolinian]

You are certainly not one of the pro-points crowd that made those suggestions, and I am sorry if you took it that I was saying that you were one of those.

No one person is going to make a difference in an operation the size of RCI, but the collective action of lots of customers can.

I haven't posted negative comments about the price of RCI's rentals. Quite the contrary.

I have posted numerous times that I don't like points. I assure you that I never told you to use the points system to plunder weeks. Unless someone convinces me otherwise you will never hear me say that I plundered using points or even became an owner of points because to me points is simply the newest ponzi scheme. If I post negative reviews about something, I don't turn around and patronize the business whether it is points or exchange companies unless my opinion changes. If my opinion does change, then I will post my mea culpas and kudos to the companies I once maligned.

Here comes the rationalizing. If you didn't rent the week, a non member might get it. It is going to rent whether you rent it or not. There are plenty of ways to justify it. However, if you really feel that the RCI rentals should stop, it is wrong for you to be a renter enabling them to make a profit while creating more demand for rental weeks. You can't morally defend a position where you say stealing weeks to rent for profit is wrong, but renting those stolen weeks because they are a bargain from the thief is acceptable.

In your noble quest to topple RCI you will have to endure bargain priced vacation rentals, RCI will have to fight to survive after renting those weeks to you, and the weeks you rent from RCI are the same tainted weeks that you insist that they shouldn't offer to people to rent. You will show RCI that they shouldn't make a profit renting those stolen weeks by personally renting those stolen weeks and giving RCI profit. That will teach RCI a lesson. :rofl: RCI will come crashing down because you, at great sacrifice to yourself, will rent weeks you want from RCI cheaper than you could rent them anywhere else. RCI members will bow down and thank you because we will all benefit from your cheap vacations. You are going to selflessly keep renting from RCI until you rent RCI out of existence. :hysterical: Could you actually type that explanation while keeping a straight face?

 

[Carolinian]

So these are your great last minute exchanges???? ALL in overbuilt areas? I guess you could also do well in other overbuilt areas like the Canary Islands or Williamsburg. In the old days, the 45 day window got stuff a lot better than just overbuilt areas. That is what many of these owners are upset about. And all you are talking about is a different way to get back to the same place, the 45 day window, and it is the very place that no longer performs like it used to, or anywhere close.

Via Instant Exchange, points members pay a bargain rate for a week they like better than their own.

Sure, it's a crapshoot -- not that straight-weeks exchanges aren't. Points members get a choice between the known-quantity off-season blue week that they own on the 1 hand, or on the other hand whatever is still available on the weeks side to reserve for peanuts within 45 days of check-in. No convolutions. Bargain rates rather than paying extra. No forced choices. Same maintenance fees, etc., as owners who remain in weeks. More options, not fewer.

So far, via Instant Exchange we have snagged Woodstone At Massanutten (twice), Cypress Pointe Grande Villas (Orlando FL), The Colonnade (Branson MO), Vistana Villages (Orlando FL), & I don't know what-all -- not a dog or a cat in the bunch (with the possible exception of The Colonnade, which pretty much made up for it by serving free breakfast every morning).

Individual owners & exchangers have to work out ways of using the system that work advantageously for them, taking nothing for granted. Generally speaking, offering more options & wider choices will expand people's opportunities for satisfying their individual needs & preferences.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[AwayWeGo]

Absolutely Great Exchanges, No Question. And That's Just The Tip Of The Iceberg.

So these are your great last minute exchanges?

What makes value (i.e., great timeshare trades) is where I want to go & when I want to go there, which just might be why I find the system as it is reasonably satisfactory while more, uh -- um, er, ah . . . discriminating travelers turn up their noses.

Just my good fortune that I like timeshare vacationing in vacation spots that actually have lots of great timeshares.

People who don't just might find the system & the selection less user-friendly.

Full Disclosure: It is OK to sneer at my vacation destinations. It is also OK to point your finger & laugh. If I like going to unsophisticated vacation spots, that's no skin off anybody else's nose.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[Egret1986]

I don't consider my last minute exchanges overbuilt areas or dog seasons

So these are your great last minute exchanges???? ALL in overbuilt areas? I guess you could also do well in other overbuilt areas like the Canary Islands or Williamsburg. In the old days, the 45 day window got stuff a lot better than just overbuilt areas. That is what many of these owners are upset about. And all you are talking about is a different way to get back to the same place, the 45 day window, and it is the very place that no longer performs like it used to, or anywhere close.

Back-to-back February weeks at the Galleon in Key West, two March weeks at HGVC resorts on Marco Island, Easter week in Sanibel. Not a one in the Canary Islands, Orlando or Williamsburg.

It doesn't really matter if they are overbuilt areas if he's happy with those exchanges and got them at a ridiculously low cost.

I think somebody likes their cake and eating it, too; but also enjoys complaining about the person that baked it and fussing at the others around the table enjoying the cake and telling them that the ingredients in that cake are eventually going to kill them.

 

[Egret1986]

Agreed!! It takes "collective action" of LOTS of customers.

No one person is going to make a difference in an operation the size of RCI, but the collective action of lots of customers can.

On TUG, there was an attempt at collective action after the enhancements to have the masses call and complain and shut down RCI (or at least make a bold attempt) at 9:00 am on a Friday morning. I doubt RCI felt a thing.

I do believe there are disgruntled folks in the general population (not just TUG); but I also believe this group is a minority as compared to the group that are happy, satisfied, a bit less than satisfied and those that just accept the status quo rather than doing something.

Another case of this is when some TUGGERS reacted to the unfair settlement and suggested no RCI members on TUG should agree to the $20 compensation or whatever else was thrown to the members. There were only a few people willing to do that. Many said they weren't happy with the settlement, but that they felt they should go ahead and put in for that $20. I didn't put in for the $20, simply because it wasn't worth my effort; not because I was taking a stand against the settlement one way or the other.

If there is a majority of unhappy RCI members, that alone will topple RCI. But as long the unhappy are a minority, then things will continue on.

 

[tombo]

You are certainly not one of the pro-points crowd that made those suggestions, and I am sorry if you took it that I was saying that you were one of those.

No one person is going to make a difference in an operation the size of RCI, but the collective action of lots of customers can.

I haven't posted negative comments about the price of RCI's rentals. Quite the contrary.

No offense taken. I hope you aren't taking any offense either as much of what I post is tongue in cheek.

I said that you are willing to rent weeks because the prices are good. You complain about RCI renting the weeks, not the price you rent them for. That is the point. You aren't renting to break RCI's back, you are renting because it is cheap for you. The weeks you are renting are the weeks you complain about RCI offering or rent. There is some incongruity here, nes pas?

The theory that members could stop RCI from renting exchange inventory by collectivelly renting as much RCI rental inventory as possible is hard to follow. The more weeks they rent, the more money they make. The more money they make the more weeks they will steal from exchange inventory to rent out. TUGGERS and other timeshare knowledgable RCI members are a small percent of the total. The masses will simply keep paying, keep depositing, and RCI will keep on smiling all the way to the bank. I think that increasing the rental activity on RCI will actually increase the amount of weeks they steal to be able to handle the increased rental demand and make their bottom line better. RCI already knows that rental income beats exchange fee income.

 

["Roger"]

Ponzi scheme? I understand that many people don't like RCI practices and maybe they are wrong, but that doesn't make them a Ponzi scheme.