RCI is getting worse & worse

[philemer]

I think RCI has hit a new low for Hawaii exchanges (weeks side). I looked a few minutes ago and there are only 112 HI units available to exchange into. The majority of units are hotel units at Kahana Falls (12) & 2BR units (76) at out-of-the-way Paniolo Greens in Waikoloa Village. So sad. I remember back in the early 2000s you'd regularly see 700-1000 units available. Now the majority of units are rented by RCI. Yep, I know it's been this way for quite awhile. So sad. Your only chance for a decent exchange during popular times is starting an ongoing search a year out, which I always do.

Time to vote with my wallet when my membership expires in 1.5 yrs.

Rant over.

 

[tschwa2]

I think it is also that more and more people are getting savvy about setting up ongoing searches. The average availability sitting online in II is 0-10 units, which makes RCI's 112 left over units look fantastic.

 

[CMVer]

Even with ongoing searches the inventory is just not there anymore (not just in Hawaii). Members are getting tired of being nickle and dimmed to death. Owners of the more desirable weeks and locations are just not depositing. Those weeks are usually easily rented if the owner chooses to not use them. RCI needs to figure out that they are only paper pushers. Without our deposits they have no business.

 

[cgeidl]

We love now RCI as we have gotten many units from renting thru Armed Forces Vacation Club for $359 per week. We belonged to RCI for about ten years long ago but departed when we tried for a year plus to get a S California Beach week with no success but one came up on Sky-auction and we won the bid for a week for $1. Good Bye RCI. We are getting rid of our last five timeshare weeks at present and as we are retired can get weeks acceptable to us on Trading Places, TUG Rentals, and Armed Forces Vacation Club. Much simpler, faster and less costly.

 

[b2bailey]

Last night on RCI I was doing a search for Hawaii August 2017. I was surprised when a long list of resorts appeared. Then I realized I had selected the wrong button -- and these were rentals, not exchanges.

 

[ace2000]

I am not liking RCI very much either. Having said that, I recently renewed my account for five years. I tend to use it mostly for Last Calls, and only use about 1-2 of those a year.

 

[Kozman]

Every year RCI has gotten worse with fee increases and lack of availability. You can't find a week at Sanibel (ex.) but you can find 30 units for rental. It all started when they realized they could take a week that they had no financial investment in and rent it to the general public for $$$$. Once the rental phase of their business model kicked in things went down hill for members. I'm currently trying to either divest myself of my ownerships or deposit with alternate companies like DAE, Trading places, etc. My end goal is to be able to get a bargain price on vacations when and if I want them without continually enriching RCI stockholders. Perhaps they have killed the golden goose.

 

[judell]

I have 9200 HGVC points that died as of Dec 31. My option is to let them die or port them to RCI...at a price.
The last time I did this a few years ago I found it a waste of time and money as nothing was available and there was an additional fee for booking. Is this still the case or should I let them die?

 

[Panina]

I have 9200 HGVC points that died as of Dec 31. My option is to let them die or port them to RCI...at a price.
The last time I did this a few years ago I found it a waste of time and money as nothing was available and there was an additional fee for booking. Is this still the case or should I let them die?

I have gotten good trades with Rci using my Hgvc points.

 

[brickey1]

I cant wait till my membership expires also, They harass you for deposit also. I tell them you're too high and not a good selection.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Inventory in RCI is always low at this time of year. It always gets better in the early spring, so keep watching for it.

I have some ongoing searches that have been going a long time, and one is 4/1 on Kauai. I have almost all of the resorts in my search, so I keep thinking I will get a match. I need a 2 bedroom, and that is the issue. I did book a 2 bedroom at Kauai Coast at the Beachboy but would rather get an exchange.

 

[bogey21]

I got disgusted with RCI about 15 years ago, primarily because of price increases and diminishing inventory, and let my membership expire. No regrets. There are many alternatives to exchanging with RCI available.

George

 

[MuranoJo]

I got disgusted with RCI about 15 years ago, primarily because of price increases and diminishing inventory, and let my membership expire. No regrets. There are many alternatives to exchanging with RCI available.

George

Ooh, I thought RCI was kinda 'hot' back about 12-15 years ago. That's when we were getting all those cool SA exchanges.
I'd personally be happy if we had the exchanges we used to get--and that was before they got so involved in renting deposits I believe.
But--I was new to exchanging back then and maybe I didn't know what 'hot' was, LOL.

 

[dominidude]

We love now RCI as we have gotten many units from renting thru Armed Forces Vacation Club for $359 per week. We belonged to RCI for about ten years long ago but departed when we tried for a year plus to get a S California Beach week with no success but one came up on Sky-auction and we won the bid for a week for $1. Good Bye RCI. We are getting rid of our last five timeshare weeks at present and as we are retired can get weeks acceptable to us on Trading Places, TUG Rentals, and Armed Forces Vacation Club. Much simpler, faster and less costly.

I've been able to find all the availability in AFVC significantly cheaper in RCI's last calls and extra vacations.
If you book just one vacation a year, the savings in one single reservation alone justifies the RCI membership fee. That's been my experience.

Ooh, I thought RCI was kinda 'hot' back about 12-15 years ago. That's when we were getting all those cool SA exchanges.
I'd personally be happy if we had the exchanges we used to get--and that was before they got so involved in renting deposits I believe.
But--I was new to exchanging back then and maybe I didn't know what 'hot' was, LOL.

Renting deposits is something that all exchange companies are doing. In my opinion, II is the biggest culprit of all the exchanges, my experience is that they rent out a much higher percentage of their deposits since they are smaller, though RCI rents the higher numbers of units.

Rentals are more profitable, they can charge market rates, which right now are up because the economy is doing well.
It won't last, so hold on tight, good times are coming (for those few lucky enough to be able to go on vacation during bad economic times)

 

[rickandcindy23]

No one ever complains about II having no Hawaii exchanges sitting online. At least RCI doesn't hide inventory. I prefer a company that puts everything out there and doesn't hold inventory for ongoing searches. Sometimes I want to see the choices.

This is the reason I put ongoing searches in II for everything I might want, and I end up cancelling a lot of weeks that match because I already booked something else (usually with RCI).

 

[JuliGee]

No one ever complains about II having no Hawaii exchanges sitting online. At least RCI doesn't hide inventory. I prefer a company that puts everything out there and doesn't hold inventory for ongoing searches. Sometimes I want to see the choices.

This is the reason I put ongoing searches in II for everything I might want, and I end up cancelling a lot of weeks that match because I already booked something else (usually with RCI).

That's interesting. I was told it worked a little differently. According to an rci rep I spoke with quite a while ago, all deposits coming in that match against ongoing searches, first go to those members, and you will not see those weeks online. So according to rci, they do not put everything out there, as pending searches get priority to match against deposits. Then what's left over is viewable. Have they changed the rules?

Juli

 

[alwysonvac]

I have 9200 HGVC points that died as of Dec 31. My option is to let them die or port them to RCI...at a price.
The last time I did this a few years ago I found it a waste of time and money as nothing was available and there was an additional fee for booking. Is this still the case or should I let them die?

With RCI you have to be flexible because all weeks are not available. It's best to setup an ongoing RCI WEEKS search across a range of dates and resorts. And search online for inventory that becomes available via RCI POINTS.

Here are some reasons why you may not see availability in RCI:
(1) HGVC has a quality filter in place so we don't see all available inventory in RCI
(2) Availability is based on deposits and all weeks are not deposited.
(3) What you see online from the RCI Weeks inventory are the leftovers after all ongoing searches have been satisfied.

HGVC members have access to RCI weeks and RCI Points. High demand resorts and/or destinations are snatched up via ongoing search request or as soon as the RCI Points window opens up at 10 months before check-in.
NOTE: Ongoing searches are only against RCI Weeks inventory.

Here's some additional information regarding HGVC exchanges - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1702883&postcount=4
Here's an old thread with some examples of RCI POINTS availability - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178504

 

[rickandcindy23]

That's interesting. I was told it worked a little differently. According to an rci rep I spoke with quite a while ago, all deposits coming in that match against ongoing searches, first go to those members, and you will not see those weeks online. So according to rci, they do not put everything out there, as pending searches get priority to match against deposits. Then what's left over is viewable. Have they changed the rules?

Juli

Sure, ongoing searches get matched first, before inventory goes online, but RCI currently has 160 Hawaii weeks available to exchange, while II has zero weeks showing online. I don't like that II and SFX hide inventory from view. I have exchanged into resorts on a whim, simply because it was something I never considered before. I want to see what's available.

 

[MuranoJo]

I agree, Cindy.
I enjoy searching online and getting ideas for new places. In fact, I just started using OGS for the first time for a family reunion this year (just to find additional units in case we needed them), but I was able to find what we needed just by searching online. And all of my exchanges have been online searches to date--I wouldn't consider them leftovers. (Aruba, HI, FL, NYC, OR, UT ski area, etc.)

Given that, I think it pays to have an OGS as well as check into online inventory once in a while, and check Sightings on this board as well.