Without RCI, What Would I Do With My Overseas Week & My USA Points?
In 2002, when we started taking timeshare tours (the 1 we took in Atlantic City in 1975 doesn't count), the sales people pushed RCI & exchanges & bonus weeks & all that.
Later in 2002, when we actually bought a (resale) timeshare week, we picked a timeshare resort we really like in a location we know we'll be going to again & again for family vacations. At the time we had no thought of doing timeshare exchanges, taking bonus weeks, or even joining RCI.
What got us into timeshare exchanges is TUG -- actually, that little bit of insider wisdom tucked away in an obscure corner of the TUG advice section somewhere about how low-cost timeshares in certain overseas locations can trade like a tiger. With so little money involved, we took a chance & bought 1. Included with the purchase was several years of paid-up RCI membership. The overseas timeshare we bought is so far away that it's highly unlikely we will ever vacation there ourselves. For us, it's exclusively for exchanging into nice USA timeshares. Without RCI we wouldn't get any use from it.
Ditto timeshare points. After absorbing more of the Wisdom Of TUG, we took the plunge into timeshare points in a small-time way last year. Points-based timeshare exchanging, the kind we're into anyway, only works through RCI. So without RCI, our use of our USA points-based timeshare would be highly restricted, in contrast to how it works now through RCI Points.
Thus, from my limited perspective -- depending as I do on RCI to get advantageous use of my overseas timeshare & of my points-based USA timeshare -- it's in my interest for RCI to make lots of money so that it will not only still be around but also will remain in a financially robust condition so that it can keep on providing the services I use it for (points exchanges & weeks exchanges).
Not only that, I like RCI Last Call reservations -- luxury timeshare accommodations for way less than the cost of Motel 6 & Super 8 -- that don't even involve exchanging my timeshares. However, I have to belong to RCI in order to take advantage of Last Call, & I have to own a timeshare that RCI knows about in order to remain a member of RCI.
So, sure, I guess I'll stick with RCI as long as I'm interested in getting more use out of my RCI timeshares.
What was the question again?
-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.