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Renting an internal RCI exchange?

booklvr

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I'm communicating with an owner about a rental I need and when I asked if it was an exchange he said it was an "internal RCI exchange/trade". What is that? I'm afraid I don't understand the difference between what he's describing and renting an exhange - which I thought wasn't allowed.

Also there is no rental contract provided. Advice?
 

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You cannot rent RCI exchanges. People do it, but if your owner gets caught, RCI may cancel the exchange, and then you won't have a rental. If he is advertising on the internet, he has a much greater chance of getting caught, because RCI may see his Ad, or someone may turn him in.

How to confirm that your rental is Legit: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109479
 

sue1947

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I'm communicating with an owner about a rental I need and when I asked if it was an exchange he said it was an "internal RCI exchange/trade". What is that? I'm afraid I don't understand the difference between what he's describing and renting an exhange - which I thought wasn't allowed.

Also there is no rental contract provided. Advice?

He's renting an exchange and trying to confuse you enough to not lose the sale. I'd move on to somebody honest.

Sue
 

TUGBrian

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yep, he definitely knows what he is doing is against the rules.
 

skimble

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I agree, the OP should move on without a contract.
But, as a Points owner in RCI, if I choose to use my home resort week, it still happens through RCI,and it shows up like an exchange. It is still the week that I own, a week that can be rented.
Could this be what the guy means by "internal exchange"?
 

theo

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I agree, the OP should move on without a contract.
But, as a Points owner in RCI, if I choose to use my home resort week, it still happens through RCI,and it shows up like an exchange. It is still the week that I own, a week that can be rented.
Could this be what the guy means by "internal exchange"?

Maybe, but the absence of any rental contract even being offered would seem (to me, anyhow) to make this rental a suspicious "non-starter" in any case.
 
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Egret1986

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Another ongoing thread about a "hard year for rentals" has addressed other scenarios

You cannot rent RCI exchanges. People do it, but if your owner gets caught, RCI may cancel the exchange, and then you won't have a rental. If he is advertising on the internet, he has a much greater chance of getting caught, because RCI may see his Ad, or someone may turn him in.

How to confirm that your rental is Legit: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109479


RCI Points Home Resort reservations require an RCI Guest Certificate. There are apparently "vacation consolidators" that have a hook with RCI that allows them to rent out RCI exchange inventory and an RCI Guest Certificate will be provided. As a renter, how do I determine what is within the Rules and what is not? As someone that rents my Home Resort weeks and provides an RCI Guest Certificate, the general mantra that a GC means I'm renting exchanges is not true.
 

Egret1986

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I think that this is a very real possibility.

I agree, the OP should move on without a contract.
But, as a Points owner in RCI, if I choose to use my home resort week, it still happens through RCI,and it shows up like an exchange. It is still the week that I own, a week that can be rented.

Could this be what the guy means by "internal exchange"?

I have several RCI Points Home Resort weeks that I have listed for rent. Will my listings be flagged because someone has determined that I am renting exchanges against RCI rules? I'm not. These are my Home Weeks and an RCI Guest Certificate will be provided.

No one seems to want to address these types of situations. The only thing that I ever hear on TUG is an RCI Guest Certificate = renting exchanges against the RCI rules. While I can rent my weeks with no repercussions from RCI, it stigmatizes me as someone who must be renting exchanges because I will be providing an RCI Guest Certificate. :(

One should not be making a blanket statement that because a GC is provided, it's an exchange and listings should be flagged and rentals avoided because of what will happen should the person get "caught."

I called someone out on TUG once that was listing large volumes of last minute rentals on the LMR Board and was providing RCI Guest Certificates. Not only was I admonished by another TUG member, but the Moderator indicated that the rentals were legitimate. Yet, no one ever talks about the other possibilities of being issued an RCI Guest Certificate.

Why is it pushed so strongly on TUG that an RCI Guest Certificate means that the person renting the week is doing something against the RCI rules? From personal experience, that's not necessarily true. :cool:
 

silentg

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You can rent your home resort weeks as long as you have not banked them with RCI. Once you do that you are giving up your rights to that week and plan to exchange thru RCI. Just don't bank the week then you can do what you want with it.
 
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tschwa2

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You can rent your hom resort weeks as long as you hav not banked them with RCI. Once you do that you are giving up your rights to that week and plan to exchange thru RCI. Just don't bank the week then you can do what you want with it.

Many resorts that offer RCI points (Summer Bay for one) have contracted with RCI to manage all points reservations including float home week reservations. Some resorts still manage their own points inventory and do not turn the week over to RCI until 12 months prior. But for the ones that use RCI, if you book during your home week period 12 months in advance, you still need to call RCI to book the float week. If you have a guest you still need rci to issue a guest cert. They do not charge for guest certs added to your home week reservations. They do charge for the Guest cert for all other reservations including home resort and home group priority that are booked less than 12 months but more than 10 months. Summer Bay weeks owners contact Summer Bay for float week home reservations. Summer Bay points owners contact RCI prior to 12 months for the the home reservations and if they do not reserve at 12 months they are auto issued points.


To throw another wrench into this discussion, having a confirmation from the resort does not guarantee it isn't an exchange. I own at one that has internal exchanges through RCI and I have been told not to bother to buy an RCI guest cert when sending a guest that they would happily issue one directly to save me the $59 fee. I wasn't even asking about this with the reservation department at my resort. The woman saw I had purchased a guest cert through RCI and told me it wasn't worth "throwing my money away" to do so in the future. Like Wyndham in days of old the sales people at this particular resort encourage owners to reserve through RCI and then rent it out to make back the money you put down to purchase through them.
 

booklvr

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The lack of a rental contract is a deal breaker for me. He may be trying to confuse me with terms regarding RCI exchange or banked points or whatever. I just won't rent without a contract.

This was a posting on tug. Should I be reporting it in some way?
 

Free2Roam

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I have several RCI Points Home Resort weeks that I have listed for rent. Will my listings be flagged because someone has determined that I am renting exchanges against RCI rules? I'm not. These are my Home Weeks and an RCI Guest Certificate will be provided.

No one seems to want to address these types of situations. The only thing that I ever hear on TUG is an RCI Guest Certificate = renting exchanges against the RCI rules. While I can rent my weeks with no repercussions from RCI, it stigmatizes me as someone who must be renting exchanges because I will be providing an RCI Guest Certificate. :(

One should not be making a blanket statement that because a GC is provided, it's an exchange and listings should be flagged and rentals avoided because of what will happen should the person get "caught."

I called someone out on TUG once that was listing large volumes of last minute rentals on the LMR Board and was providing RCI Guest Certificates. Not only was I admonished by another TUG member, but the Moderator indicated that the rentals were legitimate. Yet, no one ever talks about the other possibilities of being issued an RCI Guest Certificate.

Why is it pushed so strongly on TUG that an RCI Guest Certificate means that the person renting the week is doing something against the RCI rules? From personal experience, that's not necessarily true. :cool:

Agreed. I own a Panama City Beach summer week that's in RCI Points. I always reserve my home week and occasionally rent it out. I've never gotten an RCI Guest certificate... I contact the resort directly to add the guest's name.

I purchased it because it was already in RCI Points and gives me VRI priority.
 

theo

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The lack of a rental contract is a deal breaker for me. He may be trying to confuse me with terms regarding RCI exchange or banked points or whatever. I just won't rent without a contract.

This was a posting on tug. Should I be reporting it in some way?

Since there is at least a possibility that this is actually a legitimate rental (i.e., not the prohibited rental of a week acquired via exchange), I for one would not encourage any "reporting"; you really just don't have or know all of the pertinent facts.

That being said however, you've plainly made a wise (and now well publicized) decision and statement; no rental contract, no deal --- as it should be (IMnsHO).
 
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tschwa2

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I feel sort of devil advocate here, but not everyone who rents uses a contract. Ron P. who seems like one of the bigger TUG renters says he never uses a contract. He just outlines the terms, I would imagine by email.

I call what I use an agreement but I guess it is a contract. It is chock full of terms that protect me. Really not much for the one renting. The only provision I put in (and I know most here do not), is that if their is an act of god type situation and the resort won't re-accommodate in equivalent units, I will take the hit in terms of refunding rental fee for the days affected and I will fight it out with the resort. Other than that most of the agreement outlines what they can't do, damages they would be responsible for and when I need to have my money and how they can pay. Depending on the lead time, I either have us both sign or send the terms with both names on the agreement and simply state that payment of the deposit means the one renting accepts the terms I have sent.


I also think that it was wise to pass up the rental if you felt uncomfortable for any reason, be it the lack of written contract or the internal exchange reference. You need to do what is best for you and trust your gut. It's vacation. You don't want to have to worry about things.
 

theo

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Short Term Rental Agreements

I feel sort of devil advocate here, but not everyone who rents uses a contract. Ron P. who seems like one of the bigger TUG renters says he never uses a contract. He just outlines the terms, I would imagine by email.

I call what I use an agreement but I guess it is a contract. It is chock full of terms that protect me. Really not much for the one renting. The only provision I put in (and I know most here do not), is that if their is an act of god type situation and the resort won't re-accommodate in equivalent units, I will take the hit in terms of refunding rental fee for the days affected and I will fight it out with the resort. Other than that most of the agreement outlines what they can't do, damages they would be responsible for and when I need to have my money and how they can pay. Depending on the lead time, I either have us both sign or send the terms with both names on the agreement and simply state that payment of the deposit means the one renting accepts the terms I have sent.

Only on very rare occasions do we ever rent out any of our weeks, but always use a rental agreement when we do so. I will enumerate the benefits of a formal short term rental agreement below. From the resort standpoint, damage responsibility beyond occupant cc deposit amount always falls right back on the owner, regardless of any private contract content, essentially requiring the owner to "chase" any damaging renter themselves via the courts for any excess damage cost beyond cc authorization.

1. Check-in / check out dates and times (and even day of the week) being very clearly specified in writing and acknowledged under mutual signature completely avoids any potential "misunderstandings", whether truly innocent or deliberately contrived, very specifically defining the time frame of access and occupancy available to the renter.

2. Minimum age 25 specified (with advance written notification that resort will verify same upon check-in); avoids inadvertent rental to the "Spring Break" college crowd.
I could curl your hair with various horror stories observed first hand involving this bunch (although yes, I admit to having once been young, stupid and irresponsible too).

3. Cancellation, payment and refund policy being very specifically spelled out and agreed in advance under mutual signature obviously avoids any "misunderstandings" later, if issues arise. Renter cancellation consequences (and defined time frames for same) are particularly important to protect the owner, who still owes his / her maintenance fees for that week whether the place ultimately sits empty or not.

4. Ditto for specifying unit size identification. "I thought I was getting a 2BR unit, but now I find out that it's really only 1BR and I'm not happy" is not a conversation that I for one ever particularly need or want to have.

5. Ditto for specifying maximum occupancy, in writing and in advance. Renters showing up with a number of people exceeding resort (and / or local fire code) maximums is potentially a very big problem, but one easily avoided when occupancy limit is plainly specified in advance and in writing, agreed to under mutual signature.

6. I always specifically prohibit any "sublet". I don't need or want a late-cancelling renter contriving their own "I'm not just losing all my money" solution by finding someone on their own, whose identity is entirely unknown to me (the owner) or to the resort if / when an unknown name suddenly appears at the desk attempting to check in.

7. No Pets, in writing, under mutual signature. "No one ever told me that I couldn't bring little Fleabite Fluffy and Mitebitten Mr. Mittens" is yet another conversation that I personally don't ever need or want to have. Pets are almost always prohibited by the resort itself, but I still make it a matter of advance written record anyhow.

Last but not least, having a formal rental agreement, with clear identification of both Owner and Renter, is not something upon which people of dubious intent generally want to affix their signature. Any "landlord" who won't provide and sign a formal rental agreement is not someone with whom I would ever choose to do business.
Any smart and careful renter should insist on one too. A renter who won't execute one can just move on and rent from someone else --- perhaps from Ronnie.

YMMV. As always, to each his / her own.

P.S. From a legal standpoint, good luck with trying to ever actually enforce rental terms expressed and contained only within swapped email messages...
 
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booklvr

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Thanks for the input everyone. I certainly don't wish to offend anyone or falsely accuse. I asked about reporting the discrepancy because I didn't know if there was a process on tug.

I don't know if that owner is doing anything at all wrong. It could be completely fine and the way he does rentals all the time. It's just not for me. I haven't rented often enough to feel comfortable with it.

I'm glad we have this forum to ask questions and get input.
 

skimble

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I feel sort of devil advocate here, but not everyone who rents uses a contract. Ron P. who seems like one of the bigger TUG renters says he never uses a contract. He just outlines the terms, I would imagine by email.

I call what I use an agreement but I guess it is a contract. It is chock full of terms that protect me. Really not much for the one renting. The only provision I put in (and I know most here do not), is that if their is an act of god type situation and the resort won't re-accommodate in equivalent units, I will take the hit in terms of refunding rental fee for the days affected and I will fight it out with the resort. Other than that most of the agreement outlines what they can't do, damages they would be responsible for and when I need to have my money and how they can pay. Depending on the lead time, I either have us both sign or send the terms with both names on the agreement and simply state that payment of the deposit means the one renting accepts the terms I have sent.


I also think that it was wise to pass up the rental if you felt uncomfortable for any reason, be it the lack of written contract or the internal exchange reference. You need to do what is best for you and trust your gut. It's vacation. You don't want to have to worry about things.

I recently had a renter at one of my coastal CA resorts who emailed me about 10 times during the week to complain how she felt ripped off.
She was in one of the top ten CA coastal locations in a top-rated resort, and she called the area "dull". She said, she'd done with shopping, done with beaches, done with the lousy weather (June Gloom), done with the resort-- which she also referred to as "dull." She said she wouldn't have paid 1/3 of what she did for this unit if she had known she would hear traffic and have to deal with no view.
This lady was under the impression (at about $100/night) that she was going to be sipping Margaritas from a lounge chair on the white sand in front of her balcony. I spelled out every detail of the deal in a contract that was sent to her. I also had every detail in my ad.
I believe, without the rental agreement, I'd be in court with this lady.
 

tschwa2

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I agree and again I use an agreement and feel it is more to protect me than provide protection for the one renting from me. Beyond the contract and beyond the ad, in correspondence I have been known to try to what almost amounts to talking them out of renting from me. I am very specific about how small the units are. If someone really only wants two days and I am offering 3, I let them know the benefits of staying the extra day or still leaving on time but taking advantage of not worrying about checking out at 10 or 11 depending on the resort. If they still complain (trying to get the price down-when I know I am more than fairly priced), I encourage them to look elsewhere. I prefer to have my correspondence by email rather than phone because of the paper trail. I love to rent to current or past owners or those who have stayed their previously with me or through someone else. There is a lot to explain to someone who is unfamiliar with timeshares and are used to hotel type rental or even private condo rental which may be different.
 

DeniseM

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Many, many renters simply do not READ the info. that you provide to them. Then they are upset when their imaginary rental does not live up to reality.

Just this week I had a renter who emailed me and was very upset because they didn't get an ocean FRONT unit.

Even though my Ad, the invoice, the rental terms, our emails, and the confirmation ALL said that they were renting an ocean VIEW unit. :rolleyes:
 

jacknsara

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... Even though my Ad, the invoice, the rental terms, our emails, and the confirmation ALL said that they were renting an ocean VIEW unit. :rolleyes:

Denise, presumably you omitted a 'not" ??
 

tschwa2

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No the renter expected Ocean front even though it was advertised as ocean view. Ocean view can also range from a tiny snippet of view (especially on lower floors) to units near the corner that are practically ocean front. Unless you own at a fix unit and can describe the view perfectly, I always try to explain what the worst case scenario could look like. When you rent directly from the hotel and you pay for ocean view and you get a view that is technically ocean view but really no view, you might end up back in the lobby trying to more to something better, or at least to something that is less expensive since the ocean view that is given isn't any better than the pool view but cost quite a bit more per night. It doesn't work so well when renting from an owner at a timeshare. If the owner were there they might have more luck but being offsite you are kind of at the mercy of the resort.
 

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tschwa2 is correct: Ocean FRONT and Ocean VIEW are different, deeded view categories.
 
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