# Someone remind me: why is RCI evil?



## Beefnot (Aug 7, 2013)

Over the weekend, I just did my first ever RCI exchange, used TPU from a 1BR summer Branson deposit for a 2BR HGVC Las Vegas-Karen Ave in January (I am the king of doing offseason exchanges...we'll see how Vegas in January works out).  

I even have a enough TPU left over that, if I had the time, I could do a last minute jaunt somewhere.  I have a couple more deposits yet to make, and then I'll combine the TPU and torture myself by setting up an impossible ongoing search that I will hold out some silly hope on nonetheless.

This was a very painless process, found something and booked it, done.  Sure, the exchange fee is high but if I were to do this exchange with SFX, I would pay $189 for exchange fee plus a $99 upgrade fee to the 2BR.  Not much cheaper than RCI membership fee plus exchange fee, and with SFX there is no leftover TPU to use or combine, nor plenty of online inventory for instant booking.  

And to think, I had allowed myself to be hypnotized by Carolinian's relentlessly virulent diatribes against "the evil empire".  Can someone remind me again, why should I hate RCI?


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## massvacationer (Aug 7, 2013)

I think RCI weeks is great...BUT the exchange fees and  Combine Fees  are getting borderline too high. 

 If they go much higher, RCI will be less attractive.


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## tschwa2 (Aug 7, 2013)

HGVC's can be quite the bargain in RCI.  They do have that pesky 1 in 4 rule for each individual resort but most locations (Orlando, Vegas, and Hawaii) have multiple resorts in the same area.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 7, 2013)

If you get good TPU's for your dollar, of course RCI is the best thing since sliced bread.  Well, I am gluten-free, so I should think of another cliche.

I easily get four weeks of vacation for one lockoff deposited summer beach week.  

My Colorado summer weeks get a great exchange every year, even though I only get about 24 TPU's for them.  I usually get change back.  Add all of the change together for a combine fee, and I get several more weeks of vacation for that combine.  

I am getting nearly twice the weeks I got before, because my lockoff unit only got me two exchanges.  We own FOUR of those.


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## Luvstotravel (Aug 8, 2013)

I was reluctant to use RCI too, but have been pretty darn happy with them.  I have deposited our timeshare twice, and was able to squeeze out a total of six weeks from those 2 deposits.  

We're not going to exchange for the next few years, and will instead use it, but I may keep my RCI membership, for the last-minute deals.


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## mav (Aug 8, 2013)

I am actually doing great with all the exchange companies. Rci weeks, II, SFX, and DAE, esp. RCI and II. Trouble is a good portion of the places we want to be have no timeshares. SO half of the 8 months a year we are traveling  we are in hotels. My sister and other family members are  REALLY enjoying the exchanges we give them. They are all into top drawer resorts and free so whats not to like anyway? As for us, we are really hotel addicts anymore, believe it or not. I am at the point  I could live in some of the hotels I have been in and been sublimely happy.


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## beejaybeeohio (Aug 8, 2013)

*could be happier*

I've no complaints about being able to get trades into US resorts with abundant supply and having enough leftover tpu's for a 2nd trade; however, I will be happier when my high-demand Fitzpatrick Castle Ireland's tpu's snag a same-size, same-month resort in England with an ongoing that was started 2 years out.


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## bnoble (Aug 8, 2013)

> Can someone remind me again, why should I hate RCI?


Because they are evil.  Duh.

/sarcasm


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## DaveNV (Aug 8, 2013)

I'm not an RCI hater, but I'm increasingly less happy with their business practices.

If you're not especially choosy, there are many average exchange options available in RCI.  Last Minute exchanges and Getaway sales are very affordable, if you have freedom to travel on short notice.  But over time, as your timeshare selectiveness goes up, or if you are forced to plan far ahead to arrange a vacation, it becomes less and less likely you'll stumble into that perfect trade on RCI without having to make an Ongoing Search.  (And even then, there is no guarantee:  I just wasted thirteen months waiting for an Ongoing Search to come back that RCI repeatedly assured me I'd get, but that Tuggers explained I'd likely never receive, because what I was asking for truly IS "impossible."  Meanwhile, the usage timeframe for my combined deposit was clicking away every day.)

Factor in the RCI-only enforced 1 in 3, 4, or 5 rule, and you may not be able to go back to a place you enjoyed previously.  In some cases, you won't even be able to go to a resort NEAR one you'd been to before, if it's in the larger family of resorts subject to that "1-in-X" rule.

It's also been my experience that prime season exchanges into popular resorts rarely show up in the RCI online inventory of available exchanges, and the availablity is getting harder and harder to find.  RCI is pushing people toward Ongoing Searches, for which they usually charge.  So the cost of your vacation is not only the maintenance fees you paid on the week you deposited, it's also the cost of your RCI membership fee, the exchange fee, and (if applicable), the combined deposit fee and the Ongoing Search fee.  When you start adding up all those additional costs, it may end up being a nice vacation, but not the financial bargain it once was. Renting exactly what you want from an owner may be a better financial decision.

I'm happy you found an exchange now that you're looking forward to.  Just be aware that the convenience of making a perfect, easy exchange may diminish with time and exchange history.

I've been an RCI member since 2005, and at this time, I don't intend to renew my membership when it expires in a few years.  As they say, YMMV.  

Dave


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## tschwa2 (Aug 8, 2013)

The ongoing search fee is the exchange fee.  You just have to pay it at the start.  If nothing is matched it can be refunded.  

I agree I think RCI and all of the other exchange companies are too expensive to do a like for like trade.  With all the fees I am expecting an uptrade.  And as long as there are developer dumps (which RCI gets more of because they offer to enforce the 1 in x rule that the resort requests them to do) in places I want to travel than I will use them.  To me a like for like wouldn't involve paying an exchange company more than $50 to facilitate.  That is where the buy where you wouldn't mind staying comes in to play because if I wanted to stay at somewhere like where I owned, I might as well stay where I own.  The other way to do a like for like is to rent out what you own and then rent where you want to go.  If it is like for like it should be about the same cost.


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## chriskre (Aug 8, 2013)

Well obviously there are many of us here who don't buy into the Evil empire theory and quietly continue to vacation nicely thanks to RCI.  
Don't believe everything you read.


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## waffles77 (Aug 8, 2013)

RCI has definitely grown on me - especially since I understand how they work now. Its taken some learning curve time, but its easier now that I know.

I also like how the TPUs are out in the open now. In the past I was placing ongoing searches for places that I couldn't really get. Here I was banking on getting something that probably wasn't going to come through - and I didn't know it.

 I also own a couple of floating weeks and didn't realize that there was a different value for different times of the year. So the knowledge of what inventory I can 'afford' with the amount of TPUs makes exchanging a lot less stressful.

Its taken some time and experience, but its not so bad now.


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## timeos2 (Aug 8, 2013)

RCI does many things I think are wrong. They don't handle exchange properties as they should be handled (and as they once did). They have become far too costly and much too rental oriented. 

With that said they offer some outstanding rental deals (why not, they pay ZERO for the inventory) and still have the largest inventory for trade.  Because of that they have the best chance of actually getting you what you want but you have to hope they are willing to use it for trade rather than lining their pockets with unearned rental income.  

Mixed feelings and it could be much better but to write them off because you don't like the way they run things is hurting yourself.  If you really don't like it then don't use it. If enough people did that they would change the process or go out of business.  But apparently someone likes it as they seem to make more money every year and, incredibly, that is wha companies do. Make money.  You are free to go elsewhere with your money if you wish. No one forces you to use RCI or any other exchange group.


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## Jimster (Aug 8, 2013)

*rci*

I hesitate to answer this question because I know TUG has limited space on the server, but I will give you a little ammunition.  First, realize you buy a TS.  You Give that TS to RCI for free.  They turn around and rent that timeshare charging a ridiculous fee.  Earlier someone said they were happy because they averaged $88 per night in Hawai and while that is great, it should have been about $50 per night.  I also dont know if that included the yearly fee RCI charged.  I suspect it doesnt.  Why do we pay a fee to join when we pay to exchange.  DAE has no membership fee.  SFX has no membership fee.  

Of course you might not get your night in Hawaii because someone from a labor union or government agency may have taken your deposit even though they did not deposit a TS because they didnt own one.  These people get to use the system on a basis similar to a TS owner.  Maybe you didnt get your week in Hawaii because some how a deposit found its way on to the rental list and not the exchange list.  This allegation was the subject of a lawsuit.

Maybe you got a room and found out you had a use fee - even though you paid your membership fee, your exchange fee and your own maintenance fees.

Now there was a time you were on an equal footing with all other RCI members.  But for a fee, you can become a platimum member and you can make others second class citizens but you still only get to contend for the same rooms as before.  The only winner here is RCI and you are poorer.  Maybe RCI should not call them Platimum members and call them only members.  Then they could call the rest of the poor saps 'second class citizens'   Then maybe they would realize what happened to them.

Now maybe you got the room for a guest.  Even though you paid all the fees above and you own a TS you gave them for free, now you can pay more to let your friend use the room.

In one case that happened to me, RCI gave me a resort infested with bed bugs.  Fortunately, I read a review on Trip Advisor and they substituted a lesser resort at no additional cost.  This one could happen to any exchange company unless they are prudent and inspect their resorts.

RCI also has air, cruise and assorted other partners.  My experience with them is that while they provide more revenue to RCI they are far from a bargain.

One of my really big complaints is that they tried to enroll one of my resorts in points,  they advertised that you could do that.  Only to find out after talking to several executives at RCI, that it wasnt possible to do so.  So, why did they say i could and why did 3 of their employees try to do it.

The list of greed and money grabs by them is endless.  Yet the only reason they exist is because TS owners give them their deposits for free.  I love their sense of gratitude.  

This is by no means a complete list of reasons but as my research teacher used to say 'you never exhaust the subject--- just yourself.'


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## gnorth16 (Aug 8, 2013)

I had 9 TPU sitting there and booked a 1BR SDO next month.  Even small TPU's can get you something nice.

Manhattan Club studio - Aug 2013 - 44 TPU
SDO - Sept 2013 - 9 TPU
Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach 2BR Dec 2013 - 19 TPU
Grand Mayan Cabo 2BR Xmas week -2013 16 TPU
Grand Mayan Nuevo Vallerta 2BR - Feb 2014 16 TPU
Bay Club HGVC 2BR (2 units) April/May 2014 - 20 and 21 TPU
HGVC Kings land 2BR May 2014 - 20 TPU
Elkhorn Mb, 3BR (2 units) July 2015 - 24 and 26 TPU
HGVC Elara 2BR Oct 2014 - 27 TPU

HGVC Strip Sept 2012 2BR - 19 TPU
Disney Vero Beach May 2013 - 16 TPU


Man, I hate RCI!!!:hysterical:


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## Smokatoke (Aug 8, 2013)

Jimster said:


> I hesitate to answer this question because I know TUG has limited space on the server, but I will give you a little ammunition.  First, realize you buy a TS.  You Give that TS to RCI for free.  They turn around and rent that timeshare charging a ridiculous fee.  Earlier someone said they were happy because they averaged $88 per night in Hawai and while that is great, it should have been about $50 per night.  I also dont know if that included the yearly fee RCI charged.  I suspect it doesnt.  Why do we pay a fee to join when we pay to exchange.  DAE has no membership fee.  SFX has no membership fee.



It did include the RCI annual membership fee... But who says it "should have been $50 per night"? It costs what they charge me because they are the holder of the product. Just because other sites offer cheaper services doesnt mean they are a rip off. That would mean 99.9% of all business in the world are a rip off because there is always one business that will be slightly cheaper. 

While I agree membership fees to still pay an exchange fee and platinum service is greedy and ridiculous, the net result to us as owners is still a dramatic savings from what any other non-TS consumer would pay. They are providing you with a very good service when you think of how difficult and risky it would be to trade time with a stranger by word of mouth or even internet, especially globally. Timesharing isnt cheap and part of it is because of the fees from exchanging. If you didnt know that coming in about RCI and your ownership, then you should have done some more due diligence.


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## Beefnot (Aug 8, 2013)

Jimster said:


> You Give that TS to RCI for free. They turn around and rent that timeshare charging a ridiculous fee.


 
I hear you, brother. But I got the exchange I wanted, so I got no beef with them renting units until they are renting out the unit that I want on exchange.



Jimster said:


> Why do we pay a fee to join when we pay to exchange. DAE has no membership fee. SFX has no membership fee.


 
RCI does not have upgrade fees, which at least with SFX is basically a wash with RCI's membership fee if one is using a smaller unit to trade to a larger unit. SFX's exchange fee is only $10 cheaper than RCI's fee. I can combine my deposits to get more and better vacations. Sure it costs to combine, but it is an option not available with any other exchange company. The volume of available inventory on RCI probably dwarfs all the independents combined. I don't have to wait for a match to obtain something suitable if I don't want to. Tradeoffs.



Jimster said:


> Of course you might not get your night in Hawaii because someone from a labor union or government agency may have taken your deposit even though they did not deposit a TS because they didnt own one. These people get to use the system on a basis similar to a TS owner. Maybe you didnt get your week in Hawaii because some how a deposit found its way on to the rental list and not the exchange list. This allegation was the subject of a lawsuit.


 
Okay.



Jimster said:


> Maybe you got a room and found out you had a use fee - even though you paid your membership fee, your exchange fee and your own maintenance fees.


 
You mean like that $95 DVC fee and whatever Manahattan club charges for RCI exchanges? Meh. Good luck getting DVC from any other source other than by cash. Manhattan Club, I would use II or SFX. I could deal with it.



Jimster said:


> Now there was a time you were on an equal footing with all other RCI members. But for a fee, you can become a platimum member and you can make others second class citizens but you still only get to contend for the same rooms as before. The only winner here is RCI and you are poorer. Maybe RCI should not call them Platimum members and call them only members. Then they could call the rest of the poor saps 'second class citizens' Then maybe they would realize what happened to them.


 
Don't most exchange companies have tiered memberships? Not sure this gripe is RCI-specific.



Jimster said:


> Now maybe you got the room for a guest. Even though you paid all the fees above and you own a TS you gave them for free, now you can pay more to let your friend use the room.


 
You mean guest certificates? If so, not an RCI-specific gripe.



Jimster said:


> In one case that happened to me, RCI gave me a resort infested with bed bugs. Fortunately, I read a review on Trip Advisor and they substituted a lesser resort at no additional cost. *This one could happen to any exchange company *unless they are prudent and inspect their resorts.


 
Exactly.



Jimster said:


> RCI also has air, cruise and assorted other partners. My experience with them is that while they provide more revenue to RCI they are far from a bargain.


 
Not RCI-specific.



Jimster said:


> One of my really big complaints is that they tried to enroll one of my resorts in points, they advertised that you could do that. Only to find out after talking to several executives at RCI, that it wasnt possible to do so. So, why did they say i could and why did 3 of their employees try to do it.


 
I would not put this into the "this is why RCI is evil" column.



Jimster said:


> The list of greed and money grabs by them is endless.


 
Preach it. This is why [insert >90% of all publically traded companies here] is evil.


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## Jimster (Aug 8, 2013)

*my turn- again*

I could but I wont respond to each of the above statements and I think I could do so successfully BUT what I wanted to point out is that one item has yet to be addressed.  Why do labor unions, government agencies and frankly packages from coupon books get access to RCI inventory at the same or lower prices?  They dont even provide a deposit or own a TS.  Well, the answer is easy-RCI can make money on them.  When smokeatoke above says he is better off than a non timeshare owner, it is not true.  Non TS owners get the same benefits if they are in one of these organizations or if they have the right coupon book.

So when you go to calculate the cost of your exchange, dont forget to add the initial cost of your TS prorated over time when it was exchanged and your maintenance fees.  Now how cheap is it?

Before leaving, I should also mention that many of the responses only compare RCI to SFX- lets be fair- compare it to DAE too.  This will often leave you with nothing to argue.  I know, DAE is smaller but if you want to travel to Asia even this is not true.  Want to go to New Zealand, Australia or China?  DAE has substantially more listing there than RCI.


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## Beefnot (Aug 8, 2013)

Jimster said:


> Before leaving, I should also mention that many of the responses only compare RCI to SFX- lets be fair- compare it to DAE too. This will often leave you with nothing to argue. I know, DAE is smaller but if you want to travel to Asia even this is not true.


 
You're right, I have only used SFX for an exchange, and I liked it by the way.  You may be right on point about DAE, I dunno.  I am a member with DAE but since I have no near-term plans to travel to Asia or Europe, I have little interest in them for the time being.  Especially when I can easily get what I want thus far from II and now RCI.  



Jimster said:


> So when you go to calculate the cost of your exchange, dont forget to add the initial cost of your TS prorated over time when it was exchanged and your maintenance fees. Now how cheap is it?



Seeing as the timeshares I own were all less than, and in some cases substantially less than, free, and because I routinely uptrade from 1BR to 2BR units with total all in nightly cost of <$100 night (substantially lower if I layer in amortization for the subsidies I received for the timeshares), I would say I'm doing very well.  Let's not even include my TS rental income which takes that average nightly cost below $0.

I'm not suggesting I am doing a full switch to RCI, only that I now see the value in their product.  I'll be back for more.


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## Bourne (Aug 8, 2013)

I have timeshared for 14 yrs and been on TUG in some form or other(lurk) since 2001. Most of us who have been here for a long time would agree that the landscape constantly changed. 

Things are not the same as they were before. And people have gripes about that. I don't. As long as I can twist the system to my favor, I remain happy. 

Key is to churn through the timeshares and do not get attached to any. SA timeshares and Rayburn were gold a while back. Now you cannot even sell them. 

There are three golden rules on TUG that I do *not* believe in.


Buy what you would use and not for trade
Do not chase the tail of the tiger trader
Loose lips sink ships

IMHO, RCI has made all of the above redundant by creating an open system. And that is why I like it. 

Is it flawed? Yes. Do they rent a lot? Yes. Is it still the best exchange company for *my* personal Return On Investment? You bet. And that's all that matters


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## MuranoJo (Aug 8, 2013)

Jimster said:


> I could but I wont respond to each of the above statements and I think I could do so successfully BUT what I wanted to point out is that one item has yet to be addressed.  Why do labor unions, government agencies and frankly packages from coupon books get access to RCI inventory at the same or lower prices?  They dont even provide a deposit or own a TS.  Well, the answer is easy-RCI can make money on them.  When smokeatoke above says he is better off than a non timeshare owner, it is not true.  Non TS owners get the same benefits if they are in one of these organizations or if they have the right coupon book.



I was surprised to find that my megacorp employer (not labor union or government agency) offered access to RCI inventory as part of the employee benefits programs.

But I'm still happy with RCI.  I like the TPU process and the combine feature, and generally am happy with their online experience (though it's still too slow in bringing up results IMO).


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## vckempson (Aug 9, 2013)

Jimster said:


> I could but I wont respond to each of the above statements and I think I could do so successfully BUT what I wanted to point out is that one item has yet to be addressed.  Why do labor unions, government agencies and frankly packages from coupon books get access to RCI inventory at the same or lower prices?  They dont even provide a deposit or own a TS.  Well, the answer is easy-RCI can make money on them.  When smokeatoke above says he is better off than a non timeshare owner, it is not true.  Non TS owners get the same benefits if they are in one of these organizations or if they have the right coupon book.
> .



So let's get this right.  "I'm unhappy they charge so much"  and "It's unfair others get access without ownership".  That's it?  

What would you have them do with the massive unused inventory that goes to waste just sitting empty?  This was all addressed in a long ago lawsuit.  Was the outcome the best? No.  But most of us get great value on massive developer deposits that result in up-trades (low TPU cost for high end resorts) with some regularity. That's the flip side to their rental business.  They must replace the weeks they use for rental with other high end non-owner weeks.  While not a complete wash, it's fair enough.   

As for making money, they are a business.  They are supposed to maximize profits.  That's the capitalist way... duh!  Back to their rental business.  If I were them, I'd also figure out some way to make money off that excess inventory, just like they did.  

The vocal minority dislikes RCI and makes a big stink about every little thing.  Get over it.  They are a business that exists to make money and they find every little way possible to maximize it... just like every other business.  Go somewhere else if you don't like them and leave the successful enjoyment of interactions with them to the rest of us.

BTW, the outsiders don't get access to the same as us.  There's plenty of inventory available only for exchange, and not for rent.


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## vckempson (Aug 9, 2013)

Bourne said:


> There are three golden rules on TUG that I do *not* believe in.
> 
> 
> Buy what you would use and not for trade
> ...



I don't believe these are golden rules at all.  Many subscribe to these and many do not.  #3 might be an exception.  As for #2, it's not about a particular resort any more but a particular type of resort that's a tiger trader.  Buy a lockout at a high demand location during a high demand week.  Do that and you'll have your cost per TPU below $15... maybe even below $10 each.  It's just not rocket science anymore.  You might have some ups and downs with TPU valuation, but you will ALWAYS be ahead of the game.


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## Carolinian (Aug 9, 2013)

Refer back to the thread on the class action lawsuit and RCI rentals of exchange deposits, particularly prime weeks to the general public.

So you get an offseason rental at a place with a lot of inventory.  Let's see you get one that is extremely hard to get like London.  SFX has gotten me a 2BR there and even offered me a second 1BR.

It is not about hate and never has been.  If you own in overbuilt areas, as you do, and like to go to overbuilt areas, like you apparently do, RCI should be just dandy for you.  If, on the other hand you own in sold out resorts in hard to trade into resorts, or like to trade into such resorts, RCI has gone way downhill from what it used to be.  If you like cheap rentals, RCI can also be for you.  Heck, I am still running out the clock on one of those long cheap RCI SA memberships, and I use RCI for cheap rentals.  Why not?






Beefnot said:


> Over the weekend, I just did my first ever RCI exchange, used TPU from a 1BR summer Branson deposit for a 2BR HGVC Las Vegas-Karen Ave in January (I am the king of doing offseason exchanges...we'll see how Vegas in January works out).
> 
> I even have a enough TPU left over that, if I had the time, I could do a last minute jaunt somewhere.  I have a couple more deposits yet to make, and then I'll combine the TPU and torture myself by setting up an impossible ongoing search that I will hold out some silly hope on nonetheless.
> 
> ...


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## Jimster (Aug 9, 2013)

*profits*

"As for making money, they are a business. They are supposed to maximize profits. That's the capitalist way... duh! Back to their rental business. If I were them, I'd also figure out some way to make money off that excess inventory, just like they did. "

I think Allan Neville would not call maximizing profits the capitalist way, rather he would call it the Robber Barron way.  Without going into too much explanation, and Adam Smith aside, much of America (especially the Puritans) felt that maximizing profits also carried with it a social responsibilty. I believe most Americans also expect ethical behavior as well.  Whether this occurs depends on those running the businesses but people in general expect it. Capitalism has never been  make money at any cost even though some people justify their actions on that basis.   Perhaps an example will be illustrative. 

Lets say I am in the toxic waste disposal business.  I can maximize profits by dumping it on your front yard about midnight.  This maximizes profits, but it certainly shows no social concern for the rest of society and for you in particular.  If you dont like this i could dump carcinigins into the water supply unknown to almost everyone and avoid disposal costs at my business.  Whether this is legal doesnt enter in to this equation because there are countless ways to behave unethically but not illegally.   The illegality is the governments response and it is impossible to generate enough laws to eliminate every sharp practice.

Back to RCI.  What RCI does to maximize profits is legal but it is still a rip off.   Some of the Mexican TS are also maximizing profit.  The banks in the mortage collapse maximized profits.  Next time  you look at Adam Smiths invisibile hand be sure to look at the poverty of most of society that existed at the time.  There is a connection between the two.

For me, RCI is now a memory after 40 plus exchanges  because I am no longer a member.  I will still be using TS exchanges but paying less and getting more.


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## Egret1986 (Aug 10, 2013)

*Not a good analogy*



Jimster said:


> Lets say I am in the toxic waste disposal business.  I can maximize profits by dumping it on your front yard about midnight.  This maximizes profits, but it certainly shows no social concern for the rest of society and for you in particular.  If you dont like this i could dump carcinigins into the water supply unknown to almost everyone and avoid disposal costs at my business.  Whether this is legal doesnt enter in to this equation because there are countless ways to behave unethically but not illegally.   The illegality is the governments response and it is impossible to generate enough laws to eliminate every sharp practice.
> 
> For me, RCI is now a memory after 40 plus exchanges  because I am no longer a member.  I will still be using TS exchanges but paying less and getting more.



RCI can't do these horrible and evil things to anyone unless they allow it by remaining a member.  Free choice as opposed to toxic waste being dumped in my front yard.    You had the free choice to join, as well as make the choice to no longer be a member.

Social concern?   RCI?   I don't get that either.


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## LucyE (Aug 15, 2013)

Hello everyone!
I'm a newbie.  I was just at at a Wyndham's member update meeting and they said that besides buying Shell Vacations Club, they have also bought RCI.  Not sure what changes are going to be coming with this new deal.


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## johnf0614 (Aug 15, 2013)

LucyE said:


> Hello everyone!
> I'm a newbie.  I was just at at a Wyndham's member update meeting and they said that besides buying Shell Vacations Club, they have also bought RCI.  Not sure what changes are going to be coming with this new deal.



I believe that happened about 5 of 6 years ago where one of Wyndham's subsidiaries purchased RCI.


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## LucyE (Aug 15, 2013)

johnf0614 said:


> I believe that happened about 5 of 6 years ago where one of Wyndham's subsidiaries purchased RCI.



Oh, he made it seem like it was a recent acquisition.


Also... still trying to learn the lingo here.... what is TPU?


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## johnf0614 (Aug 15, 2013)

LucyE said:


> Oh, he made it seem like it was a recent acquisition.
> 
> 
> Also... still trying to learn the lingo here.... what is TPU?



Trading Power Unit.  It's essentially what your deposited resort would be worth when exchanging into another property via RCI.  The higher your TPU, the easier to exchange into a resort that is in higher demand.

Welcome to Tug.   Stick around, you'll learn a lot about timesharing!


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## learnalot (Aug 15, 2013)

LucyE said:


> Oh, he made it seem like it was a recent acquisition.
> 
> 
> Also... still trying to learn the lingo here.... what is TPU?



FYI, TPU is a non-issue through Wyndham.  TPUs are assigned when people deposit fixed weeks. With Wyndham and some other points based systems, the "cost" to book an exchange through RCI will be displayed in the needed number of Wyndham points.  In addition to the points, there is an exchange fee of $199.


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## LucyE (Aug 15, 2013)

johnf0614 said:


> Trading Power Unit.  It's essentially what your deposited resort would be worth when exchanging into another property via RCI.  The higher your TPU, the easier to exchange into a resort that is in higher demand.
> 
> Welcome to Tug.   Stick around, you'll learn a lot about timesharing!



Thanks for the info.  I should have know that!
I have a TS at Cabo Villas Beach Resort in Cabo, and I traded into RCI for something in Vegas.  I remember she said I had a trading power of either 15 or 20.  When she found the resort in Vegas, she said it was less trading power, so I had a trading power of 5 left over.   I only remembered this a few weeks ago because we received a phone call to remind us to deposit the 5 into RCI to extend it.  I had to pay $109 to do that.  5 doesn't seem like a lot though, so I am sure I will have to use my next year's week to get something along with the 5.

I can't wait to see how much I'm going to learn here!!


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## LannyPC (Aug 17, 2013)

Back to the original question "Someone remind me: why is RCI evil?", I think some people's issue might not be so much RCI as it is with the salesperson who sold them the TS.  I'm kind of in this boat.

At the presentation, the sales person as a selling point likely pulled out the huge RCI (or in some cases, II) catalogue showing all the fancy resorts affiliated with RCI and then either implied, or flat out said, that buying at said resort will allow you to exchange into any of these resorts.  They leave the impression of "Just say where and when you want to go and RCI can and will make it happen."

Then in following years when the owner cannot exchange his 1-BR Orlando Westgate autumn unit for a 3-BR penthouse in Maui during the Christmas holidays, he obviously gets frustrated.

So, in some cases, the frustration might be misdirected at RCI rather than at the salesperson for overselling the benefits of RCI membership.


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## momeason (Aug 17, 2013)

mav said:


> I am actually doing great with all the exchange companies. Rci weeks, II, SFX, and DAE, esp. RCI and II. Trouble is a good portion of the places we want to be have no timeshares. SO half of the 8 months a year we are traveling  we are in hotels. My sister and other family members are  REALLY enjoying the exchanges we give them. They are all into top drawer resorts and free so whats not to like anyway? As for us, we are really hotel addicts anymore, believe it or not. I am at the point  I could live in some of the hotels I have been in and been sublimely happy.



I also love timeshares, but do not like hotels. We joined Evergreen Club  Hospitality) to fill in. You must be over 50 and willing to host


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## MichaelColey (Aug 17, 2013)

Does RCI have the highest annual fees in the industry?  Yes.

Does RCI have the highest exchange fees in the industry?  Yes.

Does RCI charge to combine deposits if you want to trade up or utilize the "change'?  Yes.

Does RCI have some (many?) VGs that are incompetent?  Yes.

Does RCI have a buggy web site?  Yes.

Are there a lot of bad weeks and bad resorts in RCI?  Yes.

Does RCI rent some deposits?  Yes.

Does RCI "put their thumb on the scales" with some resorts/systems?  Yes.

Do I get incredible exchanges at unheard of prices by utilizing RCI extensively?  Absolutely.

That last point more than makes up for the first eight to me.  In the past four years, I've paid thousands and thousands of dollars to RCI and paid thousands and thousands in maintenance fees on scores of units that I've deposited into RCI.  But I've received exchanges that were worth MANY times more than my total expenses.

When I factor in all of my expenses (upfront costs, maintenance fees, annual fees, combine fees, exchange fees, etc.), here are some of the deals I've got:

Manhattan Club for under $1000 (owners pay MFs of $2000+)
Over a dozen DVC 2BR units for about $500 each (owners pay MFs of $1500+)
2BR Hawaii weeks for $300-500 (owners pay MFs of $1000 to $2000)
Many other weeks for $250 and up, where MFs were well more than double my costs.


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## timeos2 (Aug 17, 2013)

If you insist on letting facts sway you in what should apparently be an emotional argument for avoiding a company then you'll never understand! RCI dared to change and stop supplying free upgrades and for that they should never be forgiven (unless they magically return to the allegedly pure and preferred state of those who cannot accept a change).


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## stanleyu (Aug 18, 2013)

It's been 20 years since we purchased our first timeshare. I still have it. Never stayed there. It was associated with RCI and I have been making trades ever since. I honestly can't recall ever getting a "bad" trade. Some have been better than others. Some have been outstanding. I really like being able to trade into Disney World.

I've had some experience II and smaller trading companies (owning a different TS). I really liked what I could do trading within the last 60 days with II. The other companies were totally useless to me.

Life provides us with many choices. There is a reason why I've stayed with RCI all these years.


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## FlaKmunKy (Sep 10, 2013)

RCI is awesome.  The whole trading power system gives you change back on the value of your week that you didn't use.  Also, with the combine feature you can pretty much keep your deposits going forever if you don't get around to using them.  As long as you have 2 deposits to combine and do that every 2 years it pushes out the exp date 2 years from the month you combine so I think thats nifty.


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## Laurie (Sep 10, 2013)

Beefnot said:


> And to think, I had allowed myself to be hypnotized by Carolinian's relentlessly virulent diatribes against "the evil empire".  Can someone remind me again, why should I hate RCI?


That's how the technique of brainwashing works.   

There have been plenty of folks posting here who have always shared the positive experiences of trading thru RCI (among the negative, and yes there absolutely are some) but we don't keep repeating ourselves at every opportunity.  

Much better to arrive at your own conclusions and judgments through your own experience, as you have just done.


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