# Leaving RCI by leaps and bounds..Only one week left on deposit, then it's Bye Bye!



## rickandcindy23 (Nov 11, 2009)

As you all know, I have been horribly angry and disappointed that RCI downgraded our trading power on our summer weeks, all very prime summer. 

I had 6 Val Chatelle weeks on deposit.  I exchanged 3 of them (just got 3 Orlando weeks for January of 2010 and October of 2010), and then I put the other 3 in RCI for PFD, so I can get Shearwater and our Disneys.     

Got back our three Foxrun weeks 26, 27 and 28 by complaining to VRI Management, who in turned complained to the local RCI rep.   

I deposited some future Val Chatelle weeks with Trading Places Maui.   Will probably deposit two more with them.  

I am still trying to decide what to do about Foxrun.  II is offering bonus weeks for them, and when I called SFX to see if they are interested.  The answer was YES!  

I guess other exchange companies want my weeks and will give me great stuff for them, too.  RCI reduced our trading power so drastically, they will never get another week from me, except as PFD.  Too bad for them.  :rofl:


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## chriskre (Nov 11, 2009)

That's about what RCI is good for lately.  Just use them like they've used us and you'll feel alot better about your relationship with RCI.  I know I use the heck out of the last calls and 7500 pt exchanges.  I just don't give them my weeks anymore unless I can do a PFD either.


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## Carolinian (Nov 12, 2009)

Or you can play the rental game with them.  I have gotten some really good rentals for $200 - $300 on Extra Vacations.  Yeah, I know it is participating in a rip off of the system, but if we timesharers take them, at least it is better than them ending up in the hands of the general public.  Giving them weeks as a deposit is a real crap shoot.


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## Darlene (Nov 12, 2009)

I left RCI last June, but RCI will not leave me.  They keep sending me mail, and trying to renew my membership (with no discounts I might ad).  I haven't missed them, and have been happy with the exchanges I've gotten from II.  
Darlene


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## SherryS (Nov 12, 2009)

We have used our last RCI deposited week, and will be joining II.  This year we will be using our trades into Hawaii with Trading Places and Trading Places Maui.  Also, have one week on deposit with Trading Places.  

We've decided to use other companies for depositing our timeshare weeks, and will only use RCI for Extra Vacation rentals!  We leave with NO REGRETS after being members since 1985!


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## AwayWeGo (Nov 12, 2009)

*In Or Out Of RCI -- Or A Bit Of Both ?*




SherryS said:


> We've decided to use other companies for depositing our timeshare weeks, and will only use RCI for Extra Vacation rentals!


How do you get RCI _Extra Vacations_ without being a member of RCI ? 

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


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## ace2000 (Nov 12, 2009)

AwayWeGo said:


> How do you get RCI _Extra Vacations_ without being a member of RCI ?
> 
> 
> -- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


 
Probably through a Wyndham points account.  Where your RCI Weeks membership is *free* - LOL.


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## PClapham (Nov 12, 2009)

Also "free" with HGVC....
Anita


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## Carolinian (Nov 13, 2009)

Cindy, Where you can do the most good, far beyond your own personal switch, is to spread the word through the HOA's of your resorts about RCI's malpractices and about the alternatives timesharers have.  As an HOA board member, you are in a better position than most to do that.


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## SherryS (Nov 13, 2009)

AwayWeGo said:


> How do you get RCI _Extra Vacations_ without being a member of RCI ?
> 
> -- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​



OOPS!  Meant Endless Vacations and Government Employee Vacations.....


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## rickandcindy23 (Nov 13, 2009)

Carolinian said:


> Cindy, Where you can do the most good, far beyond your own personal switch, is to spread the word through the HOA's of your resorts about RCI's malpractices and about the alternatives timesharers have.  As an HOA board member, you are in a better position than most to do that.



Very true, and I am now on two HOA boards.   

I have been doing just that, but do you know that RCI has rules against saying anything negative about them to owners?  (So does II.)  We could get into trouble.   And the board at Val Chatelle is very concerned about it, too.

We are sending the alternative exchange companies' document that I created to all owners at both Val Chatelle and Twin Rivers.  I have a friend (TUG member friend) who is on the board at Foxrun, too, and I think she should also insist that owners are informed of alternates.  Of course, Foxrun just sent out their only newsletter a few weeks ago, so could be another year before that info gets out, anyway.


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## regatta333 (Nov 13, 2009)

SherryS said:


> We have used our last RCI deposited week, and will be joining II.  This year we will be using our trades into Hawaii with Trading Places and Trading Places Maui.  Also, have one week on deposit with Trading Places.
> 
> We've decided to use other companies for depositing our timeshare weeks, and will only use RCI for Extra Vacation rentals!  We leave with NO REGRETS after being members since 1985!



I have two weeks left on deposit and then I am done, unless I can get something through a search first, where I have the ability to pull the deposit back.  

I have tried depositing with DAE and SFX with very limited success.  I recently deposited a week with PI and will see how that goes.  I wish Wyndham points members had the ability to choose their exchange company affiliation, but I tried unsuccessfully to get my affiliation switched to II a few years ago.  It's still unclear to my how Wyndham can get away with not allowing you a choice on this.


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## Carolinian (Nov 13, 2009)

Cindy - The solution is simple.  Don't be negative.  Just give them the facts.  Leave the value judgments to the readers.  The RCI class action is a news item, not something negative.  Its a fact and it is what it is.





rickandcindy23 said:


> Very true, and I am now on two HOA boards.
> 
> I have been doing just that, but do you know that RCI has rules against saying anything negative about them to owners?  (So does II.)  We could get into trouble.   And the board at Val Chatelle is very concerned about it, too.
> 
> We are sending the alternative exchange companies' document that I created to all owners at both Val Chatelle and Twin Rivers.  I have a friend (TUG member friend) who is on the board at Foxrun, too, and I think she should also insist that owners are informed of alternates.  Of course, Foxrun just sent out their only newsletter a few weeks ago, so could be another year before that info gets out, anyway.


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## SherryS (Nov 13, 2009)

regatta333 said:


> I have two weeks left on deposit and then I am done, unless I can get something through a search first, where I have the ability to pull the deposit back.
> 
> I have tried depositing with DAE and SFX with very limited success.  I recently deposited a week with PI and will see how that goes.  I wish Wyndham points members had the ability to choose their exchange company affiliation, but I tried unsuccessfully to get my affiliation switched to II a few years ago.  It's still unclear to my how Wyndham can get away with not allowing you a choice on this.



Luckily, the resort where we own 3 weeks (Calini Beach Club) is dually affiliated with both RCI and II, and allows deposits into companies like Trading Places Maui and Platinum that have the search first option.


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## rickandcindy23 (Nov 13, 2009)

I would love to just grab something with my last week, but I cannot because of the 1-in-4 rules.  I see many nice resorts for early 2011, but we have used them already.  

This is one of the many frustrations we have with RCI.


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## shame711 (Nov 17, 2009)

My 10 year membership with RCI ends Dec-2011, the same time as my last deposit expires with them.  Just got a mailing from II where they will give me two years for the price of one.  So bye bye RCI and lets see what II can do.  Can't be any worse.


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## rickandcindy23 (Nov 17, 2009)

shame711 said:


> My 10 year membership with RCI ends Dec-2011, the same time as my last deposit expires with them.  Just got a mailing from II where they will give me two years for the price of one.  So bye bye RCI and lets see what II can do.  Can't be any worse.



II will be much better, guaranteed.


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## bnoble (Nov 18, 2009)

My experience with II vs. RCI is that, overall, RCI has a wider variety of destinations---both in absolute terms, and in destinations with available inventory.  II has more "name brand" resorts, though they are often not available during prime time unless the area is well-supplied in general, or you have internal trade preference by virtue of owning within the brand.  II seems to be a bit more liberal about trading up, though there are some hard limits that you can sometimes run into.  II places relatively more weight on unit quality and unit size vs. RCI, and relatively less weight on area/resort supply/demand.

Truth be told, if I could only use one, I would use RCI just by virtue of the larger total pool of inventory for my particular circumstances.  Indeed, I dropped II when DVC switched, because my RCI account is "free" and I don't do enough exchanges in a given year to recoup the II membership costs even with the lower exchange fees.  But, if my dual-enrolled resorts dropped their RCI affiliation, I could live with II and be happy.


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## rickandcindy23 (Nov 18, 2009)

I think RCI has changed everything very recently, and I believe that resort quality does matter more than it did before 5/30. 

And I keep forgetting to mention that the alternate exchange companies offer great value and options for those who are disappointed in the big companies.  Many of the alternates specialize in certain areas or certain resorts, but if you know that, and go in with your eyes open (not expecting a prime ski season at one particular resort, or something equally difficult), you will be very happy.


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## timeos2 (Nov 18, 2009)

*Its a miracle when II has anything and getting to it is a royal pain*



shame711 said:


> My 10 year membership with RCI ends Dec-2011, the same time as my last deposit expires with them.  Just got a mailing from II where they will give me two years for the price of one.  So bye bye RCI and lets see what II can do.  Can't be any worse.



Obviously you've never dealt with II if you say that!  If your week(s) are good enough I'd strongly recommend SFX rather than II as otherwise you'll be bombarded with smaller, off season, un-ranked resorts, often in areas you don't even ask for, as II tries desperately to pawn off any amount of the junk they are buried in with frequent, annoying phone calls or "matches" that aren't. Remember the "quality" part of the II slogan is just that - a nice slogan that means almost nothing for the vast majority of their deposits. The memeber ship "savings" means nothing when the inventory offered is mostly unsuitable. Tread vry carefully with II.


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## timeos2 (Nov 18, 2009)

*Why pay when free is much better!*



rickandcindy23 said:


> II will be much better, guaranteed.



This is one of the very few things that Cindy an I are on opposite sides of the fence. I suffered with II for over a decade before asking the obvious question "Why?" I dropped them as a paying member in 2003 (or 2004 - can't remember exactly) and have NEVER missed them one bit. I did around the same time pick up an (unwanted) Corporate II membership  through DRI and discovered that IF you are in one of those "preferred" groups (in other words one of II's favored Developer groups) things are better but still not very good. It's free, it gets priority and it clearly shows that a mere paying owner/member of II gets the last shot at whatever limited inventory they may actually have. All of the favored developer/corporate accounts - even what should be the mostly non-ranked Wastgate resorts, but of course they get top ranking - come first over II's lowly and third class paying members. As long as you realize you are at the bottom of the pile and are willing to put up with that I guess II will work for you. I found it extremely frustrating and, until I got the corporate membership with its ability to use points thus increasing the access to the resorts AND cutting the trade "cost" in half (I can get two or more resorts for one deposit using points vs the one week for one week, usually for far less than I deposited as a mere paying member of II) totally unacceptable trades offered.  In over a decade I cannot recall one trade that I felt was completely adequate or easy to make. That is not a system I care to pay to be in.


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## sandkastle4966 (Nov 18, 2009)

While I am unhappy with the overall rental policies of RCI,  I am quite content with the trades I have been getting.  I traded a So Cal summer beach for a winter ski weel at Val Chatelle (I keep seeing references to "3 bedroom at Val Chatelle" - I believe they are 2 bedrooms with loft).  I traded another for a DVC, as well as others for primo ski for 2010.  

I saw no trade power issues in the 5/30 change - but I am dealing with So Cal beach summer.....

I will be staying with RCI......


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## ace2000 (Nov 18, 2009)

I enjoy my RCI membership very much!  I've been able to trade 'up' with my deposits just about every time for the weeks I couldn't use.  

I can't complain at all...


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## rickandcindy23 (Nov 18, 2009)

sandkastle4966 said:


> While I am unhappy with the overall rental policies of RCI,  I am quite content with the trades I have been getting.  I traded a So Cal summer beach for a winter ski weel at Val Chatelle *(I keep seeing references to "3 bedroom at Val Chatelle" - I believe they are 2 bedrooms with loft)*.  I traded another for a DVC, as well as others for primo ski for 2010.
> 
> I saw no trade power issues in the 5/30 change - but I am dealing with So Cal beach summer.....
> 
> I will be staying with RCI......



They are two bedroom with a loft that has an additional pair of twin beds, so they sleep 8 privately.  The loft area is very private and is accessible only by a circular wrought-iron staircase.  You cannot see up there at all.  So it is very private.  I understand why RCI considers it a loft, because there is no door.  But if you have a lot of people, you will be pleased with the extra sleeping area.


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## timbuktu (Nov 18, 2009)

*What is PFD ??*

Cindy,   

You mentioned you would only exchange with RCI if it was PFD.
Please explain.
Thanks.


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## rickandcindy23 (Nov 18, 2009)

timbuktu said:


> Cindy,
> 
> You mentioned you would only exchange with RCI if it was PFD.
> Please explain.
> Thanks.



I get RCI Points for our Val Chatelle weeks.  Foxrun doesn't qualify for PFD because it is already an RCI Points resort.


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## bellesgirl (Nov 18, 2009)

ace2000 said:


> I enjoy my RCI membership very much!  I've been able to trade 'up' with my deposits just about every time for the weeks I couldn't use.
> 
> I can't complain at all...



I agree.  I have been very happy with RCI and cntinue to be pleased.  I tried SFX for a while and I find RCI easier to use.  But those who are not happy should leave.


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## JoyceFNP (Nov 18, 2009)

*what to do?*



bellesgirl said:


> I agree.  I have been very happy with RCI and cntinue to be pleased.  I tried SFX for a while and I find RCI easier to use.  But those who are not happy should leave.



I really don't know what to do with my timeshare. I haven't been thrilled with RCI, and of course now I know why!  I own a yellow week at the Plantation resort, and have to make up my mind soon. I would sell it if I thought anyone would buy it. I welcome suggestions or information about other banking/exchange options.


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## tombo (Nov 18, 2009)

bellesgirl said:


> I agree.  I have been very happy with RCI and cntinue to be pleased.  I tried SFX for a while and I find RCI easier to use.  But those who are not happy should leave.



There are a lot more of us here on TUG who are happy with RCI than who want to quit from the number of recent positive responses that have been posted. I am very happy with RCI overall too. I do wish that the law suit would stop RCI from renting weeks deposited by RCI members, but even if they continue to rent weeks they shouldn't I will remain an RCI member because I feel that I get good exchanges for decent prices.


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## rickandcindy23 (Nov 18, 2009)

bellesgirl said:


> I agree.  I have been very happy with RCI and cntinue to be pleased.  I tried SFX for a while and I find RCI easier to use.  *But those who are not happy should leave*.



Yes, there are choices out there.  I am thrilled to get my Foxrun weeks back, and II wants them, too.  I am quite offended by the way you put it, though.


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## bnoble (Nov 19, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> I am quite offended by the way you put it, though.



I think you are mis-interpreting.  It's precisely the same advice I've been giving all along.  The *only* way RCI can be convinced to go back towards a more liberal exchange policy is to have people stop using the system if they are not happy with their revaluations.  Even so, if those people are outnumbered by an increase in exchange activity from folks with more in-demand deposits who now see more availability in other in-demand locations, then RCI will conclude that their new exchange policy was the correct one.


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