# How does RCI work, now that it's very different from TUG's explanation?



## theduffster (Jun 8, 2011)

Here's how I feel scammed by TUG, to the amount of $15:

I got interested in timesharing in the summer of 2008.  Stumbled across TUG, read a lot of the "free advice articles", mostly the ones on purchasing.  I paid $15, and read a ton of reviews.  We bought our first one in August of 2009, from Ebay, for $1.  Bought the second shortly after, also $1 from Ebay.  I was very proud of how we did.

The first one is a float week, even years only, and we couldn't use it until 2010.  We booked week 51 for it.  

The second is for week 51, fixed, every year.  Because we were going to be at our other timeshare that week, we deposited it with VRI, as it is a VRI-affiliated resort.  We exchanged it for a week in Idaho, at a VRI resort, and just came back from that trip.  We used VRI's "hot deals" feature to stay for a week in Cape Cod last summer at a great price.

I wrote detailed reviews about our week 51 in 2010 at the Crafts Inn, our week at Sea Mist in Cape Cod, and just recently about Island Park in Idaho.  I figured, I've gotten so much help from TUG, it's time to help others, right?  My review of Island Park isn't showing up yet, but I only submitted it on Sunday, I think, or maybe Monday, so I figure it's just not been put up yet.

Now, we're thinking way down the road, to 2013 and beyond.  I figured it's time to now become more familiar with exchanging, and RCI in particular.  It seems to have a lot more resorts than VRI.  We just got back from our VRI exchange last weekend, and now I'm thinking ahead.

So, back to the "free advice articles" I go!  I spent a lot of time on Monday, June 6th, reading how to use RCI.  And then I find out on the Exchange forum, to my dismay, that the way I thought RCI works is all wrong now.

What does it take to have the article changed?  What other articles are outdated?  What other articles have I read that are totally wrong now?  Is the "Ask II" article also all wrong?  Is the Google map of all the timeshares outdated too?  I relied on it heavily, now I question if it too, is outdated.

How long has it been since  RCI changed their system?  Why wasn't this detailed on the "free advice articles" page immediately?

I would like my $15 back, or to have the "free advice articles" page overhauled, with all the dead stuff deleted.


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## theduffster (Jun 8, 2011)

I just discovered that everything I thought I knew about RCI is wrong. 

How did I learn how RCI works?  I read TUG's article Ask RCI.  

And then I found out it is totally outdated, and RCI works NOTHING like that now.

Can we get a FAQ thread going about RCI's new system?  I can't take down the misleading article, but hopefully other newbies like me won't waste time on it, and will instead learn how it now works.


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## DavidnJudy (Jun 8, 2011)

*Get on-line and play*

The best way to see how it works is to get on-line and play with the system.  Get a unit deposited helps too - I would look at the calculator first before I deposit.

A couple of hints:

1) Use the Deposit Calculator - it is under "Manage Your Deposits". It will give you a great idea of what TPUs you will get for your particular units OR anyone else's units (if you are looking to buy a Timeshare).

2) Under Search for a vacation - Click on the dark blue box that says "You are currently searching...", then change the "Select Your Inventory" to "Show all available RCI vacations".  This will show you ALL units in current inventory even ones higher than the TPU you currently have.

3) Combine feature - You can combine for 99 dollars if you need to, but time it right because it extends the time you can use those TPUs, so the later you can combine and the more pieces you can combine, the more beneficial the combine will be.

There are probably other helpful hints - and I would like to learn them too.

Good luck!


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## rickandcindy23 (Jun 8, 2011)

The changes to RCI happened in November, so it's been constant conversation since.  Where have you been? There are lots of threads about it.


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## theduffster (Jun 8, 2011)

rickandcindy23 said:


> The changes to RCI happened in November, so it's been constant conversation since.  Where have you been? There are lots of threads about it.



Where do I get an explanation?  Aren't the articles the source of information?  Do I have to go back and read threads from November?  I guess I do, huh?

I'm not a frequent poster, as you can see from my low post count.  I read the articles more than the forum, and only this week found out how I've wasted _so...many...hou_rs!! doing that.

I read mostly the Newbies forum, or the regional ones.  Just started reading the exchanging one_ this week_, because, well, we just started thinking about exchanging!!  

Can you put yourself in my shoes:  rather new to timesharing.  We paid for a "hot deal" with VRI in Cape Cod in June, stayed for the first time at our first purchase in December, and exchanged within the VRI system, and used our trade just last week for our other timeshare.  Now we're thinking of using RCI instead.  As every oldbie recommends, we "did our homework", and read, read, read, especially the "helpful" articles here on TUG. 

Wasted our time reading them.


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## Ridewithme38 (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> Where do I get an explanation?  Aren't the articles the source of information?  Do I have to go back and read threads from November?  I guess I do, huh?
> 
> I'm not a frequent poster, as you can see from my low post count.  I read the articles more than the forum, and only this week found out how I've wasted _so...many...hou_rs!! doing that.
> 
> ...



Best way to Read Tug...Click 'New Posts' in the top bar...and read every post that comes up, in ANY section


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## theduffster (Jun 8, 2011)

Ridewithme38 said:


> Best way to Read Tug...Click 'New Posts' in the top bar...and read every post that comes up, in ANY section



LOL!  Even if I have absolutely no interest in the subject??  I'm not going to Hawaii in the foreseeable future, I should read every post in that section??  The Europe forum?  The DVC posts--every post??!?!   I don't care about DVC!!  

I just want to know how RCI works.  Reading the article was a waste of time, don't you get it??

You guys may have the time to read every post in ANY section, all day long, I only read threads that are relevant to my needs.  

Where is the post detailing how RCI works?  Back in the November posts?  

If I want to know how II works, should I even bother reading the "Ask II" article?  

If I'm thinking of selling, would reading the selling articles also be a waste of time?


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## BevL (Jun 8, 2011)

I took a very quick look at the articles at the link you posted.  I can't really see anything that doesn't still apply, actually.  The same basic principles re trade power apply - think desireable area, desireable timeframe.

The difference is that instead of blindly hoping your week has enough trade power to exchange for what you want, you can get a number of trading units (TPU).  You can find out in advance how many TPUs your unit is worth and if you look around in RCI, get an exact or close idea how many TPUs the unit you want to exchange for is worth.  As well, you can now combine a number of weeks that you have deposited to "add up" to enough TPUs to get a desired exchange.  And if your week has more TPUs than is required for the week you're exchanging for, you'll get "change" that you can use for a future exchange.

Did you have specific questions that you want answered?  I think most people here will give you the best answers they can.  We tend to be a helpful and polite bunch here.


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## bdmauk (Jun 8, 2011)

I feel your pain.  I was very frustrated too when I rediscovered the TUG board last month.  I had an RCI weeks timeshare about 10-12 years ago and knew all about exchanging "weeks". I also knew that RCI had since started the points program but had no idea about the new TPU stuff.  I still can't believe there isn't a stickied article explaining the changes.  (kind of like that other forum that says read the "primer" first, even though it is 3 years old and outdated; at least the TUG forum isn't alone in that regard).

Anyway, I could only find piecemeal information on here , so I went straight to RCI's website.  They actually have some good tutorials/articles about both the new TPU sytem and the Points programs.

Ride, you're right. I just go to today's posts to find the latest information.  Granted, if you're new, this really only works after you've scoured thread after thread for hours (which I did).


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## Passepartout (Jun 8, 2011)

I may be off base here, but it appears from reading several of the OP's posts from the last few days, that he's most upset by the fact that the 'Ask RCI' forum is still up. Even though the last entry was back in 2007, was from TUG Brian, and does state that it's just for reference- and that the advice therein has all changed.

Actually, the OP has a good point. There comes a time when irrelevant and outdated information has less value than no information at all.

IMO, the 'Ask RCI' forum should be taken down. It would be most helpful if there were an RCI tutorial for newbies- and frankly for the rest of us when their system changes. However if RCI chooses not to author a tutorial, users are left to their own devices to parse out the best use of any new program.

Thanks,  Duffster, for bringing this up.

Jim Ricks


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## Mel (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> I just want to know how RCI works.  Reading the article was a waste of time, don't you get it??
> 
> Where is the post detailing how RCI works?  Back in the November posts?


Obviously you've read enough in the forums to realize there have been some changes since November.  However, you haven't read enough of them to realize what those changes mean.  Like Bev I went back and read those articles, and I disagree that reading them would be a waste of time.  

RCI still works pretty much the same way.  The only difference is that they quantify your trade power, so you have a more realistic idea of what is possible with the week you are depositing.

The major differences not covered in those articles are enhancements RCI added to the program (some will argue these are not enhancements, but for your purposes they are):

1) When you exchange your week, you use credits based on the cost of the week you want, and may have credits leftover.  You can use those leftovers for another exchange.

2) You can combine the points of more than one week (or leftovers) to create a single deposit worth enough to exchange for something that costs more than any of your single deposits (use 2 of your weeks to get one week in an extremely popular destination/timeframe).

Because this system is so new (6 months vs. the 20 years that many of us have owned), nobody here has a full grasp of how everything works, but the basics covered in the TUG articles are the same.  All the factors that contributed to trade power still do, the processes for ongoing searches still work the same, the one-in-four rules still apply.

You're on the right track.  You are interested in exchanging, so you are visiting the exchange forum, and you should visit the forum for the area where you would like to exchange.  If you don't see a topic to cover your specific questions, post a new question.

If the FAQ page was that much out of date, it would have been pulled down.  Rest assured, you did not in fact waste your time reading it, you just need to spend some more time learning about the recent changes.  Over the course of the first year everyone will share what they learn about the new system, and at some point the FAQ will be updated to reflect what we have learned.  But also consider that most of the information in the FAQ was taken from responses from an RCI representative who used to post here as a courtesy.  She no longer represents RCI on our forum, so anything that is posted now will not be direct information from RCI, and thus will be less reliable.


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## BevL (Jun 8, 2011)

Passepartout said:


> I may be off base here, but it appears from reading several of the OP's posts from the last few days, that he's most upset by the fact that the 'Ask RCI' forum is still up. Even though the last entry was back in 2007, was from TUG Brian, and does state that it's just for reference- and that the advice therein has all changed.
> 
> Actually, the OP has a good point. There comes a time when irrelevant and outdated information has less value than no information at all.
> 
> ...



Actually, the link that duffster has provided in his original post is to the Ask RCI general questions articles in the advice section, not the archived Ask RCI forum.

It's extremely generic information there, and pretty much all of it is still in effect.  

Again, hopefully if he has specific questions, we can help.


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## rickandcindy23 (Jun 8, 2011)

RCI has a great tutorial with the RCI Guy on the website.  

I basically delved into the new system, the day it was introduced, and I loved it from day one.  I think RCI's new Points Lite is the best timeshare system ever.  I get double the exchanges with my weeks.  

If my summer week gets 25 Points Lite, I can get two-three exchanges, where I could only get one before.  That's because my exchanges are in off-season Orlando, mostly.  So I just got two weeks at the Hiltons for 24 Points and two $179 fees.  I expect the exchange fee to rise, or maybe the TPU's to rise, but so far, I am "golden," according to a TUG member who works with RCI. 

I am pleased as can be.  Just always have to wait for the next "update" and see if I feel the same way.  

There is a trading power calculator on RCI.com under Manage Your Deposits.  If you check your weeks against that calculator, you will see what your week is worth.  If you have a float week in prime season, or about any lockoff that you can split into deposits, lucky you, because you will get some great exchanges.


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## ampaholic (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> Here's how I feel scammed by TUG, to the amount of $15:
> 
> I got interested in timesharing in the summer of 2008.  Stumbled across TUG, read a lot of the "free advice articles", mostly the ones on purchasing.  I paid $15, and read a ton of reviews.  We bought our first one in August of 2009, from Ebay, for $1.  Bought the second shortly after, also $1 from Ebay.  I was very proud of how we did.
> 
> ...



You must think the internet has a highly paid cleaning squad that comes out every night and polices up all the off topic, stupid and just plain wrong posts.

Sorry to disappoint you - but the internet is as close as you get to a permanent record - nothing ever gets completely removed. If you say something stupid or wrong it will fall by the wayside eventually - but it takes a couple of years and it is _*NEVER*_ completely gone.

If you are so demanding that the area to be "cleaned up" - where's your broom?


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## ampaholic (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> I just discovered that everything I thought I knew about RCI is wrong.
> 
> How did I learn how RCI works?  I read TUG's article Ask RCI.
> 
> ...



You must think the internet has a highly paid cleaning squad that comes out every night and polices up all the off topic, stupid and just plain wrong posts.

Sorry to disappoint you - but the internet is as close as you get to a permanent record - nothing ever gets completely removed. If you say something stupid or wrong it will fall by the wayside eventually - but it takes a couple of years and it is _*NEVER*_ completely gone.

It is always up to the reader to determine the relevance of any article anywhere on the internet (just as elsewhere in life).

The article is not misleading it is just an_* archive*_ - sort of like the Dead Sea Scrolls.


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## DavidnJudy (Jun 8, 2011)

I have to agree with duffster - it's been since November. Put something out there. Update what you have. I read it the other day and was like this is useless.

Where is the 15 dollars going anyway?


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## DeniseM (Jun 8, 2011)

> I have to agree with duffster - it's been since November. Put something out there. Update what you have. I read it the other day and was like this is useless.



Who are you addressing?

If anyone would like to write an FAQ about RCI, (and feels qualified) please volunteer!  TUG has no paid staff, so all the articles you see on TUG were written by TUG members and volunteer staff.

As far as other stickies being 3 years old and out of date, the original material may be 3 years old. but stickies are updated as new info. comes along.  That doesn't change the original date of the sticky, so it wouldn't be readily apparent to the casual reader.

*I have never had an RCI Acct., so I'm NOT qualified to write an RCI FAQ.


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## Makai Guy (Jun 8, 2011)

Let me get this straight.  You are complaining that the information you obtained from the free-access Advice section is not all up-to-date?  I sincerely hope your tongue was firmly placed in your cheek as you typed that.

TUG is not a "They".  TUG is a "We".   The content in the Advice articles was contributed by users, just like you and I, who took of their time to put forth the effort to share their knowledge with others.  

Most, if not all, articles have contact information you can use to communicate back to the author.  If you find something that is out of date, use it to let the author know.  Better yet, communicate the required revision information.

If there is no contact information given, or if it too is out of date and no longer works, all you would need to do is post here in the "About the Rest of TUG" forum to let people know so that some helpful person can take it on themselves to submit an update.


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## BocaBum99 (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> Here's how I feel scammed by TUG, to the amount of $15:
> 
> I got interested in timesharing in the summer of 2008.  Stumbled across TUG, read a lot of the "free advice articles", mostly the ones on purchasing.  I paid $15, and read a ton of reviews.  We bought our first one in August of 2009, from Ebay, for $1.  Bought the second shortly after, also $1 from Ebay.  I was very proud of how we did.
> 
> ...



You owe me $30.  That's how much my time is worth for the time I wasted reading your post.


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## aliikai2 (Jun 8, 2011)

*What $15 ????*



DavidnJudy said:


> I have to agree with duffster - it's been since November. Put something out there. Update what you have. I read it the other day and was like this is useless.
> 
> Where is the 15 dollars going anyway?



It appears that you are a guest 

fyi, on the RCI site 

http://www.rci.com/RCI/prelogin/rciTV.do

Everything you should need to know. Greg


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## theduffster (Jun 8, 2011)

ampaholic said:


> You must think the internet has a highly paid cleaning squad that comes out every night and polices up all the off topic, stupid and just plain wrong posts.
> 
> Sorry to disappoint you - but the internet is as close as you get to a permanent record - nothing ever gets completely removed. If you say something stupid or wrong it will fall by the wayside eventually - but it takes a couple of years and it is _*NEVER*_ completely gone.
> 
> If you are so demanding that the area to be "cleaned up" - where's your broom?



Give me administrative powers and I will clean out all the useless stuff, especially the misleading articles.

So you have no problem paying $15 to a web sie that boasts about bow helpful they are, only to get information that is irrelevant?

These posts I'm making ARE the equivalent of my broom.


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## DeniseM (Jun 8, 2011)

Duffster, please decide which articles are out of date, write new ones, and submit them for publishing.  Your participation on TUG is appreciated!


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## ampaholic (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> Give me administrative powers and I will clean out all the useless stuff, especially the misleading articles.
> 
> So you have no problem paying $15 to a web sie that boasts about bow helpful they are, only to get information that is irrelevant?
> 
> These posts I'm making ARE the equivalent of my broom.



Hey, I may not agree with your gripe - but I will defend to the death your right to gripe (to paraphrase someone famous).

I can understand your frustration - but - this is a self serve "help station" - the days of full service "help stations" are as dead as full service gas stations.

YOU have to help sort the data out for relevance and comment on that relevance.

That's just how it is.


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## theduffster (Jun 8, 2011)

BocaBum99 said:


> You owe me $30.  That's how much my time is worth for the time I wasted reading your post.



Did I promise you important, helpful information for $30? Promise you all kinds of help without telling you that you can't believe a lot of it??

That is what TUG did. I can't believe any of those articles so how much faith can I put in anything TUG puts out.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> I would like my $15 back, or to have the "free advice articles" page overhauled, with all the dead stuff deleted.



I'm confused.  You got advice for free, and now you want $15 because you find the free advice to be ill-founded???

***

So, if I don't like you free advice to improve the site, will you pay me $15 because I find your free advice about TUG to be ill-founded?


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## Dave M (Jun 8, 2011)

Your payment of $15 didn't promise helpful articles. You got free access to the Advice section where those articles are located merely by registering for this BBS. You got what you paid for when you registered.

From a practical standpoint, most of TUG relies on volunteer help - all of us who post here. We write articles and respond to questions on this BBS because we love timesharing and hope that in sharing our knowledge and opinions others can learn more about how to enjoy the world of timeshares. The information in those articles is only as good as the author's knowledge and to the extent there haven't been changes since it was written.

It's obviously not a perfect system, as you point out. However, I believe it's important for anyone using this site or any free site to do more than read an article (or a post on this BBS) and take what is "learned" as being factual. One simple way to get an update on anything written here is to simply ask - ask by posting a question on the appropriate BBS forum. In fact, that happens often. We often get a question such as "Is the Advice article about XYZ still current even though it was written six years ago?"


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## Bwolf (Jun 8, 2011)

I thought a certain post was tongue-in-cheek.  Now I realize it was head between cheeks.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jun 8, 2011)

DavidnJudy said:


> I have to agree with duffster - it's been since November. Put something out there. Update what you have. I read it the other day and was like this is useless.
> 
> Where is the 15 dollars going anyway?



I'm only a volunteer, but since you're so disappointed in the free advice received I'll personally reimburse you what you paid for that advice.

Please send me an invoice for $0.00, representing what you paid for free advice, and I will remit that amount to you.


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## ampaholic (Jun 8, 2011)

DavidnJudy said:


> I have to agree with duffster - it's been since November. Put something out there. Update what you have. I read it the other day and was like this is useless.
> 
> Where is the 15 dollars going anyway?



Like I said if you say something stupid or just plain wrong it becomes part of the permanent record.

I just reread the FAQ duffster lamented about and I find it to be 96% to 97% accurate. In fact the only real missing piece of data from it is the fact that since November the "trading power" of weeks is on display, where before November it was kept internal to RCI.

There - consider it updated. :annoyed:


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## theduffster (Jun 8, 2011)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> I'm confused.  You got advice for free, and now you want $15 because you find the free advice to be ill-founded???
> 
> ***
> 
> So, if I don't like you free advice to improve the site, will you pay me $15 because I find your free advice about TUG to be ill-founded?




Did I promise you important, helpful information for $15?  Promise you all kinds of help without telling you that you can't believe a lot of it??

That is what TUG did. I can't believe any of those articles so how much faith can I put in anything TUG puts out.


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## aliikai2 (Jun 8, 2011)

*Were you close to 3 mile island?*

FYI, since you pointed out that the RCI information was obsolete it has been replaced.

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148797
You can apologize now.

You didn't pay $15 to view the free items or to use the BBS, you paid $15 to have access to the data bases and reviews and to receive free ads in the Market Place. 

As was pointed out before these things are written. found, posted by volunteers, do you believe that your $15 paid a staff of employees to keep up the information? Guess you have never paid an employee, $15 won't cover even a minimum wage job for 1 hour including all the benefits.

jmho,

Greg



theduffster said:


> Did I promise you important, helpful information for $15?  Promise you all kinds of help without telling you that you can't believe a lot of it??
> 
> That is what TUG did. I can't believe any of those articles so how much faith can I put in anything TUG puts out.


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## ampaholic (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> Did I promise you important, helpful information for $15?  Promise you all kinds of help without telling you that you can't believe a lot of it??
> 
> That is what TUG did. I can't believe any of those articles so how much faith can I put in anything TUG puts out.



I'm going to go out on a limb here and say: I think you reading and comprehension level needs worked on.'

To say you can't "believe" an archive is, is, is (whats the word) ... ridiculous - it's an _*archive*_ it may or may not have been perfect at the time it was created but it is now _*old*_.

Imagine this gripe about an old car: I found this car you gave me for free in your back yard to be up on blocks and I can't get the engine to start.

I think the $15 you charged me to enter your house became a rip off when you let me into your back yard and I found that car that can't start, boo hoo.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> Did I promise you important, helpful information for $15?  Promise you all kinds of help without telling you that you can't believe a lot of it??
> 
> That is what TUG did. I can't believe any of those articles so how much faith can I put in anything TUG puts out.



TUG offered you that information for FREE!!!  The $15 membership fee does not include the advice because the advice is FREE!!!!!!

You're like person complaining to a grocery store manager about the selection of chicken available in the meat aisle because you don't like the free samples of garlic chicken being given out by the deli counter.


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## aliikai2 (Jun 8, 2011)

*PA that is close to 3 mile island isn't it?*

FYI, since you pointed out that the RCI information was obsolete it has been replaced.

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148797
You can apologize now.

You didn't pay $15 to view the free items or to use the BBS, you paid $15 to have access to the data bases and reviews and to receive free ads in the Market Place. 

As was pointed out before these things are written. found, posted by volunteers, do you believe that your $15 paid a staff of employees to keep up the information? Guess you have never paid an employee, $15 won't cover even a minimum wage job for 1 hour including all the benefits.

jmho,

Greg



theduffster said:


> LOL!  Even if I have absolutely no interest in the subject??  I'm not going to Hawaii in the foreseeable future, I should read every post in that section??  The Europe forum?  The DVC posts--every post??!?!   I don't care about DVC!!
> 
> I just want to know how RCI works.  Reading the article was a waste of time, don't you get it??
> 
> ...


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## ampaholic (Jun 8, 2011)

Wow, after you apologize you can send Denise a few bucks to help cover her time for responding so quickly to your gripe.

yes?


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## TUGBrian (Jun 8, 2011)

There are certainly all sorts on the internet for sure.

as pointed out above, if you want to update the article...submit the update to me and ill be happy to modify the existing article.

youll also get a free membership extension for doing so.  

I certainly apologize for you feeling somehow scammed, but the vast majority of the website is free and open to the public, including the items you are complaining about....and as also mentioned above...have nothing to do with the $15 membership.

Side note, there are few things in life more useless than a complaint without details.  What do you feel is wrong and how do you know its wrong?


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## DeniseM (Jun 8, 2011)

Greg - Thank you so much for providing the info. about RCI.  Tuggers are the best!


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## theduffster (Jun 8, 2011)

DeniseM said:


> Duffster, please decide which articles are out of date, write new ones, and submit them for publishing.  Your participation on TUG is appreciated!



If I knew how RCI works NOW, I would. But that is why I relied on TUG:  to help me like promised. Because I got such great information, I thought I would be nice and pay TUG $15 in exchange (how ironic) for it.

I was told this is such a helpful site and now I don't know what is accurate and what is not! 

Imagine this: you're new to vacationing in Hawaii.  You go to a site that promises all kinds of help.  You read their advice and are so pleased, you join the insiders club by paying a fee.  Fair trade, right?  

Then you find out that attractions are gone, the hotels all have new names, there is construction going on.  Why didn't anyone mention that?


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## DeniseM (Jun 8, 2011)

Duffster - Please read this carefully:  TUG has no paid staff, no writers, no editors.  EVERYTHING you read on TUG was written by members and volunteers.  So who are you mad at?

TUG is a community - not an encyclopedia.  Normally, when someone wants info., they post a polite inquiry and they get overwhelming response.  Angry demands are not likely to serve you well here.

BTW - I'm sure if you contacted TUGBrian he would be more than happy to refund your $15 and remove your name from TUG membership.


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## theduffster (Jun 8, 2011)

aliikai2 said:


> FYI, since you pointed out that the RCI information was obsolete it has been replaced.
> 
> http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148797
> You can apologize now.



Finally!  It's up!  NOW! After I asked about it! Six months later!  And the misleading article is still on the advice page, causing people to think they know how RCI works and it's not how it works.

Why should I apologize when I point out how lacking this is?


----------



## Tfish (Jun 8, 2011)

You people have more patience than I have.

Mike


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## UWSurfer (Jun 8, 2011)

Duffster ate the hamburger.

http://www.bsetc.com/you-ate-the-hamburger/


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## TUGBrian (Jun 8, 2011)

further edit.

you joined TUG in 2009, and the information you read was perfectly valid then.  surely you read (on the forums no doubt) that RCI recently made huge changes in their exchange system.  however those were NOT in place until very recently.

not only that, but you renewed your membership in 2010, so if you were so unsatisfied, why did you choose to renew?

You have logged into the ratings and reviews nearly 100 times since joining, thats nearly once a week.  Surely you have to be somewhat satisfied with the product if you use it so frequently?

I simply dont understand this argument anymore.


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## theduffster (Jun 8, 2011)

TUGBrian said:


> There are certainly all sorts on the internet for sure.
> 
> as pointed out above, if you want to update the article...submit the update to me and ill be happy to modify the existing article.
> 
> ...



The "Ask RCI" page does not address "TPUs" at all.  I paid $15 in appreciation of hard work, but got wrong and misleading advice.  Where is your explanation of how RCI works? 

It no longer works like that and it hasn't worked like that since Nov. Now I question what else is just plain wrong.


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## DeniseM (Jun 8, 2011)

Duffster - I don't think we can make you happy.  Seriously, you should resign from TUG and get your $15 back.

Then you can visit TUG as a guest, with no money invested, and I think you will be a lot happier.


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## TUGBrian (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> The "Ask RCI" page does not address "TPUs" at all.  I paid $15 in appreciation of hard work, but got wrong and misleading advice.  Where is your explanation of how RCI works?
> 
> It no longer works like that and it hasn't worked like that since Nov. Now I question what else is just plain wrong.



see my previously reply.

when you found TUG in 2008 and read the advice articles, TPU's didnt even exist.

when you bought your timeshare in 2009, TPU's didnt exist.

it would appear your complaint needs to be directed towards RCI, which drastically changed their exchange system recently.  not TUG.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> Finally!  It's up!  NOW! After I asked about it! Six months later!  And the misleading article is still on the advice page, causing people to think they know how RCI works and it's not how it works.



I'm looking forward to receiving your edits on the article so that the information on the Advice page can be updated.  When can I expect to receive them???


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## Margariet (Jun 8, 2011)

TUGBrian said:


> further edit.
> 
> you joined TUG in 2009, and the information you read was perfectly valid then.  surely you read (on the forums no doubt) that RCI recently made huge changes in their exchange system.  however those were NOT in place until very recently.
> 
> ...



Well said! I admire the patience of the owners and moderators of TUG! Being just a simple Dutch girl I'm shocked about these postings on this great forum. Theduffster, are you allright? Take a break, and listen to some great music. I always prefer Mama Cass when I feel bad and I sing it out loud. Who can feel bad after that? You can't really be serious about this whole RCI issue? It has been on this forum every day in soooo many postings. Besides it was all on the RCI website and we got brochures and mailings about it. I really don't believe you haven't read about the changes!!! And please stop complaining about these lousy 15 $. It's really embarassing.


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## aliikai2 (Jun 8, 2011)

*There is no question in my mind*

*It is you that is wrong, you just don't seem to be able to comprehend, TUG is a community effort. If you want new information posted, create it and submit it. *

I am hearing Jethro Tull singing thick as a brick in my head as I read your posts. You can watch and hear it here,  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toHlMD50eYY

Please ask for a refund and find another place to try to disrupt.

jmho,

Greg



theduffster said:


> The "Ask RCI" page does not address "TPUs" at all.  I paid $15 in appreciation of hard work, but got wrong and misleading advice.  Where is your explanation of how RCI works?
> 
> It no longer works like that and it hasn't worked like that since Nov. Now I question what else is just plain wrong.


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## theduffster (Jun 8, 2011)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> TUG offered you that information for FREE!!!  The $15 membership fee does not include the advice because the advice is FREE!!!!!!
> 
> You're like person complaining to a grocery store manager about the selection of chicken available in the meat aisle because you don't like the free samples of garlic chicken being given out by the deli counter.




And you're the person telling us newbies to read, read, read and then when we point out that what we've read is wrong, you snicker at us dumb newbies instead of fixing your mistake.

Take down the article.  Stop saying RCI works a certain way when it hasn't worked that way for 6 months.


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## TUGBrian (Jun 8, 2011)

as it has been pointed out in the other thread, the vast majority of the information in those articles is still completely valid.

solutions to alleviate your problem have been provided in two separate threads now, im going to combine the two.


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## aliikai2 (Jun 8, 2011)

*Jethro Tull thick as a brick is  a great song*

You didn't ask for new information, you posted on a thread that was titled TUG IS A SCAM, in a vitriolic fashion. 

 If this were my board I would ban you for life, if you were a customer in my store I would throw you out. :whoopie: 

There are pleasant ways to ask for help about something you are trying to learn about, you didn't use a single one of those, you choose instead to attack.

 And while I did some of the back round work to update this sticky, I didn't do it because of your whining, I did it because as a member of this board and this community I try to be helpful.

 In your case I can see that you don't comprehend that  , so 

Please don't go away mad, just go away. 

fwiw,

Greg


theduffster said:


> Finally!  It's up!  NOW! After I asked about it! Six months later!  And the misleading article is still on the advice page, causing people to think they know how RCI works and it's not how it works.
> 
> Why should I apologize when I point out how lacking this is?


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## theduffster (Jun 8, 2011)

TUGBrian said:


> further edit.
> 
> you joined TUG in 2009, and the information you read was perfectly valid then.  surely you read (on the forums no doubt) that RCI recently made huge changes in their exchange system.  however those were NOT in place until very recently.
> 
> ...



Brian- the point is that I only just TWO DAYS ago thought about using RCI and tried figuring out how it works.  Like so many here advise, I spent a lot of time reading and only went to the forum after I had spent hours digesting wrong facts.  How is a newbie to know which articles are up to date and which are not?


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## theduffster (Jun 8, 2011)

TUGBrian said:


> as it has been pointed out in the other thread, the vast majority of the information in those articles is still completely valid.
> 
> solutions to alleviate your problem have been provided in two separate threads now, im going to combine the two.




Can you let a newbie know which ones are valid and which are not?  Thanks.


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## ampaholic (Jun 8, 2011)

Begin comment:

Hey theduffster: how did you get that "Island Park, Id, near Yellowstone--May 27th to June 3rd!" if you didn't trade for it? That's not a real easy week to get.


End of comment.


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## Makai Guy (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> Can you let a newbie know which ones are valid and which are not?  Thanks.


Since you are the one with the complaint, how about if YOU start by pointing out exactly which parts of the free advice you find are no longer accurate?


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## Ridewithme38 (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> How is a newbie to know which articles are up to date and which are not?



Asking on the Forum


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## theduffster (Jun 8, 2011)

ampaholic said:


> Begin comment:
> 
> Hey theduffster: how did you get that "Island Park, Id, near Yellowstone--May 27th to June 3rd!" if you didn't trade. for it? That's not a real easy week to get.
> 
> ...



I used VRI.


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## TUGBrian (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> Brian- the point is that I only just TWO DAYS ago thought about using RCI and tried figuring out how it works.  Like so many here advise, I spent a lot of time reading and only went to the forum after I had spent hours digesting wrong facts.  How is a newbie to know which articles are up to date and which are not?



you complained that you read the articles, bought timeshares based on the articles, and now found out the articles were inaccurate.

The only flaws in your original complaint are that

1. when you read them, they were accurate
2. when you bought your timeshares, they were accurate
3. most of the information in the articles is still accurate

the only thing that has changed is a few months back RCI added some new flavors to their exchange system.

if it has taken you till now to realize this, given you have been a TUG member since 2009, then I am sorry but you havent been putting forth much effort into looking.

The new RCI program has been in hundreds of posts, and numerous newsletters since BEFORE it went live and SINCE.  I simply dont understand how you blame TUG for you not knowing about this until just recently.


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## TUGBrian (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> Can you let a newbie know which ones are valid and which are not?  Thanks.



by that same logic, can you please point out which articles have invalid info?

(note this is nearly the 6th request for this from you, yet you continue to ignore them)


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## theduffster (Jun 8, 2011)

Makai Guy said:


> Since you are the one with the complaint, how about if YOU start by pointing out exactly which parts of the free advice you find are no longer accurate?



The "ask rci" one isn't.  It doesn't mention "tpu" at all.  It says nothing about how it works now but only how it worked before Nov.

As a newbie, I don't know which are accurate. If anyone knows which are inaccurate, I wish they would ask that they be taken down, so as to not mislead others.

And I have mentioned this specific article repeatedly. I've even linked it in posts.


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## TUGBrian (Jun 8, 2011)

stating what an article is missing does not make the article inaccurate....incomplete maybe, but not inaccurate.

especially since the article was written in 2003, 8 years before the item you claim is missing even existed.

That entire article was written BY RCI...and posted on TUG to assist members with questions.  again your frustration and complaints are pointed at the wrong target.


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## Mel (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> Finally!  It's up!  NOW! After I asked about it! Six months later!  And the misleading article is still on the advice page, causing people to think they know how RCI works and it's not how it works.
> 
> Why should I apologize when I point out how lacking this is?


Perhaps because you attacked a group of volunteers who are still working on figuring out exactly how the new system works.  RCI didn't send a manual to the TUG volunteers explaining how the system works, we figure it out as we go along.  The information in the original article is based on many years of experience by many TUG members.  TUG is not the authoritative site on how RCI works - if you want that wade through RCI's information first.  


theduffster said:


> The "Ask RCI" page does not address "TPUs" at all.  I paid $15 in appreciation of hard work, but got wrong and misleading advice.  Where is your explanation of how RCI works?
> 
> It no longer works like that and it hasn't worked like that since Nov. Now I question what else is just plain wrong.


Yes, in fact it does still work the same way, with some added features.  You can still use it as if it works the old way, and nothing would change except a notation in your account when you have leftover TPU credits.  As far as most of us are concerned, RCI had TPU values before November, they just didn't divulge them, or let you keep the leftovers.


theduffster said:


> And you're the person telling us newbies to read, read, read and then when we point out that what we've read is wrong, you snicker at us dumb newbies instead of fixing your mistake.
> 
> Take down the article.  Stop saying RCI works a certain way when it hasn't worked that way for 6 months.


Nobody snickered at the newbie.  You pointed out something that needed to be updated, that's great, but you don't get to decide what gets taken down.  Archives are important bits of information about how the system worked in the past, and still gives a sense of how it works now.


theduffster said:


> Can you let a newbie know which ones are valid and which are not?  Thanks.


As far as I can tell, there is nothing inaccurate on that page, it is simply not "complete" as regards the new system.


theduffster said:


> Brian- the point is that I only just TWO DAYS ago thought about using RCI and tried figuring out how it works.  Like so many here advise, I spent a lot of time reading and only went to the forum after I had spent hours digesting wrong facts.  How is a newbie to know which articles are up to date and which are not?


How many times do the rest of us have to tell you, you didn't digest WRONG facts.  You've spent two days learning about RCI - did you try any other sources during those 2 days?   Once you visited the forums, did you ask anyone to bring you up to date - or did you simply rant that the old information isn't up-to-date enough?

It is precisely because of changes like this that we have the forums - where people can share information about the changes, and eventually we can gather enough information to be able to update the FAQ in a meaningful way.  This is no different than the review area - the $15 you paid gets you access to those reviews, yet they are only as current as the last review submitted by one of the members - there are some resorts without reviews in several years.  Is the information about them inaccurate?  Maybe, maybe not - but it's available as a starting point.

If you think there is specific misinformation, please point it out, and we can give you more accurate information and update the FAQ.  But even if someone is willing to do so, remember it won't be done today - everyone here is a volunteer and has a life outside of TUG.


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## theduffster (Jun 8, 2011)

TUGBrian said:


> stating what an article is missing does not make the article inaccurate....incomplete maybe, but not inaccurate.
> 
> especially since the article was written in 2003, 8 years before the item you claim is missing even existed.
> 
> That entire article was written BY RCI...and posted on TUG to assist members with questions.  again your frustration and complaints are pointed at the wrong target.





Can you point me to a free article that basically says "don't bother reading RCI's FAQ, because it's wrong and has been wrong for 6 months"?

Or will it stay up, continuing to mislead newbies?


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## TUGBrian (Jun 8, 2011)

now you are just acting like a child.  

Do you have anything constructive to add to this conversation?  or are you just going to cover your ears and scream "LALALALALA" at every reply from now on?

You have been provided with the solution to your issue, so please move on from it. 

if it bugs you that much, please petition RCI to submit an entire new section on TPU's and ill be happy to add it to the article!


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jun 8, 2011)

It's become quite clear, duffster, that you are frustrated that we have not accommodated needs, and our failure to do so is causing you frustration.

In a previous life I was responsible for doing performance evaluations for about 30 people.  In doing that activity it often became clear that the expectations and desires that a particular employee had for the work relationship did not mesh with what the company was ready to provide.  And since we were not going to change what the company was to match the desires of the individual, it was clear that the relationship should end. Invariably both the individual and the company were better off going their separate ways.

Similarly I have also been hands-on involved in client relations during my 30-plus years in the professional services business.  As with employee relations, there are times when what a customer wants and desires from a business relationship differs greatly from what either I or my employers have been ready to provide.  On those occasions it is best for all parties if I "outplace" the client and everyone moves on.

Duffster, I think it is clear that you and TUG are at that situation.  You have articulated clearly and forcefully your expectations of TUG.  It's equally clear that those expectations do not align with what TUG is and what TUG is ready to provide.  Since I don't think TUG is going to change to meet your particular needs, I think it's time for you to move on and find a community that more closely matches what you are looking for.


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## Passepartout (Jun 8, 2011)

Hey Duffster, you continue to address yourself as a newbie yet you joined TUG in 2009. After 2 years and several exchanges you aren't a newbie anymore. As stated, when you became a member, the RCI info was correct. The 'enhancement' of TPU has been added since. This has been a change all RCI subscribers have had to become familiar with.

Jim Ricks


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## chewie (Jun 8, 2011)

Sounds like the OP needs to attend a day's worth of 'Owner Updates' with several timeshare sales crews. 

I am certain that any RCI affiliated sales crew can educate people on the new system better than any other!  :whoopie:


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## theduffster (Jun 8, 2011)

Passepartout said:


> Hey Duffster, you continue to address yourself as a newbie yet you joined TUG in 2009. After 2 years and several exchanges you aren't a newbie anymore. As stated, when you became a member, the RCI info was correct. The 'enhancement' of TPU has been added since. This has been a change all RCI subscribers have had to become familiar with.
> 
> Jim Ricks




Bought at the Crafts Inn in August of 2009.  Mountainside in Jan 2010.  We used VRI to stay at Cape Cod last summer.  We used VRI to trade for Island Park.

I have been focusing on buying, not exchanging.  I am sorry I ever thought I could learn how to use RCI here on Tug.

After I thoroughly studied TUG's article, I visited the forum and found that I had it all wrong.


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## Conan (Jun 8, 2011)

> In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)


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## ampaholic (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> I used VRI.



well, if you call RCI - the vacation councilors there will be glad to hook you up with whatever you need (subject to availability of course) - just like the VRI vacation councilors did.

See - that was easy


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## theduffster (Jun 8, 2011)

Conan said:


> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)



No, just someone who, 2 days ago, thought she knew how RCI worked. Found out tug hasn't bothered to update their article saying so.


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## Ridewithme38 (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> No, just someone who, 2 days ago, thought she knew how RCI worked. Found out tug hasn't bothered to update their article saying so.



If you read through this thread...ignoring all the infighting...you will find every scrap of information that was missing from that RCI Sticky...If a newbie reads that article and has a question on it...they can come on here and ask...its really so much simpler then you make it out to be....most people look at the dates on articles online before taking them as gospel


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## theduffster (Jun 8, 2011)

ampaholic said:


> well, if you call RCI - the vacation councilors there will be glad to hook you up with whatever you need (subject to availability of course) - just like the VRI vacation councilors did.
> 
> See - that was easy




In other words, don't rely on accurate, recent knowledge here, without having to dig for it.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> In other words, don't rely on accurate, recent knowledge here, without having to dig for it.



The community works through discussion and sharing of information, the primary means of which occurs on the BBS.  

As I noted upthread, it's abundantly clear that what you are looking for at TUG and what the TUG community is do not match up at all. It's really time for you to go find a place that is in keeping with your expectations.  I'm sure that if you ask Brian he would be glad to terminate your membership here and refund your $15.


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## DeniseM (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> In other words, don't rely on accurate, recent knowledge here, without having to dig for it.



The most accurate, recent knowledge is in the forums, where Tuggers add valuable info. and tips every day.  

I'm the Exchanging Forum Moderator, and I can tell you that when RCI first released the new program in Nov. - they told us virtually nothing.  Info. kind of dribbled out over time.  For months, we pieced it together by sharing info. in the forums.  There are still many factors that are coming to light every day - RCI doesn't show all it's cards to timeshare owners.

So yes, if you really want the most current info., the Exchange forum is the place to go.  If friendly sharing is not your cup of tea, then TUG will probably never live up to your expectations.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> In other words, don't rely on accurate, recent knowledge here, without having to dig for it.



I see. You are upset that what you are looking for was not handed to you. You don't want to actually have to do some work on your own to get what you are looking for.  And so you're throwing a tantrum.

*****

Welcome to the real world. You know, the place where you have to work to get what you want.  Have you stopped by there lately?  Most of us are introduced to it by the time we're eight years old.


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## BevL (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> In other words, don't rely on accurate, recent knowledge here, without having to dig for it.



Actually, in post number 8 on the first page, earlier this morning, I tried to give a very quick synopsis of the differences between old RCI and new RCI.  I then suggested that we - meaning the TUG community that posts on these boards - were happy to answer questions and invited you to ask about what specific things you needed to know.  There were some other answers and summaries of things that might be helpful to you.

Since then, others have updated information and referred you to RCI tutorials that might help.  All of this has been done to attempt to address your concerns and all of this has been done in the space of a few hours.  

I think we all get that you're unhappy that you didn't get what you feel you needed from the advice section.  If all of us can move past that, I for one will be happy to attempt to answer any specific questions you actually have.  I don't think it's requiring a lot of effort on your part other than formulating your questions so not sure where the digging reference is coming from

Bev


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## rickandcindy23 (Jun 8, 2011)

Agree, agree, agree.  And thanks for all of your wonderful articles and help, Greg.  Also, thank you to TROG, who has also helped me with his articles.  So many others, too, need my thanks, because I we have better vacations because of those articles.  

RCI is NOT hard to figure out yourself.  It's very clearly an easy system to understand.  Ten minutes on the RCI site, and you will get it.  



aliikai2 said:


> You didn't ask for new information, you posted on a thread that was titled TUG IS A SCAM, in a vitriolic fashion.
> 
> *If this were my board I would ban you for life, if you were a customer in my store I would throw you out.* :whoopie:
> 
> ...


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## vckempson (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> The "ask rci" one isn't.  It doesn't mention "tpu" at all.  It says nothing about how it works now but only how it worked before Nov.
> 
> As a newbie, I don't know which are accurate. If anyone knows which are inaccurate, I wish they would ask that they be taken down, so as to not mislead others.
> 
> And I have mentioned this specific article repeatedly. I've even linked it in posts.



First off, you're not a newbie.  I'm a newbie, less than nine months.  Even at that, I'm barely a newbie.  Secondly, you must realize, common sense should tell you, that communitiy provided tutorials become dated.  Current information is found in the current posts.   

BTW, you clearly missed the following.   It is the first post of the first thread in "Ask RCI".  



> *"ASK RCI Forum no longer staffed by RCI 7/27/07
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> This is just a temporary note to inform users that after a full month of no communication between Madge and TUG, and no participation in the forum...it would appear that RCI has chosen to discontinue their staffing of this forum without any notification or warning to TUG." *



That seems pretty darn self expanatory to me.  That forum is also clearly marked as "Archive".  You mark things as "archive" because they are... well...  old stuff that's not necessarily up to date, but kept for reference.  If you missed all that, you can't blame TUG.  Just swallow hard and chalk it up to experience, building character or whatever.    

I don't think your time was wasted, though, and  I do hope you stay around.   There's an enormous amount of freely exchanged knowledge that's here on the forum.


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## ampaholic (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> In other words, don't rely on accurate, recent knowledge here, without having to dig for it.



No, you obviously know how to get a basic exchange (since you did it with VRI). I am pointing out that for basic exchanges RCI works the same.

Now if you are wanting to do intermediate or advanced exchanges YOU must do some homework to get wise enough to do it yourself.

It's like fishing: an article that tells you "throw a bait on a hook and put it in the water" is not faking you out, or lying, or even "wrong" since that technique _*will*_ work - it's just not advanced like noodlin' is. :hysterical: 

You really need to quit expecting all of us to advance your education without you contributing anything but angst.


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## Mel (Jun 8, 2011)

theduffster said:


> Bought at the Crafts Inn in August of 2009.  Mountainside in Jan 2010.  We used VRI to stay at Cape Cod last summer.  We used VRI to trade for Island Park.
> 
> I have been focusing on buying, not exchanging.  I am sorry I ever thought I could learn how to use RCI here on Tug.
> 
> After I thoroughly studied TUG's article, I visited the forum and found that I had it all wrong.


You repeatedly claim that the information you got from the article was wrong, yet not one of the experienced RCI members here has found anything particularly wrong about the articles.

If you think you read incorrect information in those articles, please tell us what that incorrect information was.  Perhaps you are misunderstanding some of the discussion regarding TPU, and perhaps it is your understanding of the new system that is wrong - not the basic article explaining how to use RCI.

What is it that you discovered in the forums that makes you think the information in the FAQ is wrong or out of date?

Editing to add - I have friends interested in timeshare, and I would still refer them to that article as written to get a basic understanding of how RCI works, particularly as they try to decide what to purchase.


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## TUGBrian (Jun 8, 2011)

User requested her refund via email, since she was already nearly 7 months into her membership, I refunded half the renewal payment to cover the remaining membership that will go unused.

User has also been banned from the forums given they dont appear to be able to have a conversation on an adult level any longer.


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## timeos2 (Jun 8, 2011)

TUGBrian said:


> User requested her refund via email, since she was already nearly 7 months into her membership, I refunded half the renewal payment to cover the remaining membership that will go unused.
> 
> User has also been banned from the forums given they dont appear to be able to have a conversation on an adult level any longer.



I hope the refundee enjoys his/her lunch they can now afford with their $7.50 back safely in their pockets. Maybe they'll choke on it.  I wouldn't have given them a nickle back after they used up more than 50% of the time.  Thanks for the great resource you offer with TUG - thankfully the majority of users aren't like that.


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