# RCI Points-- The greed is overwhelming.



## skimble (Aug 1, 2013)

When one purchases a timeshare week that is attached to the RCI Points system, the perks of exchange are tied in to that Points package.  

I know this is an age old complaint on here, but I have to vent... 
$124/year for a membership!!
$199 for an exchange!!!
$35 for a cleaning fee... which is cheaper than other resorts!!!

And... then there's this Points Protection Plan for $49... and if you don't click the button saying you don't want it, you will automatically purchase it.  Even when you try to click saying you don't want it, they give you a warning to turn back and accept.  

Yes... we all have options.  But again, I bought the Points package.  And, if I didn't have a smokin points to maintenance fee ratio, I would drop RCI Points.

As it stands, my father will be dropping them. He owns a 32K point week where his maintenance fees are about $700 (average.)  For him, this will bring his cost for a single exchange into an average resort up over $1000/year.  (Oh, and his VRI resort--Winner's Circle, charges him an additional $85 to manage his points on their end.)

Where is the breaking point?  In economics, it's called the law of diminished returns.  Because they have a (seemingly) captive consumer, there's some dubious application to this law.  But, inevitably, there is a point at which the cost outweighs the benefit for the consumers, and they choose to go elsewhere.  
What is the magic number that sends consumers fleeing?  Is it $200 membership fees?  $300 exchanges?  $500?  $1000?


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## geekette (Aug 1, 2013)

Yes, I rarely use RCI because I do not wish to support their greedy practices.  The rapid escalation in fees is also simply blatant gougery.  Luckily, there are many independents.

I never owned RCI Points, did not want to, for exactly the reasons you state.   No, not a new complaint, yet consistent over time.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 1, 2013)

*A few positives....*

RCI Points resort exchanges are $149 for a full week, less for a shorter stay.  

You can buy a multiple-year membership for less cost per year average.

Housekeeping fees are not charged during exchange stays of 7 nts.  Even though I have used shorter stays, I have never been charged a HK fee.  Lucky, maybe.  

You get a free weeks account as a points account member.  

Cost per point is really important, but TUG members have been saying to stay under a penny a point for the eight years I have been a member.  Inflation kicks in at some point.


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## skimble (Aug 2, 2013)

rickandcindy23 said:


> RCI Points resort exchanges are $149 for a full week, less for a shorter stay.
> 
> You can buy a multiple-year membership for less cost per year average.
> 
> ...



I booked a week last night.  I paid $323 ($124 for membership and *$199 for exchange.*)  
I am staying under a penny per point.
I chose not to purchase a multiple year membership because I believe RCI will hit the point of diminished returns.  The magic number might be the $124/$199 combo.  
Twenty years ago, I remember a credit card company that decided to earn a few extra $$ by forcing late fees.  Mail reached the mail room, but was not processed for days.  When I called, they told me I should send in my payment at least 7 business days before it's due because mail service can hold things up.  I dropped them-- changed cards.  A year later, I read about them going under in the newspaper.  Apparently, I was not the only disgruntled customer... they had a mass exodus, lost 80% of their customers in less than one year-- poor customer service.  At some point, this might happen to RCI-- maybe not as drastic.  
There is a breaking point for the consumer.  Maybe the influx in "sales event" is an outward indicator of RCI's financial health.


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## skimble (Aug 2, 2013)

Of course, so much development has RCI membership included.... 
And then, there are the back-room deals with the mini-systems... 

They have a wellspring of guaranteed income.  
Is it possible that they have no need for other inventory?


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## ronparise (Aug 2, 2013)

all this discussion points out the validity of conventional TUG advice. Buy where you intend to travel (and buy close to home)

My only experience with RCI points was at Vacation Village at Parkway, a fair pennies to points mf ratio, but the fees made it unattractive for me too. I gave up the points and use my RCI weeks account to trade back in to Vacation Village. I get about 8 weeks in a one bedroom in exchange for my 2 bedroom lockoff.  so even with fees its not much more than $300 a week...and its only a 3 hour drive from my home, and they take my dogs (which is why I bought there in the first place)   So lemons to lemonaid


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## Jimster (Aug 3, 2013)

*Points*

I just canceled my RCI points for exactly the reasons cited here and a few of my own.  I now send my points resort to DAE.  Talk about greed-try using points with their partners. :rofl:


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## Jennie (Aug 4, 2013)

I've also been using: 
TUG Marketplace
SFX (San Francisco Exchange Company)
TPI (Trading Places International)
VRI (Vacation Resorts Internationa)for internal exchanges for owners
Celebrity Resorts (internal exchanges for owners)
Redweek.com
MyResortnetwork.com

PLUS renting our weeks and using the proceeds to rent directly from other owners--thus cutting out the greedy corrupt RCI middleman.

A lot of owners are doing the same. RCI loses a huge amount of business from owners of multiple weeks who have become fed up with the ever- increasing RCI fees, and rental of deposited weeks to non owners at prices that are usually below what the owner must pay in annual maintenance fees.   

As more owners bring their business elsewhere, good inventory is less available for exchange through RCI.  It's a shame that corporate greed is gradually destroying the industry. But hey, the decision makers don't care about the long term effects of their current actions. They  receive huge salaries now and will ride off into the sunset on their golden parachutes.


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## Smokatoke (Aug 4, 2013)

While I agree its ridiculous I pay $130 for a membership that still requires me to pay $200 when I want to book a vacation, RCI points can be beneficial where TPU would otherwise not have much value. Some areas with a glut of properties are dogs in TPU but in Points have a large allocation. I have two weeks in Hawaii next year using all of my point allocation in one year. With exchange fees, MF and RCI membership divided out over 14 nights in Hawaii I am paying $88 a night.

No where near diminishing returns there...


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 4, 2013)

> I booked a week last night. I paid $323 ($124 for membership and $199 for exchange.)



Yes, $199 for inventory from weeks, but it's only $149 for inventory from Points resorts.  You really never know what you'll pay until you get to that page. 

RCI is not cheap.  II is less, $154 for all exchanges, and $49 for guest certificates.  II has a Platinum membership, allowing us to add guests without the high fees.  I like that membership, but it's expensive.  

SFX has pretty high fees, but you don't have to pay for the membership; gold membership is free.  

Most exchange companies cannot get the inventory II and RCI can get.  A perfect example is our Hilton Waikoloa and Hilton Kingsland exchanges for next August.  There were dozens of weeks sitting online.  But those were through weeks and were so cheap, I couldn't believe my eyes.  21-23 TPU's for summer weeks on the Big Island, 2 bedrooms?  These are the deals that help average out the cost with all of the fees.  My TPU's are about $12 each, so cheap exchanges!


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## TSPam (Aug 4, 2013)

Hi,
II is now $184 for exchanges, $20 less if you do it on-line,


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 4, 2013)

$10 higher?  Good to know.  

I trade through Shell, Starwood and Marriott preference almost exclusively, and my fees are much less, especially Marriott-Marriott and Starwood-Starwood.  Good reason to own in a system.  

My Blue Ridge Village week is starting to get too expensive to use.  I will have to rethink that week and maybe give it away.


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## DeniseM (Aug 4, 2013)

Reality Check:  

1)  Exchange companies are for-profit businesses - not charities. 

2)  Although the independent exchange companies are a legitimate option, and I belong to some of them, they don't have anywhere near the inventory of the Big Two.

Just say'n...


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## csxjohn (Aug 4, 2013)

Everyone has their own breaking point.  What may seem like a large sum to me may be pocket change for someone else.

RCI was too high priced for me 15 yrs ago when I entered Timeshare World.   I joined an independent and have been very happy with my travels.


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## skimble (Aug 4, 2013)

Smokatoke said:


> While I agree its ridiculous I pay $130 for a membership that still requires me to pay $200 when I want to book a vacation, RCI points can be beneficial where TPU would otherwise not have much value. Some areas with a glut of properties are dogs in TPU but in Points have a large allocation. I have two weeks in Hawaii next year using all of my point allocation in one year. With exchange fees, MF and RCI membership divided out over 14 nights in Hawaii I am paying $88 a night.
> 
> No where near diminishing returns there...



My threshold has not been reached yet.  But, on the grand scheme of things, it is a point to ponder... where is the breaking point for the average consumer? Like you, I have low points costs (and a low purchase price) so I bought into a system.  With the number of points I own, I can book about 6 weeks each year.  But, I am a fairly savvy timeshare trader.... like you... and the majority of Tuggers.   
The law of diminished returns is going to effect RCI... it will be that point at which the average timeshare owner finds RCI is not longer worth their investment.  
The dubious application of this economic law-- people purchase a week that is converted to Points... and many of them do not know the difference... don't know how to break out of the system and reclaim their week.  So, in essence, they are somewhat captive to the system.


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## Becky (Aug 10, 2013)

Hi Cindy,
When we do not use our Blue Ridge Village, I use it for points for deposit in my RCI points account. We own two here and sometimes are only able to visit one week instead of two. 

Becky



rickandcindy23 said:


> $10 higher?  Good to know.
> 
> I trade through Shell, Starwood and Marriott preference almost exclusively, and my fees are much less, especially Marriott-Marriott and Starwood-Starwood.  Good reason to own in a system.
> 
> My Blue Ridge Village week is starting to get too expensive to use.  I will have to rethink that week and maybe give it away.


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