# RCI's policy on trading power and how you can fight the arbitrary losses of 5/30/2009



## rickandcindy23 (Aug 15, 2009)

I have saved the PDF document from RCI to my computer, just so I have it and they cannot change the wording to match what they did to exchangers on 5/30/2009.  

Basically, I think the enhancement RCI did on 5/30 was all about re-evaluating future trading power for weeks, but because RCI is RCI, and because their programmers seem to have a difficult time just making small changes to their system (like the recent alphabetical listing of months, which was hilarious), they goofed up and reduced the trading power of many of the weeks in the system.  I had one week that had an increase of trading power, but it is of no use to me, because that week is one I use for RCI Points for Deposit anyway.  

My problem with the guides and the supervisors/ customer service people is the denial that anything happened to my trading power.  These guides are saying that my trading power didn't change, when in actuality it did.  I am so lucky because I have proof right here on TUG, in the Sightings section of this site, that I could see DVC exchanges from February forward to May 30th, when all of a sudden I can no longer see them.  This is another reason for me to rejoice that I have TUG!  I announced what I could see and what resort I was using for the searches.  So when RCI says my trading power didn't change, of course I can prove that it did.  

I have a way you can fight the RCI myth that nothing changed on 5/30.  Here is the policy you can quote, as it is copied/ pasted from RCI:

4. TRADING POWER.
a. *Deposited Vacation Time is assigned a
Trading Power value by RCI at the time of Deposit.*
Trading Power may vary from deposit to deposit,
since inventory is re-evaluated by RCI from time to
time.
Trading Power changes over time (yes it does change over time but it not supposed to change for a deposit that is already in the system, and this is what you must argue when you call or write RCI) and is based
on:
i. The demand, supply,
classification grouping, and utilization of the
Deposited Vacation Time, and the Affiliated
Resort and geographic region associated with
the Deposited Vacation Time.
ii. The seasonal designation of the
Deposited Vacation Time.
iii. The size and type of the unit
Deposited (i.e., number of bedrooms, kitchen
W8
type and Maximum/Private Occupancy of the
physical unit).
iv. The Comment Card Scores of the
Affiliated Resort. RCI Comment Cards are
solicited by RCI from Members as a means to
gather information on each Affiliated Resort
participating in the RCI Weeks Exchange
Program.
vi. The date of Deposit and the start
date of the Deposited Vacation Time.
NOTE: RCI Weeks Exchange Program usage
patterns impact a Member's Trading Power. Certain
criteria upon which Trading Power is established, as
outlined above, may be waived for Members
requesting Internal Exchanges within their Home
Resort or Home Group. In addition, due to technical
limitations, the Trading Power criteria cited above
may be waived for exchanges to and from resorts
where a computer link has not been established.

1. Email the following people and tell them you have had a change in trading power on 5/30:
carole.ablett@rci.com
cynthia.huntington@rci.com
geoff.ballotti@rci.com

2.  Call the RCI guides and complain about the loss of trading power.  Ask for your week back, if the date hasn't passed (and if you have use of the week).  RCI will say no, of course.  

3.  Call your resort (or email) and alert them about the problem, too.  Ask them to please find out from the RCI representative in that area why your trading power has changed so drastically.  Ask the resort to work on your behalf to get your week back.  This worked for me.  I am getting all 3 of my Foxrun prime summer weeks back (weeks 26, 27 and 28), even though exchangers got them right away, when I deposited.  They are waiting until they have other weeks to replace the weeks.  That is the right thing to do, and I don't want to be the cause of someone not having an exchange they had.  

The important thing is you need to complain.  Not loudly or impolitely, but nicely and with a purpose.  

Let me know how you do.


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## "Roger" (Aug 15, 2009)

Cindy,

I wish you the best, but I am just not sure that your case is as solid as you suggest.  

True, the trading power that is given to your unit has always been established at the time of your deposit.  What always has changed, day to day, is the trading power needed to acquire another resort (based upon supply and demand). (At least that is what we were told.)

The bottom line is that RCI can tell you that the trading power given to your unit was not changed.  What they did do is make a decision on Black Monday (or whatever day it was) that they were allowing people to trade up too far and thus not leaving enough good units available for those who were depositing strong units.  So what they did change was the amount of trading power points that one could trade up.

Personally I wish you the best in your fight with RCI.  Seeing your posts on this reminds me of is why I absolutely hate Weeks with its hidden curtain that allows RCI (or II or any of the independents that use weeks) to manipulate the value of a unit without a person having any ability to learn what is happening (or even that they have done something).  Good luck.


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## AKE (Aug 15, 2009)

Lets look at this from another perspective - maybe the trading power of some of the resorts, before 5/30/09 was incorrect (i.e. too high) and now has been adjusted accordingly. I can't speak for a particular resort, but I was always amazed what some people were saying they were getting as trades for a "cheap South Africa" week (and this is just an example, but the quote has been on TUG many times).


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 15, 2009)

The trading power of my weeks did change, and *I would not have given my weeks to RCI based on the exchanges I get now*, but at the time of deposit, I had an RCI guide check to see if I could pull particular resorts/ weeks, and he/ she would confirm that my week could pull those.  Then suddenly they couldn't.

I can accept the change for future deposits.  I have no problem with it, but I do have a problem with the ones I had that lost trading power so drastically overnight.  And it really is all about RCI making a change they probably didn't intend to make.  

My Val Chatelle weeks have always seen the Hawaii inventory in large numbers, including dozens of Shearwater weeks each year, and I have been tracking exchanges for about ten years.  My weeks were seeing that same inventory until 5/30, then suddenly it's changed.  So my trading power was affected.  

Roger, I agree with you too.  And perhaps all of the other weeks did increase in value for trading up to them; however, the end result to me is the same.  I like that RCI Points is straightforward and we will get Shearwater that way from here on out; I will no longer count on RCI weeks to get our weeks at Shearwater.  

RCI can spin it however they like, but it always translates to loss of trading power, and that is how I see it, and how just about everyone else sees it.  I will use the four weeks I have left.  One will work for PFD, the ski week will get a great exchange somewhere, and the others will trade easily into a few Orlando resorts that are Gold Crown.  But the Foxrun weeks are coming back to me, as I was told, and that is the compromise I was seeking.  

I share this information with anyone who is disenchanted with the rotten way in which RCI is handling this debacle.  More complaining is what is in order.


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## e.bram (Aug 15, 2009)

TUG sightings is proof of nothing unless you can provide the names of the providers  of those sightings so they can be questioned as to their accuracy and not just bragging.


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## Pit (Aug 15, 2009)

e.bram said:


> TUG sightings is proof of nothing unless you can provide the names of the providers  of those sightings so they can be questioned as to their accuracy and not just bragging.



I think she is referring to her own sightings, posted here, as proof of what she could see then vs. now. I have no doubt that RCI made changes, as it has been noticed by many others as well.


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## lgreenspan (Aug 15, 2009)

To me the undeniable truth with RCI is do you see the resorts that you have accepted as trades in recent years. This is recorded in thier system. I have two deposits that have dropped  more than 50,000 units. Carole has failed to give me a answer as to why. I have 4 weeks deposited with RCI now.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 15, 2009)

lgreenspan said:


> To me the undeniable truth with RCI is do you see the resorts that you have accepted as trades in recent years. This is recorded in thier system. I have two deposits that have dropped  more than 50,000 units. Carole has failed to give me a answer as to why. I have 4 weeks deposited with RCI now.



What use year are these weeks?  

Carole already told me on the phone a few months ago that "trading power was re-evaluated for 200,000 weeks in the system," so she did tell us the truth initially.  Now she is with the guides in saying our trading power didn't change, because I think there was a liability in her statement that it did change.  If their policy states that trading power is set at the time of deposit, and then the trading power drops after the system is down for several days for enhancements, it is obvious to me that RCI has created a mess for themselves.  They need to fix it somehow, but apparently lying is their tactic.  

This method did work for me.  I complained and complained to RCI, to the point of an RCI guide telling me there is a call log, and the conversation with that guide was nothing but contentious.  Rick was listening to the entire thing and just couldn't believe RCI would deny our trading power dropped.  I had to do something, and my path is going to get my weeks back.  I will deposit them with II as soon as I get them returned.  

I have a choice of where to put my weeks.  I couldn't pull a Hilton 2 bedroom in Orlando in the FALL, let alone the summer.  With II, my weeks will pull Marriott 2 bedrooms all summer long, my choice of weeks and check-in day of the week.  I think this battle was worth fighting.  I cannot do a thing about my other 2 Val Chatelle weeks, but you can bet the owners at my Colorado resorts will be getting lots of information on alternative exchange companies from me.  

I already talked to the president of the HOA at Val Chatelle, and he wants an article about the alternates, which he will probably use for Pines at Meadowridge, too, as a board member for both, and I am on the board at Twin Rivers.  That is three resorts that will get information about exchange companies that have no membership fees and reduced trading fees.  It's all about money for RCI, so whatever I can do to affect its bottomline as a result of this move, and the consequent denial, I will do.


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## e.bram (Aug 15, 2009)

If you can get your weeks back is proof positive that they aren't great traders and shouldn't have great trading power. It's no loss to RCI that you pull them. If RCI made a mistake in the past and over rated them, they hurt their chances of getting resorts with great trading power, by not peoviding those trades with TSes of like trading power. They are simply correcting this error to entice owners of prime weeks to deposit.
If your weeks had all already been snaged you would have a legitimate complaint.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 15, 2009)

e.bram said:


> If you can get your weeks back is proof positive that they aren't great traders and shouldn't have great trading power. It's no loss to RCI that you pull them. If RCI made a mistake in the past and over rated them, they hurt their chances of getting resorts with great trading power, by not peoviding those trades with TSes of like trading power. They are simply correcting this error to entice owners of prime weeks to deposit.
> If your weeks had all already been snaged you would have a legitimate complaint.



You obviously didn't read everything.  *My weeks were gone the moment they were deposited; they never even showed up for exchange on RCI because they fulfilled ongoing searches.*  There are currently NO summer weeks at Foxrun available for exchange.  I know because I watch for them.  My weeks are weeks 26, 27 and 28 in the North Carolina mountains, all 2 bedrooms, at a golf course resort.  

II gives me a bonus week for the deposits every year, so I will keep them with II forever.  

I felt I was very clear about my complaint and the outcome.  I have zero interest in battling with RCI in the future and will not even bother. 

By the way it was MY weeks that I used to look for sightings, which I posted on TUG.  I am a TUG member and encourage the posting of sightings, and I post them myself (although I used to post a lot from RCI that I cannot see anymore).  It helped me to post those sightings on TUG, because it was proof of what I saw before.  It was a hidden benefit!


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## e.bram (Aug 15, 2009)

How can you get your weeks back if they were already given to someone else?


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 15, 2009)

e.bram said:


> How can you get your weeks back if they were already given to someone else?



They are going to give my weeks back as soon as they are able to replace those weeks with the same thing I deposited.  I didn't want the exchangers to lose out, in this mess.  Two wrongs don't make a right.  I am willing to wait and told the RCI rep for North Carolina to please get my weeks back when the weeks are replaced.


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## Carolinian (Aug 16, 2009)

AKE said:


> Lets look at this from another perspective - maybe the trading power of some of the resorts, before 5/30/09 was incorrect (i.e. too high) and now has been adjusted accordingly. I can't speak for a particular resort, but I was always amazed what some people were saying they were getting as trades for a "cheap South Africa" week (and this is just an example, but the quote has been on TUG many times).



Trading power is based on supply and demand, not what a week cost to buy or what its m/f is.  Thus a week being cheap or expensive has not the slightest relevence to trading power.  If you look at the Avaibility charts in the European version of the RCI directory, you will see that in the RCI system, you will see that South Afrcia has a much stronger low supply / high demand situation than a lot of areas, including Florida and the UK.

Now, I suspect that with the recession, travel patterns have changed.  One thing I have read is that many fewer Brits are vacationing certain places on the continent such as France because of the change in the relationship of the € and pound.  Now how this may have changed travel to South Africa, either up or down, I do not know.  If there has been a significant change that has impacted supply and demand for SA timeshare, then that would be a reason for trading power changes in the future.


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## Carolinian (Aug 16, 2009)

Great, Cindy!  Being proactive in growing the competition is the best thing we can do to fight the anti-consumer moves that have been coming out of RCI.  As a quasi-monopoly, they think they can do anything they want because many of their members do not realize they have alternatives.  Once members have the knowledge that there are other ways to exchange than RCI, RCI will have less power to do as it pleases.

All of us need to get on this.  Get newsletter articles out in your HOA newsletters.  Lets grow the competition.





rickandcindy23 said:


> What use year are these weeks?
> 
> Carole already told me on the phone a few months ago that "trading power was re-evaluated for 200,000 weeks in the system," so she did tell us the truth initially.  Now she is with the guides in saying our trading power didn't change, because I think there was a liability in her statement that it did change.  If their policy states that trading power is set at the time of deposit, and then the trading power drops after the system is down for several days for enhancements, it is obvious to me that RCI has created a mess for themselves.  They need to fix it somehow, but apparently lying is their tactic.
> 
> ...


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## beejaybeeohio (Aug 16, 2009)

"Roger" said:


> What they did do is make a decision on Black Monday (or whatever day it was) that they were allowing people to trade up too far and thus not leaving enough good units available for those who were depositing strong units.  So what they did change was the amount of trading power points that one could trade up.



Equivalent trades for my high demand Fitzpatrick's May week and PeeknPeak's July 4th week are not evident since Black Monday.  For example, one would think that units in the British Isles & Ireland should be showing up in exchange for a unit in Ireland, certainly in the same month as my week.  What I find when I search for that area on the RCI website are only winter months.


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## ace2000 (Aug 16, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> You obviously didn't read everything.


 
So, at the risk of being accused of not reading everything...  are you saying that I should only be concerned about this if I have weeks currently deposited with RCI?  

I think you said that you have no quarrel with weeks deposited in the future - correct?


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## Carolinian (Aug 16, 2009)

beejaybeeohio said:


> Equivalent trades for my high demand Fitzpatrick's May week and PeeknPeak's July 4th week are not evident since Black Monday.  For example, one would think that units in the British Isles & Ireland should be showing up in exchange for a unit in Ireland, certainly in the same month as my week.  What I find when I search for that area on the RCI website are only winter months.



I search the UK rather often, and I am using a July UK week.  Warm season has definitely been in hiding since the disenhancements, but the fact that a nice summer week, sometimes 2BR or more, pops up occaisionally, particularly for 2011, tells me that it is not so much a trading power issue as that they removed a lot of the better stuff from the exchange pool to divert elsewhere.  I find the same in France, where I see the occaisional gem like summer Royal Regency in Paris and Chateau de Maulmont (a resort with only ~10 deposits a year).  I find the timing of the disappearing weeks also very curious, as it was right around the time that RCI ''thought'' that a judge would rubber stamp the sellout/settlement in the class action lawsuit.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 16, 2009)

e.bram, I have no intention of depositing any future weeks with RCI that cannot be used for PFD, so I won't know of trading power issues for my FXR weeks.  

I still would almost bet that when I deposit my Colorado weeks for PFD purposes for 2011, my trading power will increase from what it is right now for my 2010 weeks (which saw everything out there before this 5/30 enhancement).  I will let my weeks sit there for a while, before turning them into points, just to see what I can pull.  I may be completely wrong, but I don't think so because those weeks have always pulled extremely well, for many years, giving me cause to question RCI about this.  

I feel strongly that if I deposit when no other prime summer weeks are showing in their system, I will get good trading power again.  My Colorado resort is Silver Crown, so that always gives us a little better trading power than a non-rated resort.  I think the computer system. re-evaluated every deposit based on what the system had at that moment, for any given area.  So at that moment, perhaps they had more than they needed in Lake Lure and Frisco.  

Ironically, we haven't heard from people who bought at Island Park Village or other areas with very few exchanges.  I would like to know if their trading power also decreased.  

This was a move to satisfy DVC and Hilton owners, in my opinion.  But RCI has made a grave mistake in assuming people will be okay with their sudden inability to see the things they could see before.  I expect RCI to have a bigger uprising than what I am trying to instigate.  We will soon see.  Lying isn't a good option, when a person can prove what they saw before the enhancements.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 16, 2009)

Carolinian said:


> Great, Cindy!  Being proactive in growing the competition is the best thing we can do to fight the anti-consumer moves that have been coming out of RCI.  As a quasi-monopoly, they think they can do anything they want because many of their members do not realize they have alternatives.  Once members have the knowledge that there are other ways to exchange than RCI, RCI will have less power to do as it pleases.
> 
> All of us need to get on this.  Get newsletter articles out in your HOA newsletters.  Lets grow the competition.



If everyone wrote an article to their HOA with alternative exchange companies listed and their costs, we could affect RCI greatly.  A few percentage points in their net would hurt that company in a big way.  

Platinum Interchange, Trading Places, Trading Places Maui, DAE, Redweek, Hawaiian Timeshare Exchange, and a few other smaller ones, can all get us the exchanges we want.  The more inventory they get, the better off we all will be.

SFX is for the higher quality resorts, if they will take your resort, and they won't take Val Chatelle, even though the resort is Silver Crown, while they take French Ridge, very near Val Chatelle, which is not a rated resort.


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## e.bram (Aug 16, 2009)

If you ahve an RCI resort, what choice do you have but to deposit with RCI. The other exchange cos have a limited selection or are very selective with the choice of resorts they accept.If you use PFD in RCI they get the money anyway. Why should they care.


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## Carolinian (Aug 16, 2009)

e.bram said:


> If you ahve an RCI resort, what choice do you have but to deposit with RCI. The other exchange cos have a limited selection or are very selective with the choice of resorts they accept.If you use PFD in RCI they get the money anyway. Why should they care.



DAE will take most resorts, and my last two confirmed exchanges with them were Spring or Summer 2BR warm season weeks at GC or 5* resorts in Ireland and the UK, something that is very scarce these days in RCI's exchange banks.  Many people will probably need to use a mix of independents to get what they want, but that is fine.


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## vacationdoc (Aug 16, 2009)

Wow, Cindy, I am sooooo happy you were successful in forcing  RCI give you your weeks back!  It was wrong of RCI to reduce your trade value after your deposits were taken at a higher value for the current year.  I just became a timeshare "owner" via a 3 year RTU lease for RCI Points and feel that I need to earn a TUG degree on how to maximize my vacations from RCI.  Keep up the good work!    Cheers,  Jan


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 16, 2009)

Jan, you will be happy with RCI Points.  We have owned points through Australia and have been very happy with our exchanges.  The key is to get what you want at 9-10 months.  Anything less than that is potluck.  This is my experience with RCI Points, anyway.  I just know I must plan way ahead, and because I have planned our Hawaii trips that far out, I have had great success in getting exactly what I want.  

I am very concerned that RCI will do something to points, but for now it works for me.  

One thing I noticed for December and January, it only takes 42,500 points for a full week at a DVC resort (different resorts vary by a thousand or two), and I get 45,500 points for my Val Chatelle deposits.  So I get a full week in a one bed, all we need, for my Val Chatelle PFD deposits.  Twin Rivers, I get 53,000 points for the 3 bedrooms, and that is great for getting the 1 bedrooms in the fall.  I still get my trades, but if I need a two bedroom, the range when we go in the fall and winter is higher, at 71,000-92,500 points.  So it just costs a little more, but it is well worth it to us.  



vacationdoc said:


> Wow, Cindy, I am sooooo happy you were successful in forcing  RCI give you your weeks back!  It was wrong of RCI to reduce your trade value after your deposits were taken at a higher value for the current year.  I just became a timeshare "owner" via a 3 year RTU lease for RCI Points and feel that I need to earn a TUG degree on how to maximize my vacations from RCI.  Keep up the good work!    Cheers,  Jan


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## Becky (Aug 16, 2009)

The same issue happened to my weeks at The Fairways of the Mountains weeks 26. I was able to get one of my weeks for 2010 returned, but not the other one because it was already gone. Cindy is correct about pulling DVC units because mine did too before May.

Mistakes do happen but it looks as though RCI will not admit it. About five years ago when Foxrun first offered its owners the option of trading through II, I was thrilled until I noticed the Week 52 which I owned traded like a dog and was rated as green. RCI rated it a red week. After contacting II and speaking with them for a few months, they admitted that they had made an error. They did not understand exactly where Lake Lure was located and so rated New Years as a low demand time. The resort had already told me that it was high demand and usually full over New Years at that time. At least II investigated and admitted that they had made a mistake. 

I agree with Cindy that a two bedroom during July in the Blue Ridge or Smoky Mountains should have higher trading power than RCI is offering. But then I guess that is why I don't work for RCI.

Becky


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## e.bram (Aug 16, 2009)

Carolinian:
That's OK if you want to go to UK or Ireland. I like to be within reasonable driving disrance from NY metro area(abpout 250 mi.)and waterfromt. DAE is no help.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 16, 2009)

e.bram said:


> Carolinian:
> That's OK if you want to go to UK or Ireland. I like to be within reasonable driving disrance from NY metro area(abpout 250 mi.)and waterfromt. DAE is no help.



Platinum Interchange will take anything RCI and II have in their directories.  I think Trading Places Maui will take anything, but they need to get someone to take the exchange before they give you a credit, if they haven't ever had a deposit from your resort.  I don't know why that is, it just is.  

You can try emailing several of the others and see what they can do for you.


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## shar (Aug 17, 2009)

I have documented to RCI that there has been a recent problem with a resort that has been a great trader.  I have the 2010 week deposited for 11 months.  This week is a red summer beach week for the 1st of August.  In checking I have always been able to pull up the home resort for summer months.  In June I deposited the exact same week and same unit for 2011 which would have been 13 months in advance. It seems to me that week should have traded as well as or even a bit better then the one deposited 11 months in advance.  It traded as well as a week that I had deposited 2 months in advance.  Even worse I can no longer pull any summer units at my home resort including the week I had deposited.  The resort management company verifed to RCI that the MF were paid. RCI said they had no idea why I could not pull the week up with either of the deposits from the home resort.  They verified it had not been taken, but they did not know "where it was".  After talking to them about this they only came back with you should be able to pull up plenty of nice vacations with your weeks".  Running an exact time by time comparison the 2011 deposit placed earlier (in advance 13 months) had significantly less pull then the 2010 (in advance 11 months).  I told them to give me back my week 2011 since it had not been taken and they could not tell me where it was.  I suspect that they were going to keep for rental.  It is also apparent that this resort is no longer giving preferentail treatment to owners in pulling deposits for summer weeks.

Shar

P.S. RCI claimed to have researched this problem but offered no answer as to what was going on here and why a deposit could not pull itself up when their system said it had not been taken.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 17, 2009)

Shar, I can empathize!  Having the exchange power drop for weeks already in RCI and taken by another exchanger is a horrible feeling.  

Write a letter to carole.ablett@rci.com and tell her what you are not seeing with your week that you could see before 5/30.  

Did you deposit 2011 or 2010, 13 months in advance?  That is a little confusing because I don't think they take a week 25 months out.  You should not give RCI anything more, from here on out, unless they can give something back that is equal, and if you cannot see your own resort and season, something is amiss.  :annoyed: 

Good luck to you in getting your week back.  You may have to complain to your resort.  No resort, HOA, or management company, for that matter, is going to accept a drop in trading power that is random, at the whim of RCI, without a fight.  Dual-affiliation is something to request, if your resort is not too entrenched in Wyndham.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 25, 2009)

Update on the RCI letters I have written:

Carole Ablett did call me today to say our trading power of our weeks will be restored to the original level by 9/18 for our weeks in our account.  We will see, I am not holding my breath, but I am hoping she is correct.  

I sent her proof of what I could see before the "enhancements," which she said really helped in determining that we had indeed lost trading power.  I love the fact that TUG requires that you put what resort you used to see the inventory, because that helped with my fight.  It was a good fight, but I am not sure if I won quite yet.  The proof will be available on 9/18, and I will keep you all informed.  

Bottomline, it's worth fighting with RCI, just to let them know what they have done is wrong.  If you don't fight the good fight, then you just acquiesce, and that isn't being very pro-active.  A good exchange is a valuable thing.  And when suddenly the good exchanges are gone for you, then you must get the message out.  

As far as the future is concerned, it's not looking good for future deposits.  We will be depositing Val Chatelle into RCI because it is our only choice, and if I see great stuff with those weeks, better than I have seen lately, you will see me posting on the sightings board again.  I see no reason to post a fall week in Branson or Colorado for now; hopefully I will be posting prime vacation areas with summer weeks again, very soon.  And don't forget the DVC's!


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## Texasbelle (Aug 25, 2009)

I am seeing nothing I want in exchange for a July VRI managed week during the summer 2010 or 2011.  Supposed to have VRI advantage for other VRI managed resorts.  The VRI resorts for the Florida panhandle and Alabama coast do not appear.  The RCI website restricts choice so much it is hard to work with.  I assume a telephone reservation attempt would work no better.  I have 2 weeks banked, but next time might try II.  The problem there is that II doesn't even have a picture of my resort.  Another option is trading through VRI, which I wish I had tried.


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## shar (Aug 26, 2009)

Thanks for the link to Carol at RCI.  I will see what she can do.  To clarify I deposited 2009 in RCI 11 months in advance.  I deposited 2010 in RCI 13 months in advance.  The deposit 11 months in advance traded great but the 13 month advance deposit traded like I had deposited it a the last minute.  Same unit, same week just does not make sense.


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## lgreenspan (Sep 2, 2009)

I just spoke to Carole Ablett and she confirmed with me that all my deposits made prior to 5/30/09 will be returned to thier pre-enhancement trade power on 9/18/09. 
Now all I have to do is decide which company to make future deposits with. I am leaning towards II but still looking at all alternatives.


Dave


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 2, 2009)

Dave, I guess we won our battle with RCI,  but future deposits will have reduced trading power, according to Carole.  

I will only deposit a small number of weeks with RCI that will work for PFD in RCI Points for now.  That is our only option for our weeks, unfortunately.  It will be lots of so-so Orlando resorts in exchange for them.  Val Chatelle only has six units and 300 weeks, so II doesn't want our resort.  The board tried to be dual-affiliated, but it was a no go.


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## DaveNV (Sep 2, 2009)

(Note to Moderators:  I am moving this post to its own thread.  I shoudl have posted it that way in the first place.)

Interesting sidebar to this thread:  I did some test-checking on RCI last night for vacation rentals, specifically for the resorts I own.  I already have reservations to visit Hawaii for two weeks next year, and will be using the weeks I own at two different resorts.  In RCI's rental pool, for the same time frame, I can rent a week at both resorts for virtually the same cost as my maintenance fees.  I'm sure the rentals won't be the same exact units (lagoon view vs. ocean view, for example), but it's still at the same resort during the same weeks.

So now the practical side of me is wondering why I should hang on to owning these weeks, and run the risk of assessments and increasing maintenance fees every year, if I can rent when and where I want to for similar costs?  It makes more sense to dump the timeshares, and rent from RCI when I want to.  Worry-free.   

What am I missing here?  

Dave


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## e.bram (Sep 2, 2009)

Dumping is easier sad than done. You might be stuck with them.


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## rachel1998 (Sep 2, 2009)

I would love to dump my 4 units. I would rather rent than pay the high maintance fees. I am not even going to try to sell right now with this economy. I have weeks and it is getting harder and harder to get any exchange at all.


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## Jennie (Sep 3, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> I have saved the PDF document from RCI to my computer, just so I have it and they cannot change the wording to match what they did to exchangers on 5/30/2009.
> 
> Basically, I think the enhancement RCI did on 5/30 was all about re-evaluating future trading power for weeks, but because RCI is RCI, and because their programmers seem to have a difficult time just making small changes to their system .



Is it possible that the May 30th "Enhancements" (a/k/a dis-enhancements) were made at that time because RCI believed the pathetic proposed terms of the class action lawsuit were going to be approved in Federal Court on June 16th and that they thereafter would be able to skim prime weeks from the spacebank and rent them to the general public with impunity? They never anticipated that a group of Weeks members Objectors would emerge and derail their presumed slam dunk victory.  http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=100107


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## lgreenspan (Sep 3, 2009)

Jennie said:


> Is it possible that the May 30th "Enhancements" (a/k/a dis-enhancements) were made at that time because RCI believed the pathetic proposed terms of the class action lawsuit were going to be approved in Federal Court on June 16th and that they thereafter would be able to skim prime weeks from the spacebank and rent them to the general public with impunity? They never anticipated that a group of Weeks members Objectors would emerge and derail their presumed slam dunk victory.  http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=100107



I do think that RCI had convinced themselves that they could make any changes they wanted . Thier belief was RCI members would be dissatisfied at first but would quiet down and accept the downgrades. They did not count on the continued protest in court and on websites such as TUG for what now has been 3+ months. RCI now has to fight a very bad PR position where anyone doing a basic internet search on RCI will find negative posts outnumbering anything positive by at least 10 to 1. We all know that information on the internet lasts forever. I personally think they will be negatively impacted by this for a very long time.


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## SteveChapin (Sep 3, 2009)

I think that RCI could be speaking the literal truth while while lying in spirit.

Suppose I deposit a week from Christmas Mountain Village, and it's assigned a trading power of 10 (any arbitrary number will do).  It so happens that Disney weeks are also assigned a trading of 10, so my week can see the Disney inventory.  Now, RCI never said they wouldn't raise the trading power of weeks, so on 5/30 they decide that Disneys now have a trading power of 15.

Suddenly, I can't see Disney any more, but the trading power rating of my week hasn't changed; rather, the rating of what I want to trade for has.

This would seem to explain what I've seen with my weeks, and is consistent with what I know that other people have seen.

sc
--


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## geekette (Sep 3, 2009)

I expect that the "restoration" of Sept 18 will result in another 3 month long thread where we find that RCI is really only placating a few members that "caught" them.

they are not going to suddenly become less slimy, they are not going to suddenly be more open about their shady practices.  They will continue to try to milk the members while renting out whatever will rent at the highest dollar they can get.

What I don't understand is why this specific date in Sept?  What is special about it??

When it comes to RCI, I have learned to be suspicious :annoyed:


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## bnoble (Sep 3, 2009)

I thought it was abundantly obvious that this is only going to affect the few people who badger them long enough to get a response, and some modification is being applied to their accounts by hand.

There certainly isn't going to be a global rollback to "before".


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## geekette (Sep 3, 2009)

bnoble said:


> I thought it was abundantly obvious that this is only going to affect the few people who badger them long enough to get a response, and some modification is being applied to their accounts by hand.
> 
> There certainly isn't going to be a global rollback to "before".



Agree completely, I just don't have a handle on how many people that actually is, but, do expect they will report on results.

I haven't bothered to complain, I expect no change.


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 3, 2009)

geekette said:


> Agree completely, I just don't have a handle on how many people that actually is, but, do expect they will report on results.
> 
> I haven't bothered to complain, I expect no change.



If before 5/30 you could see abundant inventory, and now after 5/30 you cannot see it, with the same exact weeks, then you have something to complain about.  I will not let someone take away what was rightfully mine, giving me back junk.  They have a policy of trading power being set at the time of deposit.  I proved to Carole that my trading power could pull the Disneys, by copying my own sightings from TUG.  

I would have deposited my weeks into II, had I known this would happen.  As it stands now, I have still considered taking my weeks back, even though RCI said my trading power would be restored, and I know I can still do better in II with three of them.  I don't just go to Orlando;  I go all over the country, and II has the Royals, which was going to be our fall 2010 trip.  We have never been to Mexico, and I have heard they are the best.  

RCI isn't going to see any of our weeks that will exchange with II.  We don't have to take the abuse.  :ignore:


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## geekette (Sep 3, 2009)

I don't deposit anything good there, so definitely saw nothing near "abundant".   I'm not a quality hound, either, so can't say specific chains vaporized.  I don't search much in RCI unless/until a friend/family member is ready to go somewhere so can't even recite from memory what I saw before.   my word against theirs.  I choose not to spend time and energy on this one, but I didn't lose much.  You did.  

I'm glad you're calling them on the carpet!  

YOU GO, GIRL!!!      

I'm glad that Carole has become an ally.  I hope they don't pour the cult Kool-Aid down her throat.


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## Lisa P (Sep 9, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Carole Ablett did call me today to say our trading power of our weeks will be restored to the original level by 9/18 for our weeks in our account.


Cindy, I wanted to share that I have received recent correspondence from Ms. Ablett with a similar statement.  From this, it appears to me that RCI will be restoring previous trade power to deposits made prior to May 30th, which were impacted by the changes that weekend... the 9/18/09 adjustment date was repeated as the intended completion date for these revisions.  So it seems they are honoring the "set at time of deposit" policy that they used to use, for these deposits.  This may affect more than just a handful of people!  So if you still have deposits which tanked on May 30th, don't give up hope altogether and keep your eyes open later this month.

For future deposits, a reminder was offered that we may expect the possibility of lower trade power as current data dictates for re-evaluated resorts.  Seems fair to me.  I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens between now and Sept. 18th.    Would be very happy to be able to use my one remaining "used to be a tiger" deposit for a tough trade in 2010/2011.  I'm already planning accordingly for a probable moderate decrease in trade power for the future deposits from this resort.


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## tombo (Sep 9, 2009)

I applaud Cindy and others who are fighting the battle with RCI and I hope they win. I wish RCI was legally forbidden from renting weeks deposited by owners because owners deposit weeks for other owners to exchange for, not for RCI to rent for profit. However I am afraid that RCI is the best choice for many of us. I have many weeks that trade only with RCI, and without RCI weeks that I can't rent to others would be totally wasted. I hate that I have to deposit with RCI when I know that some of my deposited weeks wiil be rented out, and I am mad because I know that some weeks I could have traded for will be robbed from me by a renter that RCI sold my week to. RCI is crooked and greedy, but it is the best deal I have at the moment. If a better mouse trap is invented I will be first in line to buy the new and improved mose trap. Cindy and friends keep fighting the fight, but until you win I will continue to support RCI witnh my dues and deposits until RCI capitulates, or until an acceptable alternative apears.


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## Jennie (Sep 10, 2009)

A small group of "Objectors" to the proposed settlement of the class action lawsuit against RCI, met with RCI for several hours on September 9, 2009. Many issues were discussed.

We are awaiting their decisions re: changes we suggested to the terms of the settlement. Based upon the descisions, we will decide whether or not to continue to object. 

I asked about the decrease in trade power that occurred after the May 30th web site "dis enhancements".  An RCI official sheepishly admitted that it had accidentally occurred when they were making other extensive planned changes to the web site. Another RCI employee said that the errors would be corrected on September 18.

I asked if it would only be corrected for the members who noticed it and called in to complain. The rep stated that not all members were affected but all who were will have their correct power restored on September 18 even if they did not call or otherwise question it.

Please let me know if that does not occur.


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 10, 2009)

Jennie, this is great news!  Now bnoble will also get his trading power put back as it was!  So everyone will get a trading power adjustment.  

Carole Ablett acted like I was the only one who had proof (and I admit I complained non-stop).  I remember talking to her early on, about two weeks after the big drop in exchange power, when lgreenspan gave me her name.  I was told after several days of waiting for her to figure things out, "200,000 weeks were re-evaluated during the enhancement and given their appropriate trading power."  She also told me that I would notice a drop in trading power for all of my weeks, because they have more supply than need.  Then why haven't I seen a single Foxrun summer week on RCI for months?  That doesn't hold water. 

It helps to complain.  If RCI had hundreds of complaints, which would have been a small number of people here on TUG, this might have happened long ago.  Trading power is supposed to be set at the time of deposit.  

I believe my complaints helped in this decision to bring back our trading power.


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## urple2 (Sep 10, 2009)

> I believe my complaints helped in this decision to bring back our trading power.



I'm sure it was a big help.

It sure would seem to be a huge endeavor for RCI to return all the trade power to all those Wyndham owners with points deposits. I know I lost about 30,000 units. Those with generic deposits wouldn't see the difference.

I'd be surprised to see an increase back to what they were with these point deposits...  Here's hoping and yes complaining too...lol


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## djyamyam (Sep 10, 2009)

*Use it up if you can*

If RCI truly does correct the TP issue on Sept 18, make sure you book something with the deposits that saw an increase in trade power as a result of the May adjustment.  I'm sure that not everything was a drop in trade-power as those that saw an increase definitely didn't complain.  If theirs goes back down, listen for the screaming again.


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## bnoble (Sep 11, 2009)

> I believe my complaints helped in this decision to bring back our trading power.


I'm still skeptical, and will be until it actually happens.  But, I'll be the first to admit that I was wrong if it does.

My hat's off to you, either way, Cindy.


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## Carolinian (Sep 11, 2009)

I'll bet you could find some independent exchange companies that would take your deposits.



tombo said:


> I applaud Cindy and others who are fighting the battle with RCI and I hope they win. I wish RCI was legally forbidden from renting weeks deposited by owners because owners deposit weeks for other owners to exchange for, not for RCI to rent for profit. However I am afraid that RCI is the best choice for many of us. I have many weeks that trade only with RCI, and without RCI weeks that I can't rent to others would be totally wasted. I hate that I have to deposit with RCI when I know that some of my deposited weeks wiil be rented out, and I am mad because I know that some weeks I could have traded for will be robbed from me by a renter that RCI sold my week to. RCI is crooked and greedy, but it is the best deal I have at the moment. If a better mouse trap is invented I will be first in line to buy the new and improved mose trap. Cindy and friends keep fighting the fight, but until you win I will continue to support RCI witnh my dues and deposits until RCI capitulates, or until an acceptable alternative apears.


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 11, 2009)

bnoble said:


> I'm still skeptical, and will be until it actually happens.  But, I'll be the first to admit that I was wrong if it does.
> 
> My hat's off to you, either way, Cindy.



Thanks, Brian.  I probably didn't affect things much, but Carole seemed to take my proof of the trading power drop to heart, and she said I was the only one who could prove what I was claiming.  I think past exchanges should be further proof, and if she had looked at what others could get before after the dis-enhancements (I think it was you who coined that word, and I like it), she would have seen the inconsistencies.  I received a 2 bedroom exchange to Shearwater in January with one of my summer Val Chatelle weeks, just before 5/30, so certainly she could have seen that I wasn't pulling anything like that with my nearly identical weeks.  

Carole has been monitoring my account every few days.  I know when she does because there is a notation on my account of an additional week that I cannot search against.  It says a guide will have to search for me.  Then it disappears after a day. 

There are many alternative exchange companies, and they will be getting many of my weeks.  I am excited at the possibilities of exchanges through several, including Trading Places Maui and Hawaiian Timeshare Exchange.


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## patty5ia (Sep 11, 2009)

Cindy, does this mean that all deposits made before the dis-enhancement will be returned to their original trade power, or only deposits of those who complain to RCI?


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## bnoble (Sep 11, 2009)

> I think it was you who coined that word, and I like it


'tweren't me.  I use _The Great Unpleasantness._


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 11, 2009)

bnoble said:


> 'tweren't me.  I use _The Great Unpleasantness._



I like that one too.

Patty, I think we are all going to see this change-- either this weekend or next.  When I went to RCI today, I saw they would be down for almost 24 hours, from Saturday to Sunday night, then when I went back later, the message was gone.   

I wonder how many people had increases in trading power.  I had five drop, and one had a slight increase (not enough to grab a week now).


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## jamstew (Sep 11, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> When I went to RCI today, I saw they would be down for almost 24 hours, from Saturday to Sunday night, then when I went back later, the message was gone.



I got the following email from RCI yesterday:

"Dear Jamie,

On Sunday, September 13th, the RCI® Member Services office will be closed for regularly scheduled maintenance. We will resume our normal business hours on Monday, September 14, 2009 at 7:00 a.m. EST. If you have any urgent travel issues, please feel free to contact an RCI® Vacation Guide prior to 6:00 p.m. EST on September 12th. 

To speak with an RCI® Vacation Guide, call 1-800-338-7777 during operating hours.

We apologize for the inconvenience. 

Your RCI® Team"

Not sure what it means. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but not getting my hopes up.


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## alexadeparis (Sep 13, 2009)

This is what it says right now:
Due to scheduled system maintenance, RCI subscribing members will be unable to access their online accounts from: Saturday, September 12th, 8:48 pm through Sunday, September 13th, 6:00 pm eastern time. The RCI.com Resort Directory will continue to be available during this time. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.


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## djyamyam (Sep 17, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Update on the RCI letters I have written:
> 
> Carole Ablett did call me today to say our trading power of our weeks will be restored to the original level by 9/18 for our weeks in our account.  We will see, I am not holding my breath, but I am hoping she is correct.



D day is a few hours away.  We'll see if anything happens.  Be ready to be underwhelmed!


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## Tia (Sep 29, 2009)

Why is there a 2004 calander topic at the start of this thread?

Did RCI change back anyones trade power like some thought?


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 29, 2009)

Tia said:


> Why is there a 2004 calander topic at the start of this thread?
> 
> Did RCI change back anyones trade power like some thought?



My trading power was not restored fully, but it is much better.  I used to see DVC in large numbers, now I only see one bedrooms at Saratoga Springs and Wilderness Lodge Villas.  Disappointing for me, but I did get two of my weeks back from RCI and was glad to get them back.


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