I signed up just to explain this to you. I used to read your posts when I was employed at RCI, simply to understand the mindset of some of the members I spoke to who seemed chronically unhappy.
The reason for having the downward filter might seem simplistic, but if you had to take phone calls on the weekend at RCI, you would understand after one or two shifts. They do it to prevent owners of Gold Crown properties calling in to complain about their units. You would be amazed at the number of people who don't do any research on the unit they are booking. If I had a dollar for every time I saw or heard of a member freaking out about the Banyan Club in Oahu, I would be a richer man. The reviews are quite frank, and most vacation guides will do anything possible to steer members from that resort.
It is for those situations that RCI has the trade down "block" in place. It creates too many problems, wastes phone time, and makes members unhappy.
I definitely get it. It hurts the ordinary resorts to have people with high expectations to stay there, too.
We own at a very ordinary ski resort, in Winter Park, CO, not in Summit or Eagle counties, where people want to be. Needs some new furniture, needs some paint and carpet, very cheap board of directors, etc. Cannot get them to do anything really substantial to create a quality unit. They won't assess, won't increase fees by more than $25 per year, we have a huge vacancy rate, and the units just get worse every year.
Some Hilton owners, and other high-quality resort owners, have been assigned to our resort after RCI made huge mistakes with availability.
For example, RCI assigned too many people to units in Summit County for prime ski season, especially weeks 51 and 52 last year, and had to switch those people to our resort. We are not where they wanted to be, so we were dinged for everything on the RCI comment cards: unit quality, area, amenities, and absolutely anything they could throw at us, we suffered for it.
We noticed the units those exchangers used for trade, while reviewing the scores, and Hiltons were in several. I don't want Hilton owners exchanging into my resorts, not even our Summit County resort. They are too picky and don't realize that they are hurting US when they give us all bad scores, simply because the unit quality is not what they expect.
Take your ridiculous expectations of flatscreens and plush furniture to an equally nice place to what you own. Stay away from podunk, dinky little resorts that have limited amenities, no activities and average accommdations. Don't take a replacement week in another county that you don't want and then gripe about it.
Actual comments:
"We were told we had a unit in Breckenridge, but RCI overbooked, so we were stuck here, in this awful "resort". It smells and has nothing to do. The hot tubs are cold. The shuttle that takes you to the ski resort doesn't come by quickly enough. It's boring here, if you don't ski. On the bright side, if there is one, there is a crockpot in the unit that saved us time and money buying food in the evenings." This was a Hilton owner.
"This is no where near where we wanted to be for a new years week of skiing. this place sucks." Another Hilton owner.
"The unit quality is lacking for sure. We haven't been so disappointed in our lives. RCI gave us back our week of deposit, and that is the only right thing to do." Orange Lake owner.
In Summit County, our resort has few amenities, but we do have private one-car garages, private hot tubs on each deck, and a full-sized washer and dryer, and 2 1/2 baths. Yet the exchangers actually say we have no amenities. How does RCI define amenities? Pools, clubhouses, exercise facilities, etc. Our "resort" doesn't have a pool, and it only has tennis courts, and a playground, and BBQ grills. That's it. So I guess Hilton owners think that is NO amenities.
