RCI Changes My Resort Exchange!

[bnoble]

It seems like there are a few factors at work.

One: RCI just does more volume. With more volume, there will be more screw-ups, even if they screw up no more often than anyone else.

Two: RCI has in the past been known to let members withdraw deposited units after the fact. We used to read about this here from time to time---some TUGger deposits, gets a poor trade power valuation, complains, and eventually gets their unit back, even though someone traded into it. The TUGger is really happy that "RCI did the right thing." But, someone else had a confirmed exchange cancelled on them at the same time, so maybe not so "right". IMO, if deposit is to be a final transaction, then it should be final. Hopefully, the new transparency rules will reduce this.

Three: in many cases, deposit confirmation seems to be a manual process. Each resort has its own system, and it seems like at least two different people handle each one---someone at the resort, and someone at RCI. It's not surprising that sometimes some things fall through the cracks---not checking that fees are current, getting the check-in date wrong, what have you. That's not acceptable, and it shouldn't happen, but people do make mistakes.

Four: sometimes, things go wrong that aren't the fault of RCI, the owner of the deposited week, or even the resort---if a unit has to be taken out of service for some unforeseen reason, then it has to be taken out of service. That's not always predictable, and there really is nothing you can do.

In the past folks have reported that RCI was very helpful in making things right when something like this happens---the "supervisor" assigned to the case generally tries to make the exchanger happy. And, that's as it should be---even when it isn't RCI's fault. It's unfortunate that the OP didn't really get a comparable unit, and it's possible that one just didn't exist, but if anyone finds themselves in this position, don't be shy about saying "that's not acceptable" if they give you an alternative that isn't up to snuff. Sometimes they can pull a rabbit out of a hat.

Finally, this has happened to me, but with a very happy outcome. I had exchanged into a 2BR at Powhatan. About a month later, RCI calls me, and leaves a message on my answering machine that there was a problem with my exchange, with the name and direct number of the supervisor assigned to my case. Fearing the worst, I called back, only to have the supervisor tell me that the owner made a mistake, and didn't want to deposit his lockoff as two 2BRs, but as one 4BR. So, she asked me if I was willing to accept the 4BR instead of a 2BR.

Um yeah, I *suppose* so, if I have to. We had a nice week and were able to invite some friends along whom we had not seen in years. For a variety of reasons, they had not taken a vacation in quite some time, so it was a wonderful opportunity for us to give them that gift.

 

[Carolinian]

Well, no surprise, Tombo, to see you highly supportive of RCI no matter what the issue.

It appears to me that RCI has a problem of letting resorts off the hook for their confirmation of deposits, more so than other exchange companies. Fault may indeed vary from case to case, but exchange companies like RCI should expect resorts to honor their confirmations of deposits.

You posted 3 or 4 times in this thread that you constantly read this about RCI. Hasit ever happened to you? To anyone you know personally? With 1.4 million members and 741,000 exchanges in 2009 alone, I rarelly read about this happening, and when I do there are a handfull of people that share their personal stories of this happening to them, not hordes of exchangers relating their similar events. Search the archives and see the last time someone else posted on TUG that this happened to them.

Having a confirmed exchanged cancelled for ANY REASON is unacceptable. It should NEVER happen. I would raise cain and get a superviser immediatelly if it happened to me, but to not use RCI because 4 people on TUG said it happened to them over the last 5 years or so is kind of throwing the baby out with the bath isn't it? How about looking at the fact that it HASN"T happened to the far majority of exchangers EVER? How many people here have made hundreds of exchanges with RCI over decades without ever having a problem? If you will not participate in any program that is not perfect, then you can't exchange with anyone. Companies and people do make mistakes on occassion.

One person on this thread said it happened with their deposit with DAE. One post about a DAE mistake is a lot higher percentage of mess ups comparing the volume of DAE and RCI. Right now DAE only has 178 weeks for exchange in the entire US for 2011 and 2012. RCI has over 68000. Percentage wise one mess up with DAE is much worse. Do you now rule out DAE?

Interval International has their problems too. Just read the post above mine or read through these threads.
http://www.complaintsboard.com/bycompany/interval-international-a31778.html

Under the SFX exchanges current thread here on TUG, 2 of 8 posters are not happy with SFX. One said they eventually got the exchanges they want after long periods of time and a lot of work, and the other has yet to receive an exchange they want. I guess one has to rule out SFX as an exchange company too. Who wants to use an exchange company where you can't get the exchange you want? You constantly seem to read those posts about SFX too.

The Better Business Bureau gives this caveat to complaints about businesses:
"When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints."

Out of the 4 people who say that it has happened to them on this thread, all have had RCI work with them to rectify the situation. Some ended up with the week/resort they originally had, some had their week/points restored to their account, some got another resort. Not all were happy with what RCI did for them, but RCI did try to work with each of them to make a bad situation better. I am not excusing their mistakes, but using the BBB criteria of number of complaints compared to the volume of transactions and the firm's responses to complaints, I can't see how one can say to never use RCI. If one uses the same criteria of not exchanging with any company that has posts by people upset about the company's exchanges, then I guess exchanging with any company is out.

I would not rule out II, SFX, DAE, or RCI because of an occassional post about the company not doing what they should every single time. I will read each post to get a feel for what happened and how the company tried to make it right. Constant screw ups, poor response to the customers, and lack of action by the company to make it right would make me stop using them, not an occassional mistake.

I also will not stop eating at a restaurant when the far majority of people had great meals and great experiences, but where a few posted about their meals which were not good. I won't turn down an exchange to a resort where most travellers rated it highly on TUG, RCI, Trip Adviser ,etc, but a few posted about problems. If a few posts about mistakes makes a company unacceptable, don't read about resorts or restaurants on Trip Adviser because every location/resort/restaurant has a few people posting who did not have a good experience. I try to be like gymnastics judges and throw out the highs and lows to get a better average. Heck if you read the negative posts on Trip Adviser TUG, etc, about your own resorts, you might not want to stay there anymore. JMHO.

 

[dougp26364]

The ratio of complaints about last minute cancelations between RCI and all others heavily favors RCI as the exchange company not to rely on. While I.I. might be a little more than half the size of RCI, you just don't read about dissatisfied members as much. There's a lot more drama with RCI when it comes to exchanging. Either in terms of varying trade power, excessive rentals available but no exchanges available, mysteriously disappearing reservations or any other of a number of issues.

 

[tombo]

The ratio of complaints about last minute cancelations between RCI and all others heavily favors RCI as the exchange company not to rely on. While I.I. might be a little more than half the size of RCI, you just don't read about dissatisfied members as much. There's a lot more drama with RCI when it comes to exchanging. Either in terms of varying trade power, excessive rentals available but no exchanges available, mysteriously disappearing reservations or any other of a number of issues.

Where do you get these facts and figures? I have not seen a ratio of complaints to exchanges listed anywhere. Please reference this data base for all to peruse.

ON RARE OCCASSIONS someone posts that they had an exchange cancelled or changed by RCI, II, SFX, DAE, etc. Please reference posts on TUG where this happens often from any exchange company and also the threads where it has happened to frequent numbers of exchangers. Simply hit search and find the number of threads and number of TUGGERS who have had this happen to them in the last 2 years for example. Something this pervasive has to be posted about monthly if not weekly. Heck weekly someone posts about crime in Mexico starting that debate. Almost daily someone posts about a developer or web site ripping someone off when they sold them a timeshare. Surelly these 10,000's of exchangers who had their confirmed exchange taken fromthem will make a post about it. I just can't seem to find but a few here and there. I pass the baton to one who has researched it so much better to show us the facts and figures and where we can all read them. Thanks for researching it for all of us and showing us RCI's frequent and blatant disregard for it's members.


Yes I like RCI overall, but I have had my complaints with RCI in the past and recently. I have never had an exchange not honored when I arrived or cancelled before my trip. It can happen, but knock on wood so far it has not happened to me.

On the other hand I had a major problem with adding Platinum to my accounts a couple of weeks ago and I went through MANY supervisers on the phone and I sent several rude e-mails before they corrected a problem they screwed up on my accounts. I was fit to be tied and threatened to quit RCI. They showed me and cancelled my accounts!!!! I really blew up then sending e-mails and calling asking to have my Points, my TPU's, and my confirmed exchanges returned to me. I had 4 upcoming confirmed exchanges cancelled when they cancelled my accounts, almost 80,000 points lost, and over 80 TPU's gone. They said you cancelled your account. I said no I said I ought to cancel it, but I never said cancel it. It was finally restored but if you could talk to any of the supervisers i dealt with i doubt you could find one who would call me an RCI suppoerter or fan. However to be honest I didn't know how much I relied on them for exchanges and to manage my weeks until they cancelled my accounts.


The reason I did not simply ignore this thread so as to not give Carolinian a chance to say here goes the RCI fan again is because in several posts you state that RCI does this often,and much more often than other exchange companies. You also say way to go to a poster who said they quit RCI which makes you appear less than objective. I am not denying that the cancellation of confirmed exchanges happens, I am not defending it in any way, but I have seen no evidence that any exchange company cancels confirmed exchanges on anything other than a rare basis, and I have seen ZERO evidence that RCI does it more than other exchange companies (especially when you factor in the total number of exchanges they do annually). I am still waiting on the web site location with the ratio of complaints to exchanges regarding RCI is located.Until I have read that data I must remain skeptical if not in downright denial. Please feel free to provide data that proves you are correct.

 

[cruisin]

At resorts I own, once the week is turned over to RCI, Thats it! The resort has transferred the right to use that week to RCI, its theirs period. This is totally unacceptable, if a resort has maintenence, they should schedule around it, that week is not theirs to cancel, unless it is a natural disaster.

 

[dougp26364]

Where do you get these facts and figures? I have not seen a ratio of complaints to exchanges listed anywhere. Please reference this data base for all to peruse.

ON RARE OCCASSIONS someone posts that they had an exchange cancelled or changed by RCI, II, SFX, DAE, etc. Please reference posts on TUG where this happens often from any exchange company and also the threads where it has happened to frequent numbers of exchangers. Simply hit search and find the number of threads and number of TUGGERS who have had this happen to them in the last 2 years for example. Something this pervasive has to be posted about monthly if not weekly. Heck weekly someone posts about crime in Mexico starting that debate. Almost daily someone posts about a developer or web site ripping someone off when they sold them a timeshare. Surelly these 10,000's of exchangers who had their confirmed exchange taken fromthem will make a post about it. I just can't seem to find but a few here and there. I pass the baton to one who has researched it so much better to show us the facts and figures and where we can all read them. Thanks for researching it for all of us and showing us RCI's frequent and blatant disregard for it's members.


Yes I like RCI overall, but I have had my complaints with RCI in the past and recently. I have never had an exchange not honored when I arrived or cancelled before my trip. It can happen, but knock on wood so far it has not happened to me.

On the other hand I had a major problem with adding Platinum to my accounts a couple of weeks ago and I went through MANY supervisers on the phone and I sent several rude e-mails before they corrected a problem they screwed up on my accounts. I was fit to be tied and threatened to quit RCI. They showed me and cancelled my accounts!!!! I really blew up then sending e-mails and calling asking to have my Points, my TPU's, and my confirmed exchanges returned to me. I had 4 upcoming confirmed exchanges cancelled when they cancelled my accounts, almost 80,000 points lost, and over 80 TPU's gone. They said you cancelled your account. I said no I said I ought to cancel it, but I never said cancel it. It was finally restored but if you could talk to any of the supervisers i dealt with i doubt you could find one who would call me an RCI suppoerter or fan. However to be honest I didn't know how much I relied on them for exchanges and to manage my weeks until they cancelled my accounts.


The reason I did not simply ignore this thread so as to not give Carolinian a chance to say here goes the RCI fan again is because in several posts you state that RCI does this often,and much more often than other exchange companies. You also say way to go to a poster who said they quit RCI which makes you appear less than objective. I am not denying that the cancellation of confirmed exchanges happens, I am not defending it in any way, but I have seen no evidence that any exchange company cancels confirmed exchanges on anything other than a rare basis, and I have seen ZERO evidence that RCI does it more than other exchange companies (especially when you factor in the total number of exchanges they do annually). I am still waiting on the web site location with the ratio of complaints to exchanges regarding RCI is located.Until I have read that data I must remain skeptical if not in downright denial. Please feel free to provide data that proves you are correct.

I suppose if I really wanted to put the effort into it, I could run through all the past threads and make a count. The problem is that's a couple of hours of my time I'll never get back and for what? Just to prove to a couple of posters that RCI has far more complaints than any of the other exchange companies. While it might be a "rare" occasion, that "rare" occasion happens considerably more frequently with RCI.

I don't have to do an actual count. All I have to do is be a participant on these forums to know that, every summer, there will be several "RCI canceled my exchange" threads. It's almost how I know it's really summer.

To be honest, it's getting so I'm no big fan of I.I. either. I see RCI style changes slowly taking place with Interval and, I've been migrating my ownerships into mini-systems where I feel there's still some exchange value. But, RCI takes the cake IMHO right now.

 

[dougp26364]

OK, so I had some free time. I put in two searches. Once for the word cancel and one for the word switch. It wouldn't surprise me if there are threads with other key words in them about the same topic. The final thread in this list was a thread asking if RCI had ever canceled an exchange, so that one thread might cover more ground than all the others.

Like I said in my post before, it might be a rare occasion but, that rare occassion seems to happen with great frequency with RCI. Why do I say this? I didn't see threads about I.I. canceling confirmed exchanges.

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125582&highlight=cancel
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109657&highlight=cancel
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109657&highlight=cancel
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85426&highlight=cancel
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110353&highlight=switch
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66719&highlight=switch
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42427&highlight=switch

I think what I'd like to see is a poll with very simple questions. Has (insert exchange companies name) ever cancelled a confirmed exchange?

It would be interesting to see how the various companies stack up. Even though I feel I see RCI's name pop up with more frequency, it could be that I either miss the others or, the others cancel reservations but, complaints don't get posted. I took a quick look but don't see how to post a poll. I'm sure it's easy enough but, I haven't attempted to post polls very often in forums.

 

[vckempson]

I second the motion for a poll. I' be interested in the seeing the resutls of that, as well.

 

[tombo]

OK, so I had some free time. I put in two searches. Once for the word cancel and one for the word switch. It wouldn't surprise me if there are threads with other key words in them about the same topic. The final thread in this list was a thread asking if RCI had ever canceled an exchange, so that one thread might cover more ground than all the others.

Like I said in my post before, it might be a rare occasion but, that rare occassion seems to happen with great frequency with RCI. Why do I say this? I didn't see threads about I.I. canceling confirmed exchanges.

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125582&highlight=cancel
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109657&highlight=cancel
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109657&highlight=cancel
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85426&highlight=cancel
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110353&highlight=switch
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66719&highlight=switch
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42427&highlight=switch

I think what I'd like to see is a poll with very simple questions. Has (insert exchange companies name) ever cancelled a confirmed exchange?

It would be interesting to see how the various companies stack up. Even though I feel I see RCI's name pop up with more frequency, it could be that I either miss the others or, the others cancel reservations but, complaints don't get posted. I took a quick look but don't see how to post a poll. I'm sure it's easy enough but, I haven't attempted to post polls very often in forums.

See facts beat jumping on the "I hate RCI bandwagon"every time someone has something bad to say about RCI. Lets look at the threads you found from people talking about this happening to them over the last 5 or more years.

1.The firstpost had zero cancelled confirmed exchanges, only a cancelled ongoing search.

2.The second and 3rd threads from 2009 are from the same person who said they had it happen to them because the resort disaffiliated from RCI (something Carolinian wants all resorts to do).

3.The 4th thread from 2009 has one person who had an extra vacation they purchased swapped to another resort near by. They could have cancelled and gotten their money back but did not. It was not a cancelled or swapped confirmed exchange.

4. The 5th thread from 2009 is from a poster who received the weeks/location they reserved at Ocean Walk but had the type of room they said they reserved changed. They said they had reserved for example one bed units with balconies and it was changed to one bed room with no balconies. They also said one unit was supposed tobe a 2 bed sleeps 10 but they got a 2 bed sleeps 8 missing a sleeper sofa. Unit types or views never have been guaranteed with RCI. In fact many resorts give owners the best views/unitsas resort policy leaving the worst for exchangers. For the guaranteed perk of best views/locations you need to own at the resort in many cases or rent from an owner who is guaranteed unit/view.

5. The 6th thread IS FROM 2008 (3 years ago) and the poster had a resort cancelled on SXM but received another 2 bed unit at a resort they themselves say they like better for the same dates.

6. The last post was from 2007 (looks like you had to go 4 years back to find posts). The OP said it happened to them once in 2006! They asked for a poll of how many ther TUGGERS had it happen to them. 10 people responded that they had ever had it happen to them,and all had RCI make it right to them with an alternative resort and/or some other incentives.

As I said before I know that it does happen on occassion and it should never happen. However in almost every case the cancellation was handled between RCI and the member in a fashion that was aceptable to the member in the end. To search for a 4 year period for threads asking about this happening to RCI members with less than 20 people (including the current thread) saying that situation EVER happened to them out of 1000's of TUG exchanges is not a huge problem, not something that happens often, or something that would be a reason to quit RCI unless you are the rare person who had it happen to you without RCI making it right.

By all means people should post when/if it happens to them to get advice from others and to let RCI know that a critical malfunction like a cancelled confirmed reservation is unacceptable and will be posted and discussed on the web giving them bad publicity. However to have everyone jump up and say RCI does it ALL THE TIME and MORE THAN OTHER EXCHANGE COMPANIES without really looking at the situation is not giving the correct information to people who might read the threads and really think it is something that they really need to worry about. IT IS FROM ALL EVIDENCE ON TUG A VERY RARE THING!!

Let's do another poll like they did in 2007. Last time 10 people on TUG responded that they ever had it happen to them. Let's see how many respond now, how many felt that RCI handled the situation to their satisfaction, and how many felt that RCI did not. There are few who exchange more than TUGGERS, and even among TUGGERS a post about this happening is VERY RARE as I expected. Let the poll begin.

 

[tombo]

PS. As I read through these I had to re-post one of Carolinians posts from March 2007:
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42427&highlight=switch
Carolinian:
"I have only had that happen once, some years ago, on a European exchange, about 2 months from check-in. They called me, gave me a substitute week, which because of the inconvenience from where I was flying into, they gave me the week free and gave my deposit and exchange fee back. I thought they handled it well, and the problem in that case was related to the resort, not one caused by RCI. "

Back in the mid 2000's Carolinian had a confirmed exchange cancelled, he acknowledged that it was the resort's fault (not RCI's), yet he was happy because RCI did more than they had to in order to make a situation right that they didn't cause right.

What a difference 4 years make. One can only assume today the same situation would be followed by a post blaming RCI for the mistake, accusing RCI of doing it constantly, blaming the cancellation on RCI's mistreatment of European resorts, omit or diminish RCI's efforts to make it right (even though it was not their fault), blame it on oversupply in Orlando, blame it on points lite allowing Orlando owners to take his confirmed exchange, assure all that RCI had taken his confirmed exchange and rented it to someone else, show the theft of his confirmed exchange as proof of the huge demand in Europe and limited supply, and of course be followed by the rally cry to quit RCI and never deposit or exchange with them again.

Times they are a changin......

 

[Laurie]

2.The second and 3rd threads from 2009 are from the same person who said they had it happen to them because the resort disaffiliated from RCI (something Carolinian wants all resorts to do).

This would be me. They did cancel those 2 confirmations because the resort actually closed, which they didn't tell me at the time. My level of frustration was higher than normal, because I'd already had 2 European cancellations - for no acceptable reason.

The first was "the person who deposited the week took it back." Huh, they allow that in RCI-Europe?? Here in the US, a banking is a one-way street, especially if someone has taken your deposit.

In the above case, it was a resort high on my list, and in fact had cancelled an earlier confirmation for same week to rearrange my itinerary. I had to eat the extra expense to myself for that.

The second was "the resort changed their schedule." Huh? This wasn't really a believable explanation, especially because shortly thereafter, a week for the exact same dates as my cancelled one matched to a fellow TUGger's ongoing search. It was just sitting there on computer hold in her account, and she didn't want it. But she notified me. That contradicted what I had been told: that a "specialist" would be scanning thru all incoming deposits for my replacement, before they were offered to any other RCI member. Clearly a lie.

Then, even tho she hadn't confirmed it, to get RCI to release it from her account and give it to me required jumping thru all sorts of hoops, involving written permission from this fellow TUGger and her husband. Huh??

So this sudden cancellation of yet 2 more European confirmations had my ire up. They were little help at finding alternatives, other than to lesser resorts in different regions of the same country. I saw something in their rental inventory, that was acceptable which I was requested - nope, they wouldn't do that, but I could PAY THEM FOR THE RENTAL (even tho they'd taken my deposits and rented them out). I finally got one acceptable exchange replacement (different region and country in fact), but not the second - so I found my own rental which I paid for out-of-pocket.

Since those 4 mentioned above, I had a 5th incidence - on the same trip as the above 2 consecutive cancellations. In this last case, it was a valid reason - the resort had flooded months earlier and hadn't gotten around to repairs yet - but do you think RCI could even keep on top of this and notify me? Nope. I stumbled into finding this out on my own, and only after many calls to both resort (who said they had notified RCI months prior) and RCI, could I even RCI them to acknowledge this. I ended up going out of pocket for my replacement here too - what they offered in replacement was many miles away, even tho the same country - even tho again, RCI told me I could PAY for a rental in the same location as my cancellation.

I love many of the exchanges I do get from RCI, and use them exclusively. But they are the pits at the way they deal with these situations. Their policies are IMO unconscionable.

They should use your original deposit (which they might be renting out for income anyway) to pay for an equivalent rental if they can't get you an equivalent exchange, period.

 

[dougp26364]

PS. As I read through these I had to re-post one of Carolinians posts from March 2007:
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42427&highlight=switch
Carolinian:
"I have only had that happen once, some years ago, on a European exchange, about 2 months from check-in. They called me, gave me a substitute week, which because of the inconvenience from where I was flying into, they gave me the week free and gave my deposit and exchange fee back. I thought they handled it well, and the problem in that case was related to the resort, not one caused by RCI. "

Back in the mid 2000's Carolinian had a confirmed exchange cancelled, he acknowledged that it was the resort's fault (not RCI's), yet he was happy because RCI did more than they had to in order to make a situation right that they didn't cause right.

What a difference 4 years make. One can only assume today the same situation would be followed by a post blaming RCI for the mistake, accusing RCI of doing it constantly, blaming the cancellation on RCI's mistreatment of European resorts, omit or diminish RCI's efforts to make it right (even though it was not their fault), blame it on oversupply in Orlando, blame it on points lite allowing Orlando owners to take his confirmed exchange, assure all that RCI had taken his confirmed exchange and rented it to someone else, show the theft of his confirmed exchange as proof of the huge demand in Europe and limited supply, and of course be followed by the rally cry to quit RCI and never deposit or exchange with them again.

Times they are a changin......

I posted a poll @ TS4M's since I didn't have the option here. So far, RCI is winning 3 to none but, the poll has only been up a couple of hours.

Like I said, searching through all the threads is time consuming and I'm not going to do it just to satisfy one or two posters. I think a poll would give us a more definitive idea rather than just our opinions. Since there is more activity on TUG, it would be nice to see a poll here as well.

I really don't care who's fault a cancellation might be. A cancelation can wreck havoc on a planned vacation. If it happens more frequently with one exchange company over the others, then there's a problem with that exchange company. IMHO, the buck stops at the exchange company. They're the one who is responsible for confirming a deposit. They're also the one responsible for allowing a confirmed deposit to be taken back after the fact. They're also the one who's responsible for enforcing any agreement with member resorts. If there are member resorts who are allowed to cancel deposits, the exchange company is at the top of the hill and should be enforcing rules or some code of ethics on member resorts or, disassociate those resorts who continually created situations where cancelations exist. It's bad business to ruin vacations when you're in the vacation business.

 

[Laurie]

I really don't care who's fault a cancellation might be. A cancelation can wreck havoc on a planned vacation ... IMHO, the buck stops at the exchange company. They're the one who is responsible for confirming a deposit. ... It's bad business to ruin vacations when you're in the vacation business.

I agree with this!

Can you imagine buying an airline ticket, getting to the airport to find out your flight's been cancelled for any reason (or maybe a letter, a week or 2 prior), and having the airline only offer you the choice of a ticket to somewhere else, or your money back?

After thousands of customer hours which may have gone into the planning of a vacation to a specific location, and other expenses often incurred by the customer - and given that RCI rents our deposits and has access to all sorts of other rental inventory already - their lack of customer service in these scenarios is appalling.

 

[bnoble]

I think a poll would give us a more definitive idea rather than just our opinions.

Except that your poll doesn't quite tell us what we want to know. The interesting questions are (a) what's the *rate* at which exchanges are cancelled (to account for volume) and (b) how often does the exchange company make good on it vs. how often they do not? That tells you a lot more about whether or not to use a particular exchange company.

 

[Carolinian]

Well, as usual, your assumptions would be wrong, Tombo.

Unlike your constant brownnosing of RCI, I have always called it like I saw it with them. Where they deserved credit, I have had no problem giving it to them. Where their misdeeds deserve to be exposed, as on their rentals to the general public and the unfair relationship between Points and Weeks, both of which I have been critical of them on long before 2007, I have no problem calling them out on it. I am not inherently pro or anti RCI, just pro-timeshare owner and pro-HOA.

Thank you for pointing out that I treat each aspect of RCI on a rational basis, quite the contrast with your own emotional attachment to them.

PS. As I read through these I had to re-post one of Carolinians posts from March 2007:
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42427&highlight=switch
Carolinian:
"I have only had that happen once, some years ago, on a European exchange, about 2 months from check-in. They called me, gave me a substitute week, which because of the inconvenience from where I was flying into, they gave me the week free and gave my deposit and exchange fee back. I thought they handled it well, and the problem in that case was related to the resort, not one caused by RCI. "

Back in the mid 2000's Carolinian had a confirmed exchange cancelled, he acknowledged that it was the resort's fault (not RCI's), yet he was happy because RCI did more than they had to in order to make a situation right that they didn't cause right.

What a difference 4 years make. One can only assume today the same situation would be followed by a post blaming RCI for the mistake, accusing RCI of doing it constantly, blaming the cancellation on RCI's mistreatment of European resorts, omit or diminish RCI's efforts to make it right (even though it was not their fault), blame it on oversupply in Orlando, blame it on points lite allowing Orlando owners to take his confirmed exchange, assure all that RCI had taken his confirmed exchange and rented it to someone else, show the theft of his confirmed exchange as proof of the huge demand in Europe and limited supply, and of course be followed by the rally cry to quit RCI and never deposit or exchange with them again.

Times they are a changin......

 

[tombo]

Well, as usual, your assumptions would be wrong, Tombo.

Unlike your constant brownnosing of RCI, I have always called it like I saw it with them. Where they deserved credit, I have had no problem giving it to them. Where their misdeeds deserve to be exposed, as on their rentals to the general public and the unfair relationship between Points and Weeks, both of which I have been critical of them on long before 2007, I have no problem calling them out on it. I am not inherently pro or anti RCI, just pro-timeshare owner and pro-HOA.

Thank you for pointing out that I treat each aspect of RCI on a rational basis, quite the contrast with your own emotional attachment to them.

Good spin.

The fact is that in the past the majority of your RCI posts were neutral to possibly pro-RCI. Sometimes a negative post about RCI from you years ago, and often a positive.

You have not posted anything positive about RCI in months (if not years) other than you like to use their cheap rentals. Feel free to reference pro RCI posts in recent months. I doubt you will find a single one. I sure don't recall reading one.

 

[Carolinian]

Good spin.

The fact is that in the past the majority of your RCI posts were neutral to possibly pro-RCI. Sometimes a negative post about RCI from you years ago, and often a positive.

You have not posted anything positive about RCI in months (if not years) other than you like to use their cheap rentals. Feel free to reference pro RCI posts in recent months. I doubt you will find a single one. I sure don't recall reading one.

Funny thing about that. You yourself have posted quite recently that I have posted that RCI's cheap rentals are a good deal. That is certainly a positive comment on them! With what they have done with Points Lite, there is really not much positive out there to say these days. Until that came along, I disagreed with those who said cancel your membership and get a refund. My position was that while I was not optimistic, I thought it was worth holding on at least until one's existing membership ran out to see if things got better. I also tended to give them one week at a time on deposit, usually a high demand summer UK week that would vanish to an ongoing search (or to their rental pool) as soon as it was deposited. Since my trust level in them was low given their rentals, I always limited it to one week at a time. When I heard that Points Lite was coming, I found an exchange for that one and zeroed out my deposits. And when one supposed insider posted that Points Lite would include trading in a range and the number we would be shown was the top of the range we were in, I actually posted that if they did that it might not be so bad after all. Of course, the other supposed insider who said it would an exact number system turned out to be right.

And I have made a number of neutral posts on RCI on several timeshare sites, listing both good and bad or simply information, such as this one: http://www.timeshareforums.com/forums/rci/112155-rci-weeks-points-lite-plusses-minuses-2.html

I really have no inherent like or dislike of RCI itself, but I disagree strenuously with a number of their policies since Cendant / Wyndham have taken over because those policies are bad for timesharing.

 

[tombo]

I agree with this!

Can you imagine buying an airline ticket, getting to the airport to find out your flight's been cancelled for any reason (or maybe a letter, a week or 2 prior), and having the airline only offer you the choice of a ticket to somewhere else, or your money back?

After thousands of customer hours which may have gone into the planning of a vacation to a specific location, and other expenses often incurred by the customer - and given that RCI rents our deposits and has access to all sorts of other rental inventory already - their lack of customer service in these scenarios is appalling.

I have had more than one flight cancelled due to weather. I received zero compensation. My choices were to take the next available flight or get a refund. I could pay for a motel room myself, sleep in the airport, or go home if it was my first leg. The cancellation was beyond their control.

2 of your cancellations were because the resort closed. That is beyond RCI's control. They offered you resorts that were unacceptable to you. What else could they do? They can't make the resort re-open. It is very bad that it happened to you and I hope it will never happen to anyone again,but if a resort closes or tells RCI that they no longer have a room available after RCI confirmed an exchange, what else can they do other than offer you a refund or similar accomodations in the same area?

I have had flights cancelled for reasons other than weather where they gave me a cheap motel room and a small meal allowance since they could not get me out until the next day. They did not pay for me a first class ticket on another airline to get me to my destination on time. They did not pay me for my motel room I had reserved which could not be cancelled. They did not give me my money back plus my flight free the next day. Under the new laws what I receive might be different, but before the government legislated change you received whatever they felt like giving you.

I recently had an airline flight changed. I received an e-mail telling me of my new flight times and new flight number. No options, no compensation.

Airlines might not be the best example.

 

[Margariet]

I have had more than one flight cancelled due to weather. I received zero compensation. My choices were to take the next available flight or get a refund. I could pay for a motel room myself, sleep in the airport, or go home if it was my first leg. The cancellation was beyond their control.

2 of your cancellations were because the resort closed. That is beyond RCI's control. They offered you resorts that were unacceptable to you. What could they do, make the resort re-open? It is very bad that it happened to you and I hope it will never happen to anyone again,but if the resort closes or tells RCI that they no longer have a room available, what else can they do?

I have had flights cancelled for reasons other than weather where they gave me a cheap motel room and a small meal allowance since they could not get me out until the next day. They did not pay for me a first class ticket on another airline to get me to my destination on time. They did not give me my money back plus my flight free the next day. Under the new laws what I receive might be different, but before the government legislated change you received whatever they felt like giving you.

I recently had an airline flight changed. I received an e-mail telling me of my new flight times and new flight number. No options, no compensation.

Airlines might not be the best example.

Totally agree! Wanted to respond but your American is better than mine. Don't start about airlines! There are many forums filled with complaints about their customer service. What airlines can do to you is uncomparable: cancellations, no refunds, waiting times, no food, no drinks, changing of destination airports, and no transport to your original destination, changing of fligh times, yes, overbooked, and loosing your luggage ... And back to the topic: never had my RCI booking cancelled by RCI. I don't understand why RCI would cancel, that must have been the resort.

 

[dougp26364]

Except that your poll doesn't quite tell us what we want to know. The interesting questions are (a) what's the *rate* at which exchanges are cancelled (to account for volume) and (b) how often does the exchange company make good on it vs. how often they do not? That tells you a lot more about whether or not to use a particular exchange company.

It tells me what I need to know. That being which exchange company is most likely to cancel my reservation. Even if they make good on it, they're NOT reliable when you don't know what resort you're staying at, what size unit you'll get or even what your check in day will be.

I don't want a company that has to make good on their screw up. Especially if it happens more than once. I want the exchange company to get it right the first time. This should be a no brainer. The exchange company confirms the deposit, they take custody of the deposited unit with respect to ability to use that unit and, they confirm and exchange reservation into that unit. Seems pretty darn simple to me.

 

[bnoble]

Answer copied from OY:

I get that. But, for argument's sake, let's suppose that RCI confirms ten times as many exchanges as any other (probably true for all except II). If they had five cancellations, that's about the same rate as zero for anyone else.

The fact that it happens is not the question---it could happen with any exchange company, because they don't directly control the inventory, though they do make their best efforts to verify that occupancy will be possible. Instead, the question for me is how *likely* is it to happen, and how hard they work to make things right when it does.

Going back to my specific case: technically I have had an exchange cancelled. I booked a 2BR for those dates, and didn't get it. But, instead I had a 4BR for those dates. Should I be unhappy? Probably not.

 

[Laurie]

My choices were to take the next available flight or get a refund.

OK, maybe not the best example - but the airlines' policy (as far as I know, and always my experience) is to get you rebooked as fast as possible to the same destination for which you purchased a ticket - not just offer you a choice between refund or a ticket to somewhere else in the country, as if that's just as good!

 

[GKK]

Letter went out to RCI today....we will see how they respond. I told them I
did not want another vacation. I would appreciate my exchange fee back,
( they would still get to keep the extra $69 I spent to extend my week to get this resort) or extend my RCI fee.
GKK

 

[tombo]

OK, maybe not the best example - but the airlines' policy (as far as I know, and always my experience) is to get you rebooked as fast as possible to the same destination for which you purchased a ticket - not just offer you a choice between refund or a ticket to somewhere else in the country, as if that's just as good!

The difference s that the airline ALWAYS has more seats to the same destination, maybe not on this flight, but on the next or the next, or the next. If RCI has you booked at a resort that has shut, they can not access the same resort so their only choice is to book you at the nearest location where they have availability. Even if the resort is still open and for some reason they tell RCI that the week they had promised is no longer available, and if RCI doesn't have an alternative week at the same resort to give you, unlike the airline they don't own the inventory and can't create a week to give you. The airline can simply book you on the next available flight to that location, and they probably have several flights to that location daily, many which have empty seats.

RCI only can assign weeks to it's members that other members or resorts give to them. They don't actually own or control any weeks. RCI has to take the resort at their word when they confirm a deposit with the resort. If the resort makes a mistake, RCI can not take a week from an owner at that resort to make up for it.

The airline owns the planes, books the seats, charges you what you paid for your flight, makes 100% of the profit on what you paid, and so they can assure you a flight to your exact destination in the near future.

 

[dougp26364]

I don't hold cancelations due to natural disasters or resorts closing in the same regard to an exchange comany cancelling and exchange because they or the resort made a mistake. Allowing owners to cancel a deposit when it's already been confirmed as an exchange is poor business practice. Allowing a resort to cancel deposits because they couldn't look at their renovation schedule is unacceptable.

Right now, RCI appears to be the leader in both rented owner deposits and cancelled vacations. While it's good to be the largest and be #1, this is one catagory being #1 in isn't so good.