RCI Exchange Fees -- Yikes!

[clifffaith]

It's been years since we did an II or RCI exchange, we use our DRI and Worldmark resorts extensively/almost exclusively. So someone was asking on the Wmk Facebook page about how one would go about doing an RCI exchange. Turns out it can be done from the Wmk website quite easily, so I was playing with it for the first time last night. I wasn't planning to book anything, but as it happened I found a week in a driveable studio for 4000 Wmk credits and we decided to book it. Wowza! They wanted $230 for an exchange fee! I was expecting something like $99, or may be $129 at most. Is $230 the new standard rate? I already pay something monthly in my maintenance fees for Travelshare which includes RCI access, so I should have full RCI membership benefits.

 

[rapmarks]

Yes


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[clifffaith]

And apparently on top of the points and the $230, they take a Housekeeping Token or money equivalent too! Way too rich for my blood unless we were wanting to get in somewhere "exotic" or "big city".

 

[rhonda]

I'm rapidly reaching a mindset of, "No point!" in RCI.

 

[sue1947]

That $230 is equal to about 3300 credits. In other words: That exchange week cost you about 7300 credits for a week if booking with WM credits. Still a good deal. That HK or any other fees are going to be paid whether it's an exchange or not.
Now if you eliminate those TS fees and use II instead of RCI, you'd be way ahead of the game.

Sue

 

[philemer]

That $230 is equal to about 3300 credits. In other words: That exchange week cost you about 7300 credits for a week if booking with WM credits. Still a good deal. That HK or any other fees are going to be paid whether it's an exchange or not.
Now if you eliminate those TS fees and use II instead of RCI, you'd be way ahead of the game.

Sue

The problem with II is that they don't offer as many weeks, worldwide, as RCI. What's the ratio?

 

[sue1947]

The problem with II is that they don't offer as many weeks, worldwide, as RCI. What's the ratio?

Yes, RCI has more resorts, but not much that I want. As a result, whatever the ratio is, it's irrelevant. II has more high quality resorts in the areas I want to go for less money so I choose to go with II. I joined RCI for access to a couple of resorts I wanted to visit. I've done that and now only use it for an occasional Extra Vacation and an ongoing search for one resort that I have virtually no chance of getting. I'll renew if the membership fee is in the $50-60/year, otherwise it's not worth it to me.

Sue

 

[PearlCity]

Yes, RCI has more resorts, but not much that I want. As a result, whatever the ratio is, it's irrelevant. II has more high quality resorts in the areas I want to go for less money so I choose to go with II. I joined RCI for access to a couple of resorts I wanted to visit. I've done that and now only use it for an occasional Extra Vacation and an ongoing search for one resort that I have virtually no chance of getting. I'll renew if the membership fee is in the $50-60/year, otherwise it's not worth it to me.

Sue

Yeah I let my RCI membership expire.. the lack of DVC deposits, decreasing HGVC Hawaii deposits.. no longer attractive when we have II to trade with...