Latest RCI BS [??] [2012]

[iowateach]

I received a call last Friday wanting me to come to a local restaurant for dinner tonight where someone from RCI would be there to talk to me. Of course they wouldn't tell me what it was about. There are two of us on the account. I have been trying to remove the other name for years to no avail even though the timeshare property associated with the account number no longer exists. The other account holder lives out of state and now belongs to II and hasn't used RCI in at least eight years. His name is first on the account, and when I print out a confirmation, sometimes my name doesn't show up at all. That takes some explaining when I try to check in.

I explained all this to the woman who had called. She said she'd get back to me. When I didn't hear from her, I called RCI this morning. The explanation I received from them was I would have to change the deed to our other two timeshares in order to remove the other name. I told them I had no intention of spending hundreds of dollars to change the deed just to remove a name from my RCI account. Their second suggestion was to use up my banked weeks, then close my account, and reopen it under a different account number.

Long story short . . . I went to the dinner where they wouldn't talk to me (or pay for dinner) because both RCI account members weren't there. I did find out it had something to do with the lawsuit settlement, but from what I overheard at the next table, it mostly had to do with points which I don't have. The guy in charge was purposely very busy when I asked to speak with him before I left. While I know I will be wasting my time, I will be writing a letter to RCI to suggest yet another option . . . I use my two weeks and then drop my membership entirely.

 

[tschwa2]

This group wasn't from RCI. It was from some third party organization who is trying to get you to pay to upgrade to RCI points. Like the original developers the presenters are high pressure commissioned sales people. RCI does not sell RCI points but allows resorts to contract out to convert current owners.

In terms of changing your RCI account and removing the other person's name it should be easy if they are no longer on the deed or membership. You should be able to get it changed by faxing the info to RCI. If you are still sharing a TS but not the RCI account you should see if you can go about closing your current account and opening one in your name only.

If you are the only owner of the TS, it probably would be worth it to get the other person to sign a quit claim deed and file it. It shouldn't cost more than $35-$100 to do it yourself. When you go to sell or give away the timeshare it will be much easier if you don't have to work with the other person.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Any Chance It Was Some Different RCI ?

I received a call last Friday wanting me to come to a local restaurant for dinner tonight where someone from RCI would be there to talk to me.

RCI's biz model is managing timeshare exchanges & rentals, not selling anything. It seems highly unlikely that that RCI would be putting on restaurant-based sales presentations of any kind.

That raises the possibility that the "RCI" wanting you to come to dinner was some totally different organization which deliberately chose a name -- e.g., Really Cool Intervals or Resort Celebration Industries or some such -- whose initials just happened to come out the same as those of the real RCI.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[theo]

It's BS alright, but (...for once) it's NOT BS from RCI...

This group wasn't from RCI. It was from some third party organization who is trying to get you to pay to upgrade to RCI points. Like the original developers the presenters are high pressure commissioned sales people. RCI does not sell RCI points but allows resorts to contract out to convert current owners. <snip>

I agree wholeheartedly that this is exactly accurate. RCI simply does not do this --- and RCI never has...
I'll go a step further and speculate that the entity involved might very well be "The MVP Service", which represents (and does so quite aggressively) a number of different resorts "changing over" to RCI Points.
"The MVP Service" conducts a travelling sales weasel road show attempting to persuade exisiting owners of the (alleged) great and wondrous virtues of "converting" their fixed week ownerships to RCI Points, Platinum or otherwise....for a fee of somewhere between $3,000 to $5,000. Thanks so much --- but no thanks...

 

[iowateach]

I could see at least four "salesmen." They had RCI books they were handing out and indicated they would email RCI to see if they could get me to come back later in the week. I told him I was there now, and if he wanted to talk to me, he'd have to do it right then. I suspected because both owners weren't there, and the original deed was in both names, they couldn't get me alone to sign anything. When I told him I didn't have points and wasn't interested in points, he couldn't get away from me fast enough. I was interested in seeing what it was all about because RCI doesn't usually show up in the middle of Iowa. I just wondered if anyone else had had this experience.

 

[sandcastles]

Yes, I have been to one of these dinner meetings. It is definitely not sponsored by RCI. I caught the sales weasel in so many lies (and wrong information that I think he just didn't know) and called him on it.

He got up and I heard him say to the head weasel "I can't take him more of this". I guess he was talking about me.

We set there for several minutes and got up and left.

 

[Carolinian]

DAE does ''road shows'' to talk to members but I have never heard of RCI doing it. The closest RCI comes is to sometimes send a rep to HOA annual meetings, although that has also become less common.

What you describe is a sales tactic that could have been from any number of oufits. Sometimes it is a PCC but yours sounds more like an RCI Points master broker. They are authorized to sell RCI Points conversions by RCI but do not work for RCI. They do not work for the resorts either, but are independent snake oil salesmen. They do get the lists of people to solicit from either RCI or the resort.

 

[Margariet]

RCI never does meetings. It is purely desk work with computers and phones. Sales persons always use the name of RCI and II to reach their goal: selling. They always work for developers and resorts on commission, sometimes even for more than one company but they never work never for a timeshare exchange company.

 

[theo]

Yes and no...

<snip> What you describe is a sales tactic that could have been from any number of oufits. Sometimes it is a PCC but yours sounds more like an RCI Points master broker. They are authorized to sell RCI Points conversions by RCI but do not work for RCI. They do not work for the resorts either, but are independent snake oil salesmen. They do get the lists of people to solicit from either RCI or the resort.

Certainly correct --- for the most part. However, "The MVP Service" to which I have made prior reference does indeed represent about 30 specific resorts (and to the best of my knowledge, only those 30 particular resorts, although I may be mistaken). "MVP" is basically the licensed broker under whose "umbrella" the resale agents at these particualr resorts operate (...the "MVP Service" associated resorts are individually listed at http://www.TheMVPService.com, if the OP or anyone else might be interested in precisely identifying them).

I own weeks at two of those 30 "MVP" associated facilities listed, so have had occasions to briefly encounter their resale agents over the years --- but only long enough to politely but firmly instruct them to "go away".
One of those resorts is currently very actively involved in this hard-sell "RCI Points conversion" push, so I've been offered multiple "opportunities" to attend the MVP travelling road show. I will not avail myself of any such "opportunity" however; my weeks are prime, high demand, fixed weeks (no "reservation game" ever required or applicable). I'd be a fool to consider "converting" to RCI Points, even for free (...which it ain't).

 

[iowateach]

I am tempted to go back again today just to warn people. It's at a stand-alone Applebee's in a large shopping mall. I could just stand in the parking lot. The guy I talked to had a name tag on, but I didn't pay close enough attention to it. I really would like to know if anything has RCI on it. I usually avoid these kinds of things.

 

[Larry]

RCI gets blamed for many things (and rightfully so) like renting out deposited weeks, but let's not blame them for this, since it is not something that RCI gets involved in.

Just blame the low life's that make you think they are RCI just to get you to their BS meetings so that they can part you from your money.

 

[csxjohn]

DAE does ''road shows'' to talk to members ....

I'm interested in knowing more about this. I've been a member since they bought out Ms Glitch. I've never seen or heard of such a meeting. I'm very happy with them and would like to meet up some time.

 

[kalua]

RCI

there is a company at daytona beach about 3 miles n. of ocean walk that has a similar name ,I believe it goes by the name of, Resorts Condo International .

 

[DrQ]

Reviving an old thread -
This, ahem, ... company(MVP Service), is making a pitch for Inverness by the Sea in Galveston. The "Consultant" they hired to broker the deal to "outside investors" Joe Takacs.

One of the options is a Deed Back. With only 30% of the available weeks paying, I think the fat lady is warming up in the wings.

 

[travelplus]

I received a call last Friday wanting me to come to a local restaurant for dinner tonight where someone from RCI would be there to talk to me. Of course they wouldn't tell me what it was about. There are two of us on the account. I have been trying to remove the other name for years to no avail even though the timeshare property associated with the account number no longer exists. The other account holder lives out of state and now belongs to II and hasn't used RCI in at least eight years. His name is first on the account, and when I print out a confirmation, sometimes my name doesn't show up at all. That takes some explaining when I try to check in.

I explained all this to the woman who had called. She said she'd get back to me. When I didn't hear from her, I called RCI this morning. The explanation I received from them was I would have to change the deed to our other two timeshares in order to remove the other name. I told them I had no intention of spending hundreds of dollars to change the deed just to remove a name from my RCI account. Their second suggestion was to use up my banked weeks, then close my account, and reopen it under a different account number.

Long story short . . . I went to the dinner where they wouldn't talk to me (or pay for dinner) because both RCI account members weren't there. I did find out it had something to do with the lawsuit settlement, but from what I overheard at the next table, it mostly had to do with points which I don't have. The guy in charge was purposely very busy when I asked to speak with him before I left. While I know I will be wasting my time, I will be writing a letter to RCI to suggest yet another option . . . I use my two weeks and then drop my membership entirely.

Went to the meeting too for the free dinner. Was promised a $25 Gift Card and $100 Restaurant.com gift card but was not provided. A different company Precision tried to set me up for a second meeting tonight which of course I went to and saw the same weasel and told him why would they send me again. I then got a Follow Up Call to see how it went I told them the lies. The agent who originally set me up for the second meeting said there were no sales (ha a lie) and it was just an update.

This so called Vacation Club wants to take back your deed and then provide you with discounted travel. Ah I think not. What if the database is a hoax.

So the Followup agent forwarded my complaint to the manager and I asked to be compensated in a form of a gift card for the last meeting with no gifts plus this meeting with the gifts I would have gotten plus the dinner because I was lied to. I even questioned the agent for the second meeting if this company was related to the dinner I attended on Tuesday at the Blue Door Restaurant in San Jose and she said no. But the times seemed to add up and I thought what the heck I'll go.

I will be reporting this to the media if they will not compensate us.

These weasels deserve to be shamed in front of a lot of people. Get this a family behind us at the meeting on Tuesday brought kids. We were served last but we arrived first. The weasel claimed he was short staffed due to flight delays. I don't give a rats patoot just get us served and out of here.

 

[travelplus]

I received a call last Friday wanting me to come to a local restaurant for dinner tonight where someone from RCI would be there to talk to me. Of course they wouldn't tell me what it was about. There are two of us on the account. I have been trying to remove the other name for years to no avail even though the timeshare property associated with the account number no longer exists. The other account holder lives out of state and now belongs to II and hasn't used RCI in at least eight years. His name is first on the account, and when I print out a confirmation, sometimes my name doesn't show up at all. That takes some explaining when I try to check in.

I explained all this to the woman who had called. She said she'd get back to me. When I didn't hear from her, I called RCI this morning. The explanation I received from them was I would have to change the deed to our other two timeshares in order to remove the other name. I told them I had no intention of spending hundreds of dollars to change the deed just to remove a name from my RCI account. Their second suggestion was to use up my banked weeks, then close my account, and reopen it under a different account number.

Long story short . . . I went to the dinner where they wouldn't talk to me (or pay for dinner) because both RCI account members weren't there. I did find out it had something to do with the lawsuit settlement, but from what I overheard at the next table, it mostly had to do with points which I don't have. The guy in charge was purposely very busy when I asked to speak with him before I left. While I know I will be wasting my time, I will be writing a letter to RCI to suggest yet another option . . . I use my two weeks and then drop my membership entirely.

Do you have the name of the company as I could not catch it. Advantage something I think.

 

[Jan M.]

What they offer you is no more than the last call inventory available to every one who has a weeks or points RCI account.

We used to get these calls and mailings all the time so went to one several years ago out of curiosity. It didn't take me long to figure out what they were up to and as soon as they left us alone for a couple of minutes I explained to my husband. This group didn't even have legitimate looking materials to hand out. All they had was much copied stuff that someone had taken with them when they left whatever timeshare sales group they had been working for. Some of the people were former Wyndham employees. Typically these groups are only in town for a few days because that's all the longer they can stay in an area without the law coming after them. I really wish I was kidding but I'm not. When they've made too bad a of name for themselves they simply change the name and keep going.

We also went because it was held at a Joe's Crab Shack and we'd never eaten there. The service was awful and the food even worse. Other people we know said they'ye eaten at Joe's Crab Shacks and the food was good but that certainly wasn't our experience. I mean it was so bad that when they set our plates down I couldn't believe it was even allowed to leave the kitchen! Since then I've read a lot of people saying their service was very poor when they've gone to one of these which leads me to believe these groups are stiffing the wait staff when it comes to the tips. Which would also explain why our food was allowed to leave the kitchen. The session we went to was on the last day and I'm sure everyone who worked there was fed up with this group by then.

 

[DrQ]

We also went because it was held at a Joe's Crab Shack and we'd never eaten there. The service was awful and the food even worse. Other people we know said they'ye eaten at Joe's Crab Shacks and the food was good but that certainly wasn't our experience. I mean it was so bad that when they set our plates down I couldn't believe it was even allowed to leave the kitchen! Since then I've read a lot of people saying their service was very poor when they've gone to one of these which leads me to believe these groups are stiffing the wait staff when it comes to the tips. Which would also explain why out food was allowed to leave the kitchen. The session we went to was on the last day and I'm sure everyone who worked there was fed up with this group by then.

Florida should outlaw Joe's Crab Shack in the state under the basis of false advertising.