RCI Platinum Points - Scam?

[bkerns]

We took the bait for the free dinner at Olive Garden to get the "timeshare owners update" from a phone solicitation. It was held by the "American Timeshare Consumer Group" and "World Point Solutions, LLC." The offer for my one bedroom white season at Divi Aruba and would get 37,500 points. With a $6,000 one-time fee and and increase in my annual maintenance fee by $250 I would get an additional 9,330 points annually. This 'membership' would supposedly provide access to an inventory 85% greater than what I could get through an RCI weeks exchange. You can use these points for airfare, car rentals, etc. As a "member", you can pay $640 title transfer fee to get out of your timeshare deed. I may not have the above correct, but that is the best I can recount. It all sounded like a complicated sea of numbers. Has anyone else experienced anything similar. Needless to say, we passed.

 

[RX8]

Just like the developers they make it sound so great. However, paying $6,000 will result in that person owning absolutely nothing since this is only a membership. And since you own nothing you would be out $6,000 if they went out of business next week. This particular outfit doesn't instill a lot of confidence either because their LLC* was created only eight months ago.

*Edited as initially had website instead of LLC

 

[icydog]

There are many RCI point contracts that can be had for less than $100 with equal, or more than, 46,800 RCI Points. Vacation Village in Orlando, and Weston FL, and Grandview Las Vegas come to mind. This is an obvious scam —please run, don’t walk, away!

 

[theo]

Just like the developers they make it sound so great. However, paying $6,000 will result in that person owning absolutely nothing since this is only a membership. And since you own nothing you would be out $6,000 if they went out of business next week. This particular outfit doesn't instill a lot of confidence either because their website was created only eight months ago.

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Not to mention that this "World Point Solutions" outfit is just a faceless LLC hiding behind a corporate veil, with its' "registered agent" being another faceless entity whose apparent function is to create other faceless DL corporate entities. It wouldn't surprise me if the "American Incorporators LTD" address turned out to be just a "Mailboxes 'R Us" drop box location. Gotta love those "handy dandy" Delaware corporation laws.

"American Timeshare Consumer Group" indeed, contacting people via unsolicited phone calls out of a clear blue sky, to meet for a pitch at a local Olive Garden.
That whole scenario is simultaneously both humorous and sad --- sad because you just know that someone will pony up and buy into that smoke and mirrors "membership" scheme with a shaky outfit that's here today (...at an Olive Garden near you ) but likely disappearing "into the wind" not long thereafter.

 

[RX8]

Not to mention that this "outfit" is just a faceless LLC hiding behind a corporate veil, with it's "registered agent" also being a faceless entity whose apparent function is to create other new faceless DL corporate entities. I dunno, but it wouldn't surprise me if the "American Incorporators LTD" address turned out to be just a "Mailboxes 'R Us" drop box location.

Gotta love those Delaware corporation laws...

And.... their website was created only FIVE months ago (May 18, 2017). I don't think this company even has confidence in themselves because their domain will expire in one year (expires 5/18/18). If they truly thought this was a long term solution for their "members" they would have extended their expiration out longer. Instead, it screams "let's see how this works out before we pay a couple extra dollars to extend the website domain".

 

[chapjim]

And.... their website was created only FIVE months ago (May 18, 2017). I don't think this company even has confidence in themselves because their domain will expire in one year (expires 5/18/18). If they truly thought this was a long term solution for their "members" they would have extended their expiration out longer. Instead, it screams "let's see how this works out before we pay a couple extra dollars to extend the website domain".

It could also scream, "We know we'll have about a year before we have to shut this thing down and get out of Dodge!"

 

[TUGBrian]

literally nothing screams "run away as fast as possible" than a meeting in a hotel where you are asked to pay $6000 bucks upfront.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I went to one of these types of presentations at Macaroni Grill a few years ago. I wrote an article for TUG to add to the advice section, but I don't think it was ever posted. I assume it was not helpful enough to rate as an advice article, but since we went to this type of presentation, I have seen many people post about the scam, and it is a scam.

It's just another way to make you think you have something better than before. They prey on people who are unhappy with their older resorts with higher fees and less flexibility in use. S fixed week owners, suddenly you can get points, which are flexible, and of course you can get many weeks of vacation and not just one, like you had before.