Bait and Switch

[Bond007ca]

went to an RCI resort and the bait and switched rooms gave me old rooms when pcis were all remodeled nice new ones was wondering if this has happen to anyone and if there is any recorse?

 

[Tia]

went to an RCI resort and the bait and switched rooms gave me old rooms when pcis were all remodeled nice new ones was wondering if this has happen to anyone and if there is any recorse?

you go to the desk you checked in at and inquire

 

[Bond007ca]

That did not work but thanks

 

[andre10056]

In answer to your question, yes, it has happened multiple times over the years. And, although my family is just a single "sample of one" and may not be representative of the world of resort visitors, it has for us been almost without exception RCI resorts.

But it hasn't just been rci's website's pictures that didn't match the unit we got, but also hotel rooms we booked online, etc. For example at Mizner Place in Weston, FL, rci shows beautiful pool views but the front desk will even tell you upon check in that you can't get pool views if you're either an rci guest or a renter via a site like expedia. Indeed, according to the front desk person, the only way for an expedia rate renter to get a pool view is if they came in to the front desk prior to their rental period (perhaps even on check-in day), showed the expedia ad, and asked the resort to match it. Only then would the expedia rate be honored for a pool view.

In short, they play all manner of games with rci guests and even renters who don't rent at their own rental agent's higher prices.

Not all resorts do that, some resorts have all good rooms so you'd get something good wherever they put you, but some resorts do indeed play those kinds of games.

So nowadays I always print out the ad I saw before checking in at the front desk if it's a rental...or make sure I identify the best units in the resort to make sure I make that specific request two to three weeks before checking in. And getting there early to check in so that the best units aren't given out to others.

If you're at the resort now, I'd talk (politely) to the front desk person to see what they might be able to do. It's offseason now so the resort very likely is half (or less) full. They should be able to find a good unit for you.

 

[andre10056]

That did not work but thanks

It's a long shot because the front desk person would have to go against hotel or resort policy. They'd move you quickly if you had a "stale air" or "smelly air" or mold issue, but not otherwise.

 

[Passepartout]

It's pretty common if you are exchanging. They'll save refurbed rooms for owners or retail renters. Sometimes exchangers get old whole buildings while newer ones are for owners or held as perks for exchangers who consent to presentations.

 

[rickandcindy23]

What resort? RCI is an exchange company, not a resort management company.

This happened to a friend of ours at Vacation Village at Parkway, one of the nicer RCI resorts. They received a very crappy unit in need of a remodel, and our room was beautifully updated. Both were RCI exchanges.

It's like a box of chocolates...

 

[sponger76]

went to an RCI resort and the bait and switched rooms gave me old rooms when pcis were all remodeled nice new ones was wondering if this has happen to anyone and if there is any recorse?

You do realize that RCI itself doesn't own any resorts and doesn't control room assignments, right? They just facilitate timeshare owners at different resorts being able to in essence swap stays with each other. The resort itself decides who gets what rooms.

 

[Pennytx]

What resort? RCI is an exchange company, not a resort management company.

This happened to a friend of ours at Vacation Village at Parkway, one of the nicer RCI resorts. They received a very crappy unit in need of a remodel, and our room was beautifully updated. Both were RCI exchanges.

It's like a box of chocolates...

Always ask for building 20 and 21 there
The rooms are all updated
Near the main pool etc

 

[andre10056]

You do realize that RCI itself doesn't own any resorts and doesn't control room assignments, right? They just facilitate timeshare owners at different resorts being able to in essence swap stays with each other. The resort itself decides who gets what rooms.

Of course, RCI does not own the resorts. But resorts affiliated with RCI seem to be the worst offenders in giving RCI exchangers the worst units. Not the case, in my experience, with II. Resorts affiliated with II seem to always provide exchangers with their best rooms, not ones set aside for the riffraff. Again, sample of one but that's my experience.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Of course, RCI does not own the resorts. But resorts affiliated with RCI seem to be the worst offenders in giving RCI exchangers the worst units. Not the case, in my experience, with II. Resorts affiliated with II seem to always provide exchangers with their best rooms, not ones set aside for the riffraff. Again, sample of one but that's my experience.

I agree with this.

 

[dioxide45]

It's just like the picture of the Big Mac on the menu at McDonalds. The resorts are going to publish photos of their newest rooms. Or they should, because I've seen some terrible ones on the II and RCI websites. They want to advertise the best but reality is that they aren't like that. Like the fast food hamburger with the squished bun and lettuce that is falling off, many rooms don't live up to the advertising.

 

[sponger76]

Of course, RCI does not own the resorts. But resorts affiliated with RCI seem to be the worst offenders in giving RCI exchangers the worst units. Not the case, in my experience, with II. Resorts affiliated with II seem to always provide exchangers with their best rooms, not ones set aside for the riffraff. Again, sample of one but that's my experience.

I wouldn't say that "Resorts affiliated with II seem to always provide exchangers with their best rooms" it's more of a mixed bag than that. In fact there have been many examples in TUG where resorts have confirmed that exchangers are lower in placement priority than actual owners at the resort. And many other reports of II exchangers getting the dreaded parking lot view or ground floors with views blocked by trees. Which is common sense to me; why give the "best rooms" to people who don't own there, which by inference means actual owners get the shaft?

At any rate, my point to the OP was that it's not RCI's fault, it's on the resort which room they get. Which means no recourse, which is what they were asking about.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Better chance of getting a nice Marriott/ Westin/ Sheraton than any other exchange, and most of those are through II.

We get great exchanges through RCI for Wyndham Shearwater, better than when we book with our Wyndham points. We had penthouse units in great locations at Shearwater with exchange. With Wyndham points, we had a unit on the second floor around the pool with so much sun from the skylights, it was 86 degrees and no AC. It was miserable. Wyndham tries to make exchangers happy. They definitely go out of their way to create a great stay for exchangers.

 

[jp10558]

To be honest, I tend to expect to not get the best room when exchanging. And I only expect to get a mid room if I just wait for their assignment. The only way I've gotten "amazing rooms" is by requesting before checkin (Marriott does make this easier though with their pre-check in e-mail, others you have to call or e-mail the resort) or the one promotional stay I've ever done (obviously to try and sell me on the program).

I think I may just be more easy go lucky (and that bad rooms can make more interesting youtube videos - Villa Roma is still my favorite video lol). Also for my review channel, I like to review "what a normal person might get" - i.e. not a TUG member with an inside scoop. I am even half tempted to try Villa Roma again because maybe I was just unlucky (and would love to get some more video of the hallways etc because hilarious), and like with Regal Vistas Massanutten, the second time was much better and I think I just got a bad unit the first time.

TL;DR - make sure to request what you want before you get there. While I don't think an RCI exchanger is going to get top end rooms, my limited experience is you are able to get better rooms by being in the group that asks for them vs everyone else who just goes with the assignment. Of course, in many cases, if you wait till you're disappointed with your room it's too late for them to change you, but not always. Would depend on how busy the resort is.

 

[tschwa2]

What resort? RCI is an exchange company, not a resort management company.

This happened to a friend of ours at Vacation Village at Parkway, one of the nicer RCI resorts. They received a very crappy unit in need of a remodel, and our room was beautifully updated. Both were RCI exchanges.

It's like a box of chocolates...

You do realize that RCI itself doesn't own any resorts and doesn't control room assignments, right? They just facilitate timeshare owners at different resorts being able to in essence swap stays with each other. The resort itself decides who gets what rooms.

Even though RCI is an exchange company and use the pictures provided from the resort, they are also the ones that allow resorts to give out room assignments even if they vary substantially from the pictures and I am not sure they should. I know I have complained to RCI about one of the Holiday Inn resorts- Seaside in Galveston. I think all of the pictures are of the ocean front building which is only available to those in Signature units and Holiday Inn as a management company does not assign signature units to RCI exchangers. This includes the oceanfront pool which you cannot use if not staying in a Signature unit. The pictures are all units and amenities that would not be available to an RCI exchanger. The only exchanger eligible to stay in those units, exchanged through Registry Collection and not RCI.

It is one thing to show pictures of both the nicer units and the non refurbished units with the caveat that you can be assigned any unit but if 95%+ exchangers get an un refurbished unit and the only pictures that RCI has are the newly remodeled ones, RCI does bare the responsibility to demand the resort provide more accurate photos for RCI to publish after they receive complaints.

 

[sponger76]

Even though RCI is an exchange company and use the pictures provided from the resort, they are also the ones that allow resorts to give out room assignments even if they vary substantially from the pictures and I am not sure they should. I know I have complained to RCI about one of the Holiday Inn resorts- Seaside in Galveston. I think all of the pictures are of the ocean front building which is only available to those in Signature units and Holiday Inn as a management company does not assign signature units to RCI exchangers. This includes the oceanfront pool which you cannot use if not staying in a Signature unit. The pictures are all units and amenities that would not be available to an RCI exchanger. The only exchanger eligible to stay in those units, exchanged through Registry Collection and not RCI.

It is one thing to show pictures of both the nicer units and the non refurbished units with the caveat that you can be assigned any unit but if 95%+ exchangers get an un refurbished unit and the only pictures that RCI has are the newly remodeled ones, RCI does bare the responsibility to demand the resort provide more accurate photos for RCI to publish after they receive complaints.

RCI is only going to have the resort-provided pictures, and of course the resort is only going to provide the nicest pictures. They're not going to provide pictures of the most run-down units they have. It's not realistic to expect them to do so, and RCI isn't going to send people to every resort to take their own photos of each and every unit, much less over and over again as conditions in various units change due to age and length of time between refurbishments. That just isn't living in reality to expect otherwise.

 

[Tia]

I'd give RCI feedback on the unit they gave you , sorry it didnt work