Is joining RCI worth it?

[mdurette]

Is joining RCI worth it?

I would say it could be for the Extra Vacations and Last call options.

I'm done with depositing weeks with them, but I do use them a lot for Extra Vacations and Last Call. I will keep my membership open with them even after all my TPUs are gone, just for this reason.

Try it for one year and see if it works out for you.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Another reasonable alternative is Platinum Interchange.

For 2-3 years, we had outstanding success with Platinum Interchange -- got some nice units at Magic Tree Resort (Kissimmee FL) for a song.

Currently & for the past couple of years, though, none of the Platinum Interchange Hot Deal offerings have come close to bargain rates.

We haven't given up on Platinum Interchange -- still check it regularly & will gladly snap up bargains like those from a few years back if they reappear.

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

 

[AwayWeGo]

I like your thought process, but I would do something to have access to II then. You get a lot nicer resorts and can pretty much get most of the year in the Marriotts there for about $350 a week outside major holidays.

We are such penny-pinchers that we are unwilling to pay for 2 side-by-side timeshare exchange club memberships.

Plus, if we switched to I-I (that is, quit RCI when our paid-ahead membership runs out & signed up instead with I-I), we would have to dump our RCI Points timeshare & replace it with something else -- not to mention trying to get the hang of I-I while unlearning what (we think) we know about the ins & outs of RCI Points.

For better or worse, we are pretty much locked into RCI Points -- not that there's anything wrong with that.

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

 

[bluehende]

Yes. 99 percent of the time i found the last minute rentals were either all Vegas or in a cold place in winter and a hot desert in summer.

Its sad. RCI was good 15 to 20 years ago. Now it’s an expensive, money grabbing gong show.

Greed does terrible things to systems.


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I have been going through those for a while and to be honest I am not impressed. The inventory seems a lot more like your description as my hope. I knew good stuff would not be there, but am disappointed in seeing virtually nothing. Over the year I will get my 99 bucks worth, but not easily. I may have screwed myself by waiting too long for anything in ne the week of Oct 15. I was surprised to find absolutely nothing. We are not picky. We will see as the year goes along if lesser resorts in shoulder season show up. By the way november in vt is not shoulder....that is stick season.

 

[Fredflintstone]

I have been going through those for a while and to be honest I am not impressed. The inventory seems a lot more like your description as my hope. I knew good stuff would not be there, but am disappointed in seeing virtually nothing. Over the year I will get my 99 bucks worth, but not easily. I may have screwed myself by waiting too long for anything in ne the week of Oct 15. I was surprised to find absolutely nothing. We are not picky. We will see as the year goes along if lesser resorts in shoulder season show up. By the way november in vt is not shoulder....that is stick season.

And sadly the 99 dollar membership fee is a start. Exchange fees, extend weeks/points, platinum member (and that’s a gong show) requires $$$$$. I got so frustrated with their fees every turn, I just stopped paying them and let my points expire. I found having weeks/points banked kept me sucked in to more RCI fee punishment. After beating up my credit card until it was black and blue with all the fees, I couldn’t take it anymore.

Even though I lost 1000s in points/weeks thru MFs paid, i ironically felt free of them and still feel liberated.

And...my credit card has finally healed from the brutal RCI beatings.

I hope you do find a last minute vacation this winter that doesn’t seem not cost you 200 a day mandatory inclusion fees (resorts in Mexico) or places requiring you to use a 4 wheel drive, tire chains, a seal skinned parka, fluffy boats, scarf and thermal socks. I know that’s all I found as last vacation. The only exception was Vegas but one gets tired of that place and rooms there are cheap anyway.

Not a good experience.


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[bluehende]

And sadly the 99 dollar membership fee is a start. Exchange fees, extend weeks/points, platinum member (and that’s a gong show) requires $$$$$. I got so frustrated with their fees every turn, I just stopped paying them and let my points expire. I found having weeks/points banked kept me sucked in to more RCI fee punishment. After beating up my credit card until it was black and blue with all the fees, I couldn’t take it anymore.

Even though I lost 1000s in points/weeks thru MFs paid, i ironically felt free of them and still feel liberated.

And...my credit card has finally healed from the brutal RCI beatings.

I hope you do find a last minute vacation this winter that doesn’t seem not cost you 200 a day mandatory inclusion fees (resorts in Mexico) or places requiring you to use a 4 wheel drive, tire chains, a seal skinned parka, fluffy boats, scarf and thermal socks. I know that’s all I found as last vacation. The only exception was Vegas but one gets tired of that place and rooms there are cheap anyway.

Not a good experience.


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Well the four wheel drive chains and seal skin parka sounds good. One of the ones I am hoping for is a winter week in vt or nh, I would consider that a find. I just do not need november or april. Your experience is exactly why they will never see a deposit from me.

Just to update the latest annoyance.....Cover page says up to 40% off ev and last call. When you click on it it has expired even though it clearly states book by 10/5

 

[bogey21]

Its sad. RCI was good 15 to 20 years ago. Now it’s an expensive, money grabbing gong show.

Pretty much the way I see it too...

George

 

[easyrider]

For us, RCI has been the best trades. When I had single destination deeded timeshares RCI was the best way to go somewhere different. I fixed my timeshare portfolio to include only timeshare systems that have multiple destinations. Generally, I no longer exchange unless I want more time in a certain area.

Bill

 

[silentg]

i own a silver crown fixed week (25) in Del Rey Beach Florida. I actually stay in unit every year. Am retired now and thinking of joining RCI and deposit week for exchange. Is it worth it? Or should I just rent units as I do now?

If you join TUG, you can go to Marketplace and do an exchange with another TUG member.
Your resort sounds nice and if you look at some of the offers you may find one to your liking.
We have done this a few times and our RCI account is dwindling down. May not renew it.
Silentg

 

[WinniWoman]

For 2-3 years, we had outstanding success with Platinum Interchange -- got some nice units at Magic Tree Resort (Kissimmee FL) for a song.

Currently & for the past couple of years, though, none of the Platinum Interchange Hot Deal offerings have come close to bargain rates.

We haven't given up on Platinum Interchange -- still check it regularly & will gladly snap up bargains like those from a few years back if they reappear.

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

And don't forget Trading Places and RTX.

 

[Panina]

I have decided to join RCI for one year to try it out. I hope I do not have your experience. My reason is also for last calls and ev’s. May deposit at a later date. Will post how it turns out.

Also RCI is very good for last minute bookings, from a few days to two weeks prior. Tpu’s needed are reduced greatly. Many times I have traded like this getting great deals.

 

[bluehende]

Also RCI is very good for last minute bookings, from a few days to two weeks prior. Tpu’s needed are reduced greatly. Many times I have traded like this getting great deals.

Is there inventory at that point that would not be available as a last call?

 

[Panina]

Is there inventory at that point that would not be available as a last call?

I just did one today and got it for 10 tpu’s, Paying as a last call was over $1100. Sometimes last calls are cheap but many times higher demand areas aren’t.

 

[bluehende]

I just did one today and got it for 10 tpu’s, Paying as a last call was over $1100. Sometimes last calls are cheap but many times higher demand areas aren’t.

I am new to rci. I finally took the plunge. I did notice a few while looking that were higher. That explains it. Seems the only real rule RCI has is charge what the market will bear.. I will probably not deposit anything so this option will not be open to me. My one year experiment should be interested. As a former colleague said once. It is only an experiment it may not work

 

[Panina]

I am new to rci. I finally took the plunge. I did notice a few while looking that were higher. That explains it. Seems the only real rule RCI has is charge what the market will bear.. I will probably not deposit anything so this option will not be open to me. My one year experiment should be interested. As a former colleague said once. It is only an experiment it may not work

As most know, I do not like RCI. I have been struggling to use my points. I thought I was done but had to cancel a trade as a conflict occurred so I still have points.

The only thing I like (love) about RCI is the low points for last minute trades. My prior one was Disney for 10 tpu’s and that was 3 weeks out. These last minute deals can’t be beat. I have have this love/hate relationship with RCI. My intent is to say goodbye, time will tell. II counters this with the free AC’s they give, some good things are available there too.

 

[JudyMesko]

Hello, When you rent your week, does the resort charge a fee? My resort charges 30%, so i wonder if its worth it.

 

[breezez]

If you rent it via your resort that may be true. But renting on your own they should charge you anything except possibly a guest certificate fee.

 

[LMD]

No. After being an RCI member for 20 years and II for 15 I am finally letting my RCI membership expire in December and will be using II exclusively.

 

[geist1223]

Probably didn't help when Wyndham took over RCI.

 

[Coach Boon]

We've been struggling with this "leave or not to leave" RCI. Our membership expires this December. However we have at least 2 weeks banked with them. And if we don't renew we lose those. We have a deeded week. We tried DAE before RCI acquired them and our searches came up blank or in the odd case the same places through RCI.

I somehow missed Platinum Exchange so I thank everyone for mentioning them. I'll check them out. We have considered saving the RCI fees by either going to or letting our week lapse. We have had success over the years exchanging but this was before quality packaged travel vacations , AirBnb etc became options. We have low maintenance fees of less than $700 but now we have to add in RCI membership fees and exchange fees it starts to add up. That cost is still quite good but we find that decent exchanges are becoming more and more difficult. It seems that Rci points have access to the better properties. Our property is on HHI but is quite old but well run.

So, we will most likely renew for another year, not deposit, test Platinum exchange and keep reading TUG. We may reach a point soon and just re-deed and call it a day.

 

[WinniWoman]

We've been struggling with this "leave or not to leave" RCI. Our membership expires this December. However we have at least 2 weeks banked with them. And if we don't renew we lose those. We have a deeded week. We tried DAE before RCI acquired them and our searches came up blank or in the odd case the same places through RCI.

I somehow missed Platinum Exchange so I thank everyone for mentioning them. I'll check them out. We have considered saving the RCI fees by either going to or letting our week lapse. We have had success over the years exchanging but this was before quality packaged travel vacations , AirBnb etc became options. We have low maintenance fees of less than $700 but now we have to add in RCI membership fees and exchange fees it starts to add up. That cost is still quite good but we find that decent exchanges are becoming more and more difficult. It seems that Rci points have access to the better properties. Our property is on HHI but is quite old but well run.

So, we will most likely renew for another year, not deposit, test Platinum exchange and keep reading TUG. We may reach a point soon and just re-deed and call it a day.

Trading Places also. And RTX.