Isn't this a privacy issue?

[rboesl]

I recently received a card in the mail from RCI Travel Packages that I needed to make a phone call the activate to get complimentary savings dollars. I went through a long discussion with the person who was activating my card. What he was describing was eerily familiar. It sounded like the Vida Vacations service that we already had with our Vidanta ownership.

I asked the person on the phone if he was familiar with Vida Vacations and he wasn't. But, this was the first time I had talked to anyone from RCI Travel Packages. He did mention that he saw a cruise we had previously book through RCI Travel. Ok, still RCI. But then he mentioned he was seeing several other people that were listed as having access to my newly activated card & account. He then proceeded to list off all the relatives that I've given access to my Vida Vacations account to book discounted travel.

I understand the concept of putting a different "digital face" to central service as a way repackaging for different companies. Which is what's happening here with RCI Travel Packages and Vida Vacations. It's done all the time in the internet world. (Like Home Advisors and Angie's List which use the same info for contractors.) But, someone from RCI shouldn't be able to access accounts sold and managed by Vida. I don't know who owns this central service & database. But, I think there should be controls in place that do not allow RCI to see Vida accounts and vice versa. I consider this a breach of privacy. I may have allowed my relatives access to Vida Vacations but I haven't given them the same permission for my RCI account.

 

[tschwa2]

I don't know if this makes you feel better about this or not. RCI travel Packages isn't really RCI. RCI lets ICE international cruise and excursion gallery use that name and administer the program. ICE also administer the vacation service for SFX and Vidanta. So while they are calling themselves RCI Travel Packages they are really the same company that you probably have already dealt with.

 

[Jimster]

i have gotten lots of phone calls and messages from “RCI” which aren’t
RCI. Nothing would surpise me! If you feel strongly about this, what are you going to do about it? RCI figures the answer will be nothing. Even so, RCI has been sued many times on different matters.

 

[rboesl]

Well, at the very least I was planning to write a letter of complaint to RCI. I know if this happened to the company I worked for before retiring it could have serious consequences to the company because they were in a federally regulated industry.

 

[ottawasquaw]

What industry was that?
It sounds like RCI has "licensed" their name to this entity. I am sure you are very careful to read the privacy disclosures and "opt out."

 

[rboesl]

I used to work in Banking. This was a card that was received in the mail with a call in number to activate. There was no privacy statement on the sheet the card was glued to and none was read or asked about during the call. I can only guess they are assuming it's covered under the privacy statement for RCI.com