RCI Exchange Fees too high? opinions wanted

[JerseyJim434]

I confess to being frugal , but the fees keep going up and the service is just OK. What are your thoughts on this? When you add the exchange fee to your maintainance fees ...ouch it might be cheaper to rent a week

 

[Luanne]

I confess to being frugal , but the fees keep going up and the service is just OK. What are your thoughts on this? When you add the exchange fee to your maintainance fees ...ouch it might be cheaper to rent a week

Well unless you sell your timeshares you'll still have those maintenance fees. Add rental fees on top of maintenance fees, and you're paying more.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

I confess to being frugal , but the fees keep going up and the service is just OK. What are your thoughts on this? When you add the exchange fee to your maintainance fees ...

.....ouch it might be cheaper to rent a week

Off season - maybe or on TUG 45 days or less .

*********

The RCI Exchange Fee is a fixed cost . everything else is a variable .

1) MF Cost of your unit that is deposited
2) TPU'S received
3) cost of exchange in TPU's
4)Unit size .
5) how hard to find/get that week and the rental cost .(ie) July 4th week in Myrtle Beach vs January week in Myrtle Beach

If you could get a 2 bedroom in Hawaii for 20 TPU's and your cost per TPU was $15 + your exchange fee - would you complain ?

You have to work the system to your advantage .

 

[moonstone]

Yes RCI exchange fees are a way too high and I complain to RCI about them every chance I get. When we joined RCI (in 1982) it seemed to be like a club for timeshare owners to trade their weeks with other owners to go to different timeshares or areas. Over the years RCI has become a huge money grabbing company only interested in making huge sums of money and not really interested in pleasing it's customers. They can't even get decent IT people to keep the bugs out of their website (although it is improving a tiny bit lately). I didn't mind paying a nominal exchange fee back before the internet world when I had to phone RCI and have a VC search for an exchange for us. A job that sometimes took 30 minutes of searching the various areas, options and sizes of units, and dates available, by a usually nice helpful VC. Now it really bugs me that when we do all our own searching on line for a place to exchange to, and book it our self without any aid of a VC, RCI still wants nearly the same amount of money that it costs if I phoned and talked to a VC (who is usually in a big hurry to get off the line and take another call). I think it should be at least half price to do all the work our self! We can even arrange for guest certificates and print our confirmations at home, saving paper printing, handling, and postage by RCI, and do they give us a break for that?


~Diane

 

[bnoble]

I find plenty of value in my RCI exchanges, especially now that you can get "change back" when trading down. But, I also compare them to Extra Vacation costs. I recently rented a week from RCI that (after my Platinum acct. discount) was *less* than just the exchange fee. In a few weeks I'll be staying at Disney's Wilderness Lodge in a 1BR for less than 1/4 of what it would cost to rent it, and that's even after DVC's $190 nuisance fee.

But, just because I find value there doesn't mean you will.

 

[bogey21]

Yes RCI exchange fees are a way too high and I complain to RCI about them every chance I get. When we joined RCI (in 1982) it seemed to be like a club for timeshare owners to trade their weeks with other owners to go to different timeshares or areas. Over the years RCI has become a huge money grabbing company only interested in making huge sums of money and not really interested in pleasing it's customers.

Exactly my sentiments. RCI started going South when the original owners sold...

George

 

[DaveNV]

When I sold my last Weeks ownership, I decided I was done dealing with RCI. It isn't a good financial choice for me anymore, and when the current membership expires I won't be renewing it. Our life is such that we can't travel on short notice, and our trips need to be booked out quite a ways. For the last several years, the only thing I've booked through RCI was an Extra Vacation for a friend to go to a car show in Las Vegas every Fall. Even that last year cost nearly 50% more in RCI costs than it did five years ago. RCI's costs continue to cycle up, service (at best) is no better, and selection is rarely conveniently available, requiring an OGS, usually at another additional cost. By the time an exchange can be made, the costs added on are substantial.

WorldMark is working out well for me. And when it stops being good for me, I'll sell it, and become strictly a renter. I'd rather pay a bit more on a rental, one time, when and where I need to, than pay ongoing fees for something that delivers less than expected.

Dave

 

[Panina]

I confess to being frugal , but the fees keep going up and the service is just OK. What are your thoughts on this? When you add the exchange fee to your maintainance fees ...ouch it might be cheaper to rent a week

Whether it’s RCI or another exchange company, fees keep increasing. On face value I agree fees are too high but it really depends on what you are trading and what you are getting. There is still value in trading if you can trade into places you want and your total cost is less then renting.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

I find plenty of value in my RCI exchanges, especially now that you can get "change back" when trading down.......

But, just because I find value there doesn't mean you will.

I assume "change back " is as follows :

In 2004 the RCI exchange fee was $ 139 and it was deposit a week / get a week . (no TPU's)

In 2019 the RCI exchange fee is $ 239 . If your deposit is worth 30 TPU's and your exchange is 20 TPu's = 10 back in change .
If your MF is $900 your cost per TPU is $30 ; then you are getting back $300 in value while spending $100 more on an exchange then 15 years ago .

Of course : if you want to combine and/or extend those 10 TPU's - there is a $ cost.







-

 

[Lisa P]

I confess to being frugal , but the fees keep going up and the service is just OK. What are your thoughts on this? When you add the exchange fee to your maintainance fees ...ouch it might be cheaper to rent a week

Do an actual comparison when you consider an exchange. We look. Unless we're seeking last minute or off-season travel, we don't actually find cheaper rentals most of the time but our maint fees are pretty average or moderate. If we do find a cheaper rental option for the same kind of vacation as we're seeking, then we rent. It's happened a few times but not many.

 

[montygz]

I'm no fan of the prices increases, however, I found the more you travel, the cheaper the cost.

You can extract value out of timeshares, but you have to use them to your best advantage. $239 for a week is a deal if you can get it for 8,000 RCI points.

The cost of renting a timeshare also has increased as the economy has improved.

 

[WinniWoman]

I haven't belonged to RCI in years.

 

[silentg]

We joined RCI Platinum so far it’s ok. We are down to 2 TPUs (actually 1+1) May combine them if I put a 2020 week in, but then I’ll have to renew my membership, so wait and see for now.
We have been doing Marketplace Exchanges and have had great success with them.
Silentg

 

[Sandy VDH]

Only reason I still have an RCI membership is because I get one paid for with my Wyndham Membership. I have 3 fixed weeks that are NOT in ANY point systems. All my other weeks are in points, one way or another (Wyndham, HGVC, HICV or Tradewinds). I am even to the point where 2 of the 3 weeks, which are eligible to be deposited into my HICV membership, I move the points into HICV instead. I have too many TPUs in RCI already.

All of my other point systems have a far lower transaction fees for a reservation as compared to the fee at RCI. I just use it selectively where I can't access something via my other system exchanges.

 

[Lisa P]

All of my other point systems have a far lower transaction fees for a reservation as compared to the fee at RCI. I just use it selectively where I can't access something via my other system exchanges.

Same here, Sandy. We only use RCI if we can't get what we want with an internal points reservation. I don't like paying a couple hundred dollars extra just to book a week. But it's worth it, if good rental alternatives are not cheaper.