RCI Fees going up again

[timeos2]

Here is a clip from a message to the resorts dated today:

"To allow us to continue to provide you and your owners with innovative new products and services now and in the future, there will be a slight change to some of the fees associated with the RCI Weeks exchange fee. Effective January 1, 2012, US exchange fees for booking on RCI.com will increase from $179 USD to $189 USD. Call center fees will remain unchanged at $199 USD."

These fees have really become burdensome. Combined with the cherry picking of virtually anything of value for rental rather than exchange the value proposition of RCI - and exchange in general - has really disappeared. Renting offers far more control, less cost and doesn't have to involve ownership anymore. It is really no contest - exchange has lost both it's appeal and value now.

 

[Carolinian]

A range of RCI policies have certainly made the ownership / exchange model of timesharing much less attractive than it used to be, and fees is part of that. The rentals are also a very big part of it.

 

[carl2591]

maybe if they QUIT sending me the crap in the mail stuff i get all the time the cost would go DOWN not up.

guess they are trying to run off all owners or exchangers and have only renters.

so that explains the buy 2 yrs get a year free deal on rci.com

 

[chriskre]

Everything seems to be going up except my salary.:annoyed:
Why are you surprised at RCI?

 

[zxcvb531]

it went to that crappy website

they spent the money raise on crap so call improved website that you final out how to see whats open on your dates.

 

[Jimster]

good news

The good news is that RCI is not the only game in town. DAE(daelive.com) has reasonable fees and depending on where you want to go has a good selection of resorts. While DAE is not anywhere near as strong in the USA as RCI, the converse is true if you want to talk about Asia and the Pacific. When I looked on line for Australia recently, RCI had about 20- DAE had over 300.
Of course the membership fee is.... free. Imagine asking a VC at RCI if you could join for free- they would have a heart attack. BTW-Why do you have to have a membership fee? What in the world is that fee spent on? After all, you are giving them a deposit too. Hopefully, they don't read this because i have an idea for them. Now that they have created a new class of membership (platinum) which gives people priority access to properties if they are willing to pay more, I think they should create a super platinum membership which would give these people super priority over the regular platinium membership, if they just pay another $200 a year. Then, of course, we could follow that with the SUPER DUPER Platinium membership which would be even better and make even more money. The problem then is only finding new names for new levels of membership so that you can make more money by convincing people that they actually do have more priority over the lower priority memberships while only marginally increasing the pool of possible resorts to choose from. I have hated RCI ever since I can remember. They take TS owners for granted, they have ridiculous fees and they are too big to be personable and efficient. It is unfortunate that TS owners in general are so poorly informed (tuggers excluded), because if they were informed I think RCI would go by way of the dodo bird. SFX and II are other options that you can choose from.

 

[Corinne]

Good for a laugh

I like the "Deposit Tips!" section at the bottom of RCI's Manage Deposits screen. I hadn't noticed them until tonight. After the usual exhortations to deposit early (punctuated liberally with exclamation points) they have this to say:

"And best of all, depositing is FREE!"

I laughed out loud. I suppose the day will come when RCI will find a way to charge us for giving them our weeks.

 

[MichaelColey]

I suppose the day will come when RCI will find a way to charge us for giving them our weeks.

I doubt that would ever happen. It would destroy RCI. The one big advantage they have over other exchange companies is the large inventory. If members had to pay to deposit, they would get far less inventory.

 

[JeffW]

Ongoing searches now are back to pay up front? If so, any way to put a bougus search in (Key West - 4br - Fantasy Fest week) - one that would never get matched - to effectively lock in a $179 search now, with the ability to change it later on to a different search? You'd think with the success of the Post Office's "forever" stamps, RCI would have a way to let you buy "exchange credits" now at the current prices.

Jeff

 

[tombo]

Ongoing searches now are back to pay up front? If so, any way to put a bougus search in (Key West - 4br - Fantasy Fest week) - one that would never get matched - to effectively lock in a $179 search now, with the ability to change it later on to a different search? You'd think with the success of the Post Office's "forever" stamps, RCI would have a way to let you buy "exchange credits" now at the current prices.

Jeff

Great idea to go ahead and make an ongoing search at $179.. I would do it but I figure when I made my next exchange they would just charge me an additional $20.

I have done well with RCI exchanges throughout the years but they are getting too greedy. Vacation protection went up to $89, exchanges going up to $199, last call vacations went up too. The RCI expenses should not be increasing very much (if any) since they are mainly computerized deposits, exchanges, etc. The ones who have increasing costs are us the owners who have ever escalating MF's on the weeks we deposit for exchange.

I wish SFX or DAE was stronger in the southeast because I would throw a couple of weeks with them to see how it worked. I mainly vacation on the beach Florida panhandle and the Smoky Mtns and/or BlueRidge Mtns annually. RCI is much better than SFX in those areas. I also take a big trip or 2 somewhere every year but I am booked for big trips in 2012. In 2012 I might deposit a week with DAE and a week with SFX to see if they can deliver at least a big trip for 2013 if not some local drive to vacations.

I know that the only way to make RCI lower prices is to stop depositing with them, but right now I need them. I own way too many weeks and can't use them all. When I can't use one or several of my weeks I can deposit with RCI and get some great exchanges. I currently have confirmed exchanges for New Year's eve week in NOLA, Mardis gras week in NOLA, 2 summer oceanfront beach week exchanges on the Florida panhandle, and my anniversarry 2012 in a one bed room Manhattan Club. As mad as I am about the price increases I love the exchanges I have been getting.

With the exchange fee increase it is more important than ever to own at resorts where you want to go most years rather than owning to exchange. When you factor in MF's plus exchange fees you can rent from an owner (in most cases) cheaper than depositing and exchanging. Why be obligated to ever increasing MF's, exchange fees, etc, etc, when you can rent cheaper? Want to teach RCI a lesson? Use your own weeks and/or rent from/to other owners rather than exchanging. RCI doesn't make money on your weeks if you don't give your weeks to them. :whoopie:

 

[WinniWoman]

That's what I do! I am even debating whether or not to use an off-season Nov week instead of sepositing it and maybe even not renewing my membership! I just worry that in case something came up last minute, and I couldn't go to my home resort, that I would not be able to rent it and then would lose it, as opposed to being able to deposit it for use at a future date somewhere.

It might be worth just taking a chance on that and not continuing membership - I have to give this more thought - my RCI membership expires this August!

Great idea to go ahead and make an ongoing search at $179.. I would do it but I figure when I made my next exchange they would just charge me an additional $20.

I have done well with RCI exchanges throughout the years but they are getting too greedy. Vacation protection went up to $89, exchanges going up to $199, last call vacations went up too. The RCI expenses should not be increasing very much (if any) since they are mainly computerized deposits, exchanges, etc. The ones who have increasing costs are us the owners who have ever escalating MF's on the weeks we deposit for exchange.

I wish SFX or DAE was stronger in the southeast because I would throw a couple of weeks with them to see how it worked. I mainly vacation on the beach Florida panhandle and the Smoky Mtns and/or BlueRidge Mtns annually. RCI is much better than SFX in those areas. I also take a big trip or 2 somewhere every year but I am booked for big trips in 2012. In 2012 I might deposit a week with DAE and a week with SFX to see if they can deliver at least a big trip for 2013 if not some local drive to vacations.

I know that the only way to make RCI lower prices is to stop depositing with them, but right now I need them. I own way too many weeks and can't use them all. When I can't use one or several of my weeks I can deposit with RCI and get some great exchanges. I currently have confirmed exchanges for New Year's eve week in NOLA, Mardis gras week in NOLA, 2 summer oceanfront beach week exchanges on the Florida panhandle, and my anniversarry 2012 in a one bed room Manhattan Club. As mad as I am about the price increases I love the exchanges I have been getting.

With the exchange fee increase it is more important than ever to own at resorts where you want to go most years rather than owning to exchange. When you factor in MF's plus exchange fees you can rent from an owner (in most cases) cheaper than depositing and exchanging. Why be obligated to ever increasing MF's, exchange fees, etc, etc, when you can rent cheaper? Want to teach RCI a lesson? Use your own weeks and/or rent from/to other owners rather than exchanging. RCI doesn't make money on your weeks if you don't give your weeks to them. :whoopie:

 

[JeffW]

Does RCI pay any fees to resort companies to get them to affiliate with RCI? It's tough to think, for example, Disney asking RCI, "Will you process our exchanges", instead of RCI giving them a nice kickback to move over. If so, it could be part of those increased fess are due to those types of costs.

Jeff

 

[tombo]

That's what I do! I am even debating whether or not to use an off-season Nov week instead of sepositing it and maybe even not renewing my membership! I just worry that in case something came up last minute, and I couldn't go to my home resort, that I would not be able to rent it and then would lose it, as opposed to being able to deposit it for use at a future date somewhere.

!

That is how RCI has most of us trapped. I would rather pay the annual fee so I can deposit weeks I can't use rather than lose them. If you try to rent your week(s) to other owners and have no success, at least you can deposit and get some value versus an empty paid for week. If you are not a member of RCI that is not an option. If I am not mistaken 45 days before check-in minimum is what SFX requires whereas you can deposit with RCI 7 days before check-in. For this reason more than any other I have to remain an RCI member no matter how mad they make me. I can't cut off my nose to spite my face. :annoyed:

 

[timeos2]

Does RCI pay any fees to resort companies to get them to affiliate with RCI? It's tough to think, for example, Disney asking RCI, "Will you process our exchanges", instead of RCI giving them a nice kickback to move over. If so, it could be part of those increased fess are due to those types of costs.

Jeff

No, they pay nothing & get their inventory for free! Now does Disney get paid when no one else does? Your guess is as good as mine but they'd be the only ones.

 

[melschey]

Here is a clip from a message to the resorts dated today:

"To allow us to continue to provide you and your owners with innovative new products and services now and in the future, there will be a slight change to some of the fees associated with the RCI Weeks exchange fee. Effective January 1, 2012, US exchange fees for booking on RCI.com will increase from $179 USD to $189 USD. Call center fees will remain unchanged at $199 USD."

These fees have really become burdensome. Combined with the cherry picking of virtually anything of value for rental rather than exchange the value proposition of RCI - and exchange in general - has really disappeared. Renting offers far more control, less cost and doesn't have to involve ownership anymore. It is really no contest - exchange has lost both it's appeal and value now.

I had had come to this descision even before this latest increase. I have dropped my RCI membership and I don't miss it. Before Cendant purchased RCI it was my favorite and now I feel they are the worst.

 

[djyamyam]

Combo Fees also increasing!

Here is a clip from a message to the resorts dated today:

"To allow us to continue to provide you and your owners with innovative new products and services now and in the future, there will be a slight change to some of the fees associated with the RCI Weeks exchange fee. Effective January 1, 2012, US exchange fees for booking on RCI.com will increase from $179 USD to $189 USD. Call center fees will remain unchanged at $199 USD."

I found out today that exchange fees are not the only thing going up. Combo fees (to combine multiple deposits for one TPU banking) are also increasing from $99 to $109 ($119 CDN). This is all happening Jan 1 so make sure you combine any deposits you were thinking of doing so.

What ticks me off is that RCI has even said in an internal memo that transactions have increased as a result of their new Weeks program. Excuse me, but doesn't increased volume mean a drop in price, not increase????!!!

 

[dougp26364]

So I'm back to my original advice of buy where you're happy owning/staying but, over the last couple of years I've added, own in internal systems that will get you where you want to go.

I feel fortunate that we followed our orignal advice and now, most of those resorts have internal exchange systems that allow me to bypass the big two exchange companies of RCI or I.I. RCI can increase their fee's as high as they want, I haven't used them in years and have no plans to use them in the future.

With I.I. I have only one resort that we exchange directly through them now. If they're fee's become more prohibitive than they are, we'll drop our personal membership with Interval right alone with the membership to RCI we dropped three or four years ago.

Keep in mind that RCI isn't the only game in town. There are independant exchange companies. Now might be the time to consider exiting RCI and looking at other opportunities. So long as RCI members don't complain or vote with their feet, RCI will continue to lead their dues paying members around by their noses. RCI members MUST show RCI who actually owns the weeks. Until their cash cow (members) walks away, they'll just keep going to the well and taking a little more.

 

[Maple_Leaf]

Me too

I had had come to this descision even before this latest increase. I have dropped my RCI membership and I don't miss it. Before Cendant purchased RCI it was my favorite and now I feel they are the worst.

I dropped RCI this year since their value proposition just did not make sense for me anymore. My strategy is own to use, then rent at reasonable prices for one-off special vacations, as needed. The value of exchanging has become too unreliable to fit into that strategy.

 

[bnoble]

Does RCI pay any fees to resort companies to get them to affiliate with RCI? It's tough to think, for example, Disney asking RCI, "Will you process our exchanges", instead of RCI giving them a nice kickback to move over. If so, it could be part of those increased fess are due to those types of costs.

Disney's angle is access to RCI's much better-developed rental channels. They have to move a non-trivial amount of inventory at stiff prices to cover their internal cruise, guided tour, and hotel exchanges.

If RCI (or any company) thinks they will make more money by increasing prices, they will do so. As always, it is up to us to decide whether or not RCI is the right choice for getting value from our time vs. any other option---and those options are out there, and worth exploring.

 

[eal]

As a Canadian RCI user I have been ripped off for over $200 per exchange for several years now - I got much better acquainted with the independent exchange companies as a result!

 

[asheikh0805]

There are other options

Personally, I have used SFX several times now and MAN - they are AWESOME!!!!! Down to service and all - they are just wonderful. My RCI membership expires later this year 2012, and I don't think I will renew. I rather upgrade my existing SFX membership to take advantage of the better prices than pay RCI. Not to mention - they really need to get with the accuracy program of what's considered "Gold-crown/5-star" etc... Very frustrating.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I dropped RCI about eight years ago when the value was no longer there. For our needs and interests it was clear that the minis were going to work far better, combined with the independents for out other exchange interests. We've used SFX, HTSE, TPI, and VRI*ety with great success.

 

[tfezell]

Count me in as one who is DONE with RCI. Tired of higher fees, less inventory, on and on. I will not renew when my time is up. I guess I better try to exchange what I have banked now.

I also like FL panhandle, Gatlinburg, Vegas, and a bigger trip here and there. I think I am going to give DAE a try, I have a couple of weeks I need to deposit, wonder how I will do with something like a 3 bedroom Gatlinburg Town Square Thanksgiving week or Destin Sept. weeks? We travel in the US mainly, some carribbean trips. Does not seem as if DAE has much inventory in the areas I like to travel, but if others are also frustrated with RCI, maybe inventory will pick up. I am definitley going to check it out.