RCI fees increasing (again) on Dec 1

[rickandcindy23]

I have been trying to write an article for a newsletter as an HOA board member, touting RCI as our exclusive trading company. I am supposed to be encouraging owners to deposit their weeks into RCI. I am getting logged out constantly, like every few seconds. Lovely.

 

[pedro47]

They only want you to make a deposit, but not make an exchange. It works better for them so RCI can rent out all deposits made, since nobody is exchanging into them. The fee structure only makes sense .... to RCI.

Great3

That is why I rejoin RCI, to use their Getaway Program.

 

[Timeshare Von]

I rejoined RCI a few months ago as a test, thinking I might use it for Getaways and Extra Vacations. I haven't used it yet. Now that the fees are going up again, I think I'm pretty well done with RCI. I likely won't renew. Their greed is making it unreasonable.

Dave

I am cruising RCI this morning for possible exchanges in 2023 & 2024 and just saw the new fees for 12/1/22. YIKES and after increases just a few months ago. I'm really finding timeshare ownership to (d)evolving into something I am going to divest myself of . . . maybe sooner than later (and 2024 at *THE* latest)!

 

[Timeshare Von]

<<SNIPPED>>

I remember $100 membership fees and $75 exchange fees that resulted in great vacations to Cancun, Vegas, San Diego, Orlando, and more.
Ahhh, good times.

Unfortunately, I think it hurts the independent resorts the most since they don't have an internal trading system.

I remember at the very beginning of my timeshare ownership and affiliation with RCI (in the early/mid 1980's) if you spacebanked with RCI and they didn't have a trade/exchange for your week at 30 days out, you got your use/week back to use yourself. Living in NoVA and owning in the Poconos, we used this feature a couple of times . . . if only for a long 3-4 day weekend. That's been long gone as they have changed their business model and been taking advantage of timeshare owners for decades now.

When it has worked for us, it's been great . . . but lately it's been more challenging to make it beneficial to ourselves rather than RCI.

 

[Timeshare Von]

didn't this just go up a few months ago?

Yes in August!

 

[Timeshare Von]

Wow, Exchange fee going to be $289 now, more than the usual $10 increase, it's $20 increase this time. And they already did an increase to $269 just in Aug. of this year (2022) ... just like 3 months ago only!!!

Link:
RCI Weeks: Exchange fee up to $269 on 8/21 | Timeshare Users Group Discussion Forums (tugbbs.com)


Usually, the exchange fee is stable for at least a year, but now increasing multiple times in the same year. Crazy!

The increase to $259 happened on Dec. of last year (2021)

Link:
RCI Exchange Fee Increases and Other Fee Changes/Increases starting 12/4 | Timeshare Users Group Discussion Forums (tugbbs.com)


Before that, the exchange increase to $249 on Nov. of 2020 from $239

Link:
RCI fees increasing 11/1 | Timeshare Users Group Discussion Forums (tugbbs.com)


I believe the exchange fee was stable at $239 for a long while (for at least several years, maybe from since June 2017 to Nov. 2020 timeframe), per this thread link below:

Link:
RCI fees going up June 3rd | Timeshare Users Group Discussion Forums (tugbbs.com)

So, to summarize, I think it looks something like this:

Dec. 2022 - $289
Aug. 2022 - $269
Dec. 2021 - $259
Nov. 2020 - $249
June 2017 - $239
Dec. 2016 - $230
-Can't find when the increase to $219 happened...
Jan. 2014 - $209

That should give you some recent historical context.

Great3

I have some older RCI Exchange Fee data based on actual exchanges we did . . .

2003 & 2004 $149 US
2005 $149 US & $189 Int'l
2006 $149 US & $189 Int'l
2007 $164 US
2008 $164 US
2009 $164 US
2010 $179 US
2012 $179 US (less a $20 cr for the RCI settlement)
2013 $209 US
(no exchanges 2014-2017 so I have no firsthand data)
2018 $239 US
2019 $239 US

 

[escanoe]

I seldom answer my phone when RCI calls, but I answered it today. I usually select the indicator that they not call when I place an OGS. I always select the bubble to opt in to text messaging. I never receive a text, except the one I receive with each transaction telling me I have opted into the system.

I politely told the gentleman I prefer to manage my OGS's online. I mentioned that I had selected to opt into their text notification system, but never received texts.

He told me RCI is revamping its texting system. I asked him when he thought that would happen and he said by the end of the year.

I have long argued that RCI needs to fully enter the digital era. That would help them hold costs down. And I have argued they should offer a more affordable, all digital exchange system. It does look like the most recent website upgrades (seems like beta testing) are focused on OGSs and exchange related functions.

I know I will most likely be let down, but I am starting to get my hopes up just a bit that RCI may be seeing some light. What they really need is a competitor. I so wish Hilton Grand Vacations would give them one in the form of Destination Exchange.

 

[F1or1da1]

That is ridiculous that the Canadian fees are going up so much more! Is it due to our dollar difference (currently at .73 to the US)? RCI is always slow to adjust the rates to match our fluctuating dollar. Many years ago when the Canadian dollar was actually worth more than the US dollar (1.07), I had an argument with an RCI rep who actually told me that is was impossible that the Canadian dollar was worth more than their dollar.

~Diane

There are lots of reps that speak out of the same side of their mouths as sales reps imho

 

[F1or1da1]

GOODBYE RCI
It seems we are held captive by the RCI executives and Board members who will claim they are forced to raise rates due to ever increasing costs over which they have no control, whatever those may be.
I‘ve paid RCI to be use their services since 1985. I don’t consider myself a member but rather a client.
I believe RCI execs and their parent organization have a great thing going for themselves financially and will spend as they see fit for lots of cosmetics but without us they will fail miserably. They believe we want to exchange and count on it as they create annual budgets and forecasts.
As of next year, I’ll pay my last client fee and only visit my home resorts or trade within their systems. My next step, at 75 will be to divest of all 3 timeshares and call it a day.

 

[jlwquilter]

For me it’s not just ever increasing fees and the speed of the increases, it’s also changes to the rules of exchanging and managing deposits. New 1 in 4 resorts that limit my ability to exchange into places I want to go,!therefore effectively devaluing my deposits as well as extremely limited exchange availability has been an issue for several years.
More concerning to me is the last time I had to combine deposits - for a increased fee of course - I was told that there was now a limit on the number of times I could combine deposits. So it’ll be harder if not impossible to keep older, bigger buckets of TPUs ’alive’ for future trading. This really impacts me as we didn’t travel/exchange for quite a while due to the pandemic so didn’t chip away at the stockpile. RCI’s ‘help’ in that regard was useless and we lost quite a bit of money to them on cancelled exchanges that could not be re-exchanged. RCI’s willful blindness on acknowledging how seasonal demand is for a lot of resorts and how, you know, people actually work and can’t just take off when an acceptable exchange happens LAST MINUTE, totally negates their offered ‘solution’.

I have a few more years of paid membership and a stockpile of TPUs that I am now using up as fast as possible - which is still somewhat limited as my husband still works full time - so what I am forced to abandon by being not allowed to continue to combine or extend deposits (at a fee!) - is as small as possible. It’s still going to be quite a few dollars.
Basically I had a plan. It was working. RCI changed the rules. I’m going to be screwed out of my paid for deposits with them, by them. Infuriating.

 

[pammex]

I agree with jlwquilter ...and I am finding their ( RCI's) options for exchanges very limited for me. My membership is paid thru 2027 , after that...I am likely done, alredy too many weeks or TPU's needing extending.
sigh, big sigh.

 

[J Man]

My wife and I have been RCI members for over 30 years. We have used and enjoyed our timeshare(s) over the years and have had usually successful interactions with RCI. But to be honest, their fees, membership rates, exchange rates and add-ons have become so exorbitant in price that we are planning on this being our final year as RCI members. I understand prices go up over time but their increases in recent years (especially during the whole Covid shutdown situation) have become unreasonable. You would think after 2 years of limited travel availability / options, they would be clamoring to bring back their customers and keep them happy. Sadly, that isn't the case, and they are pricing themselves out of business.
- J Man

 

[timeshare trader]

We left RCI about 15 years ago for pretty much the same reason... rising membership and exchange fees which, for us, made direct rental more affordable than trading.

I remember $100 membership fees and $75 exchange fees that resulted in great vacations to Cancun, Vegas, San Diego, Orlando, and more.
Ahhh, good times.

Unfortunately, I think it hurts the independent resorts the most since they don't have an internal trading system.

Membership fees are still $99 but, exchange fees probably were not $75 since the mid 90's. Those were the days. I think my first 5 year renewal in 1994 was bout $249

 

[rickandcindy23]

I am sure stuck with RCI for at least another four years through weeks. I have ongoing searches set for a bunch of different places to use them up. I started a thread about this problem. I think when you get a taste of Marriott/Vistana exchanger (as a Marriott-to-Marriott or Vistana-Vistana) in II, RCI inventory pales in comparison, and the costs are significantly higher. Our fees for Marriott and Vistana deposits to the same system in II are $164. That makes II a bargain.

Still, I do always seem to get some Hiltons, especially on the Big Island, that are taking TPU's down. I still currently have over 400 TPU's still left in RCI between both of our RCI accounts. That is crazy. I will be a happy camper, if I can take that down another 200 TPU's in the next year.