RCI website for weeks won't allow me to set up any additional searches

[rickandcindy23]

View attachment 111004

I am chatting with this person who says I already have 8 ongoing searches. Yes, I realize that. Apparently that is the limit.

What can I say? I have deposited 9 weeks from 2025 and 2026, and I have 8 searches set. I just combined a bunch of older deposits to get 262 TPU's. I have huge numbers of TPU's. Why would I not want to enter a search for 2026-2027 to whittle that number of TPU's down of that 262 TPU's deposit.

 

[rickandcindy23]

 

[Pennytx]

View attachment 111004

I am chatting with this person who says I already have 8 ongoing searches. Yes, I realize that. Apparently that is the limit.

What can I say? I have deposited 9 weeks from 2025 and 2026, and I have 8 searches set. I just combined a bunch of older deposits to get 262 TPU's. I have huge numbers of TPU's. Why would I not want to enter a search for 2026-2027 to whittle that number of TPU's down of that 262 TPU's deposit.

So jealous
Would love to have those tpu
Amazing

 

[rickandcindy23]

So jealous
Would love to have those tpu
Amazing

Oh, Penny, it's not good!!! I add 100 every year with our summer Colorado weeks, and I am building them more than I am using them. It's actually such a waste of money.

If only I could find exchanges that I can deem worthy of the cost. I hope to get some weeks in 2027 at Samoset in Maine, later May, for us and kids (whoever wants to join us), and I would love to get Cape Cod at that time of year as well.

I have tried and tried to get Door County for September the last few years, and not a single match for that. I would take The Rushes, if I can get it.

We own Wyndham points and have lots of trading power in RCI there too.

I remember when I could keep up with all of it. I cannot keep up anymore.

 

[escanoe]

I just noticed in my RCI POINTS account it is not letting me set up any OGSs online. It tells me to call or chat with them to create one.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I just noticed in my RCI POINTS account it is not letting me set up any OGSs online. It tells me to call or chat with them to create one.

I can no longer set up searches in any of my accounts.

 

[escanoe]

I think it is a website issue or system wide change versus targeting us power users. Both my RCI Points and my RCI Weeks accounts give the image you posted above instead of giving you a link to set up an OGS. I only have 1 OGS running on my weeks account … I probably have way more running on my Points account than they would want.

I have been on their website tonight doing some research and vacation planning/wishing. The website was very slow and buggier than usual.

I swear, in the 7 years I have been timesharing RCI has lost considerable online capability and function.

 

[geist1223]

What do you expect with Wyndumb being the Parent Company?

 

[escanoe]

@rickandcindy23

Looks like RCI finally has it where you set up OGSs online again.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Whoa! I will check that out. Thank you.

 

[carl2591]

what is going on with RCI.com and the RCI app...the website is SLOWWWWWW..... and the needed upgrade to app not show up on google play store.. every year they get worse and worse and more and more costly..

 

[rickandcindy23]

RCI called my cell phone last night at 5 minutes before 9 PM our time (Mountain Time). That is too late for a phone call from any business. I wish they wouldn't do that, as we were watching TV with my stepdad. I sent it to voicemail, no voicemail came through.

 

[escanoe]

RCI called my cell phone last night at 5 minutes before 9 PM our time (Mountain Time). That is too late for a phone call from any business.

what is going on with RCI.com and the RCI app...the website is SLOWWWWWW..... and the needed upgrade to app not show up on google play store.. every year they get worse and worse and more and more costly..

Every single time you set up an OGS it gives you the chance to opt in or out of them contacting you by text to manage matching OGSs. And then they send you a text that you previously opted in. Not once has there system actually sent me a text when an OGS matches. It is like they can’t manage a simple texting system and prefer to operate like we are in the previous century and should be talking on the phone with them to do business. They badly need competition to force them to modernize and manage costs.

 

[timeshare trader]

Every single time you set up an OGS it gives you the chance to opt in or out of them contacting you by text to manage matching OGSs. And then they send you a text that you previously opted in. Not once has there system actually sent me a text when an OGS matches. It is like they can’t manage a simple texting system and prefer to operate like we are in the previous century and should be talking on the phone with them to do business. They badly need competition to force them to modernize and manage costs.

If you check their earnings statements they are managing costs to maintain their margin. They have had significant staff layoffs and while they certainly need new technology I assume it is very difficult to 1. Migrate the data and system rules to a new platform 2. Pony up for the costly upgrade when transactions and member numbers are declining rapidly.

 

[escanoe]

If you check their earnings statements they are managing costs to maintain their margin. They have had significant staff layoffs and while they certainly need new technology I assume it is very difficult to 1. Migrate the data and system rules to a new platform 2. Pony up for the costly upgrade when transactions and member numbers are declining rapidly.

I would love to see the evidence that there are member numbers and transactions that are rapidly declining. Are there numbers to back that up in a financial statement or report filing? Please share.

I have assumed (perhaps incorrectly) those were going up with time (especially on the portal side of the business). And that the loss of DVC was a significant but one-time hit.

We would be getting a better product if they were managing to attract market share and to keep up with competitors versus maintain revenue in a stagnant duopoly.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

would love to see the evidence that there are member numbers and transactions that are rapidly declining

yes, the #s are there. Well, the word "rapidly" is subjective. I call it an exaggeration. But yes, the #s are there.

We would be getting a better product if they were managing to attract market share

Invert. They would manage to attract MEMBERS if they had a better product. I'd say it is more about growing the market size with a good product than it is about fighting for market share.
They are like the cable companies. They will charge higher & higher prices to fewer & fewer customers, namely the ones who can't figure out how to CUT THE CORD.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

every year they get worse and worse and more and more costly

I have a free account that I have never used. I can't say they get worse & worse. I assume they have, because I think the product is abysmal. Too expensive and far far too opaque. The cost-of-entry and opaqueness makes attracting new members difficult.
They called me once to try to get me to deposit. I told them I'd be happy to if they gave me a few days (or weeks) to see exactly what I could get in exchange, and allow me to get my deposit back with no cost if I was not a SATISFIED NEW MEMBER. The woman had nothing to say. It is simple:
The head of sales at RCI is an IDIOT if he/she can't see that with a declining member-base they NEED to attract new depositing members. (not just free members, LOL)
The head of sales at RCI is an IDIOT if he/she can't see that to attract new depositing members, the FIRST deposit and exchange for every new member should be transparent and refundable, not opaque and costly. The FIRST one. Get a happy new member. Then keep them. RCI fails at Step 1.

and yeah yeah yeah, some people like paying cash for the Last Calls, etc. THe quality there is low or a Mexican/Caribe AI. I'll pay more for better quality thank you very much.

 

[jp10558]

I have a free account that I have never used. I can't say they get worse & worse. I assume they have, because I think the product is abysmal. Too expensive and far far too opaque. The cost-of-entry and opaqueness makes attracting new members difficult.

Far less opaque IMHO than II - at least the corporate accounts you get with HGVC and Wyndham. IDK how much money they make from HGVC accounts, but it's pretty simple, you know the point cost before you do an exchange. The part I agree is "too expensive" is the $299 exchange fee. This should be going down as online transactions are very very cheap - but you're right there isn't enough competition.

and yeah yeah yeah, some people like paying cash for the Last Calls, etc. THe quality there is low or a Mexican/Caribe AI. I'll pay more for better quality thank you very much.

I guess I can't speak to your quality desire. I've enjoyed some of my Last Calls / Extra Vacations quite a lot and it's IMHO a huge draw for RCI for me. That product may not be for you, but it does work for other people. Do you just not exchange anymore/at all? Do you just rent via AirB&B etc?

 

[WaikikiFirst]

Far less opaque IMHO than II

LOL. Somebody else who can only think of the comparison and the competition with II. That is not the point. They need NEW members, and on an absolute basis the product is far too opaque to attract enough new members to replace the churn due to (fillintheblank).

IDK how much money they make from HGVC accounts, but it's pretty simple, you know the point cost before you do an exchange.

the free account I mentioned is not just the HGVC portal. They are givng out free accounts. I have one. Real RCI. Not the HGVC portal. I've looked there maybe 20x. I have never done anything. I'm not sure if they use the free accounts to get more cash demand for the Last Calls, etc or if htey think they will result in many new depositing members. I think they're mistaken if they think the latter, but the former is worth a shot for them.

 

[jp10558]

LOL. Somebody else who can only think of the comparison and the competition with II. That is not the point.

My point is, unless you just think TS are dead (which is a different discussion), anyone who wants to exchange their TS probably gets the most options from RCI simply because of the network effect of the number of resorts they have. And if not RCI, then II. If neither of those - well, I guess for some small group of people there's DEX, but you need to basically be in DRI or one of 3 HGVC to use it so far as I can tell.

They need NEW members, and on an absolute basis the product is far too opaque to attract enough new members to replace the churn due to (fillintheblank).

Well, the corporate account gets them a new member every time somebody buys HGVC right? I think part of the reason RCI has been able to get exchange fees so high is there really isn't another option in many cases - and I notice you didn't tell me what you're doing instead. I am a bit surprised no one has made more of a competitor option, but I guess the issue is getting the resorts to sign on.

From the independent resort owner - well, if they don't learn about any exchange company they're stuck with their fixed or floating week in one location. If they want to have more options, then we can only compare existing options. Maybe your argument is they can't get new independent resort owners to sign up? They get a lot of Wyndham, VV, Capital Vacations for free from what I can tell, plus RCI Points ownerships at various resorts.

It's obvious the various companies want to use their own internal mini systems, but the problem there is they're very small compared to RCI.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

you didn't tell me what you're doing instead

all of the above. How is that hard to understand? RCI has about 3.4 M members. II has, what, about the same? You're talking 6 - 7 M people total. How does everyone else travel?
Yes, I assume RCI gets a new member every time someone buys a TS that costs at least (pick a #, $10 K?) from a developer. The developer throws in 2 or 3 yrs of prepaid RCI. Yes. ANd then, when that ends, obviously 5 - 10% of those people never re-sign with RCI. Some of them dump their TSs. So, RCi needs to be able to attract the RESALE owners of TSs. I guess that is easy for people who buy cheap TS meant to be "traders". But for anyone who buys resale within a system that has solid exchanging and high-qlty locations, RCI is a huge leap-of-faith, at best, and looks more like a dud.
If someone wants to spend an extraordinary amount of effort and aggravation to "get a great trade", I guess it works. The payoff for the effort? No way.

And many people who buy cheap TS meant to be "traders" are probably noticing that the exchange fee vaults the whole thing right over the "cheap" bar.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

It's obvious the various companies want to use their own internal mini systems, but the problem there is they're very small compared to RCI.

I can't bother but not hard to get the #s. Take the top 5 TS systems, find their # of owners. Add them up. Compare to combined member base of RCI & II.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

I am a bit surprised no one has made more of a competitor option, but I guess the issue is getting the resorts to sign on.

aren't all the big systems under the same corporate umbrella as one of those (Disney being an outlier). The smaller ones are like herding cats.
Think broadly, the competitor is Redwk, Airbnb and any other way for owners to rent to travelers. And they ahve the same issue: scale. Til a "competitor" has enough inventory or spends a ton on google, why would travelers want to deal with them? Koala, anyone?

 

[WaikikiFirst]

corporate account gets them a new member every time somebody buys HGVC right?

There are sentences in the 10K & 10Qs that, given some thought, show that RCI can't rely on those members. #s too.

 

[jp10558]

all of the above. How is that hard to understand? RCI has about 3.4 M members. II has, what, about the same? You're talking 6 - 7 M people total. How does everyone else travel?

They don't use timeshares at all? So would have no need of RCI and nothing to deposit if they felt they did want it for some reason?

Yes, I assume RCI gets a new member every time someone buys a TS that costs at least (pick a #, $10 K?) from a developer. The developer throws in 2 or 3 yrs of prepaid RCI. Yes. ANd then, when that ends

HGVC and Wyndham and TPL(Capital Vacations) never end - as long as you pay the required fees to use those systems, you have an RCI account (basically). Unfortunately it's like cable TV - no one wanted to pay for <insert random channel here> but to get IDK, ESPN you had to buy the bundle. Maybe "no one" knows they're paying RCI via club dues etc, but they are. They don't have to use it, though it's also one of the few things salespeople do love to shove in owners faces in the sales presentations.

So, RCi needs to be able to attract the RESALE owners of TSs.

Do they?

I guess that is easy for people who buy cheap TS meant to be "traders". But for anyone who buys resale within a system that has solid exchanging and high-qlty locations, RCI is a huge leap-of-faith, at best, and looks more like a dud.

I just wonder what percentage of resale purchases fit into the category you're mentioning while not inherently paying RCI. I think MVC and Disney are the obvious outliers, but ... RCI would have to get the systems into RCI somehow - an individual owner can't choose to use RCI over II with them. Similarly, a Wyndham owner can't just choose to trade in II. And yes - I think this is an issue, but not one RCI could, or really want's, to solve.

If someone wants to spend an extraordinary amount of effort and aggravation to "get a great trade", I guess it works. The payoff for the effort? No way.

I haven't used RCI that way TBH - I hope to get some info next year with a Grandview I'm picking up, but it's points so I still don't know if that'll count as "real RCI" for you (or however you're describing RCI here as you seem to exclude HGVC accounts say). My understanding though is - I'll look for exchanges and see how many points they take - I kinda fail to see the effort really - I mean it's the same as using HGVC or Wyndham or hell Amazon.