UPDATE: RCI CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT - must read for all RCI members [Includes Results]

[timeos2]

The outcome isn't a surprise. Why the shock?

...And accordingly, SHAME on each and every person who accepted one of those worthless little trinkets. Those "offerings" were, from the outset, never anything more than a cost-free (to RCI) mechanism to create a phony and misleading statistic suggesting "satisfaction" with the farce of a "settlement". Clearly, RCI succeeded in duping 130,000 non-thinkers. I hope they all enjoy their worthless little trinket... :annoyed:

From day 1 of the suit many predicted the exact outcome we have ended up seeing. That despite the valiant and much appreciated efforts by a dedicated group of volunteers who did their very best to turn the tide.

A cheap trinket or a $.50 check, an agreement that codify's a process no one thinks is fair but now has court blessing and a monstrous, undeserved payday for a "whats in it for me" law firm paid for by the very members that are now shafted. Exactly why we preached don't do a class action - speak with your dollars and deposits - but the advice went largely unheeded as the great success of consumer based class actions (are there really any examples that aren't a mirror of this nightmare?) was touted as the likely result for the RCI case. Yeah, right.

Why anyone would continue to use RCI Weeks at this stage baffles me unless they have a clear and consistent way to derive a value out that exceeds the cost they are paying in. Other than that it is best left to rot and fade away as RCI apparently wants it to (in a move to pure points). Fighting to keep a fatally flawed and now legally blessed corrupted system alive is just foolish.

 

[Goofyhobbie]

Acceptance of Trinket

...And accordingly, SHAME on each and every person who accepted one of those worthless little trinkets. Those "offerings" were, from the outset, never anything more than a cost-free (to RCI) mechanism to create a phony and misleading statistic suggesting "satisfaction" with the farce of a "settlement". Clearly, RCI succeeded in duping 130,000 non-thinkers. I hope they all enjoy their worthless little trinket... :annoyed:

Theo,

I agree with you but at the same time I understand Jersey Girl's take on the point. I, too, was encouraged to file a claim to stick it to RCI.

When discussing this subject behind the scenes with other objectors who were pushing for an OBJECTION effort, I suggested that we should NOT encourage going for the Trinket to "hurt" RCI in the pocket book.

Like you Theo, I saw the claiming of a trinket as admitting that the proposed settlement was O. K. NOT!!!!

There were some who thought that getting as many as possible to respond to the NOTICE in some way even if it was to only file a Claim would send the right message to RCI.

Although I did not agree with that philosophy personally, I understood the reasoning behind it. I felt the need to emphaize that one could do both because I was concerned that many TUGGERS may have already filed a claim thinking that they could not then object. That is why at the Informational Instructions posted on TUG and at www.rciclassactionlawsuit.com I chose to simply say:

• You can object to the proposed settlement (This option allows you as an Objector to accept one of the benefits offered while also objecting.)"

Although I disagreed with the message that the above statement sent to TUGGERS it was a factually correct statement.

Repeatedly, when I posted on TUG that a class member could file a claim and also object, my intention was to encourage objection EVEN if a class member had already made a claim .

Keep in mind that we were encouraging OBJECION as the primary goal.​

Because of the way we were given Notice it was easy for the average class member to think that if he had already filed a clam he was blocked from objecting. We wanted OBJECTIONS from everyone who remained a member of the class even if they had already filed a claim previously.

In my personal objection letter, I specifically pointed out to the Court that as a matter of principal I was not going to accept one of the benefits offered even though I had the right to do so. The offers from RCI were insufficient.

However, I can understand the average class member, acting alone in a vacuum, putting in a claim rather than doing nothing at all. I also can understand the philosphy of encouraging everyone to put in a claim so that RCI would have had to pay out as much as $100 Million Dollars if only at the rate of $25 at a time.

 

[motomem]

In re-reading what I posted above, I realize that I left a big hole insofar as what happens to the deposits made greater than 90 days but less than 10 months.

RCI will not pull them for rentals IF there are requests pending with sufficient trading power to qualify for the exchange. Jennie argued vallantly that many people like to "surf for exchanges" and don't place ongoing requests. But, RCI's attorney rebutted and apparently managed to convince the judge that most people prefer to use ongoing requests and that doing so makes the system work better for all. (I tried to rebut that point in my two minutes by stating that his argument was disingenuous -- that it shouldn't matter what method of searching is employed -- ALL deposits should be held exclusively for exchange for some period of time before being pulled for rentals --- but, obviously it didn't work).

So, to summarize:

Deposits made greater than 10 months in advance -- will be held exclusively for exchange for 30 days, then if pulled for rental, "equal" subsitutions will be made hysterical

Deposit made more than 90 days in advance but less than 10 months in advance -- will not be pulled for rental if there are pending requests with sufficient trading power to qualify for the exchange. Again, if pulled for rental, "equal" substitutions will be made hysterical

Deposits made less than 90 days in advance -- they apparently are the sole property of RCI. If they pull them for rentals, they do not have to make substitutions.

Again, this is only valid for 3 years. After that RCI can instantly move it all to the rental pool if they want to.

That's what you get with an ignorant judge - ignorant to the timeshare industry.

 

[glenb]

rci Settlement

Found this good site last night when Googling to find the outcome of the RCI case. Read lots of interesting comments from people about RCI selling banked weeks instead of leaving them for exchange. I have been an RCI member since 1985 and have noticed the gradual reduction of availability of exchanges.

A few years ago I joined a small exchange organisation called Dial an exchange. They have several advantages over RCI. -

1 - Free membership (apart from Gold memership)

2 - free guest certificates

3 - cheaper exchanges. For example on Friday I am going to Orlando to stay at Wyndam Bonnett Creek. With RCI that exchange would have cost me £165 ($250). The exchange fee with Dial an exchange was about £70 ($110) - plus £30 to become a Gold member. Gold membership gives access to newly deposited weeks - and a discount off the exchange fee.

4 - more transparent - you can search for availability anytime - even non members can search (try it). If you see a week you want - you can then bank your week and do the exhange. If they do not have anything then don't bank. You can see from the list of available weeks which are newly listed and only available to gold members.

THERE IS ONE BIG DRAWBACK -

Because they are a tiny company their range of exchanges is tiny compared with RCI. Although I live in UK I often take vacations in US - and next summer for example there are months when they have only about 20 weeks available throughout the US. Because of this I DO NOT BANK with them until I have something they want - and after a few months wait sometimes resort to banking and booking with RCI. Obviously if more people used them they would have more weeks to choose from and I would use them more - and I am probably not alone.

Whenever RCI send me a satisfaction questionnaire I quote Dial an exchange prices and say if a small company can operate on free membership and low exchange fees - surely a big company with all the economies of scale should be able to - RCI have never answered that point.

The thing that caused me to search for news of the RCI settlement last night was something on the SKY Auctions website. They put on the website a number of vacation weeks at a set price of $229. I have purchased these in the past when I have used all my timeshare weeks and noticed taht the choice offered is a subset of the RCI database. The choice is more limited - but they are all RCI resorts. So I have bought in the past for $195 a week in an RCI resort- without having to be a member of RCI (even though I happen to be one that is not a pre requisite) or having to exchange a week. If I booked the same week through RCI I would have paid more for the exchange fee and lost a week. Even at $229 it is still cheaper than exchange fee. So the day after the settlement they are selling another batch of weeks! I have told RCI reps who ring to to get me to bank more weeks with them about the SKY Auctions weeks and they have all denied any connection to RCI - despite the search site at that time being called RCIRedemptions (they said that was some other company using their name!) - and despite the RCI redemption site being owned by Wyndhams - the hotel chain that owns RCI!

Clearly RCI have not explained why they have so many bonus weeks for sale. I was thinking of going to California next june. RCI had no coastal properties in June for exchange - but many as bonus weeks. When I joined RCI they explained bonus weeks as being mainly unsold timeshare weeks. Surely there cannot be so many more unsold weeks - often on quite old resorts?

The bottom line is RCI is not a nice fluffy club run for it's members - it is a commercial hotel company making a profit. When I joined RCI the typical timeshare business model was an organisation owned by week owners who elected a committee to monitor the day to day running. More recently large hotel groups have joined in. I have stayed at many of these properties - run by Wyndham, Hilton etc - and they are often very modern well planned large resorts - but if you read reviews of them there are many complaints of high charges. A good example if internet access - at the Fountains in Orlando they wanted more per night than I pay per year. RESORT FEES is another new way of getting money from us. The airline industry and ticket brokers are brilliant at thinking up new charges (will call fees, stowed bag fees, blanket fees) but timeshare companies are fast becoming as bad.

We all apy high prices for maintenance, high exchange prices and the last thing we want is to have to pay more when we get to our destination.

Glad to have got that off my chest.

 

[Goofyhobbie]

Valid For Three Years

John said: Again, this is only valid for 3 years. After that RCI can instantly move it all to the rental pool if they want to.

That's what you get with an ignorant judge - ignorant to the timeshare industry.

John,

It could have been a lot worse if it had not been for our own Jennie who spoke up in Court to volunteer to receive the reports that RCI is required to disseminate.

Guess who was originally chosen to receive the reports that RCI will be required to provide so that we know that they are in fact fullfilling the new as well as the unchanged requirements of the final settlement?

Yep! You are right if you guessed the Plaintiffs Attorneys.

RCI will report on how they are treating the "Sheep" as they attempt to keep them satisfied in the "Sheep Pen." The fact that the "Big Bad Wolf" is the one reporting on the happenings in the "Pen" is bad enough; but the folks designated to peruse the "Wolf's" reports are the Plaintiff's attorneys.

Those same attorneys that have taken all the credit and $1.775 million to the bank for getting the best possible treatment for the "Sheep" were also designated as the monitors of how well RCI actually performs it's obligations during the three year term of the settlement agreement. The Plaintiff's attorneys while agreeing to be the watch dog did not provide for compensation for themselves for doing the monitoring. SO GUESS HOW MUCH ACTUAL MONITORING WOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS BY THOSE ATTORNEYS?

Based on the latest reports from those who were there, Jennie, Shep, and maybe Susan Collins will get a copy of the same reports that RCI is required to send to the Plaintiff's attorney. So, we will at least have some input as to what the "Big Bad Wolf" has to say about what they have done shortly after they susposedly have complied.

Beyond that three year period the argument is that RCI will not revert back to across the board renting and doing as they please; but if you are wise little "Sheep" you might consider getting out of the "PEN" well before that three year period expires.

 

[rci124]

I thought I was filing an objection to the settlement when in actuality I was filing a claim for one of the trinkets. You can call me a non-thinker but keep in mind RCI wanted to make the process of filing an objection as muddy as possible. So yes they did succeed in duping many of us.

At least some good came out of this. RCI will now have to be somewhat on the up and up for the next three years. Lets hope someone that is familiar with RCI and trading power will be able to review the substitutions that are equal quantitatively and qualitatively report.

A big thank you to all the hard working people that tried to prevent this settlement.

...And accordingly, SHAME on each and every person who accepted one of those worthless little trinkets. Those "offerings" were, from the outset, never anything more than a cost-free (to RCI) mechanism to create a phony and misleading statistic suggesting "satisfaction" with the farce of a "settlement". Clearly, RCI succeeded in duping 130,000 non-thinkers. I hope they all enjoy their worthless little trinket... :annoyed:

 

[Egret1986]

Welcome to TUG! Glad we could be here for you to unload!

Found this good site last night when Googling to find the outcome of the RCI case. Read lots of interesting comments from people about RCI selling banked weeks instead of leaving them for exchange.

Glad to have got that off my chest.

I also became a member of RCI in early 1985 when I bought my first Blue beach week from the developer. I just gave it away this past year. My family got a lot of value out of that week through exchanges with RCI. I found TUG in 2003 and over the last several years have adjusted my timesharing strategies. Fortunately, even before I found TUG, I knew how to work the RCI exchange system and always felt we upgraded from what we owned. I do understand the recent trade power adjustments that were made by RCI. Fortunately, I decided a couple of years ago that I would no longer deposit my weeks with RCI. I remain a member because I have bought a couple of RCI Points timeshare. This system is working great for me and I will continue to remain in RCI Points until I feel it no longer is beneficial to my vacation needs.

RCI is definitely making an active effort to destroy RCI Weeks with the rentals. While I greatly enjoy the benefits of using a paltry amount of points for last minute exchanges from the Weeks pool, I can see this as also being detrimental to RCI Weeks.

 

[Egret1986]

Good advice!

Beyond that three year period the argument is that RCI will not revert back to across the board renting and doing as they please; but if you are wise little "Sheep" you might consider getting out of the "PEN" well before that three year period expires.

The writing is on the wall for what we can expect from RCI.

I bought Wk 26 and Wk 27 (2BR) at a Virginia Beach resort a few months ago. The seller included the 2009 spacebanked weeks for free and they were placed in my RCI Weeks account. I had not deposited into RCI Weeks for the last two years. Maybe I didn't notice less availability of great exchanges because I was still getting what I wanted at great resorts during high season even with my blue beach week. I am not an average exchanger though.

However, unless a lot of inventory is deposited after the maintenance fees are paid in the next few weeks, it is surprising how little is available for 2010 and 2011 during prime times. While I am looking during prime times, I am not looking for specific dates. It is a wide range of areas that I am looking at and for a 12 week period. The trade power is there because I check in RCI Weeks with my RCI Points account (no trade power restrictions) and my Weeks are seeing the same things.

I don't like ongoing searches. I search every day. But I may have to start doing ongoing searches now in Weeks to utilize these two Summer beach weeks.

 

[jerseygirl]

I don't like ongoing searches. I search every day. But I may have to start doing ongoing searches now in Weeks to utilize these two Summer beach weeks.

I like searching as well -- I rarely know, in advance, where I want to go. I just see something I like and voilà -- vacation planned!

But, if I had deposits in RCI weeks, I would definitely start placing ongoing searches given the settlement terms.

 

[thheath]

Maybe I missed it but has Jennie, Susan or gentleman from the time share magazine posted anything yet about the judge's decision?

 

[PerryM]

Big government/courts isn't the answer folks

Folks relying on big government, in the form of laws, or big courts, in the form of judgments to write a wrong should, by now, realize that these big institutions just don't work for us the common folk.

This outcome was forecasted, by many of us, years ago. RCI's sole reason to exist is to make money for the folks who put up money in their company, the stockholders. If the consumer, or employee, gets anything of value out of this arrangement that's a side benefit to them.

This is how capitalism works folks; it's the best way to conduct business.

But it won't be long before the drumbeat to sue another company starts yet another failed attempt to run another business from the jury box. This approach has never and will never work. But I can just hear the folks getting the pitchforks, ropes, and fire ready to save us from another villain.

We no longer use RCI, haven't for 2 years now - that is the correct way this whole thing should have been handled by all concerned. The lawyers and courts won this round, they will win the next round too.. That's how big government and big courts work - they take care of themselves first and if we get anything out of them that's almost by accident.

So, who do we sue next?

 

[BevL]

Maybe I missed it but has Jennie, Susan or gentleman from the time share magazine posted anything yet about the judge's decision?

Post 933 gives the synopsis and the posts since then have been discussing it.

 

[crazyhorse]

GlenB

Nice to hear from someone else other than myself (from England).
I have been following the boards for some years now regarding this subject.

I did not go down the Points route option and do not intend to do so in the future.

Up until about last year the reduction in availability hadn`t affected me, and I always put in my deposits at least a year out. As the correspondents on this board are almost unanimously from the U.S.A., I thought that the problem was not a European one.

Then WHAM-last year the exchange availability went to the dogs. For instance there was no, I repeat NO availability in Portugal. Availability in Europe was also badly affected. My own resort was still maintaining its status however, so that wasn`t the problem. You could see that the practice of renting out had been extended.

So I posted my comments here and also made an objection to the settlement. On principle, I did not accept a trinket.

It looks as though we now have 3 years of some improvement in the Weeks Exchange system, so if we stay with RCI we should make the best of this. Despite this, I expect a gradual drift from RCI as word continues to get around of how RCI operates. This will occur by general exposure by bulletin boards such as this and by word of mouth.

After all, (I refer to England here) as per the denomination of certain supermarket chains, there is always room for newcomers such as Morrisons, and the giant Tesco started from nothing too!

 

[RustyS]

I also became a member of RCI in early 1985 when I bought my first Blue beach week from the developer.

1985 must have been the year most beach resort developers were selling off their blue weeks. I bought mine in 84 or 85 myself. Luckily over time they promoted the Florida weeks up to Red, but it's in name only, not Trading Power (c).

RCI is definitely making an active effort to destroy RCI Weeks with the rentals. While I greatly enjoy the benefits of using a paltry amount of points for last minute exchanges from the Weeks pool, I can see this as also being detrimental to RCI Weeks.

I think they've been actively trying to destroy the Weeks program since they started the Points system. They actively recruited Weeks members to "upgrade" (for a significant fee) to the Points program, where the member would be able to see the Points inventory while still seeing those in the Weeks program. But the Weeks folks, having not "upgraded", would not be able to see the new inventory pool created within the Points program.

And so the bleeding of the Weeks inventory began. For example, my resort has about 2000 unit/weeks per year (40 units over 50 weeks or so). If RCI convinced half of them to move to the Points program, that was 1,000 less beach side weeks available for the rest of you to find in the Weeks exchange pool. But those upgraded Points members would still have access to the entire 2,000 unit/weeks. And the same went throughout the land so I had that many less Weeks available to me from Weeks at your resorts.

I saw this when they started the Points program, but my resort wanted an upgrade price not far off the original selling price of my week, and I was not going to buy it again. I'm still happy with that choice considering the Points system is now under assault from the Rental programs as well.

But here we are, RCI has turned their backs on the programs, operating them in name only to provide themselves an easy source of other peoples' property to steal and fence on the rental market. And now a judge has blessed the operation.

So I am gone from their roles. At least I will be once I get something for the weeks previously deposited (can't get them back because the dates are passed) and not exchanged due to a lack of suitable inventory that has now been made permanent.

Or maybe I can rent a unit I pull from the weeks system, yeah, I'll exchange for something and offer a Guest Cert for rent on TUG... Anyone want to rent a Branson week in February? Some of the shows are still open then.

 

[RustyS]

Glad to have got that off my chest.

Glad to lend an ear and a shoulder. And all good points too.

I'll bet you thought RCI was just another way us silly ex-Brits were taking advantage of one another. But the Internet allows some prior-subjects-of-the-crown (RCI board members in particular) to take advantage of people around the globe.

 

[bnoble]

I don't like ongoing searches. I search every day. But I may have to start doing ongoing searches now in Weeks to utilize these two Summer beach weeks

OY, I posted the results of a small experiment comparing my daily searches of coastal US in mid-summer, Maine through South Carolina, over several months, with an ongoing search running for about one week for the same areas and dates. The ongoing search was significantly more effective---it saw more in one week than I saw in months and months of direct searching. That single, small experiment made me a big believer.

For what it's worth, I had almost exactly the same experience back when I was using II to exchange into DVC---ongoing searches turned up units I never, ever saw in my daily looks through the inventory. Even after I turned various units down, they were generally never seen again in a manual search.

 

[rickandcindy23]

OY, I posted the results of a small experiment comparing my daily searches of coastal US in mid-summer, Maine through South Carolina, over several months, with an ongoing search running for about one week for the same areas and dates. The ongoing search was significantly more effective---it saw more in one week than I saw in months and months of direct searching. That single, small experiment made me a big believer.

For what it's worth, I had almost exactly the same experience back when I was using II to exchange into DVC---ongoing searches turned up units I never, ever saw in my daily looks through the inventory. Even after I turned various units down, they were generally never seen again in a manual search.

That is very interesting to me. I have had an ongoing search with my decent traders for months and months, and I still haven't had either of the searches filled. I assumed it was lack of trading power, because I can no longer see all of the good stuff, though I see most of it. It could be something as simple as nothing being available.

I should also experiment with this. Brian, could you post this specific search test on TUG as well?

 

[Laurie]

Like you Theo, I saw the claiming of a trinket as admitting that the proposed settlement was O. K. NOT!!!!

I'm sure the lawyers had that argument (claim submissions being proof of satisfaction with settlement terms) already prepared before there was even a tally. And the number of trinkets claimed by TUG etc folks was insignificant compared with the total.

It's fine that some decided not to claim one, on principle. I did claim my trinket and don't feel bad at all about that, because I didn't and don't believe my decision had any impact either way. And I don't think anyone else who claimed one should feel bad either.

On the other hand, as I understand it, the number of objections filed as a result of the folks posting here - Jennie, Susan, Goofyhobby etc - was an unusually high percentage, so might have had a sliver of a chance at affecting the outcome in a more permanent way, and therefore certainly worth the effort. Thank you to you 3 especially, and to TUGBrian, and to all of you!!

Everyone here did your/our best... and as so many are saying, it's time to move on from RCI as it ceases to work for us.

 

[Stricky]

We no longer use RCI, haven't for 2 years now - that is the correct way this whole thing should have been handled by all concerned. The lawyers and courts won this round, they will win the next round too.. That's how big government and big courts work - they take care of themselves first and if we get anything out of them that's almost by accident.

Obviously RCI seems to be happy with their rental program. Although having a large percentage of members leave RCI is a nice idea, there are not enough educated members that will do so. My thought is the only way they will change is if whole resorts leave. It is up to resort managements to force a change.

Thanks to those that tried. I do wish the outcome had been better.

 

["Roger"]

... My thought is the only way they will change is if whole resorts leave...

To II?

They have and have always had their own rental program. (Craig Urbane said that they couldn't survive without it.)

They have never had any 45 day rule to help out blue week owners and are unlikely to institute one. (Several people in this thread have suggested that the resurrection of this program was of special importance within the suit.)

Bnoble tells us that ongoing searches are also the more effective way to go. within II.

Of recent, there have been some postings to the effect that they too make last minute cancellations. (Familiarity breeds discontent. As more Tuggers have made this their favorite company ...)

No way to discover one's trading power.

I am sure that John Chase could add his two cents...

My point is that when you deal with large corporations, all that you can reasonably do is adjust your own behavior to what it is they offer. Spend your money or hold back based upon the personal value that you get.

[I suspect that this will not be a popular post within this thread, so I will duck and run.]

 

[PerryM]

White Knights are haggard these days....

Obviously RCI seems to be happy with their rental program. Although having a large percentage of members leave RCI is a nice idea, there are not enough educated members that will do so. My thought is the only way they will change is if whole resorts leave. It is up to resort managements to force a change.

Thanks to those that tried. I do wish the outcome had been better.

I belong to the best, most user friendly timeshare exchange system out there - it's called eBay.

If folks don't like RCI or II or whatever simply rent your unit on eBay or other places and take that money and rent RCI units that are almost given away.

Anyone can do this.

But to put your faith in the hands of lawyers seems to me to be folly. This is just another example of how the lawyers and courts made out like bandits and all of you RCI members will pay for this in higher dues and exchange fees.

This won't cost the RCI stockholders a penny - and expect even more egregious behavior in the future now that this outcome has been reached. The flood gates are now open, thanks to the lawyers and courts.

But I guess enough folks believe that a White Knight will rescue you - good luck on that...

 

[AwayWeGo]

eBay Rental Results -- Good Or Bad Or So-So ?

I belong to the best, most user friendly timeshare exchange system out there - it's called eBay.

So, how well are timeshares renting on eBay these days ?

I'd be willing to jump through the eBay hoops once again (e.g., Square Trade, etc.) if I had confidence in eBay as a good place to offer timeshare rentals.

If eBay is no better than, say, Craig's List & Vacation Timeshare Rentals Dot Com (free section), then I'm better off sticking with those than going through the eBay rigmarole again.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[bnoble]

Bnoble tells us that ongoing searches are also the more effective way to go.

As a small caveat to that---I did have *another* ongoing search in RCI for anonther summer 2010 exchange that did not match automatically, but I did find a match for in a manual search.

So, I wouldn't just place-and-forget in RCI if I had something important to me.

 

[PerryM]

So, how well are timeshares renting on eBay these days ?

I'd be willing to jump through the eBay hoops once again (e.g., Square Trade, etc.) if I had confidence in eBay as a good place to offer timeshare rentals.

If eBay is no better than, say, Craig's List & Vacation Timeshare Rentals Dot Com (free section), then I'm better off sticking with those than going through the eBay rigmarole again.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

I just rented 10 units this holiday season on eBay.

EBay allows vacation rentals to use their Classified Ad feature where it cost me $10 per month and I ran 2 ads for 2 months - total cost to me was $40 for 10 rentals.

I also used Redweek and Myresortnetwork but neither of them generated ANY sales - next year I won't even bother.

They no longer require you to pay for Square Trade - you have to fax in your proof of ownership just once direct to eBay and the cost is $0.

So before folks chuck eBay you really should explore what they have to offer for just peanuts...

P.S.
Craig's List is a cesspool infected with human debris - please be VERY careful on Craig's List.

 

[DeniseM]

Let's keep on track here, please - if you want to talk about your personal rentals, please post on the Buying, Selling, Renting Board.