Who do I contact about this problem?

[shar]

Madge

I would like to know the best way to have someone look a the trading power assigned to one of my spacebank deposits. There is a problem in that I believe the trading power that has been assigned is that of 60 days out and not 14 months out. I say this in comparing what I can pull with another week at the same resort. Both are prime summer beach weeks. The unit that was deposited 14 months out trades worse than the same unit that was deposited 10 months in advance. The trades I am pulling up with the 14 month advance deposit are equal to the trades I had when I deposited the unit two years ago at 60 days out. I have tried speaking to a RCI counselor who just referred me to sending an email to tech support. The emails are never answered except by assigning another case number. I now have about seven case numbers for the same problem as I do not get a response to the original problem. This has been going on for weeks now. This is really poor customer service. What do you suggest I do to get in touch with the proper person to sort out this problem?

Shar

 

[Madge]

Shar,

Each e-mail gets a response from a member of our staff, unless they believe it to be a duplicate of another message. Please do not send multiple copies of the same message as that can create confusion and even cause our server to block your e-mail address.

I'm hoping you've heard from someone by now? If not, please resend your message, attn: Madge, and I'll watch for it myself.

Trading Power is more heavily influenced by supply and demand than by deposit date, especially when the weeks in question are strong to begin with. Hopefully, the Communications Team can shed some light for you.

 

[shar]

Madge

Thank you for addressing this problem. I was finally answered, but only because you told them to answer me. The only reason I sent multiple emails is because I had received no answer for over a month.

Unfortunatley the answer I am being given by the powers to be is faulty. They state that because schools are in session during week 32, 2006 that there are not many requests for this week. (My deposit was taken immediately by someone.) I find it hard to believe as the second week of August is one of the most traveled weeks across the U.S. and many schools are not in session. Our schools do not open until around Labor day or the week before Labor Day. In addition they are not providing me with other week 32, 33, 34, 35 options to trade against when I can see them with my week 31 deposit. It seems if I follow their logic then these weeks should be available to me as other people are not requesting them.

Thank you for your help in finally getting them to acknowledge me.

By the way I have spoken to several supervisors at RCI who say they all believe there is something wrong with the trading power of my week 32, beach, deposited 14 months in advance.

Sharon Sorensen

 

[sfwilshire]

Sharon,

Just for the record, most Southern schools ARE in session beginning about the first week in August.

Sheila

 

[shar]

Shelia

I understand that many schools are in session in August, but many schools who have students in session in August are out in May/June, but many schools across the country are out in August ans in session in June. If one looks at resort rates they are prime rates in August and do not drop until closer to Labor Day. I want to know if week 32 is such a poor trader then why am I am offered other week 32, 33, 34 etc deposits by RCI? What gives here???

Shar

 

[Madge]

Shar,

Trading Power is calculated based on RCI's experienced demand. We don't use outside indicaters to assign Trading Power. It is certainly possible that the demand we experience for Week 32 is less than for Week 31. I know that is true at my own resort where I own Week 32 as well. My week began August 6th in 2005, but will start August 12th in 2006. I am prepared to see a reduction in my own Trading Power in 2006.

Here in Indiana, most schools are in session by mid-August. Even if that were not the case, it is possible that many families preparing to send their children back to school would not choose that time to take a family vacation. However, this is all really just conjecture and educated guessing. RCI's system uses the actual data behind Trading Power. It is neither arbitrary nor biased. Our goal is to be as objective and fair as possible with Trading Power.

 

[shar]

Madge

I understand that week 32 maybe less requested thatn week 31, except that I was still not offered other week 32, 33, or 34 options which also should have been less requested. In addition was I seeing trade power go from outstanding to none. This makes not sense as I should have at least had some options presented to me for a beach summer week deposited a year in advance which was grabbed right away to be utilized by another person. I am not able to understand that RCI did not have requests in August. Actually, I remember that a few years ago when I had a July week and an August week for Aruba that I was comparing, the July week pulled less than the August week. RCI at that time told me that they had more requests for August than July. My July week still pulled some opportunities but not as much as the August week. So it seems tome that RCI changes their story. I thank you very much for at least getting RCI feedback to acknowledge my communications.

Shar

 

[Ari]

I am in a somewhat similar situation with Shar, though I’m dealing with RCI Europe. The trading power of a peak red Christmas week that was deposited 22 months out is considerably worse than that of the poorest week (50) of the same resort, equal apartment, same year 2005, deposited only 5 months earlier. Meanwhile the resort status was even reduced from CG to RID. This cannot be correct.

RCI Europe/Internet Team received my complaint July 4th (TUG on the subject line). They replied [T20050704003G] that it will take them three weeks to answer. As nothing was heard in five weeks I sent them a copy of the e-mail asking for a reason for the delay - no reaction so far.

I guess RCI Europe and U.S. are using approximately the same formula to compute the VEP value. However, here it counts a lot whether you deposit one year or two years earlier.

Ari

 

[Madge]

Ari,

It's mostly about supply and demand. Week 50 (or 32 for that matter) at one resort can have very different Trading Power from that of a Week 50 at another resort/area.

If you like, you may send an e-mail to feedback@rci.com and enter TUG in the subject line. RCI's U.S. Communications Team would be pleased to try to help.

 

[Anne S]

Madge, my issue is similar to Shar's. I deposited my 2006 week 33 Aruba Beach Club at the end of July, and am shocked at how poorly it trades, compared to past years. My standard SA week outperforms it hands down. I realize that week 33 begins rather late--on Aug. 19--in 2006, but surely this in itself can't account for such a drastic drop in trade power?

 

[shar]

Anne

I think your statement is very interesting as a few years ago ,as posted in a previous post,I was told by RCI that August in Aruba was more requested than July. At that time I was comparing my Aug deposit against my July deposit for the same unit, same resort. Althoug RCI does not wnat to admit it, I think they have changed the value of August weeks when there are still plenty of people who will grab these weeks as soon as possible. In Baltimore/Washington areas many more people are on vacation in August then in July, especially the first three weeks of August. I do not even do any advertising for my business then as so many people are on vacation.

Shar

 

[Ari]

It's mostly about supply and demand. Week 50 (or 32 for that matter) at one resort can have very different Trading Power from that of a Week 50 at another resort/area. QUOTE]

Madge,

If you read my message again, you find that the weeks I’m comparing are neighbouring units at the same resort, even the same year. I have deposited the Christmas week (86 000 points) several times before and it has consistently got a relatively high trading power. This time there was a considerable drop and the week was clearly outperformed by a much later deposited supposedly poor trader (20 000 points). This is not fair and I don’t’ see any logic in it. From now on, for the best results I shall only deposit my weakest weeks and as late as possible. ;-)

Anyhow, I shall contact the Communications Team as you suggested, though I feel that as long as the VEP formula remains a secret, even in situations that at least sound very clear, an RCI member is powerless against the system. “The trading value is calculated… blaa, blaa.” Well, RCI Europe didn’t even bother with the standard response.

My sympathy to Shar and Anne. Should we go to the points, but then...

Ari

 

[Anne S]

Madge, I e-mailed feedback@rci.com, as you suggested. Within five minutes I received this boilerplate reply:

"RCI does not release specific information about Trading Power. One of
the principal reasons is that such information could be construed as a
measure of the comparative worth of timeshare weeks. In fact, RCI's
Trading Power relates only to our Exchange Program.

Your decision to purchase vacation time should be based primarily upon
the benefits to be gained from the use and enjoyment of that vacation
ownership. It should not be based upon the anticipated benefits of the
RCI Exchange Program.

When RCI receives a large number of requests for times or areas with
limited availability, we prioritize the exchanges according to
established Trading Power guidelines. The Trading Power of your
SPACEBANK deposit is based on the supply, demand, and usage of the week,
resort and area you deposit. Other factors which influence your
deposit's Trading Power include season, unit configuration, the resorts
Vacation Experience Profile, and how early you deposit the vacation time
with RCI. The RCI exchange system works best when requesting dates and
locations of similar demand to your own.

We appreciate your interest in our program and look forward to serving
you in the future."

I have several problems with this response, this first being that it did not answer my question. My specific question was why week 33 was trading so poorly in 2006, compared to previous years. At least Shar was offered the explanation that schools are in session that week, although that is quite regional--in New York schools don't start until after Labor Day.

 

[Madge]

Anne

I think they have changed the value of August weeks

Shar,

RCI does not arbitrarily influence Trading Power. It is based on our demand experience and member comment card scores.

 

[Madge]

Madge, I e-mailed feedback@rci.com, as you suggested. Within five minutes I received this boilerplate reply:

"RCI does not release specific information about Trading Power.

Anne S.

Did you enter TUG in the subject line of your message? If you did, I apologize. Please re-send with TUG - Attn: Madge. I'll watch for it myself.

 

[Madge]

Madge,

If you read my message again, you find that the weeks I’m comparing are neighbouring units at the same resort, even the same year. I have deposited the Christmas week (86 000 points) several times before and it has consistently got a relatively high trading power. This time there was a considerable drop and the week was clearly outperformed by a much later deposited supposedly poor trader (20 000 points). This is not fair and I don’t’ see any logic in it. From now on, for the best results I shall only deposit my weakest weeks and as late as possible. ;-)

Anyhow, I shall contact the Communications Team as you suggested, though I feel that as long as the VEP formula remains a secret, even in situations that at least sound very clear, an RCI member is powerless against the system. “The trading value is calculated… blaa, blaa.” Well, RCI Europe didn’t even bother with the standard response.

My sympathy to Shar and Anne. Should we go to the points, but then...

Ari

Ari,

In your message you said:

The trading power of a peak red Christmas week that was deposited 22 months out is considerably worse than that of the poorest week (50) of the same resort, equal apartment, same year 2005, deposited only 5 months earlier.

Two different weeks are being compared, and they will have distinct Trading Power. Your assumptions about which week should have stronger Trading Power may or may not be accurate. Please send an e-mail to feedback@rci.com and enter TUG in the subject line. Hopefully, the Communications Team will be able to shed some light.

 

[JEFF H]

Shar,
RCI does not arbitrarily influence Trading Power. It is based on our demand experience and member comment card scores.

The computer model RCI is using could however be flawed.
The problem I see is there are no checks and balances on the system.
Even when it seems pretty obvious that the program has assigned the wrong trade power the member is told its correct because the RCI computer says so.

 

[shar]

The computer model RCI is using could however be flawed.
The problem I see is there are no checks and balances on the system.
Even when it seems pretty obvious that the program has assigned the wrong trade power the member is told its correct because the RCI computer says so.

Jeff I agree with that statement. I think this is something RCI needs to investigate.

Shar

 

[Madge]

The computer model RCI is using could however be flawed.
The problem I see is there are no checks and balances on the system.
Even when it seems pretty obvious that the program has assigned the wrong trade power the member is told its correct because the RCI computer says so.

JEFF H,

RCI's computer evaluates our experience with supply and demand and applies the other factors used to calculate Trading Power. When I have been unable to confidently say what might be resulting in a change in Trading Power, I have asked our Inventory Management staff to check and be sure there is no error. If the computer "says so", it does this on the basis of real data being applied the same way to every deposit.