Timeshare ownership requires that yearly maintenance fees be paid by the owners to assure that the resort is kept up to date and well maintained. These fees cover the cost of running the resort, landscaping, physical property maintenance, insurance, utilities, and replacement of fixtures, furniture and appliances. Maintenance fees also cover the costs of special events and entertainment offered by the resort, as well as offsetting the cost of reduced airfare, car rentals and event tickets. How much you will be held responsible for when calculating yearly maintenance fees depends on what type of time share you own.
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Many timeshare owners and potential buyers are given misinformation about what exactly a timeshare exchange company does for its members, and the benefits of taking part in a traditional exchange program. For example, did you know that as a timeshare owner you have the right to go with any exchange company that deals with your resort? Did you know that there are many small exchange companies out there offering no enrollment dues or exchange fees? I have spoken with many timeshare owners that believed because they signed up for a Resort Condominiums International membership when they first purchased your timeshare, that they needed to conduct all of their future trades through RCI. While I am sure it is lucrative for RCI to convince its members that they need to continue to renew their membership with them, it simply is not true. It is time to separate the facts from fiction and find out the truth about timeshare exchange companies.
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RCI weeks members should be aware of developments regarding a possible class action lawsuit that is currently undergoing the class certification discovery process. The lawsuit is related to an alleged practice through which RCI takes out a lot of the gold crown, and highly sought after properties to rent out to the general public for profit, or for use as a fringe benefit for RCI employees and special guests. This skimming of available weeks makes it difficult for RCI timeshare resort weeks members to bank weeks for exchange at other resorts, since the availability pool is severely limited by this activity.
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The following is a list of RCI-affiliated resorts within the United States that permit pets i.e. dogs, cats, and birds. This list is subject to change and you should always call the resort prior to making reservations to confirm their pet policy. Some resorts do require a pet deposit, have restrictions regarding the pet’s weight and/or breed, and others will not permit you to leave the animal unattended - most resorts allowing pets do have kennels nearby. You should always be sure to bring all of your pet’s pets papers, vaccine information, medications, and tags with vacation contact information. With a little extra preparation traveling with pets can be a very rewarding and enjoyable experience - happy tails!


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Many timeshare owners out of luck on the resale market choose to offer their timeshare as a donation to a non-profit organization, or NPO. While some NPO’s have shied away from this type of fund raising, there are still many organizations out there that welcome timeshare as a way to raise money for their programs. Below is a list of charitable organizations accepting timeshare donations.
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