RCI Timeshare Complaints, Positive and Negative Experiences
There are a number of sites on the web that RCI members use to voice their complaints about past experiences they have had with RCI. A majority of these issues have to do with the inability to trade weeks once they are deposited. The inability to exchange weeks for vacations at other resorts is exactly the same problem that the class action lawsuit, Murillo vs. RCI (which is currently in the discovery process) is focused upon – the idea that RCI is withholding weeks for sales to non-members or for use by executives as perks.
Personally, my major complaint with RCI is the way that they conduct business using their deceitfully underhanded, high-pressure sales tactics. Their main goal is to prey on the weakness of people and convince them, no matter what their financial situation, that a timeshare is a valuable investment. They are no better than corporate bullies, hustling and ready to say whatever you want to hear in order to get your signature on the dotted line. I do not care how many people comment that “it’s your own fault to give in and buy something you did not really want”, there is certainly some truth to that, but the real truth is that people are trusting by nature, and do not want to believe that there is someone out there trying to reel them in for a scam.
People need to be aware about the truth about timeshares, and I encourage you to post your experiences with RCI below, positive and negative, to help inform consumers as to whether or not RCI timeshare is a good investment.
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The AI fees for SOME resorts are optional but those are few and far between.
Unhappy Time Share victims share your story with your families and friends so others don’t end up screwed. I never bought into a timeshare – in my mind if it was such a great deal then why don’t they let you take home the paperwork and the offering to think about – and after you have thought about it allow you to come back and buy into it if you so desire. Why the high pressure on the spot sales? That should be a red flag for anyone. I refuse to work with Car Salesmen that use the same tactic. I will walk off the lot if they start that high pressure sales crap! People should walk out of those seminars once the pressure starts!
ding ding ding…high pressure sales and no time to consider your purchase. They put you in a spot to make quick decisions. NEVER A GOOD IDEA! If they are reputable they would allow you a cool off period to consider your purchase and make a better informed choice weather or not you want to follow through with your purchase.
Ive been able to use my timeshare and not get screwed too bad but in the end I will get screwed. I just found out the RCI is only a 7 year contract. So all my RCI points will be worthless once that expires. I have about 2.2 million points left to use in 2 years. Aint gonna happen. No one explained that the RCI contract/membership expires before the Timeshare membership.
Don’t know how XuXan cann say that with stright face (working for RCI or not). Most of our points vacations are all inclusive and we usually do not have option to drop it. Most times all inclusive more than whole same package thru Expedia for same location, accomodation and time. Always more availabitly thru everyone else too.
In order to get the best out of your RCI account you have to know how to use it (it isn’t hard to learn how). RCI is the biggest timeshare exchange company so its much more likely that you will find what you want if you go through RCI rather than going through some other exchange company. If you are unhappy with the fees charged you have to think to yourself how else would RCI stay in business? They don’t get any money from the timeshare sale or from maintenance fees (that is all through your resort).
There are plenty of ways to maximize what you get from your membership. Close date confirmations (2-45 days out) are discounted heavily so that’s one way to get more out of the week you deposited. Also if you combine deposits rather than extend you can keep your deposits going for quite some time (if you combine it makes the new deposit last 2 years from the date of combine). You really just need to spend some time either 1 on the website or 2 speaking with a guide and asking questions.
Me and most of the people I know who are RCI members are happy with our memebership and we can find what we want the majority of the time.
Pray tell how many people you know who are RCI members and give a few names so that we can verify the authenticity of your “recommendation”.
Please do not count me as one of your list of people you know who are RCI members.
I have a list of people who have stopped being RCI members. Not many but more than 200.
OW: Missed hearing from you! How are you?
Timeshare has been around since mid-1960. It was started by a French company, The Société des Grands Travaux de Marseille between 1964-1968 at SuperDevoluy, their ski resort based in the French Alps. (There are other versions over who “discovered” this business model and the claim of being the pioneer.) It’s a worldwide business, and I am sure there are a few timeshare owners around. Are there disatisfied timeshare owners? Yes! Are there satisfied owners? Also, yes! You counted over 200 disatisfied owners (your words!). For the many thousands of units sold over a span of 50 years, that’s all the unhappy owners in your column. Wow, OW, that’s quite an endorsement!
The timeshare that I signed up with locally has just been cut back by half. So – it is not only RCI -level that is losing ground. The local link is also in trouble.
It’s OK, I have reconciled myself that I was screwed and have learnt to live with that.
I am glad I don’t have to meet my maker and tell him that I lied and got people into all kind of mess.
The first level of drop off was the owners not depositing into RCI for whatever reasons; then RCI runs out of properties to exchange – that’s where most of these chats are all about.
Sadly, with the falling demand for the use under those strict guidelines – even for local owners, some of these have also given up servicing their annual fees and this leads to properties not being maintained and the spiral continues.
All these are outside the control of the dedicated owners – and eventually these dedicated owners begin to shift over and stop paying their annual fees too.
Sigh… – what a beautiful plan but for the plan to work, there were too many variables and all these depends on all parties doing their bit. But the music does stop ,,,
200 out of 200. I don’t have that many friends as RCI.
Sure it is an endorsement 200 friends out of 200 friends. The local timeshare I paid into just cut back half its properties because they were falling apart fro, lack of maintenance. Why? The whole scheme doesn’t have a sure fire success plan like we thought it had – 20 years ago. Most people are finding out that they can get better deals going through hotel websites. Even hotels are finding out, traditional advertisement doesn’t pull any more. And having an International Chain name like Holiday Inn is’t worth the 10% gross on revenues they are charging. Maybe the internet is dooming a lot of businesses models – and as the world becomes more transparent, margins get thinner and there is less room for entities like RCI.
Dinosaur?
Well , honestly, it is our crusade to put people like you out of your misery.
Jake,
Went and stayed in Cancun at the Sunset Marina & Yatch Club in May. Market Price for the Suite we stayed in (at Booking.com): $2,240 (7days). RCI booking fee to us: $200.
Will be in Cancun again in June at the Hotel Casa Maya. Market Price for the Suite we will be staying in: $1,340 (7days).
RCI booking fee to us: $200.
Combined resorts’ savings through RCI for these 2 vacations alone: $3,180.
Yep, I’m with you there; feeling pretty happy!
(But let’s keep that between us.)
You forgot about the mandatory all inclusive fees that RCI makes you pay which would have been an ADDITIONAL $2400 so actually Booking.com would have saved you almost $400.
QueenSheeba – XUXAN works for RCI. He sometimes changes his name – can’t trust anything he says!
The “All Inclusive” are true ONLY if you book with resorts that has such a requirement. This is true of many of the Dominican Republic resorts. But RCI DOES NOT make anyone choose to stay in these resorts.