RCI Timeshare Experiences – Bryan’s Story
The following post was submitted by user Bryan:
I’ve had a RCI timeshare for 10 years. In those 10 years I’ve never been satisfied with the product. I currently pay $700 per year in maintenance fees, $179 in booking fees, $50 per year in membership fees and taxes on my 1 bedroom condo. What do I get for all that? I have the priviledge of being able to use for 1 week a year.
The maintenance fees have gone from $350 per year to $700 per year over the decade I’ve owned the timeshare. Recently I tried to book a trip on a Thursday and was kicked out of their computer system because they were doing maintenance. I tried again on the following Monday, only to find that the rules and rates had changed. The week I wanted to book was now only available if I combined 2 weeks and paid a $99 fee to combine them so I could get the 1 week I tried to book earlier.
I spoke to 3 customer service managers only to find out that they had the ability to book this condo like I had originally wanted, but they chose not to do it. Talk about horrible customer service.
I’m in the process of trying to sell or give away this white elephant before it costs me another $700 for the 2011 year. Do yourself a favor and never use RCI. Tell your friends never to use them and if you have a condo with them try to unload it as soon as possible.
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I love RCI – the only way it works, as far as I am concerned, is to buy into a completed resort – so you are buying a resell. They are way less, next and more importantly, get one with low maintenance fees. After ownership since 1993, mine are now up to $215 per week per year – $645 total for all 3. Way less than most people pay per week. Vacations: Don’t search for a particular resort on a particular week and expect to find it (but you may). I either search an area, say WA and OR, over a 45 day time period and see what’s available – plenty! The other way to search is by a particular week, but then check the world, or US or similar. These 2 methods can always find you something in a broad area you want for location, or a particular date. I have also been more specific and searched what’s available in Hawaii any time and booked things off in the future. The other thing is that often people bank there weeks at the last minute. So if you are looking for Hawaii for example, check the next 30 days and check it several times a day. For example people tell me they can’t get into Hawaii – we have been to Hawaii many times on RCI, Maui, Oahu, Kaui and the Big Island – right now on RCI I see Lihue, Kauai for next week, Honolulu in 2 weeks, Kona – October and on, a 2 bdr in Waikaloa in 2 weeks, – 16 total resorts show openings right now. Don’t forget the Last Call, extra weeks you can book, I always book some of these every year. Ok, have fun, it’s easy with a few tips.
i am in the same situation i suffer from bi polar dissorder i purchased this during my manic period unknown to my husband. It was a resale and i bought it for £1500 for 1 wk per yr in lanzarote i paid cash that was about 2yrs ago i have never used i took unwell under my first yr and i am in the process of trying to sell it i would give it away if possible. Ipayed last yrs maintenance. And this idea you can change it to anytime is a lot of guff too as you still have to pay about £150 to do that. We have been somewhere to try and sell it which was a con as well. The maintenance manager in our complex has been getting done with fraud. i dont know what to do with this