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RCI

RCI's Web site says the company has over 3,700 affiliated resorts located in 100 countries, with over three million subscribing members living in more than 200 countries. Its "RCI Community" is an exchange network of three million timeshare owners worldwide who participate in RCI's traditional week-for-week and points-based timeshare exchange networks.

Amy of Abilene, TX November 19, 2009

My fiance and I went to Las Vegas, NV last week to get married. Our hotel got us to go to a timeshare tour to get free tickets to a show. We knew what it was for and had no intention of buying. The sales person was very nice and we ended up talking to him for 4 hours (more because he kept going on about other things). Finally his manager came over to "close the deal" with us. I said no and he seemed to get a bit upset. He started coming up with new figures that were lower and I still said no. He said he would give us some time to talk. My fiance and I agreed to continue to say no.

In the end we got the timeshare because we were told that we could pay the yearly HOA fees whenever we wanted as long as it was before we took a vacation. We were also told that we get 49,000 points every other year and one free week throughout each year. No extra fees were discussed other than the 196 when we stayed in an exchanged resort for a week.

When I got home my husband and I looked over the book and extra papers that were added. Come to find out that the yearly charges come out of my credit card automatically every year and I HAVE to have it done this way. There are fees for keeping my points over a year later and fees for using my points. We can only use 33% of our points per year on the resorts and the rest has to go towards airfare and car rentals. We also have to use additional points with the "free" week each year. LUCKLY I found where we have 5 days (6 days in Texas) to cancel by certified mail with no penalties. I already gave the information to my attorney so that he has a copy in case we run into problems.

These people are very misleading. They make this program sound like such a great deal and they almost make you feel like a horrible person if you do not buy into it. I said no so many times!! I only said yes when they got to a low number I was comfortable with. They do not care if they are financially burdening you (although they say they do) because I explained getting married, a child on the way, and student loans starting in 5 months. These things made me leary to go into a deal that would cost me money for the next 10 years. It's a load of crap from my experience with them and from what others have said I am very lucky I found that "cooling off period" in time!!

Myrna of Tucson, AZ November 16, 2009

We booked a reservation 1 year agp fpr a suite for my husband, myself and our 12 year old daughter. It was supposed to be a 2 bedroom suite (which we always got until we went throught RCI.) The info they sent us was misleading. It said 1 bedroom sleeps 4 privacy 4. We are leaving. I called the hotel and was informed that the "suite" they gave us has one bed and 2 sofas. My daughter will have to sleep on those narrow sofas they have at the Sheraton Buganvilias. We will try to upgrade when we get there. RCI was rude and took an attitude with myself and my husband. Who wants to go on vacation and sleep on a sofa. And where is the privacy?????

RCI was saying that "you booked the reservaation so you are stuck" They are the rudest people I ever met and they are running a scam.

William of Saint Louis, MO November 16, 2009

It was nearly time to renew my RCI annual membership fee so I checked on the RCI website to see if there was any renewal specials and fortunately RCI was running limited time only "Anniversary Renewal Special" offering 3 years for the price of 2. This offer was advertised on the website directly to the right of the pricing chart which lists a 2-year renewal for 159. After clicking various renewal options I realized that RCI had not provided a way to take advantage of this offer on their website. I called RCI and mentioned the special to the first gentleman who answered. He didn't know about the special so he put me on hold to check. He came back and said RCI will honor that special but said it was 178 for the 2 year renewal. I informed him a 2-year renewal is listed as 159 on the website and also on the renewal rates listed when you call the automated line for renewal rates. He said he doesn't make the rules; he just follows them.

I asked for a supervisor and she also confirmed that they are charging 178 for this special because they base the 2 yr rate for this special at 2 times the 1 yr rate, which is 79. I informed her there is no mention of this on the website that this is how it works for this special. This is just another classic case of RCI's games. In this case you could call it either false-advertising or a bait-and-switch. Either way, the way they are advertising this special(with no footnote to indicate they are pricing this special like that) they make it appear that they are offering you 3 yrs at the 2 yr price of 159 and then when you call to renew you find out it is 178. Don't get me wrong, 178 for 3 years is still less then the normal 3 yr rate of 229 but if you are going to make an offer to people don't try to intentional deceive them. These kinds of actions are what is getting RCI into trouble and if they don't change their ways I believe they will go out of business once people finally wake up and quit renewing their memberships.

christian of edmonton, AB October 7, 2009

rci is a time share company that phoned me this afternoon with an offer of a free vacation to cancun plus a free stay in orlando near disneyworld. how did they get my number? i must have signed up for it they said... how odd. despite my concern over whether this was a credit card scam they continued to pressure me - "this one a one chance deal, take it or leave it" type of thing. i told them i had concerns and the manager came on the line to pressure me more... at this point he tells me it will only cost me 598 dollars (U.S.). after telling him my concerns over credit card fraud (he called me on my cell phone, not very secure) he continued to tell me that after i authorized the payment if i did not receive the promised goods (six days in cancun and five days in orlando) i would be protected by my credit card company. this is a lie, if i approve a payment it is not refundable.

i made this point to him and he continued to talk... that is when i got on the internet and discovered this site. i told him i wasn't interested in his high pressure sale, he tried to explain more, i told him i wasn't interested, he kept talking, i asked him why he was still talking when i already said no, he kept talking, i told him again "why are you still talking when i already said no? that doesn't make any sense to me." he finally gave up and hurried off the phone.

what a crock these people are, i worked for a resort that dealt with them and it was crazy what they would tell people to make the deal. so many people did not get what they were expecting. they would invite them out to the resort from wherever and let them stay in the newer, nicer rooms and then when they booked they would get the thirty-five year old dirty crappy rooms.

Frances of West Des Moines , IA September 25, 2009

I guess my story really isn't any different than all the others on here. My husband and I bought RCI POINTS from Blue Bay. We were told we could use these for unlimited airline travel, car rentals, etc. Now, we are limited to using 60,000 points/year for these services, there is a booking fee of 50 (and up) AND you have to pay the difference of the cost of the ticket after 60,000 points. trying to find a resort that is an RCI POINTS resort is a JOKE. Most are through their points or weeks and then to use them, you pay a booking fee and then another 189 to use a weeks resort intead of a points resort. RCI's customer service is non-existent.Just this morning I was literally THREATENED by an RCI representative that if I didnt' stop calling about my concerns, they would reverse my renewal and i would lose my points. Long and short, we lost thousands of dollars in points it will be impossible for us to use. WE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT!! Can anyone help??

Deborah of Maple Ridge, BC September 7, 2009

I recieved an email with last mintute promotions, upon trying to book a room at the discounted rate, I was told none were availiable, but I could cash in one of my certificates for a discounted rate of 599.00 for the week. I feel into the trap and later felt a bit unsettled.

I called to the resort and asked a few questions and was suprised to find it was much further away then I was led to believe and that I could book the exact same room for 50. per night off expedia. A savings of 400.00 to me which is considerable during a recession.

I contacted RCI to cancel my reservation and was told absolutley no refund would be given. I feel like I have been baited and switched and scammed. I am a careful consumer and spend a great deal of time researching my travels but this has never ever happened. I would like my money back.

John of Keene, NH August 26, 2009

I'm going t add my complaint to all of those already made about RCI's seeming complete inability to broker an even exchange. Last year, I traded in my Red Week at a prime Florida resort (two bedrooms; two baths; easily sleeps eight),and was given an absolute dump of a place ("Island Resort")on Block Island, RI. It had all of the looks, feel--and smell--of a 1950's motel. If a Super 8 or a Motel 6 opened across the way from it, it would go out of business.

This year, I was unable to get get anything other than a one-bedroom in Hancock, MA ("Vacation Village"). This place was listed as having a "partial kitchen." How many of you realize that this means not only no oven, but no range, as well. What it had was a two-burner portable unit. Just a wee step up from a Bunsen burner, mind you. The place had little, if any insulation, carets were just plain out dirty. No cell service, and they wanted about 7 bucks a day to hook you up to the Internet.

One guest observed, in his complaint, that he's received free Internet service in hotels that charged him something like 48 a night, and this "resort" wanted 7 a day? I think that those who claim that RCI is taking the weeks that we bank and tries to sell them--rather than making them available to other members as trades--has hit the nail on the head. There just cannot be so many people claiming that they're unable to get desirable weeks at desirable places as a "trade," but seem to have little or no problem buying these same weeks from RCI.

Tami of Dayton, OH August 11, 2009

Here is the response I received after complaining about the unavailablity of options at RCI. Also, when I bought my Farishare account, I was able to trade my points without a search charge. Now they want 164.00 just to search. I want my originally contracted benefits! I don't feel as if I have ever been given a fair deal with Fairshare. "Ms...., I understand you have been frustrated in the past by our lack of available inventory. It is important to know that because RCI is not a reservation system, and it is not unusual for there to be no availability in popular areas at the time of your initial call to RCI. When we receive a deposit for a highly-demanded resort, it typically is confirmed immediately by a member who has already submitted a request and prepaid their exchange fee. Your likelihood of confirming a vacation for such areas is best if you submit your request well in advance and allow us to continuously search for a match. Be assured RCI understands the mutual benefit of confirming your preferred exchange, and we do so whenever possible."

My daughter is considering attending either Chaminade University or Hawaii University in 2011. We need to visit these colleges, but we don't think it is fair to have to pay for hotel/motel rooms to do so during her break.

paulette of henderson, NV August 1, 2009

I have another complant about our RCI time share...its just a rip off.. We tried for months to exchange our week in Colorado ..as we had a wedding to go to...they never had nothing we could use. When we go and check at different places they do have units availabe. but not for us to exchange. We ended up with a friend of a friend...being able to use their timeshare...up in the mts. for just cost of maint. fees.. I don't get it.

Roseann of los altos hills, CA July 23, 2009

They take your money for maintance fees and they take your weeks at a luxurey resort and there is nothing on there website to exchange. All of their luxury properies are blacked out January 1st-December 31st. I asked the agent about this and she said they are participating in RCI but they have nothing available! This looks like blatent bait and switch tactics that are used to misrepresent and swindle folks out of their money. Do not ever use RCI or buy a timeshare that claims to use RCI points as a way to change your vacation location!!!

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