Trying to exchange a timeshare.

ComplaintsCruises & ResortsRCI EXCHANGE COMPANY

Complaint

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Janet
Country: United States
I have owned timeshare for over 30 years in a 5 star resort.  I tried to make an exchange to find that since RCI had gone to the 'point' system, I don't have enough points to make the exchange.  I was told that I had to pay my maintenance fees 2 years in advance.  So, I did that (not smart).
When I called RCI back, I found out that I still don't have enough 'points' and that I would have to give them two of my weeks for one week at the resort that I'm trying to exchange into.  However, they did say that they could get me a week 'in the area'  at a very good price!!  Wait a minute, if I am already paying a ridiculous price for maintenance fees in addtion to an exchange fee what would make them think I wanted to pay even more to rent a place.  Timeshare used to be a great thing for the working class until the big hotels and big business bought them up.  IF YOU'RE THINKING OF DOING IT, DON'T!!!  YOU CAN SAVE YOUR MONEY UNDER THE MATTRESS (NOT IN THE BANKS) and take a good vacation.

Comments

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  • 0
    happycamper
    | 2 replies
    Wow.  I thought RCI was reputable.  Guess not.  Thanks, everybody, for taking the time to write these posts.  I'm outta here!
    • 0
      Owen replies to happycamper
      Not so sure it is rci.  My association is rci was exchange company through Wyndham which bought them out.
    • 0
      Owen replies to happycamper
      Not so sure it is rci.  My association is rci was exchange company through Wyndham which bought them out.
  • 0
    blazingbard
    Hmm, so my wife and I just signed up for a timeshare with 2 floating Weeks, now i'm wondering if there's an exit to what sounded like a great opportunity to get out and travel.
  • 0
    Judy Harrington
    Yes...they need to get sued again. We have points from a deeded gold crown in prime golf season. We used to exchange no problem. Now we can not get access online and when we call half year ahead of time they have nothing! What a joke! Hours on the phone with their lies, changing stories, and holds. Crooks! I love it when we go to the presentations at the places we do finally manage to scrounge up and let their sales people know that not only would I not buy from their resort hell would freeze over before I would ever buy from rci again. And my husband and I are certain we are not quiet about in a crowded room.
  • 0
    Thomas
    First, when I bought my vacation, they never mentioned that it was non-inclusive. Secondly, when I asked them for an alternative location, they created all those ** rules. So, I spent $540 for nothing. That's how RCI worldwide is. This is a good article about timeshare exchange companies like RCI and how to proceed legally against a scam:

    http://www.timesharescam.com/blog/137-timeshare-exchange-companies/
  • 0
    Happy camper
    I love rci!  I bought a timeshare off eBay for $1 for a two bedroom points in Las Vegas (plus legal fees of swapping it over so about $1200 total).  Since then I've traded that same timeshare to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge at Disney World AND the Grand Californian at Disney Land.  You just have to be persistent when looking at their website, that's all!
  • 0
    bianel
    please let me know if there is a law suit, i will gladly join
  • 0
    Barbara Fletcher
    Plenty of families buy timeshares with the expectation that swapping properties with others will allow them to vacation all over the world. This is not often the case, and may be more trouble than it’s worth. Even if you do have a timeshare worth swapping into, it requires a lot of research into each possible swap location before finalizing your plans. You don’t want to end up swapping to a location that has poor maintenance records, few amenities, and a bad surrounding area. Unless you join a very active network that has dozens of interested swappers every day, you might find this swapping process difficult and a hassle. This is a good article on how to do a timeshare trade without RCI:

    http://www.timesharescam.com/blog/161-timeshare-trade/
  • 0
    connie in canada
    I too bought 105000 floating points from then Fairfield inn 1999. since that time, it has been more and more difficult go book anything, including via RCI as availability has reduced dramatically likely due to opening units to the public and 105,000 points enables booking at only a small % of resorts and  even then, only low season   in the past, I could trade for a week anywhere in the world via RCI but not so now. mu timeshare is paid for, but the ever-increasing maintenance and membership fees (plus deposit and exchange fees) make this a very expensive way to travel-- I figure I am paying twice the public rental rate for low season so what is the benefit of membership?  Anyway like others I think that since our points have been so devalued, we should be grandfathered in and/or let out of our contracts. has anybody had success walking away from a contract with Wyndham (the real criminals here as since the took over first Fairfield and then RCI they have worked swiftly to reduce member benefits and make profit.. so who profits - I thought timeshares were owned by the members in a cooperative. would be happy to join a class action suit.  these criminals need to be stopped because guess what, we have been robbed of what we though we were signing up for.
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