Nothing Honest About RCI

ComplaintsCruises & ResortsRCI Vacation Timeshare

Complaint

0
Mary
Country: United States
The nonsense and ripoffery don't stop even after you've finished paying for the timeshare. There are so many extra fees, rules change constantly, and RCI is always looking for a way to cheat you out of your already paid for week, so they can offer it up to some other sucker for more money! If you have access to the website, and are a member, you know that when you go to book a vacation that it's slim pickins! But look on the section where you can "buy" more vacation weeks, and lo and behold, that's where all the availability is. Where you have to spend more money. I have been cheated out of two weeks (one per year) by RCI, and I've had enough. Then on top of all the fees, I have to do battle just to resolve everything before I can use a paid for week. I spend so much time and aggravation, it is not worth it at all. The last straw was when I booked a week, they withdrew it because their technology screwed up, and they didn't notify me that they withdrew it. Had I not gone onto the website for something else, I would have shown up IN ANOTHER COUNTRY!! with no place to stay. I think with spending $15-20K on the timeshare, then the annual fees that add up to close to $1000, you should at the very least, get what you are paying for. Better vacation choices to be had elsewhere, and at a much more reasonable cost. Oh yeah, they still haven't refunded my money for the vacation that I booked (another $250 to book it) and that they withdrew. Absolute crookery! It is time for a class action lawsuit to help RCI understand fairness, customer service and giving people what they pay for! I also recommend reporting any complaints to the Attorney General. RCI needs to be shut down.

Comments

  • 0
    Kathleen M., RCI
    | 1 reply
    Hi Mary, we came across your post and would like to sincerely apologize for any inconvenience that you've encountered and also offer our assistance. Please email talktous@rci.com with your RCI account information so that we can look into the refund that you mention.

    Please note that RCI doesn't own or operate any timeshare resorts or sell timeshare and that an RCI subscribing membership is optional.  Our role in the timeshare industry is to provide exchange services to vacation owners at our affiliated properties. This exchange service is designed to offer flexibility and choice to timeshare owners who opt to become RCI subscribing members.

    As your exchange company, we want to make your vacation planning  fun and easy by guaranteeing you access to as many exchange vacations as possible. That’s why we now guarantee you will have access to at least 35,000 available exchange vacations when you deposit your week. For more information, visit http://www.rci.com/EAG.

    Thanks Mary - we hope to hear from you soon.

    -Kathleen M.
    RCI Customer Care
    • 0
      Mary-F replies to Kathleen M., RCI
      Sorry, Kathleen M., nothing personal, but you give the same song and dance to everyone on this board. It's the standard spiel that I get on RCI phone calls, and in email correspondence; canned responses that never address or resolve the issue. The foundation of RCI's problem is that the last thing RCI is, is customer focused. RCIs goal is to rip people off. All timeshare owner's have spent a good chunk of hard earned money, and we just want our money's worth. For the fees that I pay, I should not have to be aggravated ever step of the way in dealing with RCI. The fees timeshare owners pay are for customer service, and I don't get that and it appears that many others do not either. I have been a timeshare owner for 12 years, and can say that there is not one, not one!!, single year that I have had a seamless transaction - and of course that doesn't include the two years RCI has cheated me out of. RCI has a great thing going, but will drive itself into the ground with its current practices. I am currently searching for another service provider to replace RCI, but sadly it appears you have no competitors.
  • 0
    Kathleen M., RCI
    Mary, we're here to do everything we can to help you. In order to do that, we do need you to provide us with your RCI account information (you can email it to talktous@rci.com).  Once we receive that, we'll follow up with you directly.
  • 0
    Susan U. India
    I think confusion often arises when people do not understand exactly how the system works.

    Let's face it, there is a system in everything and people often don't bother to see how it works and then work the system.

    I understood that many weeks are offered through RCI as bonuses and that so many of these are empty space that is unsold by the developer yet. OR it is from owers who deposit weeks that then are not taken up by other members. So rather than leave it empty RCI offers it out for a reduced rate as a rental.

    Please correct me if I am wrong on this point as it makes perfect sense to me. I have yet to see a high demand week that was deposited by another member up for sale! The high demand periods are exactly  that and will always be used for exchanges.
  • 0
    Samantha
    That's why getting a timeshare is NEVER  a good idea, you'll always be attached to the company somehow. The best you can do by now is getting rid of your timeshare asap. This is a good website where you'll find more information on how to do so:

    http://www.timesharescam.com/
  • 0
    Pat M
    Mary, I couldn't agree more.

    Our problem was when we went to Mexico. We were so ripped off. First & foremost, by the room which was supposed to be a 1 bedroom. We were in a studio that didn't even have a private bathroom. We are a family of 4 & being on this so called vacation was a huge disappointment. (It was more of a nightmare for me). We even called RCI & got a BS song & dance. When we came back to the US we were given the run around again. We were promised lots of things, including NOT being charged for the trip. We received nothing but a cold shoulder. The other "interesting" thing... we were not able to post a review for the place. Hmmmm; interesting.

    You're right too, that every time we look to book a trip, it's slim pickins for sure. We have yet been able to book another trip through RCI. This is the biggest mistake we ever made. I would love to just walk away & own the stupidity of us saying yes to this too good to be true 'deal' & count our losses as a very expensive lesson learned.
    How do I get rid of this time share. I don't have enough hours in a day to play their internet games to search for a decent room at a decent place. Every room we look at & all of the review I read have the same complaints, rooms that they should be ashamed of. I am sooooo angry at myself for falling for their scheme & falling into the time share trap.
  • 0
    Chris Marro
    We bought an RCI timeshare and was told we could do so much with it. First of all we did not get our membership number until after the 30 day cancellation period was up. So therefore when we did try to cancel we were told that it was past the cancellation date. Now we are stuck with a worthless piece of paper and out lots of money. We were promised discounts on cruises, air fares, hotels, etc. As of this date we have not been able to use any of this because there is no such thing. The cruises are hundreds of dollars more as were the hotels and airfare. We are going to try and sell other wise we will get an attorney and see what they can do for us.
    My advice to anyone trying to buy timeshare is DON'T do it it is a ripoff.
  • 0
    deniise
    The only effective way to be release of that timeshare is by cancelling the contract. There is good information about this situacion: http://www.timesharescam.com/

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