Conflict of interest: Wyndham/RCI?

michaelc741 wrote:

I'll be asking our state attorney general's office to look into the high-pressure techniques Wyndham appears to be using.

Lying (and /or exaggerating or misrepresenting) salespeople are a fact of life at the developer level in the timeshare world. Wyndham is certainly no better or worse than many others in terms of their lying developer sales weasels. It has been so for decades now --- and it will likely always be so.

The bottom line (to any AG or any other legal entity) regarding any developer sales presentation is that if the salesperson verbal claims are not also clearly and specifically reflected within the associated contract, then those verbal claims and representations mean ABSOLUTELY NOTHING --- it's just "noise in the air".

Conflict of interest. NO! It's just part of doing business. Besides, if you own points at Wyndham, you can use those points to stay at RCI places using your points for nightly stays at selected RCI resorts. We've found it to be a good deal. I get sick of people always complaining. Get with the program.

Yea Ra, Gordon.

If Wyndham owns RCI why do we have to pay for a week and also book a week of points. This seems a scam to me. I think the exchange rate this year is $179.00 + our points. And I agree, never go to a Wyndham meeting, that why we have a problem now. karyl 96

kr96 wrote:

If Wyndham owns RCI why do we have to pay for a week and also book a week of points. This seems a scam to me. I think the exchange rate this year is $179.00 + our points. And I agree, never go to a Wyndham meeting, that why we have a problem now. karyl 96

The fact that Wyndham acquired and now owns RCI is completely irrelevant when it comes to "exchanging". A corporate relationship between the two entities does not guarantee (or provide) any "free lunches" to either Wyndham owners or RCI members (...and never did).

In short, there are ALWAYS exchange fees imposed in ANY AND EVERY exchange system on Planet Earth when attempting to use something not owned outright by deed. I'm certainly no fan of RCI (...or of exchanging, for that matter), but it is not factually accurate to just label it a "scam" because exchange fees are imposed. Exchange fees are simply a cost of conducting exchanges for something you don't actually own by deed, no matter WHO you exchange with or through...

I agree with the exchange fee or points but both seems a little greedy to me. You put up points for a week then you pay the 179. and we have not always had the best places to stay with RCI. But Wyndham is that way.

Ditto, Just traded RCI for Wyndham...(Florida) Would go back anytime. Like 2011 :) A Timeshare is only good if you use it ~!

the same thing happened to us last year we also bought at bali hai a few years ago we were conned into going over there for what we were told was an owners meeting. They told us our timeshare was worthless unless we bought into their points system for the tune of 13000.00. not happening!!! How worthless can it be I stay at the shearwater in kauai and trade into disney resorts all the time but 1 thing is for sure I will be the last holdout at bali hai. wyndham will not get 1 dime of my money!! I was so mad when I came home that I emailed the president of the Pahio board and complained to her about the tactics they are using she said she would deal with it they have been told not to use that kind of strong bs to sell their points. I'm perfectly happy with my timeshare the way it is don't let them scare you all they want is our money. They have become the industry bullies why is know one going after them???

Just say. no .... Grand Mayan, Mazetlan said, $45K american. I almost broke out in a laugh. Just say no. If you can aquire a cheap RCI resort (EBAY) the points are worth every penny. (trading power) There are to many repo units to by from Sales staff.

Be Careful.

I was curious about a statement that you made that it doesn't cost Wyndham anything for points and that points are simply an idea. Which is, no offense very incorrect. When Wyndham the developer buys land and then builds a resort I'm pretty sure it was very costly. Points are not simply some dreamed up number out of the air. Points are deeded to a property and can never increase or decrease. In the black and white days of timeshare when someone bought a week, they were deeded at that resort in one unit the same week every year. The way that points are deeded is as follows: Wyndham assigned a points value to each size room in the three different seasons. For example let's say that building that you stayed at in Nashville has 20 one bedroom units. A one bedroom unit is worth 105000 points in prime season. So take the 20 units times 105000 times 52 weeks a year. That is the total amount of deedsble points to that particular building, . Points are deeded as an un-decided interest deed. Because these points are deeded the points charts can never be changed. So I don't understand how you could think points are simply an idea. Someone had to pay to buy land and build buildings.... Sorry you had an unpleasant experience at Wyndham. My husband and I have been points owners for a long time and we love the flexibility that it offers for our family. Anyway I hope this hi Rd you a little better understanding of points.

kathys672 wrote:

My husband told me he thought it was so they could check that we did not have any dogs or additional people staying with us. The front desk hounded us for two days asking if they could come to give us our "free gift." It went from survey now to free gift. We are late sleepers, so there sales rep Matthew Greene came when my husband was still sleeping. I justed wanted to get it over with.

I guess you know now that nothing is free .... next time a company rep (unless it's maintenance or housekeeping) requests to come to the timeshare that you're occupying tell them, in no uncertain terms, that you're on vacation and you DO NOT want to be disturbed and that you're not interested in buying ANYTHING. You really have to get tough with these people or they'll hound you to death unless they get the message from the beginning.

gordon48 wrote:

Conflict of interest. NO! It's just part of doing business. Besides, if you own points at Wyndham, you can use those points to stay at RCI places using your points for nightly stays at selected RCI resorts. We've found it to be a good deal. I get sick of people always complaining. Get with the program.

I own Bali Hai pahio not wyndham and I get points from them also own a week at alii kai in kauai. Rci does let me take my week and turn it into points, don't much care who owns rci as long as I get my trades when I want them and I'm getting into the resorts that I want. As far as wyndham goes no I will not spend another $13000.00 to buy into their points program. Why would I pay for something that I already own!!!! Wyndhan sales reps do however tell you that your TS will be worthless to RCI if you don't buy into their plan and no I really don't believe that I just equate them to the car salesman of the TS industry. For those that do go to a wyndham resort stay away from their presentations especially when they call them homeowners meetings and if you do attend blow them off they are just trying to seperate you from your money. If this is complaining oh well!!!!! If rci stops giving me what I want I'll go the sfx !!

Not too smart to keep your weeks, they really are harder to trade. points trades so much better and are way more flexible. Also now with the power level system implemented by RCI, owners who have good properties actually get what they paid for, no way for owners to scam a Hawaii vacation with a trade let's say from a timeshare in Indiana. Also RCI gives a better power rating to time shares on points rather than weeks. In addition, if you have a Red week and trade for white or blue time, you get nothing back in return. With points you use less points during off peak or slow times so you use the actual real time points, therefore if you travel all blue you get more time out of your points.

It's not greedy, if you want to go to a non-Wyndham timeshare and want to use your Wyndham points via RCI who pays for all the transaction personel to make the transaction happen? When the non-Wyndham timeshare takes the exchange where do the taxes come from? This is just simple costs for going outside the Wyndham network, Bluegreen, Marriot, Disney etc., it all works the same. So if you bought tickets on American, and had to exchange your tickets and fly with Southwest, and there is a $50 exchange fee is that greedy. No. Even though Wyndham Worldwide owns RCI and Wyndham Resorts, they are separate and distinct companies. Just like Wal Mart owns Arvest Banks. There is no conflict of interest, just like there is no conflict of interest with the fact that NBC is owned by General Electric. Other than General Electric runs ads on NBC.

kathys672 wrote:

Be Careful.

Don't even like the headline here. Let's see we can't take care of ourselves, the government must do all for us. Everything is a scam, protect us. Blah, blah, blah.... Here is a reality, timeshare works, points work. If YOU travel. If you don't, its useless. To get worth out of your timeshare, you must use it for at least 7 years to get in the black on an average size package. If you want to buy a used car it's cheaper and doesn't get a warranty as does a new car- you can buy a non-company sold timeshare but you will not get some of the advantages you would have if you bought from the company, and usually will not have the advantages of future resorts, upgrades, etc.

Point taken... We have a T/S in Orlando. The original owners from years past have weeks only. Now the resort offers points to resales. If you buy from the owner...you get the weeks time, not points,

Actually, we were at a Wyndham resort and they asked to bring our welcoming gift to the room. We expected at least a little song and dance, but they just left it at our door. We were kind of shocked. MD

ken1193 wrote:

ralphlc wrote:

I would like to know if Wyndham bought RCI.

Wyndham has indeed owned RCI outright for some time now, but it is certainly not a particularly new or recent development...

I feel your pain my wife and I puchased at Govener's green prior to it being Governer's green resort and were told that we were Interval International members and would be able to become RCI members if we wanted to. Later we learned that whatever the exchange company was at your original purchase you would always be. Oh we've also had the three S's thrown to us over and over again do you know them? Soveneigner's , Surveys and Sales but beware there is another step, Progression. These people at Wyndham has put together a well trained group of scam artist to attack the public's wallets over and dover again through progression of sales and always needing more. Don't forget you need to purchase more to lower your maintenaince points or move your inventory increasing your rental capacity of which there is a monopoly on the markets of which they control. Oh but they can't tell you that.