Resale RCI Points Properties

We recently attended an "owner presentation" at one of our timeshares. (We own 3 RCI points timeshares.) Our "presentation" got off to a bad start when our sales rep reviewed our properties and told us that 2 of our properties would eventually be "caught" by RCI and reverted to weeks since we purchased them on the secondary market (Ebay for $1 each) and points to do not transfer to non-relatives through a resale. He said that RCI would contact us and expect us to pay a sizable fee to continue on the points system. (He said this was the disadvantage to using the secondary market and most buyers are not aware of this.)

We felt very threatened by his demeanor, as if he was obligated to notify RCI of our "issue."

Is this true? With so much activity on the secondary markets with sales of RCI points properties, I was convinced that he was not telling us the truth. We have owned the properties for several years now and have had no trouble using the points.

We'd love your objective opinion.

nancys745 wrote:

I was convinced that he was not telling us the truth.

We'd love your objective opinion.

He's a timeshare salesman. What would you expect?

Re: >>. ..our sales rep....told us that 2 of our properties would eventually be "caught" by RCI and reverted to weeks since we purchased them on the secondary market (Ebay for $1 each) and points to do not transfer to non-relatives through a resale. He said that RCI would contact us and expect us to pay a sizable fee to continue on the points system. (He said this was the disadvantage to using the secondary market and most buyers are not aware of this.) << -------------------------------------------

There are only a VERY, VERY few facilities where RCI Points ownerships revert back to being fixed weeks upon later subsequent resale. I believe that Summer Bay (Kissimmee, FL) is one example of those very rare exceptions. Maybe also Oyster Bay and Oyster Pointe in Sebastian, FL too (or so I've been told; no personal confirmation). Overall, that policy (one which is established SOLELY by the resort, by the way, and NOT by RCI) is actually VERY rare indeed.

Moreover, it is always the RESORT (not RCI) that benefits financially from such conversions in the first place. As much as I personally dislike RCI, let's be fair and honest here. RCI charges the resort a one-time fee of exactly $200 to "join" the RCI Points program. It is the RESORT that then tries to "squeeze" their weeks owners (typically, to the tune of more than $2,500 per fixed week) to "convert" a fixed week over to RCI Points. It's a real cash-cow and money maker for the resort, but NOT for RCI. Contrary to the claims of the sales weasel you encountered, you WON'T be hearing from RCI (...and RCI most likely won't be hearing from him) as the alleged "issue" is really no issue at all in the vast majority of RCI affiliated resorts, with VERY few exceptions.

An oft-repeated axiom about timeshare salespeople: "If their lips are moving, they are probably lying".

Thank you, ken1193. Unfortunately, Summer Bay in Kissimmee was the RCI points resort we purchased off of Ebay. So I guess he was telling us the truth in this one particular and rare case. Dang.

nancys745 wrote:

We have owned the properties for several years now and have had no trouble using the points.

If you've been using the points on your resales for several years then keep doing what you've been doing .... "if it ain't broke don't fix it". You certainly can't believe everything (or most anything) a timeshare sales rep tells you.

nancys745 wrote:

Thank you, ken1193. Unfortunately, Summer Bay in Kissimmee was the RCI points resort we purchased off of Ebay. So I guess he was telling us the truth in this one particular and rare case. Dang.

I don't know the exact date of implementation of the Summer Bay policy regarding RCI Points weeks reverting back to fixed weeks upon any subsequent resale. Nor do I know the date of your particular Summer Bay acquistion.

With luck, maybe your Summer Bay acquistion actually PRECEDED the date of that "resales revert back to fixed week" policy implementation. If that is the case, then you would clearly be "grandfathered in" without being charged a conversion fee. A resort cannot EVER lawfully implement such a policy change RETROACTIVELY; it can ONLY be applied and enforced from the date of policy adoption and going FORWARD from that particular date. Hope for the best --- I'll be hoping for the best for you too....