Help

[Jeanine3kids]

I just heard about the whole RCI thing. My inlaws have rci in mexico and they paid a very low price plus they have no maintenance and when they go to mexico they get free food. My husband just told me that we got scamed because we paid 15K and they paid no where near that and now they will be able to go to disney whenever they want to. Is this true I tried to tell him the benefits of DVC but he is not convinced

 

[thepops]

No maint. fees certainly doesn't sound right. How do they take care of any repair issues if they don't get maint. fees from the owners? We don't know what the RCI arrangement will be yet, but it may not allow all RCI resorts to trade in, and we certainly don't know how long the arrangement is for (so it may only be a few years). With DVC you know you'll be going to Disney as long as you have it.

 

[Kmango]

Without knowing the specifics of the RCI deal, it's difficult to speak precisely on this issue, but at minimum, I think that saying that they can "go to WDW whenever they want to" is an exaggeration, to say the least. RCI will only have access to the inventory of members who exchanged into RCI, which a low number of DVC owners do/will. Combine that with what is sure to be high demand among RCI members, and I think that the access that non-DVC members will have to DVC resorts will be limited. As a DVC member, you have access to any DVC property you desire, constrained only by booking window, at any time you want, constrained only by availability.

 

[Claire L]

Here are a few Q & A's from the RCI website -

Question.

Do I pay an annual membership fee to RCI Points ?

Answer.

Yes.

Question.

Do I pay an annual Management / Maintenance Fee ?

Answer.

Yes. This will vary upon the level of membership taken.

Question.

I am an existing timeshare owner with membership to RCI, can I become an RCI Points member ?

Answer.

Yes. Owners of weeks of occupation rights at RCI Points-approved resorts may cede their ownership rights in return for RCI Points.

Question.

If I cede my week (s) of occupation rights can I still use my occupation rights at my home resort ?

Answer.

Yes. Home Resort Priority reservation is available for this very purpose.

Question.

Do I still pay Maintenance Fees to my home resort ?

Answer.

Yes.

Question.

Do I pay Annual Fees on any extra Points I purchase ?

Answer.

Yes. A Management Charge is payable to RCI annually. This is on a sliding scale dependent upon a Member's overall RCI Points Ownership.


HTH

Claire

 

[Claire L]

As for the all inclusive -

What is an all-inclusive resort?
All-inclusive packages vary in price and in the types of food, beverage, and amenities they include. It is important to identify whether the resort offers a "mandatory" or "optional" all-inclusive program. If the all-inclusive program is "mandatory", you will be required to purchase the all-inclusive package upon check-in. If the program is "optional," you will have the option to either purchase the package or not at your discretion. Please note, however, that you may not be able to purchase food or drink at your host resort or neighboring resorts if you choose not to participate in such a program


Claire

 

[Dean]

I just heard about the whole RCI thing. My inlaws have rci in mexico and they paid a very low price plus they have no maintenance and when they go to mexico they get free food. My husband just told me that we got scamed because we paid 15K and they paid no where near that and now they will be able to go to disney whenever they want to. Is this true I tried to tell him the benefits of DVC but he is not convinced

I would bet the specifics are not are you have presented. There aren't many places where you don't pay fees but there are a few where you only pay fees if you use the week. I know of nowhere you get free food, I do know of places where you have all inclusive where you pay a set amount per day for food and often owners get a better deal than exchangers. To compare, you'll need more info. Which resort is it?

Still, there are MANY timeshares where you can buy for free other than closing or transfer fees. Some of those weeks and timeshares are worth owning, some are not worth it even being free. DVC is very expensive both up front and yearly but it is NOT a scam. It is a controlled price to stay on WDW property and a very flexible system which works well for some, not for others. I own many timeshares, some were as close to free as you can get, and I feel DVC is worth owning even at the higher prices as are my Marriott weeks. I would NOT buy it to trade for any of the exchange options, that would not be a smart choice.