RCIReviews of rci.com

Exchange holiday for early May 2020 because of coronavirus. Membership expires 31st May. Lost original trading points plus trading power protection (waste of money) plus had to take another year's membership at £79 so that I could take the deferred holiday. Lost all my new points as they wouldn't use up the original trading points and deducted from my later years balance. Shower of rogues who also retain your credit card details on the payment page...you have to tick the 'use this card for future payments' before your payment is processed. RCI in the same customer disservice bag as the the likes of Ryanair.

Called today and spoke with someone who continually talked over me, resorted to online chat who was great. However my holiday was booked in March and cancelled I received an email below mentioning my points and fee will be extended to October. This hasn’t happened and points are set to expire in May. I can’t book anything as all resorts closed till May. And now have to pay to combine. These points should really be extended for 12 months at no charge as we all don’t know when travel will be available. This is very poor customer service. n Thursday, April 16, 2020, 10:59 am, EU RCI Travel Advisory Dear Member, We are writing to you regarding your forthcoming holiday to Cyprus. Effective immediately these resorts are closed until end of May 2020. This means we will have to cancel your booking for the above resorts. Any points/trading power will be returned to you and a coupon for the equivalent of your exchange fee paid will be placed on your account for you to re-book by the end of October. You do not have to have travelled by end of October, you just have to book. For any queries please contact your local RCI Contact Centre for a quick response or you can email which at the moment due to very high volumes is taking longer. Yours sincerely, RCI Travel Advisory

I think it's very unethical that RCI is charging to extend weeks that are expiring in the middle of Covid 19 pandemic! The "shelter in place" order prohibits any travel. Their lame argument is that we've had 3 years to use it. However, we travel every year with RCI, so we're not hoarding our weeks (didn't travel as much when the kids were too little). Shame on RCI. At least there are other deposit options for the future.

I had a reservation for Golden Sands Island Residence club in Malta between 12 and 19 May 2020. Because of the current COVID 19 situation this was cancelled on 30 April 2020. As I had 20 trading points for this vacation expiring at the end of June I fully expected RCI to extend this period to allow me to book for a further holiday later this year or next. RCI stated that this could be done but only for an additional payment of £77.00 [half the usual payment apparently]. I explained that this felt like a penalty as there is no way I could use the 20 points by the end of June in the current COVID 19 circumstances. I have been a member with RCI since 1998 [22 years] and in that time have only been to my home resort for 3 of these. The other years I have exchanged through RCI, paying of course the fee to RCI to exchange. I find RCI's "money grabbing" attitude, particularly in the current situation, absolutely shocking. Despite various further communications RCI will not change their position, leaving me with no choice but to cancel my RCI subscription when it is next due [currently £59] and not pay any further exchange fees [currently £181 per year] each I change time. Clearly RCI are prepared to forgo these future losses and displease loyal customers all for the sake of a bit of goodwill in extending the trading points period. I suspect I am not alone in my view of RCI's current position. RCI's rely below is typically standard and effectively meaningless. Here is true their e-mailed response direct to me; " We regret your continued disappointment but would reiterate that, for the reasons outlined in our previous responses, we are unable to extend the week expiring in June free of charge but our half-price extension offer remains at your disposal. While we note your reference to discontinuing your annual membership renewal direct debit later this year, we would respectfully remind you that, in order to exchange any weeks deposited on your RCI account (either the expiring week you wish to extend or indeed the 2021 week you have deposited), it will be necessary for your membership to be up to date with the dates of any exchange(s) you book, whether you renew by direct debit or through another means" Typical RCI, my advice is don't touch them with a bargepole.

I booked a weeks holiday as an exchange using points and paying a booking fee of £219 (including booking protection). The holiday was cancelled due to the current travel ban. I approached RCI for a refund of the booking fee however they tell me they are holding this on my account and that I have till the 31st October to book a new holiday and that if I don’t I will loose not only the fee but also the points used for the exchange. This holiday was the first opportunity we had to book following my wife being diagnosed with cancer and being given the approval of her Consultant to travel as her condition became controlled. How do we know when travel will be possible and to do so safely given my wife’s condition. I do not believe it to be morally correct that RCI treats its members so callously given that holidays have been cancelled by the governments Lockdown. Please refund my booking fee. Member ID: 6687-02625

RCI has always been helpful& cordial however with this ‘crazy’ virus going around. There needs to be a little more kindness; compassion & compensation I have a plan to go to Florida this summer. But I am Leary of going & don’t want to risk taking my children to a state that has had many covid cases I am asking RCI,For an exchange into next year and not lose my points &/or my deposit Due to this virus people are afraid to travel. And stay in a resort We ,as owners, should have the right to exchange our vacation into next year with no repercussions. And hopefully this ‘silly’ virus will not take us into next year If I should call a customer service agent, I expect to be treated with kindness & respect. You get a lot of our money as it is, there is no reason that an exchange of a vacation this year can’t be taken into next year. Without charging me again !!

Every time I called about my cancellation I got a different answer and they kept pushing it off (telling me it would get better). Now they are they are keeping even more of my money. The whole way this was handled seems like a giant corporate scam. They are handling this the exact opposite way other reputable companies are handling this. Never book with or join them.

My week booked for the beginning of April and was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. RCI informed me that they were holding a credit of $239 that I could use to re-book. When I tried to re-book they wouldn't do anything without my paying another year's membership of $124. My membership ended at the end of April. Now, I couldn't have re-booked because everything was still shutdown at that time so basically I lost the week I booked. Then they tell you you have to re-book a date within six months or you lose the $239 in exchange/transfer fees they are holding but they won't reimburse you that money. UPDATE: On the morning of May 12th I was contacted by RCI and they refunded me the fee. They also kept my membership going for the year but after this experience, starting with booking, I don't think I'll be using it.