Most people who own a timeshare are aware of the timeshare exchange companies associated with this industry. Timeshare exchange companies allow the owner more freedom and flexibility when booking their vacation. These companies allow owners to place their week in a pool or bank for other members to use, in return the owner will receive a certain number of points which they can use to reserve a week in the future that has also been deposited into the pool. There are two main exchange companies Resort Condominiums International (RCI) and Interval International (II). Please remember, I am not endorsing one company or the other, the goal is to compare the companies so anyone interested can use the information to make a decision.

The Similarities

Both RCI and II basically do the same thing, as mentioned above the owner of a timeshare can bank or deposit their week into the community pool, in exchange they can use another owner’s week in another location. Both companies require the owner to pay yearly dues; RCI and II are very similar in the cost for being a member. RCI and II also offer a quarterly update magazine to keep owners informed of news in the timeshare industry or changes to their policies. Both companies offer a “member only” travel agent to help owners arrange aspects of their trip like airfare and car rentals. Both companies offer highly discounted last minute getaways, which can be purchased by any member.

The Differences

From user reviews I have found online there seems to be a few differences between RCI and II. RCI is considered the largest exchange company for timeshare owners, because they are the largest RCI tends to have a larger selection of resorts for owners to choose from. Some RCI users have stated that their customer service is not as high as one would expect and high areas of usage are often unavailable. Many users of both RCI and II have stated that II has higher quality resorts when compared to the quality of RCI resorts. II also seems to have better customer service.

Some timeshare owners may not be aware of the fact that they can be a member of both RCI and II at the same time; however you can only deposit a given week one time so this is not practical unless you own more than one timeshare. Keep in mind this is only a small bit of information about these two services, I would encourage anyone interested in becoming a member of RCI or II to do their own analysis.

What are your opinions of RCI and II? I would like to hear from owners who can share their experiences with one or both of the companies whether good or bad. Please remember your thoughts can help other owners to learn from your experiences.

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