Email to RCI

Dear RCI

In November 2008 I lodged a complaint on your web page client relations email, and on HelloPeter.com, regarding the fact that Even though we had asked for timeshare for December as far back as Feb 2008, and were told we were on a waiting list, we had had no feedback / offers.
Needless to say, to date I have not heard from client relations (unless Colin works for them) and only got a response after I went the HelloPeter.com route!
Be that as it may, we were going to lose points (about 3000) if we didn't use them before end 2008, apart for the fact we would not be in a position to go on holiday if we didn't get a space somewhere.

Now, I refuse outright to believe that there were no "Spacebanking" in the regions of Natal North Coast, Natal South Coast between Feb 2008 and end Nov 2008, which we could have been offered. As a last resource we were eventually offered Sedgefield, which I rejected on the basis it does not fit our family holiday profile.

Then at the last minute we were offered Forest Lodge in Mtunzini.... I had to accept, as we had run out of time and would forfeit the points if we didn't take something.

Well, this brings me to my next point. it's a shithole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Literally, for 5 out of the 7 days we were there the sewerage tank alongside our unit overflowed!!!! (photos attached!) The first time was the Saturday after we booked in. It was pumped out the Monday (supposed to have been). By Tuesday it overflowed again, and we don't think it was pumped again before we left, as every day the flow got longer, and the smell richer!!!!
Apart for the fact that when I called the Complex manager on the first Sunday at about midday, he was still asleep!!! Moonlight's was his words, and only got to bed at 5 am!!! Nice - it's no wonder the staff don't care!
My bed room smelled, on and off, of burnt wood. There was no telling where the smell would come from. So, either I closed the windows, and suffocated on the smell of a Kaya! or I opened the windows and suffocated on the smell of sewerage!

60 Second Critique:-
RCI - Unsatisfactory
Reception - Average
Switchboard - n/a
Management - Unsatisfactory
Housekeeping staff - Average i suppose under the conditions
Maintenance staff - Unsatisfactory
Standard of cleanliness - Unit - Average - however the monkey droppings (fresh) on the deck on the Friday we arrived, was still there on the Friday we left...... The deck was never swept or cleaned off. In fact, they hung our towels on the deck railing to dry! and then the wind blew the towels onto the deck floor - luvly!!!!! / Grounds - Unsatisfactory
Furnishings / Comfort - Unsatisfactory - very old and you would think considering the heat and high humidity levels that they would install air conditioners? The fans, if turned up to fast, were trying to wobble themselves free of the roof beams!!!!
Cottage Equipment - Unsatisfactory - we reported some stuff unavailable against the supplied checklist - they replaced the wine glass a day or two later - we went with a shortage of towels for the week!
Gardens and Grounds - the forest is magnificent - the raw sewerage was not!


Overall a very disappointing experience. it's not a family "friendly" resort as there is NOTHING for young people to do. The beach, although accessible, is a long walk away. Not manned / guarded, you cant send the kids down unattended. it's a great place for senior citizen types who want to read a book all day - in the sweltering heat and humidity!!!!!!
If this is the class of resort that now passes muster and gets into the RCI list, it does not bode well for RCI.
If this is the class of unit I have to accept on the basis of the level of unit I space bank - I am very disappointed.
I am not prepared to accept second best. The money I pay as a member of RCI, and the exchange fee is such that I demand better accommodation in future.
I will expect better service from RCI as this is the only avenue we have really, for depositing out timeshare, and exchanging resorts.

I did get to spend 2 days in Ballito, just so that the kids could have some form of a sea side holiday experience, and I did see that the area was not as busy as usual for December (having spent many holidays there in the past I was able to judge the crowd size), which says to me there was probably space at some of the resorts there. I didn't bother to go into any to ask, as that would just have upset me more if I was right - but I accept that according to RCI it would have been full!

I repeat, I do not believe that there were no units come available during for period between Feb and Nov 2008 in what would be considered "Beach Holiday Resorts" - I don't accept that I was so far down a waiting list that even if units did come available I never got to the top of the list.
I believe the service we received was below acceptable standard, your staff are not operating to the best interest of your members (clients) and that should I have similar experiences in future I will certainly cancel my subscription with RCI.

In closing - I had a call from your contact center asking for feedback on the resort. I gave them a miserable 1 rating on probably every factor, but no one from RCI has bothered to call me about this. So, either you don't care anyway!!!! or, it's so common to get this level of feedback for this resort, you can't be bothered to do anything about it.SewerageSewerageSewerage

Salagatle!