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Re: Ripoff - Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program - New Point System

Frank - you are indeed correct that the owners are getting a switch up on what they originally purchased. Yes - you are being given a Camry for a Lexus. Or as I would say - Marriott will let you keep your Lexus but, they just increased your car payment to a higher $ amount. And you have no choice but, to pay a higher car payment or you end up with a Camry in your driveway. I have read all the info that others have written on this forum. A lot of it is not the whole truth or just plain misinformation. I just went to a "owner's presentation" at St. Thomas, VI a week ago and talked to the sales person to get more info on the points program (MVCD). I bought into the MVCD Points program and within a week realized several key things that show how my weeks value has gone down. For example: 1) To get back into your own Legacy property it costs more points than you are assigned for your week. So you could not go back 7 nights during your season with the points your Legacy week allows you. 2) Also Marriott will allow Points users to reserve up to 50% of the rooms in your season. #2 especially upsetting to me -In fact, the salesperson during my presentation told me that I would have to pay $10,000 more to get the extra points to ensure I can always get a good week at my resort during the season I purchased. I own Park City Mountainside to ski during ski season (platinum). There are approx. 12 different weeks in the platinum season that you can reserve to ski. Let me assure you I paid big $'s to Marriott for my Legacy week to stay and ski at PC. I have never traded that week away. So you think that is no problem - just reserve your week like you did before by calling Marriott to reserve to use your week at your Legacy resort. That has definitely changed and not for the better. I will explain why (and by the way this was all told to me by the Marriott sales person a week ago. I haven't just made this up because I think I know everything.) Out of the 12 weeks in my platinum season that I own to go ski - the beginning and ending weeks of that season are not the most desirable ski weeks. (in other words there may not be any good snow - therefore, usually everyone wants the best weeks.) The salesperson explained that for example - out of the 12 weeks in my platinum season there may be 5 weeks that are not desirable and 7 weeks are great. Marriott can make reservations for Points users for 50% of the rooms in the 12 weeks. The salesperson said, the caveat is that, Marriott is putting all the rooms from the whole 12 weeks together in one pot to determine the 50% that Points users can reserve. Marriott will allow Points users to reserve 50% of the rooms away from that whole pot. In other words Marriott could allow reservations for Points users for EVERY room in six weeks of the 12 weeks. Guess which weeks will go first? You guessed correctly - the great snow weeks. That may leave the Legacy owners with the remaining less desirable six weeks. (All the rooms in the best six weeks is 50% of the all the rooms in the 12 weeks in my Platinum season.) This is not info I am making up - this is info given to me by the salesperson. In fact the sales person told me to ensure that I get the good ski weeks in the future - it would be wise for me to buy 1,000 worth of points (which includes a $400/year maintenance). Then I can convert my Legacy week to Points and use some of the extra Trust Points I bought to make a reservation at my resort. In that way I will have sufficient points to ensure that I will be able to reserve 7 nights in those great ski weeks in my platinum season. With my $10,000 purchase I would have enough points to go back for a week at my resort that I have been a Legacy owner at for years. As we all know Premium Points owners can also make a reservation 13 months ahead. To get into Park City Resort there are definitely people who will pay the extra 20% in more points to reserve 13 months ahead. Also many owners are multiple week owners so they are able to reserve 13 months ahead already. Park City is very desirable resort, and there are most likely some wealthier people that own there than the average resort. I was already up against the owners with multiple weeks who could reserve 13 months ahead and get the great ski weeks before the Points program. Now I also have to compete with the Points users taking more of the best weeks from my platinum season. So my platinum week has definitely been devalued - and even the sales person agreed that to get the great ski weeks - I would have to pay Marriott $10,000 more. And by the way - all the misinformation about the difference when making a reservation to book a room with Legacy Points Vs. Trust Points I was told is false. I was told by the salesperson that if you have the amount of necessary points - whether they are Legacy points or Trust points - they can all be used in the same way to make a reservation. A Point is a Point, is a Point. The Marriott salesperson also said that Legacy Points can be used to go to any New resorts to be built in the future. You don't have to buy Trust points to get into them. I was also told that same thing by a Marriott reservation person for the Points program. (Of course, it will probably cost you several of your Legacy weeks in points to stay one week at a new resort.) See - another way your Lexus has now become a Camry.