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Re: Fold or Draw? (by KC):

kathyk117 states, quoted only in pertinent parts:

>> We purchased a week at Marriott Mtn Valley Lodge in Breckenridge, CO (13 years ago) from the developer and got the studio (queen bed and a queen sofa-sleeper). It is a floating winter week. We turned our weeks into II every other year and got the 110,000 points the odd years. Initially this worked out well and we travelled a good deal w/our points and even got some "bonus weeks"--but we NEVER stay at our home resort, nor did we intend to when we bought it. Recently we are finding that we can never get a trade through II from the week we turned in. I am beginning to suspect it may have something to do w/the size of our unit, but can't figure out why we can't get what we want...<< >> We are now wondering if we should just sell it (on Redweek) and rent our weeks through Redweek and be done w/this TS potential liabilty. Or should we hang on to it b/c Marriott is a fairly reputable organization to work with? It just doesn't seem worth the $765 dues we are paying when it has been so difficult to use it in the past 2-3 years (I now know that II is a big part of this problem)! Advice??? << ===================================

You may be well aware already that some of the "exchange" comanies have, to varying degrees, gotten more and more into renting out deposited timeshare weeks in recent years (more profit than mere exchanges). RCI is by far the worst offender (and is now a defendant in a lawsuit as a result), but II may also be playing that game now too, to your detriment.

The bigger obstacle you have undoubtedly encountered is that II is also much more firm in recent years on allowing only "like for like" exchanges. In other words, with a studio to deposit you'll rarely "see" anything except another studio. To be honest, many people in timeshare don't want anything to do with studios, whether for purchase, rental or exchange. Quite often, studios are nothing more than motel rooms converted to "timeshare units" (I do not claim to know anything at all about your particular resort, however). Accordingly, studios usually don't trade well (regardless of the particular exchange company involved). For a motel room sized unit, some people feel that they might as well just rent (not buy and pay annual fees on)....a motel room, without ownership costs and obligations.

Advice? You might first consider at least submitting your week to RedWeek for their "evaluation" of its exchange value in their relatively new exchange system. No cost, no committment. You can also see what's available for exchange there before actually depositing, as well as see the "point" requirements to conduct an exchange. A pretty fair and transparent approach, although I personally think that "provisional weeks" (which I would instead call "virtual weeks") border on useless and should be ignored as being nothing more than "unlikely to actually become available weeks". Something that *MIGHT* someday become available doesn't help you much in making travel plans and airline reservations, at least in my personal opinion. Either it's available, or it isn't --- never mind "provisional".....

With a $765 annual fee for a studio sized unit (quite high), I would not guess that your prospects for selling would be all that promising. And since you paid developer pricing initially, you would likely take a pretty serious financial "shellacking" (if you even found a buyer at all). That said, however, I don't know how the Marriott "points" fit into the evaluation equation as being of use or value to you, as I know nothing at all of the Marriott system. Accordingly, my advice lacks knowledge of ALL the relevant facts which apply here.

My own advice, to take or ignore as you may see fit, would be to first examine alternative exchange avenues besides II and RCI, such as RedWeek. Dial an Exchange is another no-cost, no obligation option to also examine. Selling, I suspect, would ultimately be the least useful and most expensive option (if you plan to take annual vacations), but I don't know your particular financial circumstances. Selling would be great and likely the best course in a perfect world, but it's also the least likely outcome to actually happen successfully ---unless you are willing to take a real beating on resale.

Good luck, whichever course of action you choose.

P.S. While I don't encourage double posting in multiple forums for the same post, your inquiry might get much more exposure and elicit more feedback if placed in the "Buying, Selling & Renting" forum (instead of the "Timeshare Companies" forum).