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Re: Marriott vacation club points (by Brett A.):

I went to hear the pitch for a Caribbean Marriott timeshare a few years ago. The Gold week was offered at $40,000 with a special discount of $8000 for a total price of &32,000. I was assured by the salesman that Marriott would always protect the value of my investment by exercising Marriott’s right of first refusal to buy any timeshares being sold for less than the market value of my investment. I signed a contract but decided to exit the contract within the window to cancel the contract. That week, I saw a Gold week at the same Marriott timeshare property for sale on e-Bay for only $8000. I put an offer in fully expecting Marriott to exercise their right of first refusal and buy the week for $8000. Marriott declined their right allowing me to buy it for $8000, 25% of the purchase price I was recently offered. But Marriott did not permit me to exercise the full rights of the original owner. I was not allowed to exchange my week for other Marriott properties as was permitted to the original buyer, nor could I exchange my ownership interest for “point” in the Marriott system. The year of the Hurricane, Marriott canceled the week i paid in advance. Marriott me several times to cancel my week in Dec because the resort would not be opened for use for several months. The Timeshare Association should have distributed the expenses lost by owner whose week were cancelled among the greater group. Those who used their weeks received full value, those who were denied fair use of their paid timeshare week, received no restitution. Your timeshare is only worth what it is being sold for on the secondary market. I used my 2 bedroom timeshare three times and lost two years, one to the hurricane and one to Marriott’s closing out my ability to schedule a week. I would seriously consider the advice given you by the prior reply. Caveat emptor! Buyer beware! If you want to invest in Marriott, buy their stock, not their timeshare at 5-6 times their real market price. My humble opinion.