Original Message:
Re: Ripoff - Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program - New Point System (by G333 S.):
Just read your post and have to admit that I agree with most of it, though not all. I think the reasons why you initially purchased were sound and all good points. In fact, they are pretty identical to the reasons why I purchased. I feel bad for those who purchased with the ideas of it being an investment that they could later flip or with the intent of using it like a rental property to make money. We all know that those reasons were never a good idea.
As for the Bill Marriott comments, I have actually seen those and read them. I'm not sure why he hasn't responded, but I also won't assume that with all the changes that are happening that he gets a whole lot of free time. Who knows?
I will like to pose the question of why you feel like your Lexus was switched to a Camery when in reality, Marriott hasn't changed anything about what you own. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart. As for the exchange availability, well, like I said before, it's not really Marriott's fault if owners are choosing not to put their weeks into Interval and are instead opting to elect points for their week, which in effect makes the inventory go into the Marriott Internal Exchange instead of Interval. I only reiterate this because you mentioned that if you had gotten the exchange through Interval you would be a happy camper. It just doesn't make sense to blame Marriott for owners deciding not to deposit their week with Interval.
I would implore you to look at it this way....(because this is what happened to me and it still irks me, of course on a smaller financial scale, but still) After much research and hands on usage I decided to bit the bullet and buy an Ipad. I wasn't really in the market for one, I wanted a book reader and had no prior experience with Apple outside of my ipod. But the base model was only $100 more than the kindle and so I decided it was worth it. While I was in the store, the sales person convinced me to get the second to most expensive one for reasons such as space and 3g blah blah blah. Anyway, I became addicted immediately and never regretted my decision. This was on Jan. 13th of this year. In March (or April?) They released the Ipad 2. Nothing changed about my ipad, but it wasn't slimmer and it wasn't lighter, and it didn't have the new processor. But it was still the same that I bought. To make matters worse is that anyone who purchased the ipad within 30 days of the ipad 2 going on sale was allowed to switch with no money out of pocket. I was 3 months out, so unless I wanted to buy a whole new ipad 2, I was stuck. And no I didn't buy the ipad 2, but I still really wish I had the newer version. And I still love my ipad but it doesn't have a camera etc...
The difference is that any software update I get for free. Where as enrollment (Marriott's equivalent of a software update) has to be paid for, but then it makes your week function like the new stuff. And of course you'll always have the option to buy the ipad 2 (Trust points).
Now let's look at this from a Trust owner's perspective. Required inventory (foreclosures etc) are put into the Trust as well as the inventory that Marriott receives from any owner who opts to turn their week in for MRP....as a Trust owner, wouldn't I be happy to have access to all that inventory?
To be fair, let me please put out there that the inventory that Marriott received from owners who wanted MRP instead was never given to Interval. It was rented out. MRP may give an owner the option to stay at a hotel for free, but the hotel owner still wants to be compensated and will accept the MRP but then bill Marriott for the stay. So in essence, the income Marriott made from renting out the week given to them by the owner was used to pay for the MRP that was given to the owner for that week. The same holds true for the required inventory. When Marriott assumes the deed back, they also get back the maintenance fee associated with that deed. From a logical standpoint, I would never rent out my Lakeshore week that I pay over $1000 on for a measly $129 (the current exchange fee Interval charges for Marriott to Marriott exchanges) I would have to rent it out for $1000 just to break even. So to also be fair...if I wouldn't do it, then ask yourself why you feel Marriott should do it with their weeks? Why should Marriott put the inventory that they are paying maintenance for into Interval? What do they get out of it? And if you say that they are getting the satisfaction of owners happily exchanging, I would agree with you. But would you agree with me that as a business, it would make more sense to rent out the units to off set overhead? We want Marriott to continue to stay in business because if they don't make enough or their costs are too great, then where would we all stand? We should all want Marriott to be successful even if as individuals, we don't want to reinvest with them.
As for the DC points, I'd like to point out some facts that protect owners from devaluation or point inflation. Because this is a true points system and not a points overlay (which is what enrollment is) the points are not arbitrary and are tied to real deeded properties. Therefore if there are a total of 10 points in the trust and it takes 5 to go to aruba and 5 to go to hawaii, at the end of the day it has to equal 10 because that is what is in the trust. They can not decide to make aruba 15 and hawaii 20. Each Beneficial Interest (250 point increments= 1 Beneficial Interest) is tied to a piece of real property. So they can't just make up points. What they can do however is make Aruba 7 points but then lower Hawaii to 3. In any given year, the points must equal the amount in the trust. So if one goes up due to demand (like everything else in the world...timeshare is no exception) then another must decrease by the same amount. This is all written in the legal documents of the Trust registered in the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando. (and yes...I have no life and have read it..sad, i know. But I just hated how uninformed every sales person was that I spoke to and all the theories owners were throwing around on these blogs, that I had to go get the info for myself)
And to put your mind at ease about the Trust owners having priority to your home resort. Marriott MUST give you a week at your home resort in your season if that is how you choose to use your ownership. Now it may not be the week you want in particular in that season, but you are guaranteed a week at your home resort in your season. That's what the deed entitles you to. They can not give it to another exchanger, or Trust owner before you deciding to use it. Unless of course you waited till the end of your season and everything is booked up from that point forward. Remember it guarantees you any week in your season, not just what's left in the year from the time you call. So if you call with only one week left in your season, they may not have an opening because it was all open a month ago. In my case, because so many people come to Orlando in the summer, if I don't call ahead of time, I could risk not being able to get into the summer which is when I use it. My platinum week also gives me december till spring, which may be wide open but not the time I want to go.
As for the 13 month reservation window...if you own more than 2 weeks, you have that same option at your home resort. Since Trust owners own all the resorts they have that option to book any of the resorts in the trust. So they have different rules similar to the requirements of having to have more than one property.
If an owner has less than 6500 points total, which is 85% of the owner base (trust, enrolled, or an combination of the two) then they can book 13 months out but must pay in points for that convenience. The charge is 20% of whatever the cost of the reservation they are making. Most owners will not spend the points for this convenience unless the reservation they want is really important to them and they don't want to risk not getting it.
The other 15% of Marriott owners fall into the remaining two categories of Premiere (6500) and Premiere Plus (13,000). These people can book without paying addition points for the 13 month heads start. Premiere may do a full week up to 13 months out, but anything less than a full week they can only do it 10 months out. Premiere plus owners have no restrictions to the length of stay and the 13 month jump.
So the reality is that there is not much to fear that all these TRUST owners are booking a month before you can. Only 15% of the owners can do it, and most people don't know what their travel plans are that far out, so not even all of them will take advantage of this.
And I'm a firm believer that it's easier to find bad news and complaints about something than testimonies on how great something is. And even when we do see/hear about it, we wonder to ourselves if they are paid and if what they are saying is true or not. So I posted a link to a forum in TUG (timeshare users group) where owners are encouraged to comment about the success of the new system. Hopefully reading some of their positive experiences will convince you that Marriott didn't wake up one day and decide to sell an "inferior product" in hopes of staying successful and piss off all of their loyal clients.
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149002
There is some really good info on other threads, and you'll also find owners that are venting, much due to the same issue you are facing which is where is all the inventory going now that it's not being given to Interval. But as long as we accept the fact that owners do not HAVE to deposit their week with Interval for us to exchange into, we will have a better feeling towards marriott and not blame something on them that is out of their control.
P.s. Where do you own? I'd really like to get a week at one of the resorts that had the ability to trade for MRP every year instead of every two years. I know that I can't buy it as a resale because you lose the option of trading for MRP when it's not purchased from the developer, but there are ways around that :) So if you're serious and it's what I'm looking for...we can talk!