Original Message:
Re: Ripoff - Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program - New Point System (by Jim B.):
just a note to marriott owners. marriott is in trouble with their new destinations program. why? because they need to buy a bunch of condos back in order to have inventory for all the suckers they are signing up for that expensive point program. to do that , they are trying to buy early marriott owners's super condos, aruba, hawaii, ect. at the preconstruction prices and then turn around and make a killing on selling or leasing them on the point program. think about it, they aren't building any new resorts of any significants, but they are selling the point designation program for resorts. kind of nice if you don't have a building expense, but you still have revenue coming in as if you did, and at a higher price than before. you are on the back end of any program marriott has dealing with points. the point values always go down in value and the maintenance costs always go up. all you have to do if you have been a marriott user for 10 years or more is compare those two figures and you'll see what i mean.
by trying to buy back condos at their old preconstruction prices( they offered me $14,000 for my weeks in aruba that i paid $34,000 for 6 years ago) they are trying to get those of you who are up in years and can't travel or perhaps no longer can afford the maintance fees due to the economy, to sell them cheap inventory. i really think for those of you who feel you want or have to sell now, the rest of us would like to see you sell to other marriott owners for that price or slightly higher, just to force marriott to start offering more to the owners and really protect all of our investments. i'm personally buying 1-3 aruba condos at those marriott plus prises just to average down my overall cost of the three that i already own. and , i don't use marriott to trade or rent any of the condos my family doesn't use, i call 13 months ahead and set all the best dates i can get and then if we don't use them , i have great dates to trade or rent. if marriott can't get oldtimers to sell them high profile resort areas for those low prices, their prices will go up or they will have all the new destination people raising hell. so, if you life situation requires you to sell for any reason, please sell your condo to a present owner and helpus restore a little integrity in the marriott program. jimnvi@aol.com