Original Message:
Re: Ripoff - Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program - New Point System (by Jim B.):
MARRIOTT OWNERS--DON'T TRADE WITH MARRIOTT-YOU'LL GET THE SHORT END OF THE DEAL.
MARRIOTT POTENTUAL CONDO BUYERS--DON'T GET SUCKERED INTO THEIR POINT PROGRAM--IT'S A RIPOFF. BUY FROM A MARIOTT OWNER WHO WANTS TO SELL BECAUSE OF AGE, HEALTH, OR ECONOMIC REASONS AND SAVE 50-75% OF THE COST FROM MARRIOTT.
AS A MARRIOTT OWNER FOR OVER 20 YEARS, I HAVE SEEN THE MAINTENANCE FEES DOUBLE, THE TRADE POINTS STAY THE SAME, AND THE VALUE OF THOSE POINTS LOSE 50% OF THEIR VALUE. WHETHER IT'S THE OLD POINT SYSTEM OR NEW POINT SYSTEM, IT'S ALL IN MARRIOTT'S FAVOR.
MARRIOTT IS HOLDING THE VALUE OF OUR PROPERTIES DOWN BY TRYING TO BUY BACK THEIR QUALITY PROPERTIES AT PRE-BUILDING PRICES FROM 20 YEARS AGO, AND THEN SELLING POINTS FOR THOSE PROPERTIES AT 3-4 TIMES THAT PRICE TO THE NEW PROSPECTS. EXAMPLE, I SPOKE TO AN OWNER THIS JAN. IN ARUBA WHO PAID $14,000 FOR THE SAME CONDO THAT I PAID $33,000 FOR 5 YEARS AGO( 2/B, SURF CLUB,PLATINUM, LOCKOUT). MARRIOTT OFFERED $14,000 FOR MY CONDOS 8 MONTHS AGO. THAT SAME CONDO THEY ARE ASKING A NEW PROSPECT TO BUY 46,000 POINTS OR MORE @ $10.00 OR MORE PER POINT. THAT'S $46,000 PLUS.
I'M BUYING ANOTHER INDENTICAL UNIT FROM A MARRIOTT OWNER FOR $17,000, $3,000 MORE THAN WHAT MARRIOTT OFFERED HIM, AND SAVING $26,000.
MARRIOTT HAS DRAGED THIS CLOSING FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS, VERY UNCOOPERTIVE, TIME DELAYS, ECT. SINCE I'M IN REALESTATE, I KNOW THIS IS AT MOST A 2 WEEK CHORE, BUT NOT WITH MARRIOTT. THEY ALSO WANT THE BUYER TO KNOW THAT THIS UNIT DOESN'T QUALIFY FOR EITHER OF THEIR POINT PROGRAMS. WHO CARES, THOSE PROGRAMS ARE RIPOFFS ANYWAY.
THE BEST ADVISE I CAN GIVE ANY NEW CONDO BUYER IS THIS: 1) BUY ONLY IN A TOP FIVE VACATION AREA/RESORTS. THERE ARE A LOT OF NICE PLACES TO VACATION, BUT FOR RENTING AND TRADING PURPOSES, THE TOP FIVE WILL BE GIVE YOU ACCESS TO ALL OF THEM 2) BUY ONLY IF YOU CAN SELECT YOUR WEEKS 12-13 WEEKS AHEAD 3) SELECT YOUR WEEKS, NOT BY WHETHER YOU CAN USE THEM AT THAT TIME, BUT WHETHER THEY ARE THE PRIME WEEKS FOR THAT RESORT. IF YOU CAN'T USE THOSE WEEKS, YOU WILL AT LEAST HAVE A HIGH PRIORITY RESORT AND PREMIUM WEEKS TO RENT OR TRADE FOR ANYPLACE OR TIME YOU WANT TO VACATION. CHECK WITH REDWEEK.COM AND PICK THE HIGHEST RENTAL PERIOD OF THE YEAR.
AS FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ABSOLUTELY WANT TO SPEND EVERY YEAR IN ARUBA, RATHER THAN PAY $46,000 OR MORE FOR POINTS, ANOTHER 4% MAINTENANCE FEES( $1840 EACH YEAR), THEY WOULD BE BETTER RENTING ONE OF MY UNITS FOR $2500/WEEK FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS AND ACCUMULATE INTEREST EACH YEAR ON THE CAPITAL SAVED.
JUST ANOTHER CASE OF GREED IN THE BUSINESS WORLD TODAY. MARRIOTT DOES NO MORE OF BUYING LAND, NO MORE BUILDING OF RESORTS, TRIES TO GET OWNERS TO TRADE THEIR RESORTS FOR 30-40% LESS POINTS THAN WHAT THEY CHARGING OTHER PEOPLE, ARE TRYING BUYING CONDOS FOR PRE-CONSTUCTION PRICES OF 20 YEARS AGO OR MORE, ECT. THEY COINTINUE TO SELL THIS HIGH PRICED POINT PROGRAM TO THOUSANDS EVERY MONTH AND YET IF THEY CAN'T SELL THIS PROGRAM TO THEIR MARRIOTT OWNERS, THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH RESORTS FOR ALL THESE PEOPLE. __DON'T GIVE UP YOUR RESORTS.