Ripoff - Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program - New Point System

I did not buy any points. My week is more than enough as I can get two weeks out of my lockoff unit. Plus, I have another timeshare system that I use. It's a points system. Up until now I have not had a problem making reservations in Hawaii in either system and I travel high season. In fact, last year I was in Hawaii a month. Two weeks at Ko Olina both in two bedroom suites. One week in an ocean view and the other week in a mountain view. Thanks to being able to rent some points from another owner and have them transferred into my account, I was able to get the second week. I traveled the other islands with my other timeshare system, DRI. I was at Ko Olina during prime summer season on two different occasions in July one during July 4th. This was not the only time I was able to do this since the points system was introduced. I will say that I set everything up a year in advance. I know my calendar a year in advance and plan my holidays accordingly. If you have as many points as you do you should have preference in making reservations. I am not sure why you are having problems unless you are

klalaw07 wrote:

EXAMPLE: If you have 100 rooms in a hotel that were available for Original Marriott owners to use when we all bought our weeks then Marriott changes their CONTRACT to points instead......where did they get the NEW rooms from??? The same 100 rooms that we originally were able to claim are not reduced in the amount of inventory available for us. They didn't ADD or BUILD new rooms but gave us a NEW DEAL that we didn't ask for or pay for. Come on, don't reply to my posts as if i don't understand. I stupidly bought points also and have not been able to use them for the high time period we bought originally and have KEPT my PLATINUM weeks. Forgive my ascerbic reply but it still 'frosts me' that we now have to try to get inventory that is now reduced and put into Points inventory from the original weeks inventory. If Marriott had added rooms for the points system it would have been acceptable but they did not. Marriott to my way of thinking still sells air, how many people now own points and how many rooms are actually available in ratio?

what, No mention of the MAIN part of my rant? 100 rooms originally now divided between points and week owners!!!! If I have to book a YEAR ahead what is the 'point of the points' when Marriott says they are able to be taken at any time. Try booking Christmas or New Years and let me know your success......i'll then hire you!!!!!!!!!!!!

klalaw07 wrote:

what, No mention of the MAIN part of my rant? 100 rooms originally now divided between points and week owners!!!! If I have to book a YEAR ahead what is the 'point of the points' when Marriott says they are able to be taken at any time. Try booking Christmas or New Years and let me know your success......i'll then hire you!!!!!!!!!!!!

So when 100 rooms were in the weeks system you had a 1 to 100 shot at getting the week you wanted. If fifty of those weeks move over to the points system then you have a 1 to 50 chance of getting you're desired week. As far as booking one year ahead to get a Holiday week that's been the case for as long as I've owned TS's no matter what system you use.

From your previous posts it is obvious that you do not have a firm understanding of the MVC system, you are unhappy with what you have purchased and you are unwilling to listen to anyone who takes the time to explain the system to you.

My advice is that you sell everything and use the proceeds to offset the cost of hotels. You'll be much happier.

Perhaps you misunderstood me also. I mentioned that POINTS were presented as being able to be used at ANY time and you could use 2 days, a week etc., or even tack it onto your existing weeks you own. As mentioned, we have tried since purchase to add the points time onto our existing December holiday time and no 'luck'. luck shouldn't be part of the package if there is enough 'stock' ONE YEAR ahead. I am intrigued Jim that you are happy with taking the amount of rooms available for timeshare use (as in our ORIGINAL contracts) from 100 to 50 Choosing from 100 'prizes' versus 50 'prizes' is not my idea of a good deal. We have, as a family, over 30 years of experience with timeshare. Maui continues to give the most problems. LASTLY, but not least, as I will finish my replies here: If Marriott would buy back my units and points at cost I would be glad to sell.......especially since the salesmen told us Maui is the TOP location and will never lose value. N.B. and no, we DID NOT GET IT IN WRITING which was our naivete.

I don't think I misunderstood you nor do I think your sales rep lied when he told you that points could be used at any time even tacking them on to an existing week. Your dissatisfaction seems to stem from an inability on your part to comprehend the basic tenets of the laws of supply and demand and a complete lack of interest on your part to understand what you own and how to use it effectively.

MVC did not reduce the number of rooms available to me when they instituted the exchange program, they increased them. As a weeks owner at Maui you are one of the biggest beneficiaries of the exchange program. It was partly because of the unfairness of II's " a week is a week" policy that the exchange program was created.

My advice to you remains the same. Sell whatever weeks and points you have and get out of the timeshare business. You'll never be happy owning something that you think is a ripoff or a scam.

I am following this thread with interest as I am also feeling very dissatisfied with the Marriott points system. I own a Ritz property, turned in 3 weeks allocation to Marriott Vacation Club points and 13 months out tried to get Christmas weeks in St Thomas to no avail. I tried all the properties in the Caribean and there is NOTHING available. How can this NOT be a ripoff? It appears from my experience that I should stay out of the Marriott system and sell or trade my Ritz time in outside resources ie: Redweek, Jerry's list etc.

I am in my first year of ownership and if I am missing anything I would be glad to know what it is. Is there any hope of my getting weeks at St Thomas for Christmas next year? Do weeks open at different intervals?

Holiday weeks at most Marriott resorts were sold as fixed weeks. Most bought to use, some bought to rent or occasionally rent, almost none bought to exchange most of the time. At newer resorts that had unsold primetime weeks when Marriott went to points, will have Trust inventory at 12 or 13 months. Those that were sold out will have difficulty through points, just as it was difficult through the old weeks system. Because of the high points given to fixed week holiday owners in prime locations a few more might convert to points vs trying to rent out when not using but still not many compared to demand.

You should waitlist but your chances aren't great.

We bought holiday season and when points came out it sounded very interesting. Unlike Jim's comments in other posts (maybe a past Marriott salesperson?),you can always use them if you know the system. if you put your fixed weeks in to points and decided to try to use them again for the high holiday seasons you DO NOT have enough points to buy in!!!! We bought extra points as it sounded great and we have NOT been able to add on, get a further week, or an extra week. Another prime sore points, is we bought when there was a hotel with the timeshare and the big BONUS we were told was that is further family members came some years we could just rent more rooms. Of course, not in the contract with Marriott, so now no hotel. We would also like to know the numbers of timeshare units available versus the numbers of points and deeded week owners.

I was not going to reply again but members of my family were intrigued with your comments. Lack of interest and how to use effectively......We have 9 Marriotts, 3 hiltons. One of us is a multi-million dollar real estate salesperson and the rest University graduates. We understand and definitely have an interest. Since 1991 we have NEVER had trouble booking Desert Springs, California at Christmas, New Years, Spring break etc. We have used points but not able to in Maui. You mention exchange which was not the thread or our comments. We are perfectly happy with our fixed week fixed unit Marriotts so do not need to sell those. However, if YOU would buy the fixed week holiday units and points, at the initial outlay, we would happily sell to you. If you do not work for Marriott, you should!!!!!!!!!

Considering your timeshare portfolio and your family's educational and real estate expertise your lack of understanding of how trust points, legacy points, deeded weeks the MVC exchange system interact is astonishing. You really should join TUG and find out more about how the system works. Your unhappiness seems to stem from not being able to add trust points on to your fixed week at Maui. The sales rep evidently told you that this was possible. He didn't lie or mislead you, it is possible. It's just not likely given that you probably own a small amount of trust points and the two reservations, fixed week and trust point, are completely separate and have no impact on each other.

For the record I'm a retired government employee and other than owning several Marriott timeshares I have no connection with Marriott now or at any previous time.

I just attempted to use 500 Destination points which expire by the end of the year, only to find out that 150 points are available. I had made a 350 Destination point reservation for a stay in December, but found out a few weeks before the trip that my wife had breast cancer and had to have surgery immediately. Before all the "TRIP INSURANCE" responses start rolling in, I tried to purchase trip insurance this year and was told it is not available for sale in my state. I lost apporoximately 2800 points two years ago to a death two days before my last planned Christmas vacation trip. In two years, I am out 3,150 destination points. I am literally trying to decide whether or not to keep the timeshare before the dues are owed in January or just give it away and cut my losses. I received much more use and found much more availability in my timeshare before the Destinations program existed. I think I have had enough of this "Marriott" experience.

This Destination Club is a HUGE RIPOFF. I do not want to resell mine for 20 cents on the dollar. I want to rescind my contract and have them repurchase what they sold me because they got me to enter into the agreement to purchase these points based upon misrepresentation.

In July I was planning a trip to London for next March. There is a property there in the Explorer Collection. I was told there was no inventory released yet for the property and to check back to make a reservation when inventory was released. I called back in August and was told the same thing. That person put me on a list where she would check and get back to me when inventory was released and she actually did contact me twice saying they were still waiting. I tried again in early October and was told the same thing. Finally in early November I thought it odd that there was no inventory released yet so I pressed the issue more. This time I'm told that my Destination Club "level" isn't high enough and I'm not even able to exchange into this property AT ALL. Levels of membership to access certain properties was not something i was told about when I purchased my points. And all they had to say about the apparent "misinformation" I had been given on several occasions was that they needed to do a better job of training.

So I tried to use my Club points for a trip to San Diego for a few days after Christmas. Now understand that the 2500 points that I purchased cost me $25,000 PLUS I pay $1400 per year in maintenance fees. When I tried to make a 3 day reservation in San Diego through the Explorer collection (they have no Club properties there) the cost was an astounding 3300 points!!! So that is almost $2,000 in maintenance fee expenses disregarding the fact that I paid cash up front to purchase the points. The trouble is, the very same property for which they want to charge me 3300 points can be reserved online over this very same period for $160 per night or a total of $480!!! So I am supposed to exchange points for which I paid $2,000 in maintenance fees alone in order to save myself $480 in reservation costs. What a ripoff!!

I looked at using Destination Club points to purchase airfare, another one of the "benefits" that is touted with the program. I will get credit of $270 per 1,000 points toward an airfare purchase. So in other words, I would get an airfare credit of $675 for the points for which I paid maintenance fees alone of $1400 per year. What a fabulous deal!

I went to try to reserve the 3 nights instead in Palm Desert. Of course there is no availability for ANY 3 day stay in Palm Desert at ANY property from now until April. I suspect that this is disingenuous and that actually there are properties available but that they are just not available to ME at the exchange level that I am attempting to use. Another ripoff. Frankly I got into Destinations because Interval International exchanges had become so much more difficult, but now I realize they were easier - and there was a greater value received - than with Destinations Club.

And finally, I started with Marriott many years ago owning a Platinum week timeshare in Orlando. Now I have the wonderful options of turning this week into the Destination Club in exchange for Destination Club points. Great. Except that when I turn it in for points, they credit me with 3,725 points. However, if I were to attempt to reserve my own unit in a Platinum week, they would charge me 4500 points. How is it right to charge people 4500 points to use my week but then only give me 3,725 when I convert it into points??

The bottom line is if you are thinking about doing the Destination Club, my suggestion would be DO NOT DO IT. Or if you are dead set on doing it, give me a call. I'll be happy to sell you mine for 10% off of what they would charge you. It is definitely not worth it and is becoming more valueless all the time. Use VRBO or Air BNB instead.

REWARD POINTS (not destination points)

We have been using REWARD POINTS (not destination points) for years for Platinum Elite Travel in the U. S. and internationally. The U.S. Concierge Level breakfasts are all buffet; however, the U.S. Concierge Level evening “meals” are appetizers, desserts, and a cash bar (at very reasonable rates.) We use our Delta Elite points for “complimentary” business class international travel.

In 2015, following a three week "The Great War Centenary Tour," we used REWARD POINTS for five nights at Marriott’s Paris Rive Gauche. Our Platinum Elite status included nightly upgrades to Concierge Level with complimentary buffet breakfasts, complimentary buffet dinners, and complimentary Open Bars.

In 2013, we used REWARD POINTS for five nights at Marriott’s Sydney’s Quay in Sydney, Australia. Our Platinum Elite status included nightly upgrades to Concierge Level with complimentary buffet breakfasts, complimentary buffet dinners, and complimentary Open Bars. We used three of our deeded Marriott Weeks to exchange and tour New Zealand.

In 2011, we used REWARD POINTS for a month long tour of Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. We had no interest in the “ Marriott Paris Disney.” Our Platinum Elite status included nightly upgrades to Concierge Level with complimentary buffet breakfasts, complimentary dinner, and complimentary Open Bars.

In 2004, we used REWARD POINTS for a month long tour of Great Britain. Our Platinum Elite status included nightly upgrades to Concierge Level with complimentary buffet breakfasts, complimentary dinner, and complimentary Open Bars. Many British and Irish properties are historical in nature, and are truly elite properties.

We like to use our DEEDED Marriott Weeks (not destination points) Atlantic Ocean Front properties and use Marriott REWARD POINTS for holiday travel. We understand that we are “statistical outliers” because of twelve annual weeks for holiday travel. Nevertheless, we find that an 11-13 month window is necessary to obtain the merits of elite status travel.

Regarding the Palm Springs availability, checked on expedia for a random week in January. All the Marriott properties were available (not counting hotels JW and Courtyard which were also available) and the 2br's timeshare properties (all 3) were line listed around $289 per night.

This is just another example of Marriott Vacations Worldwide inherently unethical business practices. They already have YOUR money, however if they tell you "NO VACANCY" then they have the opportunity to try to also take someone else's money. Shame on them. As much as I hate larger government, the concept of regulation might deter this sort of greed which has countless documented examples.

Additionally, this is the fundamental problem with points, no transparency. Too many smoke and mirrors and the devil is in the details. New competition offering fixed, deeded weeks in my opinion addresses all the what if's as your 7 day time slot is guaranteed, whether it be every year or every other year. Was sorry to see your story.

Phil, you SHOULD understand how and why there are vacancies, yet you might not be able to get a reservation using your Vacation Club points. A deeded owner that owns those fixed weeks may choose to rent their units out using Marriott as the rental agent as opposed to occupying their unit, converting to points, renting it out on their own through RedWeek or another vehicle, or depositing it to Interval for a trade. It is their fixed week, and they determine it's availability. Only when they opt to take vacation club points for their week does that unit become available to other owners wanting to " purchase" that week with their vacation club points. Yes, there are a small number of units at each property designated for the points options, but the majority of rooms only become available when an owner excercises their option for vacation club points. If you bought Christmas/New Year's in Aruba or Palm Springs in the dead of Winter, you paid a PREMIUM price for it and chances are, you did that for a reason....YOU WANT TO USE IT. All of this information can be found in your prospectus and it appears the vast number of people have not read their documents to understand how things work.

There are also 27 owner rentals on Redweek probably averaging around $180 per night for a 2 br. I would imagine most are from owners who reserved well in advance rather than expecting prime time inventory to be available 30 days out.

Marriott owns some inventory (which they cover the MF's) specifically to rent out. They also get inventory from owners who elected Marriott hotel reward points. In exchange for hotel inventory they get the week that was converted to MR points. Marriott also get points inventory when owners use points to purchase explorer collection items like cruises or tours.

tracey75 wrote:

There are also 27 owner rentals on Redweek probably averaging around $180 per night for a 2 br. I would imagine most are from owners who reserved well in advance rather than expecting prime time inventory to be available 30 days out.

Marriott owns some inventory (which they cover the MF's) specifically to rent out. They also get inventory from owners who elected Marriott hotel reward points. In exchange for hotel inventory they get the week that was converted to MR points. Marriott also get points inventory when owners use points to purchase explorer collection items like cruises or tours.

The two of you who understand the system and why there could be openings on Expedia will be thought of as employees for Marriott like I was. :-) Darn reading and understanding those papers you have a whole week to have a lawyer read or you can read yourself so that you can rescind if you'd like.

I am a Marriott's owner since 2005. My maintenance fees have gone up 100% since purchase. I have been told that Marriott's contracts out its maintenance and does not consider the owners interests, kind of like giving the business to Uncle Bob and paying him top dollar. In the ten years of ownership, we have traded through Interval and stayed at very nice Hyatt's and some really mediocre other places, but paying over $1,000.00 a year and having stayed at our timeshare twice in ten years seems excessive for the privilege. Presently I have a call in to Marriott's but have been receiving the run around. They keep sending me to phone numbers that do not get answered or email addresses that come back as invalid. We recently bought points because we were told it would be increasingly difficult to trade our unit without them. We find that our contract has some questionable missing information for an informed decision on our part, but we cannot get anyone to listen. Any advice?

for some of us, like Maui owners, Marriott hotels left and the maintenance fees began to climb. i have been told Marriott hotels have nothing to do with timeshare now and so actually getting a hotel room through the old method is VERY difficult and a lot of points. I wish there was a central place to ask re these fees. e.g. towels replacement $80,000 US. Getting in touch with the board of your resort may be a help or should be. We too bought points but what the salespeople tell you is garbage unless you have it in WRITING!! Being told to take a week to look it over is well and good but, again, a lot of the statements of the salesperson do not show up in the actual contract for points. i have already mentioned how we have been unable to use our points as we were told....'you can book the day before' 'you can call in any time' and have been frustrated too. For us, points have been a total waste of $$$$$'s you will always get some people that say they have NEVER had any problems booking if you don't want to go at high peak times. however, when you buy from Marriott the salespeople tell you how Marriott has 'all these units' available for you. Should have never trusted as unless deeded people all sold back their units, the top places would never be available at peak times as we were originally led to believe. yes, you should read the contract but also make sure anything you were told is in writing.

that is so trouble. ask them top buy it back from you.