Win 2,000 Destination Points

I just received the email requesting I elect points for 2016. They must be hurting for weeks. Elect points and you are entered in a drawing for 2000 extra points.

This can't possible be the case. The Sales person who called me Monday to let me know about the post 2010 program said it was being offered because of the success of the legacy enrollment program. He went on to say that 87 percent of the legacy weeks are enrolled with most of the weeks being exchanged for DC points. I am shocked that I was told information that might not be true.

If they are having trouble getting actually have legacy weeks exchange for points, if this new program isn't successful, it will just be a matter of time before post 2010 weeks can enroll without a point purchase associated with it.

"I am shocked, SHOCKED that gambling is going on in this establishment!"
Here's the email:

By electing online before the 2016 Use Year Election Deadline of September 30, 2015, you'll be entered for a chance to win 2,000 Vacation Club Points*. Imagine what an additional 2,000 Vacation Club Points can do to enhance your 2016 vacation plans.

To elect for Vacation Club Points online, log in to your My-VacationClub.com Owner account (or create an account today) and click "Book My Vacation".
1. Under your Deeded Week, find the 2016 Use Year.
2. Click on the "Elect Vacation Club Points" link.
Once you complete your transaction, you will be automatically entered for a chance to win 1 of 3 prizes of 2,000 Vacation Club Points.

*Click Here for complete rules and prize descriptions

I'm not sure I agree that just because they sent out this email it means they are hurting for weeks.

It's just under 30 days until the election deadline, so I suspect this is just a typical planned reminder triggered by the Marketing Department. I think I remember people getting a similar email a month or so prior to the banking deadline reminding them to be sure they have banked.

When you consider the size of the Marriott owner base, the three 2,000 point prizes are an insignificant cost, plus blast emails are a cheap and efficient marketing channel. The prize just creates a little buzz, makes it interesting and more likely the recipient will read the email. Marketing Departments like to do this kind of thing.

Also, it's probably good business to try to get as many weeks owners as possible to elect because that boosts the availability in the Points system and increase the chances that happy points owners will buy more points. There is no downside to election for Marriott and since this is a low cost communication, why not do it?

So I suspect this is just a normal pre-deadline reminder to generate last minute elections, and not indicative of weeks inventory problems in the Exchange.

The majority of Reservation Windows for 2016 check-ins have already opened. While it may well be that the reminders they send out routinely benefit MVW as a push to get Weeks in order to satisfy requests for Points stays, as somebody who still hasn't figured out what I'm doing with next year's Weeks (please don't clunk me over the head for breaking Rule Number One to plan as far out as possible!) I look at this as a positive. They're giving me a chance to get something for nothing except what I'd probably be doing anyway. It's a win-win for both of us, IMO.

I don't think this E-Mail implies at all that they are hurting for weeks. I agree with JIMinNC's analysis.

suzannesimon said:

I just received the email requesting I elect points for 2016. They must be hurting for weeks. Elect points and you are entered in a drawing for 2000 extra points.

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They may or may not be hurting for weeks, however, I've always thought the September 30th deadline (October 31 for CC) is a weakness of the system because it mismatches the supply of the inventory with the demand for that same inventory.

I have thought for awhile that Marriott should offer Plus Points to owners of high-value weeks, to entice them to early redeem those weeks. If someone has a Maui Ocean Club 3BR fixed week 24, and I can redeem it up until October for 10,225 points, but get an extra [300] points if I redeem prior to February, that would be a valuable enticement. (But they may not care about when the inventory is available, depending on how cynical we feel today.)

While I'm doing my predictions-that-nobody-should-listen-to, I also think we will see luxury homes that become available via points redemptions, which will further blur the line between Marriott Vacation Club as simply a collection of timeshare properties --- and Marriott Vacation Club as a true Destinations Club that can compete with Inspirato, etc.

Will be interesting to see if ever of these ever happen.

Best,

Greg

BocaBoy said:

I don't think this E-Mail implies at all that they are hurting for weeks. I agree with JIMinNC's analysis.

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I would agree. If they needed weeks, they would offer a guaranteed bonus to those willing to elect. Electing for the chance to win a one of three prizes of 2,000 DC points isn't much of an incentive. I know I wouldn't elect based simply on that.

GregT said:

... While I'm doing my predictions-that-nobody-should-listen-to, I also think we will see luxury homes that become available via points redemptions, which will further blur the line between Marriott Vacation Club as simply a collection of timeshare properties --- and Marriott Vacation Club as a true Destinations Club that can compete with Inspirato, etc.

Will be interesting to see if ever of these ever happen.

Best,

Greg

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I agree with you that luxury homes will eventually be a DC exchange possibility (and like you we'll probably seriously consider them) but when is the question. Look how long it took them to develop the timeshares-within-hotels like what's been recently implemented at the Mayflower and announced for a few other properties - they talked about that type of DC addition almost immediately at the DC inception five years ago.

suzannesimon said:

"I am shocked, SHOCKED that gambling is going on in this establishment!"
Here's the email:

By electing online before the 2016 Use Year Election Deadline of September 30, 2015, you'll be entered for a chance to win 2,000 Vacation Club Points*. Imagine what an additional 2,000 Vacation Club Points can do to enhance your 2016 vacation plans.

To elect for Vacation Club Points online, log in to your My-VacationClub.com Owner account (or create an account today) and click "Book My Vacation".
1. Under your Deeded Week, find the 2016 Use Year.
2. Click on the "Elect Vacation Club Points" link.
Once you complete your transaction, you will be automatically entered for a chance to win 1 of 3 prizes of 2,000 Vacation Club Points.

*Click Here for complete rules and prize descriptions

Click to expand...

Just a note that my email says "Deadline of October 31, 2015" so it's obvious the promotion is tied to both deadlines (which are based on DC status tiers.)

I wonder if those weeks owners who elected points prior to them sending out this letter will still be eligible to win the 2000 points? We elected points back in July.

SueDonJ said:

Just a note that my email says "Deadline of October 31, 2015" so it's obvious the promotion is tied to both deadlines (which are based on DC status tiers.)

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Do you have the link for the official rules on this? Curious to what the fine print is.

rthib said:

Do you have the link for the official rules on this? Curious to what the fine print is.

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Let's see if this works ...

SueDonJ said:

Let's see if this works ...

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It works and you can enter without electing points which I wouldn't have known without the link, Sue - thank you!

Thanks! Not that I'll win, but it never hurts to try...

is this promotion expected to be offer in the future?

moto x said:

is this promotion expected to be offer in the future?

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Your guess is as good as anybody's.