No purpose in exchanging for points anymore!

I see no purpose now for exchanging points and in my view this devalues the MR program.

TORONTO and WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Members of
Marriott Rewards(R), Marriott International, Inc.'s (NYSE:MAR)
award-winning loyalty program, who need those few extra points to go on
their dream vacation, can now purchase Marriott Rewards points online
through a new partnership with Points International, Ltd. (TSX: PTS; OTCBB:
PTSEF). This new service uses Points International's e-Commerce Buy and
Gift web-based platform to simplify the process.
At a cost of $10 per 1,000 points, members can purchase points as a
gift for other members or supplement those they have already earned
ensuring they get their choice of over 250 awards. For more information or
to purchase points, members can visit http://points.marriott.com.
"We are very pleased to be able to help Marriott Rewards members reach
their reward goals faster," said Rob MacLean, CEO of Points International.
"It is a pleasure to be working with one of the largest hotel reward
programs in the world."
"We are always looking for new ways to bring value and convenience to
our members and this partnership with Points.com makes it easier for them
to get those last few points needed for their free vacation or whatever
award they desire," said Ed French, Marriott Rewards senior vice president
of customer relationship marketing.
Marriott Rewards membership is free, and allows members to earn points
or airline miles for every dollar they spend at nine Marriott International
lodging brands. Points can be redeemed for free hotel stays, merchandise,
rental cars, cruises, adventure travel tours, theme park tickets and more.
For information about Marriott Rewards or to enroll, call (800)
249-0800, visit the front desk of participating hotels, or log onto
marriottrewards.com.

Points Value

The above info can be used to say that $1 buys 100 points. So if Marriott is giving you 100,000 points to buy a resort they are giving you $1,000. This makes sense becasue if you were to buy $100 worth of points you would get 10,000 points. That amount of points is what you would need for one night in a category 2 hotel, which would cost about $100 if you paid cash instead of using points.

The only benefit I see is if you buy enough points for a whole week. If you bought 55,000 for $550 you could get a 7 days at a cat 2. It would cost about $700 to buy a week at a cat 2. Saving you $150.

It's certainly a devalution for timeshare owners.

I mean, seriously, why would I pay $700-$1,000 in MF and trade my week for 110,000 points (or less) when I could just pay $1,000 for 100,000 points without spending big money to acquire a timeshare week from the developer?

I'm sure some of the points traders on here will find some way to justify it, but it seems nuts to me.

The news release refers to a limited amount of points to reach a total for an award. You have always been able to purchase up to 10% of the points necessary if you were short - so I don't see any change except the ability to do so on line.

well, the question is whether or not the maximum number of points you can purchase is 99,000. There is a limit per transaction- BUT- can you make more than one transaction? For example, if I had let's say 52,000 points- could I purchase 99,000 points, wait a few days, and then purchase 99,000 additional points, to then buy a 250,000 point travel award voucher?

I agree that it would make little sense to exchange at least some resorts for points now. For instance, I believe my GC 3 bedroom unit only gets 90,000 MR points and our MF's are a little over $1,100.

Now, I can purchase 90,000 points for $900. Seems to me my 3 bedroom week isn't worth the 90,000 points. It certainly takes the sales edge away that you can trade your week for points.

It doesn't change the essence of your comment, but the 3BR Platinum Grand Chateau trades for 100,000 points. The 2BR trades for 90,000 points.

And don't forget about the Marriott Visa and Combining accounts

If you purchase 99000 points for 990.00 and pay with your Marriott Visa you get an additional 4950 MR points for a total of 103950, more points than some folks get for turning in their timeshare week. If you use these points for the 250k package awards you are really ahead of the game. Also consider other family accounts and purchase the 99k points limits in each of them and then combine them to claim a 250k award as allowable under the rules and buy resale Marriotts instead.

Correction, actually 1 point per Dollar spent on Visa for this program as per Marriott's website.

I've spent a little time searching but cannot find how often you may make a transaction. Also, I cannot find a limit such as "no more than 10%" of an award can be from purchased points. There is a SkyMall restriction.

Program Rules

• You may purchase up to 99,000 points per transaction
• Points may be purchased in increments of 1,000
• Purchase rate is 10 (USD) per 1,000 points
• Points may take 24-48 hours to post to your account

• Please allow 24-48 hours for transaction to be completed and points awarded to recipient.
• You must be a Marriott Rewards member in good standing to both purchase and receive points.
• Points cannot be purchased, nor transferred, for merchandise rewards offered through SkyMall.
• Purchasing points with the Marriott Rewards Visa® card will result in earning one point per dollar spent on these transactions.

MarTN said:

I've spent a little time searching but cannot find how often you may make a transaction. Also, I cannot find a limit such as "no more than 10%" of an award can be from purchased points. There is a SkyMall restriction.

Program Rules

• You may purchase up to 99,000 points per transaction
• Points may be purchased in increments of 1,000
• Purchase rate is 10 (USD) per 1,000 points
• Points may take 24-48 hours to post to your account

• Please allow 24-48 hours for transaction to be completed and points awarded to recipient.
• You must be a Marriott Rewards member in good standing to both purchase and receive points.
• Points cannot be purchased, nor transferred, for merchandise rewards offered through SkyMall.
• Purchasing points with the Marriott Rewards Visa® card will result in earning one point per dollar spent on these transactions.

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Regarding Purchasing Points In the t/c of the MR program: It looks like you could make the transaction as long as you are redeeming a reward and you don't have enough points. I seem to recall, in the past you could only purchase 10% or less of your total package, in increments of 1,000.




Purchasing Points

1. A member may purchase points for reward requests (up to 99,000 points) when he/she does not have enough points to request a specific reward.
2. Points can not be purchased nor transferred for merchandise rewards offered through SkyMall.
3. Points may be purchased at the rate of $10 per 1,000 points.

Dave M said:

It doesn't change the essence of your comment, but the 3BR Platinum Grand Chateau trades for 100,000 points. The 2BR trades for 90,000 points.

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I guess maybe I was thinking about the "special offer" to purchase MR points in lieu of usage on our latest purchase of the corresponding EOY unit to our original unit. Our usage for the new purchase doen't start until 2009. Our original purchase was an even year usage.

steve b said:

If you purchase 99000 points for 990.00 and pay with your Marriott Visa you get an additional 4950 MR points for a total of 103950, more points than some folks get for turning in their timeshare week. If you use these points for the 250k package awards you are really ahead of the game. Also consider other family accounts and purchase the 99k points limits in each of them and then combine them to claim a 250k award as allowable under the rules and buy resale Marriotts instead.

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The question I have is can you purchase up to the allowable 99K points in 2 spousal accounts and then combine and/or, according to the rules posted on the new release, can you simply buy 99K points, wait a few days, and then purchase the remainder (which would, in essence, be like trading in 2 weeks for points)? Unless I am misreading something (very possible) it doesn't seem like the new rules restrict the point purchases to buying only when trying to complete an amount necessary to redeem an award.

In this case even those who bought from the developer and can trade for points might want to rethink doing so, since the cost is approx. the same as the trade cost (MF's + trade fee), but trading involves giving up use of the timeshare for the year, which has inherent value. Wouldn't it be better, in this case, even to rent the timeshare if not using it and simply purchase points through this program?

For what it's worth, We've been considering a Marriott purchase for sometime now. I just signed up with the rewards program, got my membership number, and then purchased 99,000 points for $990.00. At the end of the transaction I was presented with the option to make another transaction. Looks like I could have bought another 51,000 to round out my 7 day vacation in a 2 Bdr. villa and I'm in. I don't think you have to wait anytime at all. Maybe I will purchase the remaining 51K later today.

Y-ASK

Just to add, decide to make another purchase and got the 51K pts no problem. Now let's see if I can get a reservation .

Y-ASK

ondeadlin said:

It's certainly a devalution for timeshare owners.

I mean, seriously, why would I pay $700-$1,000 in MF and trade my week for 110,000 points (or less) when I could just pay $1,000 for 100,000 points without spending big money to acquire a timeshare week from the developer?

I'm sure some of the points traders on here will find some way to justify it, but it seems nuts to me.

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There is no justification.....it's just NUTS!!!!

I have always believed the point’s option (from personnel experience) was terrific, providing much flexibility to ownership and therefore I would always buy direct (pre-construction). However, I see absolutely no point now and think this will seriously harm potential sales for MVCI (who vigorously promote the point’s option), also this totally devalues the program for existing owners. No doubt the annual reward redemption review due soon will further add to the issue unless Marriott also reviews the award points offered for trading your week which is highly unlikely.

JonP said:

There is no justification.....it's just NUTS!!!!

I have always believed the point’s option (from personnel experience) was terrific, providing much flexibility to ownership and therefore I would always buy direct (pre-construction). However, I see absolutely no point now and think this will seriously harm potential sales for MVCI (who vigorously promote the point’s option), also this totally devalues the program for existing owners. No doubt the annual reward redemption review due soon will further add to the issue unless Marriott also reviews the award points offered for trading your week which is highly unlikely.

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I agree that it is a surprising loophole. However, I doubt there will be an impact on MVCI sales. Most people who are savvy enough to find out about that also know about Tug; the average person attending a sales presentation is unaware of the resale market and, I would venture to guess, unaware of the ability to purchase the points for the same cost as trading the unit (actually, a lower cost I think, since you are not giving up use of something which has inherent value).

Yes- there are exceptions- there are people such as yourself that have and will continue to purchase from the developer because they like the points option (and that may now reconsider doing so), but the vast majority of Tuggers would buy resale unless they were taking advantage of pre-construction pricing coupled with large point incentives (as you have and that may still represent a good value). So, while there may be a few who reconsider a developer purchase, I don't think it will really affect sales.

I think Marriott is doing it to boost Marriott hotel use. People who buy points are committed to using Marriott hotels. Let's face it, Marriott makes money on hotel occupancy and the use of all the ancillary services that most people, even those using points, use. From personal observation (talking to friends, etc.) most people tend to use a hotel award certificate but are unaware of the advantage of using a travel package. While buying enough points for a travel award voucher may be a good deal, I am not sure that an award certificate is such a bargain.

If the majority of people were really educated about the program and savvy as to maximizing its benefits (like Brian and several others here) then, I agree, that it would be bad for Marriott and may impact timeshare owners as well. Maybe I am not giving the general public enough credit, but I just don't think that's the case.

Of course, this makes be even happier that I listened to all the great advice here and bought resale :whoopie: !

m61376 said:

most people tend to use a hotel award certificate but are unaware of the advantage of using a travel award voucher. While buying enough points for a travel award voucher may be a good deal, I am not sure that an award certificate is such a bargain.

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I do not own a Marriott. What is the difference between a Hotel Award Certificate and a Travel Award Voucher? Does the Voucher refer to combined hotel and air fare packages? I thought you had to own a Marriott ts to take advantage of that.

Also, if I read this correctly, I could go on a 7 day vacation at a 2 bedroom Marriott ts villa, if available, for 150,000 points. That would cost $1500. That is not too much more than the annual MF at many resorts + taxes + II annual membership fee + II exchange fees! Why even bother to buy a resale or rent from an owner?

Jeff

I also wasn't sure what a "travel award voucher" is. However, from reading m's earlier post it seems clear she intends it to mean what Marriott calls a "Travel Package", which normally consists of FF miles deposited into your airline FF account and a stay for up to 7 nights in a Marriott hotel.

Assuming you can use the FF miles, the math makes the Travel Package a much better deal than a solo hotel certificate.

You don't need to own a Marriott timeshare to request any of the Marriott Rewards awards. All you need is enough Marriott Rewards points to select the one of your choice. Here is the Marriott page for Travel Packages.

WOW!

I just got off the phone with Marriott Reward support. She said the 10% rule is an old rule and is no longer in use.

I asked her if I could buy these points and make a reservation at any of the timeshares and she said yes, subject of course to availability. She even suggested I find out if there was availability before purchasing the points.

I asked if I could try to make that reservation a year out and she said I could. I don't know if I would get confirmation at that time, however, or if I would be put on a hold/wait list like a timeshare exchanger, however.

Jeff

Dave M said:

"Travel Package", which normally consists of FF miles deposited into your airline FF account and a stay for up to 7 nights in a Marriott hotel.

Assuming you can use the FF miles, the math makes the Travel Package a much better deal than a solo hotel certificate.

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Thanks Dave. So if the FF miles are deposited in MY airline FF account, does that mean I can add miles with my credit card or travel to increase to a Business class, or a further coach trip?

Jeff

Once those FF miles are in your account (the same one you probably already have for your favorite airline), they belong to you and are treated the same as any other FF miles you earn in that account. So the answer is "yes".

Also the FF miles will expire based on the policy of that FF program (e.g., 3 years for UA and AA, 2 years for DL and 18 months for US, unless you have some activity in the account during that period).

95% of all Marriott timeshares are impossible to use points to get into.
Nice plan, $1500 to rent Aruba Platinum or Maui or KoOlina, NEVER HAPPEN

korndoc said:

WOW!

I just got off the phone with Marriott Reward support. She said the 10% rule is an old rule and is no longer in use.

I asked her if I could buy these points and make a reservation at any of the timeshares and she said yes, subject of course to availability. She even suggested I find out if there was availability before purchasing the points.

I asked if I could try to make that reservation a year out and she said I could. I don't know if I would get confirmation at that time, however, or if I would be put on a hold/wait list like a timeshare exchanger, however.

Jeff

Click to expand...

Eric said:

95% of all Marriott timeshares are impossible to use points to get into.
Nice plan, $1500 to rent Aruba Platinum or Maui or KoOlina, NEVER HAPPEN

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It may be very difficult but it is technically possible. What about all the owners who do not own premium weeks but still pay the same level of MF's. I have introduced MVCI to several friends who have bought (in most cases multiple weeks)...not anymore.

Anything is possible but so is hitting the lottery. Except for Orlando and off season, you will not see villas for points.

JonP said:

It may be very difficult but it is technically possible. What about all the owners who do not own premium weeks but still pay the same level of MF's. I have introduced MVCI to several friends who have bought (in most cases multiple weeks)...not anymore.

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