# Purchasing Marriott Timeshare resale



## sherryf (Jun 2, 2010)

I just got back from Hawaii and purchased a timeshare with Marriott.   I had asked about purchasing on the secondary market and they told me that it could be done but that not all the benefits transfer.   


Can you enlighten me as to what typically doesn't transfer via the resale market?  I am still in my 7 day recission period and have found that I can save about $5K to $8K by purchasing on the resale market.

Any experiences you can share would be appreciated!!!


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## LAX Mom (Jun 2, 2010)

sherryf said:


> I just got back from Hawaii and purchased a timeshare with Marriott.   I had asked about purchasing on the secondary market and they told me that it could be done but that not all the benefits transfer.
> 
> 
> Can you enlighten me as to what typically doesn't transfer via the resale market?  I am still in my 7 day recission period and have found that I can save about $5K to $8K by purchasing on the resale market.
> ...



Sherry,
Welcome to TUG!
Rescind now and do some research here. You can likely save much more than $5-8K. Check out the prices of completed sales on ebay for an idea of what your resort is actually selling for now. 

The only thing that doesn't transfer with a resale Marriott week is the ability to trade that week in to Marriott for Marriott reward points. Everything else is the same. 

Some people decide this is important to them and they are willing to spend the extra $$ to purchase from Marriott. But the MR points have been devalued and it's an expensive way to get points. The MF's in Hawaii are too high to use the week for a points exchange anyway. Marriott will sell 50,000 points per year to every individual for $ .0125 per point. So if you have a spouse you can purchase 100,000 points per year for $1,250. That makes more sense than paying MF at Ko'Olina, $104 to exchange for points and the money you spent on your original purchase.

Also, MF's in Hawaii are to expensive to use for a trader. If you want to use it yourself then consider a purchase (resale) there. 

Tell us when/where you want to vacation and we can offer some suggestions.

One last thing, Marriott is likely going to change to a points based system in a couple of weeks. There is lots of info on TUG regarding this change, but we don't know the particulars of the new program. I would recommend waiting until the new program is announced and then decide if you want to purchase from Marriott.


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## sherryf (Jun 2, 2010)

Thanks for your quick reply.  I do have another question for you and other timeshare owners.  What I have been told from a couple of Hawaii owners is that Hawaii commands a premium for trading.  That trading a Hawaii week will enable me to ensure that I can get weeks in International timeshares which is really my goal.   

My other concern is location of the timeshare properties?  Are they close to the cities or are they all built 30 to 40 minutes away from main destinations?



LAX Mom said:


> Sherry,
> Welcome to TUG!
> Rescind now and do some research here. You can likely save much more than $5-8K. Check out the prices of completed sales on ebay for an idea of what your resort is actually selling for now.
> 
> ...


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## csalter2 (Jun 2, 2010)

*Hawaii Trade Value*

It is true that you may be able to use a Hawaii property and get good trade value. However, I would still suggest that you not buy in Hawaii unless you plan to go there a great deal. If you own a Marriott Hawaii property, you will probably not be able to get an equal value property in most cases when you exchange. You could be very, very disappointed. This would be especially true if you travel during peak times when the demand is high at other locations. Also, remember that nothing is permanent and things change. Nothing is guaranteed, especially trading power because the latest and the greatest can replace trading power over time. 

There are timeshares in major cities such as New York and San Francisco. However, more often than not they are usually outside of most major cities unless they are beach cities or major amusement sites. It all depends on where you are going.


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## DanCali (Jun 2, 2010)

sherryf said:


> Thanks for your quick reply.  I do have another question for you and other timeshare owners.  What I have been told from a couple of Hawaii owners is that Hawaii commands a premium for trading.  That trading a Hawaii week will enable me to ensure that I can get weeks in International timeshares which is really my goal.
> 
> My other concern is location of the timeshare properties?  Are they close to the cities or are they all built 30 to 40 minutes away from main destinations?



If your main goal is to trade, purchasing Hawaii in general (retail or resale) is probably not the most cost effective way to achieve that. You can do much better financially by buying at a mainland location where you can reserve a high demand week which will give you plenty of trading power (e.g summer at Hilton Head or March in the California and Arizona deserts). Combine that with a full 2BR deposit (although locking off could do quite well too) and you should be able to trade into some fantastic locations at peak times. Buy Hawaii if you want to return there most years. 

Do keep in mind that trading power is always subject to forces of supply and demand and can change. The best advice is to buy where you want to go most of the time (or someplace you wouldn't mind going if your trade doesn't happen) and hopefully that place should have enough trading power to get you into other places when you do trade.


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## Venter (Jun 2, 2010)

csalter2 said:


> It is true that you may be able to use a Hawaii property and get good trade value. However, I would still suggest that you not buy in Hawaii unless you plan to go there a great deal. If you own a Marriott Hawaii property, you will probably not be able to get an equal value property in most cases when you exchange. You could be very, very disappointed. This would be especially true if you travel during peak times when the demand is high at other locations. Also, remember that nothing is permanent and things change. Nothing is guaranteed, especially trading power because the latest and the greatest can replace trading power over time.
> 
> There are timeshares in major cities such as New York and San Francisco. However, more often than not they are usually outside of most major cities unless they are beach cities or major amusement sites. It all depends on where you are going.



Just wondering what the timeshares in San Francisco are as I am going there for a conference with my family in March 2011.


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## Dave M (Jun 2, 2010)

There are a number of SF timeshares. You can find them by going to RCI's and II's websites and looking in their online Resort Directories. An even easier way, if you pay $15 to join TUG, is to go to the TUG resort reviews and you will see 13 SF timeshares listed - all on the California page.


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## LAX Mom (Jun 2, 2010)

Sherry,
You mentioned that international timeshares are your goal. Europe? Asia? Big cities? It's very difficult to find European timeshares that are equal to the Marriotts in Hawaii. 

Although there are some Marriotts in Europe (France, Spain) they are not located in major cities. The Marriott near Disneyland Paris is a 45 minute train ride from Paris. The Spain Marriotts are on the coast. I've stayed at the one near Paris twice and although it was very nice it was not ideal for seeing Paris. The Spain properties are very popular. 

If you are buying a Hawaii Marriott to exchange you are paying more $$ (purchase price and maintenance fees) than you need to. 

Also remember if you purchase a top trader you can still only get the inventory that is deposited with II. In other words if you have your heart set on the Grand Residence Club in London but nobody deposits it with II you won't be able to get the exchange.


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## Bill4728 (Jun 2, 2010)

sherryf said:


> I am still in my 7 day recission period and have found that I can save about $5K to $8K by purchasing on the resale market.





LAX Mom said:


> Rescind now and do some research here. You can likely save much more than $5-8K. Check out the prices of completed sales on ebay for an idea of what your resort is actually selling for now.
> 
> The only thing that doesn't transfer with a resale Marriott week is the ability to trade that week in to Marriott for Marriott reward points. Everything else is the same.


As LAX Mom said, you'll save a lot more than $5k-$8K buying resale.  I'd guess that you'll save about 60%-75% off Marriott prices.  That mean the $30K that Marriott want for their Newport Coast TS outside of LA can be bought for $10K or less (Saving you >$20K!!) 

The biggest reason not to buy Hawaii for trading is that the MFs in Hawaii are huge compared to the MFs at other mainland marriott resorts.  So you may have great trading power but you'll pay way too much in MFs to get it.  Most Marriott TS (when you reserve a high demand week) have great trading power. So buying hawaii should be for those people who want to visit Hawaii at least EOY. 

Good Luck


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## brigechols (Jun 2, 2010)

sherryf said:


> Thanks for your quick reply.  I do have another question for you and other timeshare owners.  What I have been told from a couple of Hawaii owners is that Hawaii commands a premium for trading.  That trading a Hawaii week will enable me to ensure that I can get weeks in International timeshares which is really my goal.
> 
> My other concern is location of the timeshare properties?  Are they close to the cities or are they all built 30 to 40 minutes away from main destinations?



As previously suggested, rescind and research.  

Yes, a Marriott week in Hawaii is a strong trader but so are the following Marriott weeks:  ski season on the mainland, platinum season at Newport Coast, platinum season on Hilton Head Island, platinum season in Aruba... A Hawaii week may not be suitable for your purpose.

Yes, a Marriott week in Hawaii is a strong trader but you can also experience strong trades owning Worldmark credits, Hilton points, Wyndham points, or Starwood properties... There are other options besides Marriott.


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## m61376 (Jun 2, 2010)

LAX Mom said:


> Sherry,
> Welcome to TUG!
> Rescind now and do some research here. You can likely save much more than $5-8K. Check out the prices of completed sales on ebay for an idea of what your resort is actually selling for now.
> 
> ...


This advice is worth repeating! With an entirely new trading system supposedly being rolled out in a few weeks I would sit tight on any purchase. The reason is simple- if you like the new system, you don't want to land up potentially paying a joiner's fee because you bought directly from them 2 weeks too soon. If current resale owners are treated differently than future resale owners (if there is some grandfathering type clause) you will not have closed in time anyway to benefit. If you decide to go ahead and buy resale, you will know all the facts before signing on the dotted line.

In my opinion, now is not the time to buy anything, unless you happen to get one of those rare steals on Ebay or the like.

Welcome to Tug, btw  Stick around- the next few weeks especially should be very interesting, IF the new system is rolled out as rumored.


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## RedDogSD (Jun 2, 2010)

sherryf said:


> I just got back from Hawaii and purchased a timeshare with Marriott.   I had asked about purchasing on the secondary market and they told me that it could be done but that not all the benefits transfer.
> 
> 
> Can you enlighten me as to what typically doesn't transfer via the resale market?  I am still in my 7 day recission period and have found that I can save about $5K to $8K by purchasing on the resale market.
> ...



Sherry....trust me as someone who bought a 35k week from Marriott in Hawaii.....give it back.  You can get the Ko'Olina week for 6-10k and Maui Ocean Club for 8-12k.  You will love yourself.  

Also, you don't sound like you want Hawaii that often.  NO WAY should  you buy there.  The only reason to buy Hawaii is to go to Hawaii.  There are other great properties with great trading value that cost far less.  Do some research...hang around here and you will learn.  I learned the hard way, but you don't have to.  I wish I knew about this place back then.


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## taffy19 (Jun 2, 2010)

sherryf said:


> Thanks for your quick reply. I do have another question for you and other timeshare owners. What I have been told from a couple of Hawaii owners is that Hawaii commands a premium for trading. That trading a Hawaii week will enable me to ensure that I can get weeks in *International timeshares which is really my goal*.
> 
> My other concern is location of the timeshare properties? Are they close to the cities or are they all built 30 to 40 minutes away from main destinations?


I have to agree with what is posted here already. You paid too much and your maintenance fees are too high too if you don't want to stay on Maui often. There are many other resorts on the mainland that have equal good trading power and can be picked up for a lot less on the re-sale market.

I would first check out if the Marriott has the locations where you like to go to and I would wait until they finally roll out that new system that we have been speculating about for well over two years now.

Did they mention to you that they have locations in or near the big cities where you like to go to or didn't you ask them? In case you did, did they mention hotels?


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## DanH (Jun 10, 2010)

*Marriott System Features You don't get when buying 2nd hand*

I love my Marriott resort and I'm glad I saved thousands buying it on the secondary market. I am treated as a full fledge owner when I call owner services or make reservations. It trades wonderfully on Interval and I don't have a difficult time getting to my resort if I need to change my date. I've been to Hawaii and Florida during peak times. 

Because I bought 2nd hand, I can't have Marriott sell or rent my unit for that top dollar price they get from others. I also can't exchange my unit for points every other year like direct purchases can. 

I think that is about it.

I was told earlier this year that Marriott will be doing some kind of new internal trading system which will be available only to direct purchasers. I don't believe trades on Interval will be affected - but I could surmise that Marriott could be breaking away from Interval and I might have to pay more for my trades. Like the other writer's said, we just have to wait and see.  I will always be able to go to my resort, trade it through TUG/REDWEEK or INTERVAL or rent it myself.

I've had fairly good luck renting my week on TUG and REDWEEK. I hope we can continue to use and improve our TUG system to make exchanges easier w/o using an exchange company. If anyone is interested in Marriott Desert Springs or Central Oregon, I try to keep a posting active on TUG, check me out there.


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## dioxide45 (Jun 10, 2010)

DanH said:


> Because I bought 2nd hand, I can't have Marriott sell or rent my unit for that top dollar price they get from others.



Who says you can't? Marriott doesn't have a limitation on using their resale or rental program based on how you aquired your unit. The exchange for points option is the only limitation.


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## bdogma (Jun 11, 2010)

*Marriott Aruba Surf questions*

I hope someone can shed some light on purchasing at Marriott's Aruba Surf. Will the Gold season trade well? Will a garden view unit be a trading disadvantage? We plan to go to the resort often (every other year) and trade in the off years. I realize that Platinum season is always best for trading but need to know if Gold season or garden view is a poor choice for this resort. The Gold season, garden view is a few thousand dollars less than the Platinum ocean view units and I need to know if it will be worth spending the money for Platinum. Also, are the mosquitoes prevalent at the resorts in Aruba?  Thanks!


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## BarbS (Jun 11, 2010)

We own a Surf Club gold week.  It's OF but I don't that matters to II when you deposit it for a trade.  We've done very well in the years we've traded.  We usually reserve Thanksgiving week and deposit both sides.  For the 1 BR, we've traded into a 2 BR in Marbella Beach Resort, a 1 BR in Mountainside Park City during ski season twice, and have traded many times into a 2 BR in Oceanwatch Myrtle Beach, Barony Beach Club, and Grande Ocean.  I've also consistently been able to use the studio to get flex changes at Oceanwatch, Barony, or Grande Ocean.......all 2 BR.    These are pretty easy to get in the fall and spring and if I plan well.......I can usually get a trade to combine on the front or back of the week we own at Barony.   We are always offered an AC when we deposit our Surf Club week.   IMO the gold Surf Club weeks are great traders.


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## James1975NY (Jun 11, 2010)

sherryf said:


> I just got back from Hawaii and purchased a timeshare with Marriott.   I had asked about purchasing on the secondary market and they told me that it could be done but that not all the benefits transfer.
> 
> 
> Can you enlighten me as to what typically doesn't transfer via the resale market?  I am still in my 7 day recission period and have found that I can save about $5K to $8K by purchasing on the resale market.
> ...



If you are happy with the purchase and you MUST HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONVERT TO HOTEL POINTS, don't cancel.

If you do not see the benefit of converting your vacation villa into hotel points for thousands of dollars more, CANCEL.


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## bdogma (Jun 11, 2010)

BarbS said:


> We own a Surf Club gold week.  It's OF but I don't that matters to II when you deposit it for a trade.  We've done very well in the years we've traded.  We usually reserve Thanksgiving week and deposit both sides.  For the 1 BR, we've traded into a 2 BR in Marbella Beach Resort, a 1 BR in Mountainside Park City during ski season twice, and have traded many times into a 2 BR in Oceanwatch Myrtle Beach, Barony Beach Club, and Grande Ocean.  I've also consistently been able to use the studio to get flex changes at Oceanwatch, Barony, or Grande Ocean.......all 2 BR.    These are pretty easy to get in the fall and spring and if I plan well.......I can usually get a trade to combine on the front or back of the week we own at Barony.   We are always offered an AC when we deposit our Surf Club week.   IMO the gold Surf Club weeks are great traders.


Thanks for the info. I am a little nervous about a garden view unit for trading but if II does not take the view into consideration, that is a plus!


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## sdgaskill1 (Jun 11, 2010)

*Marr?iott Resale or buy from Marriott*

Sherryl, We owned a Marriott in Hawaii for over 10 years. We never traded and the maintenance fees kept going up and we could not get a comparable trade that was worth the extra money to trade through II. Sometimes we would get an extra week by II with another Hawaii property, but it was usually a bonus week-places we didn't want to go on the off season there, such as a ski resort in the fall or spring, etc.W hen purchasing through Marriott, we did get a bundle of points which we could use for travel or hotel stay. Now they no longer partner with American Airlines, and they have been the easiest to use FF miles so that begins June 1, I believe. Also, they added stays at timeshares for the points where they used to restrict it to hotels. We were told my Marriott to sell our week ourselves as they no longer buy back. We paid a RE agent about 40% in commission, so you make very little back when you have to sell. There is a website for Marriott owners to trade at no cost. Sandra Gaskill


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## tombo (Jun 12, 2010)

If you haven't heard it enough yet, here it is one more time. RESCIND ASAP!!!! I would say buy resale but I am scared of the new program and would wait. I turned down a resale steal recently for no reason other than fear of the new program. No matter what happens with the new program and as everyone on this thread haa already stated, RESCIND ASAP!!!!


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## m61376 (Jun 12, 2010)

bdogma said:


> I hope someone can shed some light on purchasing at Marriott's Aruba Surf. Will the Gold season trade well? Will a garden view unit be a trading disadvantage? We plan to go to the resort often (every other year) and trade in the off years. I realize that Platinum season is always best for trading but need to know if Gold season or garden view is a poor choice for this resort. The Gold season, garden view is a few thousand dollars less than the Platinum ocean view units and I need to know if it will be worth spending the money for Platinum. Also, are the mosquitoes prevalent at the resorts in Aruba?  Thanks!



The Aruba units are some of the strongest traders. In fact, a couple of years ago one of the Tuggers did a comparison on Redweek's trading system to see what July 4th weeks at different resorts were awarded point-wise by Redweek (reflecting Redweek's assessment or their relative trade value). The list included 2BR units at many popular Marriotts- including Maui and other Hawaii resorts, Vegas, Orlando resorts,  NCV and I believe HH properties, etc.. Interestingly, Redweek valued the SC higher than any other property.

II is view-blind, so for trading purposes today OF=GV. IF Marriott introduces an internal exchange program, I would assume better views would both be awarded and cost more points to trade into. Of course, this is all conjecture. 

Since, if the new program is release later this week as rumored, it will be impossible to have closed prior to the new program being instituted, I would recommend holding off until you see how future resale owners will fare. I suspect that Marriott may treat current resale owners differently than future resale buyers (but they may not), but given the current timing I'd hold off for a week or two and see what rolls down the pike.

But Gold IF you want to travel to Aruba during that time frame. Buy Platinum if you want a winter break. Aruba is a year round destination, below the hurricane belt. The season designations are more because of greater demand of Northeasterners to escape the winter cold than the weather being better over the Platinum season. We own both a Plat. and a Gold unit, and have visited winter and summer and have had great trips.

Personally, I am a mosquito magnet- if they are around, somehow they manage to find me. At home, my DH can be with me and not get a single bite, and I can have several. Yet, I have not gotten a single mosquito bite while on vacation in Aruba. I pack the Off as suggested for several of the outdoor restaurants, esp. on the beach at sunset, yet have never used it. My DH laughs every time I pack. Trust me, if mosquitoes were a problem, I'd know; I actually get allergic reactions to them and usually need to use a steroid cream.


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## rocketraj (Jun 12, 2010)

*how do you find out the prices of completed sales on ebay*

is there a link or search tool on ebay to see what the resent sales are on a particular item? or do you just add a bunch of 'watch' items and keep tract that way





LAX Mom said:


> Sherry,
> Welcome to TUG!
> Rescind now and do some research here. You can likely save much more than $5-8K. Check out the prices of completed sales on ebay for an idea of what your resort is actually selling for now.
> 
> ...


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## nike648 (Jun 13, 2010)

*marriott*

to the marriott new owner. you are locked in for life time shares with marriott are virtuall impossible to get rid of, short of giving them away. i just got fid of my shadow ridge in palm springs for 3000 which i paid 22k for. also the point is so true about marriott taking away the benifits little buy little. rent one do not buy.
mike morris


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## americanft (Jun 14, 2010)

*One thing not mentioned*

Usually Marriott gives a 1 week vacation with airfare when you buy the unit from them.

You can figure this into the mix but if you are going to be trading the unit. I would not purchase.

Good luck.


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## pianodinosaur (Jun 14, 2010)

I recently won an auction on ebay and I am currently waiting on the title to transfer.  The main disadvantage of not purchasing direct from MVC is that you cannot convert the week to Marriott Rewards Points.  However, the value of the TS weeks has been devalued and I have been a member of Marriott Rewards for many years without being a member of MVC.  We will be spending Valentine's Day 2011 at the Guanacaste Resort in Costa Rica via our first Marriott Rewards Redemption. (Granted, it took about 8 years to earn that number of points.)

Purchasing my MVC week resale saved me about $29,000.00.  You can be a member of many hotel customer loyalty programs without spending any money upfront.


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## RedDogSD (Jun 14, 2010)

nike648 said:


> to the marriott new owner. you are locked in for life time shares with marriott are virtuall impossible to get rid of, short of giving them away. i just got fid of my shadow ridge in palm springs for 3000 which i paid 22k for. also the point is so true about marriott taking away the benifits little buy little. rent one do not buy.
> mike morris




Ok, while I am sure that you hate the fact that you paid 22k and only could get 3k for your Week....I hardly call that impossible to get rid of.  Hang around this board and listen to people who are willing to:

1.) Give you their week for free
2.) Pay Closing Costs
3.) Free 1st year usage

You shoudl be pretty happy that you were able to get away, and get some money back.


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