# Frustrated with Starwood Vacation Ownership?



## neeson7981 (Jan 26, 2015)

I am creating this thread in the hope of connecting with Starwood owners, especially Westin who feel trapped and frustrated by their ownership interest in the company. This is sort of a call to all the owners who felt that they were misled or were sold something that was sugar coated. I take the blame for signing a contract without reading it but somewhere this company has to feel ethically responsible for entrapping the owners who wish to leave or who are willing to even donate their ownership just to get rid of it. I have tried my best to make management aware of my grievance against them. I have met with so many road blocks and feel annoyed. I have no loyalty to this company anymore who would rather have me feel betrayed than to provide a solution. I didn't even ask for my money back, all i wanted was out of contract so i don't have to keep paying the annual maintenance fees for something that I won't use as it does not meet the needs of my family. I feel stuck and I just want to let off the hook. I am hoping to know if there are other people like me and would be interested in taking part in initiating Class Action Litigation against the company. I know many people who have grievances but thought it would be good idea to contact an attorney after knowing who else agrees with me.


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## DeniseM (Jan 26, 2015)

Welcome to TUG!  

I feel your pain, but you have zero chances of winning a class action lawsuit against a big company like Starwood - you would just be throwing good money after bad.

In general, these are the only resorts that have resale value:

* Harborside at Atlantis
* Vistana Villages (Bella and Key West phases only)
* Westin St. John (Virgin Grand - Hillside only)
* Westin Ka'anapali & Westin Ka'anapali-North
* Westin Kierland Villas 

If you own a high season week at one of these resorts, you can probably sell it for at least some money, but not nearly what you paid.

If you own at one of the other Starwood resorts, you will probably have to give it away, but you don't need to PAY someone to do that.

How can I give my timeshare away on TUG:  http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132509


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## neeson7981 (Jan 26, 2015)

You are right. I do not want to throw more money into this sinkhole. But it depends upon the case, how many plaintiffs and the attorney. There are some attorneys who would not take money from plaintiffs if there is enough interest and try to get compensate by the company after settlement. I am sure it depends upon how many people feel like i do that company is ethically responsible to its consumer. You just cant say that its your problem now. I do not want to give up with trying, social media is a powerful tool. We can always create a page on Facebook against SVO. Something should get their attention, it might get an attention of some lawyer who would love to make money out of our misery. I want nothing, I just want out. 

For the record, I have ownership interest in Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort in Cancun.


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## DeniseM (Jan 26, 2015)

Starwood is no different than the rest of the big timeshare developers.  No better no worse.  They have a lot of smart lawyers that get paid big bucks to write airtight contracts - you have no chance.  Trust me.

Here is a suggestion - list your main issues here - we may be able to give you some advice about how to get more out of your timeshare.






Note to Tuggers - OMG!  I sound like jarta!  :rofl:


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## Henry M. (Jan 26, 2015)

You will probably get more benefits out of spending your energy to give your timeshare away, rather than chasing after a lawsuit with almost no likelihood of succeeding. There are probably a couple of TUGgers that wouldn't mind owning WLR.


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## neeson7981 (Jan 26, 2015)

*how about some hope?*

I am not saying that you all are wrong to suggest that its a lame idea. It probably is very lame and have bleak to no chance of even becoming a litigation. We all are for ourselves but why can't we all get together on something that has impacted us negatively. I am sure there are owners who are happy with their interests but some are not. But whatever the case may be, it shouldn't feel like entrapment. If we raise a voice together, there is still a small chance or hope. I am not crazy, I am desperate. I also have not ruled out the option of giving it away or selling it (if i am lucky) but 52000 dollars loss is hard to grasp which only gets bad and bad as i continue to pay 2000 dollars in annual fees and maintenance. I do not think I will achieve anything out of it but I wish that people like me can come together and at least try than just giving up entirely and let the company continue to torture us for the rest of our lives. I just paid my dues because i was threatened that i will incur late fees and penalties and eventually a legal action. It suffocates me.


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## DeniseM (Jan 26, 2015)

Sorry - but we participate in TUG because we like timesharing.  I don't think you will find anyone interested in a lawsuit.

Don't get me wrong - Starwood has it's faults, and we gripe about it, but overall, most of the people here want to be owners.

You still haven't told use what your issues are?


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## Sicnarf (Jan 26, 2015)

I sympathize with your situation.  Like you, I spent over $100K with Starwood.  I was in the bad situation 3 years ago but Starwood took back one of my unit when I was behind in my mortgage payment.  

Yes, I'm upset with Starwood with almost doubling my MF over the past 10 years BUT I was able to get passed it.  Using some of the strategies I learned from TUG, I now have no problem paying almost $17,000 in annual MFs.  In fact, my Starwood ownership now actually pays for 2-4 weeks of my vacations yearly. 

As Denise said tell us what your issues are and we may be able to suggest some solutions.


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## lizap (Jan 26, 2015)

I'm very sorry that you are in this situation and feel the way you do.  Many here have purchased from the developer and paid developer prices before discovering TUG.  Starwood was selling a TS at a given price and you decided to purchase it.  I don't see anything illegal about this transaction.  I would spend my energy trying to sell it for whatever you can get, or if you decide to keep it, trying to make it work for you.  As usual, Denise is right, you're not going to get a lot of sympathy here as most of us are very happy with our TSs.


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## Ken555 (Jan 27, 2015)

This sounds like a typical developer purchaser who didn't do any research before paying a lot of money for a week. I think most, if not all, of us would be in favor of a longer cancelation period when purchasing timeshares. That would at least offer buyers more time to reconsider their purchase prior to losing potentially a tremendous amount in market value of their purchased week. 


Sent from my iPad


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## VacationForever (Jan 27, 2015)

I actually bought at WLR, rescinded and turned around and bought 2 weeks of Marriott resale weeks from Marriott and it still saved me money.  

You have zero chance of succeeding in a class action lawsuit if there is ever a lawyer who wants to waste their time on this.  Based on my memory, on page one of WLR contract, it stated very clearly along the line that majority of the money that they are charging is to fund their marketing group and that you will not get anywhere close to what you paid for if you were to sell.  

From your above post you gripe about 2K in maintenance but that is cheap compared to what you would pay in rack rate from Starwood if you were to book WLR through their website.  

So... just move on and figure out whether you want to sell your weeks, trade or use them.


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## TimTrish (Jan 27, 2015)

Having had a roller coaster ride with SVN for the past 14 years I have never thought of taking such action. Complained yes;argued yes,written yes, etc etc.

Timeshare isnt a financial investment; its an investment in life experiences.

You may well have to simply give it away to someone who will use it and put it down to experience.

The contracts are complicated for a reason as they have evolved over time to close off any loopholes. I suspect you may find a lawyer who will grab the fees and take it on BUT I wont be joining you.


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## winnipiseogee (Jan 27, 2015)

Sorry to pile on with the negativity about the class action suit but....

If you signed your contract while visiting the resort in Mexico there is no way any attorney will ever take the case on a contingency basis.   You've got multiple jurisdictions  and they've probably intentionally designed it so that you have limited standing in each of the jurisdictions. 

Undoubtedly they spent hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars in legal fees insuring that it would be almost impossible for anyone to successfully suing them.  

You will just end up wasting your time, money, resources and emotional well being - why give them more of yourself when they've already got $52,000 of your money.  

Find a way to happily enjoy what you've bought (many do) and its going to be the best outcome you can hope for.


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## BLUE AYES (Jan 27, 2015)

Just curious. 52,000 and 2,000 sounds like multiple purchases.


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## PamMo (Jan 27, 2015)

BLUE AYES said:


> Just curious. 52,000 and 2,000 sounds like multiple purchases.



That's what I thought, too. WLR's 2015 MF's were $1,390.98 (+SVN fees).


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## GregT (Jan 27, 2015)

Neeson,

The Marriott board had followed a gentlemen on the east coast who filed a class action lawsuit.  We suspect it was a contingency case and we speculated if it would go anywhere.  

It was recently dismissed by the judge.  Like others, I do not believe there is much redemption for us through the legal system.  I hope that you can find ways to maximize your ownership. 

Best,

Greg


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## gmarine (Jan 27, 2015)

Back in 2009 when Starwood changed rules regarding ownerships, myself and some other owners got together to try to fight them. I personally spoke to several class action attorneys about the issues.  In order for the attorneys to take the case on a contingency basis and attempt to certify as a class action there had to be clear cut consumer fraud. 

The attorneys were in agreement that while we might win a reversal of the changes, it was not fraud and therefore they couldnt take the case on a contingency basis. Because of that we would have had to pay thousands out of pocket to fight Starwood which wasnt going to happen. 

Your complaint seems more related to the actual ownership.  Unless you can prove without a doubt that Starwood violated your contract I dont think there is much you can do.


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## PamMo (Jan 27, 2015)

Neeson7981, your post is venting frustration at Starwood - and a lot of us share your pain. We weren't happy finding out that developer purchases were many tens of thousands of dollars more than buying the same unit resale. We don't like watching MF's increase at rates much higher than inflation over the years. We discovered it's not as easy to book the weeks we want as the salesperson told us - especially if we can't plan vacations a year out. If you take time to read through the TUG Starwood forum, you'll see we have lots of issues with Starwood, BUT we try to make the system work for us, because we still want those great vacations we dreamed about when we bought. And with shared knowledge - particularly here on TUG - we're able to make it work.

It's not that we don't want to help you, it's about priorities. You can spend your time and money fighting Starwood, but to what end? It sounds like you desperately just want to stop paying the annual MF's on your Lagunamar unit. There are much easier ways to do that. If it is causing you so much stress that you really feel suffocated every time you think about it, perhaps it's best to let it go. Why go full-on battle mode with Starwood to take the unit back vs selling it or giving it away? Giving it back to Starwood only lets them sell it again at full price to someone else. If you sell it, you can get a little of your money back, and someone else will hopefully make it work for them.

Many of us have made painful financial mistakes (let me tell you about an old house renovation I've been working on :ignore: ). Please don't let this one eat you up! Good luck to you.


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## DavidnRobin (Jan 27, 2015)

BLUE AYES said:


> Just curious. 52,000 and 2,000 sounds like multiple purchases.



I agree - w/o clarity on this point 52K and 2K? - I am not sure this isn't trolling (for whatever reason?)

Regardless - WLR has value (more so w/ Plat ownership) - so you can easily give away - or get a little something...something

However... this has a 'RedFlag' feeling.


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## neeson7981 (Jan 27, 2015)

*Frustrated with Starwood Ownership*

Here is the details of what i purchased. 

Week #	31 of every year
The Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort
2 Bedroom Lockoff Villa

Week # 21 every other year
The Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort
1 Bedroom Premium Villa.

I have paid total over 52,000 dollars including maintenance fees for last year and this year. My maintenance fee for each year is 1495 plus 525 for every other year.


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## neeson7981 (Jan 27, 2015)

*Frustration with Starwood Ownership*

My issues are that I was led to believe that how flexible this program is and the choices in resorts it offered. Over time I have realized that its not a flexible program and does not offer what was described. The StarOptions are best used when you travel among the listed 19 resorts. You have to exchange your starOptions to StarPoints to be able to have the choice in resorts that was described by salesperson who conveniently skipped to mention that the value of starpoints is like currency and most of the decent hotels can use upto 20,000 points a night and if you want to travel to a resort, you need atleast 30,000 to 35,000 points per night. I have 148100 staroptions every year, the conversion gives me 74000 starpoints. I also have additions 44000 staroptions every year, which gives me 18000 starpoints i believe. I have to have full week available to convert and then there is a transaction fees to convert. It feels like anything i do i have to dump more money into it. Yes, I am frustrated with this and I am accountable for buying something that i didnt research well or should have read the contract. But my issue with the company is offering no opening to the people who want out. I feel trapped with them and if i have traveled to their resort, it has left bad taste as I feel I am stuck with this. 

I probably can't write in words and explain how i feel but company has to be accountable on moral grounds somewhere. 

Any help in guiding how can i sell these units will be appreciated.

Thanks


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## DeniseM (Jan 27, 2015)

So are you saying, that you thought Starwood would buy your timeshare back?  Sorry, but that just doesn't happen.

Sadly, they have little or no resale value, but if you'd like to verify that for yourself, here is a list of reputable brokers (TUG members) that you can contact for a professional opinion:  They will be honest with you about the resale value.

Fred Messreni (TUG user name FredM if you want to send him a pm)
www.timeshare-gallery.com

Seth Nock (TUG user name the same if you want to send him a pm)
www.sellingtimeshares.net

Judi Kozlowski (TUG user name the same if you want to send her a pm)
www.timeshareresalepros.com

If you can't sell them, giving them away is a bona fide option -

How to give your timeshare away on TUG:

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132509


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## neeson7981 (Jan 27, 2015)

*Frustrated with Starwood Ownership*

Not to mention that out of 19 resorts, I cant afford the travel time and cost of airfare to the resorts on west coast even if i find availability. I am usually stuck with Florida since its hard to find availability at Harborside and St. John. Sheraton Vistana is all i get within the distance where i can afford a ticket price. I will go to cancun once, may be hawaii once, but i cant pay for airfare to hawaii every year. Cancun tix are cheap but I feel like 2000 dollars of MFs and air ticket cost and food will cost me more than what i will have to pay at all inclusive resort. I can book all inclusive to cancun for 4 people incl air tickets in little over 4000 dollars. I feel like I have to travel to same resort for the rest of my life which still costs me more than any other resort. II offers some great resorts but exchange process didnt work as i expected. Its complicated and I may not get what i want and then again not to mention the fees i have to pay to deposit my week. Its a total scam


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## DeniseM (Jan 27, 2015)

The statements that you are making are true, but they aren't secrets - I'm thinking you simply did not understand what you bought?  

Did you buy both deeds at the same time?

When you bought this timeshare, did you think you'd visit Lagunamar every year?

Is it no longer working for you, because your financial situation has changed?


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## neeson7981 (Jan 27, 2015)

*Frustrated with Starwood Ownership*

Yes both the deeds were purchased at the same time in 2013. I tried calling the timeshare contacts you provided. Its heartbreaking to know that i will get less than 3500 dollars if that after selling it. What a sham. I cant figure out the way how to best use it if i have to swallow the pill. I just wish they would take it back and give me some of my money back. 
And Denise, I am sorry to ask but why do i feel that you are salesperson for Starwood. Do you have any association with the company?


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## PamMo (Jan 27, 2015)

neeson7981 said:


> ...II offers some great resorts but exchange process didnt work as i expected. Its complicated and I may not get what i want and then again not to mention the fees i have to pay to deposit my week. Its a total scam



Do I see a *glimmer* of hope that we can teach you how to use your Lagunamar timeshares so they work for you and your family? Ownership can be SO frustrating when you don't know the rules and tricks of the trade. The $52K is gone. You've already paid your 2015 MF's. Why not hold off on selling and do some research here on TUG? Let the experts in the Starwood forum give you some tools that might make you love timesharing! Seriously. These people know their stuff - _*way*_ better than any Starwood salesperson or vacation guide.  

Your Lagunamar units can still offer great vacation options if you don't want to stick with SVN resorts. Your SVN fees include an Interval International membership. With your lock-off, you can get 2 or 3 weeks of vacation every year (and even more weeks if you get bonus accommodation certificates). Of course, there are additional fees for trading, but they can still offer you a good deal. I often split my 2BR lockoffs, and trade into larger units. We've uptraded into the Hyatt Residence Club in Sedona (one of my favorite hiking places in the world), traded my 1BR's several times to get 2BR units in Westin Ka'anapali (it's nice to bring the family for two weeks when we pay those high airfares from the midwest!), got a late summer Marriott 3BR in Hilton Head, etc. I could bore you with a long list! 

My point is, instead of spending energy being angry at Starwood, and dumping your timeshare, let us try to help you learn how to use it for those vacations you dreamed about taking. You can always get rid of it later if it doesn't work out.


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## PamMo (Jan 27, 2015)

neeson7981 said:


> ...And Denise, I am sorry to ask but why do i feel that you are salesperson for Starwood. Do you have any association with the company?



:rofl::hysterical::rofl::hysterical:  Oh, you cannot be more wrong! DeniseM is definitely NO shill for Starwood!


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## neeson7981 (Jan 27, 2015)

If I want to rent my timeshare every year, how can i do it? I would like to cover my MFs for the year with the rent. Little more wouldn't hurt if it helps slowly offset the initial costs. Am I being too ambitious? I have been told that a Loss is a loss is a loss, i understand that but how do i stop going more negative in number than where i am now? I tried renting my unit on VRBO, nothing materialized. I feel like i am out of options.


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## komosatp (Jan 27, 2015)

neeson7981 said:


> And Denise, I am sorry to ask but why do i feel that you are salesperson for Starwood. Do you have any association with the company?


:rofl:

Pretty sure Denise is not affiliated with Starwood.  She is just a super-timeshare-guru, and can explain things well.

We all understand your feelings, as many of us on TUG have been in your position before: major buyer's remorse. But once we learned about time sharing, we've come to appreciate its benefits. _My names is komosatp and I bought a timeshare from the developer._

We all agree that the sales from developer process is sleazy and unbelievably misleading, but timeshare sales people are well trained in saying something that is true, but with enough undisclosed footnotes to fill an encyclopedia, that they might as well be lying. As others have said, we're sorry you plunked down all this money and don't enjoy your experience, but you signed the contract.


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## DeniseM (Jan 27, 2015)

neeson7981 said:


> Yes both the deeds were purchased at the same time in 2013. I tried calling the timeshare contacts you provided. Its heartbreaking to know that i will get less than 3500 dollars if that after selling it. What a sham. I cant figure out the way how to best use it if i have to swallow the pill. I just wish they would take it back and give me some of my money back.
> And Denise, I am sorry to ask but why do i feel that you are salesperson for Starwood. *Do you have any association with the company?*



Yes, I do - I *own* 3 Starwood timeshares!  

In case you missed it, I am the *Starwood Forum Moderator*, which means it is *my job* to be helpful on this forum.

What you have said here, (get ready for some tough love) is that you don't have a clue how to use your timeshare.  We can help you with that - and we'd be happy to do that - that is the PURPOSE of this forum.

But, first you have to come to grips with the facts:

-Even the top timeshares have very low resale value, compared to their original price.  Even the top resorts sell for  less then 50% on the resale market - EVERYWHERE.

-Most timeshares re-sell for 0-10% of original retail price - not just your timeshare, and not just Starwood timeshares - EVERYWHERE.

-Timesharing can be complicated - you have to know how it works - but that means you need to put some effort into learning the ropes, and you haven't done that.


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## neeson7981 (Jan 27, 2015)

Pam, I just paid the MF for 2015. I am angry at the company because i think they have no code of ethic established. Having said that, I am not against giving it another shot to learn and see how to use it. My current situation is as follows:
1. As of 2015, I have 215000 star options and out of that 66,900 are banked options from last year.
2. I have active reservation to travel in April for 6 days to Sheraton Vistana Villages in Florida which i booked with my banked star options since i thought i wont be able to use them all by 2016 when they expire? (I hated paying 99 dollars to bank them and I probably would have to do the same every year in addition to MFs)
3. I have made a reservation for thanksgiving week in Westin Lagunamar for a week. I had to trade my 2bd/2ba lock off villa to reserve I bd/ba premium villas ( I am pissed about this). I can not travel to cancun at that time of the year, I made the reservation in a hope that someone might be interested in renting it from me and will be able to pay me some money that will offset my MFs for the year.

Last year, I tried speaking to sellmytimeshare.com and other companies. I listed with the first one who wanted me to pay upfront fees of 1500 dollars. Stupid me, I did it and the units are still not sold as of now
I also tried to list my units for rent on vrbo.com. I had received some queries, however I was never able to confirm any reservation. This whole thing hurts so much.
Also, I am unclear about the tax implications on the  rental money if and ever i receive any from these units. I am lost on many levels


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## PamMo (Jan 27, 2015)

neeson7981 said:


> If I want to rent my timeshare every year, how can i do it? I would like to cover my MFs for the year with the rent. Little more wouldn't hurt if it helps slowly offset the initial costs. Am I being too ambitious? I have been told that a Loss is a loss is a loss, i understand that but how do i stop going more negative in number than where i am now? I tried renting my unit on VRBO, nothing materialized. I feel like i am out of options.



I own six Starwood VOI's, but not at Lagunamar, and I've had success renting my unused weeks on RedWeek. You can see what Lagunamar's asking rental (and sales) prices are here: http://www.redweek.com/resort/P5561-the-westin-lagunamar-ocean-resort-villas  (You might have to join Redweek to see this page.) It looks like you should be able to recoup your MF's if you reserve a high demand week. You have to price competitively to get your unit rented.


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## gmarine (Jan 27, 2015)

If you cant afford the airfare to some of the resorts that isnt the fault of Starwood. Its unfortunate that youre in this situation but you did make a purchase of not one, but two timeshare resorts for $52K that you apparently understood very little about. 

 I own Starwood and I'm not crazy about the company but in this instance you have to accept most of the blame. Sorry, but most of what you say isnt Starwood's fault. Nor is it Interval's fault that you dont understand the exchange process.  Many timeshare owners get great exchanges very often. Its not a scam. 

I just dont understand your thinking that Starwood should give you some of your money back.  You signed a contract and have been an owner since 2013.  Your best bet is to spend the time to learn to maximize the ownership by understanding the exchange process. Or if you really want out, take the loss and move on.  

We all bad feel for you but personally I dont think the blame lies with Starwood.


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## neeson7981 (Jan 27, 2015)

I also have hard time grasping the fact that traveling to my home resort alone where i have to pay for airfare and food comes out close to 4000 dollars , throw some alcohol into it and boom, you are above what you are willing to spend. I don't know how many times i wish i could go back in time, its not going to work. I did not do my research and put faith in the sales rep. There are very nice all inclusive resorts available in Cancun which are close to 4000 dollars for my family of 4 including airfare. I have paid thousands to own this unit, i pay 1500 atleast every year and then i pay for air and food, comes out to way more than i expected. Obviously I did not use my brain then. But i did not commit murder. And if i did, I could probably plea guilty and walk out of prison after 20 years. This feels like punishment for whole life where i will have to continue to pay thousands more till the time i die. No body should have to feel this way because of a purchase.


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## neeson7981 (Jan 27, 2015)

@gmarine,
I do not disagree with you. I have beaten myself up pretty much every day for this purchase. I did walk into something that I obviously did not understand. I fell for the words of the salesperson who painted wonderful picture for me. I have stayed up at nights. I feel terrible that I as an educated person did not read the contract and footnotes, etc. I am at blame. I hold Starwood responsible on moral grounds that where they are not willing to accept that their sales rep also should conduct presentation ethically and drop the hints somewhere. At least they could have mentioned about additional fees for everything you want to do like bank points, convert points, exchange week, etc. There are many more loopholes that i can bring here. I am not saying that you all are not experienced users of timeshare. I just wish they would consider if someone is this unhappy, let the person go with penalties rather than holding them responsible for rest of their lives for a mistake they made?


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## DeniseM (Jan 27, 2015)

I'm sorry, but your statements about travel costs are pretty illogical:

-The cost of travel has nothing to do with Starwood.

-Surely you knew that travel was expensive when you bought your timeshare.

Right now, you are completely focused on buyer's remorse and anger with Starwood - *that isn't going to get you anywhere.* 

Many of us bought from the developer the first time, too (ME!)  But now we have learned how to use our timeshares, and we enjoy them.  You can too….

Or, if you don't want to - give it away or sell it.


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## neeson7981 (Jan 27, 2015)

I am not making a point about higher travel cost. I am comparing the All inclusive resort vacation package in Cancun  with the Lagunamar. The point i am making is the freedom of choice in less money than what it costs me to take vacation to Lagunamar in the same area. Its a comparison of value, not that I blame starwood for not being able to afford it.


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## DeniseM (Jan 27, 2015)

1.  We can help you get the most out of your timeshare.

2.  You can sell it for a few bucks.

Those are your choices… pick one and get on it!


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## PamMo (Jan 27, 2015)

Don't beat yourself up, Neeson! It's water under the bridge. You've made a great decision to post here on TUG - even if we might be giving you a dose of tough love. Listen to DeniseM. (I think of her as a Timeshare Goddess, and my personal oracle for all things regarding timeshares. ) She is offering you some very good advice. Learn how to use your timeshares. I cannot tell you how great timesharing has been for our family. It took me a few years to figure out how to make them work - I own several other timeshares along with my Starwoods, and their systems are just as complicated, if not more so. But, we take the most wonderful vacations in places that have been amazing. It takes time and effort to  figure it out and plan our trips, but it's been SO worth it!

In addition, you keep mentioning that all-inclusives are cheaper. That may be true, but it's a different style of travel. Many of us prefer to have full villas with large common living areas, kitchens to prepare healthy meals at "home" on our own schedule, and I personally love having in-villa washers and dryers. That lets us explore wonderful local restaurants, and we don't have to pack so many clothes! We love being able to toss our beach wear into the washer/dryer after a day on the beach, and kick back on our balcony with a glass of our favorite wine to watch the sunsets! We did an all-inclusive once, and I felt like I was trapped. We prepaid for all our food and drinks, so we felt like we were wasting money if we went off-site (you can call me thrifty). I was most annoyed by the number of guests who seemed to think all-inclusive was a great excuse to overindulge in alcohol.


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## neeson7981 (Jan 27, 2015)

Can anyone help me guiding as to how can i book an all-inclusive vacation to Cancun in the month of August this year. My travel dates are from Aug 16-Aug 22, Aug 21 - Aug 29. It has to be weekend to weekend because of my profession. I can't travel mid week. (yes, I had explained that to Starwood sales rep during the sales call). I have been tossed around by their customer support that I need to be more flexible. If i didnt own this timeshare, i wouldn't have mind paying for what I want and when i want. Now i have work around coz I cant get what i want. Thats not what was relayed to me (yes again, I should have done my homework and i didnt). You can keep beating me but my frustration and disappointment with this company is not unfounded and baseless


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## DeniseM (Jan 27, 2015)

PamMo said:


> Listen to DeniseM. (I think of her as a Timeshare Goddess, and my personal oracle for all things regarding timeshares. )



Please use my full title when you address me, Mortal:

DeniseM, the Evil Goddess of Tough Love

:rofl:


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## neeson7981 (Jan 27, 2015)

Per above post, I am hoping to travel to Cancun. I can book my home resort for that month but I rather choose all-inclusive if i can. 

I am expecting some beating from you all for my expectations too. Bring it on


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## tschwa2 (Jan 27, 2015)

Using a timeshare to exchange for an all inclusive through the exchange companies is rarely a good idea.  Sometimes using a $199-$299 getaway plus the AI fee (the ai fee is usually $100-$300 per person per day on top of the getaway price or on top of your deposit and exchange fee).  It may make sense if you have FF miles you are going to use.  

If you are not going to use your week you can reserve the best week at your home resort 12 months in advance and rent the week to off set the MF and make a little extra.  That would probably be week 52.


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## DeniseM (Jan 27, 2015)

neeson7981 said:


> Can anyone help me guiding as to how can i book an all-inclusive vacation to Cancun in the month of August this year. My travel dates are from Aug 16-Aug 22, Aug 21 - Aug 29. It has to be weekend to weekend because of my profession. I can't travel mid week. (yes, I had explained that to Starwood sales rep during the sales call). I have been tossed around by their customer support that I need to be more flexible.



I am completely confused by this - why don't you just reserve your own Lagunamar unit?  

Clarification:  It is impossible to reserve an All-Inclusive resort through Starwood - there are no all-inclusive resorts in the Starwood system.  Their ONLY timeshare in Mexico is Lagunamar.


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## neeson7981 (Jan 27, 2015)

I am all ears. Someone please guide me through and suggest tips. How can I use it best? Any suggestions are welcomed. 
I also have 1bd/1ba premium villa reserved in Lagunamar Cancun if anyone is interested to rent from me and travel from November 21th to 28th, 2015. 
If I list on vrbo.com (i dont know of any sites which let me list the ads for free, hope you all can understand my reluctance to pay upfront as i have paid enough because of this purchase), what should be asking rental price.
I just tried to reserve Week 52, it would let me which is from Dec25th - Jan1st.


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## DeniseM (Jan 27, 2015)

New Years, then Christmas, are the highest demand weeks of the year - far better than November for rentals.

VRBO is not a timeshare rental website - it is geared toward full ownership rentals like cabins and vacation homes, and their fees are really high.

The best websites for timeshare rentals are:

www.redweek.com
TUG - The Marketplace (no renting in the discussion forums)
Craigslist

I use Redweek to determine my rental prices - if you want a quick rental, you should price it just a tad below the lowest rental listed.


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## YYJMSP (Jan 27, 2015)

neeson7981 said:


> I am expecting some beating from you all for my expectations too. Bring it on



I don't understand the negative attitude towards us -- we're here to offer practical advice.

Either you decide to keep the ownerships, and we can help you learn how to get more value out of them either for your personal use or possibly as rentals.  There is no guarantee (or likelihood) that you can make a profit over your annul maintenance fees, and you just have to admit to yourself the original capital outlay is gone and irretrievable.  And using the ownerships effectively will involve time, effort and advance planning on your part.  And money for travel, food, entertainment, etc if you decide to use them -- a week of holidays is still going to cost something...

Or you decide to sell the ownerships, which may not get you any money, but it shouldn't cost you anything.  We can suggest various ways of doing this.

The members of this forum include a lot of people with a lot of experience in using their ownerships in various ways.  Take advantage of that!


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## neeson7981 (Jan 27, 2015)

oh great, I might have just missed that window since I don't see any availability. Its already booked out


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## YYJMSP (Jan 27, 2015)

neeson7981 said:


> oh great, I might have just missed that window since I don't see any availability. Its already booked out



Some prime weeks are booked pretty much at 12mos within minutes of them becoming available -- this is where advance planning comes in to play...


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## PamMo (Jan 27, 2015)

You can't post rental ads here in the forum - you should post them in the Marketplace section of TUG.

Your best bet is to reserve a high demand week - usually Presidents Weekend in February, Easter (spring break) week,  and over the Christmas/New Year holidays. Maybe someone more knowledgeable can tell you how popular Cancun is over the summer? Confirm your reservation with Starwood, and post an ad with all the details of your rental. I use Redweek because it has always worked for me. Renters/buyers have to pay the membership fee in order to contact you. I don't think the fee is very high, but it seems like just enough to eliminate the casual looky-loos that I got from other sites. Besides reserving a good week, it is important to price competitively! And be impeccable with communication.


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## DeniseM (Jan 27, 2015)

Travel Demand Index for Mexico:  Nov. 21 is week 47


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## PamMo (Jan 27, 2015)

See what I mean? She's a Timeshare Goddess/Oracle!!!!!


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## DeniseM (Jan 27, 2015)

PamMo said:


> See what I mean? She's a Timeshare Goddess/Oracle!!!!!



Actually, I now prefer, "Evil Genius"


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## GregT (Jan 27, 2015)

DeniseM said:


> Actually, I now prefer, "Evil Genius"



Whatever happened to the Bad Teacher pic that someone posted on TUG?


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## DeniseM (Jan 27, 2015)

GregT said:


> Whatever happened to the Bad Teacher pic that someone posted on TUG?



I have been promoted from Bad Teacher, to Evil Genius.  

(You know I retired, right?)


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## GregT (Jan 27, 2015)

DeniseM said:


> I have been promoted from Bad Teacher, to Evil Genius.
> 
> (You know I retired, right?)



Yes indeed, just bringing back memories of the Bad Teacher...that post just really made me laugh....


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## cubigbird (Jan 27, 2015)

DeniseM said:


> I am completely confused by this - why don't you just reserve your own Lagunamar unit?
> 
> Clarification:  It is impossible to reserve an All-Inclusive resort through Starwood - there are no all-inclusive resorts in the Starwood system.  Their ONLY timeshare in Mexico is Lagunamar.



It is impossible.  Starwood actually has only ONE AI in the entire company.  It's the Westin Playa Conchal in Costa Rica.  It is not a TS, it is a hotel.  Nice place, BTW, been there and it is a great place!!!  

What did the OP buy at WLR to pay $52,000???  I bought my WLR week from the developer and have an annual fixed event week 51 and I paid well less.  It has to be oceanside???


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## DeniseM (Jan 27, 2015)

She bought 2 weeks


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## neeson7981 (Jan 27, 2015)

wow its surprising that Thanksgiving week is not in high demand.


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## DeniseM (Jan 27, 2015)

neeson7981 said:


> wow its surprising that Thanksgiving week is not in high demand.



This is why:
-kids are only out of school for 2 days that week - not the whole week
-Thanksgiving tends to be a holiday when people stay home with family
-People are spending money on Christmas at that time - not vacations.
-In almost every location, fall is the slowest rental season of the year

So it's not as popular as you would first think.


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## neeson7981 (Jan 27, 2015)

I was just trying to keep the cost of food, flights, drinks and lodging down. I thought if i have to travel to cancun then there are many all inclusive options and nice resorts that probably will cost me well within the same price. I dont event know how expensive is food and drinks at westin Lagunamar, my assumption it to be pricey. Any thoughts? or anyone who have been there suggest someways to keep the food down?


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## neeson7981 (Jan 27, 2015)

so I am out of luck for this year? If i want to list for rent, how much should i ask for a week in July or August?


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## DeniseM (Jan 27, 2015)

neeson7981 said:


> or anyone who have been there suggest someways to keep the food down?



With a timeshare, I think most people go to the grocery store, and at least eat breakfast and lunch in.

However, you don't just have to eat at the resort - there are many other options in the area.


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## Rsauer3473 (Jan 27, 2015)

I think we're getting trolled here. And wait until she finds out Green Bay lost to Seattle. You haven't heard anything yet.


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## neeson7981 (Jan 27, 2015)

I am really not a packer fan and i have no intention of wasting your time. You don't have to reply if you don't feel like it.


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## PamMo (Jan 27, 2015)

Why is it so hard to believe a TUG newbie is disappointed and frustrated about a timeshare salesman who lied GREATLY exaggerated the benefits of buying from the developer? It happens all the time. Thousands of people turn to scammers and Viking Ship LLC's to get rid of their timeshares. I think TUG is a great resource to help people figure out how to make the best of a purchase gone bad. I'm glad some of them find TUG before they lose more time and money.

I think we can be terribly suspicious and harsh on newbies. I'd rather err on the side of believing and trying to help the newbie, than have them feel put down and drop out of the conversation. Isn't TUG devoted to helping timeshare owners?


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## neeson7981 (Jan 27, 2015)

Thank you Pam. I guess there all kind of people in the world. I am a real person with real concerns. I dont know how true can it get when I have thrown away my hard earned money on something which turned out to be mistake. I could have used it to put towards my retirement or my kids education.


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## DeniseM (Jan 27, 2015)

neeson7981 said:


> Thank you Pam. I guess there all kind of people in the world. I am a real person with real concerns. I dont know how true can it get when I have thrown away my hard earned money on something which turned out to be mistake. I could have used it to put towards my retirement or my kids education.



We have heard the same story lots of times, and some people here have had the same experience, so we understand - but we also know that no matter what you do, Starwood is not going to buy back your timeshare, so there is no sense wasting any more energy on that.

Instead, put that energy into learning how to use your timeshare, or decide to get rid of it, and you will feel a lot better about it.

Right here on TUG, you have a wealth of free expert advice - tap into it, and move on.


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## bryanphunter (Jan 27, 2015)

neeson7981 said:


> I was just trying to keep the cost of food, flights, drinks and lodging down. I thought if i have to travel to cancun then there are many all inclusive options and nice resorts that probably will cost me well within the same price. I dont event know how expensive is food and drinks at westin Lagunamar, my assumption it to be pricey. Any thoughts? or anyone who have been there suggest someways to keep the food down?



One area that you can keep your costs down is using Southwest Airlines miles.  You can get 50,000 points currently when you open a SWA Visa.   I searched from Milwaukee to Cancun and you can fly for 20,000 to 25,000 points roundtrip.  No luggage fees is a perk as well.

I was at Lagunamar last May.  I used USA Transfers to shuttle my family of 4 from the airport to Lagunamar.  For $30 the private shuttle will stop at Wal-mart on the way to give you an hour to shop.  Because Lagunamar has a full kitchen we saved a lot of $$$ by cooking breakfast and making some lunches in the timeshare.  We bought all of our liquor during the Wal-mart stop. The Cancun hotel zone is very easy to travel via the bus system to many excellent restaurants for Dinner.  It doesn't have to be expensive!  We even had Domino's deliver to Lagunamar one night because it was getting late and we didn't feel like getting ready to go out after a long day pool/beachside.

You have to eat and drink A LOT to ever get your monies worth from All-inclusive.  Can you really eat and drink $100-$200 per person per day?

No way I spent $4000 on my trip to Lagunamar.  Family of four and we spend less than $1500 by using our airline points.


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## Ken555 (Jan 27, 2015)

neeson7981 said:


> Thank you Pam. I guess there all kind of people in the world. I am a real person with real concerns. I dont know how true can it get when I have thrown away my hard earned money on something which turned out to be mistake. I could have used it to put towards my retirement or my kids education.




I think you'll find that there are many different types of travelers, and those on TUG primarily learn the game so that we squeeze as much as possible for as little as possible. For instance, I typically don't bother factoring food costs when traveling since I'm going to eat anyway (though perhaps I shouldn't...but that's another story) and food prices in Los Angeles are similar to most tourist destinations so for me my costs don't change dramatically (The Bahamas can be more, but it's an exceptional place for many reasons). My hard costs when traveling to a timeshare are typically just a rental car and misc tourist activities, if any, not counting the per night amortized price of the timeshare. For example, when I go to Maui I use frequent flyer miles for airfare (I think I've paid twice in 10 years for tickets), about $300 for a rental car (highly dependent on length of stay, phase of moon, and whether Maui increased taxes that year or not), and then food and activities. And food includes a Costco run, bbq some nights, cook in unit others, eat out often, etc. Most people who don't travel to condos or timeshares often miscalculate how inexpensive a trip could be. Then again, many don't want to cook at all when on vacation...but the option to save is definitely there.


Sent from my iPad


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## krj9999 (Jan 27, 2015)

Scratching my head some.  I'm not real sure how you expected to use your vacation time or where you intended to travel to in the first place, based on your concerns voiced about travel costs and limitations on when you can travel.  As I see it, you have five options:

1 - Use your time within the Starwood timeshare system (whether at WLR or other resorts).
2 - Trade your time to other resorts thru Interval.
3 - Use your StarPoints for hotel stays.

In all 3 of the above, you need to learn how to get the most value out of each - within the limitations you have in terms of both travel time and costs incurred.  But you can get good value, and in most cases need to be able to plan well ahead.

4 - Rent a portion or all of your WLR time.

But you need to plan ahead to get the weeks that will garner the most income and have best likelihood of renting, and don't have too high of expectations.  Perhaps if you expect to have more flexibility in the future to travel, this may help you buy time.

5 - Sell and move on.



neeson7981 said:


> My issues are that I was led to believe that how flexible this program is and the choices in resorts it offered. Over time I have realized that its not a flexible program and does not offer what was described. The StarOptions are best used when you travel among the listed 19 resorts. You have to exchange your starOptions to StarPoints to be able to have the choice in resorts that was described by salesperson who conveniently skipped to mention that the value of starpoints is like currency and most of the decent hotels can use upto 20,000 points a night and if you want to travel to a resort, you need atleast 30,000 to 35,000 points per night. I have 148100 staroptions every year, the conversion gives me 74000 starpoints. I also have additions 44000 staroptions every year, which gives me 18000 starpoints i believe. I have to have full week available to convert and then there is a transaction fees to convert. It feels like anything i do i have to dump more money into it. Yes, I am frustrated with this and I am accountable for buying something that i didnt research well or should have read the contract. But my issue with the company is offering no opening to the people who want out. I feel trapped with them and if i have traveled to their resort, it has left bad taste as I feel I am stuck with this.
> 
> I probably can't write in words and explain how i feel but company has to be accountable on moral grounds somewhere.
> 
> ...


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## Ken555 (Jan 27, 2015)

As for renting Cancun, I'm no expert on that market but there are tons of availability. This will impact price, so I doubt easily recovering MF is realistic.


Sent from my iPad


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## VacationForever (Jan 27, 2015)

What I don't get is that you own at WLR and yet you do not want to stay there in August.  You want to look for an AI which will cost much more than what you would otherwise by utilizing WLR.  WLR is head and shoulder above most Cancun resorts and in my opinion, is in the best location of the hotel zone.  You can walk to some of the best restaurants that I have ever been to.  Talk about throwing good money after bad.


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## WestinOwner (Jan 27, 2015)

*Enough please...*



neeson7981 said:


> @gmarine,
> I do not disagree with you. I have beaten myself up pretty much every day for this purchase. I did walk into something that I obviously did not understand. I fell for the words of the salesperson who painted wonderful picture for me. I have stayed up at nights. I feel terrible that I as an educated person did not read the contract and footnotes, etc. I am at blame. I hold Starwood responsible on moral grounds that where they are not willing to accept that their sales rep also should conduct presentation ethically and drop the hints somewhere. At least they could have mentioned about additional fees for everything you want to do like bank points, convert points, exchange week, etc. There are many more loopholes that i can bring here. I am not saying that you all are not experienced users of timeshare. I just wish they would consider if someone is this unhappy, let the person go with penalties rather than holding them responsible for rest of their lives for a mistake they made?



Neeson:  I'm sorry that you made a bad decision, but the blame for your purchase falls squarely in your lap.  You failed to exercise due diligence before spending $52,000 of your hard-earned money.  There was a period following your purchase when you could have cancelled the purchase - a full week to exercise due diligence and determine/assess what you bought.  Obviously you didn't do that.  Please stop blaming Starwood for your reckless purchase.

You seem like a nice person who feels you have made a mistake, and quite honestly, you did by buying from Starwood Developer instead of resale.  That being said - if you listen to the people on this Forum who know how to maximize the benefits of the Starwood program, you will be able to enjoy what you have.   The good thing - although $2,000 in maintenance fees sounds high - it is actually quite good for how many StarOptions you have.  Owners from Hawaii are paying $2,600 (ish) and only have 148,100 options - so from that perspective you are actually ahead of many others!  (see... a big positive)

My suggestion - use your WLR weeks and book Atlantis Harbourside in the spring, summer or fall - and rent them out online.  I do this quite successfully.  You should be able to more than cover your annual maintenance fees and still have a week or more for your family to use.  A week in a 1-bedroom can be minimal StarOptions.

Once you understand what you have, and how better to use it, I believe you won't be as upset with your WLR purchase.

Cheers,
Westin Owner


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## WestinOwner (Jan 27, 2015)

Ken555 said:


> For instance, I typically don't bother factoring food costs when traveling since I'm going to eat anyway




Ken.... I agree 100% with this analysis!  Great minds think alike.

Cheers,
Westin Owner


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## PamMo (Jan 27, 2015)

WestinOwner said:


> ...My suggestion - use your WLR weeks and book Atlantis Harbourside in the spring, summer or fall - and rent them out online.  I do this quite successfully.  You should be able to more than cover your annual maintenance fees and still have a week or more for your family to use...



I just *knew* someone would recommend this strategy. Although many people do this, it is against SVN policy which states you are not allowed to rent StarOption exchanges.


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## DonnaD (Jan 27, 2015)

*a Tug member maytake your membership if you aregiving it away.*

There aretug members who would take your timeshare if you really just want out of it as you mentioned in an earlier post.


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## Rsauer3473 (Jan 28, 2015)

Positive suggestion: Since the OP decided to buy a timeshare she does not want in lieu of spending $50k on children's' education, perhaps she can make a reservation for her children at Lagunamar. I am sure they will be appreciative. A week in the sun in Cancun may have educational benefits. I would go there more except I am helping pay for four grandchildren to go to college.

I am appreciative of all the TUGGers providing positive suggestions here. But I feel we are all being taken for a ride.


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## YYJMSP (Jan 28, 2015)

WestinOwner said:


> My suggestion - use your WLR weeks and book Atlantis Harbourside in the spring, summer or fall - and rent them out online.



Might want to be careful about suggesting that, as it's technically against the SVN rules (you can only rent out at your home resort), and there are reports that the online reservation system is now spitting out a warning to this effect when you make a StarOptions reservation...


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## neeson7981 (Jan 28, 2015)

*Bad element*

No one is asking you to post here. I never approached you to intervene. You made a choice to type few sentences and waste your time here, take responsibility for it. Don't blame me for taking a ride on you. 
or Are you just a bad element of the society where you have to spread negativity only because you are probably hurting in your own life. I do not wish to read your comments so you can say all the trash its all on you and reflects back upon you. May you find peace.






Rsauer3473 said:


> Positive suggestion: Since the OP decided to buy a timeshare she does not want in lieu of spending $50k on children's' education, perhaps she can make a reservation for her children at Lagunamar. I am sure they will be appreciative. A week in the sun in Cancun may have educational benefits. I would go there more except I am helping pay for four grandchildren to go to college.
> 
> I am appreciative of all the TUGGers providing positive suggestions here. But I feel we are all being taken for a ride.


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## margolism (Jan 28, 2015)

As others have suggested:
1. Book both units for the last week of the year.  
2.  List these rentals on both on TugBBS and on RedWeek.  The fee to list on both is nominal.
3.  Price them competitively.   Use RedWeek as a frame of reference to see how much you can get.   
4.  Assuming you rent out a coveted week, you should be able to make an annual profit off of your WLR ownership.  Use these proceeds to finance the vacation that best suits your needs and desires.

I did last year - split my 2BR lockoff up, rented the studio for more than my annual maintenance.  The rental amount covers our airfare cost to Cancun for President's Week, and then some.

Good luck.


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## DeniseM (Jan 28, 2015)

Folks - any further unpleasant off-topic posts will be deleted from this thread. 

Let's focus on the TOPIC - please.


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## Joshadelic (Jan 28, 2015)

Train wreck.


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## PamMo (Jan 28, 2015)

Interesting that the subject line, "Frustrated with Starwood Vacation Ownersip" must have struck a chord with a lot of people, because I just noticed there have been over 2,300 eyeballs on this thread in only two days...


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## neeson7981 (Jan 28, 2015)

*Frustrated with Starwood Ownership*

So today I learnt the reason why voluntary resorts have no resale value. I learnt that if I resell it to someone, Starwood does not allow me to transfer my Star Options to the new buyer. They only have access to the villa which they can use among 19 villas within the network during the same reason as the villa or exchange at II. 

This is crazy, I had no clue. I also learnt in the resale case of mandatory and voluntary resort, the choice to convert StarOptions to Starpoints is not offered. But i think lot of people don't mind this probably because of poor conversion value.


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## DeniseM (Jan 28, 2015)

That is correct - have you been reading our FAQ at the top of the page?


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## neeson7981 (Jan 28, 2015)

*Frustrated with Starwood Ownership*

Can anyone help me in figuring out about II exchange? I want to know if i can use my banked StarOptions to exchange into II? Am I too early looking to make II resort reservation for end of March or beginning of April 2016?


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## neeson7981 (Jan 28, 2015)

No I did not. I can read now.




DeniseM said:


> That is correct - have you been reading our FAQ at the top of the page?


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## DeniseM (Jan 28, 2015)

neeson7981 said:


> Can anyone help me in figuring out about II exchange? I want to know if i can use my banked StarOptions to exchange into II? Am I too early looking to make II resort reservation for end of March or beginning of April 2016?



You can't use banked Staroptions - you must use a week you haven't banked.

It is never too early to put in an *on-going search* with II - in fact, it's recommended.  We have a FAQ for that, too.


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## neeson7981 (Jan 28, 2015)

I have no idea as how to use II. How do I convert my week and how do i submit the request? I am assuming once the week is submitted for exchange, its gone and won't be returned to my account at Starwood? Sorry if its silly question


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## DeniseM (Jan 28, 2015)

neeson7981 said:


> I have no idea as how to use II. How do I convert my week and how do i submit the request? I am assuming once the week is submitted for exchange, its gone and won't be returned to my account at Starwood? Sorry if its silly question



Look at the FAQ at the top of the forum...


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## neeson7981 (Jan 28, 2015)

*Question on II*

I created a web profile on II. The first thing I saw the units available to deposit.

Here is what i read written below my weeks:
Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort - P Plus - what does this mean?
WL 3 (with logo of leaf) - whats the significance of this?
Unit 2 bed - 52wk ( what does 52wk mean here)
Lock-off capable
Then it asks me to select the year 2015, or 2016.

Can you please advise?


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## neeson7981 (Jan 28, 2015)

sorry to spam it here but when i logged in I found this certificate which is expiring Feb 10, 2015. What can i do with this? 

All confirmations are made on a space available basis and no guarantee is made that any specific request can be confirmed. The redemption of the Accommodation Certificate is subject to certain terms and conditions. A redemption fee will be required.

This Certificate cannot be combined nor used in conjunction with any other certificate or fee waiver certificate.

All other terms and conditions of individual membership, exchange and flex change must be adhered to.

This certificate must be completed prior to the expiration date FEBRUARY 10, 2015.


This certificate has no cash value.


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## DeniseM (Jan 28, 2015)

These have very limited use - II uses them to get rid of extra inventory in areas with over supply.  

In other words, you can only use them for the exchanges that they list. If you click on the link in the certificate, it will show you a chart of available exchanges.

It is about to expire:  Feb. 10

I usually let them expire.


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## jw0 (Jan 31, 2015)

That "certificate" is probably a bonus certificate.  II periodically gives it out to people.  If you can use it to get a cheap vacation, great.  If not, don't sweat letting it expire.

Good luck neeson.  I read this whole thread and feel for you.  One thing - before trying to trade for a week on the interval website, you may need to call Starwood (svowner?) to "assign" your week to II for trade.  

-j


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## jw0 (Jan 31, 2015)

neeson7981 said:


> I created a web profile on II. The first thing I saw the units available to deposit.
> 
> Here is what i read written below my weeks:
> Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort - P Plus - what does this mean?
> ...



Again good luck.  Im not an expert by any means but hopefully if i tell you something wrong someone will correct me.


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## dr.debs (Jan 31, 2015)

I bought a Marriot, not from the developer but from resale but also had some buyers remorse when I learned it was nearly impossible to book a spring break week. Here on Tug I have learned valuable lessons on how to get the most out of the TS for both Marriot and starwood. One of the best lessons learned was about the starwood american express card. The owner can use it to pay MF, expenses, and earn points. The points can be transfered to a variety of travel rewards programs, for both airfare, rental cars etc which lessens our travel costs. I just returned from Portugal and used my starwood points to book 5 days at the sheraton in Lisbon. It is a nice perk, and any charges at a starwood facility earn double points. I know I may sound like an Ad, but my family has made the most of the TS systen and it's associated travel benefits. For those weeks banked, or not used I have been donating vacations to my daughters school for their fundraising auction. I have used the "almost" useless AC from II to book weeks to donate. This year I split my MCV lockoff, and used the lockoff to exchange for a week in July at the Marriot Ocean Club (1 Bedroom!) :rofl: for an employees honeymoon through II. II costs you a little money on exchanges but  you definitely can get creative, and if you learn the systems, the systems can work for you. Hope is not lost, although it may feel like quite a bit of money is.  I am a relative newbie, but Denise (the evil genius) was very helpful when I first started too!


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