# Marriott 25% off sale



## iamnotshopgirl (Mar 26, 2009)

Just got this in today's email. Is this any indication that Marriott has realized that we are in a down economy?

Hello Everyone!



Sorry to email so soon after my last update, but……



Marriott Vacation Club’s 25th Anniversary Celebration



25% OFF any annual timeshare in the U.S. or Caribbean for Marriott owners!!!

(15% for non-owners, tell your referrals)



Including weeks in:



Hawaii

Aruba

St. Thomas

St. Kitts

Marco Island

Even Las Vegas New Year weeks!



Something like this has NEVER been done in our 25 year history.



This offer ends and contract must be complete on April 22, 2009.



Get the higher priced week you always wanted.  Get another week to have enough to pass on to children or grandchildren.  

Or simply get 25% off a week here in Vegas to upgrade you to the new points program at the Chateau.


----------



## CMF (Mar 26, 2009)

What new points program?

Charles


----------



## potchak (Mar 26, 2009)

I got a similar email


> ~MARRIOTT VACATION CLUB~
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## thinze3 (Mar 26, 2009)

They must have beefed up points offerings at MGC recently, like they have done at other resorts, trying to clear out inventory.

Also, there's that word "resale" again.


----------



## IngridN (Mar 26, 2009)

This is so tempting, but, alas I can't.  DH said just this morning that I have to stop helping the economy so much...

Ingrid


----------



## toddc2 (Mar 26, 2009)

Wow, if we could get the 25% off PLUS the full purchase price trade in value discussed in another thread last week, we might have somethink to talk about!


----------



## thinze3 (Mar 26, 2009)

Here is the link at My-Vacationclub.
May need to log in.


----------



## tombo (Mar 26, 2009)

THIS IS A ONE TIME ONLY OFFER FOR CURRENT MVCI OWNERS

· DISCOUNTS OFFERED FOR DEVELOPER INVENTORY

· DISCOUNTS NOT AVAILABLE ON RESALE INVENTORY



Looks like Marriott is making sure that they sell their inventory before moving any of the owner's inventory in their resale program.


----------



## luv2vacation (Mar 26, 2009)

I also got an e-mail, along with a list of resorts that are available under the sale.  In addition to NOT including resales, the sale also doesn't include equity trade-ups or EOY's.


----------



## capstoneds (Mar 27, 2009)

luv2vacation said:


> I also got an e-mail, along with a list of resorts that are available under the sale.  In addition to NOT including resales, the sale also doesn't include equity trade-ups or EOY's.



From your email, can you tell us the resorts included in the offer?

Thanks,
Kevin


----------



## luv2vacation (Mar 27, 2009)

capstoneds said:


> From your email, can you tell us the resorts included in the offer?
> 
> Thanks,
> Kevin





Inventory Availability by Site


Sites 	Eligible for 25th Anniversary Special 	

Aruba Ocean Club 	No 	  	 
Aruba Surf Club 	Yes 	  	 
Barony Beach 	No 	  	 
Beach Place 	No 	  	 
Boston Custom House 	No 	  	 
Canyon Villas 	Limited 	   Platinum Plus Inventory Not Available
Cypress Harbor 	No 	  	 
Desert Springs Villas I 	No 	  	 
Desert Springs Villas II 	No 	  	 
Doral 	No 	  	 
Fairway Villas 	Yes 	  	 
Frenchman's 	Yes 	  	 
Grand Chateau 	Limited 	
Grande Ocean 	No 	  	 
Grande Vista 	Limited 	
Harbour Club 	No 	  	 
Harbour Pointe 	No 	  	 
Heritage Club 	No 	  	 
Horizons Branson  	Limited 	
Horizons Orlando 	    Yes 	  	 
Kauai Beach Club   	No  	  	 
Ko Olina Beach club 	Yes 	  	 
Lakeshore Reserve 	Yes 	  	 
Legends Edge 	No 	  	 
Manor Club 	No 	  	 
Manor Club Sequel 	No 	  	 
Marco 	Yes 	  	 
Maui Ocean Club 	Limited 	
Maui Sequel  	Yes 	  	 
Monarch 	No 	  	 
Mountainside 	No 	  	 
Newport Coast 	Yes 	  	Limited Fixed Weeks 
Ocean Pointe 	Limited 	
Ocean Watch 	Yes 	  	 
Oceana Palms 	Yes 	  	 
Palms 	No 	  	 
Shadow Ridge I 	No 	  	 
Shadow Ridge II 	Limited 	Deluxe Inventory Not Available
St. Kitt's 	Yes 	  	 
Surf Watch 	Limited 	
Timber Lodge 	Yes 	  	Limited 3bdrm Fixed Weeks 
Vail (all) 	No 	  	 
Waiohai 	Yes


----------



## Powerguy (Mar 27, 2009)

25% off is still a lot higher that resale prices which are around 50% off retail. This will add some cash the the Marriott coffers but piss off a lot of just who paid full price.


----------



## JimC (Mar 27, 2009)

From the website:

25th Anniversary Limited-Time Offer for Owners
Eligibility: This offer is to current Marriott Vacation Club Owners who reside in the United States, including DC, but excluding MI, MT, ND, OK, RI, SD, U.S. possessions, territories, overseas military installations in foreign countries. The resorts available for purchase will depend upon the state of residency of the purchaser.
Offer: To receive up to 25% discount on select timeshare weeks, owner must call, initiate, sign and return contract to Marriott Vacation Club no later than April 22, 2009. Offer subject to change without notice. Expiration date is 4/22/09. This offer applies to every-year Marriott Vacation Club timeshare weeks in the United States and Caribbean only. Resale weeks and every-other-year weeks are not included as part of this offer. Marriott Vacation Club timeshare weeks in Asia and Europe are not included as part of this offer. Offer not valid in conjunction with any other promotional offer. Offer is non-transferable.


----------



## m61376 (Mar 27, 2009)

Powerguy said:


> 25% off is still a lot higher that resale prices which are around 50% off retail. This will add some cash the the Marriott coffers but piss off a lot of just who paid full price.


Interesting point, although I'd venture to guess that most recent purchasers will remain unaware of the sale. For their sake, hopefully they were selective in notifying owners of this promotion.


----------



## TheTimeTraveler (Mar 27, 2009)

This special Marriott sales price reduction should depress the resale market a little further for the next month or so.


----------



## JimC (Mar 27, 2009)

m61376 said:


> Interesting point, although I'd venture to guess that most recent purchasers will remain unaware of the sale. For their sake, hopefully they were selective in notifying owners of this promotion.



They are advertising it to non-owners as well.  See this Marriott Site


----------



## jancurious (Mar 27, 2009)

I e-mailed my sales person and EOY inventory at Ko Olina is not included in the discount.  (just annual weeks)

Jan


----------



## capjak (Mar 27, 2009)

I think there are going to be quite a few owners that purchased last year that are going to be....Not Happy...


----------



## Latravel (Mar 27, 2009)

I bought Shadow Ridge last July and i'm ok with the discount.  What makes me ok is that I got lots of incentive points with which I purchased a very nice vacation that offset my initial purchase price.  I'm sure these deals do not come with incentive points.

Now, if they include lots of incentive points as well, I would not be.... happy.


----------



## icydog (Mar 27, 2009)

Can someone please add the locations to the list of resorts that are qualified for the sale?  Thanks I cannot remember where they are all located


----------



## IuLiKa (Mar 27, 2009)

Heidi,
from my understanding they do include the points. 

I am wondering if I go next to one of the resorts next to my home, go through one of their presentations, I can find out the prices, and also get my 10K points for attending?


----------



## thinze3 (Mar 28, 2009)

icydog said:


> Can someone please add the locations to the list of resorts that are qualified for the sale?  Thanks I cannot remember where they are all located




This link will show locations and names together. It also gives the available preview specials when you click on any resort link.


----------



## icydog (Mar 28, 2009)

thinze3 said:


> This link will show locations and names together. It also gives the available preview specials when you click on any resort link.



Thank you very much. I appreciate your help.


----------



## icydog (Mar 28, 2009)

*You're okay..*



Latravel said:


> I bought Shadow Ridge last July and i'm ok with the discount.  What makes me ok is that I got lots of incentive points with which I purchased a very nice vacation that offset my initial purchase price.  I'm sure these deals do not come with incentive points.
> 
> Now, if they include lots of incentive points as well, I would not be.... happy.



Heidi, 

I checked with my sales rep and she told me that the only incentive is the 50K reloading incentive points for present owners. That's it. *So you can still feel happy. 
* 
However, if you were to purchase resale inventory, that is not part of this promotion, you would receive a total of 200K points for something priced up to $19,999.  250K points for something priced from $20K-$35K, and so forth.

Marylyn


----------



## jerseyfinn (Mar 28, 2009)

Powerguy said:


> .... This will . . . piss off a lot . . . who paid full price.



That's an understatement. They were pushing incentives/promos just a month ago at Ocean Pointe for Oceana Palms and a few people bought at regular prices. I can only imagine how those folks ( and the owners who referred them ) will feel when they find this out.

As an owner, I get an e-mail which says "exclusive to MVC owners only"  and no mention of the 15% discount offered to the outside world. I gotta say that this is the first time that I think that Marriott has really screwed people over ( even if the relative number of affected buyers in this market is small ). 

Looks as if Marriott took a look at this rancid economy & the OK Corral and *Marriott blinks first*. 

The salient question to ask is if this signals a fundamental change in Marriott's MVC calculations as they actually retreat on developer pricing. It potentially changes the entire developer purchase paradigm, especially given high MFs and a devalued MRP program. I know that there will be glee from the "I told you so" crowd. But the real question here is whether this move signals a change in Marriott's fundamental business model/outlook for MVC. Like it or not, the value of all of our weeks remain tied to developer pricing when it comes to MVC.

At this juncture, there's no way I could refer anyone into MVC developer weeks as the water just got murkier -- resale is clearly the best bet for anyone who has the "MVC itch " at this moment. Better to stay on the sideline and let the clock run a couple of years to see what Marriott and the economy is up to.

Though I'm surprised at Marriott, I am not surprised that this economy continues to impart dramatic change upon corporate and individual behavior. I still believe that if you're in TS for the long haul all you gotta do is reserve/occupy/trade. But Marriott has sent all of us an intriguing message which makes divining the future MVC product more difficult.

Barry


----------



## Eric (Mar 28, 2009)

Hold on there partner. Now Marriott's is screwing it's owners by giving a 25% discount to them for a short period of time ? Let me see if I understand, if they keep prices the same, they are  screwing owners, if they raise them , they are screwing owners and if they lower them for a short time, they are screwing there owners. Ok, now I think I understand. 

Have you seen the housing market lately ? People who bought from the developer 1 year ago paid $100,000 or more than people buying now from the developer TODAY. Do you think Marriott is behind that also ? You really seem to have a handle on the economy ....





jerseyfinn said:


> That's an understatement. They were pushing incentives/promos just a month ago at Ocean Pointe for Oceana Palms and a few people bought at regular prices. I can only imagine how those folks ( and the owners who referred them ) will feel when they find this out.
> 
> As an owner, I get an e-mail which says "exclusive to MVC owners only"  and no mention of the 15% discount offered to the outside world. I gotta say that this is the first time that I think that Marriott has really screwed people over ( even if the relative number of affected buyers in this market is small ).
> 
> ...


----------



## taffy19 (Mar 28, 2009)

We took an update this week at the MOC and were quoted certain prices. Then the 25% discount appeared and they called us to let us know. 

You never know when a company decides to have a sale for any product so the people, who buy during the sale, are just lucky. 

However, if you are in your rescission period still, you can probably get the lower price rather than rescinding the contract and doing the paperwork all over again or just back out of the contract completely. JMHO.


----------



## NWL (Mar 28, 2009)

JimC said:


> From the website:
> 
> 25th Anniversary Limited-Time Offer for Owners
> Eligibility: This offer is to current Marriott Vacation Club Owners who reside in the United States, including DC, but excluding MI, MT, ND, OK, RI, SD, U.S. possessions, territories, overseas military installations in foreign countries. The resorts available for purchase will depend upon the state of residency of the purchaser.



I asked this question on a similar thread and didn't get an answer:

Does anyone know why residents of certain states cannot participate (not that I'm looking to buy!)?

Thanks!


----------



## TheTimeTraveler (Mar 28, 2009)

The restricted states are likely states where legislators have done their jobs and passed some type of legislation so that solicitations can not occur for properties outside of their own state (to prevent rip offs by sleezy developers).

Anyone have a better idea?


----------



## pacheco18 (Mar 28, 2009)

I did not get the mail, but I just got a call from a sales rep a Waiohai with whom I did a tour last January.

She really did not call to sell me anything as she knows I am not buying but just to chat - we really hit it off when I was there and we discussed our personal lives and travels.

I asked her about the impact the resale market was having on timeshare sales, especially the low prices on Ebay and Marriott's failure to exercise ROFR.  As a passing comment, she told me the internal trading program was going to be JUST for those who bought from developer - I am not saying I believe this  -- only that it was said to me and not as part of a sales pitch.


----------



## m61376 (Mar 29, 2009)

Barry-
While I agree that if I made a purchase a few weeks ago and then saw this 25% discount I'd be ticked, but it is also true that in any market there are occasional sales. The same can be said for the TV you bought last month, etc.. The only difference is that running a sale is new to MVCI; with the exception of occasional special offers, usually tied to multiple purchases, Marriott timeshare prices were always fixed and only increased over time. But this economy presents extraordinary challenges. Their sales have halved and they are struggling with the tightened credit market. They need to move inventory and, like many companies out there, are doing what they need to to survive in the short run. 

I venture to guess that the salespeople will be busily convincing any angered recent buyer who becomes aware of the sale that they actually did better, because they can theoretically pay for most of a wonderful European vacation with those upfront incentive points, which the current discount is in lieu of. There are Tuggers here who feel those points are worth 4 or 5 cents apiece (although I would strongly disagree), so a salesperson could easily argue that those incentive points were worth $10,000 or so- so a better deal that the 25%. I'd venture to guess that many would be appeased.

What this will do to their business model in the long term is anyone's guess. However, since they technically haven't lowered prices (after all, this is just a special, limited time sale), my guess is that when the market recovers they'll return to their old ways and continue to take the non-negotiable stance. Memories are short and, when the economy recovers and the next new property is released (likely to be Cancun in the Fall) once again buyers will be lining up. Of course, that's just my opinion, for what it is (or isn't) worth.

Pacheco- I wouldn't give too much weight to what the salesperson told you. I've heard just the opposite (and I am not referring to rumors here, but from real sources). The bottom line is that Marriott will do what is in Marriott's best interests. Most resale buyers are also direct purchaser's and, if they are happy and remain happy with the product, are potentially future direct buyers as new products are offered. By including all current owners in any internal trading program (which would include grandfathering resale owners) they will keep everyone happy and generate more trading fees (which of course would be the purpose of developing an internal trading program). IF they exclude future resale owners that would impact future resales and may sway potential buyers to buy direct, but excluding current resale owners would serve no positive purpose- it would only anger owners and likely make it so they would never buy another Marriott timeshare and it would lessen trading and the fees generated therein. 

Excluding future resale purchasers potentially has positives and negatives for Marriott (on the positive side for Marriott, it may sway more people to buy direct but, on the negative side, it will lessen the resale value and thus the purchase value and will also generate less trade fees), but there is no benefit to be derived from excluding current resale owners. Doing something just for the sake of being punitive (and that's all such a move would be) is bad for business.


----------



## KathyPet (Mar 29, 2009)

I would surely like to know how they pick the recipients of these marketing E Mails like this one and "Gift of Time"  In the entire 18 years we have owned our Marriott TS we have never, ever received a single E Mail touting these type of special deals.  How do you get on the list to get these deals?


----------



## JimC (Mar 29, 2009)

KathyPet said:


> I would surely like to know how they pick the recipients of these marketing E Mails like this one and "Gift of Time"  In the entire 18 years we have owned our Marriott TS we have never, ever received a single E Mail touting these type of special deals.  How do you get on the list to get these deals?




Good question.  I never get these either.


----------



## JimC (Mar 29, 2009)

TheTimeTraveler said:


> The restricted states are likely states where legislators have done their jobs and passed some type of legislation so that solicitations can not occur for properties outside of their own state (to prevent rip offs by sleezy developers).
> 
> Anyone have a better idea?



Or possibly MVCI did not register the offer in that state?


----------



## lovearuba (Mar 29, 2009)

*A thought*



JimC said:


> Good question.  I never get these either.



Check your email with Marriott, maybe the have the wrong address.


----------



## JimC (Mar 29, 2009)

lovearuba said:


> Check your email with Marriott, maybe the have the wrong address.



Thanks.  I get all my other Marriott email (Rewards, Reservations).  Just checked though to make sure and they have the correct email.  Noticed something new on my profile page.  It has the contact information for my VOA.  Never saw that there before.


----------



## KathyPet (Mar 29, 2009)

I get all my other Marriott E Mails and I did check my profile and they do have my correct address so everything looks OK There.


----------



## jerseyfinn (Apr 2, 2009)

m61376 said:


> . . . . this economy presents extraordinary challenges. Their sales have halved and they are struggling with the tightened credit market. They need to move inventory and, like many companies out there, are doing what they need to to survive in the short run . . .



Yes, a good point as well as your other comments.

We're in an economic down turn caused by a housing bubble which chokes the financial system . . . of course politicians help exacerbate this process by ignoring "moral hazard" -- eliminating downpayments and income verification and the market takes this process still further churning  out securtized garbage. This culture of "blame" combined with a self-absorbed Congress acts to complicate and impede any rational moves by the market to right the listing ship. It will all work out in time with the question of "how much" time being the only unresolved issue. Looks like the healing process is gonna be years longer than need be to me.

So timeshare is gonna ride the real estate elevator down to the ground floor with the rest of the real estate market. In that sense Marriott has got to do what they see fit with prices and one can not take issue with this. So yeah, a sale, and a very significant one at that, is not a bad thing in and of itself.

My ultimate concern remains developer price stability because one already takes a leap of faith when you purchase a MVC developer product which devalues by 40% the instant you sign the paper. You gotta have a strategy of ownership when you do so. The good news is that "time" is your best friend in timeshare. In the "normal" economy the value of your week will slide up over the years despite the built-in 40% depreciation. This of course is not a normal economy and will not be so for an indeterminate period. I don't think that Marriott is gonna give the farm away ( or slaughter the cow who gives milk ). I want to hope that this move is more of a "spring cleaning" for MVC for which some folks might benefit. Just my opinon, but give all of the gaffs in DC, It is going to be quite a while before the economy, and housing gets back on track . . . and timeshare of course is the little guy on a leash bringing up the rear. I remain very concerned about what Marriott is going to do during this period as I do not anticipate across the board recovery in timeshare.

My angst in my first post is posited against our recent visit where I see folks purchasing weeks that some 6 weeks later they can get for 25% less. It's not quite like getting a final hefty discount on last year's car model. And I would not want to bring friends into developer timeshare to find that they've erred or need to rescind. Obviously this was not Marriott's intention, but they gotta be careful given the cost of their product despite the fact that MVC is sort of a Rosetta Stone for timeshare.

These are interesting times indeed. Glad that our biggest worry is what to bring when we go to Playa Andaluza this summer ( well, I'm still concerned about the economy, but packing is something that is in my own control and not that of Congress )   .



Eric said:


> Hold on there partner. Now Marriott's is screwing it's owners by giving a 25% discount to them for a short period of time ?



Thanks for the thoughts Eric. Spoken like a true sales rep out to make a sale -- nothing's too good for the customer is it? Do you also tell your purchasers that the developer week devalues by 40%?

Give your developer owners a little more credit please. Lots of us like the MVC product, but we also know the pros and cons of ownership that you don't like to talk about.

Barry


----------



## m61376 (Apr 2, 2009)

Barry-
While I agree the price cuts present an issue for relatively recent buyers, my guess is that any complaints would be rationalized by a run-down of the value of the incentive points which these 25% sale prices don't include. An argument can be made (and I am sure will be made) that those points were/are worth more than the 25%. 

Whether or not we agree with them (and, personally I don't), there have been many posts by knowledgeable Tuggers who feel that their sales incentive gave them enough or almost enough points to enjoy a $20,000 trip. Even at half that, it would compensate for most of the 25% discounts. So I would venture to guess that a good salesperson could easily convince an earlier buyer that they got the better deal, just as even without the discounts many people here feel that buying directly from Marriott is a much better deal. So, I just don't think it presents as big an issue as you do, even to the small minority of recent purchasers who may initially get angered that they bought just before this "great sale."


----------



## Mr. Vker (Apr 2, 2009)

I called about this.  The 25% is the total incentive.  No membership rewards points except self-referral which I had to ask about.


----------



## TimeshareTraveller (Apr 2, 2009)

*But they're not desperate enough to upgrade some....*

I have been eyeing up one resort for a while.  Marriott's OceanWatch in Myrtle Beach.  

When I finally called last week to offer an upgrade of my current Marriott unit to a purchase of a new Marriott unit, the salesperson was eager.  She gave me pricing.  Talked about faxing the documents, and I repeated the fact that I wanted to upgrade from my unit --in other words, they take it back and I'll take on a mortgage for a new one.

"Oh, we can't do that.  You bought from outside sales," she said.  (by outside sales, she means a previously owned timeshare bought from the owner, not from Marriott sales)

"So, you won't take back your own product to resell?" I said.

"No, we can't take a week as trade-in for anything purchased outside of Marriott,"  she said.

"OK.  I understand.  But that does change things,"  I said.

"Are you still interested in this week?" she said.

"No, I'm not.  If Marriott won't take back their own product, then there is no way for me to ever re-sell anything I buy from you.  That doesn't interest me at all."  

I'm posting the pricing and points she gave me for the unit in a different post. 

But, it did once-and-for-all kill any lingering desire to get a Marriott timeshare.  At some point, we'll probably sell ours for $1 on Ebay or some such.  

--TimeshareTraveller


----------



## TimeshareTraveller (Apr 2, 2009)

*And to add insult...*

I have not received that offer yet from Marriott.  Perhaps they are only targeting a small portion of their owner population.

--TimeshareTraveller


----------



## thinze3 (Apr 2, 2009)

TimeshareTraveller said:


> I have not received that offer yet from Marriott.  Perhaps they are only targeting a small portion of their owner population.
> 
> --TimeshareTraveller



I found mine a couple days late in the spam folder.


----------



## Eric (Apr 2, 2009)

Barry,

Make up your mind, are discounts good or not ? You have changed your mind once already, want to try for 2 times ?


----------



## Latravel (Apr 3, 2009)

_"my guess is that any complaints would be rationalized by a run-down of the value of the incentive points which these 25% sale prices don't include. "_

I think you guessed right.   People who purchased from Marriott probably wanted the points so the fact the sale doesn't include points may not anger developer purchasers.   If owners don't want the points and would like a discount instead, they probably purchased resale.

It's almost a no-win situation for Marriott.  Really, in order to spur sales, they need to offer a discount and offer points, otherwise people would purchase from the resale market for an even bigger discount.


----------



## m61376 (Apr 3, 2009)

I think what we are losing sight of in this discussion is that Marriott's offer isn't intended for the users of this Board. We represent a fraction of their owners and/or the general public. Most people are unaware of the resale market and of Tug.

To them, this is an unheralded special offer that gives them the option of either those "valuable" upfront incentive points or, in this difficult economy, saving money upfront on their purchase, and still be able to make those "wonderful and valuable" trade for points in the future when they want to go on a fabulous European vacation. 

Taken from that perspective, I would think it might entice buyers, especially vacationers. Although many current vacationers made plans a long time ago so are still going even though their employment situation may have changed, many of those who are traveling are still the people who can afford to travel. That said, offering them a special purchase price which really has a limited time offer may be enough to stimulate business. Despite the economy, there are still people who can afford to buy and want to travel and would be happy they got an unbelievable buy. I'd love to know at the end of April how this promotion really worked. I may be wrong, but I have a feeling that this is very good for sales right now.


----------



## Latravel (Apr 3, 2009)

I really don't believe in the theory that people who have $30-70,000 to spend on a timeshare don't have enough practical sense to do a quick search on the internet.  I just refuse to assume most, except tuggers, are uninformed.  

People who have that much money to spend (even if they finance) usually are successful in their careers.  They might get caught up in the sales pitch and'/or buy on a whim, but they eventually rescind after some research if they desire.  

I, too, am interested to see how this promotion effected sales.  For me, it made me consider upgrading my unit to a fixed week, but since there are no incentive points offered, the promotion did not make me want to buy another week.


----------



## tlwmkw (Apr 3, 2009)

I don't think people who bought and paid full price will be upset.  I think of buying TS's as being like buying a car (the price of a luxury car is similar to the price of a TS and it's something you don't really need but want to have)- the only difference is that your "new" TS is the same one that the re-sale buyers get so the re-sale buyer is getting a great deal.  If you bought a car and then heard there was a rebate or lower interest rate or better deal after you'd bought would you really care?  I don't think so.  This really follows for any product you've bought recently- TV, computer, etc, etc.  Things go on sale all the time.  I suppose if I bought at the end of one week and then heard the next week that the 25% sale had happened and they didn't tell me then I would be mad but otherwise not.
Anyway that's my opinion- tlwmkw


----------



## TheTimeTraveler (Apr 3, 2009)

If you can wait another 25 years then maybe Marriott will have a 50 year anniversary sale and everything will be 50% off:rofl: 

You think?


----------



## m61376 (Apr 3, 2009)

Latravel said:


> I really don't believe in the theory that people who have $30-70,000 to spend on a timeshare don't have enough practical sense to do a quick search on the internet.  I just refuse to assume most, except tuggers, are uninformed.
> 
> People who have that much money to spend (even if they finance) usually are successful in their careers.  They might get caught up in the sales pitch and'/or buy on a whim, but they eventually rescind after some research if they desire.


Just read all the posts here and you will note how many people discover Tug after the rescission period. I personally know several people who are bright, successful professionals who bought oblivious to the resale market. A close friend, as a matter of fact, bought from the developer a few months after we bought our resale at a different location and was convinced that his wasn't available for a better price. And I am talking about 45K here and someone who is an extremely competent and successful professional. So don't underestimate the ability of salespeople to do what they do best. 

While many people buy direct for either convenience or for the ability to trade for points, I believe most buy either due to ignorance of the resale market or because they naturally believe it must be a different product and/or remain convinced by the salespeople that it really is an inferior product.


----------



## luv2vacation (Apr 3, 2009)

m61376 said:


> While many people buy direct for either convenience or for the ability to trade for points, I believe most buy either due to ignorance of the resale market or because they naturally believe it must be a different product and/or remain convinced by the salespeople that it really is an inferior product.



I wholeheartedly agree.  Being intelligent and successful does not mean that you can't be taken in.  Also, I have repeatedly found that intelligence and common sense often do NOT go together - many of the 'smartest' people I know have no common sense and/or 'street smarts' whatsoever.


----------



## jerseyfinn (Apr 7, 2009)

m61376 said:


> I think what we are losing sight of in this discussion is that Marriott's offer isn't intended for the users of this Board. We represent a fraction of their owners and/or the general public. Most people are unaware of the resale market and of Tug.



Every owner has probably gotten the e-mail announcing the sale, so we are all fair game to the sales force & MVC. The number of folks willing to take the plunge might be restrained by the present economy, but someone with a specific resort in mind might find this offer to be very tempting as it's a real discount and not a teaser.

Neither is TUG soley about resale purchases. There's lots of developer owners here on TUG who would consider the developer option. Resale and developer remain viable options, though the present economy definitely tilts towards resale in terms of bang for the buck with what is happening on E-Bay at the moment.

As to the (lack of ) point incentives with this promo. MVC is handing out a cold hard cash discount which for an MVC owner is not going get any better, no matter how masterfully one plays the MR point game. Brian can best speak to what one can extract from a points strategy at current redemption levels and with rising MFs added into the equaiton.  I've not done a Travel Package strategy in a few years, but we could derive $4000 to $6000 in value if we align the planets correctly and plan ahead.

The "big picture" for developer owners remains *developer price stability *from Marriott when the economy begins to turn. Right now, we don't know when the MVC market will return or what prices will ultimately be though I would assume that Marriott wants to pick the game back up from where it is presently stalled. Another huge factor is the progressive devaluation of the MR program and the specific effect it has upon the ability of  developer owners to dabble with a MR points strategy --- rising MFs and MR devaluations work against this strategy ( and impedes developer sales if MVC wants to suggest that MR points are another reason to purchase developer). These devaluations are not slieght of hand by Marriott, but rather a product of time and change ( I too am "devaluing", but it's also known as aging  ).

So if you're in this developer game for the long haul, you want price stability ( and ideally gradual price growth ) while measuring the effect of MR devaluations and waiting to see if Marriott will occassionally intervene and tweak this negative effect either with direct changes or new perks. Crediting MVC owners with a credited MR nights stay for each night spent at ones home resort is one such example of a perk conferred to all MVC owners ( admittedly, this perk is more useful to multiple week owners, but then again, that's the idea, isn't it?). Other possibilities include internal trading which gives developer owners clear advantages in trading windows. Lots of things are in play here, and developer folks especially need to keep their eyes open to assure that the value of developer ownership is preserved/enhanced by Marriott.

Just how I see things from our own ownership goals and experiences.

Barry


----------



## thinze3 (Apr 23, 2009)

So, did the 25% off sale officially end last night?

How many Tuggers actually took advantage of it?
Show of hands please.


----------



## luv2vacation (Apr 23, 2009)

Hey folks, I just got an e-mail from my Mariott rep. - they've extended the sale for another month.


----------



## iamnotshopgirl (Apr 23, 2009)

luv2vacation said:


> Hey folks, I just got an e-mail from my Mariott rep. - they've extended the sale for another month.



Boy is this news a surprise!:rofl:


----------



## IngridN (Apr 23, 2009)

luv2vacation said:


> Hey folks, I just got an e-mail from my Mariott rep. - they've extended the sale for another month.



I wonder if they'll use this tactic at our upcoming presentation at Aruba's Surf Club.  Last year they tried to sell us an Ocean Club unit to trade every year for points for those fabulous European vacations.  Yeah right, what a deal...pay ~$20K + maint fees + Marriott fee to trade for 90K (100K?) points every year when we can buy 100K points for about $1,300 year.  

Ingrid


----------



## m61376 (Apr 23, 2009)

IngridN said:


> I wonder if they'll use this tactic at our upcoming presentation at Aruba's Surf Club.  Last year they tried to sell us an Ocean Club unit to trade every year for points for those fabulous European vacations.  Yeah right, what a deal...pay ~$20K + maint fees + Marriott fee to trade for 90K (100K?) points every year when we can buy 100K points for about $1,300 year.
> 
> Ingrid



:rofl: :rofl: keep us posted- that would be an interesting conversation.

The one thing that surprises me- or should I say one of the thing that surprises me-is that Marriott has so obviously left this loophole open. Either no one realizes it (which I doubt) or the cost of use to Marriott is far less than the price they are selling the points for. They could easily either just allow developer purchasers to buy extra points or limit the points purchased to just those needed to fulfill a trip package, yet they continue to sell them to owners and non-owners alike. If they really wanted to maximize the trading for points value of direct purchase, then I would think that they wouldn't continue these sales. 

As you said, why pay up front for the privilege of trading for points which you can just as easily buy. True, trading for points allows you to accumulate them at a much faster rate if you both buy and trade, but is the cost worth it?

Back to the thread topic- I wonder if the sale produced the increase in sales that was anticipated?


----------



## tlwmkw (Apr 23, 2009)

m61376,

I believe it has resulted in record sales for the last month.  There is another post on the Marriott bb that discusses this- I don't know how to link it to this one but they are anticipating sales of close to $100 million (which while it sounds like a lot is not too far off what they have done in the past).  I'll try to bring the other post to the top.

tlwmkw


----------



## taffy19 (Apr 23, 2009)

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96029


----------



## thinze3 (Apr 23, 2009)

*Here* is a quarterly update about Marriott, including how timeshare sales are going.
Timeshare info picks up on page 4.


----------



## icydog (Apr 25, 2009)

TimeshareTraveller said:


> I have been eyeing up one resort for a while.  Marriott's OceanWatch in Myrtle Beach.
> 
> When I finally called last week to offer an upgrade of my current Marriott unit to a purchase of a new Marriott unit, the salesperson was eager.  She gave me pricing.  Talked about faxing the documents, and I repeated the fact that I wanted to upgrade from my unit --in other words, they take it back and I'll take on a mortgage for a new one.
> 
> ...



I was told the absolute opposite, a Salesman in the Barony told me they, Marriott,  would take my resale week as an equity trade for Myrtle Beach. The salesman I spoke with told me he would give me $14K in equity for my Manor Club Sequel. The price of the Myrtle Beach property was so high I decided not to do it. I can find his name out by calling down to the Barony if you would like. He seemed eager, and why not?, to do the deal. 

Another sales rep told me they would take my Manor Club Sequel but only for the price I paid for an equity trade. She said that is Marriott's policy now. I think that that whatever the sales manager can get to fly is the policy now. 

I  got two conflicting reports but both indicated Marriott would buy the week back. Let me know if I can help.


----------



## VictorB (Apr 29, 2009)

*25% off sale and strange pricing*

Here is what is in the email to owners with a very strange way of listing prices:

*Offer:* To receive 25% discount on select timeshare weeks, owner must call, initiate, sign and return contract to Marriott Vacation Club no later than *May 20, 2009*. Offer subject to change without notice. Expiration date is 5/20/09. This offer applies to select every-year Marriott Vacation Club timeshare weeks in the United States and Caribbean only. Resale weeks and every-other-year weeks are not included as part of this offer. Marriott Vacation Club timeshare weeks in Asia and Europe are not included as part of this offer. Offer not valid in conjunction with any other promotional offer. Offer is nontransferable. 

Marriott Ownership Resorts Inc. is an equal opportunity credit lender and a subsidiary of Marriott International Inc. A fact sheet on facilities including association assessments is available upon request. Marriott Ownership Resorts Inc. is the developer of Horizons by Marriott Vacation Club at Branson, 2929 Green Mountain Drive, Branson, MO 65616; Marriott's Canyon Villas, 5220 E. Marriott Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85054; Marriott's Crystal Shores, 600 Collier Boulevard, Marco Island, FL 34145, ILS.0002057, N.J. Reg. No. 07/4-1008, as of April 2009, the price of weeks ranges from $23,500 to $142,600; Marriott's Fairway Villas, 500 E. Fairway Lane, Galloway, NJ 08205, ILC.0000556, the price of weeks ranges from $14,400 to $20,900; Marriott's Grande Vista, 5925 Avenida Vista, Orlando, FL 32821, ILC.0000513, N.J. Reg. No. 97/4-835, the price of weeks ranges from $12,927 to $34,300; Marriott's Harbour Lake, 7102 Grand Horizons Boulevard., Orlando, FL 32821. Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club, 92-161 Waipahe Place Kapolei, Oahu, HI 96707; Marriott's Lakeshore Reserve, 11120 Lakeshore Reserve Drive, Orlando, FL 32837, N.J. Reg. No. 08-04-0045. Marriott's Lakeshore Reserve at Grande Lakes is currently under construction and has a proposed first phase occupancy date of June 2010.; Marriott's Maui Ocean Club, 100 Nohea Kai Drive, Lahaina, Maui, HI 96761, the price of weeks ranges from $46,900 to $103,900; Marriott's Newport Coast® Villas, 23000 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657, NEWPORT COAST® is a registered trademark of The Irvine Company and is used herein with permission. Newport Coast® Villas is not affiliated or associated with The Irvine Company.; Marriott's Ocean Pointe, 71 Ocean Avenue, Palm Beach Shores, FL 33404, ILC.0000546, N.J. Reg. No. 98/4-859, the price of weeks ranges from $23,100 to $59,900; Marriott's Oceana Palms, 3200 North Ocean Drive, Singer Island-Riviera Beach, FL 33404, ILC.0001960, N.J. Reg. No. 08/04-0029, the price of weeks ranges from $25,900 to $75,900. Marriott's Oceana Palms is currently under construction and has a proposed first phase occupancy date of January 15, 2010.; Marriott's OceanWatch, 8500 Coast Verde Drive, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572, N.J. Reg. No. 03/15-223, the price of weeks ranges from $13,900 to $44,900; Marriott's Shadow Ridge, 9003 Shadow Ridge Road, Palm Desert, CA 92211; Marriott's SurfWatch, ILC.0000649, N.J. Reg. No. 04/15-230, 10 Fifth Street, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928, the price of weeks ranges from $7,900 to $69,900; Marriott's Timber Lodge, 4100 Lake Tahoe Boulevard, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150; Marriott's Waiohai Beach Club, 2249 Poipu Road, Koloa, Kauai, HI 96756. Marriott Ownership Resorts (St. Thomas) Inc. is the developer of Marriott's Frenchman's Cove, N.J. Reg. No. 05/25-005, 7338 Estate Bakkeroe, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. 00801, ILC.0000577, the price of weeks ranges from $21,100 to $78,700. Hard Carbon, LLC is the developer of Marriott's Grand Chateau, N.J. Reg. No. 04/38-016, 75 E. Harmon Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89109, the price of weeks ranges from $19,900 to $72,900. All prices are subject to change. THE PROJECT Marriott's Grand Chateau IS NOT YET COMPLETED; IT IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION and has a project completion date of 2016. MVCI St. Kitts Company Limited is the developer of Marriott's St. Kitts Beach Club, ILC.0000695, N.J. Reg. No. 06/12-104, 858 Frigate Bay Road, Frigate Bay, St. Kitts & Nevis, Caribbean. Any names and addresses acquired will be used for the purpose of soliciting the sale of vacation timesharing plans. Nevada Seller of Travel Registration No. 2004-0105. Marriott Ownership Resorts Inc. is the broker (B) of Marriott's Grand Chateau and Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club, 92-161 Waipahe Place Kapolei, HI 96707. THE PROJECT IS NOT YET COMPLETED; IT IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION and has a project completion date of 2011. Aruba Surf Club Development and Management Company is the developer of Marriott's Aruba Surf Club, L.G. Smith Boulevard #103, Palm Beach, Aruba, ILC.0001895, N.J. Reg. No. 02/75-009, the price of weeks ranges from $25,400 to $86,800.


----------

