# Unconfirmed Marriott Internal trade system



## billymach4 (Aug 19, 2007)

Is there anyone other than Dave M. that has any confirmed info regarding Marriotts planned internal trading system. I am not 
counting sales reps either? I would like to either firm up the rumor or put  this whole issue 6 feet under. Personally I have my doubts to this issue altogether.


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## winger (Aug 19, 2007)

billymach4 said:


> Is there anyone other than Dave M. that has any confirmed info regarding Marriotts planned internal trading system. I am not
> counting sales reps either? I would like to either firm up the rumor or put  this whole issue 6 feet under. Personally I have my doubts to this issue altogether.



what is your reason for asking?


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## MLC (Aug 19, 2007)

billymach4 said:


> Is there anyone other than Dave M. that has any confirmed info regarding Marriotts planned internal trading system. I am not
> counting sales reps either? I would like to either firm up the rumor or put  this whole issue 6 feet under. Personally I have my doubts to this issue altogether.



I do not know why you ask that question but DAVE M has alot of knowledge in regards to timesharing.   He is always helpful and gets to the point of the question.

  Until it is in writing know one will know for sure what the Marriott internal trade system will be.


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## Dave M (Aug 19, 2007)

I hear a lot of rumors, sometimes from other TUGgers, sometimes from Marriott personnel. I believe I have been very careful to differentiate between rumors and what I believe to be reliable facts when posting on this forum.

My information – that Marriott is in the process of developing an internal exchange system - comes from an internal Marriott source (actually two of them) that has never - so far - given me any incorrect info.

Independently, a significant number of TUGgers have heard, usually from sales reps at different resorts, that Marriott is in the process of developing an internal trading system. 

Although sales reps could be wrong and although my info could be wrong, the consistency and increase in the number of such comments from Marriott personnel makes it very likely that such a system is being developed.

However, that's about all we know. 

We don't know if Marriott will be successful enough in its development efforts that it will actually implement it. However, I personally believe that Marriott wouldn't undertake such a mammoth project and tell numerous people inside and outside of Marriott about the project unless it had confidence that it would succeed.

We don't know when such a system would be implemented. Likely dates mentioned by Marriott personnel range from late in 2008 to the beginning of 2010.

We have no idea what the system would look like, although various sales reps claim that they have details. The problem with those details is that each such sales rep seems to "know" details that differ from what some other reps claim to know.

If you want to confirm (e.g., with something written from Marriott) or bury the plans for an internal Marriott exchange system., I think you’ll probably have to wait another year or so.


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## Cathyb (Aug 19, 2007)

billymach--I see you are new to this Board.  davem has consistently been accurate and careful to give documented advice.  Just look at how many posts he has -- over 7000.  We old Tuggers look to him for his views on many timeshare subjects.

He volunteers his time unrelentlessly and with class.


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## Kola (Aug 19, 2007)

billymach4 said:


> Is there anyone other than Dave M. that has any confirmed info regarding Marriotts planned internal trading system. I am not
> counting sales reps either? I would like to either firm up the rumor or put  this whole issue 6 feet under. Personally I have my doubts to this issue altogether.



And your doubts are based on .... ???  Or, what are your sources... ???


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## jancurious (Aug 19, 2007)

Looks like he owns a Summit Watch...........maybe a silver or bronze that he is now getting worried about?

I do think knowing that it is going to happen is making all of us wonder what the changes will be in how we have been using the system.  I for one will very much miss my ACs. (probably....since it is only speculation of how it will work!)

Jan


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## potchak (Aug 19, 2007)

But will we necessarily lose our AC's? There has been no confirmation of that. Sounds like we will lose Marriott priority in II, but we will still have the quality check so we should still be able to trade into Marriotts and still get our AC's for Marriott properties. Heck, I would think the lack of Marriott's in II would cause more AC's.


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## Andar (Aug 19, 2007)

I have always found DaveM's comments to be accurate and well researched.   I suggest the OP put in the time to do his own independent research to either confirm  or discredit the information.


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## winger (Aug 19, 2007)

Andar said:


> ...  I suggest the OP put in the time to do his own independent research to either confirm  or discredit the information.


unless the OP is a Marriott employee or know insiders at Marriott, I do not really see how he can really find out anything even if he works full time at it the next two months!


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## Steamboat Bill (Aug 19, 2007)

Even if Marriott starts an internal trading system, the SW bronze week owners will still be fine as they can only grab things during flex. 

The key word is "should" as I would reccomend a Gold SW week and play it safe.

I originally thought of buying a SW Bronze, but the long term outlook looks cloudy where a SW Gold or MMC Platinum looks pretty clear.


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## Kagehitokiri (Aug 19, 2007)

i think the bottom line is you can never "deep six" plausible rumors. thats kind of what defines a rumor.

sometimes people refer to leaks as rumors, but thats kind of misleading. (of course sometimes leaks are disinformation - maybe thats what the OP is referring to? but again no way to tell until later though, and i would *NOT* call this a leak based on the sources described in this thread)


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## pedro47 (Aug 19, 2007)

Cathyb said:


> billymach--I see you are new to this Board.  davem has consistently been accurate and careful to give documented advice.  Just look at how many posts he has -- over 7000.  We old Tuggers look to him for his views on many timeshare subjects.
> 
> He volunteers his time unrelentlessly and with class.



Ditto!!! and Ditto Cathyb remarks!!! DaveM has been a true Tuggers.  Rumors are not his trade mark. It is not his pattern of behavior.


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## m61376 (Aug 19, 2007)

Steamboat Bill said:


> Even if Marriott starts an internal trading system, the SW bronze week owners will still be fine as they can only grab things during flex.
> 
> The key word is "should" as I would reccomend a Gold SW week and play it safe.
> 
> I originally thought of buying a SW Bronze, but the long term outlook looks cloudy where a SW Gold or MMC Platinum looks pretty clear.



But SW Bronze owners will actually lose a big advantage that they now have, since they will not have a Marriott priority in Flexchange to nab other Marriotts which get deposited last minute; won't that diminish the value of the week?

As for the OP's comments- I think DaveM is one of the few people here who steadfastly avoids rumors or making suppositions. Because of this, his advice is invaluable to many!


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## jancurious (Aug 19, 2007)

Agree.  Theoretically there will be much fewer deposits into II as most Marriott owners (nontuggers) will just start trading internally.  Just like you rarely see Hyatts, Hiltons, Starwoods......I think Marriotts will become much more rare in II.

As for the ACs, it appears, Marriott tells II for what weeks to issue them.  That has been confirmed several times this season by II employees.  Why in the world will Marriott have II issue any ACs and avoid their internal system?

Not to say things couldn't change and II could start issuing them on their own.  However, there won't be any Marriotts to grab! 

All just speculation at this point, but I do think you have to look at the other hotel internal trading systems and figure out some things will be similar.

Jan


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## vacationlover2 (Aug 19, 2007)

Confused about the AC thing.  If Marriott issues an AC, won't it only be good for Marriott properties?  That blows using an AC for Disney.  I would probably still use II.


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## littlestar (Aug 19, 2007)

m61376 said:


> But SW Bronze owners will actually lose a big advantage that they now have, since they will not have a Marriott priority in Flexchange to nab other Marriotts which get deposited last minute; won't that diminish the value of the week?
> 
> As for the OP's comments- I think DaveM is one of the few people here who steadfastly avoids rumors or making suppositions. Because of this, his advice is invaluable to many!



Couldn't a Marriott internal system also have an internal flex change for last minute deposits and cancellations? It could be very positive instead of negative for Marriott owners.   And if a Marriott owner doesn't grab it, then maybe Marriott will give it to II.

Also, for Marriott owners that still want to trade in II - say they want a Hyatt, a Disney, a Starwood, or a Royal resort - maybe their Marriott will be even more valuable to II - more AC's offered for Marriott deposits to entice you to use II.  I think an internal Marriott to Marriott exchange system could end up making a Marriott week more valuable in II.


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## thinze3 (Aug 19, 2007)

billymach4 said:


> Is there anyone other than Dave M. that has any confirmed info regarding Marriotts planned internal trading system. I am not
> counting sales reps either? I would like to either firm up the rumor or put  this whole issue 6 feet under. Personally I have my doubts to this issue altogether.




I believe you can go back several years and find opinions/rumors about this. It probably began about the time Marriott sold their ownership position in II and was probably started with some sleazy Marriott salesman - lord knows I have heard some doosies.

As for as the TugBBS moderator, it appears by the shear number of his posts that this is just about a full time job for him. Consequently, he probably knows and comprehends what is said here on TugBBS better than anyone. I do respect your request of being able to hear someone elses opinion while asking politely not to hear his, however.


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## billymach4 (Aug 19, 2007)

*Dave M. is indeed the defacto authority.*

Let me establish this fact so this never gets out of control. I think Dave M. is a genius with regards to timeshares, and Marriott timeshare issues, and other subject matter as well. I totally respect his knowledge and opinions.  

That being said, out here on Tug there are 19,000 members and potentially millions of guests. There must be someone else out in the community that can substantiate the fact that Marriott is developing an internal trading system. Again I stress that Sales force opinions must be thrown out of the picture because of the potential bias. There must be another friend of a friend, former Marriott employee, or even a Marriott employee that would not even admit to being a Marriott employee. There could possibly be a vendor, or a consultant that could help us begin to put the picture together. All I am asking for is another firm source of this information. If we can establish another firm source then we can begin to piece the puzzle together. I am fully aware that this has been discussed for quite some time. But the only true source has been Dave. I agree that he is the authority. I am looking for more concrete information. I realize that anyone affiliated with Marriott is more than likely bound by confidentiality, but all I can do is fish for more info. That all that I am looking for. What better place to fish than here on Tug.:whoopie:


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## wbrown (Aug 19, 2007)

I'm just curious about all the references regarding Summit Watch bronze.  Is there something unusual or wrong with this particular resort that is different than bronze seasons at other Marriott resorts?  

I am a new owner (less than one year) at Newport Coast Villas and after buying from Marriott for full price I discovered more about how trading worked with II.  This prompted me to look on Ebay in January.  I bought a 2BR lockoff unit Summit Watch bronze.  Since then I've split it and now I have two trips coming up just from the SW Bronze 1) Newport Coast Villas Aug 24-31 and 2) Kauai Beach Club Sept 14-21.  Now I'll be able to trade my NCV in for points which gives me enough points for airfare for four people and I'll be able to have two weeks in Hawaii next year.  I attribute most of this to my purchase of the Summit Watch bronze.

If there is something wrong with Summit Watch or something I should know about I'd appreciate the feedback.


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## taffy19 (Aug 19, 2007)

billymach4 said:


> Let me establish this fact so this never gets out of control. I think Dave M. is a genius with regards to timeshares, and Marriott timeshare issues, and other subject matter as well. I totally respect his knowledge and opinions.
> 
> That being said, out here on Tug there are 19,000 members and potentially millions of guests. There must be someone else out in the community that can substantiate the fact that Marriott is developing an internal trading system. Again I stress that Sales force opinions must be thrown out of the picture because of the potential bias. There must be another friend of a friend, former Marriott employee, or even a Marriott employee that would not even admit to being a Marriott employee. There could possibly be a vendor, or a consultant that could help us begin to put the picture together. All I am asking for is another firm source of this information. If we can establish another firm source then we can begin to piece the puzzle together. I am fully aware that this has been discussed for quite some time. But the only true source has been Dave. I agree that he is the authority. I am looking for more concrete information. I realize that anyone affiliated with Marriott is more than likely bound by confidentiality, but all I can do is fish for more info. That all that I am looking for. What better place to fish than here on Tug.:whoopie:


I also trust Dave M 100% with his information and replies to many questions here. They have always been honest and unbiased towards the Marriott or II. He knows the system very well and has shared it freely with his replies and Q&As that he keeps updated too. I am a little disappointed that Dave didn't answer my question (#13) yesterday but the OP could have asked it himself again. He probably made up his mind so it doesn't matter but it would be nice to know for the rest of us what the score is outside this country. Taking title in real estate may work differently over there than here so the salesman may have told him the truth.

We have asked our saleslady many times about this internal trading system and every time she tell us that they are the last ones to know what is going on. They hear the news at the sales meeting and then it is fact and they can mention it to the potential buyers and old customers too. I trust her 100%. The sales managers probably know more but they are not telling or shouldn't until they get the word from higher up.

I am sure that some sales people are making up stories just to put pressure at the timeshare presentation so that the couple will buy that day or to put fear in their mind that they are losing out on a good deal. That's probably how so many rumors have started but Dave wouldn't do this. That I am certain of.


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## LAX Mom (Aug 19, 2007)

wbrown said:


> I'm just curious about all the references regarding Summit Watch bronze.  Is there something unusual or wrong with this particular resort that is different than bronze seasons at other Marriott resorts?  ............
> 
> If there is something wrong with Summit Watch or something I should know about I'd appreciate the feedback.



Marriott has been selling (for the HOA) bronze Summit Watch weeks for $1,500. This amount includes closing and all costs. Bronze includes weeks 16-19 and 44-45. These weeks can be great for Flexchange exchanges, but don't have much trading power for regular trades. I always split mine into the lock-off option, which also hurts my trade power. There is nothing wrong with SW, there has been a lot of discussion about these bronze weeks because of the low price. 

Summit Watch is a great resort with a wonderful location right in the heart of Park City. The spring and fall weeks there can be beautiful weather and there are lots of options for different activities. 

At this time nobody knows what Marriott will offer for internal Marriott trades. I've heard it from enough Marriott people (mostly in the sales offices at Marriott timeshares) that I don't doubt they are working on something. Whether or not they'll develop a program worth implimenting, we can only wait and see. 

As Marriott owners we will still have the option of depositing with II, so I would think the Flexchange option would still be available. We might lose the Marriott priority and there will be fewer Marriotts in the II system.

I think Marriott will have to offer some type of late exchange - you can't have someone cancel a 3 bedroom Ko'Olina week just 2 weeks prior to check-in and require a "like for like" exchange. Too many units would go empty because so many people can't travel on short notice or pay for expensive last minute air fare. 

I'm not worried about it. If I have to sell my bronze unit on e-bay and give it away, I'm still way ahead. Even though the MF are high, I figure there will always be people willing to buy a Marriott for a nominal amount. Summit Watch is a great vacation destination, even during the bronze season!


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## thinze3 (Aug 19, 2007)

So then, I guess the question remains.
*
Is there anyone else who has heard about Marriott's Internal Trading Program first hand.*


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## MarylandFamily (Aug 19, 2007)

This is a great site with a lot of helpful info.  We were at Aruba's Surf Club two weeks ago and the sales rep told us that only those buyers who purchased directly from Marriott will be able to use the Internal trade system when it becomes available.  Those who purchased resale would not be allowed to use it.  Has anyone else heard that?  If this info was previously provided, I'm sorry for asking, as I must have missed it.


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## m61376 (Aug 19, 2007)

littlestar said:


> Couldn't a Marriott internal system also have an internal flex change for last minute deposits and cancellations? It could be very positive instead of negative for Marriott owners.   And if a Marriott owner doesn't grab it, then maybe Marriott will give it to II.
> 
> Also, for Marriott owners that still want to trade in II - say they want a Hyatt, a Disney, a Starwood, or a Royal resort - maybe their Marriott will be even more valuable to II - more AC's offered for Marriott deposits to entice you to use II.  I think an internal Marriott to Marriott exchange system could end up making a Marriott week more valuable in II.



You may very well be right on all counts. I think the point being made here, which had been brought up before and kinda dissuaded me from purchasing a Bronze SW week, is the uncertainty of what the projected new internal system will be. On one hand, LAX mom is correct in that she could likely just Ebay it if necessary and basically give it away and will still have gotten more than her money's worth, but the possible risk of being "stuck" with a high MF property which suddenly has very diminished trade value after perhaps 2 years of use is something which a potential buyer may want to at least consider.

Others have weighed the pros and cons and reached the opposite decision and felt it was a great purchase, and I am the first one to say that they may very well have made the right decision. For me, though, the possible downside isn't worth it.


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## m61376 (Aug 19, 2007)

MarylandFamily said:


> This is a great site with a lot of helpful info.  We were at Aruba's Surf Club two weeks ago and the sales rep told us that only those buyers who purchased directly from Marriott will be able to use the Internal trade system when it becomes available.  Those who purchased resale would not be allowed to use it.  Has anyone else heard that?  If this info was previously provided, I'm sorry for asking, as I must have missed it.



There was a thread about this rumor about a month or so ago. It appears that this is just a fabrication of some overzealous salespeople and there has been no substantiation of it.

You might want to look at these two threads: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31053 and 
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49612


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## Dave M (Aug 19, 2007)

The existence of the project, as reported by numerous salespeople at varying resorts has been well documented in other threads. However, the OP, for some reason, doesn't want to count sales references to the project. So if you follow the OP's thinking, I guess I'm the only source.

It is my understanding from questions I posed to a salesperson at a Marriott resort I recently visited that most of the sales force has been told directly or indirectly about the developing internal exchange program. Those are the people that have contact with the public. I encourage all of you to ask questions when on site. You probably won't get any details - I can't - but you'll likely get more confirmation that the program development is in process. One or two salespeople can be wrong. They often are. But can they all be wrong? I don't think so.

All I can tell you is that my most respected source has again confirmed since this thread started that the project is still underway. That’s the first confirmation I have had of that in quite a while.

Incidentally, that source also commented that no one should assume that ACs or some other bonus week feature will automatically be unavailable with an internal trading system. The source also confirmed (before MarylandFamily posted) something I have said here repeatedly - that any speculation or rumors that resale weeks will have lesser rights than weeks purchased from Marriott is just that – speculation and rumors. (Don’t read too much into either statement. The statements are not a confirmation either way!)

One more thought. I have from time to time "announced" on this forum a number of new "coming soon" projects. An example has been posts about forthcoming Marriott timeshare resorts. Those disclosures have often varied significantly from what various TUGgers have heard from salespeople. If you go back a few years and look at some of the old threads on that topic, you will see that those disclosures, especially the "certain" ones, not so much the "maybe" ones, have been amazingly accurate. 

I can't and won't "prove" what I know. I would never disclose my sources - under any circumstances.

Thus, if you have your doubts, I guess you'll just have to continue with those doubts. I don't see any way, however, that you will "put this whole issue 6 feet under."


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## LAX Mom (Aug 19, 2007)

Just wanted to add my support and appreciation to Dave M for his knowledge and insights which he freely shares on this board. He always has supplied credible information regarding timeshares and especially the Marriott system. There is no reason to doubt his information on this topic. 

Obviously the Marriott internal system is not yet finalized and may be totally different than what Marriott is planning at this time. They could even decide to scrap it and leave the exchange $$ with II. 

I think we will see an Marriott internal trading system, but not before 2009. A salesman at Ko'Olina told me that the new system would never allow a bronze, silver or gold to exchange into Ko'Olina. However, Marriott still has to sell bronze, silver & gold weeks at new resorts so they'll have some options for those owners. 

We'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy some great exchanges!!


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## thinze3 (Aug 19, 2007)

LAX Mom said:


> ..... A salesman at Ko'Olina told me that the new system would never allow a bronze, silver or gold to exchange into Ko'Olina. However, Marriott still has to sell bronze, silver & gold weeks at new resorts so they'll have some options for those owners.....



Typical salesman added hype. He of course was at a resort that offers nothing less than platinum weeks.

I can't imagine a day that my Legends Edge platinum would actually trade better than an Aruba gold week. Hey, that would be OK by me, but probably not gonna happen.


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## PerryM (Aug 19, 2007)

*Why worry, be happy....*

*Who cares about Marriott’s new internal exchange system – I don’t.*​
I’d bet that on the day of the announcement ALL existing Marriott owners will be grandfathered in – so I’m not worrying about the system in the first place.

II will still be an option and my Gold Summit Watch will increase in Trading Power since hardly any Marriott’s will leave the internal system.

My Gold Summit Watch’s resale price may or may not be affected by the new system - I can only guess and my guess is no effect at all.

The only ones hurt by all these rumors will be the salesreps themselves – they must now use imaginary benefits to sell existing inventory – a very poor sales technique that probably does no good and ruins their reputation.

I see no reason for anyone to worry over these unfounded rumors.  However if you want to worry about this then you should buy twice as many Marriotts on the resale market now rather than from the salesreps who use this rumor to scare you into buying from them – teach them a lesson.

My gut feeling is that Marriott is developing a Point Based internal exchange system that will incorporate all their hotel units and new condo-hotel projects like the new Ritz Carlton in Maui.


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## ptravel (Aug 20, 2007)

Everyone has been downgrading the bronze weeks lately.  
However, as Perry noted, wouldn't a Marriott bronze week deposited with II carry more trading power than it currently carries in the event the Marriott Internal Exchange program is implemented in light of the potential lack of future Marriott inventory with II? 

Sure the trades may not be into Marriotts but there are still many other nice II properties in great locations.


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## dougp26364 (Aug 21, 2007)

Lately I have been giving this subject a great deal of thought, although I do not profess to know what Marriott is thinking or what plans it might have in store for the future.

Lately it seems as if the larger exchange companies have been reaching out into the rental market in order to increase profitablity for themselves and/or their stock holders. Profit is what motivates any company to set a course in the business world. 

If (and that's a big if) Interval were to be gearing up to become a major player in the rental of timeshare weeks, that would be in direct compitition as I see it with Marriott renting out it's own weeks. Those very weeks that Marriott owners exchange for Marriott Rewards points or those weeks that owner rent through Marriott paying Marriott a handsom fee for the privledge.

Currently RCI appaers to be attempting to rent weeks for discount rates. If Marriott suddenly found itself in compitition with I.I. renting Marriott's own weeks that owners had deposited for exchange with I.I. and I.I. was undercutting Marriott's asking price for those rentals significantly, then that might have a negative impact on Marriott's rental program. Not only would it likely impact Marriott's ability to rent out timeshare units for a profit but it will likely have a negative impact on the rental of Marriott's own hotel rooms in area's it would find itself in compitition with Interval.

By providing an internal exchange program it might be able to cut I.I. off at the pass and deny them a great deal of the inventory they would take from owners depositing into I.I. for exchange. In other words, an internal exchange program might become necessary to protect market share and to protect the significant investment in developement and future sales of timehare projects by Marriott. 

Marriott and any other developer can ill afford to allow any exchange company to undercut their price by offering cheap rentals of the very units. Especially if an exchange company were to offer the very same units that Marriott rents on it's own website for hundreds of dollars less than the official Marriott price. Maintaining control of Marriott inventory, even owners inventory that Marriott has sold through the years, could be vital to the future profitablity of Marriott as an entity. 

Eventually I believe Marriott will need to provide some sort of internal exchange or come to some sort of agreement that I.I. may not rent out Marriott units for less than Marriott prices those units themselves. One way or another Marriott will maintain it's profitablity either through aggreements with Interval or by forging their own internal exchange program in direct compition with Interval.


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## winger (Aug 21, 2007)

dougp26364 said:


> ......or come to some sort of agreement that I.I. may not rent out Marriott units for less than Marriott prices those units themselves. One way or another Marriott will maintain it's profitablity either through aggreements with Interval or by forging their own internal exchange program in direct compition with Interval.


 I am wondering if this agreement already exists. If I were running a multi-billion(?) dollar giant and we setup an agreement with an exchange company such as II, I sure would have thought out how ways the arrangement may hurt me and take steps to curb them when/if a contract is drawn up.  If that little foresight in interest of self-preservation did not happen, I either do not deserve to be head of the company and/or the person who spearheaded the deal would have his head served to me on a platter.


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## m61376 (Aug 21, 2007)

Where do the Marriott weeks that II rents as Getaways come from? I assumed (and perhaps incorrectly) that they were not weeks deposited for exchange but extra weeks released to II by Marriott for that purpose, just as Marriott advertises promotions to view different properties. Do you think that the II Getaway rentals are a competition to Marriott's own rentals or really a form of advertisement- getting people to see the resort to possibly entice them to purchase?


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## dougp26364 (Aug 21, 2007)

m61376 said:


> Where do the Marriott weeks that II rents as Getaways come from? I assumed (and perhaps incorrectly) that they were not weeks deposited for exchange but extra weeks released to II by Marriott for that purpose, just as Marriott advertises promotions to view different properties. Do you think that the II Getaway rentals are a competition to Marriott's own rentals or really a form of advertisement- getting people to see the resort to possibly entice them to purchase?



I can see those weeks being released as developer weeks to get warm bodies into the resort and expose them to Marriott advertising and incentives to take the sales tour. But, that is inventory that Marriott controls. I believe that I.I. Getaways are available only to I.I. members and those members already own timeshares. Not released to the general public through outlets that rent timeshares to anyone with a couple of bucks in their pocket and no vested interest in timeshare ownership.

Someone that already owns a timeshare is generally a better prospect than someone off the street that has no idea how timeshare's work.

Inventory control is the main focus and keeping cheap rentals to the general public that undermine the profitablilty of the developer will come to a screaching hault if the exchange companies put to much of a dent in the developers profit.


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## Steamboat Bill (Aug 21, 2007)

I would like to see Marriott develop a points based system like DVC. 

Then we could stay where and when we like in a variety of sized rooms. The current week based system is too restrictive as compared to the flexability of DVC points.


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## dougp26364 (Aug 21, 2007)

Steamboat Bill said:


> I would like to see Marriott develop a points based system like DVC.
> 
> Then we could stay where and when we like in a variety of sized rooms. The current week based system is too restrictive as compared to the flexability of DVC points.




And I guess I'm just the opposite. Right now I can exploit the resorts that have 2 bedrooms only by exchanging the 1 bedroom LO of the 3 bedroom unit we own at MGC. It appears to be relatively easy to exchange that unit into resorts that have only 2 bedroom units to offer and get an upgrade without paying for it. It's a nice benefit of the current system.

However, I can easily see where Marriott would want to close that loop hole and force a more like for like value when exchanging or, evening the playing field a little more.

I suppose we are in the minority when we enjoy taking a full 7 night vacaction rather than breaking it up into several shorter stays in multiple locations. Oh well, evolve of become obsolete. If/when change comes I'll just have to learn to modify and adapt to any new system and learn how best to use it to meet my own needs.


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## short (Aug 21, 2007)

*I agree.*



Steamboat Bill said:


> I would like to see Marriott develop a points based system like DVC.
> 
> Then we could stay where and when we like in a variety of sized rooms. The current week based system is too restrictive as compared to the flexability of DVC points.



I agree.  If Marriott offered as flexable a system as HGVC I would seriously consider buying from Marriott.  As it is I have to keep my cost down per week so I can blow off 2-4 days of a week so I can get the part week I want.

The current system wastes a lot of inventory because owners decide how they want to deposit, not how people want to use.  I might want to stay in Maui in a 2 bedroom but if everyone locks off I will never get the size I want.  If I want to stay in a studio or 1 bedroom for 3 day weekend or 3 midweek days for a conference in Palm Desert I have to take a full week.  I might take a 2 bedroom if I can get it dispite the fact I only need a smaller unit.

Somewhere I read that 20 percent(?) of exchange deposits are never used.  That means II is getting that 20 percent to rent as getaways or ACs.  MVCI could be holding those excess units and renting and offering bonus time to owners.

Trying to get control of the inventory is a more likely reason for Marriott going to a internal system.

Short


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## winger (Aug 21, 2007)

short said:


> ..Somewhere I read that 20 percent(?) of exchange deposits are never used.  That means II is getting that 20 percent to rent as getaways or ACs.  ...
> Short



It blows my mind how someone could forget a deposited week, come on it's paid for and it's VACATION!!!  

However, one of our friends (couple) were newbies and they bought an EOY Maui week...well life happened and they missed their first trip - when they told me this, I was like      should have given THAT week to me


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## Dave M (Aug 21, 2007)

I'm not sure how many forgot about the week. I'm guessing there were a fair number who couldn't find a decent exchange within the time limit or couldn't match up vacation schedules with what was available or just didn't get around to requesting an exchange until it was too late to find something that matched vacation needs.

There are also a fair number who don't deposit and don't use their assigned week - about 9.5%, according to ARDA:





> Among all owners, 35.8 percent personally used their timeshare purchase over the past 12 months, 47.4 percent exchanged or space banked it, 4.4 percent rented the unit out, and nearly 3 percent gave it away; only *9.5 percent* of timeshares went unused over the past 12 months.


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## dougp26364 (Aug 21, 2007)

My future SIL has owned a timeshare for several years. He's never set foot in it and never exchanged it. When I asked him why he bought it in the first place, we was with a friend who talked him into buying it so they could "party" there EOY. Of course the friend backed out of his part of the bargin and my future SIL has never followed up on how to use his purchase. I keep trying to get him to set down with me so I can help him understand what he owns and see what we can do so that he can get some value out of the unit for the money he's paid and keeps paying. So far he's not had enough interest to do even that much. 

I stand in amazement at those who buy at developer prices then never take the time to learn how to use their ownership and just keep on paying the bills year after year. It's no wonder the PCC's do such a brisk business and why so many units go up for sale on E-bay at such cheap prices.


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## Steamboat Bill (Aug 21, 2007)

dougp26364 said:


> My future SIL has owned a timeshare for several years. He's never set foot in it and never exchanged it. When I asked him why he bought it in the first place, we was with a friend who talked him into buying it so they could "party" there EOY.



Considering he is your "future SIL" perhaps you need to have a father-daughter talk on being more responsible with money. Not using, not renting, not trading, not selling a TS is a 100% waste of money.


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## winger (Aug 21, 2007)

dougp26364 said:


> My future SIL has owned a timeshare for several years. He's never set foot in it and never exchanged it.  ... I keep trying to get him to set down with me so I can help him understand what he owns and see what we can do so that he can get some value out of the unit for the money he's paid and keeps paying. So far he's not had enough interest to do even that much.
> ...


 doug. have you ever taken the SIL on a few TS trips?  I cannot understand how someone stays at a nice resort and not want to go back again and again!  crap, I am sure your daughter is very accustomed to TS'ing and would be very disappointed if her family would not continue the 'family tradition' just bc the hubby is 'not into it'.


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## dougp26364 (Aug 21, 2007)

winger said:


> doug. have you ever taken the SIL on a few TS trips?  I cannot understand how someone stays at a nice resort and not want to go back again and again!  crap, I am sure your daughter is very accustomed to TS'ing and would be very disappointed if her family would not continue the 'family tradition' just bc the hubby is 'not into it'.



So far no. I've offered but our daughter is more concerned about the wedding than spending money on vacation. Interestingly they've decided to go on a cruise next week with a couple that invited them along for their honeymoon.  I think they both are at an age where they still drink heavily and DD doesn't want us to know just how much and how wild they really get.  

He's also at a point where taking vacation isn't really a priority prefering to stay at work and head out to the lake for camping and boating on the weekends. Eventually, they'll have kids and eventually those kids will be old enough for Disneyworld. It's about that time when I bet he figures out he's had something good for a number of years and wasted it all this time.


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## dougp26364 (Aug 21, 2007)

Steamboat Bill said:


> Considering he is your "future SIL" perhaps you need to have a father-daughter talk on being more responsible with money. Not using, not renting, not trading, not selling a TS is a 100% waste of money.




Responsible with money?  Heaven forbid! They're still living the life of a single people dating and without children. Resonsibility will hit them between the eyes when she has that first child. Until them I can talk the talk but they're not going to walk the walk. 

For the future Son-in-law it was a wild weekend at Daytona beach with a friend and money he just tossed away. Still, he's been responsible enough to keep the MF's up to date, even if he hasn't set foot in a unit since the sales presentation. 

I can't say that I was always resonsible in the BC era (Before Children). As long as he's not trashing his credit I can live with a little wasted money a few years back.


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## Steamboat Bill (Aug 21, 2007)

What if you offered to "rent" his timeshare for him and give your daughter the cash to help pay for the wedding...or rent...or future home down payment..or homeymoon..or even beer!

Depending on the location, you might be able to get 2-3x annual dues on redweek.com or eBay and become the "hero FIL"


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## dioxide45 (Aug 21, 2007)

Timeshares sometimes become just like gym meberships (though at a higher cost). How many people out there buy a membership to the gym and visit once or twice and then never go back? (I did) They may be stuck in a two year contract and when the contract is up, they never cancel (I didn't until another full year after the contract expired). They are wasting $25 - $40 a month. This can quickly add up to the cost of MF's for one year at a TS.

One is always thinking that they will use it one day and don't want to let it go. The money spent isn't a lot of motivation to actually use the gym or timeshare.


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## winger (Aug 22, 2007)

dougp26364 said:


> ..Still, he's been responsible enough to keep the MF's up to date, even if he hasn't set foot in a unit since the sales presentation.
> ...


How about gift that TS away to some favorite charity  or  something less drastic like donate a week each year to a favorite local group that does good work, like a children's hospital, or group who helps those families with loved ones serving overseas, etc.


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## dougp26364 (Aug 22, 2007)

Steamboat Bill said:


> What if you offered to "rent" his timeshare for him and give your daughter the cash to help pay for the wedding...or rent...or future home down payment..or homeymoon..or even beer!
> 
> Depending on the location, you might be able to get 2-3x annual dues on redweek.com or eBay and become the "hero FIL"





winger said:


> How about gift that TS away to some favorite charity  or  something less drastic like donate a week each year to a favorite local group that does good work, like a children's hospital, or group who helps those families with loved ones serving overseas, etc.



Good ideas but I still have to get him to sit down with me so I can look over what he actually has. All I know is that it is supposedly a floating studio week in Daytona Beach and race week is excluded. From what I've gathered on these forums it's not worth a whole lot on the rental or resale market. 

I'd really just like to teach him how to use it. He should be able to at least get a decent exchange into Branson, which is only a 5 hour drive away from here. He's bought a new boat and table rock lake would be a nice place to go boating.

It's just getting our daughter and him to sit down to look things over. Right now I guess they're just to busy with their lives and own little soap opera's that occur when your younger than to worry about a studio timeshare in Daytona Beach.


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## dougp26364 (Aug 22, 2007)

dioxide45 said:


> Timeshares sometimes become just like gym meberships (though at a higher cost). How many people out there buy a membership to the gym and visit once or twice and then never go back? (I did) They may be stuck in a two year contract and when the contract is up, they never cancel (I didn't until another full year after the contract expired). They are wasting $25 - $40 a month. This can quickly add up to the cost of MF's for one year at a TS.
> 
> One is always thinking that they will use it one day and don't want to let it go. The money spent isn't a lot of motivation to actually use the gym or timeshare.




That reminds me, I probably should go to the gym today.


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## CMF (Aug 22, 2007)

*FWIW*

I just spoke with a Corporate Customer Relations Manager that told me that consideration of the Marriott internal exchange program has been an on again off again project and that it is currently off the table.

Some reasons cited include:


Laws against acting as your own exchange company.
A resulting significant increase in MFs
Complicated logistics.

Don't beat-up the messenger.

Charles


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## dougp26364 (Aug 22, 2007)

CMF said:


> I just spoke with a Corporate Customer Relations Manager that told me that consideration of the Marriott internal exchange program has been an on again off again project and that it is currently off the table.
> 
> Some reasons cited include:
> 
> ...




Then I wonder how the other mini-systems manage without an exchange company? Maybe they don't. Maybe despite the fact that they seem to act on their own they have a silent partner in the form of some sort of exchange company other than themselves that acts as an exchange company for online that group of timeshares.

I also wonder how handling their own exchanges will result in a significant increase in MF's? I suppose Marriott would want to pass the start up costs along to all it's members.

The complicated logistics I can understand.

Not shooting the messenger, just questioning the answers that were given to the messenger. 

Look at it this way, it will give Marriott owners something to discuss for many years to come.


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## PerryM (Aug 22, 2007)

*Is that Jimmy Hoffa with Elvis?*



CMF said:


> I just spoke with a Corporate Customer Relations Manager that told me that consideration of the Marriott internal exchange program has been an on again off again project and that it is currently off the table.
> 
> Some reasons cited include:
> 
> ...




Heck, I've got better ones:


Hell freezes over
Big Foot runs for President
Jimmy Hoffa shows up with Elvis
An asteroid wipes out Indiana (RCI)



I am surprised that Marriott even talks about this - it just fuels the fire.


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## billymach4 (Aug 22, 2007)

*I am keeping score*



winger said:


> what is your reason for asking?



I knew this would be an interesting topic of discussion. Look at all of the great comments we have all contributed! Now I just need to make sure I go to the gym so I can look slim and trim at Blizzard Beach with "Steamboat Bill's" friend from Boca:hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: 

OK OK I am just joking!! I do belong to a gym and go religiously to keep healthy. Not for vanity. I take spin class(stationary bike) 2 -3 times a week. This burns about 2000 calories / week and keeps the heart in great shape.

SCORE Dave M         1 for Internal Trades by Marriott
          CMF Charles  1  against Internal Trades by Marriott

More comments are welcome


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## msfish (Aug 22, 2007)

Question for Dave M and/or PerryM:

Doesn't Marriott own a portion of Interval International?  Maybe therein lies the conflict for Marriott to ever have an internal trade system.

Doris


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## MikeM132 (Aug 22, 2007)

Marriott owned part of II at one time but sold years ago. I am wondering about acting as your own exchange company and legality. What about the Florida CLub? How does DVC do this? This does not sound right or consistent with what is already happening. There must be some technical reason I'm not aware of.


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## taffy19 (Aug 22, 2007)

*Is that Jimmy Hoffa with Elvis?*



PerryM said:


> Heck, I've got better ones:
> 
> Hell freezes over
> Big Foot runs for President
> ...


:hysterical: 

I don't think that members would be too pleased with higher maintenance fees yet. Only time will tell but I am very happy with our fixed time and fixed unit and even more so now. :whoopie:


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## CMF (Aug 22, 2007)

*Dave vs CMF*



billymach4 said:


> I knew this would be an interesting topic of discussion. Look at all of the great comments we have all contributed! Now I just need to make sure I go to the gym so I can look slim and trim at Blizzard Beach with "Steamboat Bill's" friend from Boca:hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical:
> 
> OK OK I am just joking!! I do belong to a gym and go religiously to keep healthy. Not for vanity. I take spin class(stationary bike) 2 -3 times a week. This burns about 2000 calories / week and keeps the heart in great shape.
> 
> ...




It's not even a fair fight.  20 of my sources will contradict themselves and would not equal one of Mr. Daves sources.

Charles


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## winger (Aug 22, 2007)

I guess I'll chime in. I do not care either way as long as I have an option to trade internal or thru II.  If pt system is involved, I would like this idea.  We converted out fixed Polo into the Sunterra pt system as we do not like the fixed week or week-long reservations.


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## CaliDave (Aug 22, 2007)

It seems like all the other mini -systems had to go to point based? Maybe this is how they get away with not being considered an exchange company? 

I think the comment about higher MF's is ridiculous. HGVC has a great mini-system and they have MUCH lower MF's than Marriott and I think the quality is on par.

They could do like RCI points, Sunterra and others that charge an obscene amount of $$ to convert to their internal system.


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## Dave M (Aug 22, 2007)

Charles -

Sorry I took so long to post this. I have been out since mid-afternoon.

I was able to confirm earlier today from people I am positive are speaking from knowledge that the internal trading project is very much alive. When I gave the title of the person you talked to, all I got was a hearty laugh in return. The inference was clear. 

#3 makes some sense. The other two don't. There's no question that getting it "right" will be complicated. If it weren't complicated, Marriott wouldn't be taking the expected four years for development!


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## honeybunney (Aug 23, 2007)

*To buy or not*

I have two questions if the Marriott internal trade does go through.  Of course it's anyone guesses, but it would be interesting to hear what other tuggers have to say.  First,  so is it a good idea to buy more Marriott timeshares prior to the completion of their Internal Trade program?  Second, what then would be good trading power in this new program?  Too bad I got no more moola.


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## Beverley (Aug 23, 2007)

I don't even want to hear about increased MF's for an internal exchange system .... has nothing to do with mantaining a resort ... that is what the exhcange fee is all about.  

As for the Florida Club, this has been a real waste for us since they only allow a reservation if your season matches with the season you want to reserve into.  For instance, we can only travel summer so we bought gold OP.  If we wanted to reserve one year into Beach Place we could not because the summer season (45 minutes away so you know this was more contrived than having to do with season and demand) is platinum.  Useless :annoyed: 

Beverley


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## PerryM (Aug 23, 2007)

*WAG #1 for the day*



honeybunney said:


> I have two questions if the Marriott internal trade does go through.  Of course it's anyone guesses, but it would be interesting to hear what other tuggers have to say.  First,  so is it a good idea to buy more Marriott timeshares prior to the completion of their Internal Trade program?  Second, what then would be good trading power in this new program?  Too bad I got no more moola.




Here’s my WAG for 6 AM (I get 1 an hour – it’s the law here hi Missouri 

II develops a Point Based exchange system and licenses it to Marriott; the following could apply:

1)	ALL units grandfathered in and are treated as developer sold on day 1

2)	Trading Power is a bad memory of an antique system (Weeks) – you get Marriott currency for your unit and spend anyway you want

3)	Marriott does NOT determine which owner get’s what exchange – the owners spend currency and make reservations themselves

4)	II exchange power explodes since so few Marriotts ever make it to II

5)	Marriott will incorporate their rental program into the exchange program by linking the new currency to be the rental price that Marriott has always charged for their rentals.  All newly deposited units are ONLY available for Marriott owners for 30 days and then the general public can come in and rent them for cash instead of points ($1 = 1 Marriott point)

6)	Marriott incorporates ALL their hotel rooms into the new system – you can deposit timeshares and exchange into hotel units for just a day at a time if  you want

7)	Marriott incorporates the Marriott Reward Program by making each MRP equal .02 new points (2 cents)

Now if Marriot wants to lug a ball and chain around they will simply license II’s current system, but the 24 day Marriott window is a thing of the past here too.

I really see no reason for Marriott to hire programmers - pay II to develope the system and make it available to other developers and get a royalty thru II from the developers.

Ok, its almost 7 am and time for another WAG!

P.S.
You can opt for placing your unit direct into the rental pool - Marriott charges 25% to use their computers and humans.  If you do this the unit will never be flagged for being exchangeable in the system.


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## Big Matt (Aug 23, 2007)

I agree totally.  They could always get you on the other fees, like lock off, etc.  also.  Marriott will have no problem finding ways to get their money without increasing MFs.  



Beverley said:


> I don't even want to hear about increased MF's for an internal exchange system .... has nothing to do with mantaining a resort ... that is what the exhcange fee is all about.


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## CaliDave (Aug 23, 2007)

I think Perry has some good thoughts and ideas, but when does a timeshare company do what we all think they should? 

I'm hoping they'd have a pre-announcement, especially if they are grandfathering and not allowing new resales. Can you imagine the run on resales we'd have?

Which Marriotts seem to have the highest rental rates as compared to lowest entry costs?   
 I'm sure some of the ski seasons are up there.


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## timeos2 (Aug 23, 2007)

*It will be ponts and it will cost*



PerryM said:


> Here’s my WAG for 6 AM (I get 1 an hour – it’s the law here hi Missouri
> 
> II develops a Point Based exchange system and licenses it to Marriott; the following could apply:
> 
> 1)	ALL units grandfathered in and are treated as developer sold on day 1



If they go internal and it is based on points (they'd be insane not to do that in todays environment) they may treat all owners the same as far as being eligible to "upgrade" into the new system but you certainly can't be thinking it would be at no charge, can you?  Like Wyndham, Sunterra, Shell, etc they will want to get a fee for membership in the new Marripoints tm  system. Figure somewhere between $1500-$3900 would be the likely range. If they don't make money on it they have no reason to do it.


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## CaliDave (Aug 23, 2007)

timeos2 said:


> If they go internal and it is based on points (they'd be insane not to do that in todays environment) they may treat all owners the same as far as being eligible to "upgrade" into the new system but you certainly can't be thinking it would be at no charge, can you?  Like Wyndham, Sunterra, Shell, etc they will want to get a fee for membership in the new Marripoints tm  system. Figure somewhere between $1500-$3900 would be the likely range. If they don't make money on it they have no reason to do it.



Worldmark, Hyatt, DVC, and Hilton are all point based and do not charge a membership fee.


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## timeos2 (Aug 23, 2007)

*Sold as points is different than adding the points to a week based system*



CaliDave said:


> Worldmark, Hyatt, DVC, and Hilton are all point based and do not charge a membership fee.



Yes they do but since it was sold that way it is blended into the sales price (as is Wyndham, Sunterra, Shell, etc if you buy today).  But for conversions they all charge and I'd be very surprised if Marriott didn't (one can always hope).


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## CaliDave (Aug 23, 2007)

I bought an HGVC affiliate in Scotland and Marco Island. All I paid was the $200 transfer fee. 
I have a choice every year to use my week or relinquish it to Hilton for points.

I know you are right about the others.. That's why I decided against Sunterra. I didn't want to go through all the hoops and costs to get my weeks into their system


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## PerryM (Aug 23, 2007)

*Will they or won't they?*



timeos2 said:


> If they go internal and it is based on points (they'd be insane not to do that in todays environment) they may treat all owners the same as far as being eligible to "upgrade" into the new system *but you certainly can't be thinking it would be at no charge, can you?*  Like Wyndham, Sunterra, Shell, etc they will want to get a fee for membership in the new Marripoints tm  system. Figure somewhere between $1500-$3900 would be the likely range. If they don't make money on it they have no reason to do it.



This is a great point - will Marriott pull an RCI Points prank and charge thousands of dollars to "upgrade" to their new system.

If I had to guess Marriott will make the upgrade charge seem worth it.  If they offer little they will charge little.  If they offer all kinds of goodies then they could, indeed, charge a ton of money.

My advice to Marriott would be (like they listen):

Sign up 30 days before introduction and commit your units for 3 years: $199

Sign up on "day 1" and commit your units for 3 years: $499

Sign up on "day 1" without committing units for but 1 year: $799

Sign up after 30 days: $1,099

Sign up after 60 days $1,399

The above is for EACH unit to become part of the new exchange system.  Basically make it max out at an additional MF.  Each new threshold costs $300 more.

Each unit exchanged would be FREE for those that deposit BEFORE the system is open to the membership.  After that each exchange is $199.


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## JimC (Aug 23, 2007)

PerryM said:


> This is a great point - will Marriott pull an RCI Points prank and charge thousands of dollars to "upgrade" to their new system.
> 
> If I had to guess Marriott will make the upgrade charge seem worth it.  If they offer little they will charge little.  If they offer all kinds of goodies then they could, indeed, charge a ton of money.
> 
> ...



But what if you don't know if you want to exchange your unit or if you buy EOY contracts -- my hedge against all of the fees and uncertainty at trading often.


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## PerryM (Aug 23, 2007)

*RCI Points is a guiding light...*



JimC said:


> But what if you don't know if you want to exchange your unit or if you buy EOY contracts -- my hedge against all of the fees and uncertainty at trading often.



The exchange system is purely optional and resale units would NOT have this option - it can be purchased by the new owner for another MF payment.

RCI Points has been a great example of WHAT NOT TO DO.

They gave no incentive to sign up early and their $199 fee per unit can be altered by the developer into $3,000+.  The net result was slow enthusiasm for RCI folks to sign up - gee.

I don't have a clue what Marriott might do - but one would hope that Marriott learned a lot from RCI Points.

I think that an amount equal to the current MF would be something owners can relate to.  ALL that money goes to Marriott.  Give a discount to entice most owners to make the commitment and Marriott would start up with lots of inventory for folks to exchange into.


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## jazzeaw (Aug 23, 2007)

It is intersting what different people hear.  I attended an owners meeting at MMC this week - and the GM - Thomass something (Swedish) and his head sales guy  - Jay said that there is NOT going to be an internal Marriott trading system and that if any sales person says there is they are out right   Lieing.  I mentioned what I heard at the MOW meeting just 3 weeks earlier and Jay mentioned the head sales rep at MOW by name and said "shame on him he knows better" and he then turned to Thomass and said to contact the MOW office and tell them to stop misleading people about this so called internal Marriott trading idea.  

I would really like to know the truth that is for sure.  At this point I am not sure I beleive any Marriott rep about anything.


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## dougp26364 (Aug 23, 2007)

jazzeaw said:


> It is intersting what different people hear.  I attended an owners meeting at MMC this week - and the GM - Thomass something (Swedish) and his head sales guy  - Jay said that there is NOT going to be an internal Marriott trading system and that if any sales person says there is they are out right   Lieing.  I mentioned what I heard at the MOW meeting just 3 weeks earlier and Jay mentioned the head sales rep at MOW by name and said "shame on him he knows better" and he then turned to Thomass and said to contact the MOW office and tell them to stop misleading people about this so called internal Marriott trading idea.
> 
> I would really like to know the truth that is for sure.  At this point I am not sure I beleive any Marriott rep about anything.




If/when Marriott developes an internal trade system they're NOT going to want sales reps or anybody else releasing preliminary details of the program, or that it even is under consideration, until they have their plans firmly in place and ready to bring online. To say anything before a final decision is made and a final plan is implimented would only be misleading to the consumer, could get Marriott in trouble and could cause customer disatisfaction. Just look at all the turmoil just the rumor has casued amongst this group.

Marriott might admit to studying the option but they're not about to release any details or acknowledge that it's a done deal until it's a done deal. For any salesman to hint that it is definately going to happen is just what most TS saleman will do, stretch the truth about a rumor they know is not solid fact.


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## billymach4 (Aug 23, 2007)

dougp26364 said:


> For any salesman to hint that it is definately going to happen is just what most TS saleman will do, stretch the truth about a rumor they know is not solid fact.




That's exactly why I have stated from the beginning not to consider any opinions from the sales force. They will sell their first born to make a sale.


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## Chemee (Aug 23, 2007)

jazzeaw said:


> It is intersting what different people hear.  I attended an owners meeting at MMC this week - and the GM - Thomass something (Swedish) and his head sales guy  - Jay said that there is NOT going to be an internal Marriott trading system and that if any sales person says there is they are out right   Lieing.  I mentioned what I heard at the MOW meeting just 3 weeks earlier and Jay mentioned the head sales rep at MOW by name and said "shame on him he knows better" and he then turned to Thomass and said to contact the MOW office and tell them to stop misleading people about this so called internal Marriott trading idea.
> 
> I would really like to know the truth that is for sure.  At this point I am not sure I beleive any Marriott rep about anything.



On Tuesday a MOW salesperson mentioned an internal trading system to us so whatever contact MMC made didn't work.  Furthermore, he said that Marriott was waiting until they had "enough" resorts in their system to implement such a system.  He also said that there would be timeshares at some of the resorts Nickelodeon & Marriott plan to build jointly.


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## Cobra1950 (Sep 23, 2007)

I too have heard the rumor about an internal trading system at Marriott.  Usually it pops up when I complain about Interval International.  May/may not happen, not much point in worrying about it, Marriott is not stupid enough to mess up the good franchise they have.


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## ann824 (Oct 18, 2007)

We were recently at Maui and Waiohai and I brought up the Internal trading issue.  They both acted like it was not something in the works.  They really didn't seem interested in speculating.  Our sales person at Waiohai did say they were trying to get them to form a Hawaii club like the Florida club for the Hawaii owners to exchange between resorts.


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## dougp26364 (Oct 18, 2007)

ann824 said:


> We were recently at Maui and Waiohai and I brought up the Internal trading issue.  They both acted like it was not something in the works.  They really didn't seem interested in speculating.  Our sales person at Waiohai did say they were trying to get them to form a Hawaii club like the Florida club for the Hawaii owners to exchange between resorts.



This might not be a surprise. Back when DRI and Marriott formed a partnership over Grand Chateau (MGC was initially a DRI project), the sales reps for Polo Towers, who became Marriott employee's, were telling tours that Polo Towers was going to be branded a Marriott property. This went on for a some time before Marriott put the clamps on it and any salesmans caught mentioning Marriott and Polo Towers in the same breath was putting his job on the line. They could talk about it only if the prospect brought it up and then it was in very limited conversation with the emphasis being that Marriott would never consider branding Polo Towers under it's name. 

If Marriott heard enough flack about salesman talking about an internal exchange program they were working on, true or not, I can see them putting a clamp on the sales staff's mouths. 

I look at it this way. I'm happy enough with the way things are now. It's how I bought into Marriott and I can make it work for me. I especially like being able to trade a 1 bedroom unit into a resort that only has two bedroom units and essentially trade up in size. 

If they were to to go some sort of points based internal trading system I'm certain I could make that work for us as well. Being mult. week owners maybe we'd qualify for some sort of elite status and gain a few more perks. Points can be a double edged sword but I find they can also be a more efficient use of my timeshare ownership if I have enough options on how to use them. 

For me it would be a good thing if they went to some sort of internal system with a corporate account at I.I. like what HGVC does through RCI or what DRI/Sunterra does through I.I. If they were to do something like that I could save my personal yearly membership fee with I.I. and any savings to me is generally a good thing.


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## Icarus (Oct 18, 2007)

ann824 said:


> They really didn't seem interested in speculating.



That's excellent!

-David


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## CraigU (Oct 28, 2007)

I heard this same rumor; I would bet that it is true. If it were, I would think Marriott is waiting out their contractual obligations to I.I.


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