Nah, just another nickle and dime fee. They could have done this without the upgrade fee. Especially for people who paid to become enrolled with the promise that all Marriott to Marriott trades would be fee free. Not true since the upgrade fee was added.
I am not saying that adding the fees was the best way to do it, it wasn't, but how do you allow everyone to size upgrade? For every member that wants to upgrade a studio to a 2BR there needs to be a member willing to downgrade a 2BR to a studio. Everyone thinks they paid for the right to size upgrade and nobody wants to downgrade. Where are all these larger units coming from?
If Marriott sold it saying trades would always be free in II, being upset should be with Marriott sales lies not II.
Timesharing has envolved and with all the systems out there things has to change. In order for members who own prime weeks in desirable places to deposit and for those deposits to continue, you need to set up a system to compete and get these members equivalent trades.
Whereas first I was upset with the upgrade fee I now actually now am ok with it. Yes, they are making more money but that aside, II gives me a better chance of getting trades I want using my best trading weeks. I am not competing with others who own less desirable weeks.
RCI allows other members to combine, extend and pay. I stopped giving RCI my prime weeks as I never get matched with prime weeks. I am sure many have combine tpus and extended expiration’s and there is a long list waiting to be matched. My winter week in Marco Island has no value in RCI, I give them to II.
As I see it II has a two tier system, first the quality of resort with the demand of the week and second, size. People before were grabbing the largest units available even if not needed because it was free, including me.
If I trade my one bedroom Marco Island Prime week for a two bedroom Sanibel week, I smile, I got it and am ok paying the fee.