[2012] "Should My Week(s) Be Enrolled?"

[dioxide45]

Have looked at previous threads but could not find the answers to the following questions.
Will there be a charge for guest certificates or exchanging your units for Marriott reward points?

There is no charge to add another guests name to a points based reservation. For anything booked through II (exchange, getaway), there is still a guest certificate fee through II. There is no fee for exchanging Marriott to Marriott in II or trading your unit for Marriott Reward points. This is all part of the consolidated fee structure.

Will enrollment in II be a standard enrollment or will gold or platinum membership be available?

You can still upgrade the II membership included with DC to II gold or platinum membership. If you upgrade to platinum, the guest certificate fee for II based confirmations is included with platinum membership.

Do we still retain our right to have representation on how the timeshare is run?

Yes, you still vote for members of the HOA as you have in the past.

 

[SueDonJ]

... Do we still retain our right to have representation on how the timeshare is run?

... Yes, you still vote for members of the HOA as you have in the past.

Actually, I think this is important enough to expand a bit ...

When the DC was first rolled out one of the Enrollment Terms and Conditions was a voting restriction that stated, "1.) Owner represents and warrants to MVCEC that, as a Exchange Member, Owner: e.) will not exercise any vote Owner may have in the owners" association ("Resort Association") operating the resort in which Owner's Timeshare Interest is located ("Resort") in a manner that is, in MVCEC's reasonable discretion, detrimental to the Program, including, without limitation, voting to limit or terminate the Resort's participation in the Program."

That restriction, #1.e., was removed from the document sometime before March 1, 2011, and has not been replaced with anything that restricts the voting rights of an enrolled Member in any way, especially and specifically with respect to the voting rights that every Weeks owner has by virtue of the Weeks governing docs.

For many owners that voting restriction was a significant factor for not enrolling their Week(s) in the DC. IMO it's important to make it clear that it no longer exists in any form.

 

[shsansone]

Voting rights

Thanks so much Susan. I thought I had read something like that when Marriott first rolled out the program but had not seen anything mentioned about this in the more recent posts.
Could Marriott reinsert that language?

 

[SueDonJ]

Marriott has a lot of leeway to make changes to the governing docs in many different ways, so I'd guess that it's possible that another voting restriction could be stipulated in future Enrollment T&C's, sure. But if such a stipulation isn't included in the particular version of T&C's that you agree to at the time of your enrollment, I don't know how they could demand that you conform to one.

It's also possible that a voting restriction might come about in some other amendment to any of the DC governing docs. IMO, though, possible but not likely. It would be easier to figure this out if Marriott had publicly stated why they had removed the Enrollment T&C's restriction when they did, but with no explanation we were left to guess and what seemed to make the most sense is that Weeks Owners are governed ultimately by the governing docs of their underlying Weeks. It appears that any DC provision which would supercede that governance, would not be enforceable.

Also important to note - for those of us who did enroll under the T&C's which included the original voting restriction, it had no effect on the voting proxies which we've received for the subsequent Annual Meetings. At least, neither SurfWatch's nor Barony's Annual Meeting info packets made any mention of different voting rules for enrolled and un-enrolled Owners, and there were no reports on TUG of any different voting rules at any of the other resorts.

 

[4Reliefnow]

I recommend Enroll, just don't have to take points for weeks

I enrolled a single resale week and I am probably crazy. but, the point system adds so much flexibility you need to think it through. See my thread about why points are worth 80-90 cents: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170098

This is the value of renting points from someone else instead of buying more points yourself. I still think buying points is way too expensive...like paying $30,000 for a Grande Vista week selling for $3,000 on ebay (Platinum is 3,175 points to reserve)

Having points, enrolling your weeks in points, is ridiculously flexible. use points and reserve the week you want. Put in a request with II, get the week using exchange and then cancel the points reservation.

I exchanged into Ocean Pointe Th-Th and might want to stay longer. I can get the weekday Sunday to Wednesday for less than half the cost of Friday/Saturday. Or, I can decide to get a one BR Ocean Front for 400 instead of a 2br OV for 600 a night. Or, i can take the auto transport train down to Florida and stay two night at Lakeshore Reserve since the train arrives in Orlando.

Flexibility is key. I want to make 4 out of 5 reservations using weeks or exchanges and know that I have the flexibility to work around with points.

I recommend convert, and use weeks....but if renting imagine the flexibility of renting weeks for location and dates.

 

[autumn]

Just enrolled this weekend

We own 2 bedroom gold ocean club aruba, lockoff and exchange quite a bit, signed up just to cover the fees each year. How long does it take to get the new interval account and 800 plus bonus points from the time you sign up which was just this past weekend? Thanks, Carol

 

[tjkahn]

We own 2 bedroom gold ocean club aruba, lockoff and exchange quite a bit, signed up just to cover the fees each year. How long does it take to get the new interval account and 800 plus bonus points from the time you sign up which was just this past weekend? Thanks, Carol

800 points - roughly a week

Interval account - they say 30 days, I probably got mine in 3 weeks

 

[GreenEyedGuru]

I think a good way to determine if enrolling for fee savings is a good option for an owners is to do this; review your last three usage year travel, exchange and use patterns. You can look at the last two years and the current or even next year if you have those already planned.

Determine the following:
How many fees did you pay to Marriott and II that would now be covered under the single consolidated fee? Add all those fees together and multiply it by 2, then subtract either $990 (Standard Owner) or $1194 (Premier or Premier Plus Owner) from that number (these are the DC annual fees multiplied by six years). Five or sic years is a good time frame to use to determine a payback on the enrollment fee, though for simplicity I have used six years in this scenario. Then subtract your enrollment fee.

I'm sorry, I haven't checked this board in a few months, but has Marriott done away with point skim or the points inflation problem yet?

I know that when I looked at the DC points I'd get for my Ko Olina 2BR Platinum, it wasn't enough for a week on any of the other islands. It was about 10-15% less than I'd need for a week. This "skim" is a hidden cost of membership.

I also remember reading that there is fine print in the DC agreement that allows Marriott to increase the number of points required for a stay at a particular resort at any time in the future. That means that my (approximately) 4500 points would be worth only 5-6 days in Hawaii now, but in the future they could be worth even less.

As an owner in a high demand location who rarely exchanges, I really don't see the benefit of the program for me at this time. Please feel free to correct any of my assumptions above if the rules have been changed since the last time I was here.

 

[m61376]

I'm sorry, I haven't checked this board in a few months, but has Marriott done away with point skim or the points inflation problem yet?

I know that when I looked at the DC points I'd get for my Ko Olina 2BR Platinum, it wasn't enough for a week on any of the other islands. It was about 10-15% less than I'd need for a week. This "skim" is a hidden cost of membership.

I also remember reading that there is fine print in the DC agreement that allows Marriott to increase the number of points required for a stay at a particular resort at any time in the future. That means that my (approximately) 4500 points would be worth only 5-6 days in Hawaii now, but in the future they could be worth even less.

As an owner in a high demand location who rarely exchanges, I really don't see the benefit of the program for me at this time. Please feel free to correct any of my assumptions above if the rules have been changed since the last time I was here.

You are right- nothing has changed. I am not a proponent of the program by any means, but there are some single week owners who have joined. Some feel that their cost savings in locking off and trading will in the long run make joining worthwhile. Others feel that if they bought resale it was worth being part of the full Marriott program while the opportunity exists. Others joined for the ability to rent points from others to increase their options and supplement their ownership for relatively easy and cheaper rentals. As a relatively high point allotted owner, while certainly there is too much skim to consider reserving at your home resort in points, you might find it beneficial at times to use points to reserve elsewhere, possibly being able to parlay a 7 day trade into 8,9 or 10 days at a lower point destination.

When making this decision, think about your needs today and if they will change 5 years or so down the road, as family dynamics change. If you don't anticipate trading much it may very well pay for you to stay put and continue business as usual. The majority of legacy owners are doing just that. Just giving you some reasons people are jumping on the bandwagon, many of whom rarely intend to trade for points.

 

[mm251]

Need help making a decision using your experience with points.

Nice to see so much information to base my decision on. I would like to know from those enrolled their experience using the DC points. I have 2 external, one eligible and one not. I can plug this info into the calculation examples provided. Doesn't look like I will save by enrolling only one. Notwithstanding: My experience with II has not been enjoyable. I find it difficult to get exchanges comparable to MKO, even with request first. If I have to rely on II for exchanges for both ownerships, I may wish I had spent the $1495!

I find the Hyatt point system very practical. If Marriott is that functional, the point system may be worthwhile. Is it easy to get an exchange under the DC points program? I would appreciate advice from others re: experience using DC.

Also, it would seem that if I enroll my eligible unit, I would loose the 13 month advance reservation unless I book at my home resort. Another reason to stay out?

I have tried to read all the threads and I probably missed some that addressed the same issues. I would appreciate opinions regarding my scenario.

 

[stevens397]

Okay - I need some help!

Marriott Fairway Villas was our first timeshare purchase and a mistake. We've been there a time or two and don't care to return. We bought with the idea of trading and have done well, but the whole II thing can be difficult. One of the things that is part of our life, thanks to learning about using frequent flier and hotel points, is planning way ahead. With II, you lose that option since you have to wait for them to match you to your request. And then, if it's far away, free tickets can be difficult to get.

That said, we've traded every other year for Marriott points and been able to trade to Palm Springs, Marbella and Newport Coast. We've made the best of a bad situation. We were actually so dumb we bought TWO weeks there at the same time but we sold one early on.

When I received the initial invite a few years ago, seemed to be a very small number of points so I just did nothing. But reading some posts, I'm concerned I may be out in the cold if we do nothing and that we certainly would not spend $2500 in a few years. I can afford the entry fee now without a problem. Is it worth it to keep my options open? We own two Starwood resorts and enjoy returning to Palm Springs and Scottsdale - Marriott is just kind of there for us. We've used most of the Marriott Rewards for stays at the Ritz Central Park and have had some extraordinary vacations.

What do you think? Sit tight and play the game the way we have or fork over the dollars now just to keep options open. At this stage of life, we take lots of overseas vacations and have done well with hotel points. Any ideas? Many, many thanks for any input.

Steve

 

[dioxide45]

I think perhaps a case can be made to enroll just for the fee savings alone. I will do this over five years. Since you trade every other year, I assume you still have an II membership that is annual and pay the fee every year, or a multi year renewal?

Year 1: Trade for MRPs - $109
Year 1: II Membership - $89
Year 2: Marriott to Marriott II Exchange - $119
Year 2: II Membership - $89
Year 3: Trade for MRPs - $109
Year 3: II Membership - $89
Year 4: Marriott to Marriott II Exchange - $119
Year 4: II Membership - $89
Year 5: Trade for MRPs - $109
Year 5: II Membership - $89

Over those five years you will pay ($165*5)+$595. So your cost to enroll and be in DC is $1420. Your a-la-carte fees over that same period is $1010. So it would cost you an additional $410 to enroll and be in DC. You gain additional options and can use DC points for reservation/trades through Marriott. However, you probably don't get enough points to get the same trades you do today. You also gain the ability to rent points directly from other owners or rent out your points. Only you can decide if those additional options are worth $410.

 

[stevens397]

Thanks Dioxide. Now I currently get 100,000 Marriott points every other year. Will I still get that? Can I get additional points on the other years by not using my week? If not, how do I actually use the other options on those years? Sorry, very few examples on the website and hard to understand the specifics.

Thanks again.

 

[dougp26364]

Thanks Dioxide. Now I currently get 100,000 Marriott points every other year. Will I still get that? Can I get additional points on the other years by not using my week? If not, how do I actually use the other options on those years? Sorry, very few examples on the website and hard to understand the specifics.

Thanks again.

You can do EVERYTHING with your week that you could do before you joined. The DC changes nothing, it just adds benefits.

You can reserve you home resort week just the way you always have

You can exchange for Marriott Rewards points as you always have

You can exchange your week through I.I. for other Marriott weeks as you always have

You can exchange your Marriott week for non-Marriott week through I.I. as you always have.

What does change is the fee structure (one fee vs ala carte fee's) and you have the added option of exchanging you week for Destination Club points and using the Destinaton Club options. Other than that, nothing changes.

After joining:

We've booked a weekend trip using the bonus points we received for signing up.

We've made a traditional Marriott to Marriott weeks exchange online.

We've exchange one of our weeks for DC club points.

We've used the points to reserve two 7 night vacations.

We've used DC points to add 3 nights to the front end of another vacation.

Later this year we'll reserve a home resort week for next year, lock off that unit and exchange the studio portion online through I.I. We may or may not use that week to exchange for another Marriott resort depending upon what we see for availability. If I can get a larger unit with at a non-Marriott resort (sales weasels are saying will only be able to trade studio for studio), then I'll explore non-Marriott trades and pay the exchange fee (it's worth it to me for a larger unit).

You're only adding options, you're not subtracting them.

 

[stevens397]

Thanks to all. Taking out my credit card right now!

 

[bobpark56]

I think perhaps a case can be made to enroll just for the fee savings alone. I will do this over five years. Since you trade every other year, I assume you still have an II membership that is annual and pay the fee every year, or a multi year renewal?

Year 1: Trade for MRPs - $109
Year 1: II Membership - $89
Year 2: Marriott to Marriott II Exchange - $119
Year 2: II Membership - $89
Year 3: Trade for MRPs - $109
Year 3: II Membership - $89
Year 4: Marriott to Marriott II Exchange - $119
Year 4: II Membership - $89
Year 5: Trade for MRPs - $109
Year 5: II Membership - $89

Over those five years you will pay ($165*5)+$595. So your cost to enroll and be in DC is $1420. Your a-la-carte fees over that same period is $1010. So it would cost you an additional $410 to enroll and be in DC. You gain additional options and can use DC points for reservation/trades through Marriott. However, you probably don't get enough points to get the same trades you do today. You also gain the ability to rent points directly from other owners or rent out your points. Only you can decide if those additional options are worth $410.

There are a few things wrong with the above posting:
1. The internal exchange fee is now $129 (from the MVCI web page).
2. Trading for Marriott rewards points is now $119.
3. Marriott says, "The fee is now only $165," implying this fee is likely to increase.
4. If you have to continue to pay for an II membership in order to trade other properties, you never get to write-off the $89/year. (This is a biggie for us, as we own only one Marriott 2BR unit.

I think you also omitted the fact that you will have to go outside of Marriott (or rent points) if you want to "trade up." So when you trade a 2BR gold week at MGV for a Marbella 3BR unit (did that this year) or for a Hilton Head Surfwatch unit (did that 2 years ago), or for Frenchman's Cove (did that last year) or for Aruba (did that 3 years ago)...you will not be able to escape II's exchange fees.

All this makes amortizing the DC sign-up and annual fees seem problematic. Or perhaps you are suggesting that those good trades will no longer be available through II?

 

[SueDonJ]

... I think you also omitted the fact that you will have to go outside of Marriott (or rent points) if you want to "trade up." So when you trade a 2BR gold week at MGV for a Marbella 3BR unit (did that this year) or for a Hilton Head Surfwatch unit (did that 2 years ago), or for Frenchman's Cove (did that last year) or for Aruba (did that 3 years ago)...you will not be able to escape II's exchange fees. ...

I might be confused about what you're saying here, but ...

When you enroll Week(s), you'll be able to make the same types of exchanges through your new/corporate II account as you were able to make in your old/individual account. You will not pay the II dues for that account or any exchange fees for Marriott-to-Marriott exchanges of your enrolled Week(s).

There's no reason why you won't be able to get similar up-trades as you've historically gotten through II. True, if you convert your enrolled Week(s) to DC Points for usage in the DC Exchange Company, then most likely you will not be able to duplicate your historical up-trades. But you won't have to convert to Points to do exchanges - you will still be able to do II exchanges and they'll be unaffected except that the II dues and fees for enrolled Week(s) are covered by the DC dues.

 

[dioxide45]

There are a few things wrong with the above posting:
1. The internal exchange fee is now $129 (from the MVCI web page).
2. Trading for Marriott rewards points is now $119.
3. Marriott says, "The fee is now only $165," implying this fee is likely to increase.

Good points, this brings Steven closer to break even instead of being at $410. This in fact puts his cost to enroll at $360 over five years. Even better. Sure that $165 fee is likely to go up, but the fee to do a Marriott to Marriott exchange in II has also gone up $10 per year consistently for the last four years. When we first bought in 2007, that fee was only $89.

4. If you have to continue to pay for an II membership in order to trade other properties, you never get to write-off the $89/year. (This is a biggie for us, as we own only one Marriott 2BR unit.

True, but I didn't get the impression that Steven owned other weeks. He owned two weeks at MFV and sold one of those weeks. Now only owns a single Marriott week. My response was directed to Steven's situation only.

If you also own only one Marriott week, you get this benefit too, you don't need to maintain an individual II account to trade in or outside of Marriott. Only those that own other II affiliated resorts need to be concerned with continuing to pay a separate II membership fee.

I think you also omitted the fact that you will have to go outside of Marriott (or rent points) if you want to "trade up." So when you trade a 2BR gold week at MGV for a Marbella 3BR unit (did that this year) or for a Hilton Head Surfwatch unit (did that 2 years ago), or for Frenchman's Cove (did that last year) or for Aruba (did that 3 years ago)...you will not be able to escape II's exchange fees.

Sure you can. Being enrolled eliminates those a-la-carte fees (lock off, exchange, II membership, trade for MRPs). These fees are all included in the combined DC annual fee of $165/$199.

All this makes amortizing the DC sign-up and annual fees seem problematic. Or perhaps you are suggesting that those good trades will no longer be available through II?

I believe that there will continue to still be plenty of good trades in II. I am not suggesting that Steven must now only trade in points. Enrolling doesn't force one to always elect DC points.

 

[TRAVELING FOOL]

Enrolling in DC program

Thank you all for the very informative points you've made regarding this issue. Until reading this, there was no way I was giving Marriott another dime. We generally exchange our 2 bedroom lock-off and have received many great deals through II. I will more than likely continue this , however, the $165/yr to DC really offsets all the lock-off,exchange fees, and II membership fee. There may be a time that I would want to go somewhere that only points could take me. Never thought I'd be joining, but never say never!

 

[channimal]

Looking at this though, do the numbers/fees get a little disproportionate if you bought your weeks via resale?

 

[mm251]

With the price increase two months away it appears we're going to be bombarded with this question; it's already in many different threads. I thought it might be a good idea for all of us to try to answer everything related to it in one place. Please feel free to add anything to the thread that helped you reach your decision.

*******

1) First and most important! Enrollment in the DC does not equate to a permanent exchange of your Week(s) to DC Points. With respect to existing Week(s) the Destination Club is basically an overlay exchange system, with the same availability limitations as any other exchange system. Enrollment does not change any of the traditional usage options of your Week(s). You will still be able to book your home resort in season for personal use, exchange through II, rent through Marriott or privately, etc. Enrollment simply gives you the additional option of converting your Week(s) to DC Points on an annual basis for usage in the DC system.

2) Effective 6/14/12 the Enrollment Fee will increase to $2,395 for all eligible* Weeks. Until 6/13/12, it is based upon the number of Weeks owned/being enrolled and the manner in which they were purchased:

- $595 for a single Week purchased direct from Marriott
- $695 for multi-Weeks purchased direct from Marriott
- $1,495 for a single Week purchased on the external market prior to 6/20/10
- $1,995 for multi-Weeks including at least one purchased on the external market prior to 6/20/10.

*Weeks purchased on or after 6/20/10 - on the external market OR through Resales by Marriott - are not eligible for enrollment.

3) To determine how many DC Points your Week(s) will be allotted, sign in to your my-vacationclub.com account and click on the "Learn More" button then "What Is My Week Worth?" This link should take you directly to the page after you sign in.

The owner status levels of DC Members are determined by the total number of DC Points for which you're eligible (and not by how many you may be using in a given year.) These numbers are defined in the docs as a percentage of the aggregate total of DC Points and therefore, are subject to change. Premier Members represent the top 20%, Premier Plus Members represent the top 5%. Currently, a Standard Member has up to 6,499 DC Points; a Premier Member has 6,500 - 12,999 DC Points; a Premier Plus Member has 13,000+ DC Points. This Benefits At A Glance chart details some of the benefits of membership status.

4) The current annual Club Dues fee is $165 for Standard Members, $199 for Premier and Premier Plus Members. If you enroll your Week(s) you will be required to pay this annual fee regardless of whether you elect to convert your enrolled Week(s) to DC Points in a given year, and you must pay this annual fee in addition to the annual Maintenance Fees for your specific resorts. If you do not pay this fee your enrollment will end; re-enrollment will be subject to the terms and fees in effect at the time of re-enrollment.

This fee covers the per/transaction Marriott fees related to Weeks usage such as cancellations, lock-offs, MRP-exchanges, etc. General consensus is that this fee will probably increase over time just as the per/transaction fees have historically been subject to increases.

5) The Club Dues fee also covers the II dues for the new/corporate II account which will be assigned to you, as well as the Marriott-to-Marriott exchange fees through that new II account. Note if you exchange your enrolled Week(s) through that new II account to non-Marriott resorts, or, if you include a non-Marriott resort in an ongoing search through that account (regardless of whether it's ultimately matched to a Marriott resort,) you will be required to pay those II exchange fees. As well, if you own non-Marriott resorts you will have to maintain a separate II account for those.

If you have an ongoing request in your old II account, that Week deposit will remain in that account and you will have to pay the II transaction fee for its ultimate exchange match.

When all of your Weeks have been enrolled and moved into your new II account, you will be eligible for AC's from II depending on how many months/years you have remaining on your old account: one AC if you have between one year and 35 months remaining, two AC's if you have between three years and 59 months, three AC's if you have more than five years remaining. They'll be issued/processed in your old/individual account on a staggered basis, and you will have to pay the exchange fees for their use. Each will expire one year from the date of issue. Some TUGgers have been able to get a partial refund of their II dues, instead of keeping their old accounts open with these AC's, by calling in to II and requesting it.

Those of us who have enrolled our Week(s) do not see any differences between our old/individual and new/corporate II accounts. The website interface is the same, inventory is the same for exchanges and Getaways, the occasional II promotions for extra intervals are the same, access to XYZ's is the same, up-grading to Gold and Plat status in II is the same, etc. Your DC Club Dues, however, will not cover any of these II extras.

6) Enrolled Week(s) that were purchased direct from Marriott will retain the Marriott Rewards Points exchange option as it was originally offered. Any pre-6/20/10 external resale Week(s) which are enrolled will gain an MRP exchange option as defined in the MR-related governing document:


Basically, an enrolled external-resale Week will be eligible for the same amount of MRP that a similar direct-purchase Week is allotted, but on a reduced-frequency basis. For example, a SurfWatch Plat 3BR direct-purchase Week can be exchanged annually for 135K MRP. A same-interval Week purchased prior to 6/20/10 on the external market will gain upon enrollment the option to exchange it every-other-year for 135K MRP.

7) Upon enrollment you will receive 800 DC Points as a bonus incentive, which will expire one year from the date of issue. This is the Points Chart detailing the number of DC Points required to reserve intervals. Play around with it to get an idea of how much usage value you can get out of those bonus Points - consider using them to tack on extra days to a Week(s) reservation, a weekend at a drive-to resort, etc.

Note this Points Chart is also the one you'll use to figure out usage of enrolled Week(s) that you've converted to DC Points.

8) If you do enroll your Week(s) remember that the status and usage rules of each program do not extend to the other. You follow the rules for whichever system you're using at the time. For example, if you're booking Weeks then you go by the same Reservation Windows you always have, and if you're booking DC Points then you follow the Reservation Windows for those. There are many new links on the my-vacationclub.com website to help figure out the mechanics of all the different usage options.

9) Enrollment of a Week does not transfer upon resale of the Week to the new owner, and, the new owner will not be able to enroll the Week because external resales purchased after 6/20/10 are not eligible for enrollment. Upon family transfer of an enrolled Week, the enrollment can transfer although the new owner of record may have to pay the then-current enrollment fee. (The family transfer info is based on statements from Marriott execs since the DC inception; I don't think any actual transactions have been reported to TUG.)

********
Generally, enrollment in the DC makes the least amount of sense for owners of a single Week who do not routinely pay more than $165 annually in per/transaction Marriott and II fees, i.e. owners who use their Weeks at home resorts in season. It makes the most sense for owners of multi-Weeks who routinely pay annual fees in excess of $199, i.e. those who lock-off and/or exchange on a regular basis. For some, the flexible usage options - less-than-7-days DC Points stays, non-weekend check-in dates, the ability to bank/borrow Points to different Use Years, etc. - are major factors in favor of DC enrollment. Certainly, some Weeks have been valued much higher than others by Marriott and the high Points allotments of those Weeks is another major factor.

There is no one right or wrong answer. Take a look at your usage pattern and figure out if enrollment in the DC would, a) be cost-effective on a regular basis, or b) expand your options in ways that you will most likely take advantage of in the future. Then consider your gut feelings and make your decision. Finally, whatever you decide, go on and enjoy your vacations no matter how you're able to book them!

Good luck - it's not always an easy decision.

By my calculations, it appears that a single week external owner would be negative $40 after 5 years as an enrolled owner that exchanges lock-offs every year. That assumes no increase in DC fees or II exchange fees. However, there are many other variables posted that may enhance enrollment. Those enhancements beg the following questions:
1. There is an apparent abillity to rent points from others. Where are those points listed as rentals?
2. If I elect to use points by September 30 for the following year, am I then unable to use II exchanges and restricted to using points and the included skim?
3. Q&A at MVC, if I understand it correctly, indicates that I can only reserve point based exchanges after December 31, of the proceeding year. Since I would be a standard member by points, does that mean that I would have to wait until January to reserve point based exchanges within the next 12 months.
4. I understand that I would receive 800 points at enrollment. Would I have to wait until next year to combine the 800 points with my 2013 allotment for a reservation?

Given the flexibility of DC points, coupled with aquisition costs, enrollment may still be a viable option coupled with my currently ineligible ownership.

My apologies if I missed the answer in other posts.

Thanks,
MichaelJ

 

[ilene13]

With 9 days left at the $695 rate I too will never say never. Although at this juncture it will cost us more annually as I have to keep a second II account, we own no lockoffs and never exchange my Marriott units. But I have some thoughts:
We will probably retire the next year or so to Florida--I may not want to go to Aruba weeks 51 and 52--maybe summer--it's cooler than Fla.
We may not use Surfwatch in July as we will already be in Fla.
So DC will give more options without trading through II. Here are some questions:
We will have 13500 points. If in any year I only change some of my units to points, would we still get the 13 month advantage for the points reservations?
They are giving me 800 bonus points. If I called Marriott right now would they be kind enough to tell me if there was points availability for some days at Crystal Shores in Oct?

Thank you all.

 

[NJMOM2]

1. There is an apparent abillity to rent points from others. Where are those points listed as rentals?
http://vacationpointexchange.com/ - Thank you GregT and StevenTing

2. If I elect to use points by September 30 for the following year, am I then unable to use II exchanges and restricted to using points and the included skim?
If you elect to use your 2013 week as points you cannot change you mind and make your 2013 use year a week again to use in II

3. Q&A at MVC, if I understand it correctly, indicates that I can only reserve point based exchanges after December 31, of the proceeding year. Since I would be a standard member by points, does that mean that I would have to wait until January to reserve point based exchanges within the next 12 months.
Not sure I completely understand your question but I'll try to answer it. Since we are already in the middle of 2012 you cannot elect points for your 2012 week - They should have been elected by 9/30/11. If you elect to use your 2013 weeks for points you can make a reservation for any date in 2013 from 1/1/13 to (around) the current date. (Check the release date for the check in day you want - it should be available around 12 months ahead of check in) If you want to make 2013 points reservation in Nov. - you will have to wait till Nov. 2012 when the inventory is released. Your 2013 use year points are good from 1/1/13 to 12/31/13 unless borrowed to 2012 or banked to 2014.

4. I understand that I would receive 800 points at enrollment. Would I have to wait until next year to combine the 800 points with my 2013 allotment for a reservation?
You can borrow your 2013 points to combine with your 800 enrollment points to make a reservation before the end of 2012. You can also use the 800 points up to one year after you get them - one year from now in 2013 - or you can use them by themself before they expire (one year from enrollment).

Good luck with your decision.

 

[NJMOM2]

We will have 13500 points. If in any year I only change some of my units to points, would we still get the 13 month advantage for the points reservations?

Your points status level is determinded by the total number of points you are entitled to in a given year - it does not matter if you EVER exchange your weeks for points and leave them as weeks.

They are giving me 800 bonus points. If I called Marriott right now would they be kind enough to tell me if there was points availability for some days at Crystal Shores in Oct?

I don't know if Marriott you let you know if what you is available if you are not already an enrolled member. I hope they would be kind enough. Give them a call and see. I do know that as an enrolled member they will tell you if something is available using points BEFORE you elect to use points for a given year.

 

[SueDonJ]

With 9 days left at the $695 rate I too will never say never. Although at this juncture it will cost us more annually as I have to keep a second II account, we own no lockoffs and never exchange my Marriott units. But I have some thoughts:
We will probably retire the next year or so to Florida--I may not want to go to Aruba weeks 51 and 52--maybe summer--it's cooler than Fla.
We may not use Surfwatch in July as we will already be in Fla.
So DC will give more options without trading through II. Here are some questions:
We will have 13500 points. If in any year I only change some of my units to points, would we still get the 13 month advantage for the points reservations? ...

Your points status level is determinded by the total number of points you are entitled to in a given year - it does not matter if you EVER exchange your weeks for points and leave them as weeks.

With 13500 DC Points you'll have Premier Plus status. Any time you use the DC system you'll follow all the rules, eligibility, reservation windows, etc for Prem Plus Members, regardless of how many Weeks you're converting to Points at that time.

Remember that the rules, etc for each program do not extend to the other, so when you're using Weeks nothing changes from what you've always done.

... They are giving me 800 bonus points. If I called Marriott right now would they be kind enough to tell me if there was points availability for some days at Crystal Shores in Oct?

Thank you all.

... I don't know if Marriott you let you know if what you is available if you are not already an enrolled member. I hope they would be kind enough. Give them a call and see. I do know that as an enrolled member they will tell you if something is available using points BEFORE you elect to use points for a given year.

I agree. Once you're enrolled you can call anytime and ask them to check DC availability without committing to converting Weeks to Points. Calling specifically about availability before you're enrolled might not get you the same results, but it's worth a try. You might have some success if you explain to the rep that you want to have a somewhat specific question answered before you commit to enrollment - something like, "if you search now do you see availability, for example, at Crystal Shores in October?" If they just flat out refuse to search availability during that call, you can always hang up without committing to enrollment and then ask a TUGger who has DC Points to search for you. (I'd do it but don't have any Points to play with. )

Good luck. It sounds like you have a pretty good grasp of what you need to know, and I don't blame you for wanting to be sure.