Just to add...my experience (originally posted in the "Sightings" thread).
Yeah, let me clarify. I am a SBP owner. I did a search with a fake (not yet deposited) 2009 week and saw weeks which were not listed in JerseyGirls original post (mainly a May 2-9th WKORV week that would butt up against the May 9-16 week I already had). Rather than deal with the Starwood deposit drama, I decided to put in an ongoing request with my WorldMark.
Lo and behold, when I searched again with my fake 2009 SBP week (about a half hour later...when I started getting paranoid and thinking I should just call Starwood and see if I cold get a week deposited FAST), the May 2-9 week had disappeared! I silently cursed myself and figured I had rolled the dice and lost. NOT SO. In the wee hours of the morning the next day, I received a confirmation certificate via e-mail.
Now, I believe there are only a few possibilities that explain what happened:
1) Someone grabbed my week and then later relinquished it, and it filled my request.
2) More weeks were deposited by Starwood after I placed my request.
3) Behind the scenes, II immediately pulled the week when I made the request and I got the notification with the "batch" process that they run in the wee hours every morning.
My observation: 1&2 are VERY unlikely...but possible. Regardless, even if one of those 2 things happened, it is obvious the 72 hour preference does not apply to ongoing requests.
The most concerning is if #3 is what really happened. Why? Because it means we are essentially destroying our own 72 hour preference by posting on the sightings board. If anyone can initiate a ongoing request after seeing a sighting and have it pull the inventory right away, it defeats any advantage we have. On the other hand, it DOES possibly open a new debate about trading strategy for those of us who own other resorts - I am thrilled to have got my week using WorldMark and keeping my SBP '09 available for snagging something else.
I am just going to point out that NOT ALL STARWOOD WEEKS TRADE THE SAME.
When I search for sightings/Starwoods - MOST times, I can see the most Starwood weeks with a summer deposited SBP.
example:
deposited summer 1BR SBP - I see 30 units, 1 and 2BRs
undeposited summer 1BR SBP - usually the same but not always - maybe 26-28 1 & 2BRs
undeposited shoulder week, late fall week 44 - would see 23-25 and mostly 1BRs
deposited 1BR PGA March week - from the original 30 - maybe 20, mostly 1BRs
undeposited 2BR PGA March week - 24-26 1 and 2BRs
undeposited 1BR PGA shoulder week 44 - maybe 10 units
undeposited 2BR PGA shoulder week 44 - 16-18 units - more 2BRs then above.
This is why the week that you deposit in II is VERY important......because a STRONG non-Starwood week will get an exchange before a weak Starwood one.
Also remember that II is fluid - constantly changing - someone can post a sighting at 10:30 - you can go at 10:40 and only see half of what was posted and then go back in 1 hour and see MORE of whatwas posted - every time people click on the exchange button - it takes that deposit 'out of sight' for 18 minutes to 1 hour - people either confirm or throw it back.
Now, I believe there are only a few possibilities that explain what happened:
1) Someone grabbed my week and then later relinquished it, and it filled my request.
This happens ALL the time
2) More weeks were deposited by Starwood after I placed my request.
This also happens but these weeks would normally be under the Starwood preference
3) Behind the scenes, II immediately pulled the week when I made the request and I got the notification with the "batch" process that they run in the wee hours every morning
This is what happened - as soon as you placed your request, it was matched. This is how an ongoing search works. The week you got was already beyond the Starwood preference period.