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Anyone else thinking of dropping out of MVC Destinations program?

PamMo

PamMo

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Just curious... Am I the only one who enrolled in the points program, who is going to drop out? I enrolled my Marbella week, thinking it was my one and only chance to try out the program. It was a rash decision. :doh: The point allocation really is too low, and the options too limited with my one week, to justify paying an additional $211.75 ($175 Standard Club Dues + $36.75 Spain VAT) for membership next year.
 
Never planned on trading in my unit for points. The $175 is a huge savings for folks who pay for annual II membership + locking off + trading each half + potentially re-trading. It's an economic savings and provides an account where we could utilize rented points, if we desire sometime. Everyone's usage is different.
 
You've been enrolled and know already that it doesn't work for you so it seems like you're making the right choice. The only negative I see to dropping the DC Membership is that if you decide to re-enroll at a later time, you'll be subject to the enrollment rules and fees that are in effect at that time (and I would guess that fees will only go up.)

If you've done any DC Points rentals, you probably already know that when you un-enroll you won't be able to do them the same way (by transferring rented Points into your DC account.) But you'll still be able to rent reservations made by DC Members using their DC Points, and from what I understand those rentals are offered on the same per-Point basis as Points Transfers. And of course, using your Week as a Week makes no difference whether you're a DC Member or not.

[eta] If you do end up un-enrolled, it will be interesting to know how that affects your II accounts. I'm guessing you'll lose the DC-related account and will have to revert back to the individual account that you had prior to enrollment. In my case, that account expired so I'm wondering what payment/term options would be available to reinstate it.
 
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good evening...

Pam...please follow the bouncing puck and let me know if my logic makes sense... You have already paid the enrollment fee, so that $$$ is gone... As an enrolled member even if you never use DC points, you pay $211 club dues. This covers exchange fees, lock off fees and cancellation fees. If you un-enroll you will have to go back to the yearly II fee ($100). If you just occupy your week every year then you save $100 yearly and possibly more as you would not need an II account to occupy. However if you exchange your unit just once a year in II, then you need to pay the II fee $100 + the exchnage fee (over $100). You are right back at $211.. With DC if you book your week and change your mind there is no cancellation fee. If you lock off your unit and exchange both as an unenrolled member you pay the II yeraly fee and TWO exchange fees, clearly losing $$$...

As Sue stated, if you're enrolled you can always rent points (for just above MF) and get some nice hook ups!!!

My advice

STAY ENROLLED... the enrollment fee now is $2100
 
Second that! Stay enrolled!
 
OK, I appreciate the thoughts, and maybe I am missing something? :ponder:

When I signed up, I knew what my points allotment would be, and I thought it might make sense. Since my weeks are all resale, this was my sole opportunity to try out Marriott's points-based program. I have points with Hilton and Starwood, and really like their flexibility, but I have high value weeks worth a lot of points. My problem with enrolling the Marbella week is that it is a straight 2BR (no lock-offs at Marbella), and Marriott gives the unit little value (2,975) compared to what I can get with Interval trades, owner-to-owner trading, or simply renting it out. It would make sense to be in the DC program if I could enroll my resale oceanfront KBC 2BR (a lock-off worth more points), but I can't. I already have an Interval account, so I'd just roll it back into that.

Like EKniager wrote, everyone's usage is different. I got some use out of the program by using the "free" week I got for signing up for a wonderful week at Surfwatch, but from now on I have to get some added value for the membership fee, and I don't see it where I'm going to get it.
 
PamMo said:
OK, I appreciate the thoughts, and maybe I am missing something? :ponder:

When I signed up, I knew what my points allotment would be, and I thought it might make sense. Since my weeks are all resale, this was my sole opportunity to try out Marriott's points-based program. I have points with Hilton and Starwood, and really like their flexibility, but I have high value weeks worth a lot of points. My problem with enrolling the Marbella week is that it is a straight 2BR (no lock-offs at Marbella), and Marriott gives the unit little value (2,975) compared to what I can get with Interval trades, owner-to-owner trading, or simply renting it out. It would make sense to be in the DC program if I could enroll my resale oceanfront KBC 2BR (a lock-off worth more points), but I can't. I already have an Interval account, so I'd just roll it back into that.

Like EKniager wrote, everyone's usage is different. I got some use out of the program by using the "free" week I got for signing up for a wonderful week at Surfwatch, but from now on I have to get some added value for the membership fee, and I don't see it where I'm going to get it.
Click to expand...
You say weeks - so if you have two Marriott weeks and exchange one a year - the exchange fee is now $170+ and the yearly II fee is $89.

That is more then $211….what are we missing?
 
GrayFal said:
You say weeks - so if you have two Marriott weeks and exchange one a year - the exchange fee is now $170+ and the yearly II fee is $89.

That is more then $211….what are we missing?
Click to expand...

It sounds like she has two II accounts. One for the points program and one for the KBC week she can not enroll. So if she drops out she could have just one II account, and therefore save some money.

Ray
 
rsackett said:
It sounds like she has two II accounts. One for the points program and one for the KBC week she can not enroll. So if she drops out she could have just one II account, and therefore save some money.

Ray
Click to expand...
If that is the case, then this is true.
 
I will probably stay in the program but may not convert to points again. I converted to points and went to Grande Chateau in March but it really was a waste. I have 2 holiday weeks that rent for a lot of money compared to the number of points they assigned them.
If I'd rented my 3 BR and rented the Grande Chateau from an owner, I would have come away with an extra $2,000 in my pocket. I'm finding the same is true with II exchanges. I'd like to buy a good Marriott trader, but, of course, they wouldn't let me enroll it in the Destination Club anyway so I'm using my Hyatt in II and that is working well. I mean, how many vacations do I need anyway? Answer: as many as possible!
 
GrayFal said:
You say weeks - so if you have two Marriott weeks and exchange one a year - the exchange fee is now $170+ and the yearly II fee is $89.

That is more then $211….what are we missing?
Click to expand...

Actually the exchange fee for Marriott to Marriott trades is around $124, it may have gone up recently. With the II annual fee being $89, the OP would be at an almost break even point with the week. However, since they are currently paying for a separate II account of an illegible week, they will save $87 a year by un-enrolling ($211-$124).

I am not sure I would un-enroll or not. The OP sunk a lot of money in enrolling a resale week. Of course that money is gone and there really is no way to recoup that financially like many that own multiple weeks or lockoff weeks. However the OP can always get two weeks out of one and still save two exchange fees on II trades.
 
"Non-Marriott" exchanges are $164.
 
dioxide45 said:
..However the OP can always get two weeks out of one and still save two exchange fees on II trades.
Click to expand...

Getting two weeks of vacation out of one sounds good, but it's not so easy to do with 2,975 points. In II, that trades for a 2BR with a TDI value of 50-85, or a 1BR with a TDI value of 115-135. I have much cheaper traders than my gold week in Marbella. Even II Getaway weeks can be cheaper for low demand weeks. I think the deal killer is that my week is a straight 2BR. I can definitely see that I would save money if it was a lock-off.
 
Pam seems to own a 2 bed unit at Marbella. There are no lock offs at Marbella Beach Club. Not even the 3 bed units lock off. Also as a European resort, she probably was only able to enroll as of June 18th 2012 and so paid a much higher enrollment fee unless she already enrolled a US resort week from June 2010.

As such it was probably not worth enrolling just the one week in the DC but what's done is done. Un-enrolling is however a more complex issue as has already been highlighted by other posts.

For me the cut off point for enrollment in Europe was 3 weeks owned, 2 or less weeks was not an economic proposition even if you had a lock-off option.

I would probably cut my losses now and put this down to experience - UNLESS I was planning to rent points to add to my total and then that might change my view.
 
Hi Pam,

Can you call II and see if you can combine your memberships? It seems that would save you some money. Also, looking at the points charts, you can get something for 2900 points, if you can travel in off season. It takes time to explore all the scenarios, but it could be doable.

Best,

Diane
 
dmharris said:
Hi Pam,

Can you call II and see if you can combine your memberships? It seems that would save you some money. Also, looking at the points charts, you can get something for 2900 points, if you can travel in off season. It takes time to explore all the scenarios, but it could be doable.

Best,

Diane
Click to expand...

It is impossible to combine a personal II account with a Marriott corporate account.
 
For all: We just did a presentation two days ago at Frenchman's Cove and though we're members of the DC, we don't own points, nor do we plan to at this time. Owning a two bedroom lock-off that we trade every year, we joined as it will save us cash over the course of time.

I told the sales people, if I want points, I can rent them. They came back with "why not own the points and rent them to others?" I don't see that as a money maker. Do you?

They sell the DC as being more flexible, which I agree, but I told them I have my own Flexibility Club with my Marriott Rewards, Hilton, Hyatt and Starwood rewards, Frequent flier miles on over four airlines and points accumulated from credit card purchases, e.g. American Express points. My "club" gives me "free" flights or hotel stays, as I need them. They didn't press me. They were very congenial and polite. I was pleased with this presentation.
 
MALC9990 said:
As such it was probably not worth enrolling just the one week in the DC but what's done is done. Un-enrolling is however a more complex issue as has already been highlighted by other posts.
Click to expand...

Did I miss a vital thread about un-enrolling? I thought to unenroll you simply don't pay the DC annual fee? How complex is it?
 
dmharris said:
I told the sales people, if I want points, I can rent them. They came back with "why not own the points and rent them to others?" I don't see that as a money maker. Do you?
Click to expand...

They certainly aren't. Especially trust points at developer prices. With trust point MF at $0.45 pp, you can probably only rent at a small premium. This would take a long time to earn back that upfront cost.
 
Another point worth at least pondering for a moment is whether you believe down the road, Marriott will re-open a window of time to allow post 6/20/10 resale purchased weeks to be enrolled in the DC. If that were to occur in the next 5 years from now as an example, would it be worth it to pay the $211.75 per year for the next 5 years to keep your Marbella week enrolled if you knew you would be interested in enrolling your KBC 2BR lock off in the DC. Only you can make that decision, and there are certainly a lot of ifs and buts to consider, but as you pointed out, if you were able to enroll your KBC lock off, then it may make sense for you to be in the DC. Would hate to have you effectively throw away the enrollment fees you have already paid if you think this is at all a possibility in the not to distant future.
 
Thanks everyone. Your points are ones that I considered when I enrolled the week. There were a lot of "ifs" that factored into my decision, the biggest were if I could/would make good use the flexibility of points, and the faint hope that I'll be able to enroll my KBC week in the future. We LOVE our Marbella timeshare, and have used the week once, and traded with another owner since joining DC - so I haven't used the Destination Club system yet (other than our "free" stay at Surfwatch), so the fees seemed like such a waste.

Your suggestions/advice made me take another look at the points chart, and I see some options that might work for 2015 (like many TUGgers, we plan our vacations w-a-y ahead), so I will probably stay in DC a bit longer and try to make it work. Thanks again.
 
good morning

Pam

good call...

just curious... What season is your Marbella..maybe you and I could trader some day... Spain is on the 2015 list!!!!
 
Marbella

Just as an FYI......those of us in the Destinations Program, DO have the option of getting into the Marbella property at either the 1BR,2BR or 3BR in exchange for points.
 
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