Attending MVC preso in 10 minutes

[512damon]

I’m a legacy Vistana owner with an EOY deed to Vistana StarOptions that I’m pretty happy with. My Abound transfer rate is only 3,725 points for my 148,100 StarOptions. I don’t have much reason to look to buy today, but wanted to check here to see if anything has changed with the general principle of buying directly from MVC / Abound, or any pointed questions I should ask?

Thank you in advance for any support!

 

[Pamplemousse]

Don’t buy direct- the market is flooded with resale points (300+ ads on redweek) that will pass ROFR for $3-$4 and once you pay MCC the $3 activation fee to MVC they work exactly the same as what you will be offered direct for less than half the price.
No impulse buying ever- the answer is always no until you specifically research and think.

 

[dioxide45]

Just to be clear, so you go in with the right information. Your VOI or week at Westin Desert Willow will elect for 3,725 Abound Club Points. This is separate from your StarOptions. You own a Platinum Plus 2BR unit at Desert Willow.

The push will be to try and get you to upgrade to the Select Owner Benefit level which is 4000 points. This isn't a bad option, but you don't want to do it by purchasing direct. I did see a 500 point contract out on one of the timeshare broker websites and there is also one on Redweek. You could add this on to get to the Select level if you think it is worth while. Keep in mind that junk fees for resale points is $3/point or $3000 minimum. So in the case of 500 points you would have to pay $3000 on top of the purchase price. Still much cheaper than buying direct from Marriott.

 

[512damon]

This is great info - love TUG!! Thank you!!

 

[davidvel]

Hope they come back and tell us how it went.

 

[512damon]

Wrapped the call, did not purchase! They *strongly* advised against buying points resale when I brought that up. They referenced the ROFR and how they always ‘protect their points’ and how I would not become "part of Abound" if I purchased resale.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

Wrapped the call, did not purchase! They *strongly* advised against buying points resale when I brought that up. They referenced the ROFR and how they always ‘protect their points’ and how I would not become "part of Abound" if I purchased resale.

Certain that's not exactly correct..... congratulations...

 

[davidvel]

Wrapped the call, did not purchase! They *strongly* advised against buying points resale when I brought that up. They referenced the ROFR and how they always ‘protect their points’ and how I would not become "part of Abound" if I purchased resale.

Incredible. Every presentation, every time.

 

[dioxide45]

Wrapped the call, did not purchase! They *strongly* advised against buying points resale when I brought that up. They referenced the ROFR and how they always ‘protect their points’ and how I would not become "part of Abound" if I purchased resale.

Hogwash. They are buying back points through ROFR, but you can get them to pass and you are still part of Abound when they do. This goes back to one of our first presentations with Marriott. We were there on an Encore and it was right after we signed a contract to buy resale. The rep tried to say to my wife that she couldn't believe I didn't want to be part of the club (Marriott Vacation Club) because resales wouldn't be part of the club.

 

[Pennytx]

What should you ask for on a Marriott owners walk?
Please give advise
Tickets? Pre paid credit cards? Etc

 

[billymach4]

What should you ask for on a Marriott owners walk?
Please give advise
Tickets? Pre paid credit cards? Etc

My 2 cent. Don't waste your time.

Others here kinda like to make the rounds. DW gets upset and doesn't want to waste precious vacation time.

 

[dioxide45]

What should you ask for on a Marriott owners walk?
Please give advise
Tickets? Pre paid credit cards? Etc

We always take Bonvoy points. Sometimes it is 35,000 sometimes 40,000. They also offer prepaid cards. We never take tickets.

 

[Pennytx]

how much in prepaid cards do they offer?

 

[dioxide45]

how much in prepaid cards do they offer?

It can vary. I think the most we've been offered is $250. Some have reported as high as $400 and perhaps more. A lot will depend on current sale floor capacity and your owner profile.

 

[Dean]

What should you ask for on a Marriott owners walk?
Please give advise
Tickets? Pre paid credit cards? Etc

We rarely do them because Kim absolutely hates them. I generally enjoy them and would do them uncompensated if they'd actually schedule. I have done a number impromptu uncompensated by just going by at a slower time and asking to speak with someone. When we do them compensated we normally look at the options and decide. My preference is cash type options like a gift card or vouchers IF there are options we want to visit anyway AND I don't have other good discounts since you normally can't use vouchers with a discount. We have taken points as well.

 

[Dean]

It can vary. I think the most we've been offered is $250. Some have reported as high as $400 and perhaps more. A lot will depend on current sale floor capacity and your owner profile.

The highest I've gotten with MVC is $350 at MGO, I've gotten $400 at a non MVC location.

 

[TolmiePeak]

I asked for $300 in Orlando last December. They also gave $100 gift card for a restaurant.

 

[billymach4]

@Dean @dioxide45 how do you guys keep a straight face composure while listening to the spin pitch. Yes I have posed this question before to @dioxide45 who really likes to rack up the points.

 

[davidvel]

how much in prepaid cards do they offer?

Las month at Mountainside, offering was $200 Visa or $250 local restaurant cash (Ruth's Chris, Baja Cantina, others).

 

[dougp26364]

how much in prepaid cards do they offer?

Our offers have ranged from $200 to $350 in Visa Gift cards and 35,000 or 40,000 in BonVoy points

@Dean @dioxide45 how do you guys keep a straight face composure while listening to the spin pitch. Yes I have posed this question before to @dioxide45 who really likes to rack up the points.

I don’t. Most of the time we’re put with a more senior salesman that doesn’t try to put on a David Cooperfield sleight of hand magic show, so it’s not to bad. Every now and again we get the more aggressive salesman, and I just start looking at the time in my phone and wait patiently to tell him we have somewhere else to be.

I try not to correct them by repeating this phrase in my head. “ Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig”.

 

[Dean]

@Dean @dioxide45 how do you guys keep a straight face composure while listening to the spin pitch. Yes I have posed this question before to @dioxide45 who really likes to rack up the points.

Once they are certain you know what's going on they seem to be less likely to be blatant about such matters. Generally I just ignore them if they are off base and when I feel they've stepped over the line I move to end the session relatively quickly. I usually specifically ask to not be put with a relatively new salesperson because they generally don't truly know the product and actually believed their sales training. That's not to say that someone more experienced will automatically provide a more reasonable experience but at least you can generally have a more focused and realistic conversation much of the time. As noted, I personally tend to enjoy them unless they go too far off base or become insulting. We don't do them very often mostly because Kim refuses. I can usually get her to agree about once every 2 years unless we have a multiple week/resort stay they I generally insist we do one. I can often find tidbits of helpful information amid all the BS.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Wrapped the call, did not purchase! They *strongly* advised against buying points resale when I brought that up. They referenced the ROFR and how they always ‘protect their points’ and how I would not become "part of Abound" if I purchased resale.

lol, lies, lies, and more lies. (Well the last part is sort of true int hat if you buy a deeded week resale you can’t elect it into abound).

 

[jme]

@Dean @dioxide45 how do you guys keep a straight face composure while listening to the spin pitch. Yes I have posed this question before to @dioxide45 who really likes to rack up the points.

I think that "keeping a straight face" while the rep is "presenting" is quite easy-----it's the same as the bad young kid back in elementary school
sitting in front of his teacher, wanting to burst out at any minute,
but instead sitting very still, folding his hands tightly and keeping his lips sealed, BECAUSE the Recess bell was about to ring,
and he wanted to be able to exit stage left ASAP.

We do a presentation every so often because if the gift is nice enough, like a $250 gift card, I view that as two wonderful dinners out,
and for only 90 minutes, I certainly don't view that loss of time as losing precious vacation time, but instead GAINING precious vacation time.
AND, we always do the very first slot in the am, just prior to going out for a great breakfast, and frankly that great breakfast becomes the memory for the morning.
Presentation? What presentation?