• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 31 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 31st anniversary: Happy 31st Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $23,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $23 Million dollars
  • Wish you could meet up with other TUG members? Well look no further as this annual event has been going on for years in Orlando! How to Attend the TUG January Get-Together!
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    Tens of thousands of subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

First trade... how did I do?

ded4025

TUG Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2006
Messages
92
Reaction score
20
Location
Boston
Resorts Owned
Marriott NCV
DVC VGF
Just last month we completed a purchase of a 2 bedroom SDO unit. The deal included the sellers 2011 week.

Last night, I put in for an exchange of my full unit for Harborside, Westin St John or the two Marriott's in Aruba and checked that we would accept a 1 bedroom. I selected only the summers month for 2012 (a 9 week period) because we have kids in school.

First thing this morning, received the email that we had a match! We got a 1 bedroom at the Marriott's Aruba Ocean Club.

I am completely fine with a trade of a 2 bdrm for the 1 bdrm because we are trading into Aruba but it does have me wondering, do you think if I had split off our unit, would our 1 bdrm have been enough to make this trade?
 

sail27bill

TUG Member
Joined
May 16, 2010
Messages
408
Reaction score
135
Location
Westchester County, NY
ded4025--interesting question. I honestly have no idea of the answer (I am sure experienced Tuggers will opine soon) but if I had a lock-off, I don't think I would have been happy with a 1 bedroom only. That being said, I traded my SVV 2 bedroom (non-lockoff) for 2 studios at the Ocean Club in June and I was happy with that trade as it was the exact week that I wanted and I felt that it being Aruba versus my Orlando week, it was a good trade. (And now I can take friends and we each have our own space).

In the last year my SVV hasn't been seeing the good Marriott weeks once they are outside Marriott priority (no 2 bedrooms), but it still sees great Starwood weeks, so it is what it is. I am sure SDO owners will be able to give you a more accurate picture on trading and their successes. My take is, if you are happy with the trade, then that is all that matters.

BTW, what week did you get? Remember, you still have 24 hours to cancel if you are not happy.

Anita
 

GregT

TUG Member
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2007
Messages
7,144
Reaction score
1,915
Location
Carlsbad, CA
Resorts Owned
Marriott: Maui Ocean Club Lahaina Villas (3BRx5), Ko Olina, Shadow Ridge II, Willow Ridge, Aruba Ocean Club, DC Points HGVC: Flamingo, Sea World, I-Drive, Starwood Bella (x4), SDO, TradeWinds, Worldmark
Just last month we completed a purchase of a 2 bedroom SDO unit. The deal included the sellers 2011 week.

Last night, I put in for an exchange of my full unit for Harborside, Westin St John or the two Marriott's in Aruba and checked that we would accept a 1 bedroom. I selected only the summers month for 2012 (a 9 week period) because we have kids in school.

First thing this morning, received the email that we had a match! We got a 1 bedroom at the Marriott's Aruba Ocean Club.

I am completely fine with a trade of a 2 bdrm for the 1 bdrm because we are trading into Aruba but it does have me wondering, do you think if I had split off our unit, would our 1 bdrm have been enough to make this trade?

I think you did well -- Marriott Aruba Ocean Club is an excellent destination and if it was the 2011 week, that was a "free week" anyway. Harborside or WSJ would have been unpredictable for you, so take the trade you got. It is unusual that there is a Marriott bulk deposit right now, so your timing was fortunate.

What you may want to do is call II and see if you can substitute a 2BR for the 1BR match either at Ocean Club or Surf Club. They may let you do it.

See the Sightings board for an on-going discussion on the Aruba bulk deposit.

Note: the really interesting thing about this is that you broke though the Marriott preference -- these units were just recently bulk deposited.

Best,

Greg
 
Last edited:

gnorth16

TUG Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2011
Messages
1,847
Reaction score
86
Location
Winnipeg, Canada
On the instant exchanges my 2BR SDO pulls the same trades as a 1BR. I personally would call and cancel but first try to just use a 1BR, allowing a 1BR trade later on.
 

jerseygirl

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
3,327
Reaction score
0
The original "XYZ" involved getting a second unit for just the price of the exchange fee when you "downgraded" from a 2-BR to a 1-BR (or from a 1-BR to studio, etc). II would voluntarily tell you about this if you expressed disappointment in going from a 2-BR to a 1-BR.

The first time I used it (5 or more years ago), I traded into a popular summer week in a 1-BR at Disney's Old Key West (there were no 2-BRs available). Then, when I saw a studio pop up a short time later, I called and was able to book it for just the exchange fee. Disney was able to put the two units together into a 2-BR lockoff. Would it be even better to get a 2-BR? Absolutely! But, the exchange fee is a small price to pay for the extra space.

I would watch for a studio on the same dates and call and ask. The worst they can do is say no. And, if you get it, contact the resort and ask that the two units be put together (of course, there are no guarantees, so if you have little kids, this might not work).

Once, we were booked into the Marriott Ocean Club and someone from HQ (not Aruba) called and identified themselves as the reservation coordinator (or something like that). Apparently, they had to take some OC rooms out of service and were putting us in the Surf Club instead. I mention this only because Marriott may handle room assignments outside of Aruba. So, if you are by some chance successful at scoring a studio, ask the Marriott experts on the Marriott board for the best contact info.

Good luck!

PS I think you did great for your first trade!! We love Aruba! And, you can't go wrong at the Marriott.
 

gnorth16

TUG Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2011
Messages
1,847
Reaction score
86
Location
Winnipeg, Canada
FWIW, I checked again and my 2BR, 1A and 1B pulls 4 studios for MSU.

Again for MAO, the same for a 2BR, a 1A or 1B. 4 1BRs and 6 studios.

My point is, if she calls back, she could get half her deposited unit back or get a studio and a 1BR at the same time of consecutively (and stay two weeks).
I'm not saying that this is regularly the case with sightings or II inventory, just that she could get the same with a 1BR (preferably B side).

Just trying to help...:shrug:
 

VacationForever

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2010
Messages
17,286
Reaction score
12,661
Location
Somewhere Out There
FWIW, I checked again and my 2BR, 1A and 1B pulls 4 studios for MSU.

Again for MAO, the same for a 2BR, a 1A or 1B. 4 1BRs and 6 studios.

My point is, if she calls back, she could get half her deposited unit back or get a studio and a 1BR at the same time of consecutively (and stay two weeks).
I'm not saying that this is regularly the case with sightings or II inventory, just that she could get the same with a 1BR (preferably B side).

Just trying to help...:shrug:
Yes, you're right! For this instance, absolutely, get one half of the unit back. I was referring generically to the difference in 2BR and 1BR pulling different units when both 1BR and 2BR units are available.
 

gnorth16

TUG Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2011
Messages
1,847
Reaction score
86
Location
Winnipeg, Canada
Yes, you're right! For this instance, absolutely, get one half of the unit back. I was referring generically to the difference in 2BR and 1BR pulling different units when both 1BR and 2BR units are available.

Agreed. Now if there were some 2BRs left in Aruba to even see if a SDO Gold Plus could trade a 2BR for a 2BR.... II is quirky at best! Sometimes I have to enter the same search a few times to see the most inventory, but nothing so far. Not really a big deal since it is not in my travel plans...
 
Top