Good or Bad purchasing Marriott Timeshare in Cancun

[JustRed]

Just purchased Destination Points membership at Marriott Timeshare Resorts in Cancun and still within the window of cancellation.

Communication is slow due to language barrier and it makes negotiations difficult. Is it better to purchase it in US instead? Would appreciate any input on the pros and cons. Thank you.

 

[tschwa2]

Can't comment on your deal without specifics - price, number of points and other bonuses.

It is interesting that they are selling DC points in Mexico.

 

[steve b]

We are unaware of any current Marriott timeshares in Cancun. Were you sold destination points at the one of Marriott's Hotel Properties in Cancun?

 

[gmarine]

Definitely rescind. The deal will always be there in the future if you choose to buy after doing some research.

 

[dioxide45]

It doesn't really matter where you buy except for the length of the rescission period. I don't know how long it is in Mexico. DC points are sold as part of a Florida based land trust. So a point is a point, it doesn't matter where you buy them.

I have been aware that they had a sales presence at the JW or Casa Magna in Cancun. Is that where you bought them?

I think the best advice is to rescind your purchase and do more research about what you are really buying. If you find you want to buy the same points direct from Marriott, the same offer or very similar will be there later. No matter what they tell you.

You should be able to find other deals or even a hybrid deal that will get you the points for about $7 per point instead of the $12 you probably paid.

 

[larryallen]

Rescind, think about it back in real life, and then you can always buy it if you still want.

 

[ilene13]

MVCI have a sales office at the JW and Casa Magna in Cancun. They are selling Destination Points but there are no timeshares down there. RESCIND.

 

[JustRed]

Just want to clarify, I purchased DC points.

@ dioxide45-Correct, I stayed at JW Marriott in Cancun and purchased it with their sales rep. My research led me to believe that the price for 4000 points first year and then 2000 points thereafter, getaways, and other promotion is right on point at least in my judgment. The cost to buy additional point is $12.66 with a minimum of 1000 points. This is the sticking point. The legal docs is being handled in Florida. 10 days recession period.

Ilene13: Correct Destination points.

Thanks for all the responses thus far.

 

[Bill4728]

Just want to clarify, I purchased DC points.

@ dioxide45-Correct, I stayed at JW Marriott in Cancun and purchased it with their sales rep. My research led me to believe that the price for 4000 points first year and then 2000 points thereafter, getaways, and other promotion is right on point at least in my judgment. The cost to buy additional point is $12.66 with a minimum of 1000 points. This is the sticking point. The legal docs is being handled in Florida. 10 days recession period.

Ilene13: Correct Destination points.

Thanks for all the responses thus far.

So you bought 2000 DC pts at $12.66 /pt (RIGHT?)

BUT your concern is that you want to be able to buy more later at the same price?

IMHO, The general thought here is that DC pts are way overpriced and that if you want DC pts "buy 1500 then rent pts from other owners". Often you can get rented points for <$0.50 / pt when you need more pts. For many people that is less than the MFs on your own pts.

Hope this helps

ps You can buy resale DC points from a current owner for about $5/pt then pay the junk fees MVC charges to transfer the pts to you ( ~$2/pt or >$3000/1500 pts) so you end up paying a little more than $7/pt or $11,000 for 1500 DC pts

 

[JustRed]

So you bought 2000 DC pts at $12.66 /pt (RIGHT?)

BUT your concern is that you want to be able to buy more later at the same price?

IMHO, The general thought here is that DC pts are way overpriced and that if you want DC pts "buy 1500 then rent pts from other owners". Often you can get rented points for <$0.50 / pt when you need more pts. For many people that is less than the MFs on your own pts.

Hope this helps

ps You can buy resale DC points from a current owner for about $5/pt then pay the junk fees MVC charges to transfer the pts to you ( ~$2/pt or >$3000/1500 pts) so you end up paying a little more than $7/pt or $11,000 for 1500 DC pts

Bill-This pretty much sums it up re points. Thank you so much!!

As to purchase on the resale market, there are other costs associated and MVC has the first right of refusal plus I have other incentives that are included that even Florida is not offering them.

 

[Seaport104]

Bill-This pretty much sums it up re points. Thank you so much!!

As to purchase on the resale market, there are other costs associated and MVC has the first right of refusal plus I have other incentives that are included that even Florida is not offering them.

What other incentives were offered that Florida office doesn't offer?

 

[JIMinNC]

Bill-This pretty much sums it up re points. Thank you so much!!

As to purchase on the resale market, there are other costs associated and MVC has the first right of refusal plus I have other incentives that are included that even Florida is not offering them.

Yes, but the price Bill quoted at $5/point is about what most TUGgers think it will take to avoid Marriott electing their Right of First Refusal. They have been exercising ROFR at $4.50 to $4.70 per point. The additional costs are the $2/point fees that Marriott charges to activate resale points, so the total cost is around $7/point or a little more after closing costs.

We're your incentives enough to bring the cost per point into the $7 range?

 

[davidvel]

What other incentives were offered that Florida office doesn't offer?

Exactly.

To the OP:
And, what other costs than what Bill4728 noted above? Are you trying to justify your purchase, or get the best advice from seasoned veterans?

Your window is quickly closing.

 

[JustRed]

Exactly.

To the OP:
And, what other costs than what Bill4728 noted above? Are you trying to justify your purchase, or get the best advice from seasoned veterans?

Your window is quickly closing.

The closing costs. Trying to get the best advice from seasoned veterans and thus far it has been great.

As to the incentives, more discount and getaway trips were included.

 

[JustRed]

We are unaware of any current Marriott timeshares in Cancun. Were you sold destination points at the one of Marriott's Hotel Properties in Cancun?

Yes, Steveb.

 

[m61376]

Hmmm..."getaway trips"- are you referring to the ability to book Getaways in II (Interval International)? Any owner can book these; I believe it is up t 12 a year, but I could be mistaken there. So it is not unique to the current offer, even if they poised it as such.

If you post the specifics of what incentives they are offering we will be able to tell you if they're unique to this offer and what the true value is, so you can make a more informed decision. Salespeople frequently overvalue incentives to justify inflated purchases.

Besides the resale points mentioned, make sure you understand about hybrid point bundle purchases from Marriott before finalizing any purchase. It is easy to rescind now and buy later; regrets can be VERY expensive.

 

[JustRed]

Hmmm..."getaway trips"- are you referring to the ability to book Getaways in II (Interval International)? Any owner can book these; I believe it is up t 12 a year, but I could be mistaken there. So it is not unique to the current offer, even if they poised it as such.

If you post the specifics of what incentives they are offering we will be able to tell you if they're unique to this offer and what the true value is, so you can make a more informed decision. Salespeople frequently overvalue incentives to justify inflated purchases.

Besides the resale points mentioned, make sure you understand about hybrid point bundle purchases from Marriott before finalizing any purchase. It is easy to rescind now and buy later; regrets can be VERY expensive.

m61376,

Here are the specifics of the transaction: $25K w/15% discount for 8 Beneficial Interests for 2000 points. An additional 2000 points were included for 1 yr. A worldpass was also included but it was in Spanish so I have no clue what it is. The way it was explained to me by the salesperson the getaway trips are "unlimited" w/an annual dues of $99.

No hybrid point bundle purchases were discussed or explained to me. Please elaborate on this so that I can make an informed decision. Thank you.

 

[gmarine]

Getaways are not free. They are available for purchase by Interval members and are mainly off season. The offer is $25K for an amount of points that wont even get you a two bedroom in high season at any resorts. Rescind.

 

[JIMinNC]

m61376,

Here are the specifics of the transaction: $25K w/15% discount for 8 Beneficial Interests for 2000 points. An additional 2000 points were included for 1 yr. A worldpass was also included but it was in Spanish so I have no clue what it is. The way it was explained to me by the salesperson the getaway trips are "unlimited" w/an annual dues of $99.

No hybrid point bundle purchases were discussed or explained to me. Please elaborate on this so that I can make an informed decision. Thank you.

So even after the 15% discount, your cost per point is still over $10/point. The 2000 points for one year is worth about $1000. Not sure of the value of the Worldpass, but I suspect it is minimal.

There would be at least two ways to get the same thing for less, or more points for similar money:

1) Buy 2000 resale points for around $5/point. You would then pay Marriott $2/pt to "activate" the resale purchase in the Destination Club. Closing costs would likely be $500 or less. Your total cost would be a little over $7/point (about $14,500 or less).

2) A hybrid bundle is when you buy a resale week from the Marriott Resales department in Orlando (link: https://www.marriottvacationclub.com/resales/index.shtml and then at the same time (or within 12 months) buy an amount of Destination Club points equal to the point value of that resale week. You may be able to find a week/points combination that for $20,000 to $30,000 you could wind up with 1500 to 2000 Destination Club Points, plus a week that can be enrolled in the Points system to allow you the option of another 1500 to 2000 points every year. Under this scenario your could wind up with 3500 or 4000 points which gives you a lot more booking options in the Marriott system and your resulting cost per point would also be in the $7 per point range, but in addition to a greater number of points, you would also have a deeded week that could be used - at your option - in the traditional weeks trading system in lieu of exchanging for points in any given year. By contrast, 2000 points gets you very, very little.

We used the hybrid bundle as our way into the system last year - a resale Silver week at Barony Beach Club in Hilton Head that can be exchanged for 1625 Points, plus 1750 Destination Club Points. Our available points every year are 3375, and our total cost was about $23,500, right at the $7/point figure.

If we elect the Barony week for points in any given year, we have 3375 points to use that year. If we choose not to elect, we can just use the Barony week in Hilton Head or trade it in Interval International, and still have our 1750 Destination Club points to use as well.

In my opinion, I agree with the others, you should rescind while you still can and research these other options. You can do better than $10/point.

 

[JustRed]

So even after the 15% discount, your cost per point is still over $10/point. The 2000 points for one year is worth about $1000. Not sure of the value of the Worldpass, but I suspect it is minimal.

There would be at least two ways to get the same thing for less, or more points for similar money:

1) Buy 2000 resale points for around $5/point. You would then pay Marriott $2/pt to "activate" the resale purchase in the Destination Club. Closing costs would likely be $500 or less. Your total cost would be a little over $7/point (about $14,500 or less).

2) A hybrid bundle is when you buy a resale week from the Marriott Resales department in Orlando (link: https://www.marriottvacationclub.com/resales/index.shtml and then at the same time (or within 12 months) buy an amount of Destination Club points equal to the point value of that resale week. You may be able to find a week/points combination that for $20,000 to $30,000 you could wind up with 1500 to 2000 Destination Club Points, plus a week that can be enrolled in the Points system to allow you the option of another 1500 to 2000 points every year. Under this scenario your could wind up with 3500 or 4000 points which gives you a lot more booking options in the Marriott system and your resulting cost per point would also be in the $7 per point range, but in addition to a greater number of points, you would also have a deeded week that could be used - at your option - in the traditional weeks trading system in lieu of exchanging for points in any given year. By contrast, 2000 points gets you very, very little.

We used the hybrid bundle as our way into the system last year - a resale Silver week at Barony Beach Club in Hilton Head that can be exchanged for 1625 Points, plus 1750 Destination Club Points. Our available points every year are 3375, and our total cost was about $23,500, right at the $7/point figure.

If we elect the Barony week for points in any given year, we have 3375 points to use that year. If we choose not to elect, we can just use the Barony week in Hilton Head or trade it in Interval International, and still have our 1750 Destination Club points to use as well.

In my opinion, I agree with the others, you should rescind while you still can and research these other options. You can do better than $10/point.

JIMinNC-This is my dilemma. The 2000 is too little and it puts me in the lower tier. Your concept makes perfect sense! Others had mentioned it as well. So greatly for this site. Where would you buy the points apart from Marriott? They gave me also an option to buy 250 pts for $3K within 1 year which is way too high also.
Thank you so much for the insight!

 

[JIMinNC]

JIMinNC-This is my dilemma. The 2000 is too little and it puts me in the lower tier. Your concept makes perfect sense! Others had mentioned it as well. So greatly for this site. Where would you buy the points apart from Marriott? They gave me also an option to buy 250 pts for $3K within 1 year which is way too high also.
Thank you so much for the insight!

The hybrid bundles have to be bought direct from Marriott, it's just an approach they don't usually mention unless you say no to the option to buy straight points. There are phone numbers in the link in my above post to the Orlando resales operation. They can sell you a week and probably put you in touch with the people to sell the matching points. Or any of the Sales departments at the various US Marriott resorts can put a package together as well.

Most resale brokers now also broker Marriott resale points if you opt to go the resale points route. Here are a couple of links:

http://www.sellingtimeshares.net

http://judikoz.com/Default.aspx

 

[NYFLTRAVELER]

There is no Marriott Vacation Club Timeshare in Cancun. It would be nice if there were. Make sure you know what you are buying........

 

[JustRed]

There is no Marriott Vacation Club Timeshare in Cancun. It would be nice if there were. Make sure you know what you are buying........

I wish too but they did make the claim that they are building new resorts as of part of their sales pitch. Rescinded already. Thanks.

 

[davidvel]

I wish too but they did make the claim that they are building new resorts as of part of their sales pitch. Rescinded already. Thanks.

Now you can decide what's best for you, with lots of accurate knowledge, and no pressure to close.

Oh, and ignore any calls from the sales crew.

 

[m61376]

I wish too but they did make the claim that they are building new resorts as of part of their sales pitch. Rescinded already. Thanks.

Just want to make sure that you followed the rescission process exactly, and sent it certified, return receipt.

If you're still away, relax, enjoy the rest of your vacation and when you get home take the time to learn and understand your options. A few small comments- wrt the Getaways- not sure where they get the $99/year from- II membership is included with your annual DC dues which would be ~$175 for that number of points. As mentioned above, those Getaways are often good buys, and sometimes even great deals, but they are not free. And it's a perk of II membership, and available to any owner.

Wrt hybrid purchases- there are several different approaches- picking a week basically that exchanges for half the number of total points you want, picking a week that is a good trader for when you may opt to trade it as a week in II, and/or picking a week at a location and in a season that you might want to visit at least some years. So a good place to start might be to read through various threads here and get a feel for the different locations, and think about if there are any in particular that you foresee yourself wanting to repeatedly visit. If there is, owning a week at a particular location is likely the cheapest option, and you might even want to just buy a week on the resale market (the external resale market prices are cheaper, and in many cases MUCH cheaper, than through Marriott resales) to dip your toes in, so to speak, the least expensive way; if you're set on starting as a DC member, then that might be a week to consider as part of the hybrid packages bought from Marriott resales.

Before you do anything, make sure you understand all the different options and benefits as well as drawbacks of the different memberships, as well as not only the up front costs but also the annual MF's. The best place to start is by reading all the stickies at the top of this forum. And feel free to ask questions along the way.