here's a situation....

[travelbrite]

did a tour to get our $100 certificate while in st kitts. Of course they don't want to waste their time if you're not interested but i always tell them we're all ears. here's another interesting angle
we are going to marbella next summer. we have accumulated 270,000 points so far, if we purchase with him a week for points, under $15000, (75,000 POINTS EY) he will get us 2 first class tickets to london, 5 night hotel stay, tickets to marbella all with the points. Now my view is we are buying air tixs anyway so if we got the 1st class tickets, the timeshare would be a bonus that we own and can use for points every year.
i understand we can buy for much less on resale (no points) i also understand not to buy a timeshare for points, especially with the devalue approaching, and i am really not in the market for a second timeshare.
but as i said if he gets us 2 first class tickets is it worth it to own another timeshare? The timeshare he would like to sell us is in NJ (driveable) but not in my opinion a place where people would trade into, but aren't all marriotts good trades? it shows as a red week in the book.

 

[thinze3]

Getting first class travel to anywhere using miles is becoming harder and harder to do, especially with the latest round of changes in the airline industry. With the softness in the economies worldwide, however, who kows about future availability.

You can get first class travel, but usually on days that you may not be willing to travel. I would not trust that a Marriott sales person can get these fist class tickets for you!


Terry

 

[Latravel]

Your thinking is correct. If you buy the timeshare, the incentives they give you, in this case, make up the difference of cost between resale vs. direct. Even with the changes to the point system, there is still a tremendous value to having points.

The question is whether you want another timeshare and the associated maintenance fees. Only you can answer that question.

 

[Dave M]

First, you had better get in writing that promise of first class air tickets. Almost certainly what he is offering is enough Marriott Rewards points so that you can use frequent flyer miles to get first class seats, if the airline's capacity controls for free tickets makes them available for the dates you want..

Second, it seems pretty clear that, with the reduced valuation for Marriott Rewards points as of January 15, 2009, it's generally not a good idea to purchase a timeshare for the primary purpose of exchanging for points. You seem to agree with that. Yet, your basic question seems to be whether it's worth paying $15,000 because you might get two free first class plane tickets and accommodations. Or another way of putting it is that you would be paying an extra $7,000-$8,000 (versus resale) for those plane tickets and lodging.

If you believe those tickets are worth that much to you and if you believe you will be able to get them when you try, by all means go ahead. But spending that much for one trip would not be on my agenda.

Also, Seaview is not one of Marriott's best traders. How many people want to vacation in an area near Atlantic City for a week during the season he is offering you? Likely nowhere near as many as would want to vacation at many, many other Marriott timeshares in peak season.

 

[GrayFal]

did a tour to get our $100 certificate while in st kitts. Of course they don't want to waste their time if you're not interested but i always tell them we're all ears. here's another interesting angle
we are going to marbella next summer. we have accumulated 270,000 points so far, if we purchase with him a week for points, under $15000, (75,000 POINTS EY) he will get us 2 first class tickets to london, 5 night hotel stay, tickets to marbella all with the points. Now my view is we are buying air tixs anyway so if we got the 1st class tickets, the timeshare would be a bonus that we own and can use for points every year.
i understand we can buy for much less on resale (no points) i also understand not to buy a timeshare for points, especially with the devalue approaching, and i am really not in the market for a second timeshare.
but as i said if he gets us 2 first class tickets is it worth it to own another timeshare? The timeshare he would like to sell us is in NJ (driveable) but not in my opinion a place where people would trade into, but aren't all marriotts good trades? it shows as a red week in the book.

For 15K at Fairway Villas - this would be a Gold week....do NOT buy this if it is your intent to trade it - you will have to work VERY hard to get any other desirele times at other Marriotts. Platinum weeks at that resort do trade well as this is a beautiful Golf Resort with 2 championships courses but the golf season in NJ is Late May thru late Sept. Platinum seasons runs from the second week of April until the first week of November so there are Plat owners that can not get a desireable week of June-Labor Day.

He can get you the points you would need to get first class tickets but he can't guarentee you the tickets...simple as that.
And the 75,000 points you would get from owning the TS will buy 2 nights in a Cat 7 hotel with the recent devaluation - and you can buy that amount from Marriott for about $850 every year - without having to spend 15K on a TS.

Don't do it today - if it is really such a good deal, you can do it next week.

If you do buy from the developer, look at a unit with a lock-off feature - and NO, it is not true they are not building lock-offs anymore - it has to do with the available parking spaces/local requirements of units per spot available - edit - a lock-off will give u the best 'bang for your buck' in terms of usage and flexibility.

 

[travelbrite]

thanks all, i'm really trying to think this thru.
Yes Dave, that is correct, i know this timeshare sells for about $7000 resale, so by buying from the developer, the plane tickets (which i would need to purchase anyway) makes up the 50%. the other part of my question would be trade value since the points are really not going to get me much, i think Gary answered, that fairway villas is not a great trader. Platinum week thru the developer was $20,000 (no way!). So i started to think we could buy a valuable week resale say in canyon villas, or lake tahoe, or florida, (places we wouldn't mind staying at) and use that for trade, and my ASC lock off for the points so we would have 2 timeshares, one earns points both are great traders, but than i get back to we are really not looking to buy a 2nd timeshare right now, i could purchase points (100,000 per year for $1250 approx cost of maint fee and not have a mortgage) so the only way i would do this deal is for the 1st class airline tickets! (i'm thinking out loud hear guys)
and of course the agent is only confindent, obviously he cannot guarantee the 1st class since there are many factors and other companies involved, but the confidence comes from the fact that we are traveling 7 mos out

 

[Dave M]

First class tickets are nice, but I wouldn't spend an extra $7,000 (or so) of my own money for them. That's what you would be doing.

 

[LAX Mom]

I also wouldn't pay $7,000 for first class tickets to Europe, especially if I was financing the timeshare purchase and would have payments for the next 10 years to pay for them.

If you fly coach you arrive at the same destination and at the same time as those in the first class cabin. I've flown in 1st numerous times and it's great, but I wouldn't pay that much more for it. Once you hit the ground spend the extra money on your vaction!

 

[travelbrite]

thanks everyone, it's nice to think out loud around such a responsive audience

i totally agree; if we could fly coach to hawaii from the east coast (12 hrs.) we can certainly endure a 7 1/2 hour flight to london.

i will say no thank you to the saleman

 

[abdibile]

Think about first vs coach this way:

You save thousands on flying coach and it is not the best experience, you do not arrive as relaxed as flying first.

But after you spent a fraction of the thousands saved in the spa you feel much better than after flying first.....

 

[m61376]

Another consideration- how fast does Marriott even deposit points from a purchase? Getting FF tickets even now would be difficult for next summer.

Before you even consider it, do as Dave suggested- see if the salesperson is willing to guarantee you first class tickets for your travel dates. Don't be surprised when he chokes.

 

[Latravel]

It took Marriott 4 months to deposit the incentive points from our purchase to our Marriott rewards account.