Interval International "Community" post on MVCD program [merged]

[Whirl]

Not sure if considered new information, but I logged into the Interval International "Community forums" today and this had been posted addressing questions regarding the New Marriott program.....

A number of questions and concerns have arisen over how Interval International will be supporting the new Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program, and what impact, if any, this may have on existing MVCI owners’ access to Marriott resort internal exchanges. Interval will be supporting Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program by providing access to Marriott weeks that have been relinquished by MVCI owners. However, the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program will only enter a request for a particular member when that inventory is not available within the club. This request for specific inventory will be processed in the same manner as any other internal exchange request. The Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program is not being provided any priority over other MVCI members who chose to use the internal exchange program operated by Interval. Additionally, any inventory confirmed to the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program will be replaced with comparable inventory for every confirmation fulfilled by Interval. Consequently, there should be no negative impact on the usual availability of Marriott vacation weeks for any Interval International member.

 

[JDizzle]

Interval responds to the new Marriott program

I just saw in the Exchange forum on the Interval Community that they posted a response to the new Marriott program. They are saying that it won't impact II members. Any one else see this?

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

Not sure if considered new information, but I logged into the Interval International "Community forums" today and this had been posted addressing questions regarding the New Marriott program.....

A number of questions and concerns have arisen over how Interval International will be supporting the new Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program, and what impact, if any, this may have on existing MVCI owners’ access to Marriott resort internal exchanges. Interval will be supporting Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program by providing access to Marriott weeks that have been relinquished by MVCI owners. However, the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program will only enter a request for a particular member when that inventory is not available within the club. This request for specific inventory will be processed in the same manner as any other internal exchange request. The Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program is not being provided any priority over other MVCI members who chose to use the internal exchange program operated by Interval. Additionally, any inventory confirmed to the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program will be replaced with comparable inventory for every confirmation fulfilled by Interval. Consequently, there should be no negative impact on the usual availability of Marriott vacation weeks for any Interval International member.

The Marriott conversion to a point system must be causing the telephone and internet inquiries to Interval International to surge if Interval had to post this.


.

 

[RedDogSD]

I actually believe them. I don't think Interval which is pretty large company in their own right is just letting Marriott walk all over them. Some on here want to believe the Doom and Gloom that Marriott will be taking all of the 4th of July weeks at Hilton Head and giving back November-December. That is not a comparable exchange, and I don't buy it.

 

[RBERR1]

II has realized something that Marriott hasn't. Transparent messaging to everyone only helps whether it tells you what you hoped or what you didn't. Confusion and innuendo can only make thing worse.

Marriott needs to do something similar. I have spoken to them to get clarity on things and I still get different answers depending on who I get.

I want to be able to have the most informed info to make a good decision on whether I ultimately join or not. At least II (if not Marriott) is trying to help with that.

 

[Bucky]

Here's exactly what it says:

"A number of questions and concerns have arisen over how Interval International will be supporting the new Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program, and what impact, if any, this may have on existing MVCI owners’ access to Marriott resort internal exchanges. Interval will be supporting Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program by providing access to Marriott weeks that have been relinquished by MVCI owners. However, the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program will only enter a request for a particular member when that inventory is not available within the club. This request for specific inventory will be processed in the same manner as any other internal exchange request. The Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program is not being provided any priority over other MVCI members who chose to use the internal exchange program operated by Interval. Additionally, any inventory confirmed to the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program will be replaced with comparable inventory for every confirmation fulfilled by Interval. Consequently, there should be no negative impact on the usual availability of Marriott vacation weeks for any Interval International member."

* Edited Today at 2:12 pm by Interval_International

 

[Aviator621]

Thanks for posting this; this issue has been my main concern, and it is great to hear the answer straight from the source. Agreed with RBERR1--Marriott, take note!

 

[DanCali]

Marriott needs to do something similar. I have spoken to them to get clarity on things and I still get different answers depending on who I get.

I want to be able to have the most informed info to make a good decision on whether I ultimately join or not. At least II (if not Marriott) is trying to help with that.

Yes - I agree... Wouldn't it be nice to get the following email:

(Disclaimer: the following is completely made up and represents, at best, my wishful thinking on how things should operate in an ideal world. This is not a real communication from Marriott)

A number of questions and concerns have arisen over how inventory is allocated in the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program, and what impact, if any, this may have on existing MVCI weeks owners’ access to prime weeks in their season.

The Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program obtains inventory, among other ways, through enrolled members choosing to redeem their weeks for points. As a year progresses and members elect to redeem weeks for points for the following use year, the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program will separate points inventory from weeks inventory by reserving a pro rata share of each available check-in day from each season based on the proportion of owners from that season redeeming for points relative to owners electing to utilize their weeks. We believe that this inventory allocation method represents the most equitable way to distribute inventory and should in no way adversely impact our weeks owners, some of whom have been our loyal customers for over two decades.

 

[JustKeepBreathing]

This is good news. This has been one of my major concerns.

 

[camachinist]

Guess I'll have to ask them why the Marriott priority has gone away

 

[pacheco18]

"Additionally, any inventory confirmed to the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program will be replaced with comparable inventory for every confirmation fulfilled by Interval."

Who decides what is comparable? This is far too "elastic" for me.

 

[RedDogSD]

"Additionally, any inventory confirmed to the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program will be replaced with comparable inventory for every confirmation fulfilled by Interval."

Who decides what is comparable? This is far too "elastic" for me.

Interval has to consider it comparable. Otherwise, they are risking getting stuck holding the bag with a bunch of inventory that no one wants. They are already familiar with this risk.

 

[pacheco18]

You are far more trusting than I am
Marriott holds the big stick in this game.
There are too many undefined terms for me to have any confidence in the new system.

 

[vacationlover2]

It has? How do you know?

 

[camachinist]

There have been numerous comments in sightings threads and mine and others personal trades tests support the conclusions. Time will tell if it's a glitch or if it's a permanent 'enhancement'.

 

[RedDogSD]

You are far more trusting than I am
Marriott holds the big stick in this game.
There are too many undefined terms for me to have any confidence in the new system.

It is not trust. I understand business. Interval is a publically traded company that owes it to their shareholders to remain profitable. They make money from exchanges and if someone gives Interval a week that they know can make them a guaranteed exchange fee (and many others due to the cascading nature of exchanges), and Marriott wants to try to take it and give them one that they cannot dump or have to do a Getaway for $199 which means no cascading exchanges....they will tell Marriott where to stick it.

 

[hotcoffee]

The II statement basically only covers exchanges where the Marriott Program Manager obtains a match from II's deposited inventory. In that case, Marriott must give II a comparable week from their own iinternal inventory. What is not covered is how a Request-first exchange is handled. All of the searches submitted by the Marriott Program Manager on behalf of the enrolled club members are Request-first searches in which the "weeks" are actually points. II does not accept the deposit of points. My understanding is that a Request-first search can match with a Request-first search submitted by the Marriott Program Manager when Marriott has a week in its internal inventory that matches the other search, and the other search has a week that matches the Marriott Program Manager's search.

Because Marriott has more than one week available that can match the other Request-first searches, it should reduce the amount of time for Destination Club member's search to obtain a match when compared to the non-club member performing the same search. Othewise, there probably is no advantage to having the Marriott Program Manager searching for you.

 

[DB-Wis]

You are far more trusting than I am
Marriott holds the big stick in this game.
There are too many undefined terms for me to have any confidence in the new system.

The old system had lots of ambiguities, too, and Marriott carried the same big stick. Yet, those ambiguities worked themselves out in ways that most of us found fair. I have seen no reason to believe the new ambiguities will not be worked out in the same fashion.

 

[pacheco18]

Marriott did not have two competing programs before this.
And their priority is to make the points program a winner. They do not care about the weeks owners.

Sorry, guys. I remain skeptical. But only time will tell.

 

[dougp26364]

Isn't it amazing that Interval is able to clarify what Marriott has thus far refused to clarify.

The only concern I have is that Marriott's exchange manager is going to have a better understanding of what "exchange power" is required and will have the inventory to trump whatever I have relinquished for exchange. Essentially, trading up might be a bit more difficult (or maybe not). Then again, no one ever promised that trading up would always be an option. Like for like exchanges is suppose to be the norm anyway.

 

[RedDogSD]

Marriott did not have two competing programs before this.
And their priority is to make the points program a winner. They do not care about the weeks owners.

Sorry, guys. I remain skeptical. But only time will tell.

Marriott weeks owners are not only owners of their old timeshare product, but also business owners and travelers who use Hotels quite often. If Marriott is stupid enough to "not care" about us, watch their brand name go to hell. Marriott did not get where they are by being stupid.

 

[dougp26364]

"Additionally, any inventory confirmed to the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Program will be replaced with comparable inventory for every confirmation fulfilled by Interval."

Who decides what is comparable? This is far too "elastic" for me.

Interval wants to make money off exchanges. I don't see them taking dogs that will end up going unused just to satisfy the Marriott exchange manger. Sure they want to keep Marriott as a customer but, you can't cut your own throat for one client.

So what is "comparable"? I don't know. I do know that I've been able to trade up. at least in my opinion, within the Interval system using my personal account and estimations of what I can get for my deposits. I feel that I've done very well over the years. I would like to think that will continue.

The biggest thing is that Marriott is suppose to be on equal footing with the rest of us who have personal accounts. Whether or not Marriott is capable of working the system better than any of us and if that will have any effect has yet to be seen.

This statement, at least in my opinion, confirms that we are likely to see more deposits of newer resorts earlier as the exchange manager has to give Interval something to get something and, that it must be comparable using Intervals current method of rating a week. I look forward to seeing if there are more sightings of weeks at Ocean Watch, Oceana Palms, Crystal Shores and any other new resorts that Marriott might open where the trust has the majority of their inventory. In the past, new resorts have been a more difficult trade for the first few years.

 

[dougp26364]

The old system had lots of ambiguities, too, and Marriott carried the same big stick. Yet, those ambiguities worked themselves out in ways that most of us found fair. I have seen no reason to believe the new ambiguities will not be worked out in the same fashion.

I agree. I think we're simply trading a set of known ambiguities for a set we have yet to explore and work out for ourselves. The rules have changed. It's up to us to see how we can work within the new rules.

Complaining that the rules have changed won't help much. We must explore this new set of circumstances and learn how to work the system so that it meets or exceeds our needs. Give it a year or two and TUGGERS will have the in's and out's figured out. Things will settle down and we'll all be on our way.

At issue will be those that bought strictly to trade under the old set of rules. When you do that, you must be able to change your portfolio to meet new challanges or, you need to be happy owning the resorts you own and learn to make the best of it when you want to exchange. We're are in the group of owning the resorts we want to stay at and positioning ourselves to exchange the lock-off portions. I'm not seeing a lot of things that will change that is likely to affect our position other than joining for the one fee for all services or remaining in the personal account with ala carte pricing.

 

[dioxide45]

Because Marriott has more than one week available that can match the other Request-first searches, it should reduce the amount of time for Destination Club member's search to obtain a match when compared to the non-club member performing the same search. Othewise, there probably is no advantage to having the Marriott Program Manager searching for you.

What will happen though is the echange manager will only look to fullfill points requests. I doubt the manager will improve your chances much on weeks to weeks exchanges. Marriott won't be offering out their points inventory to week for week exchanges.

 

[dougp26364]

Marriott did not have two competing programs before this.
And their priority is to make the points program a winner. They do not care about the weeks owners.

Sorry, guys. I remain skeptical. But only time will tell.

While I'm optimistic, this is the reason I'll remain on the fence until closer to Dec. 31st. Actions will speak louder than words. It's going to take some time to see how the actions affect how we exchange. I see no reason to rush into the new program headlong without having a better understanding what the outcomes will be.