MARRIOTT OWNERS: Important Update to our Guest of Owner Policy from Marriott Vacation Clubs [Related thread in the TUG Vistana forum.]

[sponger76]

This is exactly what I've been said Marriott Vacation (MVC) will slowly and aggressively eliminate any benefits after Vistana acquisition. There will be more to come. Marriott Vacation, the evil corporation, has to make their money back from Vistana acquisition and pay their executives.

How does this name change form/requirement make them more money?

 

[pchung6]

How does this name change form/requirement make them more money?

It means more last minute direct rental business to Marriott. Less last minute calls means less labor and less headcount. I mean, come on, anything they eliminated will save them money.

 

[Mlvnsmly]

It means more last minute direct rental business to Marriott. Less last minute calls means less labor and less headcount. I mean, come on, anything they eliminated will save them money.

Yeah, but those are 2 totally separate publicly traded corporations. Marriott international and Marriott Vacations Worldwide.

 

[dioxide45]

Yeah, but those are 2 totally separate publicly traded corporations. Marriott international and Marriott Vacations Worldwide.

But most of the Marriott Vacation Club inventory that is listed for rent on Marriott.com is owned and controlled by Marriott Vacation Club and Marriott Vacations gets the revenue when it rents. They just pay Marriott International a licensing fee and royalty fees to list and rent the inventory on Marriott.com.

 

[bizaro86]

Yeah, but those are 2 totally separate publicly traded corporations. Marriott international and Marriott Vacations Worldwide.

Marriott Vacations owns the timeshare inventory on Marriott.com and pays a commission to Marriott International to sell it there.

 

[cthewrld]

I called in yesterday about a different matter but did ask about changing the name on a reservation, I was told I must fill out the form at least 72 hours before for the reservation to be updated. I have over 30 days until check in but the form asks if I’m going to be arriving later, I’m not sure, am I supposed to say yes or no? Unfortunately I had hung up before getting to this part of the form. It is my brother who is going to be using it.

 

[Wei339]

I was filling out the form this evening and encountered a problem in the form asking for a phone number. It requested a 14 digit response which was strange. Does anyone know what is required?

 

[DeniseM]

dashes between the numbers 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX

 

[TimGolobic]

In short, total BS. It's an effort to thwart rental of units. As for those who experience the problem of trying to change the name at the time of booking and having the State field show up invalid in red, it's 100% related. Being able to change the name at booking bypasses the form. The form has a checkbox that you verify "this is not commercial activity, and if we decide it is, we can cancel the reservation at our discretion with zero liability" - which is not included in the online booking. The form is an extra release of liability to crack down on renters. And on the form you are also agreeing to hold them not responsible if they experience a data breach due to their mismanaged IT dept.

But really, 30 days? As if it really matters if 29, 15 or 5. Draconian is the best description used so far. They aren't running FBI background checks on guests.

Dead serious, time for a lawsuit. It is a material change in terms and conditions from when we became owners, without a clearly stated reason for doing so, such is compliance with new laws. Essentially Marriott's efforts to "change the rules" now creates a legal claim called "fraud in the inducement" and is illegal. It devalues every single ownership, whether you are renting or not.

 

[dioxide45]

Slightly (maybe more) off topic here, but is anyone having an issue looking up a reservation on Marriott.com? I tried on a Mac in both Safari and Chrome. When I go to pick the check in date, the popup where you enter the reservation details disappears. There doesn't seem to be a way to enter the reservation details to manually lookup a reservation.

 

[billymach4]

Slightly (maybe more) off topic here, but is anyone having an issue looking up a reservation on Marriott.com? I tried on a Mac in both Safari and Chrome. When I go to pick the check in date, the popup where you enter the reservation details disappears. There doesn't seem to be a way to enter the reservation details to manually lookup a reservation.

I have confirmed this as well. I simulated your issue. Yes the popup dissappears.

 

[billymach4]

I have confirmed this as well. I simulated your issue. Yes the popup dissappears.

Let me try on MS Edge. I just used Chrome.

 

[billymach4]

Slightly (maybe more) off topic here, but is anyone having an issue looking up a reservation on Marriott.com? I tried on a Mac in both Safari and Chrome. When I go to pick the check in date, the popup where you enter the reservation details disappears. There doesn't seem to be a way to enter the reservation details to manually lookup a reservation.

Yes same annoying issue on MS Edge.

 

[dioxide45]

Yes same annoying issue on MS Edge.

I also don't see a way to manually type or paste in a date. It has to be picked from the calendar. I have three ressies I want to add my Bonvoy number to. I have a couple of months to make it happen though.

 

[TimGolobic]

Slightly (maybe more) off topic here, but is anyone having an issue looking up a reservation on Marriott.com? I tried on a Mac in both Safari and Chrome. When I go to pick the check in date, the popup where you enter the reservation details disappears. There doesn't seem to be a way to enter the reservation details to manually lookup a reservation.

Not "slightly" but "completely". This is not part of this discussion and should be moved.

 

[TimGolobic]

I called in yesterday about a different matter but did ask about changing the name on a reservation, I was told I must fill out the form at least 72 hours before for the reservation to be updated. I have over 30 days until check in but the form asks if I’m going to be arriving later, I’m not sure, am I supposed to say yes or no? Unfortunately I had hung up before getting to this part of the form. It is my brother who is going to be using it.

We require 30 days, but really 72 hours is OK. It's this exact arbitrary inconsistency that proves it is not for the purpose of any legal compliance with a homeland security law and that's just a cover story. Start getting a bunch of old cooters trying to change a name to the grandkids within 30 days and see what happens.

 

[dioxide45]

I asked and Marriott confirmed it is a manual process to review the form and update the reservation. Not an efficient process that obviously can lead to errors.

I wonder if there are any plans for them to automate this process. Certainly they could guarantee a faster turn around time if this were automated.

 

[billymach4]

IDK this is truly annoying. But.....
As an owner that rents a few times per year .... I have not yet been a situation where I have not had a confirmed renter less than 30 days out. In other words I want to know that my unit is rented well before the check in date.

I have rented from other points owners as well. My reservations were in place many months prior to arrival.

I would be interesting in knowing what will in fact happen to owners / renters that are less than 30 days prior to arrival. Will be interested in hearing the experience that owners / renters have in dealing with MVC and or the resort check in desk. What exceptions will they make for last minute changes due to unforeseen circumstances?

 

[dioxide45]

I'm not talking about any loophole, that is your jam. I also stated "assuming the law applies..." My point is that they don't need to require a form 30 days in advance to follow any law.

What I said is the claim that they need 30 days to comply with the law is BS. You don't need to take my word, just use simple logic. The assertion is so preposterous it really doesn't need an explanation, but maybe it does for some...

If they must change name and get details of the guest more than 30 days out to comply with some law, then they couldn't rent out days on Marriott.com inside of 30 days, II couldn't give you a match inside 30 days, and II couldn't add a guest certificate inside 30 days, and II couldn't sell a getaway inside 30 days.

My guess is they simply want enough time to be able to manually process these changes, but also that they are squeezing renters (pure speculation) because they clearly don't need 30 days to make the guest name change. The fact that they cite some vague, complex law for the fact that they demand 30 days makes their actions suspect.

I am curious if MVC or Marriott is even checking guest names to OFAC lists. If they are, they can certainly do it faster than 30 days. A bank can approve you for a credit card nearly instantly and they have to bump names against OFAC.

 

[Robert D]

I also did not get this email. I'm a week's owner at some Marriott and Vistana resorts but am not a member of Abound and I don't own any vacation club points and I wonder if this is why I didn't get this email for either brand. It seems to me that this new policy only applies to reservations made in the Abound program using vacation club points. What I own are deeded weeks and I don't see how they could arbitrarily make a new policy that infringes on the rights of deeded owners without amending the timeshare declarations which takes a super majority of owners. Also, Marriott owns the same deeded weeks that I do and they are certainly renting them within 30 days (many are rented on the check-in day) on Marriott.com. Seems like Marriott has to play by the same rules as any other owner.

 

[davidvel]

I am curious if MVC or Marriott is even checking guest names to OFAC lists. If they are, they can certainly do it faster than 30 days. A bank can approve you for a credit card nearly instantly and they have to bump names against OFAC.

I admittedly haven;t looked into OFAC or any related laws. I understand that banks and other financial institutions have to be sure that people aren't money laundering or other financial crimes. How this relates to someone renting or otherwise occupying a hotel or timeshare is beyond me.

Does anyone have any references or sources as to how any of these laws could relate to a timeshare?

 

[Hindsite]

We require 30 days, but really 72 hours is OK. It's this exact arbitrary inconsistency that proves it is not for the purpose of any legal compliance with a homeland security law and that's just a cover story. Start getting a bunch of old cooters trying to change a name to the grandkids within 30 days and see what happens.

Have you never wondered where those smoking deals on the FB pages for short notice rentals come from? 30 days has nothing to do with processing time and everything to do with targeting owners who allow brokers to use their accounts directly to make discounted bookings and then rent them out. The limit on the number of club points you can have transferred to an account drove a change in behaviour from the owners and brokers and this is the response. They even specifically mention misuse of the reservation system in the email.

They have already shown that they will change the name at shorter notice for individual owners and I expect they will allow that to continue on a case by case basis.

As you say the compliance angle is a smokescreen, the justification that its to better manage owner and guest satisfaction is to pander to the baying mobs who complain that inventory is oversold and renters are responsible for any bad behaviour on resort.

 

[daviator]

Have you never wondered where those smoking deals on the FB pages for short notice rentals come from? 30 days has nothing to do with processing time and everything to do with targeting owners who allow brokers to use their accounts directly to make discounted bookings and then rent them out. The limit on the number of club points you can have transferred to an account drove a change in behaviour from the owners and brokers and this is the response. They even specifically mention misuse of the reservation system in the email.

View attachment 96557

They have already shown that they will change the name at shorter notice for individual owners and I expect they will allow that to continue on a case by case basis.

As you say the compliance angle is a smokescreen, the justification that its to better manage owner and guest satisfaction is to pander to the baying mobs who complain that inventory is oversold and renters are responsible for any bad behaviour on resort.

To the extent this is true - that they will continue to accommodate legitimate owners with individual needs to change, and are trying to target the mass renters - I’m all for it. I just wish they’d say that instead of hiding behind a smokescreen of bs reasoning.

 

[Hindsite]

I just wish they’d say that instead of hiding behind a smokescreen of bs reasoning.

They can't say publicly that they have a problem with system misuse as that would just encourage others to look for it and use it more and the stock market never likes that sort of story. They also can't say that they are targeting some of their most lucrative customers, that's not great for business.
It doesn't help that sales have so little of interest to sell that they peddle the "Buy to rent" angle, so they've got an inherent conflict internally with that.
They will also not want to encourage people to be disorganised by saying that you can change things a short notice as people will just do that. Timeshares are about committing to a booking well in advance and are priced accordingly. If there is to be much more churn in the system then I suspect it would need much more complex systems to manage the transaction volumes and that would cost us all money and add further restrictions to be able to deliver.
In 25 years of using my ownership I've never had to change a name or cancel a booking, I suspect that's not uncommon, and for those that do, change names most can do that 30 days in advance. That leaves you with the relatively small number of unplanned changes that owners already have to cater for anyway. e.g unable to travel because of weather or illness. Have insurance where it is available or absorb the loss.

Really: How many people are going to find this an actual problem that isn't accommodated on a case by case basis, or that wouldn't have been a problem without this change?

 

[daviator]

They can't say publicly that they have a problem with system misuse as that would just encourage others to look for it and use it more and the stock market never likes that sort of story. They also can't say that they are targeting some of their most lucrative customers, that's not great for business.
It doesn't help that sales have so little of interest to sell that they peddle the "Buy to rent" angle, so they've got an inherent conflict internally with that.
They will also not want to encourage people to be disorganised by saying that you can change things a short notice as people will just do that. Timeshares are about committing to a booking well in advance and are priced accordingly. If there is to be much more churn in the system then I suspect it would need much more complex systems to manage the transaction volumes and that would cost us all money and add further restrictions to be able to deliver.
In 25 years of using my ownership I've never had to change a name or cancel a booking, I suspect that's not uncommon, and for those that do, change names most can do that 30 days in advance. That leaves you with the relatively small number of unplanned changes that owners already have to cater for anyway. e.g unable to travel because of weather or illness. Have insurance where it is available or absorb the loss.

Really: How many people re going to find this an actual problem that isn't accommodated on a case by case basis, or that wouldn't have been a problem without this change?

I agree that this is an infrequent and almost non-problem for what I'm going to call legitimate users. Of course, the people who own to rent probably consider themselves legitimate users too, but that's a whole different discussion.

But it does happen and I am in such a situation now, maybe for the first time in more than 20 years. I have reservations for the same week at both WKORV and MOC (I am a weeks owner at both properties.) My spouse and I will be staying at WKORV but have a bunch of family (like 15 people) coming at the same time, and they will be splitting themselves between multiple units at MOC, including the one I have reserved. I actually don't yet know which specific people are going to be staying in the unit I have reserved there, and I may not know until a couple of days before, there are a bunch of issues with who will be traveling and health and schedule issues where we may not know until right beforehand. So I will need to change the name on that room, kind of at the last minute, depending on who will actually occupy it.

In the worst case where they won't let me change the name, I'll just leave it in my name and go check in there in person and try to add the actual guests to the folio in person, but it's a bit of a pain in the neck. And then I'm going to have issues with MVC accusing me of trying to double dip and collect elite night credits for two simultaneous stays, which really isn't my goal... but I do own both units and I do unquestionably have the right to book them at the same time and let whomever I want use them. Anyway, this is a rare case and I do expect that MVC will handle it with grace, but if they don't I won't be happy.