Marriott Vacation Club - BIG SCAM !!

[akimp23]

Its been over a month now since I made a purchase of Marriott Vacation Owner tier . It didn't took much time to figure out that these points are worthless and I got scammed .
Is there any legal way to come out of it ? Please let me know , also does the timeshare exit companies are of any help . I found one over the internet LinxLegal INC , company which claims to have helped many . but not sure even if this is legit .

 

[Pamplemousse]

What did you purchase and from whom?
What makes you feel you got scammed?
Many happy owners on here so it is not a universal scam at all.

Exit companies are likely scams- they can’t get you your money back and you can sell your ownership yourself but at a small fraction of what your purchased for.

Probably best to learn how to use it and this is a great place to start.

 

[WorldT]

There is a high chance that some of what you were told during the sales presentation contained half truths, omissions, or/and a sprinkle of outright lies. Unfortunately, the legally binding product you paid for is what is written in the contract you received not what came out of the mouth of the sales representative.
At one month out, you are out of the cancellation window unless your contract specifies otherwise. Read the cancellation section.
If you have finished paying, then you might want to learn how to use what you have.
If you have not finished paying the purchase price, then you will have to assess whether it is worth it to you to continue paying or to cut your losses and move on, with the understanding that it may have some financial consequences.

No matter what you do, stay away from ALL exit companies. They will not do anything that you can't do yourself. Under no circumstances should you pay ANYONE any money to "help," you. That will be the second scam.

 

[echino]

Over a month = no legal way to get out. You are stuck.

All exit companies = fraud. You will be out more money.

Your options:

1. Stop paying and default. This is like defaulting on any loan, so this will damage your credit.

2. Pay it off (if you have a loan) and sell your points. You will not get much when selling, close to zero. But you will legally exit.

3. Learn to use what you bought. While you paid an inflated price, the points are still valuable: you can take great vacations using those points.

 

[akimp23]

What did you purchase and from whom?
What makes you feel you got scammed?
Many happy owners on here so it is not a universal scam at all.

Exit companies are likely scams- they can’t get you your money back and you can sell your ownership yourself but at a small fraction of what your purchased for.

Probably best to learn how to use it and this is a great place to start.

I have purchase 4000 points , which is their OWNER tier, what makes me feel scammed is that the sales guys said that these points are worth close to 12k and you can book any resorts under marriot and also via interval . While trying to use that i realized that these points are not even work 3500$ , in some cases much less when i tried to book a reservation via theri website or interval or bonvoy . Also the sales guy told that you can sell it back to marriott , like any other real estate , marriott is paying 0$ if you sell back.

 

[akimp23]

Thanks for your advice , will stay away from exit comany , and probably live with this rest of my life .. I am not sure how bad could happen if i go for foreclosure .. dont want to impact my family for this stupidity of mine.

 

[akimp23]

Over a month = no legal way to get out. You are stuck.

All exit companies = fraud. You will be out more money.

Your options:

1. Stop paying and default. This is like defaulting on any loan, so this will damage your credit.

2. Pay it off (if you have a loan) and sell your points. You will not get much when selling, close to zero. But you will legally exit.

3. Learn to use what you bought. While you paid an inflated price, the points are still valuable: you can take great vacations using those points.

Thanks for your advice . Do you have good experience with the points , I have 4000 points , is it worth enough to cover the annual expense ?

 

[akimp23]

There is a high chance that some of what you were told during the sales presentation contained half truths, omissions, or/and a sprinkle of outright lies. Unfortunately, the legally binding product you paid for is what is written in the contract you received not what came out of the mouth of the sales representative.
At one month out, you are out of the cancellation window unless your contract specifies otherwise. Read the cancellation section.
If you have finished paying, then you might want to learn how to use what you have.
If you have not finished paying the purchase price, then you will have to assess whether it is worth it to you to continue paying or to cut your losses and move on, with the understanding that it may have some financial consequences.

No matter what you do, stay away from ALL exit companies. They will not do anything that you can't do yourself. Under no circumstances should you pay ANYONE any money to "help," you. That will be the second scam.

Thanks a lot for i have not paid a dime yet , expect the downpayment. When you say cut the losses how would i able to do now that i have a mortgage of 50K ? Thanks again for your help !!

 

[echino]

Thanks for your advice . Do you have good experience with the points , I have 4000 points , is it worth enough to cover the annual expense ?

Forget the purchase price and the loan you are paying for the purchase price - you are not getting those back. Focus on annual maintenance fees. I think it's about $0.70 per point, so about $2,800 per year, increasing with inflation every year. You are getting 4,000 points for $2,800 every year. Only use those points to book Marriott Vacation Club and Vistana resorts - it's the best deal. For about 4,000 points, you can get a week in Hawaii in one bedroom, for example. Do not exchange via Interval, for Bonvoy points, cruises etc - it's a very bad deal.

Correction: 2025 maintenance fees are $0.8148/Point according to the Marriott forum.

 

[HudsHut]

Welcome to TUG @akimp23
The reason Marriott Owners like the points is the flexibility. In theory, one may reserve any Marriott Vacation Club resort, unit size, and date for the number of points one has in the account.

What locations / dates did you research that made you feel that 4000 points weren't very valuable?

Where do you wish to travel?

 

[WorldT]

Thanks a lot for i have not paid a dime yet , expect the downpayment. When you say cut the losses how would i able to do now that i have a mortgage of 50K ? Thanks again for your help !!

How much have you paid so far? If you have only paid the down payment, how much was it?

 

[dougp26364]

Scammed? Probably not.

Lied to? Definitely.

If you take a little time and read through these discussion forums, you’ll see a common theme. If their lips are moving they’re lying. If it was a true scam, after 40 years in business some lawyer would have put them out of business.

First, are you trying to book a vacation through the Marriott Vacation Club website? If so,what destinations are you trying to book? How far in advance are you trying to book?

Timeshare to me has always been a lot like buying a car. You can buy the cheapest model available or you can buy the most expensive. They’ll both serve their purpose but one has more luxury. Timeshare is not a hotel room. It’s closer to an air BnB but with a better location and it’s a resort, not someone’s private home. Resorts feature all sorts of amenities a private home doesn’t.

Timeshare requires a little bit of study to make it work. Booking a hotel room is as easy as where do you want to go and how many nights…….unless there’s something big in town like college March Madness. With timeshare have to plan months in advance to have the best selection and get the choicest dates. You can get good value last minute. For instance, last night I was looking at a couple of nights in Park City Utah for next May and there was plenty of availability, but May and early June are slower shoulder season. If I tried to book that close to ski season there would be nothing available. Booking popular tourist seasons requires searching as far in advance as possible. That was the first rule we learned.

Timeshare is definitely not for everyone. In fact it likely doesn’t fit most American vacation lifestyles. Take some time and study what you have. Read these forums. On YouTube look up Destination Timeshare, the Timeshare Traveler and/or Timeshare Users Group. All of these have advice and/or videos of various timeshares. They’re a good source to help you figure out how to use what you now own. PLUS, they’re all members (or the web master) for TUG. We’re all here to help you with your options, either to learn to use it or options to get out of it without losing any more money.

Good luck! I hope you learn to use what you own or, at the very least get out of it with minimal damage. There’s more than one or two of us on these forums that have done the exact same thing as you. That is to make a VERY expensive impulse purchase.

FWIW, I’m writing this from the kitchen table of a Marriott Timeshare. It does work. It’s just not cheap and requires a little learning on how to use it.

 

[WBP]

Its been over a month now since I made a purchase of Marriott Vacation Owner tier . It didn't took much time to figure out that these points are worthless and I got scammed .
Is there any legal way to come out of it ? Please let me know , also does the timeshare exit companies are of any help . I found one over the internet LinxLegal INC , company which claims to have helped many . but not sure even if this is legit .

Given the size of the points portfolio that you purchased, if you truly believe that your purchase is not right for you, I’d consider hiring an attorney, who can assist you in exiting your contract. I would think that your loss would be your down payment, and your attorney’s fees.

I believe you will need/want an attorney to do this.

The sooner you retain an attorney, the better.

One attorney, who is timeshare savvy, who I’d recommend, is:
Robert M. Bone, Esquire
‭(707) 525-8999‬
bob@robertbonelaw.com

another attorney, also skilled in timeshare (Google him!), who I’d also recommend, is:
Robert Tarics, Esquire
‭(480) 686-9390‬
rtarics@taricslaw.com

Mr. Robert Charles Tarics, Lawyer at The Tarics Law Firm, P.C. | LawyerDB.org

 

[WorldT]

Given the size of the points portfolio that you purchased, if you truly believe that your purchase is not right for you, I’d consider hiring an attorney, who can assist you in exiting your contract. I would think that your loss would be your down payment, and your attorney’s fees.

I believe you will need/want an attorney to do this.

The sooner you retain an attorney, the better.

One attorney, who is timeshare savvy, who I’d recommend, is:
Robert M. Bone, Esquire
‭(707) 525-8999‬
bob@robertbonelaw.com

another attorney, also skilled in timeshare (Google him!), who I’d also recommend, is:
Robert Tarics, Esquire
‭(480) 686-9390‬
rtarics@taricslaw.com

Mr. Robert Charles Tarics, Lawyer at The Tarics Law Firm, P.C. | LawyerDB.org

First question: Could you please enlightened us on what an attorney can do for OP that OP can't do for themselves?
Second question: how does the size of the points purchased factor into the decision on question one above?

 

[akimp23]

How much have you paid so far? If you have only paid the down payment, how much was it?

I paid 5400 $

 

[akimp23]

Over a month = no legal way to get out. You are stuck.

All exit companies = fraud. You will be out more money.

Your options:

1. Stop paying and default. This is like defaulting on any loan, so this will damage your credit.

2. Pay it off (if you have a loan) and sell your points. You will not get much when selling, close to zero. But you will legally exit.

3. Learn to use what you bought. While you paid an inflated price, the points are still valuable: you can take great vacations using those points.

Thanks for your advice , will stay away from exit comany , and probably live with this rest of my life .. I am not sure how bad could happen if i go for foreclosure .. dont want to impact my family for this stupidity of mine.

 

[dioxide45]

Thanks for your advice , will stay away from exit comany , and probably live with this rest of my life .. I am not sure how bad could happen if i go for foreclosure .. dont want to impact my family for this stupidity of mine.

Defaulting is a calculated risk. How important is your credit? Do you hold any security clearances that could be in jeopardy if you were to default? Do you plan to open new credit in the near term future? Default and foreclosure don't last forever on your credit report. Abound points are deeded in Florida which allows for non judicial foreclosure. As long as you don't dispute the foreclosure, they don't have any recourse for deficiency (difference from what you owe and what it sells for at foreclosure).

 

[Pamplemousse]

I have purchase 4000 points , which is their OWNER tier, what makes me feel scammed is that the sales guys said that these points are worth close to 12k and you can book any resorts under marriot and also via interval . While trying to use that i realized that these points are not even work 3500$ , in some cases much less when i tried to book a reservation via theri website or interval or bonvoy . Also the sales guy told that you can sell it back to marriott , like any other real estate , marriott is paying 0$ if you sell back.

Tell us where you want to go.
We can help you use your points.
Read the info in the pink box at the top of this forum
Make yourself familiar with the MVC owners site.
Go under resources and use the when can I book calculator to find your points stay when availability is released.
Curious where you got your dollar amount for worth?

 

[akimp23]

Tell us where you want to go.
We can help you use your points.
Read the info in the pink box at the top of this forum
Make yourself familiar with the MVC owners site.
Go under resources and use the when can I book calculator to find your points stay when availability is released.
Curious where you got your dollar amount for worth?

I wanted to go Punta Cana , I actually had booked flights and resort , before I end up in this mess . One of the motivation was to cancel my existing reservation in April spring break and book via points instead, but nothing showed up on their website . Also are there different website to look into Sheraton resorts or its the same MVC site ? Thanks a lot for help me out .. still searching for the pink box

 

[rthib]

You can book some nice stays in Orlando. If you are short a few points you can rent them.
As others said, try and figure out how best to use the points.

 

[akimp23]

I wanted to go Punta Cana , I actually had booked flights and resort , before I end up in this mess . One of the motivation was to cancel my existing reservation in April spring break and book via points instead, but nothing showed up on their website . Also are there different website to look into Sheraton resorts or its the same MVC site ? Thanks a lot for help me out .. still searching for the pink box

nevermind i understood now what you meant by pink box , I have to come out of this thread .. seems like those are the ones where i can find more information of how to best use my points.

 

[rthib]

I wanted to go Punta Cana , I actually had booked flights and resort , before I end up in this mess . One of the motivation was to cancel my existing reservation in April spring break and book via points instead, but nothing showed up on their website . Also are there different website to look into Sheraton resorts or its the same MVC site ? Thanks a lot for help me out .. still searching for the pink box

There are no Vacation Club Resorts in the DR.
Sheraton, Westin and Marriott are all same place.
Here is a good list of the resorts and locations

https://www.marriottvacationclubs.com/s/experiences/resorts

Better in on the MVCI site so you can see points but this is a quick list anyone can see.

 

[WorldT]

I paid 5400 $

If I understand this correctly, you bought this for $50k and so far have paid only $5400. That means you still owe $44,600. In addition, you still have to deal with the yearly maintenance fee.
That is a lot of money. Here are your options:
1. Default on the loan and stop paying. Cancel or close any account that you use to make the payment or block any further payment. Before you take this option, read post #17. If you don't understand what that means, ask and it will be explained to you. Defaulting is not the end of the world as long as you understand how it will affect you.
2. Pay the loan and use the points you bought.

As you have already found out, Marriott points, weeks, and other timeshare systems can be purchased for very little money on the resale market. So before you go with option #2, look into option #1 to see if it will work for you. If #1 works for you, the money saved can take you a long way on your vacation expenses.

 

[BrownThunder]

OP, I promise you it's not a scam. I felt the exact same way when we signed up initially as I had never done it before and it was a big commitment. I think you're feeling more nervous than anything.

I'm assuming you haven't gone on the Marriott Vacation Club site and looked at availability and locations? We bought with the intention of using Myrtle Beach as our primary location (which we still are) but are actually planning to go to Orlando in June to treat my niece to Disney. We traded via Interval International (which is included with your membership) into Disney Vacation Club and are spending the 2nd week at Sabal Palms. This may honestly be one of the best vacations we've ever taken.

I would give it a try considering you've already paid into it. The only thing I would do differently out of the gate, if given the chance, is to buy secondhand as it's much cheaper.

 

[akimp23]

If I understand this correctly, you bought this for $50k and so far have paid only $5400. That means you still owe $44,600. In addition, you still have to deal with the yearly maintenance fee.
That is a lot of money. Here are your options:
1. Default on the loan and stop paying. Cancel or close any account that you use to make the payment or block any further payment. Before you take this option, read post #17. If you don't understand what that means, ask and it will be explained to you. Defaulting is not the end of the world as long as you understand how it will affect you.
2. Pay the loan and use the points you bought.

As you have already found out, Marriott points, weeks, and other timeshare systems can be purchased for very little money on the resale market. So before you go with option #2, look into option #1 to see if it will work for you. If #1 works for you, the money saved can take you a long way on your vacation expenses.

Thanks , would like to understand more on option 1, I have no plans to open more credit line , what does non judicial foreclosure mean . I am not a FL resident . If i default are there any risks to my assets that i own in other state.