New Interval “Up Trade” Fee [MERGED]

[andre10056]

The fee listed does include the $190 payable to DVC, so not as awful. If traded for a 1:1 like in the past, your 26 would be $264 + $190 = $454 so $10 more with the new exchange fee.

I have an unrated 10 also. It doesn't see much at all.

It is $454. My mistake.

I don't know about your "10" but my 10 is a major disappointment. I suspect that many people have good resorts that they enjoy visiting but may have enjoyed trading from time to time. Now those types of resorts will only be "go where you own" type of resorts.

Owners at these types of resorts will no doubt get to know and form fast friendships with their fellow weeks' owners.

 

[GTLINZ]

I used to book with my gold crown independent interval trader where i like to go and hope for a last minute eplus upgrade. I now see i now have to pay an upgrade fee for the same size unit in some cases. It appears that the ratings do not carry a lot of "weight" anymore.

I wonder how many independent timeshares will go out of business. I get the backlash against the crap studio traders like Oceans Landing - but it is going to hurt a lot of well run resorts like this one of mine.

The gorilla is loose and causing havok. Enshittification stage 3 by it's own definition.

 

[Hindsite]

For higher TP week owners, there's not much incentive to deposit and downtrade unless II offers excess TP as a "credit" to offset future uptrade fee.

That's always been the case, owners of weeks with high Trading power, and high maint fee struggle to get value from II. That hasn't changed and is unlikely to.

 

[WBP]

I just completed a deep dive into Interval International’s new exchange methodology, and I have to say: my greatest fear has been realized.

In my opinion, the current Marriott Vacations Worldwide/former Diamond Resorts leadership has fundamentally undermined the traditional week-exchange system that MVCI owners have relied upon for decades.

Specifically, they have:

• Devalued and denigrated the traditional week-exchange methodology, which I believe is designed to push owners away from weeks and toward points and Abound reservations.
• Dramatically increased exchange fees for week owners, making it increasingly expensive and difficult for owners to use Interval International as they have in the past.
• Undermined a system that longtime owners have trusted for decades, including those of us who have used Interval International for 40 years.

This does not feel like an improvement to the owner experience. It feels like a deliberate strategy to make the traditional week product less attractive while steering owners toward the points-based Abound system.

And frankly, these former Diamond Resorts executives are proving to be exactly what I feared they would be: sharks.

What is most troubling is that this is happening under the watch of the Marriott Vacations Worldwide Board of Directors. The Board has a responsibility to protect the interests of its owners and to ensure that changes to the system are not simply a mechanism for extracting more revenue from them.

I hold the Marriott Vacations Worldwide Board of Directors accountable for allowing this to happen.

After 40 years as an MVCI weeks owner, I find this direction deeply disappointing—and, frankly, unacceptable.

 

[CericRushmore]

If lower-value owners can simply purchase access to the same premium inventory without any difference in priority, it would seem to substantially diminish one of the traditional advantages of owning and depositing higher-quality or larger accommodations.

Right now, I don't see anything in Key West, but I do see MVC Paris for a $599 upgrade for February, something we paid $119 upgrade for last year. Seems they are still blocking units somehow.

 

[chalee94]

I don't know about your "10" but my 10 is a major disappointment. I suspect that many people have good resorts that they enjoy visiting but may have enjoyed trading from time to time. Now those types of resorts will only be "go where you own" type of resorts.

Owners at these types of resorts will no doubt get to know and form fast friendships with their fellow weeks' owners.

Yeah, Foxrun and Fairways in NC survived Helene but this change may cause more damage...

 

[alwysonvac]

I see Hyatts but at $699 or more to trade up. But when my annual MF is $850, I might as well not see them because I won't pay that much. Hyatt's are nice but not worth almost as much as my MF.

I think it depends on the total out of pocket cost (not how much the fee compares to my MF).
You definitely have an advantage with a low cost MF week. It's hard to find an upscale hotel or timeshare rental for $1750/week ($250 night including taxes and misc fees) depending on the location and/or time of year.

However when exchanges incur all sorts of extra out of pocket costs (upgrade fee, resort fee, etc) for truly low season weeks, it just becomes less desireable (a hard pass).

 

[Kapolei]

I am dumping my OL … there is still interest from those that live on the east coast that use it as a beach week … no value to me any more

 

[tomvc]

The Board has a responsibility to protect the interests of its owners

MVW Board has fiduciary responsibility to shareholders. HOA has responsibility to timeshare owners. Unless you are a shareholder as well, you are barking up the wrong tree.

 

[Kapolei]

As far as surprises that showed up … Marriott Newport Coast but at a premium price … no return of MKO so far … there might be a steal of MKO on a flexchange if they unlocked it, but that is yet to be seen

 

[littlestar]

Not even studio in Vero Beach?

I can see some DVC Vero studios.

 

[Kapolei]

This is the logical conclusion of those that took advantage of timeshares like OL and decided to sell their knowledge across the web space. They took something good and absolutely ruined it. I am not angry. Just an observation. I am pretty confident my units will find a home. And that will be the end of a fun era with so many remarkable stays at MKO. My travel needs have changed anyways. Sitting in the same place for a week no longer fits my needs.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

What is OL?

 

[Kapolei]

What is OL?

That’s was the hottest cheap trader. Maint fee $300/year for years (now $400) …. Used in flexchange to get top level Marriott units .. Ocean Landings … still might be useful … but booking a 2 bedroom with it outside of flexchange is $$$

 

[jbman]

I just completed a deep dive into Interval International’s new exchange methodology, and I have to say: my greatest fear has been realized.

In my opinion, the current Marriott Vacations Worldwide/former Diamond Resorts leadership has fundamentally undermined the traditional week-exchange system that MVCI owners have relied upon for decades.

Specifically, they have:

• Devalued and denigrated the traditional week-exchange methodology, which I believe is designed to push owners away from weeks and toward points and Abound reservations.
• Dramatically increased exchange fees for week owners, making it increasingly expensive and difficult for owners to use Interval International as they have in the past.
• Undermined a system that longtime owners have trusted for decades, including those of us who have used Interval International for 40 years.

This does not feel like an improvement to the owner experience. It feels like a deliberate strategy to make the traditional week product less attractive while steering owners toward the points-based Abound system.

And frankly, these former Diamond Resorts executives are proving to be exactly what I feared they would be: sharks.

What is most troubling is that this is happening under the watch of the Marriott Vacations Worldwide Board of Directors. The Board has a responsibility to protect the interests of its owners and to ensure that changes to the system are not simply a mechanism for extracting more revenue from them.

I hold the Marriott Vacations Worldwide Board of Directors accountable for allowing this to happen.

After 40 years as an MVCI weeks owner, I find this direction deeply disappointing—and, frankly, unacceptable.

Since Marriott resorts are mostly elite and getting high trade value, they are mostly neutral or possibly get an advantage from this, some exceptions of course, but it's not Marriott weeks owners that are being hurt by this for the most part

 

[escanoe]

In a true exchange, you can change the rules or evaluations and you are pretty balanced with winners and losers.

Change the rules to make it more of money grab, that makes it easier to make almost everyone mad.

This looks more like an unregulated casino on an island without competition than an exchange.

I feel like I have been able to game the trading system some in the past. I feel bent over a barrel now. Glad everything I have that trades in II can also be traded in RCI.

I have a feeling with everyone now being able to trade up for cash there will be a glut of mid level and below as longs as people keep depositing them. Maybe certificates turn into a better deal from this. Unless they make major changes following launch, I am through depositing with them. I have better options.

 

[Kapolei]

In a true exchange, you can change the rules or evaluations and you are pretty balanced with winners and losers.

Change the rules to make it more of money grab, that makes it easier to make almost everyone mad.

This looks more like an unregulated casino on an island without competition than an exchange.

I feel like I have been able to game the trading system some in the past. I feel bent over a barrel now. Glad everything I have that trades in II can also be traded in RCI.

I have a feeling with everyone now being able to trade up for cash there will be a glut of mid level and below as longs as people keep depositing them. Maybe certificates turn into a better deal from this. Unless they make major changes following launch, I am through depositing with them. I have better options.

Trading an OL studio for a Newport Coast Marriott 2bd is still a great deal for $1000 … I am not entirely upset about that new option, I have additional reasons for getting out .. also it begs the question, why does II get to bank this differential

 

[hobson]

It seems 90 days in advance is all that is needed now.

i saw 181 + for 100% tp??
tho the incremental decrease seems minimal between levels in lead time.

 

[hobson]

I used to book with my gold crown independent interval trader where i like to go and hope for a last minute eplus upgrade. I now see i now have to pay an upgrade fee for the same size unit in some cases. It appears that the ratings do not carry a lot of "weight" anymore.

I wonder how many independent timeshares will go out of business. I get the backlash against the crap studio traders like Oceans Landing - but it is going to hurt a lot of well run resorts like this one of mine.

The gorilla is loose and causing havok. Enshittification stage 3 by it's own definition.

was there backlash with oceans landings? i i haven’t heard much. i’d assume it would still trade ok in flexchange?

 

[Tdawg33]

I just completed a deep dive into Interval International’s new exchange methodology, and I have to say: my greatest fear has been realized.

In my opinion, the current Marriott Vacations Worldwide/former Diamond Resorts leadership has fundamentally undermined the traditional week-exchange system that MVCI owners have relied upon for decades.

Specifically, they have:

• Devalued and denigrated the traditional week-exchange methodology, which I believe is designed to push owners away from weeks and toward points and Abound reservations.
• Dramatically increased exchange fees for week owners, making it increasingly expensive and difficult for owners to use Interval International as they have in the past.
• Undermined a system that longtime owners have trusted for decades, including those of us who have used Interval International for 40 years.

This does not feel like an improvement to the owner experience. It feels like a deliberate strategy to make the traditional week product less attractive while steering owners toward the points-based Abound system.

And frankly, these former Diamond Resorts executives are proving to be exactly what I feared they would be: sharks.

What is most troubling is that this is happening under the watch of the Marriott Vacations Worldwide Board of Directors. The Board has a responsibility to protect the interests of its owners and to ensure that changes to the system are not simply a mechanism for extracting more revenue from them.

I hold the Marriott Vacations Worldwide Board of Directors accountable for allowing this to happen.

After 40 years as an MVCI weeks owner, I find this direction deeply disappointing—and, frankly, unacceptable.

We have owned Marriott Properties for 15 years. We have enjoyed using II for trading to new locations but it sounds like this will increase our costs. Hopefully they hear it from owners.

 

[vacationtime1]

My Plat+ Kierland (large side) has a trading power of 19.
My Plat+ Kierland (small side) has a trading power of 19.
(The large side is twice as large, twice as nice, and rents for 60% more.)

If one were to deposit the entire unit, the trading power is 27. Makes no sense.

If I want to exchange my Kierland Plat+ week, I believe the best returns, in order, would be:

1. SVN trader
2. Abound points
3. Interval deposit (not that it ever made sense to deposit this into Interval)

 

[youppi]

I'm not a fan of upgrade fees but the original system was not always fair. Look at your past exchanges and ask you the question if you were the owner of the unit you got, had you exchanged it to the unit you gave (1 for 1) ? In my case the answer is no because I always manage to get a much better unit/resort/destination than what I gave when I had a week timeshare.

I don't know if the trading power in the new system is more fair.
Some people post the trading power of some of their previous exchanges (the kind of exchange I did) and to me those exchanges are not a comparable trade value (they got too much and the new Trading Power value shows it):

• 2 bdrm at the Sheraton Vistana Villas Gold Plus season in Orlando, FL (TP=20) to a 2 bdrm at Westin Nanea Ocean Resort Villas in Maui, HI (TP=31).
• 1 bdrm at the Westin Kierland Villas Gold Plus season in Scottsdale, AZ (TP=19) to a 2 bdrm at Westin Nanea Ocean Resort Villas in Maui, HI (TP=31).
• 1 bdrm at the Sheraton Desert Oasis Gold Plus season in Scottsdale, AZ (TP=17) to a 2 bdrm at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort in Orlando, FL (TP=31).

 

[youppi]

My Plat+ Kierland (large side) has a trading power of 19.
My Plat+ Kierland (small side) has a trading power of 19.
(The large side is twice as large, twice as nice, and rents for 60% more.)

If one were to deposit the entire unit, the trading power is 27. Makes no sense.

If I want to exchange my Kierland Plat+ week, I believe the best returns, in order, would be:

1. SVN trader
2. Abound points
3. Interval deposit (not that it ever made sense to deposit this into Interval)

The range difference between studio and 1 bdrm is 3 and between 1 bdrm and 2 bdrm is 4 as per the table in https://www.intervalworld.com/iimedia/pdf/iw/buyers-guide.pdf.
Like your 19,19,27, I saw some people reporting studio=16, 1 bdrm=19 and 2 bdrm=27.
So why 27 in place of 24 for the 2 bdrm or why 19 in place of 23 for the 1 bdrm ? Maybe they give a boost to 2 bdrm owners in the hope they will deposit them since 2 bdrm is probably the most unit size on demand by family. Or maybe a pure 2 bdrm get 23 but a 2 bdrm lock-off gets +4 more trading power (27).

I don't know why they give the same trading power to a 1 bdrm full kitchen and a 1 bdrm limited kitchen. I owned a 2 bdrm lock-off with a configuration like that and when I deposited on RCI, my 1 bdrm limited kitchen always got 1 or 2 TPU less than the 1 bdrm full kitchen.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I'm not a fan of upgrade fees but the original system was not always fair. Look at your past exchanges and ask you the question if you were the owner of the unit you got, had you exchanged it to the unit you gave (1 for 1) ? In my case the answer is no because I always manage to get a much better unit/resort/destination than what I gave when I had a week timeshare.

I don't know if the trading power in the new system is more fair.
Some people post the trading power of some of their previous exchanges (the kind of exchange I did) and to me those exchanges are not a comparable trade value (they got too much and the new Trading Power value shows it):

• 2 bdrm at the Sheraton Vistana Villas Gold Plus season in Orlando, FL (TP=20) to a 2 bdrm at Westin Nanea Ocean Resort Villas in Maui, HI (TP=31).
• 1 bdrm at the Westin Kierland Villas Gold Plus season in Scottsdale, AZ (TP=19) to a 2 bdrm at Westin Nanea Ocean Resort Villas in Maui, HI (TP=31).
• 1 bdrm at the Sheraton Desert Oasis Gold Plus season in Scottsdale, AZ (TP=17) to a 2 bdrm at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort in Orlando, FL (TP=31).

I agree with this wholeheartedly. I don't want to own the weeks that I am trading into, but I want to stay in those units sometimes. I ask myself, and even check Redweek, what are owners paying to stay at this resort. Like Marriott's Cypress Harbour, as an example. I love that resort. I can afford to pay an extra $199 to get dates I want, which are usually off-season, using my one bedrooms at Marriott's Willow Ridge. I am still getting value over owning Cypress Harbour.

I already said this, but I was willing to pay $599 extra for a 1 bed at Disney, but my 17 won't see those 27's, but it will see Marriott Imperial Palms Villas for 30! So I am being limited by maybe the quality rating of Willow Ridge being only Gold and not Elite, but I am unsure because Shadow Ridge one bedrooms aren't seeing the Disney either.

I can see the one bedroom Disneys with an MGC 1 bed for $399 more. I can get a Lakeshore Reserve 3 bed for 1/16, an even exchange with my MGC. It's +2 but that's free.

 

[klpca]

Well, after being gone for a lot of the past month, I have finally had time to poke around the new cash trap that is II and there are (obviously) big changes. The creases that I see are flexchange, and shoulder seasons. Both offer some "bargains" similar to the good ol' days. It is sad because II used to feel like they actually cared about their customers. This version just seems like any other company that aims to shake the customer down for as much as possible. I do like that they show the total cost right there - it is easy enough to see the bargain without having to do much work.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out for them. Will it cost them customers? I know that in it's current iteration I will hang around for a while, but upgrading to gold or platinum is not in the cards. Every II trader that I own also trades in RCI, and now RCI is back in play since I may get more bang for my buck over there (can't believe that I am saying that). My sister has just one SDO. She never splits it because she doesn't understand that nuance and has only used it for Hawaii. I can guarantee you that the first time she realizes what has happened with points/trading, she will be out immediately. I think that is how many of the more casual II members will react. Between the added cost and complexity, many will just give up.

II was super fun while it lasted.