New - Thinking about MVC

[beefcake]

so after backing out of a deal on a rental property in myrtle beach because it didn't appraise, were looking at other options for vacationing

we were in aruba this past week and saw the adv. for the MVC.

somewhat interested based on the ability to travel multiple places.

I spoke with them, and currently points are about $14 a piece, but they have a 20% discount and then like 125% bonus points or something.

looking online at some places, i saw "resell points" at 2-4 a piece. they mentioned to me that if your buying used, that they will tack on $3 a point or something like that plus some charges in fees.

they also said they have first right of refusal, so if i go to buy the used points, they will usually just buy them back themselves.

$5-7 a piece obviously seems like a much better deal than the 11.20 currently, where is the best place to buy though , and know your getting a legit deal? and once i go to buy, are they really going to buy them back?

they mentioned at 7000 that puts you at diamond status for marriott as well, do you have to buy direct for that? and then i see "presidential" status talked about a few times, what are the benefits there, and again, do you have to buy direct from them for that.

 

[Fasttr]

Correct, MVC will charge $3 per point on resale purchased points to allow full unfettered access to the MVC points system.

There are many reputable brokers out there that are selling resale points. Do a TUG search on reputable brokers and then check out a few.

As for ownership tiers and the benefits that are bestowed to each, here is a grid to give you a good outline. https://www.marriottvacationsworldwide.com/common/cms/mvc/pdfs/owners/Owner-Benefit-Level.pdf
The 7000 points is for Executive status, which many feel is a good spot as it allows you to book 1+ night ressies 13 months out (based on availability of course)
And as long as you pay the $3 per point fee to MVC, those resale points would count toward ownership status.

As for will MVC buy them back via ROFR....its possible....but unpredictable. Sometimes they will buy a package at $3.75 a point one day, and let a $3 per point package go by the next. All you can do is try, and if they swoop in, try, try again.

 

[jmhpsu93]

First, welcome and nice job doing your research first! As for resale points, yes Marriott has ROFR but that typcially passes at around $3-4/point (there doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to it. Once you pay the $3/point enrollment fee, they're as good as new ones bought from the developer. 7000 is executive status for MVC. There's no such thing as diamond status for Bonvoy, I think you get platinum, though.

 

[Steve Fatula]

Resold points do indeed have about $3/point junk fees. Here is a calculator:

https://vacationpointexchange.com/resale/

They will not "usually" buy them back themselves, for those who enter resale data, see some here:

https://vacationpointexchange.com/resale/ and pick Marriott and destination club points, rofr is exercised all over the place. If you have patience and don't mind multiple offers until you get one, go for low price.

There are a lot of realtors specialized in timeshares, so, that's one place. There may be listings on tug marketplace and redweek as well at any given time. Resale points function as MVCI direct points.

Here are the ownership levels, once you pay the junk fees, your resale points count for the levels.

https://www.marriottvacationsworldwide.com/common/cms/mvc/pdfs/owners/Owner-Benefit-Level.pdf

 

[Dean]

so after backing out of a deal on a rental property in myrtle beach because it didn't appraise, were looking at other options for vacationing

we were in aruba this past week and saw the adv. for the MVC.

somewhat interested based on the ability to travel multiple places.

I spoke with them, and currently points are about $14 a piece, but they have a 20% discount and then like 125% bonus points or something.

looking online at some places, i saw "resell points" at 2-4 a piece. they mentioned to me that if your buying used, that they will tack on $3 a point or something like that plus some charges in fees.

they also said they have first right of refusal, so if i go to buy the used points, they will usually just buy them back themselves.

$5-7 a piece obviously seems like a much better deal than the 11.20 currently, where is the best place to buy though , and know your getting a legit deal? and once i go to buy, are they really going to buy them back?

they mentioned at 7000 that puts you at diamond status for marriott as well, do you have to buy direct for that? and then i see "presidential" status talked about a few times, what are the benefits there, and again, do you have to buy direct from them for that.

This is a long term decision and large commitment. You need to spend a number of months of active investigation learning about timeshares in general and MVC specifically. Don't rush in trying to get that next vacation as a savings, the time and delay will be well worth it in the long run. Timesharing is a lifestyle to many, it's different than renting a condo or house and it's different than a hotel, sort of in between. You should consider renting a week or 2 at a location that suites you and with a company you're thinking about before you make any formal decisions. There are many angles and each person will have their focus. Read the stickies above and the advice articles here on TUG. Do an internet search and read some of the articles that catch your eye.

Some thoughts and variables just to get started.

For timeshares in general - This is a large commitment financially and to a degree, lifestyle. It locks you in to certain options unless you are prepared to do other things separately and pay separately. Usually little or no housekeeping is provided. You must plan and reserve early for most situations, like a year or more but even then getting the best options may not be possible. In general I recommend one think about how and where they want to vacation rather than which company. Usually that narrows you down to a one or 2 timeshare companies that stand out as the best choices. Considerations including price, volume, location, flexibility, quality, unit size, demand/time of year, school calendars, your risk tolerance and the like. Usually I find that Wyndham, Worldmark, Bluegreen and the like are the best values if they have what/where you want to go. MVC & Vistana/Westin/Hyatt are higher end and more expensive but tend to be nicer. Disney is mainly for WDW. Then there's the fixed week, floating week or points decision or some combination.

Specific to MVC, there are a few fixed week options but it's mainly a floating week or points consideration. Weeks resale will be the cheapest but you should learn about hybrid options where you buy weeks or weeks and points together and the weeks are enrolled. You should also learn about the option of buying resale and enrolling later with a retail purchase.

If you'll share your needs of timing (school calendar?), unit size needs, thoughts on where, type of hotels or similar you tend to stay at, usual length of planned vacations and ability to plan ahead; I'm sure we can offer some focus on what might be your best options to investigate further.

 

[beefcake]

so, typically in june, i'll take me the wife , my crew chief and his girfriend, 2 daughters and 2 of their friends on a trip. so 8 people. we do that pretty consistently. i've rented a house the last 5 years, anywhere between 5-10k depending. me and my wife will usually do a 3-5 day in january, as well as a 3-5 day in october. sometimes october we'll take just the 2 girls.

so thats kinda what we do. do i'd like something with flexibilty. the 8 person trip will always be in country, just because of flight cost, the others not necessarily

 

[JIMinNC]

Most timeshares are either 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom - there are some resorts that have 3 bedroom units, but those are not as common and can be tough to book and, with MVC points, require a high number of points. So just remember, your 8-person trip will be a lot more "cozy" in a 2BR timeshare than a house. MVC does have options to book houses with points, but points requirements are pretty high for those.

 

[beefcake]

i saw some of the nice houses, big points. lol. i was thinking of 7-10k point range

 

[mbstn6254]

so after backing out of a deal on a rental property in myrtle beach because it didn't appraise, were looking at other options for vacationing

we were in aruba this past week and saw the adv. for the MVC.

somewhat interested based on the ability to travel multiple places.

I spoke with them, and currently points are about $14 a piece, but they have a 20% discount and then like 125% bonus points or something.

looking online at some places, i saw "resell points" at 2-4 a piece. they mentioned to me that if your buying used, that they will tack on $3 a point or something like that plus some charges in fees.

they also said they have first right of refusal, so if i go to buy the used points, they will usually just buy them back themselves.

$5-7 a piece obviously seems like a much better deal than the 11.20 currently, where is the best place to buy though , and know your getting a legit deal? and once i go to buy, are they really going to buy them back?

they mentioned at 7000 that puts you at diamond status for Marriott as well, do you have to buy direct for that? and then i see "presidential" status talked about a few times, what are the benefits there, and again, do you have to buy direct from them for that.

After being an owner for about 5 years my recommendation is to stay away from MVC. I have found little value from both the financial aspect and the use. It is very complicated, and I discovered I can vacation in many of the same resorts for less money than my annual maintenance fees without the huge dollar outlay to get involved in the first place. As of late the customer service has been horrible with little or no ability to speak with a live customer service agent. All of this plus the unavailability of the resorts I really want go to at the times I want to go. I mostly settle for out of season vacations just to use up my point balances.

It is my opinion that MVC is for vacation hobbyists. People that love to plan many moths and even years into the future, enjoy making sure the right room in the right building is available, and make their ownership a major part of their lives. That is not me. So to each their own. But, from a financial perspective it makes no sense. Take the great advice here and buy resale and save, even with the junk fees, close to 50 or even 60% of what is offered at the sales presentation.

Whenever I am asked my opinion, I feel it is my duty to warn as many people as I can. I know as soon as this is posted there will be those that tell of their wonderful worldwide travels and so on. I have not had that experience. Coupled with a company that just doesn't care about customer service after the sale it screams stay away.

 

[Dean]

so, typically in june, i'll take me the wife , my crew chief and his girfriend, 2 daughters and 2 of their friends on a trip. so 8 people. we do that pretty consistently. i've rented a house the last 5 years, anywhere between 5-10k depending. me and my wife will usually do a 3-5 day in january, as well as a 3-5 day in october. sometimes october we'll take just the 2 girls.

so thats kinda what we do. do i'd like something with flexibilty. the 8 person trip will always be in country, just because of flight cost, the others not necessarily

Is there a specific area you'd like to go? It makes a big difference as to my thoughts. For the flexibility with shorter stays and multiple stays I wonder if something like Wyndham might be best for you. Lots of places and a lot of very good resorts and the points give you flexibility for shorter stays and different villa types. It'll also be much cheaper up front and likely ongoing as well. Bluegreen might be cheaper even still and has some great options but not as many. Worldmark is more other out west but is tied to Wyndham as well. I love MVC and it could also work in this situation but it'll be a lot more and you will need points of some type (either Trust of Destination) to do so. Ultimately you need to learn enough BEFORE you buy that you could answer these questions for someone else reliably.

 

[Steve Fatula]

Dean brings up some good points. But it always depends how YOU vacation. Personally, I've almost never arrange long in advance, so, disagree (for me) with his comment about a year or more in advance. But, I am retired which of course makes a huge difference, no kids. You can always trade into other places as well, though those are weeks. We've found timeshare houses in Branson MO and Williamsburg VA that we have traded into or used accommodation certs for via II. Likely there are others. For us, we have no regular spots we visit except one, we always enjoy new places which is one of the best things about the ownership.

And mbstn6254 comments should be read as well. While my experience is polar opposite, understand his is not that unusual either. There are many types of timeshare owners. I'm one who does/did invest the time to learn about the system and use to my advantage. But that does take some effort, it's not as easy as it can sound if you want to do much with it.

 

[Dean]

Dean brings up some good points. But it always depends how YOU vacation. Personally, I've almost never arrange long in advance, so, disagree (for me) with his comment about a year or more in advance. But, I am retired which of course makes a huge difference, no kids. You can always trade into other places as well, though those are weeks. We've found timeshare houses in Branson MO and Williamsburg VA that we have traded into or used accommodation certs for via II. Likely there are others. For us, we have no regular spots we visit except one, we always enjoy new places which is one of the best things about the ownership.

And mbstn6254 comments should be read as well. While my experience is polar opposite, understand his is not that unusual either. There are many types of timeshare owners. I'm one who does/did invest the time to learn about the system and use to my advantage. But that does take some effort, it's not as easy as it can sound if you want to do much with it.

There certainly are those that make it work without advance planning but it's a small minority and specific type of situations IMO. Plus it adds risk, stress and potentially means one can't get what they want. You likely also travel at off or shoulder times much of the time which those tied to school calendars aren't usually able to do. But that's one of the reasons I asked where they wanted to go. For Branson or Orlando, not big deal. For HHI or MB in the summer or HI in general, very big deal.

I've seen TNTC situations where people bought into timeshares where they didn't plan and didn't have flexibility and the timeshare was a curse and not a blessing. But what's the downside to the 2 sides of the equation. If they are that flexible and the recommendation to be able to plan causes them to not buy when it would have been a good thing, they don't have the risk and blessing of timeshares. But OTOH if they buy with the idea they can make it work without planning and they can't, big problem.

 

[Steve Fatula]

There certainly are those that make it work without advance planning but it's a small minority and specific type of situations IMO. Plus it adds risk, stress and potentially means one can't get what they want. You likely also travel at off or shoulder times much of the time which those tied to school calendars aren't usually able to do. But that's one of the reasons I asked where they wanted to go. For Branson or Orlando, not big deal. For HHI or MB in the summer or HI in general, very big deal.

I can assure you it adds no stress, risk, and I do get what I want. Yes, there are a minority of places where if I wanted to go on some specific week, I may not be able to (but I am not that inflxeible). But I can tell you are not retired, as you used the word stress, lol. I have been to Hawaii soooooo many times. Gets old hearing people say you can't get there. It's actually pretty easy. A specific view in a specific resort on a specific week? Maybe not. But hawaii is available within 60 days via points every single month of the year historically.

I think your opinions will change once you retire! There are a lot of retired owners. But I mostly agree with what you have said. Heading to Hawaii in 2 months in fact, lol.

 

[Dean]

I can assure you it adds no stress, risk, and I do get what I want. Yes, there are a minority of places where if I wanted to go on some specific week, I may not be able to (but I am not that inflxeible). But I can tell you are not retired, as you used the word stress, lol. I have been to Hawaii soooooo many times. Gets old hearing people say you can't get there. It's actually pretty easy. A specific view in a specific resort on a specific week? Maybe not. But hawaii is available within 60 days via points every single month of the year historically.

I think your opinions will change once you retire! There are a lot of retired owners. But I mostly agree with what you have said. Heading to Hawaii in 2 months in fact, lol.

But it doesn't sound like the OP is retired and it may not add stress to you but it does for many, likely most. Knowledge is power though which is why the OP needs to investigate and see what works for them once they truly know the information.

ETA: How I answer such questions is for the masses and for others who may be reading. Your or my situation is somewhat irrelevant except as it translates across larger groups and/or to an individual's situation. Those that can only look at these issues through the lens of how it works for them alone are not helpful. I'm not saying that's you, but I see it a lot in timeshare discussions (among others).

 

[Steve Fatula]

But it doesn't sound like the OP is retired and it may not add stress to you but it does for many, likely most. Knowledge is power though which is why the OP needs to investigate and see what works for them once they truly know the information.

Which of course, is exactly why I said "But, I am retired which of course makes a huge difference". I don't find, in my conversations with retired folks at timeshares, that they are overly stressed. Mostly, they love what they are doing and find it wonderful. I think you will see, eventually. Mostly, it appears to be tuggers who stress over timeshares.

I agree he needs to gain the knowledge as I stated, and, I also asked how he vacations for the very same reasons. I was merely objecting to one minor part of your post. To me, what adds stress, is worrying about can I get some specific week at some specific resort at exactly the right time in the morning, will the phones work, etc. Once you retire, you may relax a little and see that there are many wonderful places to go in the world. And you may be amazed how the "stress" is a thing of the past.

 

[beefcake]

i am not retired, but i do own my own business and work from home (i'm 48) so i have a lot of flexibilty. i'm not really locked down to 1 place, thats why i like the idea of being to go alot of different places but still have some "ownership" in something, al though it's not owning a single home like we thought about.

i have done a trip to florida the last 5 years with 8 of us, but probably every year for the last 15 years. the last 8 or so i've rented a house at at least 5k and the last 3 years at 8-10k. so, i have spent we'll say 50k over 8 years renting. my mindset is that is 50, i could have bought points with and now not have to spend.

this year in june were wanting to go to california, never been. i spoke to the gal in the office. even though we haven't purcahsed. she was able to find 2 - 2 bedrooms for the week that we want available with ocean view. and were 5 months out. so that seems promising to me on that aspect. it's still far enough out we can fly the adults at first class reasonably and the 4 kids economically.
i know they have some options to buy people selling their old ones for much less as well. that makes the overall purchase to get us to the chairman club level much more enticing and not alot more than the resale with the added $3. with the bonus points they are offering right now, would be close to the same

our yearly trip i can plan out a year in advance without issue. and then a couple whisicles are easy, as we never care where we go, we just get bored and say...lets go somewhere a few days, see whats open and hop a flight, thats why i'm kind of liking the idea

 

[Fasttr]

i saw some of the nice houses, big points. lol. i was thinking of 7-10k point range

i have done a trip to florida the last 5 years with 8 of us, but probably every year for the last 15 years. the last 8 or so i've rented a house at at least 5k and the last 3 years at 8-10k. so, i have spent we'll say 50k over 8 years renting. my mindset is that is 50, i could have bought points with and now not have to spend.

You do realize the current annual maintenance fees on 10K Trust points in today's dollars (they go up approx. 5% a year) would be around $6K....so there are ongoing annual costs in addition to the upfront cost to purchase. Just wanted to make sure you were aware.

 

[beefcake]

yes, am aware of the maintenance fee, appreciate you mentioning though

 

[Steve Fatula]

i am not retired, but i do own my own business and work from home (i'm 48) so i have a lot of flexibilty. i'm not really locked down to 1 place, thats why i like the idea of being to go alot of different places but still have some "ownership" in something, al though it's not owning a single home like we thought about.

i have done a trip to florida the last 5 years with 8 of us, but probably every year for the last 15 years. the last 8 or so i've rented a house at at least 5k and the last 3 years at 8-10k. so, i have spent we'll say 50k over 8 years renting. my mindset is that is 50, i could have bought points with and now not have to spend.

this year in june were wanting to go to california, never been. i spoke to the gal in the office. even though we haven't purcahsed. she was able to find 2 - 2 bedrooms for the week that we want available with ocean view. and were 5 months out. so that seems promising to me on that aspect. it's still far enough out we can fly the adults at first class reasonably and the 4 kids economically.
i know they have some options to buy people selling their old ones for much less as well. that makes the overall purchase to get us to the chairman club level much more enticing and not alot more than the resale with the added $3. with the bonus points they are offering right now, would be close to the same

our yearly trip i can plan out a year in advance without issue. and then a couple whisicles are easy, as we never care where we go, we just get bored and say...lets go somewhere a few days, see whats open and hop a flight, thats why i'm kind of liking the idea

This is definitely the kind of person points are made for. You'd be surprised how many places are available within 60 days. If you have enough points, those become discounted within 60 days as well. Which may be good for you.

That being said, I would encourage you to read a lot about how points work, etc. before purchasing. It's not quite as simple as they make it sounds, but, it's not unbearably complex either. But understanding is important. You might even, for example, decide to go hybrid, an enrolled week + points purchase. The week, if lockoff capable, would mean 2 weeks vacation somewhere. Or, you can take that week and turn it into points for more flexibility. The advantage of the hybrids is they are cheaper per point. Having a week gives you future capabilities. I use one of mine to lockoff, and trade. We've gone all around the world with it, and, around the US. Even within the US, you get a week, and then you add on to the week with points on the cheap weekdays to give you more than a week. I am doing that in Hawaii in April. There are many many options, but, you should read and ask questions first since it's a fair amount of money. But to me, you do sound like a points person.

 

[beefcake]

This is definitely the kind of person points are made for. You'd be surprised how many places are available within 60 days. If you have enough points, those become discounted within 60 days as well. Which may be good for you.

That being said, I would encourage you to read a lot about how points work, etc. before purchasing. It's not quite as simple as they make it sounds, but, it's not unbearably complex either. But understanding is important. You might even, for example, decide to go hybrid, an enrolled week + points purchase. The week, if lockoff capable, would mean 2 weeks vacation somewhere. Or, you can take that week and turn it into points for more flexibility. The advantage of the hybrids is they are cheaper per point. Having a week gives you future capabilities. I use one of mine to lockoff, and trade. We've gone all around the world with it, and, around the US. Even within the US, you get a week, and then you add on to the week with points on the cheap weekdays to give you more than a week. I am doing that in Hawaii in April. There are many many options, but, you should read and ask questions first since it's a fair amount of money. But to me, you do sound like a points person.

were looking at possibly doing 10k up front, and purcahsing a couple discounted weeks as well. those combined would give us about 16500 a year, which is about what i think i would use over 3-4 trips. put us in chairmans club, 25k bonus points, and 100k bonvoy all averaging out to about 9.2 a point. not counting the 25k bonus points which is worth something

 

[Steve Fatula]

were looking at possibly doing 10k up front, and purcahsing a couple discounted weeks as well. those combined would give us about 16500 a year, which is about what i think i would use over 3-4 trips. put us in chairmans club, 25k bonus points, and 100k bonvoy all averaging out to about 9.2 a point. not counting the 25k bonus points which is worth something

The 25k bonus points are worth about $15,000 in MF equivalence. You would indeed have a lot of flexibility given that purchase. I wish I had purchased more than I did when we first started out 20 years ago. But better late than never, lol. Understanding there are dis-satisfied owners as well. But for us, the greatest thing we ever purchased. We do like you do. The fun is deciding where to go next. When we decided to go to Thailand last year, we found out the flight was going to be really really long. So, we looked at a map and said, what's around half way. That turned out to be Fiji, so, we said let's go there! But then we saw the flights from Fiji to Thailand were going to be long also, at least the free ones on airlines miles. So, we said what's half way, Australia! The joy for us is winging it and going places we never ever would have gone otherwise.

 

[beefcake]

The 25k bonus points are worth about $15,000 in MF equivalence. You would indeed have a lot of flexibility given that purchase. I wish I had purchased more than I did when we first started out 20 years ago. But better late than never, lol. Understanding there are dis-satisfied owners as well. But for us, the greatest thing we ever purchased. We do like you do. The fun is deciding where to go next. When we decided to go to Thailand last year, we found out the flight was going to be really really long. So, we looked at a map and said, what's around half way. That turned out to be Fiji, so, we said let's go there! But then we saw the flights from Fiji to Thailand were going to be long also, at least the free ones on airlines miles. So, we said what's half way, Australia! The joy for us is winging it and going places we never ever would have gone otherwise.

well we used to only go to clearwater, and there is something for knowing where your going, and what you like, but at almost 50, i'd like to see some different things and who knows 10 years from now maybe i'll find something i just love and want a rental home somewhere, but like you said, figuring out where to go next and trying new stuff seems like alot of fun

 

[Steve Fatula]

well we used to only go to clearwater, and there is something for knowing where your going, and what you like, but at almost 50, i'd like to see some different things and who knows 10 years from now maybe i'll find something i just love and want a rental home somewhere, but like you said, figuring out where to go next and trying new stuff seems like alot of fun

Given that you are thinking of weeks and points, you'll have the most flexibility to meet your changing (if they change) needs. Do realize you will never get back the money you spent upfront when you dispose or sell them at some point in the future.

 

[beefcake]

well, i know you can sell, but not for what ya pay

 

[Dean]

Which of course, is exactly why I said "But, I am retired which of course makes a huge difference". I don't find, in my conversations with retired folks at timeshares, that they are overly stressed. Mostly, they love what they are doing and find it wonderful. I think you will see, eventually. Mostly, it appears to be tuggers who stress over timeshares.

I agree he needs to gain the knowledge as I stated, and, I also asked how he vacations for the very same reasons. I was merely objecting to one minor part of your post. To me, what adds stress, is worrying about can I get some specific week at some specific resort at exactly the right time in the morning, will the phones work, etc. Once you retire, you may relax a little and see that there are many wonderful places to go in the world. And you may be amazed how the "stress" is a thing of the past.

IMO no one new to timesharing should ever buy with the main plan being shorter term usage. It adds risk and it works for very few, namely those that are VERY flexible and willing to put extra effort into the system. I could do it when retired and you have but it's not for most people in timesharing and not a good plan for any that are new to timesharing. For me, life's good. Long weekend in Savannah recently and the next year holds 10 days LV (2 couples), week cruise (same 2 couples), week in Charleston (Bluegreen timeshare, several couples, adult only trip), week in HHI (MVC, 55-60 people), another week long cruise, Christmas in Gatlinburg (immediate family).

were looking at possibly doing 10k up front, and purcahsing a couple discounted weeks as well. those combined would give us about 16500 a year, which is about what i think i would use over 3-4 trips. put us in chairmans club, 25k bonus points, and 100k bonvoy all averaging out to about 9.2 a point. not counting the 25k bonus points which is worth something

If MVC works out to be a good choice for you and a couple of weeks plus points is the best, big if's, then I'd suggest buying some resale weeks that you can/will use and only then adding points as if you do it that way and buy at least 4000 points you should be able to enroll the resale weeks as well.