Request First vs. Deposit First

[EKniager]

I've read a couple times that there is a belief that by depositing-first in II you get greater trading power. This seems counter intuitive to me as once they get your week they really don't need to be as accomodating. Where as if they see it hanging out there in a request first, they have incentive to get you your trade or they won't necessarily get your week.

Can someone who has some knowledge on this help me better understand the stronger approach? We have a request first in for Week#1 2013 but are open to making it a deposit first if that would be the stronger play.

 

[gwhamm]

While I don't have any first hand experience to share regarding this matter, I do agree with your thinking about how II would approach it if they already have your week on deposit vs. a request first.

 

[Beefnot]

From a transactional perspective, your logic makes sense. From a relationship perspective, it would be in II's best interest to do what they say they do in "locking in" your trade power at the time of deposit, otherwise you may not choose to deposit with them again.

 

[dmharris]

The one problem with deposit first-then put in a request - is you may not have any units to hunt for trades on your own or do you still have access to that unit to hunt?

 

[CashEddie]

I've read a couple times that there is a belief that by depositing-first in II you get greater trading power. This seems counter intuitive to me as once they get your week they really don't need to be as accomodating. Where as if they see it hanging out there in a request first, they have incentive to get you your trade or they won't necessarily get your week.

Can someone who has some knowledge on this help me better understand the stronger approach? We have a request first in for Week#1 2013 but are open to making it a deposit first if that would be the stronger play.

II documents in their printed resort guide that "deposit first" as early as possible is the best way to maximize your trading power. Because of this power, it comes at price of giving up your week before you are confirmed but is balanced out because you have up to 3 year travel window (1 year prior and 2 years after your home resort's check-in date)

When you deposit first, you are essentially "leap frogging" everyone else that are trying to do exchanges via the "request first" method because you gave your week up long ago and you are at the beginning of the line. For example, all the prime 2013 weeks for Aruba that are being reserved and deposited by owners now are being matched up with those 2012 "deposit first" ressies that were made back in 2011. The big drawback is that you give up your week without being matched up. If you know you are not going to your home resort for that usage year, "deposit first" will give you the max in trading power.

Now, if you want the "best of both worlds" you can do what's called a "Special Marriott Internal Exchange" which allows you to do a "request first" deposit and also request a travel date of up to one year after your home resort's check-in date. This gives you a total 2 year travel window (1 year prior and 1 year after check-in date of home resort).

However, you will need to decide what you want to do at the 75 day mark before your check in when you make the reservation with II. The two options are as follows:

1. If II hasn't matched your request at the 75 day mark, they will return your week, cancel request and refund your exchange fee.

OR

2. Your week will convert to a "deposit first" request and they will keep searching for you.

This request is only valid if you are trying to go to another Marriott property.

 

[iluvfla]

I never requested first, timesharing for the last 5 years, always deposited first and requested a trade. In that time you cann still browse the inventory daily and if there is something you like, just press the exchange button and all done. I always lock off my grand chateau, and picked up great 2 bedrooms in Florida and Mexico, only had settle for a 1 bedroom in ft Myers, I hope this helps a bit, good luck Tuggers !!!!!

 

[Love2TS]

Have done both and found representatives working to accommodate my request in either scenario. The main advantage of request first that I find is that in case you don't get the trade you want, you still retain the ability to use your home resort.And since we did buy where we like to vacation that is a good back up option to have.

 

[SueDonJ]

Another thing to think about when deciding whether to use deposit-first or request-first is that IF your week is eligible for a bonus week AC, you won't get it unless you use deposit-first.

 

[EKniager]

II documents in their printed resort guide that "deposit first" as early as possible is the best way to maximize your trading power. Because of this power, it comes at price of giving up your week before you are confirmed but is balanced out because you have up to 3 year travel window (1 year prior and 2 years after your home resort's check-in date)

The problem with this is... it is clearly in their best interest to tell us to deposit first because that secures our week for their inventory and guarantees the exchange fee. No where is there legal language, that I've seen, that binds them to giving us greater priority after making the deposit. The whole exchange priority thing is cloaked in ambiguity. There are no publically shared formulas or numerical values assigned to weeks that is shared with us. It's all a bit mysterious and that is intentional. I have not been able to get an II employee to confirm for me that depositing gives me a greater priority.

I am requesting an exchange into another Marriott, btw.

 

[EKniager]

The one problem with deposit first-then put in a request - is you may not have any units to hunt for trades on your own or do you still have access to that unit to hunt?

I think you can just use the 87654321 code to hunt.

 

[EKniager]

Another thing to think about when deciding whether to use deposit-first or request-first is that IF your week is eligible for a bonus week AC, you won't get it unless you use deposit-first.

We have owned for 6 years and never received an AC for our Platinum Aruba Surf Club. I believe it is because we mostly lockoff and book a high demand week in January for maximum trading power. The one time we got a post card offering an AC was during the late spring and the unit was already reserved.

I guess I've always thought the AC's to be so restrictive that it didn't seem worth waiting for. Also, there are only so many weeks vacation we can afford to take. We are still working and the four weeks we take now are plenty.

 

[thinze3]

When you do a request first your trade power is locked in at that time. If you cancel and retry again later, you trade powers cancels and is locked in again at the time of the new request first.

It is also my understanding that trade power can change from day to day depending on II's need for a particular date at a particular resort.

 

[CashEddie]

The problem with this is... it is clearly in their best interest to tell us to deposit first because that secures our week for their inventory and guarantees the exchange fee. No where is there legal language, that I've seen, that binds them to giving us greater priority after making the deposit. The whole exchange priority thing is cloaked in ambiguity. There are no publically shared formulas or numerical values assigned to weeks that is shared with us. It's all a bit mysterious and that is intentional. I have not been able to get an II employee to confirm for me that depositing gives me a greater priority.

I am requesting an exchange into another Marriott, btw.

Yes, I agree that the II formula is a mystery and they have never shared how it specifically works outside of what they have printed in their descriptions of "request first" and "deposit first" and thats all we can go on.

I would assume one of the algorithms used is a basic FIFO queuing method, which is stressed with the two different request methods. The earlier and longer you been standing in line gives you some level of priority over the other people that get inline after you. When doing the "deposit first", you are essentially "camping out" and assuring yourself a better place in line for the 2 years following your check-in date. My thought is when you are in the 1 year prior window, you are contenting with all of the "request first" (that only have a 1 year travel window prior to their check-in date) folks and the "deposit first" folks that have been in line for at least one year or more ahead of you.

The other parts of the formula that is also given weight is size of unit, special priority (e.g. Marriott, Starwood, etc.), demand of week, etc. All these factors play together into this formula that II doesn't share with us. We don't know which parts of the formula will "bump you up" over another. (e.g. will my President Week at Ocean Pointe I'm depositing 12 months out move me higher than someone that has been in line for 3 years. I would hope not but who really knows.)

I think the "locking in" of your trading power that II tells us is that they weigh heavy priority on the people that "get in line" first by depositing first, which IMHO is only fair.

 

[SueDonJ]

We have owned for 6 years and never received an AC for our Platinum Aruba Surf Club. I believe it is because we mostly lockoff and book a high demand week in January for maximum trading power. The one time we got a post card offering an AC was during the late spring and the unit was already reserved.

I guess I've always thought the AC's to be so restrictive that it didn't seem worth waiting for. Also, there are only so many weeks vacation we can afford to take. We are still working and the four weeks we take now are plenty.

We don't have lock-offs but I understand that generally you don't get an AC if you deposit portions. And you're right that the grids for them these days seem like they're much more restricted than they used to be. We used AC's on a couple trips to get concurrent weeks so that family could come with us, and got a whole lot more space for bargain prices. I don't know if that can still be done at the same places - one of those trips was to Waiohai. It's sad if those days are over.

 

[thinze3]

You can get an AC for a 1BR but not a studio.

 

[Former Cruiser]

I've always did deposit first with my Myrtle Beach Platinum, but with the new point system I figure if I do a request first they'll scramble to make my trade to get my week. We haven't gotten an AC in 2 years.

 

[KathyPet]

Have always done a request first booking the week at my home resort for a later date than the weeks I am requesting the trade for. Since we bought two of our three weeks where we like to go I want to be able to use my reserved home week if the trade does not come through. Don't care about getting a AC as I would never use them