Resale Clarifications

[DJensen]

I posted this morning about where to buy a Marriott resale and thanks for all of the information - great to have TUB BBS!!

Now my next question as we are currently rescinding at Horizons in Orlando. The Marriott sales rep emailed my and noted the following items of direct vs resale:

1. No Marriott Rewards points with resale - yes have seen this well documented in TUB BBS and other sources.
2. With resale there is NOT the 24 day window of Marriott exclusive exchanges - I have seen contrary to this please help clarify
3. Marriott Vacation Advisor (helps with vacation planning) is NOT available on resale properties - I have seen some posts that note that once you get into the booking and exchanging they are not as helpful and also another post or two that noted the Marriott advisor's are located at II and ARE available for ALL Marriott owners (direct and resale).

Once again, thanks in advance as this is like learning to ride a bike (I just don't want to fall off and hurt myself)!!

 

[gmarine]

The only thing you lose with a resale is the ability to trade your unit in for points. You still get the exchange priority and a vacation advisor if you ask for one.

Its a shame that Marriott salespeople still feel the need to lie about the product. And they put the lies in an email.

 

[laxmom]

The only thing true there is the points! Are those points worth the price difference? Marriott has a good product so why do they feel they need to lie to sell?

Just a note about points. Keep in mind that Marriott can and does raise the amount of points needed to stay in a hotel/resort while not raising the amount of reward points you get for your unit.

 

[taffy19]

I would send that email to Marriott management as I don't think they would like to see anyone write lies on paper. What they tell you is your word against theirs later as they can say that you misunderstood them but what is black on white cannot be challenged. JMHO.

 

[Latravel]

I've only bought my 3 weeks from Marriott directly, but as far as I know, the only difference with resale is that you do not get the points.

What you have to decide is if the points are worth the price difference. Also, you should have received a large amount of points to purchase directly from Marriott. You obviously do not receive those points if you rescind and buy resale. In the entire time you own your resale unit, and the time you pass it to your heirs, you cannot redeme the unit for points. In our case, we chose to buy from Marriott because the value of the points we were offered easily made up for the price difference of resale vs. developer. The amount of points we got totalled a 2 week stay in a cat. 7 hotel plus airfare. That alone made up for the price difference.

I would just make sure you are absolutely certain you would not like to trade your timeshare in the future for points that could be used in Marriott hotels around the world where there are no timeshares. Good luck in your decision and just remember, either one will give you years of enjoyment!

 

[Dean]

I would send that email to Marriott management as I don't think they would like to see anyone write lies on paper. What they tell you is your word against theirs later as they can say that you misunderstood them but what is black on white cannot be challenged. JMHO.

I agree, I apparently got a rep fired in large part due to these exact lies. Not that it was my intention but when I passed it on that was the end result. The other one you'll get is that you can't use the Marriott desk at II, also untrue. And the truth is that 2 of my 4 resale Marriott weeks trade for points and they were not bought from Marriott in any way though it's unlikely I'll ever do so as I don't see it as much of a value.

 

[m61376]

And the truth is that 2 of my 4 resale Marriott weeks trade for points and they were not bought from Marriott in any way though it's unlikely I'll ever do so as I don't see it as much of a value.

I thought that was impossible. Do certain resale weeks have that option?

 

[dioxide45]

And the truth is that 2 of my 4 resale Marriott weeks trade for points and they were not bought from Marriott in any way though it's unlikely I'll ever do so as I don't see it as much of a value.

Have you ever actually traded the weeks for points? How do you know they can be traded for points? If it is what the seller said, then it may not be true.

 

[Dean]

Have you ever actually traded the weeks for points? How do you know they can be traded for points? If it is what the seller said, then it may not be true.

Though I haven't been on TUG much in the last year or two, I am not a novice with Marriott or timesharing. I have never done it but have confirmed the ability to do so online and with Marriott directly including CS and my advisor at the time. I likely will not exchange for points so it may be of dubious value.

I thought that was impossible. Do certain resale weeks have that option?

As a rule you're correct. I had made the offer on 3 previous sales tours as a combination buy a week, convert resale weeks to points combination and been told no all 3 times previously. This was done as part of my Surfwatch platinum week purchase converting my two GO weeks as well. They actually had a specific form to do so. I believe I was told that it was only for Platinum weeks. My guess is they paid a fee to Marriott and did it internally like a Marriott resale purchase or more likely still, part of the program where EOY points at GO could be upgraded to EY for a fee. The form was titled "Grande Ocean Resort Timeshare/Marriott Rewards Program Enhancement", I'm looking at it right now. Actually I don't think I ever realized it was for EY points instead of EOY until I looked at it just now.

BTW, this is not the first time I've been called a liar on this topic. I'll be happy to bet my two GO weeks against similar weeks saying that they were bought resale, not from Marriott in any way and have the points option.

 

[tlwmkw]

Dean,

I don't think anyone's calling you a liar. Obviously you managed to get the points option via a special arrangement with Marriott- this is not a typical deal and that is why everyone is surprised when they hear about it.

Did you have to pay extra to get the points option? Also, if you don't plan to trade for points why did you add the points option? Will this ability to trade for points remain with the weeks if you re-sell them on the re-sale market? I think many people would be interested to know about this since it could enhance their re-sale weeks if they could also add the points option at little, or no, cost. I wonder if many of the folks in sales at Marriott are even aware of this since it has not been mentioned in the past.

Thanks, tlwmkw

 

[dioxide45]

BTW, this is not the first time I've been called a liar on this topic. I'll be happy to bet my two GO weeks against similar weeks saying that they were bought resale, not from Marriott in any way and have the points option.

You made a statement that is contrary to all experience. People will naturally question that. If you had stated in your original statement what you did in your response, no one would have questioned the statement. The fact that you didn't include the detail in the original post, indicates that you may have been hoping for such a response.

 

[Dean]

Dean,

I don't think anyone's calling you a liar. Obviously you managed to get the points option via a special arrangement with Marriott- this is not a typical deal and that is why everyone is surprised when they hear about it.

Did you have to pay extra to get the points option? Also, if you don't plan to trade for points why did you add the points option? Will this ability to trade for points remain with the weeks if you re-sell them on the re-sale market? I think many people would be interested to know about this since it could enhance their re-sale weeks if they could also add the points option at little, or no, cost. I wonder if many of the folks in sales at Marriott are even aware of this since it has not been mentioned in the past.

Thanks, tlwmkw

I wasn't offended, I know it's different than everything else people have heard other than those that have seen me post it previously as I have a couple of times in the past. The only extra was I bought a retail week, one I would likely have bought anyway. I assume the usual rules would apply on resale just like if I sold my retail week and the points option would not go to the new owner. As I noted, it may have been a somewhat special situation.

You made a statement that is contrary to all experience. People will naturally question that. If you had stated in your original statement what you did in your response, no one would have questioned the statement. The fact that you didn't include the detail in the original post, indicates that you may have been hoping for such a response.

Not at all, it's been discussed in at least a couple of threads in the past so I didn't see the need to head down a tangent until it was questioned. My intent was to say that I don't see the points as a major value even though I had the option.

 

[Latravel]

Wow, I nearly fell off my chair. What you are saying is going against all the printed documentation. I think points are very valuable so if it was possible to get them without buying from Marriott, it would have saved us a lot of money. Even if it was a special situation, if they broke the rules once, they can do it again.

The points must have had some value to you, evidenced by the fact you tied a developer purchase with the enhancement of your resales to include points. It must have taken a lot of discussions, negotiations and paperwork to make it happen so you obviously found the points to be important. Why else would you go to the trouble? Anyways, good for you! You got an impossible deal!

 

[Dean]

Wow, I nearly fell off my chair. What you are saying is going against all the printed documentation. I think points are very valuable so if it was possible to get them without buying from Marriott, it would have saved us a lot of money. Even if it was a special situation, if they broke the rules once, they can do it again.

When I've specifically reported it, that was my reasoning. That it did happen and there might be other situations where it could happen again and knowing that might help someone. In this thread it was an ancillary thought, not one I was specifically trying to make.

The points must have had some value to you, evidenced by the fact you tied a developer purchase with the enhancement of your resales to include points. It must have taken a lot of discussions, negotiations and paperwork to make it happen so you obviously found the points to be important. Why else would you go to the trouble? Anyways, good for you! You got an impossible deal!

Value, yes, but not a lot. I likely would have made the purchase anyway but it was a small point that swayed me at the moment of the decision. Actually it was quite easy. I think they picked up that it was something of interest to me and they specifically suggested it. They had a form already printed up and just filled in my info. The only complication was that originally they only got one of the weeks listed as a points ownership and I had to fax the form to my advisor to get that one straightened out which they did quickly and easily. I actually am aware of it happening at least one other time in a different situation but I am not sure of the exact details enough to speak intelligently, maybe other old timers are more aware and can speak to that issue.

As to the value of the points in general, it is my feeling that they are only particularly valuable for those that can take advantage of the combo travel tickets and use the air and hotel certificates for the most expensive of options like Sydney, London, Paris and the like. I have almost a million points now and I'm still not sure where/when I'll use them.

 

[dioxide45]

Wow, I nearly fell off my chair. What you are saying is going against all the printed documentation. I think points are very valuable so if it was possible to get them without buying from Marriott, it would have saved us a lot of money. Even if it was a special situation, if they broke the rules once, they can do it again.

!

Actually from reading Dean's posts, Dean did have to buy from Marriott to get the points option on the two resale weeks. The just "upgraded" the two resale weeks to developer when a developer week was purchased. So Marriott did have something to gain from the deal.

 

[Latravel]

Now it makes more sense. In that case, would the weeks that were upgraded be the same as developer weeks since they were purchased from Marriott? I'm sure he had to pay extra to upgrade. For all I know, my developer weeks could have been prior resale weeks, too. So what was the advantage (unless of course, you really wanted points)?

 

[Beverley]

Along time ago it was possible to purchase a resale week through a Marriott reseller and save money and get the points.

Some, I have been told, actually did it this way ... they purchased a resale week at the going resale price (open market) and then worked with a Marriott reseller and paid an additional 25% of their purchase price to have it "redone" to be points eligible. I do not hear of this happening much anymore since now all salespeople with Marriott can sell resales and they do not seem to have dedicated "Marriott resellers".

The last I heard of it being done was maybe 8 to 9 years ago. I do not believe there was anything unsavory about it either. No one was "cheating" it was just something that could be done then.

Beverley

 

[kjd]

Points or no points

This topic has been discussed ad nausea on TUG which usually results in two different camps. Probably, both camps are right depending upon their circumstances.

If you're into world-wide travel or if you visit places where no decent TS exists, the points are a good deal. In the long run it can save you money. Points are best used for vacation packages for overseas vacations of at least two weeks IMHO.

If, on the other hand you only wish a resort style vacation and are willing to accept the limited number of decent TS overseas locations, then purchasing resale offers good value.

There is one factor that is worth noting when considering whether to trade your unit for MR points. If you are turning in a lockoff unit for MR points you are really turning in two vacation weeks for that point value. That changes the equation in my opinion because you can often trade a studio unit for a larger unit, especially during flexchange.