Resale-Combining StarOptions

[Gypsie]

I was recently notified that resale owners are now allowed to combine their staroptions with other developer/resale staroptions. That's good news--and it comes right on time with my selling of my WKV resale week. Lucky me!

 

[DeniseM]

How were you notified? Unless that info. came out while I was on vacation, that's news to me!

 

[Gypsie]

Combining StarOptions

I was notified by sales person at Starwood. It is brand new and it really is good news!

 

[clsmit]

Did you get it in writing? Otherwise it's worth the paper it's printed on....

 

[Gypsie]

Quote from Starwood

Also here is a quote from an email that I just received from my sales person, who will remain anonymous "I also wanted to tell you that any StarOptions you have with a Mandatory resale property (The Westin Kierland), it used to be that, although you could use the Options, they couldn’t be combined with your other Options. That no longer applies. You may combine them."

 

[DeniseM]

I hope this is true, but based on their track record, info. from sales people is totally unreliable.

 

[DavidnRobin]

[ ] reliable info from Salesperson
[ ] unreliable info from Saleperson
[x] get it documented from SVN/SVO Management

 

[oneohana]

I was notified by sales person at Starwood. It is brand new and it really is good news!

Are you talking about requaling a resale with a developer purchase?
Or does your salesperson call you on changes to the system?

 

[SDKath]

This is completely wrong. Unless it is in a legal publication from Starwood officially, I would ignore it. It has been made clear to me many times by the Starwood folks in their main sales office that one cannot combine resale points no matter if M or V resorts are involved. I hope someone can prove me wrong but it ain't an email from a sales person that will do the job.

Katherine

 

[Gypsie]

It's Official

I decided to call elite services regarding this new policy of combining staroptions of resale purchases. I was able to confirm it with Maria. She stated that it had been implemented about a year ago. It appears that all staroptions have been linked and should show as a total pool of staroptions in the owner's account.

Anyway, just thought you all would want to know. It won't help me too much but I know a lot of you have resales and would like to combine the options.

 

[Cdntraveller]

I can confirm that it is true....Starwood volunteered to combine my units for me (I didn't even have to ask)!

 

[DavidnRobin]

This is some of the biggest (good) news for 'woodies (LOL) in a long while - now how to make this of value...
{unfortunately MFs are not proportional to SOs}

where is this mysterious pool of SOs in my account? They are listed individually for "The Resorts I Own" in my MSC account.

 

[pointsjunkie]

I decided to call elite services regarding this new policy of combining staroptions of resale purchases. I was able to confirm it with Maria. She stated that it had been implemented about a year ago. It appears that all staroptions have been linked and should show as a total pool of staroptions in the owner's account.

Anyway, just thought you all would want to know. It won't help me too much but I know a lot of you have resales and would like to combine the options.

i also called and they can be combined.

 

[SDKath]

Wow! I am speechless. I am so glad that I have been proven wrong. I still want to see it in writing. BUT, it's great news for resale owners.

It is still only combinable for M resorts, right? Not V resorts since they don't come with SOs on resale.

Other key question -- will they count M SOs toward elite status now? Or is that an entirely different cat in the bag.

Katherine

 

[Denise L]

Fantastic news for resale owners. I would think this would increase the resale prices for mandatory resorts, what do you think?

 

[Ken555]

This can definitely impact resale prices of mandatory resorts. Great news!

 

[pointsjunkie]

Wow! I am speechless. I am so glad that I have been proven wrong. I still want to see it in writing. BUT, it's great news for resale owners.

It is still only combinable for M resorts, right? Not V resorts since they don't come with SOs on resale.

Other key question -- will they count M SOs toward elite status now? Or is that an entirely different cat in the bag.

Katherine

my bet is that since the mandatory resorts only get staroptions they will not count toward elite status and would have to be requalified,but i am calling elite services right now.

 

[grgs]

Fantastic news for resale owners. I would think this would increase the resale prices for mandatory resorts, what do you think?

Absolutely! All those units with less than 67,100 options will now be worth more.

Glorian

 

[iluvwdw]

WOW...this IS great news! I think not being able to combine them made me aprehensive about buying a resale property and not being able to utilize all of the options. GREAT NEWS for when we're ready to add to our portfolio! :whoopie:

 

[pointsjunkie]

here's the deal.just spoke to elite services and they said. they are offering owners who bought from the developer at SMV<PGA<SDO to join the SVN without paying the $599 fee. they have until oct 1, 2008 to do this.

if the unit was bought resale it will not qualify.

if you own a mandatory resort the staroptions can be combined but it will not count toward elite status, it would still have to be requalified.

 

[LisaRex]

Great news! Thanks for sharing.

SVN: If you change the rules, PLEASE notify your owners.

 

[csudell]

does this mean, if I own 44K through my harborside unit and I purchase a SVV w/ 67100 staroptions, I can combine the 2 to get a bigger unit at Harborside, if its available and at a different season??

my 44K is for a 1BR prem during silver season
the SVV I saw is a 2BR week 4
so can I use 111K of staroptions during one week at Harborside?
do I get any preference if I use it during my silver season but just want a bigger room?

thanks

 

[SDKath]

Are they tellling ANYONE about this? Or just the savvy TUGgers who call and ask??????

Also, I thought if you bought from Starwood, you'd join SVN automatically. If they exclude resale buyers, I am not sure how this is different than before?

K

 

[grgs]

Also, I thought if you bought from Starwood, you'd join SVN automatically. If they exclude resale buyers, I am not sure how this is different than before?

K

I would guess this applies to those who bought before Starwood took over from the original developers. I believe they all had an opportunity to buy in when Starwood first took over, but some may have passed it up. So it looks like they're getting a second chance now.

It seems to me that it might work out for Starwood to allow resale buyers to also join SVN for a limited time. They could charge them a price to do it--there is $599 fee that's already "on the books." In addition, they'd get the $109 SVN ea. year. This would give them a nice short term revenue boost, which I'm assuming they could use right now.

Glorian

 

[jerseygirl]

I don't know about SMV, but lots of SDO, SBP, SVR, PGA, (and possibly other resorts) owners bought from the original developer, but never joined the network, despite multiple invitations to do so once Starwood took over. These people had "full member" rights if they joined, so I think it's a separate issue from the "can you combine SOs" question (they would have been permitted to combine, even under the old rules).

As an aside, I was told by member services last month that I could combine my various SOs (some from mandatory resale, some from a developer purchase and some are requal SOs). I didn't post about it at the time because I didn't try to do so -- figured I'd wait to see if it works or not. Has anyone actually done it yet?

Edited to Add -- Ooops -- cross posted with Glorian. Sorry about that!