SDO resale week surprise..

[kenie]

I called Starwood to lock-off and deposit my 2013 eoy resale week which I purchased last summer and the very pleasant lady I talked to informed me that the previous owners had locked of and deposited the 2011 week and that it was still available for my use.

So it turns out that I now have 4 Starwood exchanges to figure out how to use.

That was $500 well spent.

 

[DeniseM]

[correction]

I think you got bad info.

Whether it is the 2011 week, or 2012 week, if it is deposited with II, it is in the first owner's Acct., and you will have no access to it. Weeks deposited with II do not automatically transfer.

 

[Beefnot]

Nice. The positive side of the surprises one may encounter buying from the PCCs on ebay.

Couldn't be 2012 week though, because it's an EOY. Somehow or another sounds like they are affording kenie the right to it.

 

[ada903]

I wonder how that works, if previous owners designated their 2011 week for II exchange but did not use it, and the property transfers in 2012, can the new owner use the 2011 week for II exchange?

 

[DeniseM]

I wonder how that works, if previous owners designated their 2011 week for II exchange but did not use it, and the property transfers in 2012, can the new owner use the 2011 week for II exchange?

Note that she got this info. from Starwood and not II. I think she got bad info.

 

[Beefnot]

Is there any other entity that the unit could be deposited with other than II that would still entitle one to its use? We're assuming II is where it was deposited with, although kenie doesn't mention it.

 

[DeniseM]

Is there any other entity that the unit could be deposited with other than II that would still entitle one to its use? We're assuming II is where it was deposited with, although kenie doesn't mention it.

SDO can be deposited with RCI, or II, or any independent exchange company. But a deposit stays in the owner's Acct. - it does not automatically transfer with the sale. Since Kenie's first use year is 2013, it makes no sense that she would have access to the 2011 deposit.

Also, the previous owner would have paid the MF for the 2011 week.

Not only that, but I'm not sure that a Starwood Rep. can even see if the 2011 week has been traded or not, because Starwood does not have direct access to II accounts.

I think it's bad info.

If it's not, then Kenie needs to ask HOW the deposit is going to be transferred to her - because it's not the norm.

 

[kenie]

I purchased a 1 bd eoy even in 2010 and the 2 bdr odd last summer.
The way the conversation went was that when I told her I wanted to designate my 2013 week, she reviewed my usage for my SDO weeks.
She confirmed that I had exchanged the 1 bdr into WKORN and that was my only exchange up until now. She then told me that I still had my 2011 week locked off and available for exchange. I was confused since I've only had this week since July. I asked her to confirm that I had a week on deposit and she repeated that I did. Since I was still unsure, I suggested we start the deposit process over and ignore the week I had called about. I asked that she confirm that the 2011 week was still showing under my ownership and was available for my use, as I hadn't bought the week until last July. She confirmed the date I purchased the week and told me again that the week was locked off and there.
I then asked her to confirm that with the 2013 lock-off I was depositing that I would have 4, 1 bdr units available for exchange and again she told me that I would.

There were a few more questions thrown in here, but they all revolved around the mystery week in my account. The Starwood rep was very definate that the 2011 week existed and it was under my Starwood ownership.

I guess I'll find out for sure once I talk to the Starwood desk at II in the next few days.

 

[Beefnot]

Why leave us hanging when you can call right now? You wouldn't have anything better to do on this holiday weekend would you?

 

[DeniseM]

I just doesn't make any sense - because you would have had to deposit the 2011 week in your Acct. after you took ownership, and you know you didn't.

IF the Starwood Rep. is correct, I suspect that there was a goof up and Starwood deposited the owner's 2011 week in your Acct.

The other possibility is that they accidentally merged your Acct. with the old owners.

What did you and the owner agree to regarding the 2011 week?

Here is another perfect example of how stupid the II-Starwood system is - you can't go to your online Acct. and check - because they don't list the deposits in your Acct.!

Good luck - I hope you get to keep the deposit!

 

[ada903]

Denise, yes, a Starwood rep can see if your week was used with II, they actually have your II exchange number for each week. When you place a pending request or you make an instant online trade - whichever one comes first - Interval calls Starwood to verify the deposit is available, and Starwood enters the II exchange number in their system.

SDO can be deposited with RCI, or II, or any independent exchange company. But a deposit stays in the owner's Acct. - it does not automatically transfer with the sale. Since Kenie's first use year is 2013, it makes no sense that she would have access to the 2011 deposit.

Also, the previous owner would have paid the MF for the 2011 week.

Not only that, but I'm not sure that a Starwood Rep. can even see if the 2011 week has been traded or not, because Starwood does not have direct access to II accounts.

I think it's bad info.

If it's not, then Kenie needs to ask HOW the deposit is going to be transferred to her - because it's not the norm.

 

[kenie]

I just doesn't make any sense - because you would have had to deposit the 2011 week in your Acct. after you took ownership, and you know you didn't.

IF the Starwood Rep. is correct, I suspect that there was a goof up and Starwood deposited the owner's 2011 week in your Acct.

The other possibility is that they accidentally merged your Acct. with the old owners.

What did you and the owner agree to regarding the 2011 week?

Here is another perfect example of how stupid the II-Starwood system is - you can't go to your online Acct. and check - because they don't list the deposits in your Acct.!

Good luck - I hope you get to keep the deposit!

We purchased the unit from an ebay reseller, Snowsun4ever, so I have no idea what the status of the previous owner was.

The rep said that she could see that the 2011 weeks had NOT been used for trades so we're hopeful......

I did comment to her how user unfriendly the Starwood system was.

 

[Robert D]

I wouldn't be surprised if Kenie might get this week. Reason I say this is because Starwood's system is so incredibly bad. I deposited a week into II in 2010 which gave me 2 weeks in II and sold that timeshare in early 2011. I booked an exchange with one of them after I sold the TS and then a month later called Starwood to confirm that I had the extra week. They said I didn't and upon further review, figured out that they transferred the week I had deposited for unit sold to the buyer! Basically they said this happens all the time bottom line is if I didn't catch it and call them, I would have lost the week. My guess is Kenie is on the other side of this transaction and might end up getting that week. It's amazing to me that a major company like Starwood can survive with such a pitiful computer system. But, a bad system does benefit some people some of the time.

 

[ada903]

The thing that makes it so complicated is how they handle the deposits with Interval. With a Marriott week, when you deposit the week with Interval, an actual deposit, identifiable by a line item and a number, is visible in your account. After you made this deposit, you can sell your week, and this deposit will not transfer to the buyer, unless you ask Interval to do so, in which case Interval can "move" the deposit to the buyer's account by issuing an AC to the buyer.

However, with Starwood, the deposits are no longer made in this manner - they are "attached" to the ownership week itself, and available to whoever owns that week. A note is made on the account when a usage year is assigned for Interval exchange. So I believe it is possible that the new owner could benefit from a week that the previous owner designated for exchange but never used - since that week is attached to the ownership, and was never "physically" deposited in the previous owner's account. Basically the information that the usage was designated for exchange but never exchanged yet carries forward to the new owner, which can then use it.

However, the old owner can claim their usage if they want to. I did it, I sold a week and I thought I had exchanged it already with Interval, but I had not. When I called Starwood, the resolutions department made a deposit in my II account - "old style" - they basically dumped a specific week (I believe it was week 21 at Westin Kierland), which I could then use to exchange. This happened AFTER I sold my week. I had to show them proof I paid the maintenance fee for that year's usage.

 

[Robert D]

I did it, I sold a week and I thought I had exchanged it already with Interval, but I had not. When I called Starwood, the resolutions department made a deposit in my II account - "old style" - they basically dumped a specific week (I believe it was week 21 at Westin Kierland), which I could then use to exchange. This happened AFTER I sold my week. I had to show them proof I paid the maintenance fee for that year's usage.

They didn't handle mine the same way. I think they just put the week back into my account at Starwood but I don't know the details of how they did it. They didn't say anything about depositing a week into Interval for me. I'm sure they have problems with this all the time.

 

[kenie]

I just got off the phone with Interval and then Starwood.

Interval told me that they have no idea what is available in my Starwood account as far as year or unit. They go by the resort code and when a request is put in, they contact Starwood and Starwood releases a unit if there is one available under my Starwood contract.

I then called Starwood and asked the rep exactly what was available for exchange in my Starwood account.
She told me that my 1 bdr even had an approved trade and that my 2 bdr odd use was available for 2011 and 2013. These weeks expire in 2013 and 2015.

So yes, the previous owner did not use their 2011 week, and it remained available for use when I purchased the contract last summer. :whoopie:

Now I have to go in to Interval and redo my ongoing requests so my gift weeks don't expire before I can use them.... and then make sure that Starwood uses the old weeks first... I see why people need spread-sheets to track their Starwood time-share use..

 

[ada903]

Welcome to our world

I just got off the phone with Interval and then Starwood.

Interval told me that they have no idea what is available in my Starwood account as far as year or unit. They go by the resort code and when a request is put in, they contact Starwood and Starwood releases a unit if there is one available under my Starwood contract.

I then called Starwood and asked the rep exactly what was available for exchange in my Starwood account.
She told me that my 1 bdr even had an approved trade and that my 2 bdr odd use was available for 2011 and 2013. These weeks expire in 2013 and 2015.

So yes, the previous owner did not use their 2011 week, and it remained available for use when I purchased the contract last summer. :whoopie:

Now I have to go in to Interval and redo my ongoing requests so my gift weeks don't expire before I can use them.... and then make sure that Starwood uses the old weeks first... I see why people need spread-sheets to track their Starwood time-share use..

 

[DeniseM]

So yes, the previous owner did not use their 2011 week, and it remained available for use when I purchased the contract last summer.

Kenie - Here is the problem: The 2011 week belongs to the previous owner, and they may think it is still in their II Acct. II/Starwood had to take it from the previous owner's Acct., to put it in your Acct. So I think you are going to have to make sure that the previous owner intends to let it go, because normally, II deposits do NOT automatically transfer with the sale of the TS.

In other words, down the road the previous owner could discover the discrepancy and demand it back. That could cause problems for any ongoing requests or exchanges you have made.

 

[djyamyam]

Kenie - Here is the problem: The 2011 week belongs to the previous owner, and they may think it is still in their II Acct. II/Starwood had to take it from the previous owner's Acct., to put it in your Acct. So I think you are going to have to make sure that the previous owner intends to let it go, because normally, II deposits do NOT automatically transfer with the sale of the TS.

In other words, down the road the previous owner could discover the discrepancy and demand it back. That could cause problems for any ongoing requests or exchanges you have made.

You're barking up the wrong tree on this one. The others are correct on this one. The OP bought this from an ebay reseller which means the owners have paid thousands to get rid of their unit as they want nothing to do with it anymore. The fact that they didn't use it comes as no surprise and have already moved on and so should you.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Well, I think Denise is right because I thought I had usage I didn't get of a lockoff unit. I wasn't promised usage, but a Starwood guide said it was still there, left unused.

The eBay seller rented an exchange he requested in the former owner's II account.

I know this for a fact, because I called the reseller and asked why there was still usage, and if I could use it, and he said, "No, you don't have usage because I just exchanged into Hawaii (Westin), two weeks, and rented it to a customer of mine."

I think he was planning to use the weeks all along but hadn't yet. (He was lying when he said he used the weeks, so I would not try to take the weeks.) Then I saw one SBP home reservation in MY Starwood account, which I didn't have the right to use or cancel, when it came right down to it. I actually asked on the Starwood board (here) about the week I saw. I don't know what happened to the other half. I am sure he used it, though, because when a Starwood guide went over my account and usage for 2011, she said I had no usage for 2011.

So Denise is likely correct. The PCC's use every week they can use, when they have the ability to use it. Just look at eBay at the cheap prices for the rentals of DVC exchanges, and I guarantee those are PCC's. The expensive ones, I don't know.

Also, the previous owner of my Colorado ski week I bought in 2011 took usage of 2012. I bought it from a PCC in March, and when I went to deposit the week, the resort denied my deposit. RCI sent me an email saying my request was denied. Turned out the previous owner deposited my week as soon as he paid the PCC to take it.

I was paying the fees for 2012 and told my home resort I was paying the fees, so I get the usage. They agreed and finally the week was turned over to me, but I lost significant trading power in the process of waiting several months. I actually am still dealing with it now, because RCI says they contacted the resort, the resort says RCI isn't following through. It's still showing as a 1 in my account, and the check-in date is upcoming.

 

[DeniseM]

YThe fact that they didn't use it comes as no surprise and have already moved on and so should you.

Excuse me?

The proper transfer procedure was not followed here and LEGALLY the deposit belongs to the previous owner (which may be the reseller.) If they come back to claim it, it could cause serious problem for Kenie. So telling them to ignore the situation is bad advice.

If the contract said that the EOY usage starts in 2013 - it clearly does not belong to the buyer. It is the CONTRACT that determines who owns the deposit, not the comments of a II or Starwood Rep. who have not even seen the contract.

 

[rickandcindy23]

As far as I am concerned, this Starwood guide is making a major mistake in promising usage. This could come back and bite Starwood in their corporate rear end.

It's another reason, one we haven't discussed on TUG yet, as to why we need something other than the resort code of proof of deposit to II. We need an assignment number from Starwood, which we can enter into a blank space on II's site to verify our deposit. It would be so much simpler.

Starwood, you should be reading this!!

 

[ada903]

As I noted before, this is happening not just with II exchanges, but in-network weeks as well. I sold weeks with 2011 usage belonging to me, and buyer usage starting 2012. Because the ownership transferred to the buyer sometimes in 2011 before I got a chance to use my 2011 booking, the booking transferred to the buyer. The buyer is now in control of the booking, can cancel it, etc - of course I could go to resolutions and work it out by showing proof that the 2011 week was mine, that I paid the maintenance fees, that the sale contract states the buyer usage does not start until 2012, etc. But who needs that hassle? I was lucky my buyer was a very nice person who would have never taken advantage of such situation. Now when I sell mandatory weeks, I need to make sure I use my bookings first.