Sellers on OwnerTrades.com

[Bill4728]

I just found this interesting. I was looking at resales of DSV on www.ownertrades.com and noted that several of the listings said that ownership would include the right to trade your unit for Marriott reward points. Of course, they would not have that right because they were bought resale and not from Marriott.

It just surprised me, that owners who have enough savy to list on ownertrades wouldn't know that the Marriott reward option wasn't available to buyer of resale unit. I hope they are not deliberately misleading buyers.

 

[Dave M]

It doesn't surprise me.

We know about the rule because it's discussed here frequently and because we (think we) are savvy timeshare owners. However, I'll bet that the typical owner who purchased from Marriott has no clue that the rules are different for resale weeks.

We get numerous questions on this forum about the rule.

Heck, how many times do we hear about someone who bought a timeshare week and has never used it because they can't figure out how the system works! That’s really basic!

The timeshare knowledge base for many timeshare owners is a bit on the weak side.

 

[Bill4728]

Dave, is there anything you don't know?

 

[Island_Hopper]

I'm also surprised that more people don't know. I didn't think you could get out of a Marriott presentation without them discussing it in detail. Maybe some salespeople are better than others.

 

[Dave M]

There are tons of questions on this forum, some directed specifically to me, that I can't answer. So I let someone else answer or send a message to someone (e.g., pwrshift) who I think can answer the question.

I spend a lot of time here and have compiled a lot of Marriott info (some of which has found its way into the Marriott FAQs).

But I learn new stuff here every day. I hope it never stops!

 

[jancurious]

That's why we love him.......he's humble, too!

 

[Clark]

It just surprised me, that owners who have enough savy to list on ownertrades wouldn't know that the Marriott reward option wasn't available to buyer of resale unit. I hope they are not deliberately misleading buyers.

I hope so too! Before a seller indicates that points are available on an ownertrades.com resale listing, they have just finished reading the following:

"Resales through Marriott tend to cost a little more, but they carry participation in the Marriott points progam. Does this offering carry Points participation? Note: Only select "yes" if your property will actually be sold through Marriott -- properties sold through independent brokers are not eligble for the points program."

I think some listings are intended to be through Mariott, and hopefully the statement above would serve to lead sellers to the correct answer.

 

[Bill4728]

I think some listings are intended to be through Mariott, and hopefully the statement above would serve to lead sellers to the correct answer.
__________________
Clark

Clark

Why would anyone put an ad on your website if they were having Marriott sell it for them?

Maybe the warning should say.

"Properties sold through individuals or independent brokers are not eligble for the points program. Only, resales through Marriott, carry participation in the Marriott points progam." Does this listing offer Points participation?

 

[Stefa]

I'm also surprised that more people don't know. I didn't think you could get out of a Marriott presentation without them discussing it in detail. Maybe some salespeople are better than others.

I would suspect most salespeople try to avoid the subject of resales unless the potential buyer brings it up.

 

[Dave M]

Why would anyone put an ad on your website if they were having Marriott sell it for them?

Bill -

Marriott has had a program under which a private sale between individuals can be handled through Marriott. The price to the buyer gets jacked up so that Marriott gets its commission and the buyer then has access to the points exchange program. The net result, generally, is that the buyer pays close to or about the same as if buying directly from Marriott.

There hasn't been much discussion of this program here for the past year or so, so I don't know if it still exists.

 

[Stefa]

I think some listings are intended to be through Mariott, and hopefully the statement above would serve to lead sellers to the correct answer.

I'm confused by this. Why would anyone who was looking to buy resale through Marriott be looking at ownertrades? Why not just call Marriott directly? Marriott sets the prices, so an owner can't give you a better deal on a "resale through Marriott." I would suspect that most owners who check 'yes' are just confused by the wording of the warning.

Edit: I just read Dav's post, so I guess what I said isn't quite right. Still, it seems strange that anyone looking at the resale market would want to deal with an individual instead of Marriott.

 

[Clark]

Clark

Why would anyone put an ad on your website if they were having Marriott sell it for them?

Maybe because it is free? What is there to lose?

 

[CMF]

It may make sense if Marriott does not have inventory.

My guess is that if a buyer wants a specific resort, during a specific season, into the points system, and Marriott is sold out, this would be the way to go.

But it is more likely ignorance as Dave suggested.

Charles