"soft launch" Marriott Vacation Club integrating with Sheraton FLEX [I bought Sheraton Flex]

[donnieliu]

To all,
I've own two USVA St. John timeshares, one Bay Vista and one Coral Vista. Bay Vista is annual float platinum plus with Staroptions of 176,700 and Coral Vista Diamond 148,100. I just came back from Myrtle Beach and stayed at Sheraton Broadway Plantation and attended an owner's meeting during which they informed us that they are doing a soft launch so we can trade one of our timeshare to get into Marriott Executive Level. So the deal is to trade Coral Vista and pay additional 15K to get into Sheraton FLEX (152000 Staroptions) and become Marriott Executive Level member. Benefit are: 13 month booking windows at Marriott Vacation Club, 30% off Vacation Club Rental Discount and other minimal benefits. Does this make sense at all since we've reviewed the documents after we got home and there is no mention of Marriott Vacation Club in any of the documents in the flash drive!! We are considering to cancel the trade-in but would like to know what our options are. Please advise. Thank you for your time in advance....

 

[byeloe]

definitely cancel, sheraton flex has zero resale value. It is not yet known how it will integrate with Marriott.
Just a sales lie for now

 

[DanCali]

If you bought your original timeshares from the developer every indication shows that you will be allowed into the new system with your original ownership weeks. And I suspect it will be enough to get you into the Executive level... Sheraton Flex is worthless on the resale market so need to spend $15K on buying that to get you a benefit you are probably already intitled to...

And if you bought your weeks resale, let us know since you could have negotiated a better deal that would have included qualifying both weeks into the system.

 

[donnieliu]

definitely cancel, sheraton flex has zero resale value. It is not yet known how it will integrate with Marriott.
Just a sales lie for now

I'm a newbie so don't know much. Do timeshares actually have resale value? In my situation, I see Bay Vista may have some resale value since it's a set week but Coral Vista which has VOI so not much there...

 

[5finny]

Cancel now
After cancellation take your time, ask questions and then make a decision on what is best for you without the time pressure

 

[dioxide45]

I'm a newbie so don't know much. Do timeshares actually have resale value? In my situation, I see Bay Vista may have some resale value since it's a set week but Coral Vista which has VOI so not much there...

Some do. LIke Westin Kierland Villas Plat+, Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort. THere are others, mostly have to be the highest season at the resort. Sheraton Flex has zero resale value. We haven't seen a lot of Westin Flex yet to tell, but it may hold some value.

 

[DanCali]

I'm a newbie so don't know much. Do timeshares actually have resale value? In my situation, I see Bay Vista may have some resale value since it's a set week but Coral Vista which has VOI so not much there...

Some have a resale value. In Vistana the ones where resale buyers get access to Staroptions (for WSJ that's only the Virgin Grand phase) tend to have greater value because the buyer is getting something that other resorts don't offer on the resale market. And that value will vary based on Staroptions/MaintenanceFees ratio as well as rental values compared to maintenance fees. There are also quite a few timeshares (deeded weeks) in the Marriott system that have substantial resale value. Usually there is a reason for that, and it also has to do with rental values compared with maintenance fees, or supply and demand in general. I've spent in the range of $15K-$20K both on some Vistana resale weeks and some Marriott resale weeks.

Developers rely on selling mainly to uninformed buyers in a high-pressure presentation. Resale values reflect supply and demand much more closely so are probably a more accurate reflection of the real value of a deeded week.

 

[donnieliu]

FYI I was told that 148,000 Staroptions are equal to 4,435 Marriott Club Points and 176,700 Staroptions are equal to 4,930 Marriott Club Points

 

[DanCali]

FYI I was told that 148,000 Staroptions are equal to 4,435 Marriott Club Points and 176,700 Staroptions are equal to 4,930 Marriott Club Points

I assume this is for your WSJ weeks? And they probably did not tell you that Executive starts at 7000, or did they tell you that you had to make a purchase to qualify?

Based on collective thought here developer purchases will qualify to be enrolled. You most likely did not need this purchase and are probably not better off.

 

[donnieliu]

I assume this is for your WSJ weeks? And they probably did not tell you that Executive starts at 7000, or did they tell you that you had to make a purchase to qualify?

Based on collective thought here developer purchases will qualify to be enrolled. You most likely did not need this purchase and are probably not better off.

yes, WSJ weeks (Bay and Coral Vista). They did tell me 7000 points needed to be Executive level but they never show me how they did the conversion nor told me that I most likely will be qualified after June 1st

 

[cubigbird]

You can acquire Sheraton Flex for free on the resale market. No need to pay for it.

 

[DanCali]

yes, WSJ weeks (Bay and Coral Vista). They did tell me 7000 points needed to be Executive level but they never show me how they did the conversion nor told me that I most likely will be qualified after June 1st

Well, if you are still in the window where you can rescind I strongly encourage you to consider doing that while you can. Then you have more time to do research and see what works best for your needs.

 

[donnieliu]

their pitch was to upgrade so I get to be grandfathered in as Marriott Executive with 13month booking MVC, 12month booking Vistana and 30% off booking. How is Vistana owners, who can only book 8month other than home base, going to be able to book/ compete with Marriott owners 12month?

 

[donnieliu]

Well, if you are still in the window where you can rescind I strongly encourage you to consider doing that while you can. Then you have more time to do research and see what works best for your needs.

have the letter, signed ready to go.. just confirming address with Vistana tomorrow morning before sending it certified with return receipt request

 

[jabberwocky]

their pitch was to upgrade so I get to be grandfathered in as Marriott Executive with 13month booking MVC, 12month booking Vistana and 30% off booking. How is Vistana owners, who can only book 8month other than home base, going to be able to book/ compete with Marriott owners 12month?

MVC will likely only have inventory that people have deposited into MVC from Vistana for DP. MVC won’t have access to all Vistana weeks at 13 months, or even 8 months. StarOptions will be around for awhile.

 

[jabberwocky]

have the letter, signed ready to go.. just confirming address with Vistana tomorrow morning before sending it certified with return receipt request

Send it to the address specified in your documentation. Asking the salespeople will just give them a chance to either misdirect your letter (wrong address) or to convince you not to rescind.

 

[VacationForever]

Send it to the address specified in your documentation. Asking the salespeople will just give them a chance to either misdirect your letter (wrong address) or to convince you not to rescind.

Be careful. The rescission address on my Encore/Explorer package was an incomplete address (no suite number) and with no company name. I sent to Westin Vacation Club and mailman did not even try to deliver it, indicating "incomplete address". I tracked it like a hawk and saw the issue with letter not being delivered online. I looked up the address and it showed Wyndham and Marriott Vacation Club call center with different suite numbers. I then went to UPS and faxed the rescission letter and sent another mail with Marriott Vacation Club as the name of the company and included suite number of the call center as found on the internet.

 

[donnieliu]

MVC will likely only have inventory that people have deposited into MVC from Vistana for DP. MVC won’t have access to all Vistana weeks at 13 months, or even 8 months. StarOptions will be around for awhile.

deposited into MVC from Vistana for DP (??), exchange system? they are claiming that MVC will have access to all Vistana properties at 12 weeks

 

[jabberwocky]

deposited into MVC from Vistana for DP (??), exchange system? they are claiming that MVC will have access to all Vistana properties at 12 weeks

Did you mean 12 months? They may have access to all properties. It doesn’t mean they will have access to all weeks at those properties. Owners of those deeded weeks will still have priority over anyone else at 12 months. The only ones MVC can allow booking with DP points will be those that MVC owns or whose owners have elected for points.

 

[donnieliu]

12months... newbie who can't type

 

[jabberwocky]

12months... newbie who can't type

Not to worry. Even those who have been here for a few years can’t get it right at times!

Welcome to TUG!

 

[carpie99]

It is clear they adjust the presentation depending on your portfolio. Considering I owned a bunch of resale they were very transparent. You will have full access to the Marriott DP program as it seems pretty clear your STJ is all developer purchased.

 

[alexadeparis]

12months... newbie who can't type

As a newbie you need to rescind immediately then track down BOTH threads on this exact topic in the Marriott and Vistana forums and read it ALL. If after that you STILL want to buy Sheraton flex, you can, until the end of May at least.

Thread Dedicated to the Upcoming/Anticipated Integration of Vistana and Marriott Ownerships

All "official" indications via Marriott Vacations Worldwide Investor Calls have been that following Vistana coming under the MVW umbrella, there will be some type of Vistana/Marriott timeshare integration with reciprocal usage benefits. Sales reps have been mentioning it for quite some time but...

tugbbs.com

CLOSED: Thread Dedicated to the Upcoming/Anticipated Integration of Vistana & Marriott Ownerships (Marriott Link + Vistana Discussion)

NEW THREAD HERE: https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/new-thread-discussion-of-new-abound-vsn-documents-posted-online.343214/ ---------------------------- Here is a link to the discussion on the Marriott forum - be nice over there, we may be adopted by them soon! ;) Thread Dedicated to the...

tugbbs.com

 

[donnieliu]

As a newbie you need to rescind immediately then track down BOTH threads on this exact topic in the Marriott and Vistana forums and read it ALL. If after that you STILL want to buy Sheraton flex, you can, until the end of May at least.

Thread Dedicated to the Upcoming/Anticipated Integration of Vistana and Marriott Ownerships

All "official" indications via Marriott Vacations Worldwide Investor Calls have been that following Vistana coming under the MVW umbrella, there will be some type of Vistana/Marriott timeshare integration with reciprocal usage benefits. Sales reps have been mentioning it for quite some time but...

tugbbs.com

CLOSED: Thread Dedicated to the Upcoming/Anticipated Integration of Vistana & Marriott Ownerships (Marriott Link + Vistana Discussion)

NEW THREAD HERE: https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/new-thread-discussion-of-new-abound-vsn-documents-posted-online.343214/ ---------------------------- Here is a link to the discussion on the Marriott forum - be nice over there, we may be adopted by them soon! ;) Thread Dedicated to the...

tugbbs.com

sending a certified mail with return receipt requested thanks all for your advice

 

[Markus]

To all,
I've own two USVA St. John timeshares, one Bay Vista and one Coral Vista. Bay Vista is annual float platinum plus with Staroptions of 176,700 and Coral Vista Diamond 148,100. I just came back from Myrtle Beach and stayed at Sheraton Broadway Plantation and attended an owner's meeting during which they informed us that they are doing a soft launch so we can trade one of our timeshare to get into Marriott Executive Level. So the deal is to trade Coral Vista and pay additional 15K to get into Sheraton FLEX (152000 Staroptions) and become Marriott Executive Level member. Benefit are: 13 month booking windows at Marriott Vacation Club, 30% off Vacation Club Rental Discount and other minimal benefits. Does this make sense at all since we've reviewed the documents after we got home and there is no mention of Marriott Vacation Club in any of the documents in the flash drive!! We are considering to cancel the trade-in but would like to know what our options are. Please advise. Thank you for your time in advance....

I had a presentation at Sheraton Broadway Plantation yesterday. It was the worst presentation I had ever been too. Lots of mis truths and outright lies….rescind your purchase.