Starwood Has Won [Unilateral II Changes] [merged]

[Snorkey]

Problem here, problem there, I guess problems are everywhere.

I will wait and see how this comes out, until then, I guess I should hold on purchasing any TS.

Maybe II and RCI will be more effected by all these changes.

 

[Snorkey]

Do you think this has anything to do with that famouse "Starwood Shiller?"

Can this change start a law suit?

 

[Troopers]

Timsharing 101 = buy where you want to stay.

Trading is a crapshoot. Evidence is everywhere here on TUG.

 

[DeniseM]

So if we want to deposit into another exchange company besides II, how does that work? Can we reserve the week we want first, then tell the other exchange company which week?

My weeks can use RCI (is that worse?!) also. Is that opening up a bigger can of worms?

Denise - In Owner Resources at the top of the page, under the Exchanging heading, there is info. about how to deposit with RCI.

With the Independent Exchange companies you reserve a week for yourself and then you go through the Independent Co. to deposit it - Starwood has not say in it.

However, I would not jump ship immediately - I have used HTSE, Redweek, and SFX, and frankly, they do not get the volumne or quality of deposits that II does, and I was very disappointed the one time I deposited with SFX. Yeah, you can deposit what you want with them, but you are not going to get Starwood quality back.

I am going to wait and see how this shakes out before I make any decisions, myself. If Starwood is going to make a major change like this, they need to explain exactly how it's going to work.

 

[barndweller]

To clarify why I called and what I asked....

I called Starwood owner services to ask what happened to my 2010 Villas of Cave Creek and Sheraton Desert Oasis units that I paid to have added to my personal (not corporate) account back when purchased and that were showing 7 days ago and are now missing. Gone. Kaput. Disappeared. Veronica didn't understand what the issue is. She said, "Both your units are listed." I said, "Yeah, for 2009 but not 2010. Where did they go?" I was politely put on hold. Music plays, plays, plays some more.

Her: Well, your 2010 week is shown right here. (Date quoted)
Me: But it doesn't show in my account.
Her: Would you like me to deposit it?
Me: NO! I want to know why it isn't shown in my account.

You get the drift. This went on for awhile, resulting in a 3 way conference with Nicki at II. More of the same. A discussion between the two of them mentions the deposit process and points are mentioned. I asked why I can only search for 12 months. Nicki's answer is that most resorts don't allow deposit beyond 12 month so there isn't much out there. I protest that one of the selling points is the ability to search without depositing for up to 2 full years. She doesn't know why I can't.

WTF??? I am supposed to be able to search for 24 months without a deposit. Both ladies are stymied. I thank them and I ask for a supervisor.

Nick proceeds to tell me about the newly implimented system. It is to be so much easier and smoother. His exact words. "But," I protest, "Starwood has messed with my personal account. They have no right to do that."

"It is our new system," he says, "and will be sooo much easier and smoother to use."
"But those are my weeks," I continue to say. This goes on for awhile and I ask him how to search., how to use next year's week, how to deposit, etc. Every instance requires me to call Starwood and they must initiate the process. Several times I protest that I am not a Network member and I am always asked if I would like to join. (As an aside, VCC was given an offer to join for free recently.I declined.) Nick apologized a lot and said it was confusing but really would be much easier once I got used to it. He asked if I understood the changes. I said that I understood perfectly that Starwood had taken control of the timeshare weeks that I own & that they had no legal right to control what I choose to do with my weeks. I asked him if Starwood was going to pay for my account now that they had control of my weeks. He said no, unless I wished to join the network.

That was his parting shot. Mine was that I would contact the Attorney General about the theft of my timeshares.

Any questions??

 

[ArtsieAng]

barndweller

"It is our new system," he says, "and will be sooo much easier and smoother to use."

This is a little confusing to me. It almost sounds as if II is implementing this new system, and not Starwood....Either way, I don't like it! :annoyed:

 

[ciscogizmo1]

Wow... I'm speechless. I'm beginning to think Timesharing isn't for me and I'm not even effected by this decision (directly). I own a Starwood property but I have yet to deposit it in II.

I still don't understand why they are limiting your search to 12 months out. Was that twelve months from the check-in day? 12 months from the day you are searching? I'm not sure how they determine the 12 month timeframe. There are many times when I deposit a timeshare that I know I can't use for 20 months. But when I deposit a week in II I always have a plan to use it. So, when I deposit my week I already penciled out when I plan on using it (I do this so that I don't let the week go to waste and because I'm limited to vacationing during school holidays). So, I might deposit something and make a request for 19 months out. I always do that and then, I know I'm first line as far as requests go. Then, I just modify that request when making changes. This is critical because if 2 weeks are trying for the same week but one requested the exchange 1st they will get it. However, I do all my exchanges with Marriott weeks and I'm not sure if the same rules apply to Starwood.

Finally, I don't understand how Starwood can keep up with all these different company rules. Seems complicated if you ask me.

 

[James1975NY]

To clarify why I called and what I asked....

I called Starwood owner services to ask what happened to my 2010 Villas of Cave Creek and Sheraton Desert Oasis units that I paid to have added to my personal (not corporate) account back when purchased and that were showing 7 days ago and are now missing. Gone. Kaput. Disappeared. Veronica didn't understand what the issue is. She said, "Both your units are listed." I said, "Yeah, for 2009 but not 2010. Where did they go?" I was politely put on hold. Music plays, plays, plays some more.

Her: Well, your 2010 week is shown right here. (Date quoted)
Me: But it doesn't show in my account.
Her: Would you like me to deposit it?
Me: NO! I want to know why it isn't shown in my account.

You get the drift. This went on for awhile, resulting in a 3 way conference with Nicki at II. More of the same. A discussion between the two of them mentions the deposit process and points are mentioned. I asked why I can only search for 12 months. Nicki's answer is that most resorts don't allow deposit beyond 12 month so there isn't much out there. I protest that one of the selling points is the ability to search without depositing for up to 2 full years. She doesn't know why I can't.

WTF??? I am supposed to be able to search for 24 months without a deposit. Both ladies are stymied. I thank them and I ask for a supervisor.

Nick proceeds to tell me about the newly implimented system. It is to be so much easier and smoother. His exact words. "But," I protest, "Starwood has messed with my personal account. They have no right to do that."

"It is our new system," he says, "and will be sooo much easier and smoother to use."
"But those are my weeks," I continue to say. This goes on for awhile and I ask him how to search., how to use next year's week, how to deposit, etc. Every instance requires me to call Starwood and they must initiate the process. Several times I protest that I am not a Network member and I am always asked if I would like to join. (As an aside, VCC was given an offer to join for free recently.I declined.) Nick apologized a lot and said it was confusing but really would be much easier once I got used to it. He asked if I understood the changes. I said that I understood perfectly that Starwood had taken control of the timeshare weeks that I own & that they had no legal right to control what I choose to do with my weeks. I asked him if Starwood was going to pay for my account now that they had control of my weeks. He said no, unless I wished to join the network.

That was his parting shot. Mine was that I would contact the Attorney General about the theft of my timeshares.

Any questions??

Please excuse my ignorance here. So, if I understand correctly, you are not able to visibly see the ability to deposit your 2010 weeks because they are not showing on your account via the internet? You are being told that if you want to deposit your 2010 weeks, there will be one of two new ways to deposit your week...?

If this is accurate, can you please explain the two methods to which you can deposit 2010 weeks?

 

[barndweller]

Cisco

The search & deposit processes have been altered dramatically by Starwood. I, too am unsure how the 24 out month request would work. Frankly, I am not willing to enter the new search process to push my "request first" date beyond 12 months because I don't trust Starwood to hold my reserved dates in case I want to cancel my request and use the unit myself. I'm not even sure I care to chance a full on deposit since my trade power is in question. Without actual reserved dates to plug in, how do I know I can get what I am requesting? The whole thing is a big question mark. My real gripe is that as an independent owner I have had major changes imposed upon me by what is simply my hired help! Starwood is the company we owners have hired to manage our resorts. I don't remember any vote about giving them control of what weeks get deposited into Interval. There has been no mention of a new exchange system with Interval in any newsletter or on the Starwood website. This was done without any input or approval by the owners. In my opinion it is outright theft and I intend to pursue this with the authorities.

In doing some test searches with the 2009 units, my assessment is that trade power isn't anything to jump up and down about. Frankly, I have other (non branded) resorts that get better results. I think this is a dumbing down of our exchange power in favor of network owners with corporate accounts. Perhaps a trade test comparison is in order.

 

[Politico]

I am hardly a Starwood apologist, but I think we should wait until we have some clear answers here. I received totally contradictory information from what barndweller recieved when I spoke to an II rep. last week.

From barndweller (and what others are reporting), it sounds like if you deposit online and search you are fine. But, it seems like the request first then deposit process is not fine.

I too will be pissed if there is some dramatic, harmful change, but I'm willing to wait until some authority from Starwood and II explain this clearly.

 

[barndweller]

can you please explain the two methods to which you can deposit 2010 weeks?

Yes James, My 2010 weeks do not appear in my account. In addition, the 2009 weeks which do show even though I've already used them so they are no longer available for exchange. There is no longer a button to hit for DEPOSIT. There is only a VACATION EXCHANGE button. I can search but am limited to 12 months from today. I am never given a spot to enter the date of my reserved unit as in the past. Starwood now controls what dates are used and they are unknown to me.

If I want to deposit or do a search beyond 12 months I must call Starwood and they will initiate the process after I relinquish my reserved week. I have no choice. There is no other way. Except to use another exchange company.

 

[ArtsieAng]

I just got off a 3 way telephone conversation with II & Starwood. It appears that both II, and Starwood are currently making changes.

This is what I was told.....

1) Starwood is no longer going to be doing bulk banking.....The week on your deed is the week that will be deposited for you. No exceptions.

2) If you want to have it deposited, all you need to do is call, and your deeded will be instantly deposited. You also have the option of depositing your week, yourself, online.

3) If you want to do searches, you call, and again, your deeded week will be deposited for you to do searches with.......They are not actually depositing your week. It is a dummy week, so you have a year in which to retract the week, if you can't find anything that you want to exchange into.

Edited to add......Obviously, I have no way of knowing if any of this is true. I guess we'll wait and see what others are told, and what actually pans out.

 

[DeniseM]

This last explanation makes a lot more sense, but wouldn't you think that STARWOOD would make a formal announcement, spelling out the rules, before they implemented a whole new program!

 

[Captron]

Does anyone have contact information for that guy that was mentioned a little while ago that does Arizona rentals for others? Something like AZtimesharerentals.com or something like that?

I have a feeling he may get some business in the next while if this all does come out the way it is being painted!

Feel free to PM if you are not comfortable posting it here. Thanks!

 

[Politico]

I just got off a 3 way telephone conversation with II & Starwood. It appears that both II, and Starwood are currently making changes.

This is what I was told.....

1) Starwood is no longer going to be doing bulk banking.....The week on your deed is the week that will be deposited for you. No exceptions.

2) If you want to have it deposited, all you need to do is call, and your deeded will be instantly deposited. You also have the option of depositing your week, yourself, online.

3) If you want to do searches, you call, and again, your deeded week will be deposited for you to do searches with.......They are not actually depositing your week. It is a dummy week, so you have a year in which to retract the week, if you can't find anything that you want to exchange into.

Edited to add......Obviously, I have no way of knowing if any of this is true. I guess we'll wait and see what others are told, and what actually pans out.

I'm not sure this closes the loop. But SDO weeks float. So, what if you have a terrible deeded week, but you always reserve a spring week, which will be deposited?

 

[ArtsieAng]

This last explanation makes a lot more sense, but wouldn't you think that STARWOOD would make a formal announcement, spelling out the rules, before they implemented a whole new program!

You would think!

I asked Starwood if they were planning on sending owners info on the new system, and the girl replied that they're going green, and not planning on sending anything out.

I suggested that they at least refer to the change on the owners page. Unfortunately, she didn't think that was going to be done any time in the near future.

 

[DeniseM]

I'm not sure this closes the loop. But SDO weeks float. So, what if you have a terrible deeded week, but you always reserve a spring week, which will be deposited?

Note that she said it would be the deeded week. Even floating weeks have a deeded week.

The week on your deed is the week that will be deposited for you. No exceptions.

IF this is true...

 

[Captron]

Sounds like deeded week will be deposited.

I think I feel another phone blitz coming!!!! We should wait for this to settle a bit first. Anyone want to suggest a start date and time???

 

[Twinkstarr]

This last explanation makes a lot more sense, but wouldn't you think that STARWOOD would make a formal announcement, spelling out the rules, before they implemented a whole new program!

Well it's only us Tuggers that would get their knickers in a twist over any proposed change. Cindy and James figure that's about 1% of Starwood owners.

It will work for me, my deeded week is 6, and I know in Feb what the schedule is for next yr. Ski or beach?

 

[Twinkstarr]

You would think!

I asked Starwood if they were planning on sending owners info on the new system, and the girl replied that they're going green, and not planning on sending anything out.

Going green, isn't that the standard answer for everything. So I'm not getting a MF bill this year?:rofl:

Or they couldn't send out emails? They keep those Vistana Village offers coming.

 

[ArtsieAng]

I'm not sure this closes the loop. But SDO weeks float. So, what if you have a terrible deeded week, but you always reserve a spring week, which will be deposited?

Yeah, that's the problem I see. I think most weeks are floating weeks, and everyone is going to want the best weeks.

I'm not sure if what was said is even true.......If they sold you a "floating week," within a season, can they now compel you to deposit your deeded week?

I wanted to relay my conversation, but again, I would have no way of knowing if any of it was accurate, or factual.

 

[Denise L]

1) Starwood is no longer going to be doing bulk banking.....The week on your deed is the week that will be deposited for you. No exceptions.

This is just awful . I mean, folks bought into a "floating" season, and now are stuck with the deeded week, which they had no control over in the beginning unless they were savvy enough to ask for a certain week to begin with. I remember asking about it when we bought our $45K WKORV week, and of course the sales guy tells you that the deeded week does not matter :annoyed: !

No bulk banking? So that means that weeks will only show up in II if an owner actually calls SVO up to relinquish it for a trade?! Sounds like it will be harder to get a trade this way...

If all this is true, I won't be doing any trading anymore. That potential motorhome purchase is looking better all the time.

Why do we even pay II fees to add our weeks to its system (I think I paid for 5 years!) when we can no longer see our weeks in its system?!

 

[ArtsieAng]

Denise L

This is just awful . I mean, folks bought into a "floating" season, and now are stuck with the deeded week, which they had no control over in the beginning unless they were savvy enough to ask for a certain week to begin with.

Maybe it's not even true! I hesitated before I posted what I was told because I had doubts that it would turn out to be factual. I decided to post it, but I wouldn't take it to heart, not yet, anyway.

I suggest that we wait and see if this even comes to fruition. You know how every time you speak to a rep they tell you something different. Well, ........

 

[rickandcindy23]

What about lockout units? Are we going to have to deposit the 2 bedroom all at once?

Does anyone know how well a week 24 at SDO trades? I would think it would be low, low, low. BUMMER! I cannot believe this is happening.

 

[Politico]

I just got off a 3 way telephone conversation with II & Starwood. It appears that both II, and Starwood are currently making changes.

This is what I was told.....

1) Starwood is no longer going to be doing bulk banking.....The week on your deed is the week that will be deposited for you. No exceptions.

2) If you want to have it deposited, all you need to do is call, and your deeded will be instantly deposited. You also have the option of depositing your week, yourself, online.

3) If you want to do searches, you call, and again, your deeded week will be deposited for you to do searches with.......They are not actually depositing your week. It is a dummy week, so you have a year in which to retract the week, if you can't find anything that you want to exchange into.

Edited to add......Obviously, I have no way of knowing if any of this is true. I guess we'll wait and see what others are told, and what actually pans out.

I just spoke to Starwood, the changes are only to SVN accounts. A supervisor told me that non-SVN accounts will be allowed to deposit online whatever week they reserved. Since I never deposit my SVN week in II, I was relieved to hear that.

However, it's was a little unclear to me what changes are happening to the SVN week deposit process in II. From what I could discern, SVN weeks will only be able to deposit weeks in II within their season (whereas apparently in the past sometimes you would get a week in a different season or a different resort). Also, I think there is some confusion about the deeded week thing. The Starwood supervisor told me that the deeded week will be used for those with SVN weeks who want to search in II without depositing (which has been billed as a big improvement).

This makes much more sense to me, except I can't square the fact that apparently some people with non-SVN accounts are missing weeks? Are you sure you are all looking at the right accounts in II?