I got this e-mail from SVO last November:
Dear [nodge],
As a special gift to you as an Elite member, your Starwood Owner Perks
membership has been upgraded to Premium status through December 1, 2008.
While you have previously enjoyed access to Starwood Owner Perks brought
to you by Starwood Vacation NetworkSM, this new level of membership provides
even more privileged access and greater discounts.
Valued at $29.95, Premium membership gives you access to more than 1,000
special offers, from 10 to 80 percent off the best brands and at exclusive
retailers. You may also enjoy access to private shopping events and new
product launches. Here are just a few of the offers available to Starwood
Vacation Owner Premium members in the Starwood Owner Perks program:
>> 10 percent off Land Rover products
>> 30 percent off Cole Haan, J. Crew, Banana Republic,
Brooks Brothers, Kate Spade and Timberland merchandise
>> 45 percent off Philips Electronics merchandise
>> 75 percent off The Wall Street Journal
Within the next few days, you will receive an email from NextJump.com
containing your new pass codes to access your Starwood Owner Premium Perks. Please act quickly to enjoy this new, limited-time program for Starwood
Vacation Network Elite members.
Kind regards,
Suzanne Clark
Vice President, Owner Services
Starwood Vacation Ownership
Not surprisingly, I never got any email from nextjump.com, but I didn't really care either.
But, it does appear that if an SVO elite member were willing to do a little digging, a free, limited term, upgrade to this third-party discount program is also available. Woo-Woo.
-nodge