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To enroll or not? your thoughts...

djs113

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Hey

Since we basically have to decide to enroll or not before June 14 - or, then never again - what is your thoughts regarding my specific situation.
Please provide both pros and cons and costs.

1 Plat Plus in St Thomas 2BR - use it every year, not under consideration
1 plat in Hilton Head Surf Watch - 3BR - use it every year - not in play

1 plat Orlando Grande Vista, 3 BR - now that my kids are teenagers, we probably will use this once every 3-4 years - other years I either bank points or rent it out.

What are the pros / cons of doing the $595 before June with 800 free points. Should I stay as a weeks owner? Or covert just the one property to Points? If so, is there a better deal out there than the 800 - one time - points?

Your opinions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks

- David
 

puckmanfl

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good evening...

Pretty simple... Enroll all 3 of your weeks....

Pay the $695..in return you get 800 pts. You can use this to book 1-2 weeknites at the end or beginning of your plat stay on HHi or FC.. This is probably a wash....

Now you pay $195 club memebrship which includes your II membership....

even if you occupy your weeks and never trade..you get unlimited free ability to cancel, lock off etc. You get an AC cert. from II for every other year of your old II membership, if you don't get a refund...

You get the option to play in DC points but you don't have too, but remember, things CHANGE!!!!

I have not made an II exchange since I enrolled..ALL points..lots of great stuff!!!!

I would not buy brand new Tryst points but enrolling is a complete no brainer in your situation....you get the best of all worlds almost for free...

For 950 pts you get 2 nites in FC weeknite...you can rent 150 pts for $75...those rooms probably go for $500 nite in plat season....you get 2 more nites of vacation for $770 $695 + $75 for the 150 pt rental...

Go for it!!!
 

FractionalTraveler

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The $595 buys you eligibility to an OPTIONAL ENHANCEMENT (Points System).

You decide when and how much to convert ON A YEARLY BASIS.

If you DON'T want to convert any of your enrolled weeks on any given use year, You don't have to. ITS YOUR CHOICE every year.

The points program is not an ALL or Nothing decision you need to make.

You have a nice portfolio and I would recommend you enroll all your weeks prior to the increase so that you can take advantage of future opportunities and the low entry fee.

$595 on-time enrollment fee is a drop in the bucket to participate. That's less than most people's yearly Cell Phone, Cable TV, or Startbucks bill.

Put it on a Marriott Visa and get MR points to boot!
 

puckmanfl

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good evening....

BINGO!!!

well said Fractional!!!!
 

djs113

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so let me get this straight, since I know I will not be able to trust the Marriott reps that I might talk to.

So if i want to use my Presidents week at Frenchman's Cove every year - i go online and use my week every year and make my guaranteed reservation for platinm plus. I don't have to deal with points, I don't have to worry about losing the vig on my points and not having enough points to puchase my own presidents week back?

Everything would be 100% the same as it currently is for reserving my home weeks in STT and HHI? And points would only come into play on years i didnt want to use Orlando?

Thanks in advance

- D
 

JimC

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Enrolling buys you options and commits you to their omnibus annual fee that replaces many of their usage fees and II membership. Whether this saves money or not depends on how you use your weeks and how they increase the fee over time.

You can still use your week as you have in the past, subject to availability.
 

IngridN

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so let me get this straight, since I know I will not be able to trust the Marriott reps that I might talk to.

So if i want to use my Presidents week at Frenchman's Cove every year - i go online and use my week every year and make my guaranteed reservation for platinm plus. I don't have to deal with points, I don't have to worry about losing the vig on my points and not having enough points to puchase my own presidents week back?

Everything would be 100% the same as it currently is for reserving my home weeks in STT and HHI? And points would only come into play on years i didnt want to use Orlando?

Thanks in advance

- D

That is correct. We enrolled for the cost savings the $199 yearly fee gets us. We enrolled 4 of our 5 weeks (one was a pre 6/20/10 resale purchase which was not eligible) and only trade 2. Have never used points, however, that option is also open to us.

Ingrid
 

FractionalTraveler

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so let me get this straight, since I know I will not be able to trust the Marriott reps that I might talk to.

So if i want to use my Presidents week at Frenchman's Cove every year - i go online and use my week every year and make my guaranteed reservation for platinm plus. I don't have to deal with points, I don't have to worry about losing the vig on my points and not having enough points to puchase my own presidents week back?

Everything would be 100% the same as it currently is for reserving my home weeks in STT and HHI? And points would only come into play on years i didnt want to use Orlando?

Thanks in advance

- D

Yes! Your statements are accurate.
 

Jaybee

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OK...I haven't even considered converting to points, and doubt if it would benefit us, but now I'm not sure.

We're older than dirt, own one week at DSV, and use it every year. It will eventually belong to my son, after we crump, and I don't know if it would help him either.
What do you all think about ownership of only one week, and why it might be a good plan?
 

radmoo

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Ok, so please help me out here

We own ONE platinum week at Canyon Villas. We've either deposited the week in II and snagged some pretty good trades or traded week for Marriott points.

If we enroll for $595, does that mean we get FREE II LIFETIME enrollment?
 

mjm1

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OK...I haven't even considered converting to points, and doubt if it would benefit us, but now I'm not sure.

We're older than dirt, own one week at DSV, and use it every year. It will eventually belong to my son, after we crump, and I don't know if it would help him either.
What do you all think about ownership of only one week, and why it might be a good plan?

Jaybee, we only own one week at Desert Springs 1 and we decided to enroll. We bought it resale, so it allows us to play in the DC points program as well trade for MRPs. Our entry fee was $1495, but with the low purchase price we paid, we figured the price was worth it to have the options. If you bought from Marriott your fee would only be $595. As people have said, you never know what kind of use you will want down the road, or how your son would use it. If you convert, you can always rent more points from other owners if needed. It is worth consideration. Good luck.
 

puckmanfl

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good evening...

Radmoo Nothing is free


the II fee would be included in your $165 DC club fee... $165 not $199 because you would have less than 6500 pts...

nothing else changes..

If you keep your old II open you get some AC's otherwise an II refund!!!!
 

jimf41

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Dave
Hmmmm... Seems to me I've been telling you to join for a couple of years now. Someday, when you are not tied to the school calendar anymore, you might want to spend a little more time at MFC. Swapping your 3bdm MGV or Surfwatch unit will enable you to do that. Then you could spend a little more time with Jim, and who wouldn't want to do that? BTW I got lost trying to find Thirteen again. We went to the Great House instead.

On the other hand if you tire of swimming in the turquois warm water at Lindquist in February you can go to MGV for two weeks with enough points left over for a short stay at Customs House.

If you don't want to do any of that I'll buy your leftover points for the very generous sum of $.10 a point.
 

Quilter

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Hey

now that my kids are teenagers,

Your opinions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks

- David

That one statement said it all to me. Your life will change dramatically as they begin to find their own way. Have as many options possible to keep up with the changes. Enroll them all.

It doesn't hurt any that the weeks you own are terrific with maintenance fee/DC point value. :D
 
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Bill4728

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AS far as using your units. You'll go to your units page and next to each unit you own there will be several buttons.
One button will be "Occupy my week" click it and you'll see what weeks are currently available for you to reserve ( just like you have done for years)
One button will be "Exchange week for (DC) Points". By clicking this button you'll give up you week and get points.

Since enrolling all your week doesn't have a downside, either do nothing or enroll all your weeks.

Hope this helps
 
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ilene13

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Ok, so please help me out here

We own ONE platinum week at Canyon Villas. We've either deposited the week in II and snagged some pretty good trades or traded week for Marriott points.

If we enroll for $595, does that mean we get FREE II LIFETIME enrollment?

If you enroll you will have to have a second II account for your Royal Haciendas week if you ever choose to exchange it.
 

m61376

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Keep in mind that even though you never trade your MFC or Surfwatch weeks, stuff happens- someone gets sick, there is a tragedy in the family, or a special event makes you need to reschedule your trip. You should have all weeks enrolled in II, and it makes sense for the extra $100 upfront and the extra $30 per year to enroll all your weeks, just to keep your options open.
 

jpc763

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So we are not enrolled in points and have 5 years on our II membership.

Our points would be as follows:
Even Years - 6450 points
Odd Years - 4750 points

We currently never trade our Ko Olina (4025 points even years) or our Shadow Ridge week (2325 points odd years) but trade our Imperial Palms week (2425 points every year).

I book the Imperial Palms week during spring break and trade it for a Spring Break week in Odd years and a Thanksgiving week in Even years so the points that I get would not buy me anything.

So we would be paying $695 plus $165 per year. Would the fee reduction be worth it? Do you still pay exchange fees with II?

Thanks.
 

m61376

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So we would be paying $695 plus $165 per year. Would the fee reduction be worth it? Do you still pay exchange fees with II?

Thanks.

The fee covers II dues (although only includes Marriott weeks) and any Marriott fees- including changing reservations, locking off, and II exchanges to other Marriotts.
 
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jpc763

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The fee would be $199 per year, and it covers II dues (although only includes Marriott weeks) and any Marriott fees- including changing reservations, locking off, and II exchanges to other Marriotts.

I thought the 165/199 was based if you had 6500 points or less. I would only have 6450 a year at the most (even years). Is it based on total points of all owned weeks regardless of EOY or EY?
 

dioxide45

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I thought the 165/199 was based if you had 6500 points or less. I would only have 6450 a year at the most (even years). Is it based on total points of all owned weeks regardless of EOY or EY?

You are correct, 6500 points is the cutoff from a $165 to a $199 annual DC fee. I believe, but I could be wrong, that they cut your EOY points in half for calculation of Premier status (starts at 6500 points). So if you own a an EY week that is 2000 points and a EOY week that is 3000 points, then for status you have 3500 points.
 

bobpark56

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good evening...

nothing else changes..

This is not true for some (many?) of us.

If you own properties outside of Marriott, you will not be able to use the I.I. membership Marriott provides you to trade those properties. You must pay extra for a separate I.I. membership if you wish to trade those properties. So now you will be paying for two I.I. memberships.
 

m61376

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I thought the 165/199 was based if you had 6500 points or less. I would only have 6450 a year at the most (even years). Is it based on total points of all owned weeks regardless of EOY or EY?

oops- sorry- my mistake
 

dougp26364

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You just never know when life is going to toss you a curve ball and the way you vacation changes. Having the option and flexability in the future may be well worth the price you pay today.

We joined but I never really planned on converting either of our fixed weeks to DC points. Then one simple illness that ended up becoming a pesky condition changed everything and we ended up converting one of our weeks to allow for the flexability of a thursday check in.

I'm not certain we'll ever convert to points again but it's nice to have the option if we need it. I consider it more or less insurance to provide added flexability if something unplanned in the future dictates. Besides, the way things have changed since our original TS purchase in 1998, I've found options are often a good thing to have.
 

vincenzi

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What should we do?

We own one Gold week at the Marriott Grande Ocean in Hilton Head. We use it every year. We live in the Atlanta area so it is so convenient to drive there. And, we love it there. We own one Gold Week at Marriott Aruba Ocean club. In the past, we have split it and used it for 2 weeks at the Marriott Grande Ocean. We own one Platium week at the Marriott Aruba Ocean Club. For the past several years, we have rented it. But, we plan to go back there in the future.

BTW...we bought our Aruba weeks from Marriott. We bought our Grande Ocean from an owner.

Thanks for your suggestions!
 
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