Many people presume the same thing. But the D club is just another owner. Whst gives them the right to make x time available for its club and I can't do the same thing?
Here's how *I think* inventory allocation works on the MVW side. I'm not saying this is THE definitive process but it's the one that makes the most sense to me without violating any of the t&c's in the original Weeks governing docs.
For Owned Weeks, not-DC-enrolled and DC-enrolled-but-un-elected-for-DC-Exchange-Points, MVW must ensure that for every Weeks Owner who is within his/her rights to usage, there will remain available an interval that correlates to the resort/season/unit size/unit view owned. I take this to mean that if, for example, 5 owners of a SurfWatch/Gold/3BR/Oceanside are still within open Reservation Windows then MVW must ensure that 5 of those intervals remain untouched by MVW until those 5 owners have either elected usage or have allowed all applicable Reservation Windows to expire. I think, however, that unless it's expressly stated otherwise in the governing docs, MVW has as much right to the first-come-first-served metric as all other owners meaning that MVW isn't required to make sure that *every* calendar week in a season remains available for those 5 to pick and choose first.
For DC-Enrolled Weeks which have been elected for DC Exchange Points, similar to the above, MVW can access and then manipulate through any buckets any intervals that correlate to the resort/season/unit size/unit view intervals that have been given up by Owners. The caveat here is that a DC Exchange Points election can be made in advance of any Reservation Windows opening for such intervals, and MVW hasn't ever been transparent about exactly when they begin the process of picking and choosing their intervals. Again, I think that because their constraints are so restrictive with regard to legal stipulations that ensure protection of Owners' rights, they don't access anything until the correct Reservation Windows open and then only insofar as they're taking pains to ensure they don't violate any of the restrictions they face.
For Weeks which are owned by MVW, i.e. original unsold or bought-back inventory which have not been conveyed to the DC Trust (of which we have no way of knowing if any/how many exist,) MVW can manipulate this inventory via any of the usage buckets providing that their manipulation does not infringe on the usage rights of Weeks Owners who are still within their rights to use it but have yet to elect usage. Again I take this to mean that as long as *any* unbooked Week of the same resort/season/unit size/unit view remains available for any Owner who is yet to book, MVW has the same first-come-first-serve rights to *any* unbooked Weeks that correlate unless the governing docs specifically restrict MVW's rights (as just one example, the SurfWatch docs do prohibit MVW from utilizing the 13-mos Reservation Window to reserve consecutive/concurrent Weeks.)
For Weeks which have been conveyed to the DC Trust by MVW, the Trustee (for all intents and purposes, MVW) can manipulate intervals into the DC Exchange Company at will provided that a correlating amount of inventory remains available (via either the DC Trust or the DC Exchange Company) for Trust Members who are still within their rights to use it but have not yet elected usage; can deposit intervals into II when a Trust Member elects to use his/her Trust Points to exchange via II to a non-Marriott resort/property*; can "sell" intervals to Marriott, Int'l when a Trust Member elects to exchange his/her Trust Points for Bonvoy Points**; can manipulate inventory in various (not fully unexplained, as far as I know) ways when Trust Members elect to use their Trust Points for any other offerings such as cruises, luxury homes, trip insurance, resort credits, etc...
*MVW has never been transparent in explaining if/how the contractual arrangement between MVW and II constrains them to the same or similar like-for-like limitations that Weeks Owners have always faced. MVW personnel have over the years said vague things that have been assumed by many to mean that they face the same limitations we do, but there isn't definitive language in any of the docs that support it unconditionally.
**Here too, MVW has never been transparent in explaining if/how the contractual arrangement between MVW and Bonvoy constrains them to any kind of like-for-like limitations. It's understood that when a Weeks Owner elects a Bonvoy Points exchange *an* interval that correlates to that resort/season/unit size/unit view (but possibly not that *particular* interval) is given to MI and it's known that MVW pays cash to MI for Bonvoy Points in some situations (that they then use as incentives, reparations etc.) With Trust Points:Bonvoy Points exchanges, though, the only certainty is the number of Bonvoy Points that are allotted - what remains unknown are the actual intervals that the Trustee gives over to MI and when. Generally the Reservation Windows for booking cash stays with MI are later than the Reservation Window openings for owners, though, so until it appears otherwise I give MVW the benefit of the doubt that they're not raiding inventory at the timeshare openings for these intervals.
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As usual, I wrote a book and probably will bonk my head off the desk later when it hits me how I could have said something differently with far fewer words.