TUG Marriott Vacation Club Forum vs any number of Marriott Vacation Club Facebook Groups

[WBP]

In the context of full disclosure, we are not Facebook participants.

On vacation, at an MVC Resort, we were told that there is more MVC Owner dialogue, these days, than on TUG. Do you think that's true? Is that value of "dialogue" on any of the MVC Facebook Pages worthy of attention/engagement? If so, which Facebook Page(s)? Similar question for Westin Vacation Ownership, as we own in both systems. Thank you.

 

[StevenTing]

The Q&A group is the one that would be the most credible to me. Many of the others are peoples opinions. Leslie knows what she’s talking about and also approaches it from a legal perspective on things.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/565892082264017/?ref=share&mibextid=S66gvF

 

[dioxide45]

THere are several groups I follow and one I am a Group Expert in. Facebook groups are both good and bad. I find the format of threads to be horrible. They are non linier and utilize some algorithm to show you what Facebook wants you to see. You need to click a whole bunch of times to be able to see all the comments and replies. In these groups you will have a very wide array of owners and their education level. From expert to mostly very novice. People come looking for help after they have realized things aren't as peachy as the sales reps told/sold them it would be. So you get a few rants as well.

Facebook groups are also more pro developer purchase and some groups will ban you or delete posts related to resale purchases. I would say that there is a lot more overall posting action in Facebook groups related to Marriott than there is in the TUG Marriott forum. That said, one isn't better than the other and I find myself on TUG more than in Facebook groups. That is mainly due to the non linier style of how posts work. It just isn't all that easy to follow. You also have the issue with short snap answers that don't really provide all the information and leave out rather important context. This is just an issue in how people are mostly posting from mobile on small keyboards.

 

[LUVourMarriotts]

There are several resort specific MVC groups (I don't know about Westin). Of the resort groups I am in, they are run pretty well to stop rumors and other BS. I recently became an admin of one. There are definitely some posts that are what I would consider useless, but they don't break group rules, so they exist.

 

[jwalk03]

I belong to several of the Marriott facebook groups. I have certainly learned more here than there- but I do try to pass on some knowledge there. Certainly a lot more posts on Facebook than here but sometimes it’s also the same things over and over and over again because no one tries searching in the groups before asking questions.

 

[bazzap]

The resort specific facebook groups tend to be most useful, as they are well resort specific so they focus on topics and issues likely to be of most relevance and interest to members who are home resort owners there.

 

[Hindsite]

A lot of it is about the feel of any facebook group for me. I find a couple of them to be excellent reference sources but too curated for my comfort, where posters are actively mocked or berated for not searching or for posting comments that don't align with the admins or their followers. Others drive me mad with the ranting or just straight up misinformation. What I have found with one of the larger ones is that using the block feature for specific individuals has radically changed the feel of the group from quite negative to quite useful, and I haven't lost out on anything helpful by doing that.
You are more likely to get useful recommendations for attractions or restaurants via FB, either on the resort specific or general pages than on TUG.
In general MVC related timeshare content is US centric with posts dominated by US content, Hawaii doesn't do it for me, but it clearly does for many....
FB pages can also lack any form of cultural nuance, TUG tends to be more focussed on how the systems work so you get less opportunity for unintentional offence to be given or received.
A mix of information sources is always a good thing as far as I am concerned, so have an experiment and don't be afraid to just switch off from a group if it doesn't work for you at that time.

 

[The Colorado Kid]

A lot of it is about the feel of any facebook group for me. I find a couple of them to be excellent reference sources but too curated for my comfort, where posters are actively mocked or berated for not searching or for posting comments that don't align with the admins or their followers. Others drive me mad with the ranting or just straight up misinformation. What I have found with one of the larger ones is that using the block feature for specific individuals has radically changed the feel of the group from quite negative to quite useful, and I haven't lost out on anything helpful by doing that.
You are more likely to get useful recommendations for attractions or restaurants via FB, either on the resort specific or general pages than on TUG.
In general MVC related timeshare content is US centric with posts dominated by US content, Hawaii doesn't do it for me, but it clearly does for many....
FB pages can also lack any form of cultural nuance, TUG tends to be more focussed on how the systems work so you get less opportunity for unintentional offence to be given or received.
A mix of information sources is always a good thing as far as I am concerned, so have an experiment and don't be afraid to just switch off from a group if it doesn't work for you at that time.

@Hindsite - Great callout on blocking negative/lunatic FB group members...it really does refresh the usefulness of many of the groups

 

[dougp26364]

I followed/joined several FB groups, then unfollowed all but one. To many rental or for sale adds, to many very basic questions and to little useful information. In my case, it junked up my FB feed to the point I wasn’t seeing my family/friends posts

 

[TXTortoise]

Signal to Noise ratio is much better here. I usually equate FB to High School and TUG to University.

There are some really good admins on the Maui FB page, and a couple of general MVCI pages, but the volume of usual 'I don't know, but here's what I think' responses..likely wrong, gets tedious.

To be fair, lots of simple questions get asked/answered over and over on FB, pretty quickly, so kinda glad they don't clutter this forum. ;-)

 

[ahdah]

By using FB I was able to find a rental at SW for the 4th of July and also able to rent my July 8th week at SW with out using RedWeek. I was hoping that with the way RW has changed that more people would use TUG for rentals. I'm not sure that is going to happen. I think using FB and TUG is the best of both worlds. Many people suggest that FB users should go to TUG for certain information.

 

[dioxide45]

Many people suggest that FB users should go to TUG for certain information.

The odd thing about social media is people use what they like. I see people mention TUG, but people use Facebook because they link Facebook. THere is certainly some crossover and you may convince the odd person to switch, but for the most part they wont. Best to just answer their questions on Facebook because that is the medium that they have chosen to get their information.

 

[dioxide45]

Signal to Noise ratio is much better here. I usually equate FB to High School and TUG to University.

There are some really good admins on the Maui FB page, and a couple of general MVCI pages, but the volume of usual 'I don't know, but here's what I think' responses..likely wrong, gets tedious.

To be fair, lots of simple questions get asked/answered over and over on FB, pretty quickly, so kinda glad they don't clutter this forum. ;-)

I would agree and this is my experience also. A lot of non first hand experience being exchanged. Had this happen in our group. My wife asked me about a post and I told her the answer (which was wrong). I was probably doing something at the time and only half understood the issue. Someone came along to correct her post but their information was also wrong. I finally went back and set the record straight. There is also a lot of, go here and look, or do a Google search. I am all for seeking out information, but what is the point of a group if one is just trying to drive the traffic elsewhere?

 

[WBP]

Thank all of you for your replies.

I feel like I sold my soul, and created a Facebook account (which was necessary to gain access to Facebook),

I found the greatest value in the Facebook website that Stephen Ting suggested, moderated by someone named Leslie. However, I just can't warm up to Facebook. I don't know what it is, but I did not find any enjoyment in looking at Facebook. To me, the Marriott Vacation Club websites on Facebook are just, too chatty. I should add, I don't have a Twitter account, I don't Tweet, or, for that matter, text.

Personally, I prefer TUG, over Facebook, but, with the assistance of my wife, who makes a living, profilng people, it seems that there is quite the ecclectic group of participants, here, including some who have amassed thousands of posts. No disrespect intended, but, that's not a plan that I have any interest in signing up for.

 

[jabberwocky]

If you compare the average post length on FB and TUG my guess is that TUG will be longer and generally more thoughtful. You also get a much longer history with TUG to see the evolution of systems and resorts.

FB is all about selling ads and pushing content to you to make you stay on the site. Personally I hate feeling manipulated or that I’m not being presented with the most relevant or best information. It’s tough to ignore stuff on FB like I can on TUG.

Some FB groups are pretty good - some just downright horrible. I rarely log on and won’t post in the groups (I like being relatively anonymous).

 

[AlmostRetired]

I belong to a number of the MVC FB groups but do not spend much time on them. I question there value outside of a group of people feeling connected. I started one specific to Marriott on HHI, the Monarch and a Foodie Group for HHI that was meant for timeshare owners but has gown into local residents. Specific groups tend to be much better than broad ones because you feel more like a community looking to share ideas and help. They are also more positive. After doing this for a number of years, I am starting to question there value.

I belong to TUG since 2008 and have never questioned TUGs value. I often recommend TUG on FB or on vacation as a learning group to get more from your ownership. I explain that most people are on TUG to learn or to teach. Vacationing isn't a one size fits all and TUG is a sounding board to help you get there.

 

[TravelTime]

In general, I think TUG is better. On the Facebook groups, there are many novices who think they know things and spread misinformation. Some moderators are also not as knowledgeable as they should be given I would expect a moderator to be an expert. I find Facebook groups helpful for suggesting things to do in the various locations.

 

[m61376]

In general, I think TUG is better. On the Facebook groups, there are many novices who think they know things and spread misinformation. Some moderators are also not as knowledgeable as they should be given I would expect a moderator to be an expert. I find Facebook groups helpful for suggesting things to do in the various locations.

Totally agree. Even in groups with a great moderator, there's lots of misinformation and questionable advice given about MVC or Abound as a whole. But there is more resort specific advice and, especially when there were Covid travel restrictions, the FB groups had way more pertinent and up to date info.

 

[AlmostRetired]

There are a number of Marriott resort or location specific FB groups. They tend to be useful. The more general Marriott FB groups have diminishing value the more you are trying to learn. There are usually members who just purchased and questioning what they did, have aging parents and talking over the vacation responsibilities, or given the weeks/points by their parents/in-laws. Typical answers are about creating memories, how long responders own and how happy they are, or the flip side of how unhappy they are. I will almost always post a link to the Marriott Forum on TUG. TUG is a place to learn/teach. FB tends to be members trying to get their opinions coming out of your mouth.

 

[dioxide45]

Something I have noticed about resort specific Facebook groups is that people are to sensitive with regard to criticism about the resort the group is for. Many people get triggered by the slightest knock on the resort.

 

[TUGBrian]

my biggest complaint regarding Facebook posts, is how Facebook picks and chooses how posts and responses are displayed or more importantly, which responses are NOT displayed vs the linear timeline of responses offered by a forum etc.

I'd imagine that most users dont have any idea its happening either and simply assuming they are reading all responses in order. While you can change the "most relevant" to instead include "all responses", but id bet the average fb user doesnt even realize thats an option. nor is there a way to enable this setting globally, vs on each individual post you read.

 

[rthib]

The other issue is moderation. Mods here are great at consolidating threads and access to FAQ. If you want to see the same basic questions asked over and over, Facebook is the place for you.

 

[LUVourMarriotts]

my biggest complaint regarding facebook posts, is how facebook picks and chooses how posts and responses are displayed or more importantly, which responses are NOT displayed.

vs the linear timeline of responses offered by a forum etc. id imagine that most users dont have any idea its happening either and simply assuming they are reading all responses in order. While you can change the "most relavent" to instead include "all responses", but id bet the average fb user doesnt even realize thats an option. nor is there a way to enable this setting globally, vs on each individual post you read.

Totally agree. I am a moderator for one of the MVC resort specific FB groups, and I would love for there to be a way for us to merge. On the group I'm mod on, one of the other mod's will go in every once in a while and post about searching before posting questions. But, it never ends.

As for the criticism/complaining, here's the way we see it. If you came to this resort page to complain, and you just joined the group to complain, we can't do anything for you, walk your butt to the front desk and complain to them. We do allow complaint posts, but only if they have some value, like awareness of an issue that has come up. If it's just, "this resort sucks because...", "the pool is dirty", or "I didn't get my very specific room request", we squash those pretty quickly.

 

[Pompey Family]

The unofficial FB pages for the European resorts are of more interest and benefit than TUG. There is a lot of useful and up to date information including restaurant recommendations, grocery options, upcoming resort activities and general advice.

 

[bobpark56]

I think the Facebook vs TUG issue varies considerably, depending on the resort group. I find more useful Sandos and Sandos Royal Elite information on Facebook, for example, than I do on TUG.