What are the things you don't like about the new Marriott points program?

[scrapngen]

I don't like that I have a written confirmation giving me one amount of points and now MVC is trying to take almost 1800 away from me AFTER I enrolled.

I think you should start a new thread for ENROLLED members questions...seems like that would be very useful to both enrolled and unenrolled people.

 

[Superchief]

Is this true??

I thought that rather than taking inventory from II ( deposited by owners) that Marriott simply would no longer be depositing un-sold inventory into II any longer.

According to the originally posted FAQ, inventory would include deposits made to Interval by those who are not enrolled in the program. The sales person I spoke with at Mountainside yesterday said that is not true, so it is difficult to know what will really happen.

This is my major concern regarding the program's impact on my ability to trade within Interval, since you cannot deposit lockoff weeks to use for points in the new program.

 

[SueDonJ]

I don't like that I have a written confirmation giving me one amount of points and now MVC is trying to take almost 1800 away from me AFTER I enrolled.

I think you should start a new thread for ENROLLED members questions...seems like that would be very useful to both enrolled and unenrolled people.

Yeah, this could possibly be a new thread. Slakk, what if the glitches in the system had resulted in you being given first an amount of points LESS than what you are actually entitled to? Would you have expected Marriott to honor that or to correct it?

 

[Slakk]

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[SueDonJ]

I don't like that there isn't (yet?) a type of Flexchange period with reduced point costs.

I don't like that there isn't (yet?) a way to purchase any amount of points for one-time use, which could be used to cover a shortage for one specific reservation in one specific year. Even a 100-point maximum could be a good option.

I don't like that existing Weeks which are enrolled do not have a priority window for reservations at the home resort. One week would satisfy me. (Although I think that this is impossible to implement and still satisfy the terms&conditions of both Weeks and Points systems.)

 

[SueDonJ]

I contacted them yesterday after I saw it and asked if the amount was correct because it sure seemed REALLY good and the guy went and checked and said yep it was correct and said that's great for you. I enrolled 10 minutes later.

So yes I expect them to honor it. I'm waiting to hear back now from them as they are *researching* it.

I understand how it happened because it affected some folks who own SurfWatch the same way it affected you. I'm definitely sympathetic and would hate to be in your shoes, but it seems there isn't any solution except to correct the mistakes from computer glitches. If you are allotted an incorrect amount, shouldn't every owner who owns the same interval as you be allotted that incorrect amount? And if it's similar to SurfWatch's glitch which gave 3BR point values for 2BR intervals, and the incorrect 2BR values are honored by Marriott, shouldn't the 3BR intervals be adjusted also?

Really, I'd be angry if this happened to me. But I'd also be reasonable in my expectations, as difficult as it would be.

 

[Slakk]

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[Superchief]

These are concerns I have regarding the new system.
1. There will be a significant increase in housekeeping costs due to the shorter use options. I fear that this will greatly increase our MF for housekeeping.
2. Will home resort owners continue to enjoy a priority over the Preferred Points exchangers for villa assignment?
3. The options for lockoff usage and trades will be greatly diminished.

 

[bogey21]

As an ex Marriott owner (I sold my Weeks about 5 years ago), my take is that the new System will work well for a relatively small few and to the detriment of the rest of you.

As a Marriott stockholder, I love it. It will make Marriott more profitable.

George

 

[Numismatist]

As an ex Marriott owner (I sold my Weeks about 5 years ago), my take is that the new System will work well for a relatively small few and to the detriment of the rest of you.

As a Marriott stockholder, I love it. It will make Marriott more profitable.

George

Exactly...folks need to remember that, in reality, timeshare owners are NOT Marriott's customers, the stock shareholders ARE their customers. It's that way with every corporation (or darned near every one).

 

[dioxide45]

No Guest Certificates

You would think this would be a positive because you think, no fee. No, it is no guests can use a points exchange week without the owner present. This limitation is removed when you book in the Open Reservation period of 60 days.

 

[DanCali]

Did anyone already mention this?

Owner will not exercise any vote Owner may have in the owners" association ("Resort Association") operating the resort in which Owner's Timeshare Interest is located ("Resort") in a manner that is, in MVCEC's reasonable discretion, detrimental to the Program, including, without limitation, voting to limit or terminate the Resort's participation in the Program.

If so, sorry to repeat...

 

[CapriciousC]

I don't like that the European resorts are not included - we've exchanged in the past (through II) for Playa Andaluza and would like to check out the other resorts in Spain and France, but they're not part of the program. This detracts greatly from the appeal of the program, for us and our travel interests.

With regard to the resorts in Florida, I don't think it's much of a deal. We travel to Orlando at least six times a year, and always stay at Marriott timeshare resorts. In the last nine months, I have booked 2-bedroom villas at Grande Vista, Cypress Harbour, and Harbour Lake, and have never paid more than $160 a night. This has been during Thanksgiving week, Christmas week, spring break, etc. I currently have a reservation for a 1-bedroom villa at Grande Vista for the last week of July for $110 a night. Why on earth would I trade my Waiohai week when they're practically giving away Florida resorts? (By the way, I always use the "MOD" discount code when booking Orlando - it's awesome).

I also don't really understand how they've valued the different resorts. With the points they would give me for my Waiohai week, I can't even get a week at any of the Maui resorts in an equivalent unit.

 

[gmarine]

Exactly...folks need to remember that, in reality, timeshare owners are NOT Marriott's customers, the stock shareholders ARE their customers. It's that way with every corporation (or darned near every one).

You have it reversed. The shareholders are the owners as they are in every public company. The timeshare owners are the customers.

 

[gmarine]

Did anyone already mention this?

Owner will not exercise any vote Owner may have in the owners" association ("Resort Association") operating the resort in which Owner's Timeshare Interest is located ("Resort") in a manner that is, in MVCEC's reasonable discretion, detrimental to the Program, including, without limitation, voting to limit or terminate the Resort's participation in the Program.

If so, sorry to repeat...

Even if I loved the program this alone would stop me from joining. Marriott has the right to change just about anything they want in the program and by joining you give up the right to vote against these changes with your HOA.

YOU GIVE UP YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE YOUR OPINION WHEN YOU JOIN.

 

[DanCali]

4. I don't like the fact that Marriott is not allowing existing members to purchase less than 1000 points...........If I wanted to book my home resort, the same week that I own, I would need an additional 350 points to do so. I don't want to spend the money on 1000 more points, and don't even have the option to purchase the 350 points that I would need.

See this thread for a more detailed discussion on "skimming," which should be viewed as another cost of the points system and incurred each time you convert to points.

The first post in that thread also contains a link to a spreadsheet computing the average points required to trade into each season at each resort. While you would probably not use points to book a high demand week at your home resort, getting less than the "fair value" of the trading power of your season affects your ability to do like for like exchanges to similar resorts. Since all owners seem to have gotten less than the average of their season, this represents a loss of points by each owner and by owners in the aggregate. The documents are silent as to who benefits from that and how...

You can also access that spreadsheet from this link.

 

[rsnash]

I just reviewed the program and see absolutely no benefits to me. I would not be able to trade into any of the other Marriott's I've traded into in the past with the points they'd allot me for my week at Fairway Villas.

I did see one possible benefit from the program website though... This link https://www.my-vacationclub.com/en-us/owners/pointsintro/discover.html allows you to see how many points it would take to stay at the various resorts. To see the best week I could reserve, I reviewed the number it would points it would take to stay at my resort for the various check in day for a week. I always figured Thanksgiving week would be a good trade. But weeks in October are valued more highly. Perhaps having one of these weeks to deposit at II would increase my trade value?

 

[bobpark56]

If you also own outside the Marriott system, you must retain your II membership if you wish to trade those units. Hence no saving (for me) from joining Marriott Points.

 

[wof45]

what about the savings from no lockoff fees, no trade fees or no conversion to Marriott Points for your Marriott week?

 

[GreenEyedGuru]

what about the savings from no lockoff fees, no trade fees or no conversion to Marriott Points for your Marriott week?

Those savings appear to have been made up for by the skimming.

Hi everyone, new poster here.. I had to register after reading about 20 pages of the megapost on skimming.

I'd say the thing I like least about the points system (and I didn't see this anywhere in the other thread) is this:

It puts inflation back into the system.

One of the biggest selling points (for me, at least) when I decided to buy my week was the chart the salesperson pulled out that showed the cost comparison between staying in my deeded property vs. staying in a hotel over 30 years.

The value proposition was that the timeshare was "inflation proof". Yes, maintenance fees would increase, but by an amount much less than hotel room costs would (this turns out to be false as well, from what I've read).

By instituting this new system, Marriott has injected inflation back into the system with their ability to raise point costs at will.

So I won't be buying in.

Another reason I was looking at the new system was to potentially bank a week and travel with family the following year. Unfortunately it looks like a like-for-like exchange will be impossible with the new system due to the skimming/breakage/theft/whatever you want to call it.

Also, I think the $600 buy in cost is ridiculous. Marriott needs my week much more than I need their points system, if they want me in it they should be giving it to me for free.

 

[Big Matt]

Depending on how you use your week, it could take 10-20 years to recoup your $1995. By then who knows what Marriott will look like.

what about the savings from no lockoff fees, no trade fees or no conversion to Marriott Points for your Marriott week?

 

[wof45]

this year, we paid the $1995, and we did not pay the $130 three times for selecting marriott rewards points, and we did a lockoff and deposit for one of this year's thansgiving weeks so no lockoff fee and two trade fees we won't pay. We also cancelled the other two thanksgiving weeks and got DC points for them, then used DC points at half price for a december week at Oceanna Palms and used DC points for a February 2011 week at Beach Place towers.

So we also did not have to pay the membership fee this year or next year, and received an extra 800 DC points for converting.

I think we'll have recouped our $1995 in two years, and can now also get MRP points for the two resale weeks. We use MRP since I only get 5 weeks vacation, the rental market is terrible and we already have 5 weeks deposited in II.

So for us, the DC club works really well

 

[Big Matt]

That's great. I'm glad you joined.

Here's another scenario.

I own two weeks. I lock off one every year and keep the other as a 2BR. So each year I have a $75 fee. I exchange every week I have, so that would be $327 for a total of $402 per year. Since I have non-Marriotts I still need to pay for the II fee. I will pay the $199 per year to Marriott for my combined fees. My net savings will be $203 per year. In my case I get a pay back in about 10 years.

Of course that $199 could become a lot higher going forward. It won't go lower, trust me.

I need to see more before I plunk down 2 grand to join.

this year, we paid the $1995, and we did not pay the $130 three times for selecting marriott rewards points, and we did a lockoff and deposit for one of this year's thansgiving weeks so no lockoff fee and two trade fees we won't pay. We also cancelled the other two thanksgiving weeks and got DC points for them, then used DC points at half price for a december week at Oceanna Palms and used DC points for a February 2011 week at Beach Place towers.

So we also did not have to pay the membership fee this year or next year, and received an extra 800 DC points for converting.

I think we'll have recouped our $1995 in two years, and can now also get MRP points for the two resale weeks. We use MRP since I only get 5 weeks vacation, the rental market is terrible and we already have 5 weeks deposited in II.

So for us, the DC club works really well

 

[ppredhomme]

I don't like they didn't give me enough points (Maui Ocean Club) to visit my own home resort any week of the year.

I also don't like how gone are days that you could trade with II for a unit much larger than you own. Technically they might say it's still possible, but it seems so unlikely since Marriott will be keeping the inventory for the points people.

I'm not going into points system at this time.

 

[GreenEyedGuru]

That's great. I'm glad you joined.

Here's another scenario.

I own two weeks. I lock off one every year and keep the other as a 2BR. So each year I have a $75 fee. I exchange every week I have, so that would be $327 for a total of $402 per year. Since I have non-Marriotts I still need to pay for the II fee. I will pay the $199 per year to Marriott for my combined fees. My net savings will be $203 per year. In my case I get a pay back in about 10 years.

Of course that $199 could become a lot higher going forward. It won't go lower, trust me.

I need to see more before I plunk down 2 grand to join.

Do you still save when you factor in the 7-10% point graft?