[What] timeshare - should I [buy] (and from whom) decision

[chrithew]

So, we just did our second sales pitch and have managed delaying a decision until tomorrow.
We are staying at the Marriott Ocean Pointe (and have family near by, so like staying at this particular resort). We're considering buying points. The rate we were quoted was $16.66 per point from Marriott directly. I can find rental rates on redweek or others. I also see points resales. I don't know if there is a reason to not buy via the secondary market. It seems cheaper, but are does Marriott treat secondary purchasers poorly?

Here are my answers to the questions, per the recommended thread.

1) Is there a vacation destination you wish to visit most of the time or on a regular basis? if so where?
Yes. Marriott Ocean Pointe.

2) Do you want to visit your home resort at least half the time, or do you want to trade more than half the time?
Yes (at least for now). I have family near that resort.

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?
none, currently.

4) How many people do you usually travel with - total, including yourself?
6. we can make due with a 1 bedroom, but a 2 bedroom would be better.

5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule?
school schedule!

6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance?
we try our best to work around our vacations, as plane tickets are typically cheaper to buy in advance to.

7) Can you vacation for a full week at a time?
yes.

8) What level of accommodations do you prefer on a scale of 1 to 5 stars?
Primarly concern is family friendliness. Stars don't matter as much, but 3 stars (Ocean Pointe) seems right.

9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing?
15K probably.

10) How much can you afford to spend every year for a maintenance fee that will come due right after Christmas, and increase each year?
it's more how much are we willing to pay.

11) Are you a detail oriented planner?
I don't know.


12) Do you understand that once you buy a timeshare, it may be very difficult to sell or give away, and you are responsible for all fees, until you do?
yes.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

So, we just did our second sales pitch and have managed delaying a decision until tomorrow.
We are staying at the Marriott Ocean Pointe (and have family near by, so like staying at this particular resort). We're considering buying points. The rate we were quoted was $16.66 per point from Marriott directly. I can find rental rates on redweek or others. I also see points resales. I don't know if there is a reason to not buy via the secondary market. It seems cheaper, but are does Marriott treat secondary purchasers poorly?

Here are my answers to the questions, per the recommended thread.

1) Is there a vacation destination you wish to visit most of the time or on a regular basis? if so where?
Yes. Marriott Ocean Pointe.

2) Do you want to visit your home resort at least half the time, or do you want to trade more than half the time?
Yes (at least for now). I have family near that resort.

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?
none, currently.

4) How many people do you usually travel with - total, including yourself?
6. we can make due with a 1 bedroom, but a 2 bedroom would be better.

5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule?
school schedule!

6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance?
we try our best to work around our vacations, as plane tickets are typically cheaper to buy in advance to.

7) Can you vacation for a full week at a time?
yes.

8) What level of accommodations do you prefer on a scale of 1 to 5 stars?
Primarly concern is family friendliness. Stars don't matter as much, but 3 stars (Ocean Pointe) seems right.

9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing?
15K probably.

10) How much can you afford to spend every year for a maintenance fee that will come due right after Christmas, and increase each year?
it's more how much are we willing to pay.

11) Are you a detail oriented planner?
I don't know.
.

12) Do you understand that once you buy a timeshare, it may be very difficult to sell or give away, and you are responsible for all fees, until you do?
yes.

Buy yourself a resale Platinum Week at Ocean Point for as little as $9,000 and you'll save yourself a whole lot of dollars! And it will cost you less each year in maintenance fees.

Granted you don't have the flexibility as points but you're not paying for it either.

By the way, Marriott WILL sell you a resale week without points but you have to ask them for it. But, you're better off going thru Redweek and finding a private resale Ocean Pointe week. SAVE yourself thousands of dollars!

With a resale two bedroom Platinum Oceanside @ Marriott's Ocean Pointe you can lock it off and get two straight or two separate weeks during weeks 1 thru 17 or weeks 51 or 52 each year.









.

 

[WorldT]

There is a 2 bedroom platinum currently listed for $5k on Redweek and a gold for $2900 on TUGG marketplace

 

[Pamplemousse]

Be sure to compare your vacation times to the resort calendar to see what season you typically travel.
You can only book your own season directly.
Otherwise, you need to exchange through interval- which I am not suggesting is a problem, but it will cost exchange fees.

 

[jme]

With a budget of $15K, I would absolutely, positively purchase TWO Marriott resales....
one at Ocean Pointe since you like it and have reasons for being there, and another week. Preferably a Platinum season lock-off resort
(there's a preferred list---usually Grande Vista, Grand Chateau, or Willow Ridge, etc)....
.......any one of which will give you extra weeks and "booking leverage/advantages".

THEN wait a few years (2-5 at least) and reevaluate your needs.
And get the best Marriott-friendly credit card and begin to actively accumulate Bonvoy Points and utilize those for hotel stays.
You have plenty of time, so keep your eyes open and become frequent readers/studiers of this website,
and learn from experienced and learned TUG members. It's a free but priceless education.

AND.......DON'T buy Abound Points! Run from them!!!!! .....
...........at least for now, until you know more and are dead sure you need them...
They are prohibitively expensive, and you just may decide you're plenty busy and happy with "weeks ownership".
Occupying and trading both provide you with PLENTY of vacation time, and plenty of great destinations......You will miss nothing!
You can still travel to your resorts or trade through Interval Int'l, and you'll probably conclude you don't need points.
We've seen everything this country has to offer, and beyond.....and we've been to Europe several times too, all using ownership weeks and trades,
AND by using Bonvoy Points hotel stays.

Good luck........

 

[jwalk03]

Definitely don’t buy points!!

When do you typically go to Ocean Pointe? Always summer? Or do you also go in other seasons?

If you primarily plan to visit Ocean Pointe in the summer- that’s a pretty easy reservation to get as a trade with some planning using another Marriott week. You also have the Florida Club option if you buy say a week at GV. Though you would need a Gold GV week if you want to stay at OP in the Summer since it’s gold season there. A gold GV week can be had for a couple of hundred bucks upfront; and the annual fees are several hundred less per year than an OP week. (Fees always subject to increase but seems unlikely GV will ever exceed OP)

 

[vacationtime1]

Keep it simple.

Buy one deeded week at Ocean Pointe, resale of course. Probably platinum season, depending on when you expect to use it.

Avoid points like the plague.

 

[chrithew]

Thanks for all the info. A lot to digest and learn. We typically go in the summer, as we're on a school schedule. I have a short term answer (don't buy points now) and a long term one (do more research). Thanks for all the help!

 

[Pamplemousse]

Thanks for all the info. A lot to digest and learn. We typically go in the summer, as we're on a school schedule. I have a short term answer (don't buy points now) and a long term one (do more research). Thanks for all the help!

Summer at Ocean Pointe is gold.
So easy thing is buy a resale gold and stay your week.

Or you could go the exchange route- buy a platimum MVC for increased trading power and MVC priority exchanging on II. Costs membership in II, an exchange fee, maybe lock off and upsize fee- but if you get a lockoff you can get 2 weeks of vacation for one maintence fee. This works especially well if you plan in advance and can request 12-13 months in advance, Worked great for us when we followed a school schedule.
I’ll also add that we have a gold harbour lake that we have been very happy exchanging- but we travel Feb or April school breaks, usually not summer- we like to be home in summer.

 

[billymach4]

Somebody with more time than me please explain to the OP about ROFR. Just cause the asking price is cheap does not guarantee that it will pass Right of First Refusal. Marriott recently took my Silver Season Ocean Front at Ocean Pointe away from my buyer at $5000. I updated ROFR.NET.

 

[WorldT]

Another silver passed earlier this year at $5k.
To the OP, there is a website (not sure who owns it) that people can enter their purchase attempts. You can search down to specific resorts to see if Marriott took back the unit at the contract price of if they allowed the sale to go through. There is no fixed price and there is no public information as to why the chose to allow one to go through earlier this year but took this one from the last poster.

 

[jmhpsu93]

If gold season (summer) at Ocean Pointe is your goal, I'd get a gold Grande Vista week. They're basically free resale, generally pass ROFR, and lockoff into two trades. If trading's not your thing, you could book summer Ocean Pointe via the Florida Club.

As noted above, your desires are pretty easily met in the MVC system. We also like OP in summer - it's a great resort.

 

[Dean]

So, we just did our second sales pitch and have managed delaying a decision until tomorrow.
We are staying at the Marriott Ocean Pointe (and have family near by, so like staying at this particular resort). We're considering buying points. The rate we were quoted was $16.66 per point from Marriott directly. I can find rental rates on redweek or others. I also see points resales. I don't know if there is a reason to not buy via the secondary market. It seems cheaper, but are does Marriott treat secondary purchasers poorly?

Here are my answers to the questions, per the recommended thread.

1) Is there a vacation destination you wish to visit most of the time or on a regular basis? if so where?
Yes. Marriott Ocean Pointe.

2) Do you want to visit your home resort at least half the time, or do you want to trade more than half the time?
Yes (at least for now). I have family near that resort.

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?
none, currently.

4) How many people do you usually travel with - total, including yourself?
6. we can make due with a 1 bedroom, but a 2 bedroom would be better.

5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule?
school schedule!

6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance?
we try our best to work around our vacations, as plane tickets are typically cheaper to buy in advance to.

7) Can you vacation for a full week at a time?
yes.

8) What level of accommodations do you prefer on a scale of 1 to 5 stars?
Primarly concern is family friendliness. Stars don't matter as much, but 3 stars (Ocean Pointe) seems right.

9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing?
15K probably.

10) How much can you afford to spend every year for a maintenance fee that will come due right after Christmas, and increase each year?
it's more how much are we willing to pay.

11) Are you a detail oriented planner?
I don't know.


12) Do you understand that once you buy a timeshare, it may be very difficult to sell or give away, and you are responsible for all fees, until you do?
yes.

I agree with the census, I'd buy a Gold week there since that's the week the covers when you want to go. If the volume of vacations makes sense, I agree with Marty that a second trading week could be a good idea. You might also consider 2 weeks at OP. with 2 weeks you could reserve earlier (13 months instead of 12) and increase your chances of getting exactly what you want. If you're moderately flexible as to the exact week, you likely won't need this option. I'd only buy it if you can pay cash though. An alternative plan to buy just a trading resort and exchange in should be workable but likely isn't a hassle you need at this time though it should be successful for summer as well.

 

[billymach4]

Check www.rofr.net. At this point in the cycle Marriott is has been in the mood to Buy Back. If you are not in the mood to play hardball with Marriott I would offer above the average history of past average passing prices.

If you want to find the bottom price point then play the low ball game. Bear in mind you may have to burn through a few offers.

 

[jmhpsu93]

Just one more note that Ocean Pointe's maintenance fees are significantly higher than Grande Vista's. Not that GV is any bargain anymore, but OP is high even without that special assessment.

 

[LuvScience]

By the way, Marriott WILL sell you a resale week without points but you have to ask them for it. But, you're better off going thru Redweek and finding a private resale Ocean Pointe week. SAVE yourself thousands of dollars!

I'm just curious about this - if Marriott will sell you a resale week without points, does it come with all the same restrictions as a resale week on the resale market or can it somehow be enrolled or linked to the internal Marriott exchange system? Or is there any other benefit to purchasing a resale week directly from Marriott (with no points involved).
Thanks for the knowledge.

 

[jmhpsu93]

I'm just curious about this - if Marriott will sell you a resale week without points, does it come with all the same restrictions as a resale week on the resale market or can it somehow be enrolled or linked to the internal Marriott exchange system? Or is there any other benefit to purchasing a resale week directly from Marriott (with no points involved).
Thanks for the knowledge.

It will be an enrolled week at a pretty high price.

 

[LuvScience]

It will be an enrolled week at a pretty high price.

That's interesting. Is there a specific department I would try to contact for info about this? Or just go through the MVC sales? I wonder what the markup is.

 

[claraj]

@LuvScience I attended a virtual sales meeting with the Westin team in Avon and they offered me a few bundles. While it was not without points, they were willing to do it for 500 points, maybe because that's how many points I needed to get to Select level. Who knows why. Here were the offers:
- 500 pts + Grande Vista week for $21,900. Subtracting the cost for the 500 points, the week would have been $13,700
- 500 pts + Shadow Ridge week for $17,600. Subtracting the cost for the 500 pts, the week would have been $9,400.

 

[jmhpsu93]

@LuvScience I attended a virtual sales meeting with the Westin team in Avon and they offered me a few bundles. While it was not without points, they were willing to do it for 500 points, maybe because that's how many points I needed to get to Select level. Who knows why. Here were the offers:
- 500 pts + Grande Vista week for $21,900. Subtracting the cost for the 500 points, the week would have been $13,700
- 500 pts + Shadow Ridge week for $17,600. Subtracting the cost for the 500 pts, the week would have been $9,400.

Were those weeks enrolled?

 

[claraj]

Were those weeks enrolled?

Yes, they would have been enrolled weeks.

 

[jwalk03]

Yes, they would have been enrolled weeks.

You can get a GV 2-BR platinum resale for let’s say $2k these days so you would be paying a $11k premium buying it from Marriott so it would be enrolled instead.

Maybe worth it; depending how one would use it. Maybe not.

 

[Pamplemousse]

I'm just curious about this - if Marriott will sell you a resale week without points, does it come with all the same restrictions as a resale week on the resale market or can it somehow be enrolled or linked to the internal Marriott exchange system? Or is there any other benefit to purchasing a resale week directly from Marriott (with no points involved).
Thanks for the knowledge.

A week is either enrolled- and so part of the abound “club” can be elected to points which are used to internally book other abound properties or used as a week for your home resort stay or deposited into II for exchange. The enrolled week would be in your corporate II account furnished by your abound club dues and can be exchanged to other abound properties (as available) with no exchange fee.

Or the week is not enrolled and can be used for your home resort stay or exchanged on II an account you pay for and you are charged an exchange fee by II (reduced rate to other abound properties).

There is nothing in between.
Doesn't matter where an unrolled week came from.
There is no internal week exchange within abound (except the Florida club).

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

It will be an enrolled week at a pretty high price.

All resale weeks via Marriott are enrolled UNLESS you ask them to quote a price for a week which is not enrolled.

Marriott will never bring up these unenrolled resale weeks UNLESS you ask them to do so. Why? They make far more money with an enrolled week.

How do I know you can purchase an unenrolled week? I have a friend who sat thru a sales meeting a few years ago and specifically asked for an unenrolled week. Well what do you think happened? Suddenly the sales rep came up with a list of weeks available without points (unenrolled) and the price list was far less for the standard enrolled offered weeks.

In any event, my friend did not ending up buying his unenrolled week via Marriott resales.







.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

I'm just curious about this - if Marriott will sell you a resale week without points, does it come with all the same restrictions as a resale week on the resale market or can it somehow be enrolled or linked to the internal Marriott exchange system? Or is there any other benefit to purchasing a resale week directly from Marriott (with no points involved).
Thanks for the knowledge.

Please read Post # 24.







.