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Why I hate II

ljmiii

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Apologies in advance for the rant...but I feel a need to vent and my experiences might prove useful for others.

Almost 4 years ago I received a mailing offering me three years of II Platinum membership free if I deposited my week with them. So I did - an Oceanview Waiohai 2BR July week with the highest TDI. But it turned out that since I already had a MVC membership Interval wouldn't give me a Platinum membership. Moreover, they wouldn't give me my week back. I could have tried to escalate the issue...but since I would have had to rent out the week and I had read that getting a trade on II was 'easy' if you used a good trader I would just keep my Waiohai week deposited.

For the next two years I kept trying to find trades. Europe in the summer and Hawaii at various school holidays and summer...but I never got a match for the dates and locations we needed. After that - with only one year left on my trade - I decided to change strategy and put in a wide ranging request for anywhere we would be willing to stay if the trade 'hit' on the vacation dates we had available. And then plan our vacation around II instead of the other way around. (And yes, I know there are workarounds to extend for up to a year...but they involve having to constantly do manual search for trades and I have better things to do with my time).

A few months later we got a trade into NCV Easter week. Yay! It was Friday to Friday instead of the Sunday to Sunday that we wanted...but at least we could use most of the days. Then we found out our daughter's high school was putting together a trip over spring break and I adjusted our plans accordingly. Then after many more months passed we found out that the HS spring break trip didn't actually happen over spring break but instead half over spring break. Of course the wrong half....and now we could use none of the days at NCV. So I cancelled and started to look again. By this time the pickings were slim...but I found a nice 2BR at Williamsburg that we could use over a 3 day weekend in March.

59 days from the start of our stay we found out that our daughter's chamber ensemble was one of the winners of a competition in which they had entered and had been selected to play in NYC...on that weekend. Yay! Boo! And since it was under 60 days I was now in 'flex-time' - my mid July 2020 expiration (which I might have extended) was now the beginning of April. I found a studio at Williamsburg Sequel in late March that it seems unlikely we'll get to use...but that's all there is for now.

Did I mention I love DPs? We use them constantly and are always borrowing. And even put in a holding account (because of a 59 day cancellation) they would have been useful.
 

samara64

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I am sorry for your experience but have to say it is not only II fault. I have same issue with getting time off between all of our schedules.

I just canceled a long awaited vacation for our Spring break due to COVID-19 that matched perfectly (Sun-Sun) in Newport Coast and got a replacement week.

Does not cost anything to do so and you can put an ongoing request on the canceled replacement. The replacement week is valid for one year and has same power as your original deposit so hopefully it will work out.
 
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CPNY

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Not really sure where this is an II issue. Seems that life happens and you need to adjust vacation schedules. It’s rough, but that’s life. Sorry to hear all of your trips are falling through. Hopefully you’ll have better luck in the future
 

turkel

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Clearly your blaming II for your busy life. I don’t see this as an II issue other than the initial bate and switch.
 

rickandcindy23

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II shouldn't have offered you platinum, if your Marriott account cannot support Platinum. Maybe Marriott and II should get together on that.
 

goaliedave

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Agree with the others.. not II fault. *smh

Sent from my SM-A505G using Tapatalk
 

ljmiii

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Not really sure where this is an II issue....
It's a II issue insofar as II is useless if you need a particular week at a particular location...or really in one of a number of locations. I didn't get a single hit in two years of trying. And unlike those who buy DPs expecting to go to Aruba during President's week, from what I had read I was under the impression that I could reasonably expect to be able to trade Waiohai for anywhere but MOC. But that turned out not to be anywhere close to true.

With DPs, if I'm not looking to book Lahaini/Napili OF I can book MOC pretty reliably. And if not, just book Ko Olina, KBC or Waikoloa. I was shut out of the St. Thomas RC over Christmas...but snagged President' week. Similarly, I was shut out of Boston over Labor Day but got Columbus Day. DPs are a neverending stream with which I have about a 95% success rate. I had about a 5% success rate with II...and that only because I was willing to take Manor Club in offseason at pennies to the dollar (measured in cash or DPs).
 

rthib

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This is other side of the only buy a resale week equation. Trading sometimes works and sometimes is it a nightmare. The having to go where you don't want or for longer than you want is what I call the week skim.
 

bazzap

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It's a II issue insofar as II is useless if you need a particular week at a particular location...or really in one of a number of locations. I didn't get a single hit in two years of trying. And unlike those who buy DPs expecting to go to Aruba during President's week, from what I had read I was under the impression that I could reasonably expect to be able to trade Waiohai for anywhere but MOC. But that turned out not to be anywhere close to true.

With DPs, if I'm not looking to book Lahaini/Napili OF I can book MOC pretty reliably. And if not, just book Ko Olina, KBC or Waikoloa. I was shut out of the St. Thomas RC over Christmas...but snagged President' week. Similarly, I was shut out of Boston over Labor Day but got Columbus Day. DPs are a neverending stream with which I have about a 95% success rate. I had about a 5% success rate with II...and that only because I was willing to take Manor Club in offseason at pennies to the dollar (measured in cash or DPs).
The problem seems to be more what II was “sold“ to you as and the impression this gave you as to what it could do for you rather than what it actually can do.
I have over 95% success rate with II and I am quite specific with my resort / date requests.
 

Old Hickory

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I suggest that you ask "how can I" questions so you can get better at trading vs. blaming II. Perhaps you're not doing the right/best things in order to get those difficult trades. This forum is very helpful.
 

Steve Fatula

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It's a II issue insofar as II is useless if you need a particular week at a particular location...or really in one of a number of locations. I didn't get a single hit in two years of trying. And unlike those who buy DPs expecting to go to Aruba during President's week, from what I had read I was under the impression that I could reasonably expect to be able to trade Waiohai for anywhere but MOC. But that turned out not to be anywhere close to true.

Hmm, I traded in II for Kauai Beach Club with a DSV studio just fine. It's definitely doable, have done it many times. Maybe not your specific dates.
 

GregT

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Apologies in advance for the rant...but I feel a need to vent and my experiences might prove useful for others.

Almost 4 years ago I received a mailing offering me three years of II Platinum membership free if I deposited my week with them. So I did - an Oceanview Waiohai 2BR July week with the highest TDI. But it turned out that since I already had a MVC membership Interval wouldn't give me a Platinum membership. Moreover, they wouldn't give me my week back. I could have tried to escalate the issue...but since I would have had to rent out the week and I had read that getting a trade on II was 'easy' if you used a good trader I would just keep my Waiohai week deposited.

For the next two years I kept trying to find trades. Europe in the summer and Hawaii at various school holidays and summer...but I never got a match for the dates and locations we needed. After that - with only one year left on my trade - I decided to change strategy and put in a wide ranging request for anywhere we would be willing to stay if the trade 'hit' on the vacation dates we had available. And then plan our vacation around II instead of the other way around. (And yes, I know there are workarounds to extend for up to a year...but they involve having to constantly do manual search for trades and I have better things to do with my time).

A few months later we got a trade into NCV Easter week. Yay! It was Friday to Friday instead of the Sunday to Sunday that we wanted...but at least we could use most of the days. Then we found out our daughter's high school was putting together a trip over spring break and I adjusted our plans accordingly. Then after many more months passed we found out that the HS spring break trip didn't actually happen over spring break but instead half over spring break. Of course the wrong half....and now we could use none of the days at NCV. So I cancelled and started to look again. By this time the pickings were slim...but I found a nice 2BR at Williamsburg that we could use over a 3 day weekend in March.

59 days from the start of our stay we found out that our daughter's chamber ensemble was one of the winners of a competition in which they had entered and had been selected to play in NYC...on that weekend. Yay! Boo! And since it was under 60 days I was now in 'flex-time' - my mid July 2020 expiration (which I might have extended) was now the beginning of April. I found a studio at Williamsburg Sequel in late March that it seems unlikely we'll get to use...but that's all there is for now.

Did I mention I love DPs? We use them constantly and are always borrowing. And even put in a holding account (because of a 59 day cancellation) they would have been useful.
I'm sorry that you gave up such a valuable week, and it led to the headaches that you have experienced. The DClub is definitely more flexible and provides some level of protection for us when life changes. The cancelation policy of DClub is great, and even restricted points have some value.

It sounds like II won't be seeing your week again.....I'm off to Waiohai in a few weeks and excited for my first stay there!

Best,

Greg
 

Steve Fatula

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Yeah, we have holding account points every year, no big deal, we use them to make within 60 day reservations and discount.
 

gln60

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Apologies in advance for the rant...but I feel a need to vent and my experiences might prove useful for others.

Almost 4 years ago I received a mailing offering me three years of II Platinum membership free if I deposited my week with them. So I did - an Oceanview Waiohai 2BR July week with the highest TDI. But it turned out that since I already had a MVC membership Interval wouldn't give me a Platinum membership. Moreover, they wouldn't give me my week back. I could have tried to escalate the issue...but since I would have had to rent out the week and I had read that getting a trade on II was 'easy' if you used a good trader I would just keep my Waiohai week deposited.

For the next two years I kept trying to find trades. Europe in the summer and Hawaii at various school holidays and summer...but I never got a match for the dates and locations we needed. After that - with only one year left on my trade - I decided to change strategy and put in a wide ranging request for anywhere we would be willing to stay if the trade 'hit' on the vacation dates we had available. And then plan our vacation around II instead of the other way around. (And yes, I know there are workarounds to extend for up to a year...but they involve having to constantly do manual search for trades and I have better things to do with my time).

A few months later we got a trade into NCV Easter week. Yay! It was Friday to Friday instead of the Sunday to Sunday that we wanted...but at least we could use most of the days. Then we found out our daughter's high school was putting together a trip over spring break and I adjusted our plans accordingly. Then after many more months passed we found out that the HS spring break trip didn't actually happen over spring break but instead half over spring break. Of course the wrong half....and now we could use none of the days at NCV. So I cancelled and started to look again. By this time the pickings were slim...but I found a nice 2BR at Williamsburg that we could use over a 3 day weekend in March.

59 days from the start of our stay we found out that our daughter's chamber ensemble was one of the winners of a competition in which they had entered and had been selected to play in NYC...on that weekend. Yay! Boo! And since it was under 60 days I was now in 'flex-time' - my mid July 2020 expiration (which I might have extended) was now the beginning of April. I found a studio at Williamsburg Sequel in late March that it seems unlikely we'll get to use...but that's all there is for now.

Did I mention I love DPs? We use them constantly and are always borrowing. And even put in a holding account (because of a 59 day cancellation) they would have been useful.
Sorry for your unfortunate experience, but in the world of exchanging thru Interval..flexibility has,and always will be,the key for a successful and less stressful vacation experience
 

klpca

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It's better for everyone if we are happy with our timesharing experience. I am usually very flexible on my travel dates and actually prefer to stay home in the summer (I am not a fan of heat or crowds) so II works well enough for me. I'm sorry that a confluence of things out of your control worked against you this time. For others who may be reading this thread, I would offer the following: Based upon what I have seen/read, Europe in the summer was probably a reach. My assumption there was that you were looking at the Marriotts in Spain (maybe France) and I have read here on Tug that those units just don't get deposited often and have a very high owner usage. Hawaii in the summer surprises me as I have seen deposits for units here and there, although rarely 2 bedroom units, so maybe that was the issue that kept you from getting a match. I don't search school holiday times, but I suspect that that inventory is difficult to obtain in II even with preference, similar to the Spanish resorts. Going forward I suspect that you will trade within the MVC ecosystem, but in case you venture out into II again, you can use the sightings board to ask for help with a trade. People will offer trade strategies and offer to keep looking out for you.

Btw, the deal with II offering platinum to you for a corporate Marriott account was ridiculous. That was bait and switch and I would be salty about that as well.
 
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Steve Fatula

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Points are definitely a little easier and flexible compared to II, a benefit you do pay for though. But it's different for everyone, some are more flexible than others, some despise II and the waiting game, etc. I use points and II but am virtually infinitely flexible so no big deal for me.
 

turkel

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Just an FYI my Marriott corporate account is Platinum I got 2 years for the price of one just 2 months ago.
 

Panina

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I am about to lose a week in II but it is not their fault. Actually they were pretty good. I originally traded and used eplus 3 times getting the perfect trade. Life is not always perfect and I had to cancel the week and I was given a replacement week. Same scenario used all my eplus trades and now won’t be going. Only option now is to retrade but that gives me only 2 months so it will be a lost week.
 

Steve Fatula

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I am about to lose a week in II but it is not their fault. Actually they were pretty good. I originally traded and used eplus 3 times getting the perfect trade. Life is not always perfect and I had to cancel the week and I was given a replacement week. Same scenario used all my eplus trades and now won’t be going. Only option now is to retrade but that gives me only 2 months so it will be a lost week.

Then why not gift it to someone? Then it's not lost?
 

Big Matt

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OPs big mistake was cancelling the exchange rather than doing a retrade. You can retrade as many times as you want. You can't do another ongoing search, but when you cance you get a cancellation replacement week that doesn't trade like the original deposit.
 

CPNY

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It's a II issue insofar as II is useless if you need a particular week at a particular location...or really in one of a number of locations. I didn't get a single hit in two years of trying. And unlike those who buy DPs expecting to go to Aruba during President's week, from what I had read I was under the impression that I could reasonably expect to be able to trade Waiohai for anywhere but MOC. But that turned out not to be anywhere close to true.

With DPs, if I'm not looking to book Lahaini/Napili OF I can book MOC pretty reliably. And if not, just book Ko Olina, KBC or Waikoloa. I was shut out of the St. Thomas RC over Christmas...but snagged President' week. Similarly, I was shut out of Boston over Labor Day but got Columbus Day. DPs are a neverending stream with which I have about a 95% success rate. I had about a 5% success rate with II...and that only because I was willing to take Manor Club in offseason at pennies to the dollar (measured in cash or DPs).
Yes points are better than exchange this we know. But can’t blame II for what’s deposited by the MVC side. I rarely exchange and wouldn’t expect any high demand resort during a high demand week. This is why I usually stick to star options and call it a day. I picked up an RCI points ownership so we will see how that goes. I don’t think that RCI resorts are as nice as what II has but if it works for occasional DVC exchanges I’ll be happy.
 

jme

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It's a II issue insofar as II is useless if you need a particular week at a particular location...or really in one of a number of locations. I didn't get a single hit in two years of trying. And unlike those who buy DPs expecting to go to Aruba during President's week, from what I had read I was under the impression that I could reasonably expect to be able to trade Waiohai for anywhere but MOC. But that turned out not to be anywhere close to true.

With DPs, if I'm not looking to book Lahaini/Napili OF I can book MOC pretty reliably. And if not, just book Ko Olina, KBC or Waikoloa. I was shut out of the St. Thomas RC over Christmas...but snagged President' week. Similarly, I was shut out of Boston over Labor Day but got Columbus Day. DPs are a neverending stream with which I have about a 95% success rate. I had about a 5% success rate with II...and that only because I was willing to take Manor Club in offseason at pennies to the dollar (measured in cash or DPs).


Getting a "particular week at a particular location" can mean vastly different things, as you found out.
Easy if it's not a holiday, difficult (if not impossible) if it is.

Owners of the weeks you were seeking, ie high-demand holiday weeks at high-end resorts, NEVER deposit those weeks for trade,
as it would invariably be a huge downgrade.
Instead, as savvy owners, they RENT them out for double the maintenance fee (or even triple+).
Imho, they would be foolish to ever deposit them with Interval.
With that in mind, I believe your expectations and understanding of these things were unrealistic from the start.

I have had excellent experiences with Interval since 1998, and frankly I'm 100% for getting the particular weeks at particular locations,
which is the only way I request, but lately they have taken longer to confirm (but none of them have involved Hawaii resorts).
They have included Newport Coast, Custom House, Park City's SW & MS during late ski season, Lakeshore Reserve,
both England and Scotland in summer, and many more.
 
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ljmiii

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OPs big mistake was cancelling the exchange rather than doing a retrade. You can retrade as many times as you want. You can't do another ongoing search, but when you cancel you get a cancellation replacement week that doesn't trade like the original deposit.
Actually, I misspoke (miswrote?). I never cancelled and only retraded. But when I tried to retrade my Waiohai into MMC trade at 59 days Interval only showed me dates up through April 4th (or more accurately still showed me a calendar to July but then gave an error message saying my last date couldn't be past April 4th when I hit 'search').
 

klpca

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Actually, I misspoke (miswrote?). I never cancelled and only retraded. But when I tried to retrade my Waiohai into MMC trade at 59 days Interval only showed me dates up through April 4th (or more accurately still showed me a calendar to July but then gave an error message saying my last date couldn't be past April 4th when I hit 'search').
Are you able to book and cancel for free (Marriott corp acct)? Can you continue to book and cancel to extend this week? I'm not sure how it works with a MVC account. I realize that you will still have to search manually but maybe you can get out to the summer months that way.
 

ljmiii

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With that in mind, I believe your expectations and understanding of these things were unrealistic from the start...
Well I know that now...;-)
 
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