Why waste money on II ?

[Clark]

OK I hope I can get this discussion going amongst weeks owners without getting accused of advertising.

My best understanding of II fees is that it costs a minimum of $89 to join for a year, and at least $179 for and exchange, for a total of $268

You can join a direct exchange Marriott-to-Marriott exchange website for $2 and pay $12 for a year and arrange one or many exchanges.

The savings is $268 - $14 = $254 at the minimum, and increases by $179 for each additional exchange.

I understand why Tuggers who are looking to trade-up would not be interested in direct exchanges with other owners, because no owner is going to willingly trade-down.

But what I do not understand is why thousands of Marriott-owning Tuggers are not flocking to that kind of savings.

What say you?

 

[Saintsfanfl]

First, the Marriott to Marriott exchange fee is $124, not $179. Second, II is where most of the Marriott inventory is. It is where Marriott itself dumps extra units to. You cannot get the same thing on an alternative website.

Also, II gives bonus weeks that can be used on additional units. AC's and XYZ's might not be for everyone but if you are flexible it is really cheap extra weeks. A direct exchange site is going to require way more maintenance fees for the equivalent weeks.

Is the site you are mentioning owner to owner? If so there is also the issue of a secure transaction. You are trusting that an unknown individual is going to come through on their end of the bargain, especially if the reservation you are giving up comes first. That alone is worth paying extra to me.

The alternative site could be a good option for swapping really rare weeks.

 

[klpca]

I joined the owner-to-owner site. Since the perceived value of my owned week (DSVII) is not high, no one was interested in trading with me. I understand where folks with high maintenance fees are coming from. I probably wouldn't want to trade Hawaii for Palm Desert either. No worries really, I was willing to try, but for me II is the way to go. We've been all over the place with some very nice trades, and not all of them were Marriotts (Grand Solmar and Northstar come to mind). For our personal situation, Interval works well for us.

 

[tschwa2]

Also Marriott to Marriott exchanges (and retrades) as well as II membership fees are paid through the annual DC fee and no addition II fees are required if you are an enrolled DC member.

 

[aka Julie]

First, the Marriott to Marriott exchange fee is $124, not $179.

The II Marriott to Marriott exchange fee is now $129 (went up recently).

 

[VacationForever]

II offers the following over private trades:
- Flexibility, especially retrade opportunities through EPlus
- A lot more Marriott and non-Marriott inventory to select from
- Trustworthiness. With the establishment, I trust that the week that I trade into exists and in my name when I check in. For that reason, I have yet to rent from any owner.
- Deposit the week and it is good for 2+ years. No need to plan for what to trade for or go to at point of deposit.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

The II Marriott to Marriott exchange fee is now $129 (went up recently).

You would think I would have remembered that after paying for one two days ago It was an OGS and I had one non-Marriott resort that I had to take back off.

 

[sjsharkie]

My question was going to be why waste time with a Marriott to Marriott exchange site when I've been happy with the value I receive out of my II exchanges?

I'm often looking to trade up with my Marriott properties which is just not a likely scenario outside of II (or at least I'm not willing to invest the time for the low probability of being able to come to an agreement for the exact date/property I am looking for).

-ryan

 

[dioxide45]

I joined the owner-to-owner site. Since the perceived value of my owned week (DSVII) is not high, no one was interested in trading with me. I understand where folks with high maintenance fees are coming from. I probably wouldn't want to trade Hawaii for Palm Desert either. No worries really, I was willing to try, but for me II is the way to go. We've been all over the place with some very nice trades, and not all of them were Marriotts (Grand Solmar and Northstar come to mind). For our personal situation, Interval works well for us.

I would agree. No owner is going to exchange their 2BR or 3BR unit for my Grande Vista or Harbour Lake studio or 1BR unit. I can only do this in II. It is why I wouldn't join a pier to pier trading network.

 

[suzannesimon]

As nice as Marriott's are, they aren't the only game in town. II has Starwood, Hyatt and some independents that have services superior to Marriott (i.e. Daily maid service) that are in locations where Marriott is not. I don't use II very much but when I do, I like to deposit and request a bunch of resorts and wait for the surprise to come through.

 

[temiatwork]

I've been using I. I. for the past 10 year and it has serve me well. I haven't experience Marriott to Marriott yet so I have no comparison.

I just exchange my 2BR silver week in Paris with this cost breakdown:

Exchange Fee: EUR119.00
E-Plus: EUR39.00
Interval membership renewal for 1 year: EUR105.00

Your grand total for all fees above is EUR263.00

 

[Fairwinds]

I once requested a gold to platinum season up trade of same resort offered on a private trading web site and the only response I received was a message critical of my attempt that asked me to explain why the sender would......after paying.......etc.

I don't often like to argue but when I do I like to do it here.

 

[deemarket]

I was asking myself that exact question. Why use II? Well I just found my answer this month why I will stay:
I found that I shouldn't just look for instant exchanges; even though they have worked out great for me in the past 6 years.
I did my first OGS - On Going Search -this year first for St Marten and I received several calls trying to help me which made me feel they are trying to help. Things fell through on the dates for that one so cancelled search.
Then did OGS for Aruba and a match came up within a day or two and first one I didn't want so I called and cancelled. Second and Third requests for back to back weeks have matched almost perfectly. We have an overlap of one day.

When I had the first week reserved, I then looked to book another week before II got me my second match. I was looking for another week before or after the first reservation and it was daunting. Will I get scammed? How do I make sure I will have the reservation when I arrive? What contract to sign? when to send money? have to check with the resort on owner.

II makes it so easier.

I'm happy now using OGS.

 

[MichaelColey]

One word: Selection.

No small personal exchange is going to have the selection that II or RCI has.

Plus, the trade-ups are crazy. I can take a lockoff with a cheap MF, split it, make two deposits into II, and use those two deposits to get four ShortStay Exchanges of up to 6 days each. True, it's more limited, last-minute inventory, but it's still a far better selection than a small personal exchange, and I can choose from ANY of it. And it's amazing how many 2BR Marriotts and other nice timeshares I can see.

 

[Jodi0415]

I once requested a gold to platinum season up trade of same resort offered on a private trading web site and the only response I received was a message critical of my attempt that asked me to explain why the sender would......after paying.......etc.

I don't often like to argue but when I do I like to do it here.

LMBO!!!!

I foolishly paid the $12 and it was immediately evident I would never get a decent trade (more likely I'd never get a trade!!) for our gold season Shadow Ridge!!

 

[pedro47]

One word: Selection.

No small personal exchange is going to have the selection that II or RCI has.

Plus, the trade-ups are crazy. I can take a lockoff with a cheap MF, split it, make two deposits into II, and use those two deposits to get four ShortStay Exchanges of up to 6 days each. True, it's more limited, last-minute inventory, but it's still a far better selection than a small personal exchange, and I can choose from ANY of it. And it's amazing how many 2BR Marriotts and other nice timeshares I can see.

I feel you hit it right on the head. There are some locations/selections where they are no Marriott resorts.
Examples: Del., NC., GA., & Saint Marteen.

 

[rickandcindy23]

One word: Selection.

No small personal exchange is going to have the selection that II or RCI has.

Plus, the trade-ups are crazy. I can take a lockoff with a cheap MF, split it, make two deposits into II, and use those two deposits to get four ShortStay Exchanges of up to 6 days each. True, it's more limited, last-minute inventory, but it's still a far better selection than a small personal exchange, and I can choose from ANY of it. And it's amazing how many 2BR Marriotts and other nice timeshares I can see.

Yes, absolutely! I get lots of upgrades the free exchange systems cannot get for me.

OTOH, my daughter-in-law's folks own at Ko Olina and forgot to bank their points with Marriott this year before the cutoff time, so they would be ideal candidates for the Marriott exchange system one of the TUG members has? What is that link to that TUG member's Marriott exchange board? I can pass it on to them, and maybe they can get something on the mainland they would love, like Newport Coast or one of the Maui or Kauai resorts. I think they would love the option. They may have already purchased their airfare, I don't know, but they invited the kids and grandbaby to go with them, and that would be tough for the kids to do this year, with our son just starting a new job on the fire department.

They reserved their Ko Olina 2 bedroom in June.

 

[dioxide45]

Yes, absolutely! I get lots of upgrades the free exchange systems cannot get for me.

OTOH, my daughter-in-law's folks own at Ko Olina and forgot to bank their points with Marriott this year before the cutoff time, so they would be ideal candidates for the Marriott exchange system one of the TUG members has? What is that link to that TUG member's Marriott exchange board? I can pass it on to them, and maybe they can get something on the mainland they would love, like Newport Coast or one of the Maui or Kauai resorts. I think they would love the option. They may have already purchased their airfare, I don't know, but they invited the kids and grandbaby to go with them, and that would be tough for the kids to do this year, with our son just starting a new job on the fire department.

They reserved their Ko Olina 2 bedroom in June.

The link is in the OP's signature

 

[rickandcindy23]

The link is in the OP's signature

The only other one is TUG?

 

[dioxide45]

The only other one is TUG?

I am only aware of two peer to peer direct exchange options, one is TUG the other is the one by the OP. If one has Marriott DC points, they could also use VPE to try to use the points by exchanging with someone who also owns outside of Marriott.

 

[rickandcindy23]

They bought from Marriott on a preview stay years ago. I think our daughter-in-law was in high school, so they do have DC points. I was hoping to help them with something. I think they are tired of Ko Olina and would like a change of place, and II has been a huge disappointment over the years. They were thrilled to get into DC.

They are such busy people. They lose track of their timeshare stuff. I am the opposite and am OCD about it, but I have to be. They own one week and forget.

 

[classiclincoln]

"As nice as Marriott's are, they aren't the only game in town."

Bingo!

Been exchanging through II for 11 years and only stayed at one Marriott.

 

[krj9999]

You can also often get discounted annual fees for II in renewing for multiple years.

 

[dioxide45]

Of course, if you are an enrolled Marriott Destinations Club owner, you aren't wasting any money on II. The fees are covered by the DC annual fee.

 

[suzannesimon]

Of course, if you are an enrolled Marriott Destinations Club owner, you aren't wasting any money on II. The fees are covered by the DC annual fee.

Yes but if you request any non-Marriott's, you still have to pay. Request Marriott's first and if they don't come through, add the non-Marriott's later and pay.