Destination Presentation

[cookincheri Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cookincheri]

I am staying in the Marriott's Ocean Club in Aruba which is great. I went to a prospective buyers presentation. My understanding of the new points system is if I decided to buy a unit in the Surf club at $32,000, I could exchange that unit for destination points for a cruise or a trip to Europe. I could also exchnage the unit for Rewards points. Since I have been rersearching the different resorts(with TSF help!) I did not feel the pressure of the sales pitch, which the sales rep could not break! Also I really want a unit in the Ocean Club, which originally the rep claimed there were no units available for this new program. Who cares! Finally the rep did find two resale units in the Ocean Club, but of course the prices were high. Again thanks to TSF I had price knowledge! At the end a supervisor claimed she was doing a survey, but it was really again a pitch to come back next year, put down on the vacation, pay monthly and stay in the Surf Club and use the trip money towards the purchase price. I did not budge! I walked away with my 10,000 points and was very happy! THANKS TO ALL WHO SUPPLY US NOVICES WITH GREAT INFORMATION IN THIS TIMESHARE WORLD!

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

I am staying in the Marriott's Ocean Club in Aruba which is great. I went to a prospective buyers presentation. My understanding of the new points system is if I decided to buy a unit in the Surf club at $32,000, I could exchange that unit for destination points for a cruise or a trip to Europe. I could also exchnage the unit for Rewards points. Since I have been rersearching the different resorts(with TSF help!) I did not feel the pressure of the sales pitch, which the sales rep could not break! Also I really want a unit in the Ocean Club, which originally the rep claimed there were no units available for this new program. Who cares! Finally the rep did find two resale units in the Ocean Club, but of course the prices were high. Again thanks to TSF I had price knowledge! At the end a supervisor claimed she was doing a survey, but it was really again a pitch to come back next year, put down on the vacation, pay monthly and stay in the Surf Club and use the trip money towards the purchase price. I did not budge! I walked away with my 10,000 points and was very happy! THANKS TO ALL WHO SUPPLY US NOVICES WITH GREAT INFORMATION IN THIS TIMESHARE WORLD!

Good for you! If you really want to own there, look at the open resale market and you will find weeks offered at much lower prices but remember that you cannot enroll in the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Exchange Program (MVCDEP). Don't let anyone (seller or broker) tell you otherwise because no deeds, sold after June 20, can enroll at the moment.

It may change one day but I wouldn't count on it as the resale market would be competition to the Marriott and that's what they are trying to kill. JMHO.

Also, keep track of the Marriott if they are starting to exercise their right of buying back deeds again with the ROFR clause that are in many contracts at most resorts. There is a list here and here where you can find this out. That may stabilize resale prices unless the economy is getting worse yet. Also, imho.

Here is a part of an email I received on July 29. I was trying to find out if enrolling in the new exchange program (EP) would make it possible for the new buyer to enroll in the new program too but this is not the case so we have decided not to enroll. The Marriott Resale Broker is not an approved broker! How ironic!

Dear Mrs. XXX,

Per your request, I am providing the following information. Buyers of resale weeks are currently not eligible to enroll in the Marriott Vacation Destinations™ Program.

Kind regards,

XXX
Marriott Resale Operations

Marriott Vacation Club
6649 Westwood Blvd., Suite 500
Orlando, FL USA 32821
Toll Free from USA: 1-866-682-4547
Fax: 407-903-5995
E-mail: resale.operations@vacationclub.com
Toll Free from Europe: 001-888-357-9205
(obtain country access code at http://www.usa.att.com/traveler/index.jsp)

PS. I looked at the second list and saw a recent Aruba goldweek (1 BR unit) that sold for $3,651 without being exercised. What a great time to buy on the resale market now.

[cookincheri Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cookincheri]

destination presentation

Thank you so much for the updated info!