Just found this ebay auction, I think this fits as a horror story!

[Guest Close Quarterbore]

I really don't know... I am of the oppinion that the industry is here because of the retail sales that gave these big resorts the money they needed to buy expensive real estate and sell it for top dollar. The timeshare industry confuses me as the "retail" prices ars so high compared to the "resale" market.

This happens because the timeshare industry has some of the best sales people in the world and they can sell something in less then 2-hours to people that people would likely never buy if the sales guy didn't work at pressing the right buttons.

Perhaps a default period with some percentage going back to the developer would be an option. People would still feel thay got a bad deal however as in this example the guy has been trying for several years to stay at a resort he thought he was buying into.

We all know lots of people that got sucked into timeshares because of that pitch and if even 50% were able to get back out we might see some intersting things happen...

Just imagine if these same people started buying on the resale market or renting? The price of the resale timeshares would climb and the develpers would need to lower their prices to compete and find sales. It might be a very strange new timeshare world unlike what we have these days.

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

The system is flawed!

Ken, you read my post and I quoted our personal story. When I realized that I had put this in the "Horror Stories - Bad experiences at Timeshares", I removed it because many people are happy with the Marriott system and the resorts are usually very nice. I have posted my story before under the Marriott thread some time ago at TUG.

A suggestion I have to anyone is to write to Mr. J.W. Marriott himself and explain how unfair the system is, if you have a persisting problem too with reserving your week, if you are a one week owner. He should get the picture loud and clear! It worked for us because we got our requested week finally after trying several weeks on a row for two consecutive years! This March we didn't succeed either exactly 12 months out and we started dialing at 6 AM PST sharp. I had read somewhere to try again later after a few days and then we got it. This is most likely because people release these weeks again for the reasons explained below.

They changed the reservation system several years ago to 50% of the inventory is given to the people who own two weeks or more and can book 13 months out and 50% of the inventory is given to the people who only own one week so it would be fair but it isn't! This change was made after we bought our MDSV-I in Palm Desert.

The two weeks owner, who understands the system, books their desired weeks at their own resort at least one month before the single week owner can book his week but the multiple week owner can also book all his weeks in one single session so if he books the desired holiday or summer vacation week last at the resort where he really wants this week at one of his own home resorts, his lead time becomes even longer than 13 months and he has more chances to try it again, the more weeks he has, if it doesn't work the first time.

This doesn't help the single week owner as by the time he books, all the best weeks are gone already. After booking three or more weeks on a row, the owner may then release the weeks he doesn't really want to use at that time period and rebooks those weeks for a later time. This is probably how we got our March week a few days later. However, there is a certain way to make these reservations or you will lose everything, if I understand that properly. I read this too under the Marriott thread.

The second problem is that too many people want to reserve the same few weeks. If platinum has 20 weeks for instance and only 4 weeks are in high demand then 16 people are going to be disappointed even if they get a week in the season they bought in. This should be the same for any floating system too, imho.

The following problem makes it even worse for the single week owner at the Marriott and is very unfair towards other owners. JMHO. Some people reserve the very best weeks early and then rent them out for big profits and people, who want to use the week at their own resort with their family, cannot do so because they do not have this lead time to make the reservations early.

I believe that it is stated in the paperwork that the 13 months booking feature can only be used for personal use but they are not enforcing this rule because they may not be able to do so. If the Marriott would enforce this rule, then they may be interfering with the right of owning private property. However, the way it is now, this 13 month privilege to the multiple week owner is interfering with the property right of the single week owner to use his week that he is entitled to.

It is a mess and the Marriott will have to change their system because the system isn't working for the one week owners at several resorts. The Newport Coast Villas has many complaints too. The Marriott is working on a new internal system now but it may take a lot of time before it is ready. I would like to know how they are going to please everyone because the multiple week owners wouldn't like to be treated like the single week owners are treated today. It's going to be interesting to see what will happen.

However, many other systems have their loopholes too that only savvy timeshare owners take advantage of so other people are unhappy too as they cannot get what they want either. This is why I don't like the floating system but most people do.

PS. I had to make a correction and it is in bold. Where is the strike-out feature?

PPS. Another fact that I forgot to mention is in post #46.

[timeos2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close timeos2]

Emmy - Float systems in areas where there are enough desireable weeks to support it can be and are very fair. At the 12 month mark every owner of that time - single or multiweek - can make a reservation. There are no questions, no favoritism - call and you get a use period. This business of multiweek getting priority or applying non-prime weeks into the "prime time" assignment period are guaranteed ways to ensure dissatisfied owners. If Marriott is pulling that then they are wrong. Again I ask that someone find in the purchase documents that they have any right whatsoever to give multiweek owners any preference. Each week stands on its own - if you own more than one you get more than one chance but not a preference over "mere" one week owners. This is really making me happy I didn't buy in what I thought was a decent system - Marriott. When I started to research the so called points system that wasn't really timeshare related at all and the ROFR which is not an owner friendly item along with other items we decided not to buy. Since we can now get the Marriotts we want through Club Sunterra II priority anyway it was certainly the proper move. Seems as though outsiders can get the times they want easier than owners. THAT is never right but it's what a crazy and unfair policy like this can lead to. If I owned a Marriott week they would be hearing plenty from me. Hopefully an owner will demand answers fand get this fixed ASAP.

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

This is how I understand the system but I may be wrong. All I know is that we have had problems reserving our weeks three years on a row. These were weeks for our own use and were for early March. I only hope that some people, who know the system well, will chime in. I will invite them, if they don't read this.

Our documents would not have this language in them because the system was changed after we bought.

By the way, I invited this person to come and read this forum and told him that someone here had posted his horror story. I really feel for this person because he is auctioning off a beautiful resort. It is right on the beach! Thank goodness, he has a reserve so he is not going to give it away. The Marriott system is complicated but other systems are too. They seem to me.

This is the Marriott's Ocean Watch.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Emmy - Float systems in areas where there are enough desireable weeks to support it can be and are very fair. At the 12 month mark every owner of that time - single or multiweek - can make a reservation. There are no questions, no favoritism - call and you get a use period. This business of multiweek getting priority or applying non-prime weeks into the "prime time" assignment period are guaranteed ways to ensure dissatisfied owners. If Marriott is pulling that then they are wrong. Again I ask that someone find in the purchase documents that they have any right whatsoever to give multiweek owners any preference. Each week stands on its own - if you own more than one you get more than one chance but not a preference over "mere" one week owners. This is really making me happy I didn't buy in what I thought was a decent system - Marriott. When I started to research the so called points system that wasn't really timeshare related at all and the ROFR which is not an owner friendly item along with other items we decided not to buy. Since we can now get the Marriotts we want through Club Sunterra II priority anyway it was certainly the proper move. Seems as though outsiders can get the times they want easier than owners. THAT is never right but it's what a crazy and unfair policy like this can lead to. If I owned a Marriott week they would be hearing plenty from me. Hopefully an owner will demand answers fand get this fixed ASAP.

it is in fact in the by laws........

quote.... "owners of multiple timeshare estates can reserve additional consecutive or concurrent timeshares periods thirteen (13) months in advance of the first requested check-in day for the first timeshare period reserved."

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

This assumption is wrong!

I am reading this whole thread over because I do not want to bash the Marriott if it is not warranted. The OP wrote this:

Well if you own 2 weeks, at any resort, you could call 13 months in advance for reservations. So anyone who owns 2 weeks, anywhere in the Marriott Family, could bump you out of your home resort. ( that's funny, I dont recall being told this at the presentation) So I could have bought 2 weeks, at some less desirable resort, for the same price I purchased my Ocean Front, and stayed there anyway? Could you imagine the excitement I am feeling at this point?

You can only reserve early at the resort you own. As far as I know, you can deposit this week in II and hope to get the very best exchange week for that somewhere else. This may be the reason why outsiders can find these very desirable weeks but don't quote me as we hardly exchange.

I have to correct an error too in my own post and will use the strike-out feature, if it is still there.

I really don't like bashing the Marriott so that is why I removed my post last night but Ken asked me to reconsider.

Please, correct me if I am wrong!!!!!

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

i would just like to add, that although i am not thrilled with the 13 month rule. and, that i agree it is unfair to single week owners, it is not likely that non-marriott owners are getting any of those weeks sooner than marriott owners.

before a marriott can be given to II, the week must first be reserved through marriott. they are hesitant to give high demand weeks out for exchange.

even if a high demand week is given to II for exchange purposes, marriott owners have a 24 day preference. therefore, marriott owners would get the high demand weeks, long before they were available to other exchangers.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

I am reading this whole thread over because I do not want to bash the Marriott if it is not warranted. The OP wrote this:

Well if you own 2 weeks, at any resort, you could call 13 months in advance for reservations. So anyone who owns 2 weeks, anywhere in the Marriott Family, could bump you out of your home resort. ( that's funny, I dont recall being told this at the presentation) So I could have bought 2 weeks, at some less desirable resort, for the same price I purchased my Ocean Front, and stayed there anyway? Could you imagine the excitement I am feeling at this point?

You can only reserve early at the resort you own. As far as I know, you can deposit this week in II and hope to get the very best exchange week for that somewhere else. This may be the reason why outsiders can find these very desirable weeks but don't quote me as we hardly exchange.

I have to correct an error too in my own post and will use the strike-out feature, if it is still there.

I really don't like bashing the Marriott so that is why I removed my post last night but Ken asked me to reconsider.

Please, correct me if I am wrong!!!!!

emmy,

i don't believe that using the 13 month rule, you can choose to deposit one or both of the weeks into II....although, i could be wrong.


ps


i also do not like bashing marriott.....i don't really feel like i am bashing mariott though, i'm just telling it like it is.

i am actually very happy with marriott. in fact, we already own two, and wouldn't mind owning another one.

for the record.......i personally have not had a problem booking the dates i wanted. this year i wanted the beginning of feb., for my aruba resort, and i got it, first try.....it is aruba's peak season, so i thought i might have a problem, based on these types of stories.

maybe i am just lucky, but as i said, for the three years we have been owners, we have had no problem......(knocking wood...don't want to jinx myself)

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

I have a suggestion

Is it possible to move this thread to the Marriott section and out of this area? Thanks.

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

emmy,

i don't believe that using the 13 month rule, you can choose to deposit one or both of the weeks into II.

We need some experts here so moving it to the Marriott area will bring it to their attention.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

We need some experts here so moving it to the Marriott area will bring it to their attention.

emmy,

maybe you can deposit the week using the 13 month rule........i am reading the by laws now, but it is not totally clear.

and, it is way too long for me to type.

[ebram Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ebram]

Timeos2:
How can someone take your TS unit if you have a fixed week and unit. I have several and would have them arrested for tresspassing if they occuppied my unit in my time slot. I am the owner in fee and are the only one who can decide who inhabits it. Carolinian is right.

[Chap7 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Chap7]

Is it possible to move this thread to the Marriott section and out of this area? Thanks.

Done. While I do agree it is a horror story, we are all better served by discussing this in the Marriott forum where the real target audience can be found.

[ebram Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ebram]

IMHO The posts should have stayed where they were. This is not a Marriott specific issue, but deals with the problems of any float or point system.

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

ps


i also do not like bashing marriott.....i don't really feel like i am bashing mariott though, i'm just telling it like it is.

i am actually very happy with marriott. in fact, we already own two, and wouldn't mind owning another one.

for the record.......i personally have not had a problem booking the dates i wanted. this year i wanted the beginning of feb., for my aruba resort, and i got it, first try.....it is aruba's peak season, so i thought i might have a problem, based on these types of stories.

maybe i am just lucky, but as i said, for the three years we have been owners, we have had no problem......(knocking wood...don't want to jinx myself)

Hi Angela,

You are a multiple week owner already so should not have the problem! You will have to read the forum and learn how to really take advantage of the system. It becomes more important yet when you add on more weeks. I will send you a private pm about the warning I read once.

Congratulations in booking your Aruba week in February. I know how you like that resort.

I read somewhere too that many people don't take advantage yet of booking 13 months out but when more people start doing this, the tougher it will get for us, single week owners, to reserve a week.