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The absence of Marriott availability has become alarming! Well, to me anyway.
It's depressing how few Marriott's are now showing up in II's online searches. I have to assume that requests through II are not doing much better. 
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Angela
If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
BTW, I'm still keeping track of how many times you annoy me.
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That is true
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I was doing some searching this week with a Marriott deposit and agree, availability is down from what I'm use to seeing online. We have made two reservations/exchanges (one was using bonus points) in the last couple of months and, I put in request yesterday.
While I'm a little alarmed about not seeing a lot of availability online, I'm not overly concerned yet. The exchange system has become a little more complicated with deeded week owners, deeded week legacy owners, legacy week owners who have converted to points and trust point owners. Manipulating inventory to keep everyone happy might be something of an issue. My feelings are that Marriott owners will see less online and need to place more requests to be filled by the exchange coordintor.
Essentially, the rules have changed. We'll need to learn to play a new game.Our timeshare and other photo's at http://dougp26364.smugmug.com/Comment
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Really?
Things are not all hunky dory with exchange companies?
Hmmm!RCI Member Since 24-Aug-1989/150-plus Exchanges***THE TIMESHARE GRIM REAPER~~~Exchanging/Searching/SW Florida/MO/AR/IA/Consumer Advocacy/Estate Planning/Sports/Boating/Fishing/Golf/Lake-living/Retirement****Sometimes ya just gotta be a dickComment
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I am noticing it as well.... could be so many people using the 800 points given for joining DC - knocks a full week out of the system.
It sucks....Comment
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Originally posted by dougp26364
I guess time will tell if II is able to fill the request being put in by owners, for other Marriotts. Either way, we are losing the opportunity to pick up Marriott's on-line, along with upgrading to larger/better units. Sigh.
Yes, the game has certainly changed!
Yup, it sure does........Originally posted by GrayFal View PostAngela
If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
BTW, I'm still keeping track of how many times you annoy me.
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I agree with Doug in that exchanges are coming later than previously and if you want to get an exchange, odds are you will have to put in a request as opposed to seeing it online.
My own personal experience since the change to the DC program, has been exactly as stated. I've gotten everything I've requested but the requests came through much later than what I've experienced in the past.Comment
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Happy to hear that you've gotten your request filled, albeit later than in the past. That's encouraging, and I hope it continues!Originally posted by masAngela
If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
BTW, I'm still keeping track of how many times you annoy me.
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That's the one thing you can count on, with any exchange system, period.Yes, the game has certainly changed!Comment
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As Angela said, glad to hear it.Originally posted by mas
OT - "multiple quote" not working - PITAComment
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Yup - and to be a happy camper - you NEED to change, not cling to the past - I just sold my SUPER RCI trader because in the new system, it got half the TPUs of some of my other ownershipsOriginally posted by bnoble View Post
- go figure!
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Marriott's new DC is going to take time to learn. Right now, there's a BIG learning curve for Marriott exchanges, even for Marriott owners.Originally posted by JLB View Post
1. Inventory is now divided into three catagories, Trust inventory, legacy week owner inventory, deeded week owner inventory that is not part of the DC. Legacy week and deeded weeks may very well be in the same catagory unless a legacy week is converted to DC points.
2. Marriott has an "exchange coorodinator" to manage all internal Marriott exchanges through the different inventory pools.
3. Trust points and Legacy points don't have direct online access to Marriott inventory and must call an exchange coordinator to either make a reservation or request a reservation.
4. No one is for certain how Marriott inventory is given to I.I. for exchangers outside the Marriott system. Most likely all developer inventory is now trust owned inventory and will go to Marriott owners first. There will probably be bulk deposits made but, since this program is less than a year old, TS4M members don't have a firm grip on when that's likely to happen.
So far, I've made one exchange via the traditional weeks system. That reservation was made on a request first basis. I have also made one points reservation using the bonus points given for becoming a DC member. That reservation was completed with one phone call. I also have a deposit first with an exchange request that was made this week. I have made this exchange before under almost identical circumstances so, it will be interesting to see how long it takes the reservation to be confirmed or, if the reservation is confirmed at all.
So I wouldn't say there's an issue with an exchange company so much as there's a learning curve with a new program. At least, at this point that's my stance. Give it another year or two and I might say there's a problem with the exchange company.Our timeshare and other photo's at http://dougp26364.smugmug.com/Comment
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Originally posted by GrayFalYup - and to be a happy camper - you NEED to change, not cling to the past - I just sold my SUPER RCI trader because in the new system, it got half the TPUs of some of my other ownerships - go figure!
This is why I'm migrating to mini-systems that have the quality, ease of reserving and quality of units we enjoy. Time will tell if Marriott's new system works well for us or not. So far, I'm not impressed. It is not an owner friendly system as far as I'm concerned. Both DRI's and HGVC's owner reservations systems beat MVCI's hands down. With DRI and HGVC, I can easily go online, search inventory and make reservations I had hoped that Marriott would follow the same pattern but, they decided to be, IMHO, secretive.
Initially, they wanted all owners to call Marriott. They told owners that they understood we didn't like I.I. so they'd handle everything for us. Then they got quick feedback that this assumption was false. They scurried about to get online access available for legacy week owners. Right now I'm not impressed but, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. I want to learn how the system really works before I begin to really complain, compliment or just state I've learned how to work the system to meet my needs.Our timeshare and other photo's at http://dougp26364.smugmug.com/Comment
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For the small fraction that is really into the fine points of timesharing, as represented by those who participate in internet timeshare message boards, changing one's exchange portfolio works just fine, as long as one is just an exchanger with no personal loyalty to the resorts he or she owns. However, for the masses of timeshare owners who do not participate online and really don't have that level of knowledge, all they see is their exchanges going downhill and not being able to get what they have gotten before. So, except for the elite few, stability is what keeps timesharing on an even keel, and that is not what we have been dealt lately.Originally posted by GrayFalYup - and to be a happy camper - you NEED to change, not cling to the past - I just sold my SUPER RCI trader because in the new system, it got half the TPUs of some of my other ownerships - go figure!
My own weeks with good trading power had a mixed result. My OBX summer week did just fine on points lite, while my two summer UK weeks, which used to trade significantly better than the OBX week now have 2/3 the points lite of the OBX week. The UK weeks should trade better as they are even harder to get than summer OBX. But I like the resort, so instead of ditching the weeks, I am ditching RCI. SFX now gets one of those weeks and DAE the other. I can easily rent my OBX week for three times the m/f so that is what I am doing with it while I am over here. If and when I move back to the states, I will probably use it rather than rent or exchange it.
Overall, I would say that II has definitely been the more stable of the two major exchange systems, although some see some RCI-type changes down the pike for it. I hope not.Comment
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