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I miss this board

Zac495

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Hey All,
I don't own a Marriott, so I'm not posting - but I'm reading and around and answering pm's. And reading the lounge and staying involved in unusual, but fun nonsense and non-nonsense. :)
 

ldanna

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Ellen, I am a newbie around here, but I know you're more than welcome here. And let's say you are between the Marriott weeks you sold and the new Marriott week(s) you are buying!:D
 

Zac495

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Thanks - I will continue happily responding!!!
I do think I'll buy one again eventually - want to see what happens with the points conversion which worries me.
 

KathyPet

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We miss you too. Feel free to "return to the fold" anytime
 

pedro47

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Welcome home and please post your messages on any topic.
 

davidvel

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Thanks - I will continue happily responding!!!
I do think I'll buy one again eventually - want to see what happens with the points conversion which worries me.

There's a new points system coming?
 

m61376

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Welcome home Ellen ;)

It's a flip of the coin- IF there is a new points conversion (it is in the works but who knows if and when it will be introduced), I strongly suspect you will be better off having bought beforehand (assuming you intend to buy resale). I know the waters are a bit murky about the whole thing, but assuming you buy at a good price I don't think you can get burnt and beforehand may be the only good time to buy resale.

Again, no one has a way of knowing anything for sure, but Marriott has no financial incentive to penalize any current owner (which is why I think they will treat all owners the same initially, which is what I have been told will happen by one source, for what that is- or isn't -worth) and, actually, has financial incentive to treat all current owners the same (insofar as they will have more people to get the program off the ground and collect fees and will avoid antagonizing any current owner, all of whom are prospective future buyers when they do begin expanding again). However, there is a financial incentive to penalize future resale owners, so now may be a limited window of opportunity. Of course, time will tell.
 

SueDonJ

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Welcome home Ellen ;)

It's a flip of the coin- IF there is a new points conversion (it is in the works but who knows if and when it will be introduced), I strongly suspect you will be better off having bought beforehand (assuming you intend to buy resale). I know the waters are a bit murky about the whole thing, but assuming you buy at a good price I don't think you can get burnt and beforehand may be the only good time to buy resale.

Again, no one has a way of knowing anything for sure, but Marriott has no financial incentive to penalize any current owner (which is why I think they will treat all owners the same initially, which is what I have been told will happen by one source, for what that is- or isn't -worth) and, actually, has financial incentive to treat all current owners the same (insofar as they will have more people to get the program off the ground and collect fees and will avoid antagonizing any current owner, all of whom are prospective future buyers when they do begin expanding again). However, there is a financial incentive to penalize future resale owners, so now may be a limited window of opportunity. Of course, time will tell.

Not surprisingly, m, because we look at this from two different sides, we disagree about most of this. It's important to acknowledge, first, that Marriott/MVCI has proven in the past that they will penalize current owners, and past history is a good indicator of future action.

The one thing, m, that you and I will always agree with each other about is that Marriott/MVCI values its excellent reputation for customer service. But their current developer owners are not seeing much of it lately, that's for sure. Considering that there are far more direct- than resale-purchasers who are current owners, Marriott stands to lose a whole lot more from direct-purchasers than resale-, in customer loyalty as well as inclusion in any new exchange system, if current practices continue with no added value to a current or future direct purchase.

IF (and that's a gigantic IF) Marriott rolls out a new internal exchange option in which they differentiate between both current and future direct- and resale-purchasers, I think that the dissatisfaction of resale purchasers would be well overshadowed by the satisfaction of direct purchasers. Between the MRP devaluation, current non-existent ROFR action, and cessation of further development at the newest resorts which are not active on the resale market, we developer owners do believe that Marriott/MVCI needs to do something to prove why it will be AND WAS better for anyone to purchase direct.

Now of course that line leaves the door wide open for all of the screaming banshees to come in here and unload the "you've all been suckers" nonsense. Have at it. I've always believed that my direct purchases have been worth the money paid for them. What I don't understand is why Marriott/MVCI doesn't make the product MORE enticing to direct purchasers. And in fact, is allowing it to be worth less in the current economy.
 
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SueDonJ

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Oh geeze, Ellen, I forgot what thread this is, sorry. What a way to welcome you back to the fold! :hysterical:

I agree with the others - jump right in. We've missed you.
 

m61376

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Susan-
Yeah, we do tend to look at things differently- and I guess a major difference is that I do think Marriott would try hard to never intentionally antagonize any group of owners if 1- they could avoid it and 2- it wouldn't be of any real benefit to them. And, while it is true that the number of direct purchasers far outweigh resale buyers, I would venture to guess that the vast majority of resale buyers have bought one or more units directly and all current owners (resale and direct) are potential future buyers of new resorts, and I still maintain that's an important distinction to Marriott.

I do agree with you that Marriott needs to do something to provide incentive for future direct purchases (see, we can agree on some things). I guess where we disagree is that you seem to imply that it will make current developer owners somehow feel better if other owners are shafted (which would be what would happen if suddenly owners who bought with equal usage in effect no longer enjoyed that); luckily, I don't think that Marriott would see any benefit to antagonizing any group of owners in this way. Applying such penalties to prior resale purchasers would only be of benefit if you feel that previous direct purchasers would get such perverse satisfaction out of it that they would be more likely to buy another unit. The bottom line is Marriott's bottom line and what they can do to promote direct sales.

And- so as to get back to Ellen's thread, that's why I think now is the time to buy, because I really do think Marriott will create a system at some point (and if you believe the pundits that point is not too far away) that will entice owners to buy direct in the future.

Although there are those that still maintain that trading for points is a valuable option worth paying thousands extra for; if they are right, then the value of developer purchases is inherent and Marriott may not need to make any changes....
 

SueDonJ

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[deleted - I need to gather the thoughts because that made no sense.]

Okay, it's later now and I think I've figured out what I'm trying to say. It's pretty bad, though, when talking to yourself doesn't even make sense. HA!

And- so as to get back to Ellen's thread, that's why I think now is the time to buy, because I really do think Marriott will create a system at some point (and if you believe the pundits that point is not too far away) that will entice owners to buy direct in the future.

I completely disagree that now is the time to buy. In this economy I'm too spooked to purchase any luxury item that entails a continuing financial commitment, which of course includes timeshare weeks because of the m/f. Even if we were in the market, I'm certainly not going to consider a developer week after Marriott's recent press release. But I'm actually more leery of a resale because of the insider information that Dave relayed about a possible difference between developer and resale in the rumored new Marriott internal exchange system. His first post about it specifically said that the buy-in cost would probably be higher for resale weeks, and it contained no guarantee of a grandfather clause. Both of those things are important because we do take full advantage of the exchange possibilities.

I also think that the limited information was deliberately leaked by Marriott/MVCI to this board (for feedback? as a warning? Who knows.) But the guarded wording of Dave's post leads me to believe that the possibility exists that any grandfather clause "purchase by" date will be prior to the date of that leak.

Anyway, we're getting off track now but I did want to respond to what you wrote about this being the time to buy, m, and I'm trying to do it without going down the road that's already been paved in that thread.
 
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Zac495

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[deleted - I need to gather the thoughts because that made no sense.]

:hysterical:

That's funny!
Gosh - I think I have so many Marriott friends here on this board that I can rent from all of you!!!

I just got back from Boston - visited a friend. There's a nice Marriott there! Oh - and I want to stay in the Marriott in NH. What to do... I was debating buying Hilton. I am ALL OVER THE PLACE.

You know I'm a teacher, right? one of my last year's students came to me and told me that I'm the best teacher - but so out of the box. I wonder, where is the box????
 

SueDonJ

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:hysterical:

That's funny!
Gosh - I think I have so many Marriott friends here on this board that I can rent from all of you!!!

I just got back from Boston - visited a friend. There's a nice Marriott there! Oh - and I want to stay in the Marriott in NH. What to do... I was debating buying Hilton. I am ALL OVER THE PLACE.

You know I'm a teacher, right? one of my last year's students came to me and told me that I'm the best teacher - but so out of the box. I wonder, where is the box????

Hey, Ellen! :wave: Which Boston Marriott did you see/stay at? Our daughter spent a night last weekend at the Copley Marriott which she loved, and we've stayed at the Waterfront and Renaissance there in town, too. It's so convenient when we have functions related to Don's office.

The NH one? Is that the one that somebody mentioned in a thread last week that looks like an old turn-of-the-century grand hotel? I agree, that looked gorgeous!

And obviously, YOUR box is on wheels so you can take it in whichever direction you go. :rofl:

It's good to see you back here, really. Stick around.
 

m61376

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Well, Sue, we'll have to agree to disagree on what Marriott's plans are- although I do agree that things may purposefully be leaked to test the waters, so to speak. I just think that grandfathering will occur retroactive to the date if announcement, since any other date would be somewhat arbitrary, and IF the info. was purposefully leaked to Dave it also served as a forewarning so that all owners wouldn't be up in arms that the inherent value of their weeks just plummeted due to the negative impact on resale value (even more so than it has already dived).

We do agree on one thing here though- it's great to have Ellen back and posting! Of course, our discourse has added to her confusion, I'm sure...sorry about that ;) .

One more thing- since you've mentioned Dave- has anyone heard from him? It's been a long time since he's wandered in. Perhaps too busy enjoying his multiple trips this year; hopefully all is well.
 
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pwrshift

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I thought ellen was the one who bought MMC for $4800 the otehre day on ebay. :)

Brian
 

m61376

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Zac495

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I thought ellen was the one who bought MMC for $4800 the otehre day on ebay. :)

Brian

Not me - I am lurking on ebay but not biting on anything yet.
I want to own a Marriott just to have something to say here! LOVE IT HERE
 

Zac495

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Hey, Ellen! :wave: Which Boston Marriott did you see/stay at? Our daughter spent a night last weekend at the Copley Marriott which she loved, and we've stayed at the Waterfront and Renaissance there in town, too. It's so convenient when we have functions related to Don's office.

The NH one? Is that the one that somebody mentioned in a thread last week that looks like an old turn-of-the-century grand hotel? I agree, that looked gorgeous!

And obviously, YOUR box is on wheels so you can take it in whichever direction you go. :rofl:

It's good to see you back here, really. Stick around.

I actually stayed with a friend who owns a CASTLE - it's the hugest house - gorgeous - in Medway. I'll stick to you like GLUE!
 
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