Unconfirmed Marriott Internal trade system

Is there anyone other than Dave M. that has any confirmed info regarding Marriotts planned internal trading system. I am not
counting sales reps either? I would like to either firm up the rumor or put this whole issue 6 feet under. Personally I have my doubts to this issue altogether.

billymach4 said:

Is there anyone other than Dave M. that has any confirmed info regarding Marriotts planned internal trading system. I am not
counting sales reps either? I would like to either firm up the rumor or put this whole issue 6 feet under. Personally I have my doubts to this issue altogether.

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what is your reason for asking?

billymach4 said:

Is there anyone other than Dave M. that has any confirmed info regarding Marriotts planned internal trading system. I am not
counting sales reps either? I would like to either firm up the rumor or put this whole issue 6 feet under. Personally I have my doubts to this issue altogether.

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I do not know why you ask that question but DAVE M has alot of knowledge in regards to timesharing. He is always helpful and gets to the point of the question.

Until it is in writing know one will know for sure what the Marriott internal trade system will be.

I hear a lot of rumors, sometimes from other TUGgers, sometimes from Marriott personnel. I believe I have been very careful to differentiate between rumors and what I believe to be reliable facts when posting on this forum.

My information – that Marriott is in the process of developing an internal exchange system - comes from an internal Marriott source (actually two of them) that has never - so far - given me any incorrect info.

Independently, a significant number of TUGgers have heard, usually from sales reps at different resorts, that Marriott is in the process of developing an internal trading system.

Although sales reps could be wrong and although my info could be wrong, the consistency and increase in the number of such comments from Marriott personnel makes it very likely that such a system is being developed.

However, that's about all we know.

We don't know if Marriott will be successful enough in its development efforts that it will actually implement it. However, I personally believe that Marriott wouldn't undertake such a mammoth project and tell numerous people inside and outside of Marriott about the project unless it had confidence that it would succeed.

We don't know when such a system would be implemented. Likely dates mentioned by Marriott personnel range from late in 2008 to the beginning of 2010.

We have no idea what the system would look like, although various sales reps claim that they have details. The problem with those details is that each such sales rep seems to "know" details that differ from what some other reps claim to know.

If you want to confirm (e.g., with something written from Marriott) or bury the plans for an internal Marriott exchange system., I think you’ll probably have to wait another year or so.

billymach--I see you are new to this Board. davem has consistently been accurate and careful to give documented advice. Just look at how many posts he has -- over 7000. We old Tuggers look to him for his views on many timeshare subjects.

He volunteers his time unrelentlessly and with class.

billymach4 said:

Is there anyone other than Dave M. that has any confirmed info regarding Marriotts planned internal trading system. I am not
counting sales reps either? I would like to either firm up the rumor or put this whole issue 6 feet under. Personally I have my doubts to this issue altogether.

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And your doubts are based on .... ??? Or, what are your sources... ???

Looks like he owns a Summit Watch...........maybe a silver or bronze that he is now getting worried about?

I do think knowing that it is going to happen is making all of us wonder what the changes will be in how we have been using the system. I for one will very much miss my ACs. (probably....since it is only speculation of how it will work!)

Jan

But will we necessarily lose our AC's? There has been no confirmation of that. Sounds like we will lose Marriott priority in II, but we will still have the quality check so we should still be able to trade into Marriotts and still get our AC's for Marriott properties. Heck, I would think the lack of Marriott's in II would cause more AC's.

I have always found DaveM's comments to be accurate and well researched. I suggest the OP put in the time to do his own independent research to either confirm or discredit the information.

Andar said:

... I suggest the OP put in the time to do his own independent research to either confirm or discredit the information.

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unless the OP is a Marriott employee or know insiders at Marriott, I do not really see how he can really find out anything even if he works full time at it the next two months!

Even if Marriott starts an internal trading system, the SW bronze week owners will still be fine as they can only grab things during flex.

The key word is "should" as I would reccomend a Gold SW week and play it safe.

I originally thought of buying a SW Bronze, but the long term outlook looks cloudy where a SW Gold or MMC Platinum looks pretty clear.

i think the bottom line is you can never "deep six" plausible rumors. thats kind of what defines a rumor.

sometimes people refer to leaks as rumors, but thats kind of misleading. (of course sometimes leaks are disinformation - maybe thats what the OP is referring to? but again no way to tell until later though, and i would NOT call this a leak based on the sources described in this thread)

Cathyb said:

billymach--I see you are new to this Board. davem has consistently been accurate and careful to give documented advice. Just look at how many posts he has -- over 7000. We old Tuggers look to him for his views on many timeshare subjects.

He volunteers his time unrelentlessly and with class.

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Ditto!!! and Ditto Cathyb remarks!!! DaveM has been a true Tuggers. Rumors are not his trade mark. It is not his pattern of behavior.

Steamboat Bill said:

Even if Marriott starts an internal trading system, the SW bronze week owners will still be fine as they can only grab things during flex.

The key word is "should" as I would reccomend a Gold SW week and play it safe.

I originally thought of buying a SW Bronze, but the long term outlook looks cloudy where a SW Gold or MMC Platinum looks pretty clear.

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But SW Bronze owners will actually lose a big advantage that they now have, since they will not have a Marriott priority in Flexchange to nab other Marriotts which get deposited last minute; won't that diminish the value of the week?

As for the OP's comments- I think DaveM is one of the few people here who steadfastly avoids rumors or making suppositions. Because of this, his advice is invaluable to many!

Agree. Theoretically there will be much fewer deposits into II as most Marriott owners (nontuggers) will just start trading internally. Just like you rarely see Hyatts, Hiltons, Starwoods......I think Marriotts will become much more rare in II.

As for the ACs, it appears, Marriott tells II for what weeks to issue them. That has been confirmed several times this season by II employees. Why in the world will Marriott have II issue any ACs and avoid their internal system?

Not to say things couldn't change and II could start issuing them on their own. However, there won't be any Marriotts to grab!

All just speculation at this point, but I do think you have to look at the other hotel internal trading systems and figure out some things will be similar.

Jan

Confused about the AC thing. If Marriott issues an AC, won't it only be good for Marriott properties? That blows using an AC for Disney. I would probably still use II.

m61376 said:

But SW Bronze owners will actually lose a big advantage that they now have, since they will not have a Marriott priority in Flexchange to nab other Marriotts which get deposited last minute; won't that diminish the value of the week?

As for the OP's comments- I think DaveM is one of the few people here who steadfastly avoids rumors or making suppositions. Because of this, his advice is invaluable to many!

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Couldn't a Marriott internal system also have an internal flex change for last minute deposits and cancellations? It could be very positive instead of negative for Marriott owners. And if a Marriott owner doesn't grab it, then maybe Marriott will give it to II.

Also, for Marriott owners that still want to trade in II - say they want a Hyatt, a Disney, a Starwood, or a Royal resort - maybe their Marriott will be even more valuable to II - more AC's offered for Marriott deposits to entice you to use II. I think an internal Marriott to Marriott exchange system could end up making a Marriott week more valuable in II.

billymach4 said:

Is there anyone other than Dave M. that has any confirmed info regarding Marriotts planned internal trading system. I am not
counting sales reps either? I would like to either firm up the rumor or put this whole issue 6 feet under. Personally I have my doubts to this issue altogether.

Click to expand...

I believe you can go back several years and find opinions/rumors about this. It probably began about the time Marriott sold their ownership position in II and was probably started with some sleazy Marriott salesman - lord knows I have heard some doosies.

As for as the TugBBS moderator, it appears by the shear number of his posts that this is just about a full time job for him. Consequently, he probably knows and comprehends what is said here on TugBBS better than anyone. I do respect your request of being able to hear someone elses opinion while asking politely not to hear his, however.

Dave M. is indeed the defacto authority.

Let me establish this fact so this never gets out of control. I think Dave M. is a genius with regards to timeshares, and Marriott timeshare issues, and other subject matter as well. I totally respect his knowledge and opinions.

That being said, out here on Tug there are 19,000 members and potentially millions of guests. There must be someone else out in the community that can substantiate the fact that Marriott is developing an internal trading system. Again I stress that Sales force opinions must be thrown out of the picture because of the potential bias. There must be another friend of a friend, former Marriott employee, or even a Marriott employee that would not even admit to being a Marriott employee. There could possibly be a vendor, or a consultant that could help us begin to put the picture together. All I am asking for is another firm source of this information. If we can establish another firm source then we can begin to piece the puzzle together. I am fully aware that this has been discussed for quite some time. But the only true source has been Dave. I agree that he is the authority. I am looking for more concrete information. I realize that anyone affiliated with Marriott is more than likely bound by confidentiality, but all I can do is fish for more info. That all that I am looking for. What better place to fish than here on Tug.:whoopie:

I'm just curious about all the references regarding Summit Watch bronze. Is there something unusual or wrong with this particular resort that is different than bronze seasons at other Marriott resorts?

I am a new owner (less than one year) at Newport Coast Villas and after buying from Marriott for full price I discovered more about how trading worked with II. This prompted me to look on Ebay in January. I bought a 2BR lockoff unit Summit Watch bronze. Since then I've split it and now I have two trips coming up just from the SW Bronze 1) Newport Coast Villas Aug 24-31 and 2) Kauai Beach Club Sept 14-21. Now I'll be able to trade my NCV in for points which gives me enough points for airfare for four people and I'll be able to have two weeks in Hawaii next year. I attribute most of this to my purchase of the Summit Watch bronze.

If there is something wrong with Summit Watch or something I should know about I'd appreciate the feedback.

wbrown said:

I'm just curious about all the references regarding Summit Watch bronze. Is there something unusual or wrong with this particular resort that is different than bronze seasons at other Marriott resorts? ............

If there is something wrong with Summit Watch or something I should know about I'd appreciate the feedback.

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Marriott has been selling (for the HOA) bronze Summit Watch weeks for $1,500. This amount includes closing and all costs. Bronze includes weeks 16-19 and 44-45. These weeks can be great for Flexchange exchanges, but don't have much trading power for regular trades. I always split mine into the lock-off option, which also hurts my trade power. There is nothing wrong with SW, there has been a lot of discussion about these bronze weeks because of the low price.

Summit Watch is a great resort with a wonderful location right in the heart of Park City. The spring and fall weeks there can be beautiful weather and there are lots of options for different activities.

At this time nobody knows what Marriott will offer for internal Marriott trades. I've heard it from enough Marriott people (mostly in the sales offices at Marriott timeshares) that I don't doubt they are working on something. Whether or not they'll develop a program worth implimenting, we can only wait and see.

As Marriott owners we will still have the option of depositing with II, so I would think the Flexchange option would still be available. We might lose the Marriott priority and there will be fewer Marriotts in the II system.

I think Marriott will have to offer some type of late exchange - you can't have someone cancel a 3 bedroom Ko'Olina week just 2 weeks prior to check-in and require a "like for like" exchange. Too many units would go empty because so many people can't travel on short notice or pay for expensive last minute air fare.

I'm not worried about it. If I have to sell my bronze unit on e-bay and give it away, I'm still way ahead. Even though the MF are high, I figure there will always be people willing to buy a Marriott for a nominal amount. Summit Watch is a great vacation destination, even during the bronze season!

So then, I guess the question remains.

Is there anyone else who has heard about Marriott's Internal Trading Program first hand.

This is a great site with a lot of helpful info. We were at Aruba's Surf Club two weeks ago and the sales rep told us that only those buyers who purchased directly from Marriott will be able to use the Internal trade system when it becomes available. Those who purchased resale would not be allowed to use it. Has anyone else heard that? If this info was previously provided, I'm sorry for asking, as I must have missed it.

littlestar said:

Couldn't a Marriott internal system also have an internal flex change for last minute deposits and cancellations? It could be very positive instead of negative for Marriott owners. And if a Marriott owner doesn't grab it, then maybe Marriott will give it to II.

Also, for Marriott owners that still want to trade in II - say they want a Hyatt, a Disney, a Starwood, or a Royal resort - maybe their Marriott will be even more valuable to II - more AC's offered for Marriott deposits to entice you to use II. I think an internal Marriott to Marriott exchange system could end up making a Marriott week more valuable in II.

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You may very well be right on all counts. I think the point being made here, which had been brought up before and kinda dissuaded me from purchasing a Bronze SW week, is the uncertainty of what the projected new internal system will be. On one hand, LAX mom is correct in that she could likely just Ebay it if necessary and basically give it away and will still have gotten more than her money's worth, but the possible risk of being "stuck" with a high MF property which suddenly has very diminished trade value after perhaps 2 years of use is something which a potential buyer may want to at least consider.

Others have weighed the pros and cons and reached the opposite decision and felt it was a great purchase, and I am the first one to say that they may very well have made the right decision. For me, though, the possible downside isn't worth it.