The Uncompelling Pitch (Grande Ocean Sept 2019)

[Fasttr]

Had one of the most uncompelling sales pitches ever at MGO last week. Her entire pitch was that I needed to build up my Bonvoy Points, so I would be set to cover hotel travel upon retirement without the need to shell out cash (hey, I've got a few good working years left).

I told her that my Bonvoy bank account appears low now because I purchased 3 travel packages prior to the last devaluation (and happily found uses for all of them). I told her I no longer see great value in chasing the Bonvoy points (thinking to myself, other than raking in the 45K Bonvoy points and $50 Marriott Experience Dollars they bribed me to attend her pitch) because of the constant devaluation.

Not a lot of listening going on, as she continued to hammer that I really needed to build up my Bonvoy balance. Her suggestion, that I should take my beloved MGO Gold week, and convert that to 100K Bonvoy points every other year. I replied... "But we really love coming to MGO every year, why would I want to not come every other year". This is where the weak pitch came in. She wanted me to purchase 2000 more Trust Points (that I could bank and borrow) to enable me to come to MGO in the fall on the off years (requires 4000 points to do so) using the new Trust points, freeing up the MGO week to convert to Bonvoy points. Shazzzam!!!!

Here's where it got fun. I told her that I value Bonvoy points at abut 1 cent a point. If I can't get that value, I pay cash, if I can get that value or more, I use the Bonvoy points. That said, in the past, I have traditionally saved them for 5 night travel packages, but the value there seemed to have diminished during the last devaluation. She agreed that 1 cent per Bonvoy point was a good benchmark.

So I asked her, setting aside the upfront costs, which need to be factored in, but for simplicity I will not.... why would I give up a MGO week who's MF's cost me approx. $1,500 in exchange for 100K Bonvoy points (at a cost of 1.5 cents per point) that we both agreed were worth about 1 cent per point or $1,000. Makes no sense. Hell, I can even purchase them from Marriott for 1.25 cents a point.

Or, if you look at the value of the pure Trust points when converted to Bonvoy points, you get 58 cents MF per Trust point divided by the 40 Bonvoy points you get per Trust point converted, so the cost doing it that way comes to 1.45 cents a point to get a Bonvoy point I value at 1 cent.

And to top it all off, I would be paying $2,320 (MF at 58 cents a Trust points on 2000 Trust points combined over 2 years so 4000 total) to get to MGO on points when now I can get there for my $1,500 MF's on my owned week. The virtual bad idea signs just kept popping up for me to hammer her over the head with.

In the end, she realized she was not going to make a sale that day, but she ended by saying that I really do need more Bonvoy points.

It was a classic!!!

 

[jme]

Had one of the most uncompelling sales pitches ever at MGO last week. Her entire pitch was that I needed to build up my Bonvoy Points, so I would be set to cover hotel travel upon retirement without the need to shell out cash (hey, I've got a few good working years left).

I told her that my Bonvoy bank account appears low now because I purchased 3 travel packages prior to the last devaluation (and happily found uses for all of them). I told her I no longer see great value in chasing the Bonvoy points (thinking to myself, other than raking in the 45K Bonvoy points and $50 Marriott Experience Dollars they bribed me to attend her pitch) because of the constant devaluation.

Not a lot of listening going on, as she continued to hammer that I really needed to build up my Bonvoy balance. Her suggestion, that I should take my beloved MGO Gold week, and convert that to 100K Bonvoy points every other year. I replied... "But we really love coming to MGO every year, why would I want to not come every other year". This is where the weak pitch came in. She wanted me to purchase 2000 more Trust Points (that I could bank and borrow) to enable me to come to MGO in the fall on the off years (requires 4000 points to do so) using the new Trust points, freeing up the MGO week to convert to Bonvoy points. Shazzzam!!!!

Here's where it got fun. I told her that I value Bonvoy points at abut 1 cent a point. If I can't get that value, I pay cash, if I can get that value or more, I use the Bonvoy points. That said, in the past, I have traditionally saved them for 5 night travel packages, but the value there seemed to have diminished during the last devaluation. She agreed that 1 cent per Bonvoy point was a good benchmark.

So I asked her, setting aside the upfront costs, which need to be factored in, but for simplicity I will not.... why would I give up a MGO week who's MF's cost me approx. $1,500 in exchange for 100K Bonvoy points (at a cost of 1.5 cents per point) that we both agreed were worth about 1 cent per point or $1,000. Makes no sense. Hell, I can even purchase them from Marriott for 1.25 cents a point.

Or, if you look at the value of the pure Trust points when converted to Bonvoy points, you get 58 cents MF per Trust point divided by the 40 Bonvoy points you get per Trust point converted, so the cost doing it that way comes to 1.45 cents a point to get a Bonvoy point I value at 1 cent.

In the end, she realized she was not going to make a sale today, but ended by saying I really do need more Bonvoy points.
It was a classic!!!

Hey, Todd, nice write-up.
That's an example of a classic presentation when all they have is the mantra.
They sometimes look over your portfolio prior to the appointment, and apparently, for you, that's all she could come up with.
That results in a recommendation, a numbers recitation, then a Re-set and REPEAT each time the wheels go over a speed bump.
It's downright hilarious.

I'll bet that afterwards she went in to her "super", wringing her hands, saying, "He just didn't understand!"

So, without a doubt, be on the look-out for a nice Christmas card with lots of glitter on the cover saying,

"Merry Christmas, and don't forget to ask Santa for more Bonvoy Points".

 

[Luvtoride]

We once had a similar presentation (at Frenchmen's Cove in St. Thomas) where the rep kept harping on needing more MR points (before Bonvoy existed) and I just didn't see the point(s). It was a bad deal/ strategy back then and an even worse strategy now! I agree with Marty that they review your portfolio and have to come up with an "angle of attack". Once they establish what that is, there is no turning back. It really is silly but if that's how they are going to play it, it is for us to decide if any bribe is worth sitting through that nonsense. As far as we're concerned, we just won't attend anymore!

 

[JIMinNC]

Wait...I thought you bought your GO week on the external resale market? Aren't external resales ineligible for Bonvoy conversion?

 

[Fasttr]

Wait...I thought you bought your GO week on the external resale market? Aren't external resales ineligible for Bonvoy conversion?

I enrolled it by buying 2500 points during the first summer promotion offering to get to Executive to be able to book 1+ days at 13 months. The MGO week is worth 3850 enrolled points.

Good catch. Can’t get anything by you.

 

[JIMinNC]

I enrolled it by buying 2500 points during the first summer promotion offering to get to Executive to be able to book 1+ days at 13 months.

Good catch. Can’t get anything by you.

Ah...now I understand. I didn't realize you had done that. Good move to get to Executive.

 

[billymach4]

What care Marriott experience $$

 

[Fasttr]

What are Marriott experience $$

A gift certificate that can be used for room charges, or at a list of 20 or so area restaurants or 10 or so area activities. We used it toward our meal at Frankie Bones as all of the SERG Group restaurants were on the list.

 

[billymach4]

OK thanks.

 

[billymach4]

Since DW still refuses to attend these BS sessions I don't get the direct info any more. So I have to rely on the good graces of Tuggers to feed me the truth.

 

[Beachspace]

Thank you for letting us all know about this experience. We are heading to MGO in a week for our 3 night package with timeshare presentation. Won't they be shocked when I say Yes, I do own 2 Marriott weeks. One was a Platinum I got for $1 on-line and the other was a 3br Gold I got on Ebay for $2k

 

[Beachspace]

Just got back from Grande Ocean and our presentation was Saturday. We let them know upfront we aren't here to buy, we bought our timeshare on Ebay for $1, I'm now platinum every year due to my work schedule/travel, and my wife's uncle works for MVCI and we get friends & Family rates. You could tell he was shocked but happy and ready for our objections. His main push was 'sure we can donate our timeshare when we're done and all we have to show is past good vacations where as buying points is like stocking up for later in life..and racking up bonvoy points too..he related it to your 401k/ira - what happens later when I'm not making as much or have the freedom?" I said well I guess i'll keep booking trips on priceline or Airbnb when we want to get away His 2nd push was offering me "lifetime Titanium status" and how great Titanium was and that you can't 'earn' lifetime Titanium status like I'm hoping to do with Platinum (5+ years to go).

Sorry, buying thousands of dollars worth of 'vacation points' isn't worth a bump in status. He then commented that my 190k bonvoy points wasn't that much and I should have more if i was traveling 50+ nights a year. I informed him that I used $30k the night before at World Golf Rennaisance and I have 100k points for a 3night weekend over the Superbowl in Miami. At this point my wife was playing on her phone and he could tell this wasn't going to go well. He did 1 last ditch effort to have me buy a 150k point package that included airfare or something that I could give to a family member and showed me an 'ILG' paper of all the Hyatt & Vistana resorts that we can now use? ( thought that wasn't confirmed still).
We were fortunate and he got it approved for us to leave 40 mins early, no extra gift card or anything.

We loved the resort though..$200 for a 3night package in a 2 bedroom on the beach in hilton head, can't beat that! Nice sales facility with snacks and coffee, friendly management & friendly 'encore' guy came in to sell us a $995 4 night package with a $300 gift card after check in, good deal but we passed on it. They had 4 nights in January in Park City Mountain Side available which was enticing for the encore package but Im' seeing now no non-stop flights to Salt Lake out of Miami, Ft Myers or Ft Lauderdale so that's a no-go (wife hates flying)

 

[pedro47]

To the OP and Beachspace, thanks for posting. Got it.