The value is being a certain level. You can rent points from others, but getting stays you want may be more difficult. My level gets me 1 day 13 months out. Stuff gets picked over once you get under 12 months.
What's the value of owning Marriott points if you can consistently rent them from points owners for about $0.60 - $0.65 per point, which is close to the maintenance fees? Why buy when you can rent?
so i need your help. this post, along with another one from Feb 2017, has brought me to ask it here - i fall into the area between the "hey, i went to a presentation on a marketing trip and bought without knowing anything" and the "knowledgeable after doing some research" range. my wife and i have attended numerous presentations over the years, declined all of them, but finally decided to buy, and signed, last friday, for 4k points of MVC. we financed it to get discounts and the additional points offered (4k match for 8k now and 4k more at 18 months) and will pay it off after month 18 when we get our final point bonus tranche.
but in reading on this site almost exclusively since Friday pm i've learned more than i thought there was to know! we don't want to cancel our purchase - we like the idea of the MVC, the flexibility available to us, the destinations, etc, all the reasons why people buy points. but in looking at what i've learned i want/need to know more about the hybrid option and determine if it's worth rescinding and asking for something more like that. i am open to cancelling but want to keep b/c my wife and i aren't too comfortable dealing in the aftermarket resale world of p2p purchases. i like scheduling direct with MVC and leveraging the flexibility that i'd get from that thru banking points while finalizing our vacationing strategy for the upcoming year.
when i will talk to our rep about this hybrid option what are the things i need to know about and ask for? my understanding of the hybrid option is that i'd be buying a set and fixed week at a specific location that i'd be able to convert to points if i did't want to use it (and use those points elsewhere or bank them for later use), trade it for another destination, or use it as scheduled.
can i get some guidance on what to ask for/discuss with my sales rep? @JIMinNC - you've posted heavily and in @GoldenVIKE 's post about his purchase being a good idea (from 2/17) you laid out what i want to accomplish with my points and, to butter you up, have become an informal mentor to me without even knowing it...
looking forward to everyone's input - thanks!
Do you want to pay retail or pay wholesale? If you want to save some big dollars then you may want to rescind now while you still can, and then buy off of the resale market.
Work the numbers. I'm confident you'll make the decision that works for you.
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rescinded earlier today - decided that it wasn't time for us to purchase. @HitchHiker71 helped push me past the tipping point. it needed to be done. we'll try renting at some point but, for now at least, we're postponing our purchase.
in many threads, however, i see language about how the offer will be available for us down the road. this - clearly - contradicts the hard sell that MVC does when we were told that this is a one time, yada yada, we track who you are and won't get this ever again, etc. are there real life examples of this not being the case and offers still available down the road?
rescinded earlier today - decided that it wasn't time for us to purchase. @HitchHiker71 helped push me past the tipping point. it needed to be done. we'll try renting at some point but, for now at least, we're postponing our purchase.
in many threads, however, i see language about how the offer will be available for us down the road. this - clearly - contradicts the hard sell that MVC does when we were told that this is a one time, yada yada, we track who you are and won't get this ever again, etc. are there real life examples of this not being the case and offers still available down the road?
Interesting thread, with lots of great advice. In general, I think a "newbie" who posts wondering if he/she did the right thing or if it was a good price, etc., is best served by the advice to rescind immediately and then take the time to explore. Before any purchase is made, the buyer should understand what timeshares offer- both the benefits and the negatives (such as maintenance fees, time constraints for scheduling and availability, and differences from a hotel stay, etc.). We love having a larger space and kitchen facilities, but others miss room service, daily housekeeping and other traditional hotel amenities, so a prospective buyer needs to fully understand not only the costs but the difference in their actual vacation experience.
There's a natural tendency to assume that what we like is what's best for everyone, but clearly that's not the case. In general, more options- whether it be for larger spaces, differing destinations or more flexibility in scheduling, come at a cost. I think it's in everyone's best interests to advise a new purchaser to fully understand the options and figure out what will suit their needs the best, and then make suggestions as to how to accomplish their goals at the lowest price; that said, we also need to respect that the convenience and/or security of buying direct (in this case, from Marriott) imparts a comfort level that many people feel warrants a surcharge.
So, while the OP is right that we shouldn't jump down the throats of someone who clearly has made an informed and thoughtful purchase. I do think that anyone who asks whether or not they got a good deal or made the right choice should be advised to rescind and take the time to make sure what they're doing is right for them, and almost always will be able to replicate the offer in the short term. The truly informed and confident purchaser might post what they bought, but not inquire as to whether or not they made the right purchase.
We need to remember that even those of us who consider ourselves great shoppers (and take this from a consummate shopper ;-)) will sometimes decide that sometimes it's worth paying more to buy at one place over another, whether for convenience, warranty or just being sure of the quality, and as long as the buyer is informed we shouldn't assume we know better than they do as to what's best for them.
OTOH, we don't know what we don't know. There is a current thread from someone that thought they were informed and realized they were not nearly as informed as they thought they were. We should never jump down anyone's throat but given a negative though honest opinion can be helpful even if it's not what one wants to hear. One should also consider the context in which the information is being provided. Walking up to someone in the parking lot you don't know who just leased a car talking about how bad car leases are (they are) would be inappropriate but if one were on a car oriented site and posted they were consider a car lease, it could very well be appropriate to post the information.Interesting thread, with lots of great advice. In general, I think a "newbie" who posts wondering if he/she did the right thing or if it was a good price, etc., is best served by the advice to rescind immediately and then take the time to explore. Before any purchase is made, the buyer should understand what timeshares offer- both the benefits and the negatives (such as maintenance fees, time constraints for scheduling and availability, and differences from a hotel stay, etc.). We love having a larger space and kitchen facilities, but others miss room service, daily housekeeping and other traditional hotel amenities, so a prospective buyer needs to fully understand not only the costs but the difference in their actual vacation experience.
There's a natural tendency to assume that what we like is what's best for everyone, but clearly that's not the case. In general, more options- whether it be for larger spaces, differing destinations or more flexibility in scheduling, come at a cost. I think it's in everyone's best interests to advise a new purchaser to fully understand the options and figure out what will suit their needs the best, and then make suggestions as to how to accomplish their goals at the lowest price; that said, we also need to respect that the convenience and/or security of buying direct (in this case, from Marriott) imparts a comfort level that many people feel warrants a surcharge.
So, while the OP is right that we shouldn't jump down the throats of someone who clearly has made an informed and thoughtful purchase. I do think that anyone who asks whether or not they got a good deal or made the right choice should be advised to rescind and take the time to make sure what they're doing is right for them, and almost always will be able to replicate the offer in the short term. The truly informed and confident purchaser might post what they bought, but not inquire as to whether or not they made the right purchase.
We need to remember that even those of us who consider ourselves great shoppers (and take this from a consummate shopper ;-)) will sometimes decide that sometimes it's worth paying more to buy at one place over another, whether for convenience, warranty or just being sure of the quality, and as long as the buyer is informed we shouldn't assume we know better than they do as to what's best for them.
What's the value of owning Marriott points if you can consistently rent them from points owners for about $0.60 - $0.65 per point, which is close to the maintenance fees? Why buy when you can rent?
so i need your help. this post, along with another one from Feb 2017, has brought me to ask it here - i fall into the area between the "hey, i went to a presentation on a marketing trip and bought without knowing anything" and the "knowledgeable after doing some research" range. my wife and i have attended numerous presentations over the years, declined all of them, but finally decided to buy, and signed, last friday, for 4k points of MVC. we financed it to get discounts and the additional points offered (4k match for 8k now and 4k more at 18 months) and will pay it off after month 18 when we get our final point bonus tranche.
but in reading on this site almost exclusively since Friday pm i've learned more than i thought there was to know! we don't want to cancel our purchase - we like the idea of the MVC, the flexibility available to us, the destinations, etc, all the reasons why people buy points. but in looking at what i've learned i want/need to know more about the hybrid option and determine if it's worth rescinding and asking for something more like that. i am open to cancelling but want to keep b/c my wife and i aren't too comfortable dealing in the aftermarket resale world of p2p purchases. i like scheduling direct with MVC and leveraging the flexibility that i'd get from that thru banking points while finalizing our vacationing strategy for the upcoming year.
when i will talk to our rep about this hybrid option what are the things i need to know about and ask for? my understanding of the hybrid option is that i'd be buying a set and fixed week at a specific location that i'd be able to convert to points if i did't want to use it (and use those points elsewhere or bank them for later use), trade it for another destination, or use it as scheduled.
can i get some guidance on what to ask for/discuss with my sales rep? @JIMinNC - you've posted heavily and in @GoldenVIKE 's post about his purchase being a good idea (from 2/17) you laid out what i want to accomplish with my points and, to butter you up, have become an informal mentor to me without even knowing it...
looking forward to everyone's input - thanks!