Starwood Has Won [Unilateral II Changes] [merged]

[golf261]

I have just read this thread and, needless to say, have questions. I checked my SVN account in II, and our Lagunamar is listed as P Plus, WLR3. Our deeded week is 52. However, it only shows 2009, which we have already used. Our SDO, bought as floating weeks 1-52, does not have a designation (is non-SVN account). I had reserved and deposited my 2010 week months ago, so nothing has changed there. Nothing shows for 2011 yet. Our deeded week for that unit is week 30. If indeed our trade power is based on our deeded week, we won't get much with that - who wants to go to Az in the summer??!! Even though we bought it for trading power, we do enjoy Scottsdale so would use the unit if we can't trade. Do you think we will still be able to reserve any week we want for our own use?

 

[DeniseM]

Yes - you can reserve any week for your own use - or to deposit with an independent exchange company - that has not changed.

At this point, it does not appear that the trading power of floating weeks will be designated by the week on the deed. It looks like they are going to come up with a generic trading power designation for floating weeks that will neither be the highest, nor the lowest.

However, since neither Starwood nor II have made any announcement about the changes yet, we are still trying to piece the whole thing together based on individual conversations between Tuggers and II or SW...

 

[l2trade]

I've spent hours on the phone with II and Starwood today, at times with both parties present. The non-SVN 1-52 red Sheraton Desert Oasis weeks are being assigned as Gold Plus weeks, regardless of the deeded week. Gold plus trading power is equivalent to weeks 22-27 & 36-49. These seasonal week ranges are clearly sub par for AZ. If this action by Starwood stands, which Starwood reps assure me it will, the value of my weeks has been significantly degraded. I will not trade ANY weeks with II at these off peak trading values. II says this is all Starwood's fault. II and myself will pay the price. II will no longer get great weeks from me (a non-SVN owner) and I will no longer be able to exchange with them, no matter how much I wanted to. This sucks!!!

 

[DeniseM]

Did you see the link at the very top of this forum? There is info. there about how to contact a SW Director with your opinion about the new system.

CLICK HERE

 

[tomandrobin]

New II Designations

When I logged into my II account, I now notice my weeks have new designations. Most I understand, but not my WSJ week.

Harborside at Atlantis - Platinum
Westin Kierland Villas - Platinum Plus
Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort - Platinum Plus
Westin St. John - All Seasons

So what does All Seasons mean? My ownership is "float" summer season.

 

[Captron]

I think it means that you have the same trading power in all seasons - which really SUCKS since it is SOOOOOOO LOW!

I think with the new system they have made different designations based on season, not just resort or phase of resort. We are being lead to believe that all the units in each designation are going to have the same trading power. I think with the OVERABUNDANCE of St John deposits you just end up with the LOWEST trading power all year long - regardless of season.

(if you haven't figured out to reverse the scale on the ALL CAPS you are more gullible than I thought! )

 

[LisaRex]

The only good thing about Starwood coding Hawaii as platinum year round is that they can't screw around with our platinum coding on II.

 

[jerseygirl]

Yes, but if I understand the II side of this, you will now receive the "average" trading power of all 52 weeks. Don't get me wrong, it will still be good, but probably not as good as if a prime week was deposited. Of course, since WKORV/N are mandatory resorts, you were never guaranteed a prime week depsoit anyway.

That's the problem with including non-SVN methods in this system. We never signed anything that permitted Starwood to control our deposits. I can argue that the new methodology is more fair for SVN members, but non-SVN members should never have been included.

 

[silkey21]

New EXchange Rules

The population here is easily less than 1% of the owner base. Process improvement will always target the masses as this is where you will see your greatest return on capital spent for the improvement. The question is did they really eliminate a non-SVN member's ability to deposit a specific week and we do not clearly know the answer to that yet....

I went on a tour and they wanted me to buy Sheraton Vistana (old Resort) for $17000. I told them I bought on Ebay SDO for $50 and complained to them that the previous owner that I bought from paid over $17,000, and if SVO would have something in place to repurchase their units like Marriott this would have not happened and then it might make sense for me to purchase this unit with SVO.

I later upgraded my SDO week and became part of SVO network for a decent price. 10k for WKV 1 bedroom large plat season, and got another unit in the system. It took countless amount of days to get this done and whoever things SVO changed this trading system for owners is mistaken.

SVO does not know or does not want to maintain the prices of their units in the secondary market, and yet they want their so called "Westin exclusive" ie only a certain clients that pay full value and do not complain about the fees.Therefore they want to shake out of their system the owners with the weaker hands (and make more money for themselves) so they jack up the maintenance fees make the exchange less valuable so it would only make sense to be part of the network and the resell market would not be as valuable. But I guess if Marriott did not have so few resorts and if they had a point system they would do the same as Starwood.

The Question is can Starwood make these changes, they must have consulted lawyers, and that is most likely a gray area because even if it says they Must desposit the exact week in the system I am sure it also says that the board of directors can change that if they deem it right.

 

[silkey21]

The population here is easily less than 1% of the owner base. Process improvement will always target the masses as this is where you will see your greatest return on capital spent for the improvement. The question is did they really eliminate a non-SVN member's ability to deposit a specific week and we do not clearly know the answer to that yet....

But yet they worry about us the most

 

[rickandcindy23]

How are these SDO and SBP 1-52 (SDO) and 9-43 (SBP) weeks trading in RCI since Starwood changed our ability to deposit whatever we want? I just wondered if anyone is seeing DVC or some of the nice resorts in Hawaii, like HGVC.