When Marriott timeshare rolled out its new timeshare points ownership plan last year, it was met with mixed emotions from current timeshare owners. But Marriott clearly committed to take a very important step in this matter. As Marriott Vacation Club President Stephen Weisz explain when Marriott launched its new timeshare points-based system last June, it committed to, “… get in front of every single one” of its current Marriott timeshare owners to share with them the merits of the new club.

The Orlando Sentinel quoted Weisz as saying, “So as we have allocated tour flow, and trying to, in fact, take advantage of talking to people while they’re on vacation at our resorts, we have squeezed out tours to first-time buyers. That was very deliberate.”

How well is Marriott timeshare’s plan working?

In the second quarter of 2011, 61 percent of Marriott timeshare sales were to people who already own a Marriott timeshare. That is an increase from 50 percent in the past, or depending on how you look at it, a 11 percent drop in the number of sales being made to first-time buyers, a figure Marriott says they expect to see rebound over time.

Customer-centric Move by Marriott Timeshare

We all have heard that it is harder to get a new client or customer than it is to keep a current one. Some people say three times harder; other say seven times; some even quote that it takes eleven times more effort to find and win a new client than to continue your relationship with an existing one.

Whatever the number is (which no doubt varies by industry), it is harder, costlier, and more time intensive.

Marriott Vacation Club made a strategic decision not to treat their existing clients like disposable consumers, but instead to communicate, listen to, educate, and no doubt engage in sales-directed conversations with them. Marriott timeshare’s quarterly report indicates this was a good plan. More importantly, Marriott’s long-term business results will reflect this as well.

Clients and customers are not disposable. Their opinions matter—in fact, they are the only thing that matters when it comes to business. And as this example shows, listening to them yields not only better informed timeshare owners, but clearly, timeshare sales as well.

Related Marriott timeshare news from The Timeshare Authority blog:

• Marriott Vacation Club Timeshare Expanding Timeshare Points Based Program
• Timeshare Points at Marriott Vacation Club are Changing – Timeshare Owners Still Have Questions
• More Details on New Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Timeshare Points

Many of the conversations about Marriott timeshare in recent weeks have focused on the company’s launch of a timeshare points based program called Marriott Vacation Club Destinations. In a recent interview with Perspective Magazine, Marriott timeshare executives offered further insights about the new timeshare points program, its impact on the company and its benefits for timeshare owners.

Marriott Vacation Club timeshare recognizes that current and future Marriott timeshare owners will have many questions about the points program, and with this in mind the company will be increasing staffing in order to properly address the concerns and service needs of its more than 400,000 timeshare owner families.

Ed Kinney, vice president of corporate affairs and brand awareness for Marriott Vacation Club, says the company expects the increased level of questions and inquiries to continue for about a year and a half. He also reminds Marriott timeshare owners that although the timeshare points program will be the only form of timeshare the company plans to cell going forward, it is elective for current owners.

Marriott Timeshare Gears Up for the Change

Marriott timeshare, having delayed some technology updates knowing that the conversion to timeshare points was coming, has now made a significant investment in converting the information technology aspects of its business. As Kinney told Editor Matt McDaniel, at Perspective, “Today’s computer technology is able to be somewhat predictive and understand how to best utilize inventory without having to overbuild to accommodate the variations. That’s been one of the biggest things to overcome…”

And Marriott timeshare reminds its timeshare owners that it is not a newcomer to a timeshare points based program having offered only timeshare points in the Marriott Vacation Club’s Asia Pacific region. Through this experience, the company has learned a great deal about its timeshare owner’s desires and usage patterns.

Marriott timeshare sees the transition as a time of educating its owners, a process the company is very committed to do. Kinney says, “So that’s what our owner-services group is going to be doing over the near term: education, education, education.”

Other recent The Timeshare Authority blog posts on the new Marriott timeshare points plan:

• Why Not All Marriott Timeshare Owners are Happy with the New Timeshare Points Plan
• Questions Persist about the New Marriott Timeshare Points Program
• More Details on New Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Timeshare Points
• Timeshare Points at Marriott Vacation Club are Changing – Timeshare Owners Still Have Questions

The office of the Maryland Attorney General, Douglas F. Gansler, has published its latest edition of The Consumer’s Edge, focusing this issue on good advice for buying timeshare. The article, titled, “Timeshares: a Break from Reality?” takes timeshare buyers and prospective buyers through points they should consider before making the decision to become a timeshare owner.

The two-page report is easy-to-read and packed with clear, concise definitions and insights written to help consumers better understand the product they are buying. Here are some of the points made by the Attorney General’s report:

1. Do your homework so that you know what you are buying and that the timeshare or vacation ownership product you select is truly the right one to meet your needs.
2. Look at the total cost of your timeshare purchase, including mortgage payments, travel costs, maintenance fees (that are likely to increase over time) your finance cost, and your taxes if they are not included with your other fees.
3. Visit the timeshare resort where you plan to buy.
4. Learn the differences in timeshare intervals and deeded timeshare. Become knowledgeable about fixed or floating timeshare, timeshare points, vacation clubs, biennial timeshare, fractionals, and lock-offs.
5. And perhaps most important of all, don’t expect your timeshare to appreciate in values, or even to hold its value. Timeshare –like a resale automobile— consistently sells for less on the resale market than when purchased as new timeshare. As Attorney General Gansler, explains, “Timeshares are an expensive purchase and should not be considered an investment. Consumers need to do their homework before signing any contract.”

“Timeshares: a Break from Reality?” is a strong, informative report that is bound to be helpful to any consumer who is considering buying timeshare and even to many timeshare owners who don’t fully understand the product they have purchased. Best of all, the Attorney General’s report doesn’t represent that timeshares themselves are inherently a bad buy nor does it attempt to paint the entire industry with a single brush, declaring timeshare scam and timeshare fraud.

Changes to the Marriott timeshare points program were the subject of much speculation long before the new program came into effect late last month. Marriott timeshare owners and prospective owners, however, continue to have questions about how the program actually works.

While there is no indication that guidelines for the program will be revised again in the future, let’s assume that no timeshare program is written in stone and there is a possibility that Marriott could make changes to it. But unless Marriott does implement such changes, future timeshare resale owners cannot participate in the new timeshare points program.

Are You Already a Marriott Timeshare Resale Owner?

If you owned your Marriott timeshare resale before June 21, 2010, then you have the option to join the new points program. Anyone who buys Marriott timeshare resale after that date cannot enroll, and the restriction appears to apply even to anyone who closes on a Marriott timeshare resale after June 21, 2010, even if the transaction commenced before the deadline. You can still buy and sell Marriott timeshare resales, getting great deals and ideal vacation opportunities, but at the time of resale, any Marriott timeshares that are part of the new points system and are closed after the cutoff date, simply revert to deeded timeshare.

Follow this link to learn more about Marriott Vacation Club points through the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program and remember that while not all Marriott timeshare owners are happy with the new program, it is not mandatory to enroll in it, neither is it the only Marriott points program option.

More from The Timeshare Authority Blog:

• Timeshare Points at Marriott Vacation Club are Changing – Timeshare Owners Still Have Questions
• More Details on New Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Timeshare Points

Buying timeshare just does not mean what many people think it means. Instead of a one-week holiday each year in the same timeshare resort, year after year, many timeshare programs are points based and function like currency.

When you buy timeshare in a points based system, or when you take advantage of timeshare exchange, you may have options that include exchanging your timeshare for other travel benefits including airfare and cruises.

Timeshare owners who are members of “The Regency Collection,” for example, can exchange timeshare for one-of-a-kind travel experiences, which include Cunard cruise lines, Crystal Cruises, Azamara Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Silversea and The Yachts of Seabourn. The Regency Collection members also have options that allow them to take advantage of members-only discounted cash options on other cruise lines including Disney, Princess, and Celebrity.

The savings to timeshare owners who want to enjoy luxury cruises can add up quickly. One option offers credit exchange where a portion of “The Regency Collection” members’ credits afford them a savings of up to $1,500 USD per cabin, based on double-person occupancy.

The Regency Collection Timeshare Owners

Currently some 30,000 timeshare owners are members of Wyndham Exchange and Rental’s The Regency Collection, giving them access to over 175 luxury properties worldwide, including condo hotels, timeshare resorts, high-end fractionals, private residence clubs, and fractional yachts. The July 4 holiday weekend is a great time for backyard cookouts, parades, and fireworks. But if you were a member of The Regency Collection, you could be spending this holiday (and many more to come) on board one of the finest cruise ships in the world.

…And although we all appreciate hotdogs with those crispy black edges from being cooked over an open flame, sometimes we just need (and deserve) a little time with a gourmet chef and cruise ship crew at our beck and call.

Last week, Marriott Vacation Club timeshare announced its new timeshare points program called, Marriott Vacation Club Destinations.

Lee Cunningham, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Marriott Vacation Club, North America, explains, “… we have successfully evolved our product offering based on Owner feedback, and the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program reflects a tradition of Owner involvement and was designed specifically for both current and future Owners.”

The news of this new program, long rumored to be coming, has brought on a great deal of discussion, speculation, and questioning by the timeshare community, specifically Marriott timeshare owners and all those who are considering buying Marriott timeshare and timeshare resales.

In profiling the new Marriott program. Sara Clarke, writer for the Orlando Sentinel, wrote:

The Timeshare Authority blog promised you information as we confirm more about the program. Here is some general information and some updates:

• Marriott Vacation Club Destinations is designed to offer expanded opportunity and flexibility to new Marriott timeshare owners.
• Current Marriott timeshare owners will have the option to choose to participate in the program or to stay in their current plan, without losing ownership privileges.
• Each year, Marriott Vacation Club Destinations members will receive timeshare points that they can use, bank, borrow against, or add to by purchasing more.
• Marriott Vacation Club Destinations focuses on four Vacation Collections: the Marriott Vacation Club Collection; Marriott Collection; Explorer Collection; and the World Traveler Collection.
• Membership in the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations entitles you to access the services of a personal Vacation Ownership Advisor. Your personal Advisor can assist in travel arrangements within the four Collections.
• Those who enroll now receive bonus points at the time of enrollment.
• Marriott Vacation Club Destinations members have the option to check in on any day of the week or season of the year.
• The annual membership fee in Marriott Vacation Club Destinations is $165 (in most cases) and provides members the flexibility to change reservations, change their length of stay, and to select the accommodation size that best fits their needs.

As with any timeshare or vacation club, one size never fits all. Marriott Vacation Club Destinations will be more valued by some Marriott timeshare owners than by others, and at the moment, has some Marriott timeshare owners questioning whether the program will help or hurt them. As it stands now, Marriott timeshare owners who bought their timeshare as a Marriott timeshare resale are eligible to be part of Marriott Vacation Club Destinations, however, timeshare resale buyers going forward will not be. Although Marriott Vacation Club Destinations membership is not transferable when you sell timeshare, this is an annual membership program in which you can opt out of membership at any time.

Because so many timeshare owners are abuzz about this topic, you can probably expect both more clarification coming from Marriott Vacation Club and perhaps even some adjustments to guidelines and policies over the upcoming months. The Timeshare Authority blog will do its best to keep you up-to-date.

More on Marriott timeshare points:

• Timeshare Points at Marriott Vacation Club are Changing – Timeshare Owners Still Have Questions

Marriott Vacation Club timeshare is expanding with the addition of the new timeshare points-based Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program for North America and the Caribbean. The new timeshare points program is designed to increase flexibility for timeshare owners. This announcement comes after months of speculation by timeshare owners and prospective timeshare buyers about the rumored changes or additions to the options for Marriott timeshare exchange.

Lee Cunningham, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Marriott Vacation Club, North America and the Caribbean says, “Over the years, we have successfully evolved our product offering based on Owner feedback, and the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program reflects a tradition of Owner involvement and was designed specifically for both current and future Owners.”

Describing the program as Marriott timeshare’s, “…most significant program innovation in our history,” Cunningham goes on to point out that the new Marriott timeshare points exchange program will afford timeshare owners ease of use and expanded choices for enjoying their timeshare product.

The new Marriott Vacation Club timeshare program will be available to new Marriott timeshare owners, but current owners will also have the opportunity to enroll. Here are a few other specifics about this timeshare exchange program:

• The new Marriott timeshare points program means simplified fees. Timeshare owners will be able to pay one annual fee as a consolidation of all their bookings; eliminating a la carte fees. Inclusive in the fee will be the costs for changing your reservation, changing your length of stay, your Interval International membership fee, and possible other benefits. The fee will reported be $165 per year. Your current timeshare maintenance fee should remain the same.
• This program is available to residents of the US, including the District of Columbia, however NY residents should check to make sure they are eligible to participate.

• Marriott’s Frenchman’s Cove timeshare (St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands) is excluded from the new timeshare points program.
• And, based on the information we have currently, it appears that Marriott timeshare owners who purchased their vacation ownership as a Marriott timeshare resale will be eligible to participate. Whether this will apply to timeshare resale purchases in the future is not clear at this time.

This new timeshare points program is an interesting development at Marriott Vacation Club, and as more facts are confirmed, we’ll keep sharing them here on The Timeshare Authority blog.

If you have ever bought a garment that was marked, “one size fits all” you know this simply is not always accurate. Moreover, when the subject is buying timeshare or owning timeshare, one size (or one type of ownership) will never be right for everyone.

Individual timeshare vacation needs and preferences vary greatly and include vacation clubs, deeded ownership, and right to use timeshare ownership, any of which may or may not include points-based usage. And as popular as points-based timeshare has become, timeshare ownership through points is not the right choice for all property owners. In the same regard, one timeshare points system can be very different from another. Your goal, as an informed timeshare owner, is to understand your options so you can pick the type of timeshare points (or system without points) that best fits your objectives.

Examples of Timeshare Points Structures

Wyndham timeshares can be owned either by points or by whole ownership. Wyndham allows (and encourages) its timeshare owners to convert from ownership to points ownership only. When you do this, you literally deed your timeshare ownership to Wyndham timeshare, while you take points ownership in exchange. You can now use your points to trade or exchange within the Wyndham system. One downside is that you lose your automatically reserved week of timeshare at your home resort, requiring you to request your week of usage every year. If you happened to like knowing you always have a timeshare unit at your favorite resort, year in-year out, then you won’t like making this switch to Wyndham points.

RCI timeshare points are some of the most flexible to use. One simple feature is that RCI has a timeshare points policy that 9000 points will get you any available US timeshare within 45 days of your vacation date. RCI timeshare points can also be use for car rentals, air travel, and other vacation related expenses, which is a popular perk among timeshare owners.

In February of 2009, Disney Vacation Club redistributed their timeshare points. (Read more here: Disney Timeshares Are Changing Timeshare Points Structure) and in July of 2009, Marriott timeshare began integrating its timeshare points system with Marriott Rewards. (More on Marriott timeshare points: Timeshare Points System at Marriott Vacation Club is Changing). Starwood timeshare also made significant changes to their points systems in 2009, with some of the changes overriding privileges that many Starwood timeshare owners felt were part of the rights of their deeded timeshare ownership.

Takeaway point here? How each timeshare company or timeshare exchange company distributes and utilizes timeshare points is very different from one company to the next. Ask before you buy. Understand what you are buying. Timeshare owners who truly get the most out of their timeshares are almost always the owners who have a rock solid understanding of what they own and how it works.