from TUG (Timeshare Owners Group member George M.) tugbbs.com…
The way I see it, owners have three choices…
1. Sell your Starwood units and wipe your hands free of what I think is right now the worst timeshare developer in the country…
2. Do nothing as use the new system to their advantage as best they can. Owners could also use RCI and or rent the unit instead of using II…
3. Continue to fight,writing letters,sending emails, putting up websites and complaining every way possible…
Now – The details of my phone call with Starwood this past Friday…
Starwood is sticking to the belief that they have the right to control owner reservations that are given to II(Interval International)…
They refer to the Floating Use Plan Rules and Regulations as allowing them to do this. I have asked for a copy of this document and was told they will provide it.
Starwood refers to many owners making exchanges under the new system. Many owners may not be getting the same exchanges as in the past but are making exchanges…
There is supposed to be a 30 day preference period in Interval when trading back into your home resort or another SVO(Starwood Vacation Ownership) resort. Another words, for the first 30 days after a Starwood unit is deposited with II, it is only available to other Starwood owners. I explained that many owners are seeing different results and Starwood says they will look into it.
Starwood also thinks that the lack of a true request first really isnt an issue. A good way around this is to plan your requests a year in advance or more. For example, in January 2010, use your 2011 weeks to make a request for 2010.
Then if you dont get the exchange at the point in 2010 when you are one year from the most desirable weeks at your resort in 2011,you are free to cancel your exchange request and make a home resort reservation.
Currently Starwood is working on possibly splitting maintenance fees into more than one payment at some or all resorts to make it easier for owners to afford the fees.
They are also going to implement a rule in which exchange confirmations cannot be made until maintenance fees are paid. Owners will be able to make instant online exchanges and put in requests without advance payments but in order for an exchange to be confirmed, owners will need to pay the fees. For example, when you make an online exchange using II (Interval International), your exchange will be pending until your home resort usage is confirmed. If your fees arent paid your exchange will not be confirmed.
Please let me know your thoughts on this.
George
Pointswizard.com Spin: If you’d like to join the fight against Starwood email Gcmarine@aol.com
update 1 Nov 4, 2009
original article Sept. 21, 2009
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