can you sell Marriott cheque awards
Aug 24, 2011, 4:13 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: AC SE100K, Marriott Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 277
can you sell Marriott cheque awards
Hello,
I have $1000 in Marriott cheque awards. (20 x $50 each) that I'd like to sell if possible.
The terms and conditions on the website state that they are void if sold, bartered, etc. however there is no such mention of any restriction on the actual cheque award.
Any thoughts?
I have $1000 in Marriott cheque awards. (20 x $50 each) that I'd like to sell if possible.
The terms and conditions on the website state that they are void if sold, bartered, etc. however there is no such mention of any restriction on the actual cheque award.
Any thoughts?
Aug 24, 2011, 4:16 pm
#2
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 71,107
a) don't do it. b) it's against FT TOS to sell stuff.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Aug 24, 2011, 4:22 pm
#3
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Join Date: Feb 2006
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Posts: 277
Aug 24, 2011, 4:26 pm
#4
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Well given the T&C say no, I'd say you have your answer.
If you want to try & do it amongst family/friends, maybe. I haven't seen them to see if there's a name.
But if you're thinking of doing it on any public online site that Marriott can track, I'd say up to you on whether you want to lose $1K of cheques.
Cheers.
If you want to try & do it amongst family/friends, maybe. I haven't seen them to see if there's a name.
But if you're thinking of doing it on any public online site that Marriott can track, I'd say up to you on whether you want to lose $1K of cheques.
Cheers.
Aug 24, 2011, 4:35 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: AC SE100K, Marriott Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 277
Well given the T&C say no, I'd say you have your answer.
If you want to try & do it amongst family/friends, maybe. I haven't seen them to see if there's a name.
But if you're thinking of doing it on any public online site that Marriott can track, I'd say up to you on whether you want to lose $1K of cheques.
Cheers.
If you want to try & do it amongst family/friends, maybe. I haven't seen them to see if there's a name.
But if you're thinking of doing it on any public online site that Marriott can track, I'd say up to you on whether you want to lose $1K of cheques.
Cheers.
Aug 24, 2011, 4:47 pm
#6
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That leads to my question - which T&C actually matters? The T&C printed on the cheques themselves or the T&C printed on the website? There are also some differences in the language regarding the other terms which I would like to know which take precendence. The website says it's valid for all publicly available rates whereas the cheque itself says it's not valid for any rates which require ID or membership. Different wording but you think they would have one set of T&C for one product.
If it were me I'd probably argue the case that the cheque T&Cs are the ones that matter.
Cheers.
Aug 24, 2011, 5:05 pm
#7
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Gulf Coast/Ventura County/Somewhere in between
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Posts: 4,431
Or, you can keep asking the same question a gazillion times until someone gives you the answer you want to hear. Then you can go ahead and do what you planned on in the first place.
Aug 25, 2011, 7:38 pm
#8
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: OHIO - CVG,DAY
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Plat, DL DM MM. National Exec... and my CC qualified for Plat. Status!
Posts: 469
Lol! You guys are soooo testy!
I have used the Gift Cheques many times. They are a bearer instrument, so whoever signs the Cheque can use them. You can give them to anyone, but not sell them.
I don't now if they track them because they say they can't help you replace them. The ones that I had were not in numerical order but they were close.
They do expire and they can be used for incedentals and any publicly available rate.
No AAA rate or any other that requires a membership can be paid for with Gift Cheques. Everything else is fair game.
If you have some for free, I would be happy to have them.
I have used the Gift Cheques many times. They are a bearer instrument, so whoever signs the Cheque can use them. You can give them to anyone, but not sell them.
I don't now if they track them because they say they can't help you replace them. The ones that I had were not in numerical order but they were close.
They do expire and they can be used for incedentals and any publicly available rate.
No AAA rate or any other that requires a membership can be paid for with Gift Cheques. Everything else is fair game.
If you have some for free, I would be happy to have them.
Aug 25, 2011, 9:53 pm
#9
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: AA, Marriott rewards, United, AA, Delta
Posts: 150
I thought they used to give them as bonus awards at certain hotels. I would love to have some too. I never see offers anymore.
Aug 26, 2011, 7:51 am
#10
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I doubt the OP is going to give the cheques to FTers given he's interested in selling them 
Cheers.
Cheers.
Aug 26, 2011, 11:12 am
#11
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: DFW,TX USA
Programs: Lifetime Platinum Marriott
Posts: 1,568
They are not valid if sold
It is common for instruments to have limited legal language but the Marriott T&C are public and are the governing rules.
Selling them is wrong and the more that it happens, the more that companies start putting more restrictions on these to make them harder to use.
Right now they are easy to give to family or friends as a present. If there starts to be misuse like this, then those will stop.
Don't do it. It hurts all of us.
Selling them is wrong and the more that it happens, the more that companies start putting more restrictions on these to make them harder to use.
Right now they are easy to give to family or friends as a present. If there starts to be misuse like this, then those will stop.
Don't do it. It hurts all of us.
Aug 26, 2011, 11:40 am
#12
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: Marriott LT Tit; Hyatt Explorist; Hilton CC Gold; IHG CC Plt; Hertz (MR) 5 star
Posts: 5,536
Let's hash this over on a number of levels.
Legality of selling them: Website says no. The T&C on the back of the cheque makes no mention of selling. Slightly gray area but since the website says no, Marriott would be within their legal rights to void the cheques and shut down your elite account due to you selling the cheques.
I put that in there so that you understand maximum downside risk in selling the cheques.
Practicality of selling them: If you put them on ebay, Marriott will get them taken down. You used to be able to find Bonus Bucks/Premium Pounds/Extra Euros on ebay. No more; Marriott aggressively has them removed and they've mostly done away with the program due to abuses.
If you sell them on craigslist or some other less visible website (NOT FT!), you will likely be able to sell them.
Risk of being caught: Pretty miniscule. There is a unique number on all gift cheques so they can be traced back to you if Marriott puts in the effort. However, if you're a serial seller of gift cheques, their usage will likely get red flagged.
In the past I've ordered up gift cheques many, many times. But I always use them for my personal stays; no one but me has ever used a gift cheque issued to me. But due to my high redemptions in a fairly short time period, I bet that Marriott audited their usage and matched them with my hotel bills.
Bottom line for me is that the risk of being caught is small. But the rewards for selling them are also small and the penalty for being caught is just not worth the small risk/reward.
Legality of selling them: Website says no. The T&C on the back of the cheque makes no mention of selling. Slightly gray area but since the website says no, Marriott would be within their legal rights to void the cheques and shut down your elite account due to you selling the cheques.
I put that in there so that you understand maximum downside risk in selling the cheques.
Practicality of selling them: If you put them on ebay, Marriott will get them taken down. You used to be able to find Bonus Bucks/Premium Pounds/Extra Euros on ebay. No more; Marriott aggressively has them removed and they've mostly done away with the program due to abuses.
If you sell them on craigslist or some other less visible website (NOT FT!), you will likely be able to sell them.
Risk of being caught: Pretty miniscule. There is a unique number on all gift cheques so they can be traced back to you if Marriott puts in the effort. However, if you're a serial seller of gift cheques, their usage will likely get red flagged.
In the past I've ordered up gift cheques many, many times. But I always use them for my personal stays; no one but me has ever used a gift cheque issued to me. But due to my high redemptions in a fairly short time period, I bet that Marriott audited their usage and matched them with my hotel bills.
Bottom line for me is that the risk of being caught is small. But the rewards for selling them are also small and the penalty for being caught is just not worth the small risk/reward.
Aug 26, 2011, 1:34 pm
#13
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: AA Plat, Marriott Plat
Posts: 736
Let's hash this over on a number of levels.
Legality of selling them: Website says no. The T&C on the back of the cheque makes no mention of selling. Slightly gray area but since the website says no, Marriott would be within their legal rights to void the cheques and shut down your elite account due to you selling the cheques.
I put that in there so that you understand maximum downside risk in selling the cheques.
Practicality of selling them: If you put them on ebay, Marriott will get them taken down. You used to be able to find Bonus Bucks/Premium Pounds/Extra Euros on ebay. No more; Marriott aggressively has them removed and they've mostly done away with the program due to abuses.
If you sell them on craigslist or some other less visible website (NOT FT!), you will likely be able to sell them.
Risk of being caught: Pretty miniscule. There is a unique number on all gift cheques so they can be traced back to you if Marriott puts in the effort. However, if you're a serial seller of gift cheques, their usage will likely get red flagged.
In the past I've ordered up gift cheques many, many times. But I always use them for my personal stays; no one but me has ever used a gift cheque issued to me. But due to my high redemptions in a fairly short time period, I bet that Marriott audited their usage and matched them with my hotel bills.
Bottom line for me is that the risk of being caught is small. But the rewards for selling them are also small and the penalty for being caught is just not worth the small risk/reward.
Legality of selling them: Website says no. The T&C on the back of the cheque makes no mention of selling. Slightly gray area but since the website says no, Marriott would be within their legal rights to void the cheques and shut down your elite account due to you selling the cheques.
I put that in there so that you understand maximum downside risk in selling the cheques.
Practicality of selling them: If you put them on ebay, Marriott will get them taken down. You used to be able to find Bonus Bucks/Premium Pounds/Extra Euros on ebay. No more; Marriott aggressively has them removed and they've mostly done away with the program due to abuses.
If you sell them on craigslist or some other less visible website (NOT FT!), you will likely be able to sell them.
Risk of being caught: Pretty miniscule. There is a unique number on all gift cheques so they can be traced back to you if Marriott puts in the effort. However, if you're a serial seller of gift cheques, their usage will likely get red flagged.
In the past I've ordered up gift cheques many, many times. But I always use them for my personal stays; no one but me has ever used a gift cheque issued to me. But due to my high redemptions in a fairly short time period, I bet that Marriott audited their usage and matched them with my hotel bills.
Bottom line for me is that the risk of being caught is small. But the rewards for selling them are also small and the penalty for being caught is just not worth the small risk/reward.
Aug 26, 2011, 1:59 pm
#14
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: Marriott LT Tit; Hyatt Explorist; Hilton CC Gold; IHG CC Plt; Hertz (MR) 5 star
Posts: 5,536
I compared using points for 'free' stays vs getting gift cheques and using those for the stays. Many times it was more advantageous pointwise to use cheques instead of points for a stay. There are quite a few threads on this subject; I've posted my strategy on several of them.
Aug 26, 2011, 6:26 pm
#15
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NC
Programs: Marriott LT Plat, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 2,881
You've got to use the points sometime; I hadn't used my points for ~3 years and decided to start using them (close to 1 million points). Well, you don't have to use them but I wanted to decrease my points.
I compared using points for 'free' stays vs getting gift cheques and using those for the stays. Many times it was more advantageous pointwise to use cheques instead of points for a stay. There are quite a few threads on this subject; I've posted my strategy on several of them.
I compared using points for 'free' stays vs getting gift cheques and using those for the stays. Many times it was more advantageous pointwise to use cheques instead of points for a stay. There are quite a few threads on this subject; I've posted my strategy on several of them.
I have purchased them several times, and found them to be of great use, especially when an award room is not available. Also remember that rates can fluctuate greatly, but point assignment does not. So if a 20 or 25K point hotel can be found for $79, does not make sense to use points.
Finally, using cheques insures stay credit, where award stays do not.