Maybe they aren't showing the same flexibility for Gold members as Platinums?

As a PP, I called the MR line on Friday, 2/22 (hadn't actually read this thread at the time) and they told me no problem to change to any of the offers (including both the Category 5 x 2 or Cat. 4 x 3 free night offers which they spelled out for me) but they would rather I wait until I am sure which one I want before making the note in my record. They said call back by April 15 to get that done.

I still think MR is a good program. But some of the changes in the last few years have encouraged me to diversify a little bit, so I no longer exclusively stay at Marriotts. I do want to say that they really have listened to their customers on a lot of things (clearly not everything, and I've already complained about those - the now, almost complete lack of benefits for Plats and Golds at full-service hotels on weekends in NA, loss of BOGOs, unnecessary devaluations), etc. But they gave us free internet, they started announcing changes (unfortunately these days those changes are simply devaluations) well in advance and with great specificity, they've improved the website dramatically in response to customer feedback since they originally got it wrong last year with their site overhaul, etc. Good luck getting that level of Customer Service from certain other travel-related businesses.