Originally Posted by pinniped

The crazy thing is: I empathize with the OP. He's done something that is almost impossible to actually do, and I could easily see a non-FTer (read: someone who isn't a total nerd about these programs) doing and not being aware of it until too late. I can also see where Marriott/Starwood might be willing to grant an exception to someone who really has fully barely short of Platinum in both programs.

Different tone, less entitlement, less informing us how sophisticated he is...he might actually get some helpful advice here. Hotel programs have been generous to me over the years, occasionally extending Plat/Diamond when I didn't fully earn it. Asking how to proceed in this situation isn't unreasonable, but "reasonable" discussion left the station 1 sentence into the OP.

Makes me wonder if the request to Marriott and Starwood wasn't a snotty entitled demand/threat, and that's why it got shot down.