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Old Aug 19, 2018, 8:22 pm
  #5833  
EL3V3N
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Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 233
Originally Posted by Flying for Fun
Where in the old MR program did it say you could attach your certificate to a former SPG property after migration? You bought a pre-merger TP. A month ago cancellation of unattached certificates was a real possibility. The debate then was "worth" & "value" of the certificate. Clearly, the Cat 1-5 certificate was not "worth" it's 150K "value." in the old or new MR.

Recently everyone was advised that they would be able to apply their unattached certificates post merger and that the new chart would prevail.

By not attaching to a Marriott property, which would have afforded maximum value, and maybe better flexibily, you are still getting better value than the 45K residual "worth" you would have gotten if it had been cancelled.

I purchased a Category 8 TP and attached it to Category 8 property which is now a Category 5. Would I have preferred to book at former SPG property? Yes, I would have. But it wasn't possible to at the time. I locked in a tangible $2100 USD savings for 135K Marriott Points. I wasn't going to risk that for an uncertain outcome. Having attached my certificate, I will be able to, upon request, get 30K points refunded, without a cancel/rebook, as my 40K per night reservation now only requires 35K per night. That 30K refund will provide a night in a Cat 4 with 5K MR extra or a night in a Cat 5 with an additional 5K MR. That is a nice little value added bonus.

It never added up that an old 30K per night certificate should have converted to a 35K per night new certificate.

Most of the value of the former TP was in the FF Miles. No complaints there that I have read. If you didn't have a real need for a hotel certificate under the old program then perhaps speculatively leaving a certificate unattached in anticipation it would offer better value post merger was not a good approach. Now 300K will give you 125K FF Miles. Anything extra with a certificate for a stay is a bonus.

Everyone should be happy they still have a certificate with value! Much better than 45K residual "worth" in your account and a cancelled certificate.

James
Maybe in Canada companies can fleece and knowingly steal from their customers but here in America we have consumer protection laws that every company selling anything (including TP's) must abide by. Marriott knowingly stole points from their customers by selling a product at inflated rates and it is indisputable. How Marriott would think they would not get costly backlash should they not correct this is beyond me.
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