I emphatically disagree.

I hereby call upon Marriott to either change the language as listed, or better, simply accept these certificates on AAA rates and other rates.

Chris,

With all due respect, "a publicly listed rate," is by its clear meaning a rate that is "publicly listed," nothing more, nor nothing less.

It strains the imagination, as well as the language under question, for you/Marriott to also include a proviso that a "publicly listed" cannot by its very nature, be one that requires the holder to demonstrate his/her eligibility for such rate. Why not??

Marriott does not require its guests to demonstrate that they can use any of the package rates that can be found on the Marriott website -- so the statement that one -- by demonstrating their eligibility to use a AAA rate or other rate by showing an I.D. -- renders such rate non-public, is at variance with all those other "publicly listed rates" on the Marriott website, etc. that are eligible to be used with an EEO cert.

Moreover, I submit that Senior rates are also publicly listed rates -- and, therefore, that they, too, ought to be viewed as a "publicly listed" rates that are elgible for use with the EEO certs, etc.

In fact, AAA and Senior rates are clearly indicated when one initally logs onto the Marriott website.

The better, and less strained, reading of the term "publicly listed rate" is just that, that any rate that is found on the Marriot website -- either by initallly logging onto the Marriott website -- as the AAA and Senior rates are -- or by inputting dates and certain Promotion Codes -- should all be viewed as eligible for use with EEO rates, period -- since, they appear on a public website, ergo they are "publicly listed."

Of course, for one to take advantage of the rate in question, one must still demonstrate their eligibility for the AAA rate or Senior rate -- by showing a membership card -- but the mere ministerial act of doing this, does not magically transform a rate that is prominently placed on the Marriott website to a non-public rate. How ridiculous!

In essence, just because you must show a membership card to demonstrate your eligibility for the rate, does not ipso facto make that rate not publicly listed. Indeed, the rate is still there on the public website.

If Marriott truly means to make rates requiring a special membership card, etc. not to be circumscribed within those rates that can be used with an EEO cert, etc., then it should just change the subject language on the back of the EEO certs to include something like the following:

As noted above, a very strong case can be made -- at least with respect to the AAA rates and Senior rates -- as they are conspicuously present when one logs onto Marriott.com to permit these rates to be used with the EEO certs. To say that such rates are not "publicly listed" is plainly absurd and places in question Marriott's hard earned credibility.

I would like to correspond or talk further with the individuals responsible for this ridiculous assertion, as they were supposed to call me today on this very matter, but not surprisingly have failed to do so.