And you can buy Plat for less than $400 (and earn a few points in the process). But that's another thread.

So you net paid 40K points (paid 80K, got back 40K in extra earnings) and 40K lifetime points (paid 80K, got back 40K in extra earnings). Now they provided you with 40K points and 40K lifetime points, putting you back to even with not having paid for Platinum, and any Platinum benefits you got (e.g. lounge access, upgrades) are gravy.

Read post 59 on the thread cited to.

Perhaps MR decided to emphasize the disclaimer this year vrs facing the same problem it had before.

That would be my guess. And presumably if they keep offering it, my money is on the verbiage re: deduction of lifetime will continue to stay on the home page.

And given the upcoming merger, this might be the last year Marriott offers buy-back. No idea of course.

Cheers.

My distinct recollection is that folks posted here that MR failed to even mention this "feature" when they first offered the program, never mind emphasize it. While one might expect a deduction for transferred points, I don't think most would expect a deduction for earned points spent to obtain a benefit. Of course MR can make whatever rules it wants to, but t'would be nice if it listed all the conditions when the offer was first made. However, as pointed out above, MR clearly listed the condition this year and so all were warned.

I am thinking once you made Lifetime gold or Lifetime Plat, you will stay as a gold/Plat for the rest of your life. Then the accumulated points do not matter that much and you can transfer points to family members or friends to help them buy back their status, right?

Correct.

Cheers.

Cool. So if someone will lend me a few hundred thousand points (if you're transferring them to your friend, send them by way of me so I can pick up lifetime status in the middle, then I'll send them on) we're good to go.

:D :D

To SkiAdcock:

As you can see on this thread, many customers did NOT know about the lifetime balance deduction because as stated in my post: "No publication from Marriott and no representative had ever told this to me before." The company has a legal obligation to disclose such terms clearly and directly to customers. Hiding such terms in micro fine print violates that legal requirement. Furthermore, I could care less if Marriott eliminates the buyback program -> it is currently hurting their customers more than it is helping.

My post is meant to help others by:

1) warning them of the situation
2) giving others a means to be made whole (via a class action suit should it come to that) if they have already been impacted either this year or in previous years as I was

So while I respect your opinion, I sure hope others won't think like you. If we all had the same "a class action will get you nowhere" attitude, then we would be living in an uncivilized world where corporations abuse the rights of customers.

Thanks,
tigrr49

Except if the points deducted as a result of the transfer put you below the lifetime requirement.

That's a strange meaning of "Lifetime".

But I believe someone actually tested that, and retained the lifetime status.

Seth, I know someone tested it and had their lifetime points balance decline. They were still above the 2MM mark.

I don't know of anyone testing it and going below 2MM; I would expect their LT status to be revoked if they go below 2MM LT points. I'm just above 2MM LT points and I have no intention of testing it.

IIRC someone did test it with their points going below the threshold and they lost the lifetime status. I think this was a case of someone making lifetime status, then transferring points to spouse to help spouse's quest for lifetime status.

Check post 1725, yes it did happen.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...tatus-115.html