Original Message:
Marriott owns Interval international: Time for a breakup? (by Stu M.):
Way back when, many decades ago, major movie studios owned their stars (via contracts), owned their studios, owned their own movie distribution systems, and owned theaters. For better or worse, the heavy hand of Federal regulation eventually came down on MGM, Paramount, 20th Century Fox and all the rest. The studios had to sell their theaters because they had too much control over both product and distribution. / Today, Marriott is consolidating its acquisitions of timeshare and hotel companies to become the world's biggest in BOTH businesses. But Marriott already owns Interval International, which zillions of timeshare owners rely on to make exchanges. Will Marriott -- if it's not doing so already -- make it increasingly difficult for those of us who do not own points in their humongous timeshare property trust to get what we want via Interval International exchanges? Is it time for a regulatory investigation? Is it time for a breakup?