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email just received - Important Updates to Your CLUB WYNDHAM Plus Program Guidelines

ecwinch

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Actually I can see where this makes sense, at least in Wyndham's eyes. You paid more so you get first crack at an upgrade being platinum, gold your next, etc.

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That's how I saw it. They know they increased the upsell potential for all the silver and golds with the auto-upgrade..... "not getting your upgrades? That's because you are not Platinum....let me help you"
 

Bigrob

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Another approach would be to award the automatic upgrade to the highest credit reservations next down in line, so all two bedroom units, for example, would have a chance at an upgrade, regardless of reservation date, before any one bedroom units can upgrade. That would be fair to the Gold or Silver owners who have a two bedroom but a later upgrade window.

I think auto-upgrades will be limited to the next unit up regardless, so a 1BR won't upgrade to a 3BR. If there was no 2BR for that 1BR to upgrade into, it just won't upgrade (until there is one).
 

Bigrob

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The programming will not be that tricky....and I would expect that Platinums would start searching for upgrades at the 60 day window, Gold at 45, etc. The devil is in the details... is it a nightly cycle or does any cancellation automatically try to match to a pending upgrade list ranked by reservation date and/or VIP status?

Interesting and important question. Now that the website will be running 24X7, my guess is it will match to the next unit eligible for upgrade immediately. The logic to determine which unit that is will already have been performed and stored in a data table so the transaction will be virtually instantaneous. Just speculation on my part.

A counterpoint to this thought is that while the website will now be 24X7, there will still be batch jobs that run (for example, to download the reservation data, including guest confirmations, to the local resort systems). My guess is that all of those local resort systems have not been modified to accept real time feeds of reservation data and that some batch jobs will still exist and most likely run at the times they are currently scheduled for. So it's possible that the upgrades will run as a batch job as well, along with other "enhanced" features such as the auto-cancellation of multiple reservations in the same timeframe, auto-cancellation of in excess of 10 units at a resort, etc.
 

Bigrob

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It sounds like the auto-upgrade will eliminate checking for upgrades constantly. And your priority for upgrades will be based on booking at the earliest possible window. Throwing in the different upgrade windows based on VIP level (60 days for platinum, 45 for gold, 30 for silver), this sounds messy. Will a Platinum owner who booked at 10 months get priority over a Gold member who booked at 13 using ARP or RARP simply because their upgrade window opens 15 days earlier? The software programming will be tricky for this IMO. Wyndham hasn't really explained the fine points of how they have set this up to work.

Yes, they will, because they will be looking at 60 days rather than 45 days.

And now you have the sales hook, as Silver and Gold Owners can have their "upgrade ability restored" by buying more points to get to platinum to get to the front of that line.
 

Bigrob

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Upgrade sales are the most important thing to wyndham, New sales are important only because they are tomorrows upgrade. Perhaps the salesmen will focus on the quality of the accommodations and let the product sell itself... Maybe they will focus on the legacy resorts where a two bedroom is cheap at full price and its still possible to get an upgrade in the 60 day window

The folks that buy to have access to Hawaii, New York San Francisco etc, will be sold on the difference between the price and size of local hotel competition and the wyndham accommodation, discounts and upgrades will be presented as a possible thing, but not the big deal and they will be sold points deeded at those resorts (low mf)

Worldmark dosent have discounts or upgrades and yet Wyndham is still able to sell it using a package of benefits they call TravelShare... Perhaps they can do the same with Club Wyndham, focus on the other benefits of VIP, like Plus Partners

Upgrade sales just got easier selling to silver and gold members. "Get to the front of the upgrade line." And if you're going for platinum, why not go for PR to increase your options? Here are the bullet points sales can use to upgrade owners:

1. You have so many more options now. If we get you to platinum, you can wait until the last day of the year to figure out what to do with your remaining points.

2. If we get you to platinum you'll be first in line for that upgrade you want.

3. Availability at all resorts will be SO much better now that we've booted the commercial renters! Now is the time to get the additional points you need for the vacations you've always wanted to take, but never found availability for before.

4. You don't have to camp out at your computer to try to get your upgrade! Let us do the work for you automagically!

5. You have so much more booking flexibility now! Now you can book short stays and midweek to midweek... but of course you'll want to be VIP so you aren't incurring RT and HK fees.

6. We need to get you to VIP! Now you have the option to a) move your points to another use year, and still b) have the option to use those points (in the latter use year) for everything you would in their current use year - including ARP reservations, paying maintenance fees, Wyndham Plus Partners, etc. etc.

7. Now you can book your ARP reservations online! And the sooner you do so, the more likely you'll get an upgrade (if you're platinum VIP).

The list can go on, but there will be many things to sell other than the "get a 3BR Pres for half the 1BR points" spiel. Whether the value is there or not is not going to be the concern for sales.
 

djohn75087

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You know, I would have no problem with getting rid of the credit pool if they would just let me make the deposit at the end of the year. If I could deposit it the end of year I wouldn't end up wasting points or depositing points and wishing I had them back in November. All I need is a little flexibility. I can understand why they don't want me using my 2020 points in 2018 but I think that if I'm willing to pay the fee I should be able to use my 2018 points in 2018 or 2019.
 

tschwa2

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You know, I would have no problem with getting rid of the credit pool if they would just let me make the deposit at the end of the year. If I could deposit it the end of year I wouldn't end up wasting points or depositing points and wishing I had them back in November. All I need is a little flexibility. I can understand why they don't want me using my 2020 points in 2018 but I think that if I'm willing to pay the fee I should be able to use my 2018 points in 2018 or 2019.
All you have to do is upgrade to Platinum and you can- see another selling point.
 

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Here is what I don't understand. How is a person ever going to get a VIP discount on any unit larger than a 1 bedroom. If we try to cancel and rebook a larger unit, that unit is not going to come back into the system because it will go to someone who is waiting for an upgrade. If we wait until the discount window to make a booking, there will not be any large units left. I don't think my VIP discount is going to work at all.

Best wishes, DB
 

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All you have to do is upgrade to Platinum and you can- see another selling point.
Yep I considered that. I'm going to try out the new system, but if I end up wasting lots of points each year or if I can't the take vacations I want later in the year I'll probably give it back to Wyndham and go over to Worldmark. Who knows, maybe the express window will make it all workout.
 

ecwinch

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It will likely require the same strategy as before - just more risk, paying full price for the smaller unit, and/or maybe burning a guest cert.

Book the smaller unit at the 13th month mark. Book larger unit at 10 months mark and hold it in another name. Cancel the larger unit at the 60 day mark, and hope you get the upgrade. Or avoid booking the larger and just hope you catch someone playing the game.

The cancel to get the discount will likely move you down the priority list, so it will a bit more of an either/or game.

Just speculating, we won't know until we see it.
 

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Upgrade sales just got easier selling to silver and gold members. "Get to the front of the upgrade line." And if you're going for platinum, why not go for PR to increase your options? Here are the bullet points sales can use to upgrade owners:

1. You have so many more options now. If we get you to platinum, you can wait until the last day of the year to figure out what to do with your remaining points.

2. If we get you to platinum you'll be first in line for that upgrade you want.

3. Availability at all resorts will be SO much better now that we've booted the commercial renters! Now is the time to get the additional points you need for the vacations you've always wanted to take, but never found availability for before.

4. You don't have to camp out at your computer to try to get your upgrade! Let us do the work for you automagically!

5. You have so much more booking flexibility now! Now you can book short stays and midweek to midweek... but of course you'll want to be VIP so you aren't incurring RT and HK fees.

6. We need to get you to VIP! Now you have the option to a) move your points to another use year, and still b) have the option to use those points (in the latter use year) for everything you would in their current use year - including ARP reservations, paying maintenance fees, Wyndham Plus Partners, etc. etc.

7. Now you can book your ARP reservations online! And the sooner you do so, the more likely you'll get an upgrade (if you're platinum VIP).

The list can go on, but there will be many things to sell other than the "get a 3BR Pres for half the 1BR points" spiel. Whether the value is there or not is not going to be the concern for sales.

You know some sales person is memorizing these lines right now. I agree I believe all of these are great lines they will use to sucker more people to upgrade. Heck I am sure the supervisors started to train the sales staff on them yesterday.

I know it has been mentioned here but I too am wondering if when the new website goes active if it will know the difference between resell points added to VIP memberships. They would not have included that in the supplement because I'm sure they would not want people to know it has for this long. Programming can't be too hard to make that change.
 

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What I would like to know is if I bring forward points from the previous year, will they be used first, or after the regular use year points? If regular points first, I will have left over points I cannot bring forward again.

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tschwa2

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What I would like to know is if I bring forward points from the previous year, will they be used first, or after the regular use year points? If regular points first, I will have left over points I cannot bring forward again.

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You would think they would be used first. You would have to make sure you don't cancel those reservations later in the year because if you do you would end up with points that can't be brought forward and may or may not be eligible for RCI.
 

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Someone on Facebook posted this

"I just called my Wyndham rep and she says when VIP members do a booking there will be a button called "up/down". When clicked this button will automatically give VIP members their discount and upgrade (if possible) at their designated discount/upgrade window."

If this is true, not only will there be automatic upgrades if available, there will also be automatic discounts. So if I have a one bedroom another one bedroom is available, if Im first in line, Ill get the discount automatically, and then my one bedroom will be available, so the next one bedroom reservation gets their discount...and so on

Now if we carry this to its logical conclusion that means, if I make two one bedroom reservations and I cancel one, that will set into motion a chain reaction so that every one bedroom reservation gets remade at a discount

or if one 2 bedroom gets upgraded into a three, and that makes the two bedroom available, then the chain reaction happens and every two bedroom gets remade at the discount



or am I missing something

the question of course is Are automatic discounts part of the automatic upgrade feature... who knows??
 

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...so far.


I would assume so, yes. And I would expect any of my students who have passed EECS 280 to be able to write the code that does that properly. In fact, they do something very much like this as a small part of one of their projects.

Granted, Wyndham's IT systems don't give one a lot of hope, but stranger things have happened.


The system is already capable of distinguishing between platinum and gold, so no new code is needed. I can check for updates at 60 days. My friend with a gold cannot check until 45 days out. The auto upgrade does not need new code to see this.
 

comicbookman

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Someone on Facebook posted this

"I just called my Wyndham rep and she says when VIP members do a booking there will be a button called "up/down". When clicked this button will automatically give VIP members their discount and upgrade (if possible) at their designated discount/upgrade window."

If this is true, not only will there be automatic upgrades if available, there will also be automatic discounts. So if I have a one bedroom another one bedroom is available, if Im first in line, Ill get the discount automatically, and then my one bedroom will be available, so the next one bedroom reservation gets their discount...and so on

Now if we carry this to its logical conclusion that means, if I make two one bedroom reservations and I cancel one, that will set into motion a chain reaction so that every one bedroom reservation gets remade at a discount

or if one 2 bedroom gets upgraded into a three, and that makes the two bedroom available, then the chain reaction happens and every two bedroom gets remade at the discount



or am I missing something

the question of course is Are automatic discounts part of the automatic upgrade feature... who knows??

I seriously doubt the discount will be automatic. There is no advantage to Wyndham, and it is contrary to the way the discount helps Wyndham. IE. the discount is supposed to be to move rooms remaining at the 60 or 45 day windows. As Ron points out, if the discount is automatic then it creates a chain reaction. This part sounds like sales talk to me.
 

tschwa2

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My guess is either the guide misspoke or the poster misheard/misunderstood the guide. There is nothing in the supplement suggesting automatic discounts during the window.
 

Sandy VDH

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I'm not buying that either. I could buy auto upgrade if available, when batch job is run, making other smaller units available if and when larger unit are automatically upgraded. The is OK, Wyndham is giving Upgrades as promised at upgrade windows.

But discounts. This was never promised as automatic. I can't imagine Wynd doing this, so this is I will believe it when I see it. right, statement.
 

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When did everyone get the email?. Is there a reason I am not getting it?. I have looked in junk mail too, no email.
 

scootr5

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When did everyone get the email?. Is there a reason I am not getting it?. I have looked in junk mail too, no email.

8:29 am central time 4/20/2017.
 

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My guess is either the guide misspoke or the poster misheard/misunderstood the guide. There is nothing in the supplement suggesting automatic discounts during the window.

I think so too but anther owner tipped me off to what was coming and it came


If it's just upgrades wouldn't that set off a limited chain reaction. I cancel a 3 bedroom, and someones 2 bedroom is upgraded into the 3 and someone else's 1 bedroom into the two and someone's studio into the one, leaving the studio available for someone to reserve at the discount
 

Bigrob

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You know some sales person is memorizing these lines right now. I agree I believe all of these are great lines they will use to sucker more people to upgrade. Heck I am sure the supervisors started to train the sales staff on them yesterday.

I know it has been mentioned here but I too am wondering if when the new website goes active if it will know the difference between resell points added to VIP memberships. They would not have included that in the supplement because I'm sure they would not want people to know it has for this long. Programming can't be too hard to make that change.

I don't believe so. The language in the supplement that makes me think that:

"As a Club Wyndham Plus Member, you receive specific benefits that are associated with your contract and membership type. Your points allow you to use your benefits, regardless of which contract they came from, and with our upcoming enhancements you will no longer have to worry about different point types and their eligibility."

And I also don't think it matters much, because they have addressed these issues with the other changes: 1. the ability to book units for discounts of 80% or more has been eliminated, as only a one level increase will be possible; and only when available, so likely many upgrades will be for non-discounted reservations. 2. Points rolling forward indefinitely has been eliminated, so the ability to "cycle" points through multiple iterations of cancel/rebook/upgrade has also largely been eliminated. In the old pattern, you could pull up to 2019 points into the credit pool and start booking reservations at the 10-month window with them. You might have 5 or more cycles -
each at the 10-month mark - to capture your 4BR Presidential units at a 1BR price. Now you may get one chance at it, then have the remaining points to use by year end.

Big picture view: the average point cost for units has gone up significantly, to more closely match the "rack rate" - and therefore the cost of the VIP program has gone down tremendously. Availability for the non-VIP owners has (likely) increased - the opportunity for the less savvy platinum VIP owner to get upgrades has increased - and a small select group of owners who have worked the system as it was are the big losers. The ability to make sure the Fairshare Trust is managed appropriately (remains in balance and does not go "out of Trust") has been greatly enhanced with the elimination of the credit pool feature. And I believe that is exactly the intent of the changes.
 

Bigrob

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Someone on Facebook posted this

"I just called my Wyndham rep and she says when VIP members do a booking there will be a button called "up/down". When clicked this button will automatically give VIP members their discount and upgrade (if possible) at their designated discount/upgrade window."

If this is true, not only will there be automatic upgrades if available, there will also be automatic discounts. So if I have a one bedroom another one bedroom is available, if Im first in line, Ill get the discount automatically, and then my one bedroom will be available, so the next one bedroom reservation gets their discount...and so on

Now if we carry this to its logical conclusion that means, if I make two one bedroom reservations and I cancel one, that will set into motion a chain reaction so that every one bedroom reservation gets remade at a discount

or if one 2 bedroom gets upgraded into a three, and that makes the two bedroom available, then the chain reaction happens and every two bedroom gets remade at the discount



or am I missing something

the question of course is Are automatic discounts part of the automatic upgrade feature... who knows??

I believe what was meant is that the "instant upgrade" feature will still be available during the discount window (if units are available). That would make the statement accurate... if you book inside the discount window, you can get the discount and (if available) the upgrade, just as you do today. Whether or not that's likely is another question.

What I do not believe will happen is that there will be a button outside of the discount window that allows you to "rebook" automatically for the discount when the window opens.
 

topcop400

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I often credit pool the points from my smaller contract. Typically, I use about half of them in one year and the other half the next year. I won’t be able to do that now. Unless, they will allow me to “deposit” half of them to one future UY and the other half to the next future UY. In that case, I’m sure I’d get to pay the deposit fee twice.


With regard to the automatic upgrades, you wouldn’t be able to press that magic button if you had a one-bedroom oceanfront unit, and you wanted a two-bedroom oceanfront unit.
 

Bigrob

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I often credit pool the points from my smaller contract. Typically, I use about half of them in one year and the other half the next year. I won’t be able to do that now. Unless, they will allow me to “deposit” half of them to one future UY and the other half to the next future UY. In that case, I’m sure I’d get to pay the deposit fee twice.


With regard to the automatic upgrades, you wouldn’t be able to press that magic button if you had a one-bedroom oceanfront unit, and you wanted a two-bedroom oceanfront unit.

We don't know yet whether you will be able to or not. When I asked I was told you could request a unit with upgraded view. I am not sure what options if any will be offered when selecting the upgrade button. Obviously if you have a 2br pres you may not want an "upgrade" into a 3br deluxe for example.


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