JudyS
TUG Member
I recently booked an exchange using II's ePlus trade. The check-in date on my original trade is November 16, 2013. It turns out I won't be using this November 16, 2013 exchange. When I booked and purchased ePlus, II's website said I would have until November 16, 2014 (a year from my original check-in date) to complete any retrades that I wanted to do. This sounded great because I figured I could just pick up a last-minute trade in fall 2014 to Orlando.
Well, it turns out I only have about six months, not one year, to retrade. The reason is, I am canceling during the Flexchange window (less than 59 days out.) I thought I could just cancel my current trade, and then use ePlus to retrade when I was ready to book something else during the Flexchange window. So, I figured I'd cancel my November 16, 2013 week now, then next August or September I would book something within the 59-window for October 2014 in Orlando. But, it turns out it doesn't work that way. Instead, I have to retrade now for something within the 59-day window. That is, I must book something now for no later than mid-January 2014. I can do a maximum of three retrades, all for no more than 59 days out, so the furthest out I can use my ePlus retrade is around May 2014. This is six months from my original check-in, even though it says right on the "Eplus retrade" button in my account that I have until November 2104 to do a retrade.
There is nothing about this 6-month restriction in the ePlus Retrade FAQs, but page 18 of the 61-page II's User's Guide:
When the Member requests an E-Plus retrade 59 days to 24 hours prior to the first date of occupancy of the Confirmation or, if applicable, initial retrade, the Member may only select from accommodations that have occupancy dates commencing up to 60 days after the first date of occupancy of the Confirmation or previously issued retrade. Any subsequent retrade request may only be for Host Accommodations with occupancy dates 60 days or less prior to the first date of occupancy of the current retrade.
If ones does the math, then yes, page 18 of the T&C implies that if one cancels one's initial confirmation less than 59 days out, then one will have only three 59-day periods -- a total of about six months -- in which to use ePlus retrade. But I am angry about this, because there is nothing about it in the FAQ. Everything else explicitly says you have a year to do a retrade, including page 17 of the T&C:
E-Plus may be used to secure up to three (3) retrades of the Member’s Host Accommodations and/or vacation periods, at any time up to 12 months after the first date of occupancy of the Host Accommodations of the original Confirmation (the “E-Plus Usage Window”). Once established, the E-Plus Usage Window does not change upon any subsequent retrade.
What I really need to fix this problem is a CS rep who will do an override on the 59-day limitation. Any retrade for next September would allow me to get the re-trade I want for next October/Early November. Even a dumpy studio in the middle of the lowest-demand hurricane zone would do, as long as it let me set up a retrade before my November 16, 2013 check-in date. But, the CS rep I spoke said she couldn't do an override of the 59-day restriction. I don't know if overrides aren't allowed on ePlus retrades, or if this particular person just didn't have authority to do one.
By the way, reading page 18 of the T&C, it sounds like the ePlus retrade rules allow a way to get around the 59-day Flexchange restriction on a late deposit. The T&C claim you could, for example:
1) deposit a November 24 2013 week today
2) trade it for mid-January, 2014
3) buy ePlus
4) immediate retrade your January 2014 exchange for a March 2014 exchange (because March is 59 days or less from your current exchange)
5) immediate retrade your March 2014 exchange for a May 2014 exchange (because May is 59 days or less from your 2nd exchange)
6) immediate retrade your May 2014 exchange for a July 2014 exchange
(because July is 59 days or less from your 3rd exchange).
Volia! You've just traded a late deposit for something almost 8 months out! I'm not sure if II's computers would let you do this or not. But, it they go by page 18 of their own T&C, they should permit this.
Well, it turns out I only have about six months, not one year, to retrade. The reason is, I am canceling during the Flexchange window (less than 59 days out.) I thought I could just cancel my current trade, and then use ePlus to retrade when I was ready to book something else during the Flexchange window. So, I figured I'd cancel my November 16, 2013 week now, then next August or September I would book something within the 59-window for October 2014 in Orlando. But, it turns out it doesn't work that way. Instead, I have to retrade now for something within the 59-day window. That is, I must book something now for no later than mid-January 2014. I can do a maximum of three retrades, all for no more than 59 days out, so the furthest out I can use my ePlus retrade is around May 2014. This is six months from my original check-in, even though it says right on the "Eplus retrade" button in my account that I have until November 2104 to do a retrade.
There is nothing about this 6-month restriction in the ePlus Retrade FAQs, but page 18 of the 61-page II's User's Guide:
When the Member requests an E-Plus retrade 59 days to 24 hours prior to the first date of occupancy of the Confirmation or, if applicable, initial retrade, the Member may only select from accommodations that have occupancy dates commencing up to 60 days after the first date of occupancy of the Confirmation or previously issued retrade. Any subsequent retrade request may only be for Host Accommodations with occupancy dates 60 days or less prior to the first date of occupancy of the current retrade.
If ones does the math, then yes, page 18 of the T&C implies that if one cancels one's initial confirmation less than 59 days out, then one will have only three 59-day periods -- a total of about six months -- in which to use ePlus retrade. But I am angry about this, because there is nothing about it in the FAQ. Everything else explicitly says you have a year to do a retrade, including page 17 of the T&C:
E-Plus may be used to secure up to three (3) retrades of the Member’s Host Accommodations and/or vacation periods, at any time up to 12 months after the first date of occupancy of the Host Accommodations of the original Confirmation (the “E-Plus Usage Window”). Once established, the E-Plus Usage Window does not change upon any subsequent retrade.
What I really need to fix this problem is a CS rep who will do an override on the 59-day limitation. Any retrade for next September would allow me to get the re-trade I want for next October/Early November. Even a dumpy studio in the middle of the lowest-demand hurricane zone would do, as long as it let me set up a retrade before my November 16, 2013 check-in date. But, the CS rep I spoke said she couldn't do an override of the 59-day restriction. I don't know if overrides aren't allowed on ePlus retrades, or if this particular person just didn't have authority to do one.
By the way, reading page 18 of the T&C, it sounds like the ePlus retrade rules allow a way to get around the 59-day Flexchange restriction on a late deposit. The T&C claim you could, for example:
1) deposit a November 24 2013 week today
2) trade it for mid-January, 2014
3) buy ePlus
4) immediate retrade your January 2014 exchange for a March 2014 exchange (because March is 59 days or less from your current exchange)
5) immediate retrade your March 2014 exchange for a May 2014 exchange (because May is 59 days or less from your 2nd exchange)
6) immediate retrade your May 2014 exchange for a July 2014 exchange
(because July is 59 days or less from your 3rd exchange).
Volia! You've just traded a late deposit for something almost 8 months out! I'm not sure if II's computers would let you do this or not. But, it they go by page 18 of their own T&C, they should permit this.
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