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MVCI owner services fail

Sullco2

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As an owner of Custom House I get to make short stay reservations. I made several this year and when something came up and I had to cancel a two day August stay. I called them, had the conversation, asked if I had a fee to pay, was told "No" and hung up satisfied that I had made the cancellation.

Weeks later I called to use those two days and was told that "No, you did not cancel them." After providing research including phone records of my call to their toll free number on the date I cancelled and after several discussions with lower lever staff, I finally was told by an Owner Services person the REAL REASON I lost my days.

The sixty-day cancellation rule meant I couldn't cancel within 60 days. I am very familiar with most aspects of this industry, but had lost sight of this one. What didn't happen though, was that Owner Services made no attempt to tell me that I couldn't cancel those days because of the rule. Clearly the rep didn't know the rule and no one in Owner Services did anything to alert me to the potential loss of the days. As I stated, I hung up thinking I had successfully made the cancellation.

Well, you know the result...no matter how many levels I went up the chain MVCI refused to reinstate the two days. I told them that if the agent had told me I was not able to cancel I would have rented them out (on TUG, for example) or otherwise used them. But that never happened.

As a "gesture of good will" they finally offered to put 10,000 points in our account.

I am posting this as a warning that Owner Services not only isn't fully capable, but that they have no intention of making up for their errors.

From now on I will religiously badger them for ID, citations of rules, etc. And you might consider doing the same.
 

Ken555

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Marriott doesn't send an email confirmation for cancellations for your records?


Sent from my iPad
 

Sullco2

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I was (formerly) so confident in Owner Services that I never even thought about looking for it after I hung up the phone. Plus we were on our way out of the country that afternoon , etc. etc.

But indeed they do.

However, in this case they didn't because they didn't cancel it.
 

MOXJO7282

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The sixty-day cancellation rule meant I couldn't cancel within 60 days. I am very familiar with most aspects of this industry, but had lost sight of this one. What didn't happen though, was that Owner Services made no attempt to tell me that I couldn't cancel those days because of the rule. As a "gesture of good will" they finally offered to put 10,000 points in our account.

They should have told you for sure but that is a very common element of the Marriott timeshare program and has been for years. I'd be happy with the 10,000 points and take it as a lesson learned.
 

ilene13

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Having owned Marriott timeshares since 1990 I have learned a number of things about the owner services department. They do screw up at various levels. I always get the name and direct extension number of the rep I have dealt with. If the issue arises while I am on the phone I insist on speaking to a supervisor and I will stay on the phone until there is some resolution. If I realize what has happened after the fact I at least have a name, etc to give to a supervisor.
I also now buy the travel insurance that covers all of my timeshare stays for a full year. We have not had to use it, but in your case it would have compensated you for the 2 days. As Joe said, at this point take the 10,000 points and move on.
 

BocaBoy

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I also now buy the travel insurance that covers all of my timeshare stays for a full year. We have not had to use it, but in your case it would have compensated you for the 2 days.

Travel insurance would only have compensated for the 2 days if the cancellation was for a covered reason, and in his post the OP did not state the reason he had to cancel.
 

dioxide45

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It is also wise to check your Marriott.com account after making a reservation and cancelling as the reservation should have disappeared rather quickly from your upcoming reservations on Marriott.com. I have found though that the online my-vacationclub.com reservation will continue to show the reservation for a day or two.
 

Fasttr

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It is also wise to check your Marriott.com account after making a reservation and cancelling as the reservation should have disappeared rather quickly from your upcoming reservations on Marriott.com. I have found though that the online my-vacationclub.com reservation will continue to show the reservation for a day or two.

When you are on the My Reservations listing page in your Marriott.com account, there is even a tab for "Canceled" reservation. clicking on that will show you the original confirmation number, as well as the cancellation number.
 

DanaTom

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Like you, I too would have assumed all was taken care of. But, thanks to TUG and the education I've gotten on here, I know situations such as yours does happen. In fact, it happens at times at all companies. So, I get confirmation#s and on II, as the others here state to do, I always do a followup on my account records. (What I don't like it that it usually takes a day or two to show up).

At least you got 10,000 points. What does that do, cover 1/3rd or 1/4th of one night?

:hi:






I was (formerly) so confident in Owner Services that I never even thought about looking for it after I hung up the phone. Plus we were on our way out of the country that afternoon , etc. etc.

But indeed they do.

However, in this case they didn't because they didn't cancel it.
 

hcarman

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I have found over the years that MVCI is a bit more rigid when you deal with them, than Marriott customer service. This is just my experience though. I have had many a time when I have contacted MVCI and they don't ever get back to me. Not so with Marriott.
 

Sullco2

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Thanks to you all. Lesson learned--certainly the hard way.

I'll be watching them like the proverbial hawk.

10,000 points is in the category of nominal courtesy gesture, that's for sure. Given the hotel rate in effect on the Marriott site for those days, one way to establish the value places my loss at almost $900. Of course the MVCI insurance policy, if it would have covered it at all, reimburses the fraction of the MF that your lost days represent. Less than a quarter of the hotel value.

The other way to look at this is that I've now established the "mental value" of the week: $2800 +

It pays to use every day of your ownership and to pay total attention to the details. Luckily I paid almost nothing for this membership on the secondary market.

I'll make it up.
 
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