# Choosing a reservation type when grouping bookings and adding a guest certificate



## marmite (Mar 5, 2022)

I didn't want to hijack the thread @Sandy VDH just created with the great chart in it, but have many questions about how to proceed with choosing a reservation type, and if I can group a reservation to use one Guest Certificate.  I have just bought my own resale WM contract (but don't have the account set up yet), so have no experience using it. Please forgive me if I am asking a question that should have easily been found in another thread.

The situation is that I would ideally like to book a 4 night cash-stay, less than two weeks from now, through a friend's WM account -- but only 2 of the days I want are currently available (in a 2BR).  I am contemplating booking two nights now, and the remaining two nights later (if a 2BR doesn't come up I will also consider a smaller size unit).  My friend has a spare Guest Certificate on her account that she has encouraged me to use.  I have read the thread that explains there are no changes to reservations or names on the certificate, so I should only add it at the last moment or I could risk losing $99 to get a new certificate.

I went part way through the checkout process for the first two nights, and Bonus Time and Inventory Specials are both available for the reservation I want.  





On first glance they look identical, but after seeing the chart below, I realize they are not.

Should I select the_ Inventory Special?_

If I pick _Bonus Time_  it says it is "Limited to 1 active reservation at a time".   Even if I am able to pick up an extra two days on Bonus Time, it sounds like I wouldn't even be able to make that 2nd reservation until after I had completed the first two night stay.  Is that correct? 





If I am able to get a 2nd reservation, will I need an additional Guest Certificate for those extra two days?  Or will Customer Service group my two reservations and then allow just one Guest Certificate to be used for the complete stay?  I realize my friend would need to call on my behalf if I can't accomplish all these things online.

How would you proceed?

Thanks you!


----------



## bizaro86 (Mar 5, 2022)

You should use inventory special instead of bonus time.

The price is the same, but bonus time has many limitations, some of which will affect you. Bonus time can only be used for guests 5 days out and only 1 bonus time reservation at a time are the two that will be an issue here.

IMO if a reservation can be booked on IS that is always the best way to do it.


----------



## geist1223 (Mar 5, 2022)

Any changes to a Reservation that uses a GC will cause the loss of the GC and a new GC or GC fee will be needed.


----------



## Sandy VDH (Mar 5, 2022)

I thought Bonus time was cheaper than IS.  I adjusted my post to show they are exactly the same.  At least they are according your post.


----------



## marmite (Mar 5, 2022)

bizaro86 said:


> You should use inventory special instead of bonus time.
> 
> The price is the same, but bonus time has many limitations, some of which will affect you. Bonus time can only be used for guests 5 days out and only 1 bonus time reservation at a time are the two that will be an issue here.
> 
> IMO if a reservation can be booked on IS that is always the best way to do it.



Thank you.  For this reservation, I didn't have an option of Monday Madness. Does that also have restrictions that would have made an Inventory Special the best cash option?


----------



## marmite (Mar 5, 2022)

Sandy VDH said:


> I thought Bonus time was cheaper than IS.  I adjusted my post to show they are exactly the same.  At least they are according your post.


I didn't attempt check out with any other resorts so am not sure if this is an unusual situation for these to be the same price.  The Portland two bedroom units seem to take quite a bit of points (that is 5,700 points for just two week days).  The minimum cash reservation price is $80 (if I recall correctly)... do they have a maximum rate I may have hit?


----------



## CO skier (Mar 5, 2022)

marmite said:


> The situation is that I would ideally like to book a 4 night cash-stay, less than two weeks from now, through a friend's WM account -- but only 2 of the days I want are currently available (in a 2BR).
> 
> How would you proceed?


Since it is within 14-days, special circumstances apply.  This also assumes there are no overlapping reservations that would force the use of a guest certificate when the reservation is booked.

Book the 2 available nights using Inventory Special.  Do not add the guest certificate.

If another of the four nights appears, book it using IS.  Do not add guest certificate.

If the other two nights appear (or the one remaining night to make four), cancel the reservations and book all four nights as one IS reservation.  Add the guest certificate just before arrival, or whenever you are 100% certain of using the reservation.  (This is the special circumstance where the waitlist does not operate within 14 days of arrival, so the cancelled nights reappear to be rebooked as a single reservation.  I have never had this fail, but if you want to eliminate any risk, call-in and spend an hour or two on hold and have a vacation guide cancel and rebook as a single reservation.)

All this may be more than your friend is willing to do, especially the call-in with lengthy hold.


----------



## CO skier (Mar 5, 2022)

marmite said:


> I didn't attempt check out with any other resorts so am not sure if this is an unusual situation for these to be the same price.  The Portland two bedroom units seem to take quite a bit of points (that is 5,700 points for just two week days).  The minimum cash reservation price is $80 (if I recall correctly)... do they have a maximum rate I may have hit?


Bonus Time and Inventory Specials have always had the same pricing, currently $0.078/credit with an $80 minimum.  That minimum applies to all cash bookings prior to any additional  taxes.

Monday Madness is priced at $0.09/credit.

FAX is priced at $0.13/credit for non-Travelshare owners.


----------



## marmite (Mar 5, 2022)

CO skier said:


> Since it is within 14-days, special circumstances apply.  This also assumes there are no overlapping reservations that would force the use of a guest certificate when the reservation is booked.
> 
> Book the 2 available nights using Inventory Special.  Do not add the guest certificate.
> 
> ...



Am I allowed to cancel the reservation without penalty?  I was assuming a cash reservation would be non-refundable or possibly billed immediately (instead of at check in). Are there any dates I should be aware of for cancellation policies?

Thanks.


----------



## CO skier (Mar 5, 2022)

marmite said:


> Am I allowed to cancel the reservation without penalty?  I was assuming a cash reservation would be non-refundable or possibly billed immediately (instead of at check in). Are there any dates I should be aware of for cancellation policies?
> 
> Thanks.


Penalty-free cancellations are allowed up to 2 days before arrival for reservations booked 14 days or less before arrival (another special circumstance).  The reservations are charged when booked, but refunded if cancelled within the cancellation date listed on the reservation.  (The cancel-by date also appears during the reservation process.)

Cancellation policies and a lot more information is available here:



			https://www.worldmarktheclub.com/board/info/pdfs/WM_Club_Guidelines.pdf


----------



## bizaro86 (Mar 5, 2022)

marmite said:


> Am I allowed to cancel the reservation without penalty?  I was assuming a cash reservation would be non-refundable or possibly billed immediately (instead of at check in). Are there any dates I should be aware of for cancellation policies?
> 
> Thanks.



It is billed immediately upon booking, but is also cancellable. I would have your friend put it on your credit card if possible, so both the charge and any refunds are directly to you.


----------



## marmite (Mar 6, 2022)

bizaro86 said:


> It is billed immediately upon booking, but is also cancellable. I would have your friend put it on your credit card if possible, so both the charge and any refunds are directly to you.


I'm glad this was what you recommended as this is exactly what I did earlier today -- I booked those first two days and added my own credit card during check out. The reservation is still under the account owners names, but I will go back later to add a guest (and add my name to the G.C. then).  In the meantime I'll check frequently to see if those extra days show up.

Thanks so much.


----------



## CO skier (Mar 6, 2022)

CO skier said:


> Since it is within 14-days, special circumstances apply.  This also assumes there are no overlapping reservations that would force the use of a guest certificate when the reservation is booked.
> Book the 2 available nights using Inventory Special.  Do not add the guest certificate.
> 
> If another of the four nights appears, book it using IS.  Do not add guest certificate.
> ...





marmite said:


> I'm glad this was what you recommended as this is exactly what I did earlier today -- I booked those first two days and added my own credit card during check out. The reservation is still under the account owners names, but I will go back later to add a guest (and add my name to the G.C. then).  In the meantime I'll check frequently to see if those extra days show up.
> 
> Thanks so much.


You are welcome.


----------



## marmite (Mar 8, 2022)

The reservation I made was within the 14 day check in window.  Did I screw up by not adding the guest name immediately?   I was just looking at some of the training videos on the WM site and it said that reservations within 14 days of check in needed to have the GC added at the time of reservation.  Is that correct, or is it not really enforced by the website? Have any of you made an Inventory Special within 14 days and then gone back and added a GC later?

Thanks.


----------



## CO skier (Mar 9, 2022)

marmite said:


> The reservation I made was within the 14 day check in window.  Did I screw up by not adding the guest name immediately?   I was just looking at some of the training videos on the WM site and it said that reservations within 14 days of check in needed to have the GC added at the time of reservation.


That rule applies only to multiple, overlapping reservations that exceed the number of owners on the account.  Open the reservation you made within 14 days using Inventory Special.  Is there a blue button to Edit Guest Name?

It is different for Bonus Time reservations.  Guest names may be added to Bonus Time reservations only if booked within 5 days of arrival.


----------



## marmite (Mar 9, 2022)

CO skier said:


> That rule applies only to multiple, overlapping reservations that exceed the number of owners on the account.  Open the reservation you made within 14 days using Inventory Special.  Is there a blue button to Edit Guest Name?
> 
> It is different for Bonus Time reservations.  Guest names may be added to Bonus Time reservations only if booked within 5 days of arrival.



Yes, right beside the Owner Name (in the Reservation For field) there is a blue button labelled "Edit Guest Name".

The rule about multiple reservations I had read (and originally thought that was specific to having multiple reservations), but it is the way they wrote the short video... it didn't seem to be specific to multiple reservations and was more of a how-to on adding guest certificates (or at least that's how I interpreted it). Then again, it wouldn't surprise me if person writing the video script didn't even understand WM nuances when putting together the guides. 

Thanks.


----------

