# Side Benefit of new WM site - available units at busy resorts



## DaveNV (Feb 1, 2022)

I've played with trying to book certain very popular resorts on the old WM site over the last few years, and I've never seen open availability at places like Marina Dunes or Valley Isle on Maui.  The megarenters and Bots always snatched availability as soon as it it was there.  I tried today using the new, terribly-awkward WM website, and I found multiple units available at thirteen months out at both of those places.  I don't know if it's a coincidence, or if the snatchers aren't able to grab things as easily as they could previously.  But there _was_ availability, if I wanted to book it. (Sadly, I don't - I've already made other plans.  Which sort of figures, doesn't it?  It illustrates the old joke: "The day my ship comes in I'll be at the airport."  )

Has anyone else found this unexpected availability to be the case, or did I just get coincidentally lucky?

Dave


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## bnoble (Feb 1, 2022)

DaveNV said:


> or if the snatchers aren't able to grab things as easily as they could previously.


If they were automated before, it is possible that they have yet to update those automated tools.


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## Breezy52 (Feb 7, 2022)

By snatchers you mean owners willing to take the time and effort to book popular units ithey have every right to book.  I too get frustrated at having to pay such attention but as long as there are places more owners want them units to satisfy them it will always be so.  Perhaps something along the lines as no guests at those resorts would be helpful. But to answer your question I would guess that if they were available they were overbooking,   This has recently happened in Palm Springs.


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## DaveNV (Feb 7, 2022)

Breezy52 said:


> By snatchers you mean owners willing to take the time and effort to book popular units ithey have every right to book.  I too get frustrated at having to pay such attention but as long as there are places more owners want them units to satisfy them it will always be so.  Perhaps something along the lines as no guests at those resorts would be helpful. But to answer your question I would guess that if they were available they were overbooking,   This has recently happened in Palm Springs.



By Snatchers I mean the commercial operators who book everything the instant it's available, perhaps even using bots to help them, and then rent it out, depriving owners from the opportunity to book that resort.  One of the sales pitch items WM uses is telling people they can book into all these resorts, but the reality is that an average owner is lucky to ever score a booking at those places. A waitlist request may or may not come in. The reality for owners is if you book one of those resorts, you got very lucky.

For me it's a moot point anyway.  I plan to sell my WM account when my current reservations are done, after my next anniversary date.  I'm not able to use it the way I did before my retirement.  And now that I have retired, my travel interests are wider than what WM offers.

Dave


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