There must be a big problem with Vistana and the turnover of customer service people. Bad information abounds.

[rickandcindy23]

Pun intended (Abounds).

I talked to Caleb today, and he argued with me for ten minutes on the ability for me to book my weeks at Sheraton Broadway Resort for my deeded week 27 and 28. These are not fixed weeks, they are floating, but for years, way before there was a Vistana, the usage was set up to allow booking our deeded week number up to two years in advance. Caleb wouldn't ask anyone, just argued. He blocked me from giving my opinion of his service at the end of the call, somehow hanging up without getting to the survey.

I struggled to find the page while keeping him on the phone. This is the governing document wording:

It's important for week 27 owners to be able to book ahead of time. There is too much competition for weeks at 12 months out, since floating weeks 9-43 and week 47 deeds can book all at once. It gives me an edge over other owners. We only own a few of the week 27's.

 

[rickandcindy23]

My cell phone is blocked from calling Vistana after Caleb argued with me on my usage for my deeded weeks.

Another argument with Diana of Vistana, and she also sticks with her story, we are not fixed week owners.

Who is Marriott to change our usage rights?

 

[Tuggernaut]

Hello rickandcindy23, regarding Sheraton Broadway Resort, do you know if all (most) weeks there have the Fixed Week Preference Period? To be more specific, I know the Palmetto Phase was built after the Plantation Phase. Do the Palmetto Phase weeks have a Fixed Week Preference Period like the Plantation Phase weeks do? Thanks.

 

[Great3]

My cell phone is blocked from calling Vistana after Caleb argued with me on my usage for my deeded weeks. I cannot call Vistana with my cell phone after that call.

Another argument with Diana of Vistana, and she also sticks with her story, we are not fixed week owners.

Who is Marriott to change our usage rights?

Wow, to actually block a legitimate customer phone number from calling is a new low. There needs to be an escalation path for this!

Good luck Cindy…

Great3

 

[heitmullerj02]

If they treat you like that I'm glad I surrendered my Vistana week, shame on them! You are an owner.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Wow, to actually block a legitimate customer phone number from calling is a new low. There needs to be an escalation path for this!

Good luck Cindy…

Great3

I just talked to a supervisor, who also didn't know the rules for booking, but she took the time to look at the CC&R's, where I told her to find the information, and she talked to someone else who confirmed usage. I was able to book my prime weeks with the supervisor.

I had to use my home number to call. I was told by the supervisor that my cell phone number cannot be blocked on their end, but I tried many times, and the call would go dead. Maybe that is not correct, that my cell phone was blocked. I called three times using that cell phone and had good luck with it, then after talking to the last person, I couldn't call with my cell phone anymore. At least I still have a home phone.

This all comes down to one big problem, lack of education on usage. I know it's a lot to learn, and I realize this is a nuance that is not normal for other resorts (not even SDO). But when you argue and don't listen to the owner and don't try to find an answer and blatantly disregard the customer, it's a problem.

Customer service is not what it used to be.

 

[Great3]

I just talked to a supervisor, who also didn't know the rules for booking, but she took the time to look at the CC&R's, where I told her to find the information, and she talked to someone else who confirmed usage. I was able to book my prime weeks with the supervisor.

I had to use my home number to call. I was told by the supervisor that my cell phone number cannot be blocked on their end, but I tried many times, and the call would go dead. Maybe that is not correct, that my cell phone was blocked. I called three times using that cell phone and had good luck with it, then after talking to the last person, I couldn't call with my cell phone anymore. At least I still have a home phone.

This all comes down to one big problem, lack of education on usage. I know it's a lot to learn, and I realize this is a nuance that is not normal for other resorts (not even SDO). But when you argue and don't listen to the owner and don't try to find an answer and blatantly disregard the customer, it's a problem.

Customer service is not what it used to be.

Right, when a customer needs to bring up the CC&R's and contract docs, that's pretty bad... I only use my SBP to deposit and trade in II, so I don't have any of the issues I keep you reading that you have with Vistana, but it does make my blood boil reading about the various pains you had to go thru with Vistana, I do feel for you!!!

Great3

 

[rickandcindy23]

Hello rickandcindy23, regarding Sheraton Broadway Resort, do you know if all (most) weeks there have the Fixed Week Preference Period? To be more specific, I know the Palmetto Phase was built after the Plantation Phase. Do the Palmetto Phase weeks have a Fixed Week Preference Period like the Plantation Phase weeks do? Thanks.

I don't know. We own a few Palmetto and the usage is not for weeks 26, 27 and 28.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I can call Vistana now using my cell phone, no problem. I don't know why that was happening before, but I would dial and the call would drop. It wasn't the signal on my end. I called Rick in our garage to check my signal. Maybe a phone system issue on their end.

 

[dioxide45]

It seems that they don't train for the smaller nuances within the system. Just how to book 12 months or 8 months with VSN. They really need a policies and procedures collaberation tool like Sharepoint, Confluence or something similar where the different reservation rules are outlined for each of the resorts. This is more important for the pre Starwood resorts.

 

[VacationForever]

I can call Vistana now using my cell phone, no problem. I don't know why that was happening before, but I would dial and the call would drop. It wasn't the signal on my end. I called Rick in our garage to check my signal. Maybe a phone system issue on their end.

Maybe caller id on their end showed your number/name and the agent whom you last spoke with deliberately dropped you. That would be pretty LOW.

 

[GrayFal]

It seems that they don't train for the smaller nuances within the system. Just how to book 12 months or 8 months with VSN. They really need a policies and procedures collaberation tool like Sharepoint, Confluence or something similar where the different reservation rules are outlined for each of the resorts. This is more important for the pre Starwood resorts.

So many owners don’t know what Cindy knows about her usage rights.
I used to own a few 27 2BR lock offs and I know what she is saying is true.
I don’t believe Palmetto is included as it was developed by Starwood.
I sold the ownership when Vistana eliminated the right to be able to deposit your reservation and made blended trade power a thing.

Another “old” rule is that owners at PGA can reserve at either Vistana Beach Club or possibly SVV. A mini Florida Club so to speak.

These are rules left over from the Embassy? Developer and are part of the deeded rights.

 

[rickandcindy23]

It seems that they don't train for the smaller nuances within the system. Just how to book 12 months or 8 months with VSN. They really need a policies and procedures collaberation tool like Sharepoint, Confluence or something similar where the different reservation rules are outlined for each of the resorts. This is more important for the pre Starwood resorts.

You talked over my head with those programs. Just a cheat sheet with the nuances of booking in each system would be okay.

Big differences in some of these timeshare products. I cannot book anything at SBR without paying estimated MF's ahead. SDO is not like that, neither is Westin Desert Willow or Westin Ka'anapali.

I am only thinking of the units we own. I have no idea how Vistanas in Orlando work. I have never been interested in them, except I did look into Bella at VV for a while and chose against it.

 

[rickandcindy23]

@GrayFal The changes happened about 2011, I believe. I remember I wanted to book a week and deposit the summer week into II, like I'd done the years before, and Vistana said I had to accept the change. The blended trading power is okay. Ongoing searches pick up inventory the manual searches do not.

 

[dioxide45]

These are rules left over from the Embassy? Developer and are part of the deeded rights.

I thought the original developer was Vistana. From the TUG article about Vistana, In 1996, Vistana entered in to an agreement to manage and market vacation ownership properties under the Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, and Homewood Suites brand names. Were any of these older resorts sold as Embassy? I don't know what actually led to many of the Embassy resorts going different ways and not staying with Starwood when they acquired Vistana in 1999. I believe Point at Poipu was originally an Embassy property as were several others.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Point at Poipu was definitely Embassy Resorts, we toured there in 2000.

My understanding was that SBR was not called Sheraton in the beginning of sales. Vistana was always just Florida resorts. The older Vistana is ancient. Villages is so much better. I don't know if any of my deeds have the original name.

Marriott has done a super job on the interiors of the units. I was very pleased during our stay last year. We were there for two weeks and enjoyed our time in the area. The landscaping was in severe need. The exterior hallways get a lot of debris from trees. The maintenance staff was constantly blowing and power washing the hallways. They would finish with the last buildings and start over again with the first building.

There are still vacant spots for additional buildings.

 

[Henry M.]

I've had issues with my cellphone at home, where a call dropped, and then I couldn't place calls for a while to the number I was talking to. The situation usually resolves itself after a while, without me doing anything. I am often able to call other phones, though I haven't done a thorough check. It can be very annoying.

 

[jwalk03]

I can’t imagine there is anyway for a call center rep to block a phone number. Had to be some kind of technical issue.

 

[claraj]

I talked to Caleb today too! I needed to put in a Wait-list request. I had to call 3 times though because my call kept dropping after 5 minutes into the call.

 

[okwiater]

They also don't know about the fixed-to-float rules for WSJ Hillside units. The villa finder used to work for this and display available units at 10 months but after Marriott took over they 86'd it.

 

[DeniseM]

Recently I did an exchange, and Vistana declined my deposit for unknown reasons. Interval sent me a post card saying it was declined, so I called Owner Services. The Vistana phone Rep. that I talked to obviously didn't know anything about exchanging and insisted that everything was OK. After I explained it to him again, he got quite short with me and I hung up on him.

 

[WorldT]

Pun intended (Abounds).

I talked to Caleb today, and he argued with me for ten minutes on the ability for me to book my weeks at Sheraton Broadway Resort for my deeded week 27 and 28. These are not fixed weeks, they are floating, but for years, way before there was a Vistana, the usage was set up to allow booking our deeded week number up to two years in advance. Caleb wouldn't ask anyone, just argued. He blocked me from giving my opinion of his service at the end of the call, somehow hanging up without getting to the survey.

I struggled to find the page while keeping him on the phone. This is the governing document wording:


View attachment 112198
It's important for week 27 owners to be able to book ahead of time. There is too much competition for weeks at 12 months out, since floating weeks 9-43 and week 47 deeds can book all at once. It gives me an edge over other owners. We only own a few of the week 27's.

Hi Cindy,
Just trying to understand this. If you have a deed that says , for example, week 10 (float 9-20), you can book week 10 @ 24 months out. At 12 months out, all those with weeks 9-20 can book the week 10.

The same process applies to someone who own the same float but is deeded to week 9. They can book week 9 @ 24 months.

 

[DeniseM]

Another one - I just had a renter call Marriott and ask if she can put someone else's name on her Vistana reservation, and the let her do it....

 

[rickandcindy23]

Yes! @WorldT

 

[rickandcindy23]

Another one - I just had a renter call Marriott and ask if she can put someone else's name on her Vistana reservation, and the let her do it....

OMG! I have to practically give them my mother's maiden name, the city I was born and every phone number associated with the account.