[2/10/17 UPDATE] VSE charging for 3rd party reservation changes! [+Contact Info. for complaints]

[PamMo]

I was so disappointed when I read this email today! "Happy New Year, and let me tell you about an extra fee we are going to charge you!" This fee isn't just if you rent, but it applies to family and friends if they ARRIVE at the resort before you do! Are they serious? Are they really going to tell my family that they can't use the resort amenities if they get there before I do? If I rent my unit, there's NO WAY it costs them $59 to change the name (I do it online). If you lock off and rent both sides, it's another $59. !!!!!!!!!!!!!

MF's are ever increasing, SVN fees have gone up, and let's just add on some junk fees. Are they going to start charging an extra fee for splitting a lock off now, too?

I am getting sick of timeshare nickel-and-diming...

(Rant over.)

 

[bizaro86]

I for one am hoping there is something somewhere in the CC&Rs that would prohibit this. I'll have to find some time at some point and go through the one for SDO.

 

[tammymacb]

I didn't get this email (yet). I own WSJ VG. This summer, I'll be in Europe. My daughter is using my villa. I've already made the name change. From now on, if we don't go, we pay $59?

 

[rickandcindy23]

My letter:

Dear Suzanne,

I received your recent email about guest fees to my owned weeks.

I don't understand why you have decided that owners need to pay to add guests to weeks we own. We are not even a part of the Staroption system, we are simply owners of weeks. We already pay a significant fee within our maintenance fees for your company to manage our resorts.

These are weeks we own, which are deeded to us, not to Vistana. We should be allowed to add guest names ourselves for no extra charge, but you feel we have to do it over the phone, and now for a fee. Even in the future, when you put a system into place for us to add a guest name, you will charge for it. I am certain of it because that is what an insincere timeshare management company does to its owners. This will hurt me personally because our family owns a lot of weeks.

There are long waits to talk to anyone at Vistana lately, and now you want to charge guest fees for our owned weeks. It makes sense for one reason only, and that is for Vistana's monetary gratification. Will this fee lessen our fees we pay to Vistana for managing our resorts? Probably not in the slightest. You just want more money for the company and don't care about the owners who have to pay these ridiculous fees.

Your decision to go to such lengths to make money from fee-paying owners is so very much like Wyndham, and I consider Wyndham to be the sleaziest of all timeshare management companies.

Timeshare has a bad name as it is, and then Vistana tries to justify charging $59 for the simple addition of a guest name. Please tell me this will save me money elsewhere, because I am only seeing money coming out of my pocket and directly into yours. And what if my guest name changes on that reservation? Will I have to pay again because it's a new name?

This is going to make people angrier about their timeshare obligations. We already know of many companies who charge $3-5K to take timeshares off of owners' hands, because the owners think fees are already too high.

Please reconsider your decision to hurt owners in this way. You are in the hospitality industry, and now I am going to have to tell my guests you charge $59 to add their names to my weeks. That's not very hospitable.

I hope Marriott and Disney, and all of the other hotel timeshare companies do not follow this lead.

Sincerely,

 

[serendip7]

I have NO INTEREST in the your timeshare management company. I was trying to suggest this new fee for you ... with the 2 price point of fees ... looks a lot like Wyndham's. And via my Wyndham experience, your fees are cheap ... for now.

Suzanne Clark was VP of Owner Service Support for Wyndham for 18 years before coming to Vistana. So that Wyndham b.s. creeping into Vistana isn't that big of a stretch.

Here's her page on LinkedIn. Perhaps you can contact her to voice your displeasure through there..

https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-clark-7786852/

 

[serendip7]

Here's her Facebook... https://www.facebook.com/suzanne.clark.357

 

[cubigbird]

I think that letter looks good, I think you should send it, and I will plan to do one too. Every owner reading this needs to also send an email. I'd even go on TripAdvisor and other social media sites. Activism does work. Ultimately when negative news hits, the company will then want to do something about it. My question though is, since we are deeded owners, and as long as our MFs are current, don't we OWN that right to make changes to add a guest? Ultimately it is the OWNER who decides who can use the usage? What does it say about this in our contracts?? The policy to extend down to a guest checking in what an owner comes later is also absurd. Things happen, what happens if a flight gets delayed??

 

[DeniseM]

What is Suzanne's Vistana email address?

 

[PamMo]

SuzanneClark@vistana.com didn't work.

 

[cubigbird]

I'd like to know if they can do this per the ownership contract. What do the contracts say? Maybe someone else more familiar with the ownership docs knows more about this??

 

[SueDonJ]

Yes, you were missing the sarcasm.

DOH!

 

[DeniseM]

With Starwood it was: suzanne.clark@starwoodvo.com

So I'm guessing that it is now: suzanne.clark@vistana.com

 

[Helios]

Not sure why they couldn't just give 5* elite the guest certificates for free.

+1

 

[Helios]

I hope Marriott and Disney, and all of the other hotel timeshare companies do not follow this lead.

While I am not happy about this, HGVC charges the fee as well...I guess this is where the industry is going.

 

[DavidnRobin]

Great idea: @vistana.com

If you don't mind sharing, please post your letter (and the email address) for a sample.

*I just called and asked (and this may not be correct) but was told this only applies to reservations made 1/26 or later. In other words, if you have a reservation made before 1/26, and change the name after 1/26, the fee won't apply.

I could be mistaken, but I do not read it that way - and also not what I was told by OS.
It reads - any name change to a 3rd party after 1/26/17 will have fee.

"Please be advised that effective January 26, 2017, a $59 fee will be applied any time an Owner transfers their Vacation Ownership Interest reservation to a third-party guest."

 

[rickandcindy23]

I don't know if many of you know this, but Vistana (formerly Starwood) and Wyndham are literally in buildings facing one another, sharing the same parking lot, in Orlando off of Sand Lake Road and John Young Parkway. Just an FYI.

 

[DavidnRobin]

Suzanne Clark was VP of Owner Service Support for Wyndham for 18 years before coming to Vistana. So that Wyndham b.s. creeping into Vistana isn't that big of a stretch.

Here's her page on LinkedIn. Perhaps you can contact her to voice your displeasure through there..

https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-clark-7786852/

Not entirely correct - Suzanne Clark worked for SVO prior to Vistana - I have emails to her going back 5+ years. Her LinkedIn profile has her joining SVO in 2004.

 

[YYJMSP]

While I am not happy about this, HGVC charges the fee as well...I guess this is where the industry is going.

Airlines are starting to introduce Basic Economy, where the only thing included in your fare is getting you to your destination, everything else is extra.

i suppose your deed to use your unit yourself is the equivalent.

 

[YYJMSP]

Not sure why they couldn't just give 5* elite the guest certificates for free.

'cause they're gonna introduce 5 double-star level, which includes your guest cert and extra luggage tags. The salesweasel said so, must be true! Buy now!!!

 

[rickandcindy23]

Airlines are starting to introduce Basic Economy, where the only thing included in your fare is getting you to your destination, everything else is extra.

i suppose your deed to use your unit yourself is the equivalent.

Meanwhile, Southwest is posting huge profits. Even if SW decides to charge for the second bag, they are still the best game in town. Denver has an entire concourse for Southwest exclusively. We used to be big on United and Frontier, but SW changed everything.

People, don't acquiesce. That is exactly what they hope you will do. Write a letter and be assertive, and make waves about this fee.

 

[DeniseM]

I could be mistaken, but I do not read it that way - and also not what I was told by OS.
It reads - any name change to a 3rd party after 1/26/17 will have fee.

I didn't read it that way either, but that is what I was told (as was another Tugger.) However, with the phone Reps' reputation for giving incorrect info., I expect a lot of confusion about this to start with. It should be interesting!

 

[VacationForever]

I actually think it has to do with Vistana being now under ILG. Let's see how to rake in more money....mmm...

 

[Helios]

Airlines are starting to introduce Basic Economy, where the only thing included in your fare is getting you to your destination, everything else is extra.

i suppose your deed to use your unit yourself is the equivalent.

You are right, pretty much all of them.

 

[Helios]

'cause they're gonna introduce 5 double-star level, which includes your guest cert and extra luggage tags. The salesweasel said so, must be true! Buy now!!!

Nice, I will need to PM about your salesweasel. I want in...

 

[Helios]

I actually think it has to do with Vistana being now under ILG. Let's see how to rake in more money....mmm...

I also think it is the ILG relationship that is starting this. They do it, why shouldn't VSE do it.

Does anyone know if Hyatt charges as well? If they do, did they charge before they were bought?