[ 2021 ] Major Change to Wyndham VIP Program in Email 7/19/2021 [MERGED]

[Eric B]

An important upcoming system update.

Dear XXXXX Family, We hope your VIP by Wyndham benefits have helped you maximize your Club Wyndham experience. As a valued Club Wyndham Plus member with Gold VIP by Wyndham benefits, it is important that you are aware of an upcoming system update that will provide a more comprehensive view of your membership and support existing VIP by Wyndham program guidelines. This system update will not impact your VIP tier status. An overview of the system changes is outlined below: Update to Your Online Experience In mid-August, we will introduce a new online Benefits Summary, which will enable you to distinguish between points you have purchased directly from Club Wyndham (“VIP Eligible Points”) and points that have been acquired through the third-party resale market (“Non-VIP Eligible Points”). This distinction will help you better understand the points and VIP benefits associated with your membership. Once this system update takes place, your VIP Eligible Points will continue to unlock the VIP benefits associated with your VIP tier. The system will award VIP benefits only to VIP Eligible Points. As a reminder, in accordance with the VIP by Wyndham program guidelines, VIP benefits are not applicable to Non-VIP Eligible Points. The VIP benefits that will be available to VIP Eligible Points will include: • VIP Suite Upgrade Opt-In • Points Discounts • Reciprocal Advance Reservation Priority • Points Deposit - More Time To Extend Points • More Time To Convert To Maintenance Dollars • Additional Housekeeping Credits, based on VIP tier • Complimentary Reservation Transactions, based on VIP tier • Option To Request Specific Suites • Early Access To Margaritaville Vacation Club Resorts With this system enhancement, we will balance your account for the current Use Year and adjust benefits according to whether your reservation was made with VIP Eligible Points or Non-VIP Eligible Points. This reconciliation will only apply to reservations in the current Use Year. As you adjust to this system update we are pleased to offer some options to help you maximize your vacation opportunities. Complimentary points will be deposited into your next Use Year when the system update takes place mid-August. Additionally, from the August system update through Dec. 31, 2021, you will have the option to convert your Non-VIP Eligible Points to maintenance fees or utilize the Points Deposit Feature to move your Non-VIP Eligible Points into a future Use Year. Understanding the Benefits Summary The new online Benefits Summary will streamline your view of your individual points and benefits and give you more control over how you use your membership. Upon booking a resort reservation or making another type of transaction on your Club Wyndham website, you will be able to choose whether you would like to use your VIP Eligible Points or Non-VIP Eligible Points ─ you can apply VIP benefits for the reservation(s) where they can have the greatest impact. The Benefits Summary will update automatically to reflect your current points and benefits for each points type. This new tool will put you in the driver’s seat as you check destinations off your bucket list. This system update will help enforce a longstanding rule, as well as provide greater transparency into your points and associated benefits, while giving you the control to prioritize your vacations. By better preserving the exclusivity and value of the VIP by Wyndham program, we continue to ensure your VIP tier helps you unlock fantastic benefits and elevate your vacations. For more information on the Benefits Summary and this system update, please visit your Club Wyndham website, and sign up for an upcoming education session. You may also reach a dedicated support team by calling 844-991-0921. Sincerely, Your Club Wyndham Management Team

 

[VacayKat]

Well - there you go. Wyndham cancels VIP benefits for non developer points

 

[Eric B]

Sounds like the incessant postings by @dgalati had the bad effect they were intended to have. Those of you that had spoken with Wyndham management at the annual meetings might consider contacting the ones you have phone numbers for.

Some odd points in this email are the promised deposit of complimentary points in the next use year and the extended window for PDF to move non-VIP points to a future year.

 

[VacayKat]

@ moderators - please delete- was beaten to the punch

[Moderator Note: Threads merged, instead of deleting one, so all responses are saved.] <-- SueDonJ

 

[Free2Roam]

It was only a matter of time...

I can only imagine the destruction this system update will cause.

 

[VacayKat]

And they are BALANCING YOUR ACCOUNT - AKA removing any benefits you think you might have had. This is shitty on their part. Pardon my french, but changing the rules midstride is kicking people in the face. Excellent for folks who have reservations.

 

[kanerf]

Yes, I saw. It will really hurt the program. The price of resales, already in the toilet, will crash even further. You will be able to buy 500K for $1 and what good will that do? Sure, I can't take advantage of the so-called VIP benefits, but I can book what I want when I want.

 

[Eric B]

It will also be interesting to see how they juggle the VIP and non-VIP points that have been used already. I suspect that's why they're giving complimentary points in the next use year.

Guess I'll have to learn how housekeeping credits and reservation transactions work....

 

[HitchHiker71]

Interesting development to be sure. If Wyndham is listening - they should consider a limited time opportunity - perhaps between now and 12/31/2021 to allow current VIP owners that also hold resale contracts some type of conversion opportunity to convert resale contracts to VIP developer points (with a contract limit perhaps - such as up to x number of contracts and/or x amount of points), similar to what they have offered via piggyback contracts for example. I suspect there would be quite a few VIP owners who hold a resale contract or two, that may consider such a conversion, myself included.

 

[troy12n]

Well, I guess that hammer is dropping... it will be interesting to see how they do housekeeping for those with grandfathered VIP. Specifically if you would have the decision making ability as to which points you use to make specific bookings.

Example, you are existing Gold VIP and have unlimited HK and Reservations, but have several hundred thousand resale.

You want to make a bunch of short reservations using your Developer points, and make a couple bigger ones using your resale (which will utilize fewer Reservations and HK).

Will be interesting to see how this plays out, also I assume PIC points transferred over would count toward your VIP benefits

 

[Ty1on]

And they are BALANCING YOUR ACCOUNT - AKA removing any benefits you think you might have had. This is shitty on their part. Pardon my french, but changing the rules midstride is kicking people in the face. Excellent for folks who have reservations.

Surely most people who have been exploiting the fact that Wyndham couldn't separate the benefits by developer/resale knew this day would eventually come. Lying salesmen aside, I don't think there was any documentation promising to apply VIP benefits to resale points. It was just there because Wyndham hadn't built in a distinction, and boy has it been exploited over the years.

 

[Eric B]

Interesting development to be sure. If Wyndham is listening - they should consider a one time opportunity - perhaps between now and 12/31/2021 to allow current VIP owners that also hold resale contracts some type of conversion opportunity to convert resale contracts to VIP developer points (with a contract limit perhaps - such as up to x number of contracts or x amount of points), similar to what they have offered via piggyback contracts for example. I suspect there would be quite a few VIP owners who hold a resale contract or two, that may consider such a conversion, myself included.

I'm with you on that one.

 

[Ty1on]

I'm with you on that one.

This would be a good way to mitigate the number of points that would hit the resale market all at once. I don't think it would affect Wyndham directly in terms of Ovation, for example, because Ovation is all or none, isn't it?

 

[Rolltydr]

And they are BALANCING YOUR ACCOUNT - AKA removing any benefits you think you might have had. This is shitty on their part. Pardon my french, but changing the rules midstride is kicking people in the face. Excellent for folks who have reservations.

What rules were changed? I was never promised that I would be given VIP benefits for non-developer points. They haven’t changed any rules as far as I can tell. They have developed a way to distinguish from the points that qualify for VIP and those that don’t. Will I be impacted? Yes. Do I have anything to complain about? No. I knew I could lose the benefits on those points at any time.

 

[Eric B]

I wonder how they will deal with housekeeping credits and reservation transactions for stays that use both VIP and non-VIP points. Seems like it won't matter all that much for normal stays I make.

Overall, I don't see this greatly impacting my usage based on my usage patterns and minimal rentals. In any case, my resale contracts are at Bali Hai, where the costs are ~38% lower than CWA anyway, so I can be okay with just using them at 10 months preferentially.

 

[Eric B]

...

Will be interesting to see how this plays out, also I assume PIC points transferred over would count toward your VIP benefits

I believe PIC points should continue to count towards VIP benefits and be eligible for most of the VIP benefits. The exceptions would be the extra time to use Points Deposit since they aren't eligible for Points Deposit now AFAIK.

 

[HitchHiker71]

This would be a good way to mitigate the number of points that would hit the resale market all at once. I don't think it would affect Wyndham directly in terms of Ovation, for example, because Ovation is all or none, isn't it?

No, you can use Certified Exit to give back specific contracts and not close out your entire ownership with Wyndham - however it is at Wyndham's discretion and subject to the usual approval process - and the Limited Edition benefit doesn't ever apply.

I have said in times past that I have wondered whether Wyndham has bigger strategic elements ongoing to recover larger blocks of inventory/points for other programs/purposes tied to the T&L purchase - creating newer types of ownership programs geared more toward newer generations that would be subscription based for example. I can certainly envision a LOT of VIP owners dumping resale contracts as a result of this change just announced. If Wyndham continues to offer deedbacks via Certified Exit as a result of this large change announcement - it further cements my assertion that something bigger is on the horizon.

 

[Eric B]

Further info from the linked website:

Important Information:

• When booking using Non-VIP Eligible Points, VIP Eligible Points may be borrowed and any such reservation or transaction will not be eligible for VIP benefits.
• When booking using VIP Eligible Points, Non-VIP Eligible Points may not be borrowed.
• Available housekeeping credits or reservation transactions on your VIP Eligible Points may not be utilized with your Non-VIP Eligible Points.
• Available housekeeping credits or reservation transactions on your Non-VIP Eligible Points may not be utilized with your VIP Eligible Points.
• Existing cancellation policy applies.
• Non-VIP Eligible Points will follow the standard booking timeline and VIP Eligible Points will have an extended booking timeline for reservations and transactions, in accordance with existing VIP guidelines.
• When utilizing the Points Deposit Feature for VIP Eligible Points, points will be deposited into a future Use Year and be available as VIP Eligible Points.
• When utilizing Points Deposit Feature for Non-VIP Eligible Points, points will be deposited into a future Use Year and be available as Non-VIP Eligible Points.
• Complimentary VIP Eligible Points will be made available in your next Use Year following the August release date for this system update.
• Options to convert your Non-VIP Eligible Points to maintenance fees or utilize the Points Deposit Feature to move your Non-VIP Eligible Points into a future Use Year will be available mid-August through Dec. 31, 2021, by calling (844) 991-0921.

 

[55plus]

Yup, and this will also free up prime availability and timeframes: https://clubwyndham.wyndhamdestinations.com/us/en/resorts/resort-news/new-online-benefit-summary?

 

[VacayKat]

What rules were changed? I was never promised that I would be given VIP benefits for non-developer points. They haven’t changed any rules as far as I can tell. They have developed a way to distinguish from the points that qualify for VIP and those that don’t. Will I be impacted? Yes. Do I have anything to complain about? No. I knew I could lose the benefits on those points at any time.

I was. By sales , customer service and owner care,

 

[tschwa2]

Interesting development to be sure. If Wyndham is listening - they should consider a limited time opportunity - perhaps between now and 12/31/2021 to allow current VIP owners that also hold resale contracts some type of conversion opportunity to convert resale contracts to VIP developer points (with a contract limit perhaps - such as up to x number of contracts and/or x amount of points), similar to what they have offered via piggyback contracts for example. I suspect there would be quite a few VIP owners who hold a resale contract or two, that may consider such a conversion, myself included.

To make that worth it to Wyndham I think it would have to be a 1 for 1. You want to bring in a million resale points, you have to buy a million retail points. Otherwise "legitimizing" millions of points with a $20,000-40,000 purchase might give them a boost now but wouldn't accomplish what they want it to do.

 

[HitchHiker71]

Well, I guess that hammer is dropping... it will be interesting to see how they do housekeeping for those with grandfathered VIP. Specifically if you would have the decision making ability as to which points you use to make specific bookings.

Example, you are existing Gold VIP and have unlimited HK and Reservations, but have several hundred thousand resale.

You want to make a bunch of short reservations using your Developer points, and make a couple bigger ones using your resale (which will utilize fewer Reservations and HK).

Will be interesting to see how this plays out, also I assume PIC points transferred over would count toward your VIP benefits

I need to step back and do some analysis as a result of this change, but I fit in the bucket you just outlined. I have 718k developer points (including PIC contracts), and 689k resale points all from a single large NH CWS contract. I'm a grandfathered VIPG owner. I suspect I'll end up using my big block of resale points to make 1-2 large reservations each year for our family vacations (which I usually did via RARP - which I'll no longer be able to do due to this change since VIP benefits won't apply). I would want to preserve my VIP eligible points for the smaller weekend getaway reservations that we make where I tend to use the VIP discount window and free upgrades available.

As someone else already said, PIC points have always been VIP eligible since they are counted as developer contracts. Even if they were to change this - I suspect grandfathering would apply at least for a period of time.

 

[Eric B]

My biggest complaint is that I will have to update my Wyndham Tracking spreadsheet for these changes.

 

[HitchHiker71]

To make that worth it to Wyndham I think it would have to be a 1 for 1. You want to bring in a million resale points, you have to buy a million retail points. Otherwise "legitimizing" millions of points with a $20,000-40,000 purchase might give them a boost now but wouldn't accomplish what they want it to do.

It is like-for-like for piggyback contracts as well (1:1), unless they are running a special program and/or receive special permission otherwise.

 

[HitchHiker71]

Yup, and this will also free up prime availability and timeframes: https://clubwyndham.wyndhamdestinations.com/us/en/resorts/resort-news/new-online-benefit-summary?

Did anyone happen to actually watch the video and/or look at the splash screen graphic: - highlighted in the red rectangle below. Kinda ironic showing a Rental Points bucket isn't it?