Beware: Cost of key bracelet exchange

[Fasttr]

We just purchased the new fabric / elastic-banded keys at Ko Olina last week. I remembered to bring our old ones, but left them in my suitcase in the car at check-in. We had great luck with these, no issues with them not working anywhere. I found them a lot more comfortable than the older ones with the plastic bands.

They said after testing on HHI, these seemed to work very well compared to the rubber bands.

 

[goodbadugly]

Seriously? This site has hit rock bottom if this is what people are complaining about.

Yes, don't we have "bigger fish to fry"???

 

[davidvel]

Seriously? This site has hit rock bottom if this is what people are complaining about.

One OP does not a site make.

 

[Venter]

I kind of feel bad for the OP with everyone coming down so hard on him/her.

Someone mentioned all the fees adding up etc. I for one did not know wrist bands need to be changed every year. Maybe they were not informed and thought they could use it for years to come. One more thing to pay for, may have been the last straw.

Remember that most of the time advise to those duped into buying would be to try and make the most of it and use the time we bought. Maybe these people originally were good Samaritans but just could not help again because of whatever may be happening in there own life.

I am fortunate to be in a situation where we can manage maintenance fees but have not really made use of our weeks/points lately because we have other responsibilities such as college. We have tried to rent over the last few years.

I realize life is hard for the kids in the charity but we all sometimes find ourselves worked up about life and it would be great if someone can give us perspective in a gentle way instead of calling us out in avery public way that is more akin to shaming.

 

[davidvel]

I kind of feel bad for the OP with everyone coming down so hard on him/her.

Someone mentioned all the fees adding up etc. I for one did not know wrist bands need to be changed every year. Maybe they were not informed and thought they could use it for years to come. One more thing to pay for, may have been the last straw.

Remember that most of the time advise to those duped into buying would be to try and make the most of it and use the time we bought. Maybe these people originally were good Samaritans but just could not help again because of whatever may be happening in there own life.

I am fortunate to be in a situation where we can manage maintenance fees but have not really made use of our weeks/points lately because we have other responsibilities such as college. We have tried to rent over the last few years.

I realize life is hard for the kids in the charity but we all sometimes find ourselves worked up about life and it would be great if someone can give us perspective in a gentle way instead of calling us out in avery public way that is more akin to shaming.

I don't think anyone is trying to shame the OP. My personal opinion is it is more about the entitlement society that is all around us. I think TUGGers lean toward being ont he older end where they are more used to common courtesy for others and not so much me me me, I I I . The OP seemed to fit right into this "Karen" behavior:

I want to move to first class or extra comfort and should be able to do so if no one is sitting there. I want to violate airline rules and skip my 2nd flight to save money. I want the best view at the place because, well that is what I want. I drive all the way to the front of the lane when everyone is clearly orderly merging because I am better than everyone else, and they are too dumb to do the same.

I want to reserve 8 chairs for my family of 6 in the shade at 6am so I can be sure we don't have to be in the sun when 4 of us come down to the pool at noon, though we will only use the chairs for about an hour. Here, some clerks told me to keep the old ones and we can exchange (likely never said free) but I interpreted it that way so they must give me one for free. I don't care about the charity and am not going to contribute $15-$20 to them because well I don't want to.

 

[dougp26364]

Let’s be clear, the OP is complaining about a convenience fee, not a mandatory fee. Systems have to be upgraded and that means you might have to purchase a new band. I haven’t seen a physical room key in ages. We haven’t used magnetic strip key cards for maybe a decade. Now even the proximity cards are being updated.

You don’t have to pay for a room key unless you want the convenience of a wrist band. Even then the proceeds go to a children’s charity. This isn’t a money maker for MVC.

To think you’ll pay one $10 fee for life is a little unrealistic.

 

[Venter]

Let’s be clear, the OP is complaining about a convenience fee, not a mandatory fee. Systems have to be upgraded and that means you might have to purchase a new band. I haven’t seen a physical room key in ages. We haven’t used magnetic strip key cards for maybe a decade. Now even the proximity cards are being updated.

You don’t have to pay for a room key unless you want the convenience of a wrist band. Even then the proceeds go to a children’s charity. This isn’t a money maker for MVC.

To think you’ll pay one $10 fee for life is a little unrealistic.

Doug,
I can see where you are coming from and this why I haven't purchased any yet. Real convenience would be one set of bracelets to be used anywhere in the system and for at least 3-5 years (I know it is not realistic with current technology and Marriot's antiquated software systems - this is why I am not always an early adopter).

It does appear that the OP has been told at various resorts that there will not be a charge for the upgrade which may have been one of the reasons they chose to get the bracelets. If true, they have a reasonable case to make. Personally I would have just chalked it up and and reasoned it is for a good cause, because I am not one for confrontation (does anybody know what percentage goes to the charity).

 

[Dean]

IMO this process should be standardized across resorts. I do feel they should replace them by just swapping them out but the $3.50 is reasonable though there should be a guarantee they'd work across resorts for a given period.

 

[Venter]

I don't think anyone is trying to shame the OP. My personal opinion is it is more about the entitlement society that is all around us. I think TUGGers lean toward being ont he older end where they are more used to common courtesy for others and not so much me me me, I I I . The OP seemed to fit right into this "Karen" behavior:

I want to move to first class or extra comfort and should be able to do so if no one is sitting there. I want to violate airline rules and skip my 2nd flight to save money. I want the best view at the place because, well that is what I want. I drive all the way to the front of the lane when everyone is clearly orderly merging because I am better than everyone else, and they are too dumb to do the same.

I want to reserve 8 chairs for my family of 6 in the shade at 6am so I can be sure we don't have to be in the sun when 4 of us come down to the pool at noon, though we will only use the chairs for about an hour. Here, some clerks told me to keep the old ones and we can exchange (likely never said free) but I interpreted it that way so they must give me one for free. I don't care about the charity and am not going to contribute $15-$20 to them because well I don't want to.

I actually went back to read the post again. I can honestly not see how they were an entitled 'Karen'.

They were told one thing at various resorts about there being no charge for exchanging bracelets. If true they have a case to make. Neither one of us were there and cannot claim that the OP retorted calmly or with a 'Karen' like behaviour that lead to the end result. No matter how it was done, maybe the GM caved because of 'Karen' fatigue .

 

[bazzap]

IMO this process should be standardized across resorts. I do feel they should replace them by just swapping them out but the $3.50 is reasonable though there should be a guarantee they'd work across resorts for a given period.

To the best of my knowledge, there are currently no wristbands with work across all MVC regions.
None of those that we have do anyway.


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[Dean]

To the best of my knowledge, there are currently no wristbands with work across all MVC regions.
None of those that we have do anyway.


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Unfortunately I'm aware, I've even had them not work at the same resort a few months later.

 

[sea&ski]

So here's my two cents. After over 20 years of ownership, I have NO idea what you all are talking about. One of the resorts we visit has little rubber ducks for sale for Children's Miracle Network. How about that?

 

[dougp26364]

I actually went back to read the post again. I can honestly not see how they were an entitled 'Karen'.

They were told one thing at various resorts about there being no charge for exchanging bracelets. If true they have a case to make. Neither one of us were there and cannot claim that the OP retorted calmly or with a 'Karen' like behaviour that lead to the end result. No matter how it was done, maybe the GM caved because of 'Karen' fatigue .

There’s no doubt you’ll get bad information from MVC employees. We’ve pretty much ALL complained about that issue. But not just with MVC. Pretty much every system out there. ”If their lips are moving”. We’ve all also complained about the lying, aggressive “concierge” body snatchers who try to rope us into yet another owners update with varying degrees of incentives rather than one flat rate for everyone.

I can’t say for a fact because I never believe them, but I’ve probably heard the bands can be reprogrammed from one resort to another. I can definitely say I’ve learned that’s not 100% true. I have a small collection of them because some desk clerks either don’t know, don’t want to know, or have to many issues with the reprogrammed arm bands. Enough of a problem I just buy new ones each trip if I want them. Sometimes I don’t want them. They could make you a target as it might signal tourist to a thief.

That said it’s an annoyance at best. With all the money we spend on vacation it seems paying $15 for two new wrist band keys is a first world problem. Especially when it’s not mandatory and the proceeds go the CMN. Maybe MVC should just bake the cost into our MF’s and hand them out for free like they do the regular key cards? We own at a resort that does just that, but you return them at the end of your stay. You have to specifically ask for a standard room key card.

 

[dioxide45]

I know one policy that is very inconsistent across resorts is package delivery. While I certainly don't want all resorts to charge a fee, some consistency would be good. Some resorts charge a fee to have a package delivered to the resort for you. Sheraton Vistana Villages is like this. Some other resorts have a limit, five free and then a fee for additional packages. Some indicate it is free for owners (Grande Vista), though I don't know if they charge for other guests). A number of other resorts have unlimited free. As to the fees, it can be anywhere from $5 to $10 per package. One resort had an additional holding fee if you left it for more than three days. I believe Vistana Villages also charges more for heavier packages.

These fees can be bad with Amazon because they don't always ship an order in one box. You might get three packages for a single order.

Grande Vista was a real pain because you had to call security and they would deliver the package to your door. I guess this is okay but then you feel obligated to tip. There is no self service option. Most resorts just let you go to the front desk to pick up a package.

 

[normab]

Not sure if I should throw my hat into the ring here, but here goes….

We bought our first bands at Surfwatch when they first came out. Way before Covid….I remember asking the agent would they be good for other resorts and how long would the battery last….that’s what I was thinking about… not that Marriott would be changing the system.

We also bought a set at Ocean pointe the same year because we forgot to bring the original set with us. The first two sets had the little emblem that was resort specific. After that, they just went to the words Marriott vacation club on the front of the band…Then when we went to Maui, the band didn’t work so we bought another set. And St. Thomas was also different.

The fact that the money goes to a charity, it didn’t bother me too much to buy additional sets. We just really like the convenience of not having to think about where we put the key five minutes ago.

But, since I would say we’ve bought at least five sets over the years… It would be nice if they would give us one new set in exchange!!!! I certainly don’t feel entitled to anything, I just think it would be a nice gesture on Marriott’s part.

We were at Oceana Palms, BeachPlace and crystal shores in the last four months. None of them had new bands yet.

I’m definitely looking forward to our stays next year when I hope they will have new bands!

 

[tiel]

Just curious. If I were to pay full price for a band, how much would go CMN? I think with the refillable cups they used to sell, it was a small percentage of the cost of the cup, a dollar or so.

Btw, the old bands we have were given to us free when we checked in at a few resorts years ago, while we were Chariman's Club. Not that level anymore. We will not be attempting to exchange them, of course. That would be way too much. And, while I did like the convenience they provided, they got so stretched out over time they'd barely stay on my wrist.

 

[bazzap]

Just curious. If I were to pay full price for a band, how much would go CMN? I think with the refillable cups they used to sell, it was a small percentage of the cost of the cup, a dollar or so.

Btw, the old bands we have were given to us free when we checked in at a few resorts years ago, while we were Chariman's Club. Not that level anymore. We will not be attempting to exchange them, of course. That would be way too much. And, while I did like the convenience they provided, they got so stretched out over time they'd barely stay on my wrist.

Interestingly, the size of the wrist bands seems to be dependent on where they are from.
The ones we got from Phuket are significantly smaller (tighter fit) than the ones we got in Spain and especially from the US?


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[deniseh]

We do like the wrist bands and now have some of the new ones. Our last stay at Summit Watch we had a lot of trouble with the new ones not working very well. Front desk reprogrammed and then exchanged them but still weren't working consistently. If they aren't reliable, I would rather just carry the key card. The appeal of the wrist band was not having to always remember a key card and then digging it out of the tote bag to use it.

 

[dioxide45]

Interestingly, the size of the wrist bands seems to be dependent on where they are from.
The ones we got from Phuket are significantly smaller (tighter fit) than the ones we got in Spain and especially from the US?


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Here in the USA, we've seen two different sizes. They have large and small. The small are more like children's size. Sometimes that is all they have as the large bands are often sold out.

 

[bazzap]

Here in the USA, we've seen two different sizes. They have large and small. The small are more like children's size. Sometimes that is all they have as the large bands are often sold out.

That would explain it.
I believe they may just come in the one size internationally.


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[VacationForever]

So here's my two cents. After over 20 years of ownership, I have NO idea what you all are talking about. One of the resorts we visit has little rubber ducks for sale for Children's Miracle Network. How about that?

I know what they are talking about but I have never been given an option to purchase a wristband in place of a room card key at any of the Marriott and Vistana resorts that I stayed at. The only one that I am aware of is the rubber duck at Marriott's Desert Springs. Worldmark issues the wristband for free and gives only one card key now, with the rest of the party getting wristbands.

 

[sponger76]

I know what they are talking about but I have never been given an option to purchase a wristband in place of a room card key at any of the Marriott and Vistana resorts that I stayed at.

I've never been proactively offered them but have seen them behind the counter at quite a few resorts; if you want one you can ask to purchase one if they are available.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

I've never been proactively offered them but have seen them behind the counter at quite a few resorts; if you want one you can ask to purchase one if they are available.

That's been my experience as well. At Ko Olina last week they had a small rack with a few wristbands on counter at check-in. No sign or pricing, I like the wristbands, so asked about them and purchased the new ones.,

 

[ljmiii]

We accumulated our supply of too many MVC wristbands by being given them by concierges (aka 'Owner Update' scouts) who noticed we were Chairman's Club and gave them to us as part of their pitch.

Am I to assume from the way the thread has gone that this is no longer the case? The concierge/scouts are no longer eager to sell/give them to prospects?

 

[bazzap]

We accumulated our supply of too many MVC wristbands by being given them by concierges (aka 'Owner Update' scouts) who noticed we were Chairman's Club and gave them to us as part of their pitch.

Am I to assume from the way the thread has gone that this is no longer the case? The concierge/scouts are no longer eager to sell/give them to prospects?

At European MVC resorts they give out a different type of wristband at Sales Presentations, but just for those who make a purchase.
These are larger and fit on like some watch bands.
At first sight they look the part, but in practice they are rather chunky and can fall off rather too easily.


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