Buying a Westin timeshare is not "Marriott spend" anymore??

[melroseman]

I bought a timeshare from Westin (Marriott) while at the Kierland Villas and put it on my Marriott credit card (I know, not resale, small purchase just enough to get me to Presidential. That has always been a “Marriott spend” and worth 6 points per dollar. I do the same with annual maintenance fees for several Marriott timeshares. The credit card bill had the amount designated as "Westin Kierland Villas escrow." After talking/arguing with Chase, with Marriott Bonvoy, with MVC everybody is pointing the finger at everyone else...Chase says it's Westin's fault, and not a hotel stay. Westin and MVC say talk to Bonvoy and Chase. I am not getting anywhere. If this is a change in policy that Marriott spend is ONLY for actual hotel stays then salespeople shouldn’t tell buyers otherwise and Marriott should be transparent. And I don't blame the salesperson here (unless he knew) because purchases have always been Marriott spend.

I expect such a change would apply to payments for maintenance fees as well. Any other similar experiences??

 

[tschwa2]

What category of spend is Chase saying that it was processed as?

 

[SueDonJ]

[Moderator Note: Thread moved to the Vistana forum where there should be more TUGgers who are familiar with Westin transactions.]

 

[daviator]

Charges from Vistana/MVC have always been considered "Marriott spend" and received 6x Bonvoy points from most or all of the branded credit cards. If that is no longer the case, that's new and is indeed significant.

I did receive 6x spend for my maintenance fees (for my Vistana properties) as well as for incidentals on MVC stays earlier this year. My Bonvoy card is from American Express, so it's possible that it's different with Chase.

 

[melroseman]

What category of spend is Chase saying that it was processed as?

Chase processed the charges as "travel"

 

[dioxide45]

Have you successfully done this with a Chase Visa and Vistana purchase before? I know if the days of Starwood and even still, Vistana seems to push the Bonvoy cards offered by Amex. I wonder if Chase and Amex handle these differently.

 

[melroseman]

Interesting take. Haven't done it with Vistana before, but it should still be Marriott spend I would think. Salesperson trying to unwind it. Lot's of trouble for 60,000 bonvoy points...but I can be stubborn too.

 

[sjlola]

Charges from Vistana/MVC have always been considered "Marriott spend" and received 6x Bonvoy points from most or all of the branded credit cards. If that is no longer the case, that's new and is indeed significant.

I did receive 6x spend for my maintenance fees (for my Vistana properties) as well as for incidentals on MVC stays earlier this year. My Bonvoy card is from American Express, so it's possible that it's different with Chase.

Same experience here with our Amex Bonvoy card. We received 6x for our Vistana maintenance fees paid in late December.

 

[dioxide45]

Charges from Vistana/MVC have always been considered "Marriott spend" and received 6x Bonvoy points from most or all of the branded credit cards. If that is no longer the case, that's new and is indeed significant.

I did receive 6x spend for my maintenance fees (for my Vistana properties) as well as for incidentals on MVC stays earlier this year. My Bonvoy card is from American Express, so it's possible that it's different with Chase.

The difference here seems to be a MF payment vs. a purchase payment.

 

[daviator]

The difference here seems to be a MF payment vs. a purchase payment.

I always received 6x for my Vistana purchases charged to the card, but it's been a few years since the last one of those.

 

[dioxide45]

I always received 6x for my Vistana purchases charged to the card, but it's been a few years since the last one of those.

Both Chase and Amex?

 

[daviator]

Both Chase and Amex?

I never had a Chase Bonvoy card so can't comment on Chase. I guess my point is that I think the Amex behavior is correct; you are SUPPOSED to get 6x for purchases from MVC sales and Sales always encourages buyers to open up a Bonvoy credit card account on the spot, if necessary, so as not to miss out on that opportunity for bonus Bonvoy points. It doesn't make sense that Chase would treat those purchases as non-Marriott spend while Amex treats them as Marriott.

 

[dioxide45]

I never had a Chase Bonvoy card so can't comment on Chase. I guess my point is that I think the Amex behavior is correct; you are SUPPOSED to get 6x for purchases from MVC sales and Sales always encourages buyers to open up a Bonvoy credit card account on the spot, if necessary, so as not to miss out on that opportunity for bonus Bonvoy points. It doesn't make sense that Chase would treat those purchases as non-Marriott spend while Amex treats them as Marriott.

The OP was using Chase. I agree that it doesn't make sense that Chase and Amex are treated differently, but they are two different companies who may have the merchant codes coded differently.

I've noticed when in Vistana presentations they seem to have more marketing material around the Amex card whereas the Marriott sales offices seem to push Chase.

 

[daviator]

The OP was using Chase. I agree that it doesn't make sense that Chase and Amex are treated differently, but they are two different companies who may have the merchant codes coded differently.

I've noticed when in Vistana presentations they seem to have more marketing material around the Amex card whereas the Marriott sales offices seem to push Chase.

The Starwood credit cards were with Amex and the Marriott Guest Rewards credit cards were with Chase. When they merged the programs, they kept both, but it sort of makes sense that the Vistana sales offices are still more likely to push Amex and the non-Vistana (they are all MVC, after all) offices more likely to push Chase, just based on the history of the brands.

It seems to me that if you could get this issue in front of the MVC person who manages the relationship with the credit card vendors, that person would probably be motivated to fix this problem. But I have no idea who that person is. Unsurprisingly, it sounds like the front line customer service folks are of no help.

 

[dioxide45]

The Starwood credit cards were with Amex and the Marriott Guest Rewards credit cards were with Chase. When they merged the programs, they kept both, but it sort of makes sense that the Vistana sales offices are still more likely to push Amex and the non-Vistana (they are all MVC, after all) offices more likely to push Chase, just based on the history of the brands.

It seems to me that if you could get this issue in front of the MVC person who manages the relationship with the credit card vendors, that person would probably be motivated to fix this problem. But I have no idea who that person is. Unsurprisingly, it sounds like the front line customer service folks are of no help.

I suspect taking it to Customer Advocacy may be the best step. I recall an issue last year where Hyatt Vacation Club changed the company they used to process MF payments and owners stopped earning the multiplier when paying MFs on the Hyatt credit card. They did get around to fixing it.

I am just trying to determine if something broke with the Chase credit card or if it has always been that way with Chase and Vistana purchases. So any Vistana owners here that bought direct and put it on the Chase Visa?

 

[melroseman]

I can't speak to the AmEx versus Chase aspect of this but it would be a stretch to treat the two companies differently. The sales team at Kierland seems engaged in the issue, my emails are being answered and I believe they are trying to unwind it. From their perspective they are telling people "you'll get all these Marriott Rewards point as a perk" and this is something of a black eye. And yea, I have been to several bad presentations where the representations were not completely truthful (diplomatically) but this guy seemed straight enough, and Kierland seems genuinely surprised by this.

 

[dioxide45]

I can't speak to the AmEx versus Chase aspect of this but it would be a stretch to treat the two companies differently. The sales team at Kierland seems engaged in the issue, my emails are being answered and I believe they are trying to unwind it. From their perspective they are telling people "you'll get all these Marriott Rewards point as a perk" and this is something of a black eye. And yea, I have been to several bad presentations where the representations were not completely truthful (diplomatically) but this guy seemed straight enough, and Kierland seems genuinely surprised by this.

I do think it is a problem on the Chase side. Chase and Amex are two different companies and maintain their own processes for how they track Marriott spend. I certainly don't doubt the sales team expected Chase to honor the multiplier and Chase should honor the multiplier. The sales team may just have not had anyone in your situation yet using a Chase Visa on a Vistana purchase. I don't think they lied about it just to make the sale.

 

[melroseman]

There must be Tuggers that used a Chase Marriott card to pay Vistana maintenance fees? That might be a data point.

 

[dioxide45]

There must be Tuggers that used a Chase Marriott card to pay Vistana maintenance fees? That might be a data point.

Yes, we have done that and received the multiplier. But the payee and merchant isn't the same.

 

[KACTravels]

We are about to switch from AMX Bonvoy to Chase Bonvoy and this is a little distressing. We have already canceled my husband's AMX Bonvoy to allow for the 60 day waiting period to apply for the Bonus (T&C stating AMX must be closed for 60 days to qualify). The notes on the Chase Bonvoy says that you can earn up to 17X points at Marriott. I know see the error in the difference with AMX, but does the Maintenance Fees qualify for 6X?

Earn 3 Free Night Awards + 50,000 Bonus Points after eligible purchases​

Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.* Certain hotels have resort fees.
Plus, earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 total on eligible purchases in your first 6months from account opening with your Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.*

Earn up to 17X Total Points at Marriott​

Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®, here's how: 6X points with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card plus up to 11X points from Marriott Bonvoy® as a Silver Elite member.*

 

[dioxide45]

For credit card spend at hotels, you get 10 points per dollar just for the hotel rate, regardless of how you pay for it. Then the card gives you 15 elite night credits each year. This qualifies you for Silver Elite. Silver Elite comes with a 10% bonus on Bonvoy points for hotel stays. So regardless of how you pay, you would get 11 points per dollar for hotel spending. You don't even have to use the credit card. These points come from Marriott Bonvoy. Not Chase. If you charge the hotel to the credit card you get another 6 points per dollar from Chase.

 

[skibummer]

The difference here seems to be a MF payment vs. a purchase payment.

MVC/Vistana sales always advertise this as an option when trying to sell you a developer purchase (to get 6X Marriott Bonvoy points on your purchase), but the only Marriott cards they advertise is with Amex. They don't advertise this option with Chase cards. I have paid my maintenance fees with my JPM/Chase Ritz Carlton card and my Marriott Amex cards and both get 6X Bonvoy points.

 

[daviator]

MVC/Vistana sales always advertise this as an option when trying to sell you a developer purchase (to get 6X Marriott Bonvoy points on your purchase), but the only Marriott cards they advertise is with Amex. They don't advertise this option with Chase cards. I have paid my maintenance fees with my JPM/Chase Ritz Carlton card and my Marriott Amex cards and both get 6X Bonvoy points.

If true, that’s news to me, but that is a powerful incentive to stick with my Bonvoy Amex and not consider switching to one of the Chase competitors.

Amex could probably do a mailing to MVC owners and poach a bunch of Chase customers by highlighting that benefit.