Cutting one day off this points reservation

[Pamplemousse]

I have a 7 night abound points reservation booked with fresh points right at 12 months (we are lowly owner level).
If I want to drop one night from this reservation (5 months in advance) can an agent just do that with no risk?
I seem to remember reading that the reservation could be lost?
Is it a problem that I couldn’t have booked 6 nights when I booked the 7 because of owner level restrictions?
What I have booked is not an available to book now so losing the reservation would be a disaster.

Thanks for any help from those with experience or knowledge and feel free to point me to the section of the T & C where I can find this myself.

 

[Likes to Travel]

I have done in multiple times by calling an agent and my reservation wasn't lost...

 

[jmhpsu93]

Is the 6-night reservation available now? If it's not, you won't be able to do it. In theory, anyway.

 

[dioxide45]

Technically the points from the one night would go into a Holding Account since you weren't eligible to make a six night reservation at 12 months.

 

[Pamplemousse]

Is the 6-night reservation available now? If it's not, you won't be able to do it. In theory, anyway.

As I mentioned it’s not available now.

so why am I getting 2 different answers?
@Likes to Travel was your new reservation available at the time the agent shortened your original (in that case it’s really more a book new one/cancel old).

 

[Pamplemousse]

Technically the points from the one night would go into a Holding Account since you weren't eligible to make a six night reservation at 12 months.

That’s fine-
but my question is can this be done at all?
safely?
sounds like you are saying it can be done since that would be a special situation with the points return?

 

[Mroze]

As I mentioned it’s not available now.

so why am I getting 2 different answers?

Even if there is no availability it can be done [safely without a risk of losing the week/days].
I have done it a few times [as recently as last week].
The agent will lock the reservation [hold the days] while the new window is selected, and the excess points will show up as available in your account immediately.

In relation to your second question, I am not sure how the excess points are classified depending on "Owner" level.
The changes were done well before 60-Days prior to check-in.
We booked 21-Nights at the 13-Month window and changed to 7-Nights at the 12-Month window.
Since we are "Chairmans" all the points were credited with full privileges [including restored back to the next year from which they were borrowed].

 

[Pamplemousse]

Even if there is no availability it can be done [safely without a risk of losing the week/days].
I have done it a few times [as recently as last week].
The agent will lock the reservation [hold the days] while the new window is selected, and the excess points will show up as available in your account immediately.

In relation to your second question, I am not sure how the excess points are classified depending on "Owner" level.
The changes were done well before 60-Days prior to check-in.
We booked 21-Nights at the 13-Month window and changed to 7-Nights at the 12-Month window.
Since we are "Chairmans" the all the points were credited with full privileges [including restored back to the next year from which they were borrowed].

Thanks Mroze!

So @jmhpsu93 and idea why your experience is different?
Anyone know where these rules are written?
thanks

 

[Mroze]

Below is the policy that shows up when making a reservation.
It pertains to Cancellations/Modifications.
Not sure about "Owner" level restrictions.
My assumption [not certain] is that if something was available at 5-Months and you could select less than 7-Nights at 5-Months it should work.
The same conditions should apply if something is not available at 5-Months.
Thus, the agent should be able to hold your nights [making them available to only you] while making the change.

 

[claraj]

I think @dioxide45 Is right that because you originally booked at 12 months for 7 nights and would not have been able to book 5 or 6 nights at that time, if you shorten the stay, your points would be returned to a holding account. However, I did do this once (and I am regular lowest level owner) where I booked 7 nights at 12 months and 2 months later (at 10 months), I was able to book an encore for the first 4 nights. I called to shorten my 7 night stay. The remaining 3 nights were not available. The customer rep was able to shorten it for me and my points did not go into a holding account (I didn't know at the time that it should have). I don't know if my encore nights made it look like I was still booking a 7 night stay and that is why my points didn't go into holding. I didn't know to ask. Good luck!

 

[claraj]

This is what I found in the brochure of how to use your ownership.

"When Owners modify a reservation prior to check-in to result in a shorter stay duration than would have been permitted at the time the reservation was made, the difference in the number of Vacation Club Points will be returned to a Holding Account."

 

[Pamplemousse]

I think @dioxide45 Is right that because you originally booked at 12 months for 7 nights and would not have been able to book 5 or 6 nights at that time, if you shorten the stay, your points would be returned to a holding account. However, I did do this once (and I am regular lowest level owner) where I booked 7 nights at 12 months and 2 months later (at 10 months), I was able to book an encore for the first 4 nights. I called to shorten my 7 night stay. The remaining 3 nights were not available. The customer rep was able to shorten it for me and my points did not go into a holding account (I didn't know at the time that it should have). I don't know if my encore nights made it look like I was still booking a 7 night stay and that is why my points didn't go into holding. I didn't know to ask. Good luck!

Thanks for this.

To be clear to all I absolutely don‘t care if the points from the cancelled night goes into the holding account- I don’t care about cancellation rules.

What I was asking is can I shorten a reservation if the dates are not currently available?
Most of you seem to say yes the agent should do that for me.
I was just trying to see if it was an option before I explored alternate plans.

So now I just need to decide for sure if I want to do it and give them a call.
I will report back on my experience if I do.

 

[dioxide45]

Thanks for this.

To be clear to all I absolutely don‘t care if the points from the cancelled night goes into the holding account- I don’t care about cancellation rules.

What I was asking is can I shorten a reservation if the dates are not currently available?
Most of you seem to say yes the agent should do that for me.
I was just trying to see if it was an option before I explored alternate plans.

So now I just need to decide for sure if I want to do it and give them a call.
I will report back on my experience if I do.

They should be able to shorten the reservation and not eff it up. There is always a chance they eff it up. It is always a nerve wracking experience when calling customer service for things like this. I get it.

 

[ljmiii]

What I was asking is can I shorten a reservation if the dates are not currently available?...

For better or worse, the answer is "Theoretically yes and it works most of the time...but people have reported losing their reservation instead".

In general, if my dates are uncertain I book multiple consecutive reservations so I don't have to run the risk (and now can just cancel the uncertain part of the reservations online and immediately reuse the points). But you obviously couldn't do it in this case.

I will say regarding the other issue, that on TUG and other social media forums I've read "Why did my returned points go into holding?" questions when someone successfully shortened a 7+ day reservation.

 

[Dean]

I think most of the time one can have a reservation shortened and most of the time you won't lose the reservation. But there have been reports of losing the reservation and not being a being able to get it back. I've done it several times.

 

[gln60]

Last year I booked an Encore Package to BeachPlace Towers for 5days and 4 nights for January 2024 arrival..a few months before I booked 7 nights in a 1 BR Villa using Abound Points…Once we decided we only needed 3 nights added to the Encore Package I called MVC and spoke to a very nice associate that told me he had to get Supervisor Approval to change the 7 night reservation to 3 nights..he did get approval…a few weeks later I was able to add 2 nights before the Encore Package started..making for a 9 day vacation..I got lucky

 

[Fi2]

My experience is that one can typically shorten reservations, but if the stay is otherwise unavailable to be booked, doing so involves wait times upwards of ten minutes on a mostly silent hold. The advisor has (to sometimes queue first) to ask a supervisor to make the changes, and reports back when all is done. Better advisors will check in periodically, with reassurances that “they’re still working on it”, but absent that, one waits in silence hoping against hope the call doesn’t drop.

If a reservation becomes “lost” in the process, that’s a mistake that should be rectified. However, there are no guarantees that the interval lost is retrievable.

And frustratingly, for me as a Chairman’s Club owner who purchased direct, this year I was flat out denied the option to shorten a reservation due to a special event (Super Bowl weekend at the MGC). While I understand the resort’s concerns about orphaned nights, this restriction, along with uncommunicated minimum stay requirements in booking, diminishes the touted benefit to Chairman’s Club owners to make reservations for “just” the nights needed or desired.

 

[jpa2825]

<snip>

<snip>
What I was asking is can I shorten a reservation if the dates are not currently available?
<snip>

The key is the inventory IS available b/c you have the 6 nights you are looking for (and an additional night you are willing to return to inventory). As stated by others, it can get screwed up but it should be fairly straightforward. In fact, during most sales pitches reserving early and as many nights as you MIGHT need is a selling point. Cancel before 60 days and points go back to where they came from (unless the wrinkle about 6 v 7 nights applies). Cancel inside of 60 days and points go back to holding account. MVC certainly "pitches" this so their advisors SHOULD be able to implement it.

Make sure you get the advisor's name, take good notes and check your reservations and points balances as soon as you get off the phone.

 

[Dean]

The key is the inventory IS available b/c you have the 6 nights you are looking for (and an additional night you are willing to return to inventory). As stated by others, it can get screwed up but it should be fairly straightforward. In fact, during most sales pitches reserving early and as many nights as you MIGHT need is a selling point. Cancel before 60 days and points go back to where they came from (unless the wrinkle about 6 v 7 nights applies). Cancel inside of 60 days and points go back to holding account. MVC certainly "pitches" this so their advisors SHOULD be able to implement it.

Make sure you get the advisor's name, take good notes and check your reservations and points balances as soon as you get off the phone.

Not necessarily. This would be up to MVC and requires a supervisor to do if it's not available otherwise. Some have been told no at times though generally you can get it done if you press though at times you may have to call a second time.

 

[cthewrld]

I called today to cancel 6 nights out of 7 which was booked at 12 months (I’m a Select member), my booking is now 10 months out, I only need the first night now and it wasn’t available to book. I was told my points may have to go into a Holding Account (I didn’t know the limitations on the account). The rep told me he was going to talk to the resolutions team to check about canceling them, and when he came back he said the nights had been cancelled, I thought I was okay until I looked at my balance, the points have been put into the Holding Acct. I’m very disappointed because I have 10 months to try and get that 1 night. If he had of come back and told me, I would have cancelled the whole week and the 1 day should have become available??? I can’t believe now I have to use the points by the end of next year, but what is worse is I can only book 2 month out.

 

[Fasttr]

I called today to cancel 6 nights out of 7 which was booked at 12 months (I’m a Select member), my booking is now 10 months out, I only need the first night now and it wasn’t available to book. I was told my points may have to go into a Holding Account (I didn’t know the limitations on the account). The rep told me he was going to talk to the resolutions team to check about canceling them, and when he came back he said the nights had been cancelled, I thought I was okay until I looked at my balance, the points have been put into the Holding Acct. I’m very disappointed because I have 10 months to try and get that 1 night. If he had of come back and told me, I would have cancelled the whole week and the 1 day should have become available??? I can’t believe now I have to use the points by the end of next year, but what is worse is I can only book 2 month out.

The cancellation was handled correctly as per the rules. You would have been better off to waitlist for only the 1 night you needed if it was not available at the 10 month mark.

That said, I would call back and see if they can cancel the remaining night and release your holding points back to normal point status. Explain what occurred on your call.

 

[cthewrld]

The cancellation was handled correctly as per the rules. You would have been better off to waitlist for only the 1 night you needed if it was not available at the 10 month mark.

That said, I would call back and see if they can cancel the remaining night and release your holding points back to normal point status. Explain what occurred on your call.

I’m going to try that on Monday, hopefully they can fix it