GC blocked. Allowances blocked. Booking blocked.

[Pink_Warrior]

In June, we sent OUR PASTOR on a trip (no money whatsoever.) The day, and I mean THE DAY that we did that, they canceled the only two guest reservations we had for the end of the year. I called in and I was told that I was banned from using guest confirmations. Period. End of story. No more. That was all they said. And they didn't even refund the $$ that I spent on one of them.

After that point I had owner reservations canceled. No reason. It said overlapping but I have the paper trail from inside the account that they were not.

I've had owners' names changed from correct to incorrect. Not just a bit incorrect. One owner's name is now 18 characters long. The confirmation calls him by two apostrophes it is so long.

So I can not use guest confirmations ( 31 guest confirmations from last year were banned from usage.) I get 37.

Additionally I do not get two guest allowances. I get ZERO since I cannot use guest confirmations.

And now, I cannot book. It spins and spins. And owner's care cannot book on my account either. I have over 2 million points for this year in my account and I cannot use them AT ALL.

And all of this happened AFTER I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER!!! In fact, the fiasco with blocking the account was exactly 8 WEEKS out from double mastectomy.

So I can't book, I can't use guest confirmations, and my owner's reservations are subject to cancellation.

If my ability to book returns, I will absolutely send my family and friends on vacation. I will show up MYSELF to check them in. And as my username states, PINK WARRIOR, I am an advocate. My family and friends will not be surprised (well maybe the pastor) if I have to show my scars to the front desk as to WHY I AM HERE IN PERSON. I have no breasts and no nipples. I have nothing to hide. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

In my house the running joke is that when the surgeons removed my breasts they also removed my filter. In reality that is SO TRUE.

It may be time for non collegial remedies.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

Sorry to hear your story. I wish you a long future of happy family vacations
[ while battling with Wyndham corporate.]

*************

You may wish to ask @HitchHiker71 & others for advise on strategies.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I am so tired of Wyndham's constant treatment of longtime owners, even if we are labeled "mega renters," we should be given some dignity and respect for paying our fees and bringing in prospects to their sales' presentations.

We have had many guests buy Wyndham over the years we were "mega renters." Those prospects are free for Wyndham. They should look at the bigger picture.

So sorry you have had to deal with breast cancer. Stress is not good for any cancer. It's been known to actually increase the risk for cancer.

 

[noreenkate]

in my house the running joke is that when the surgeons removed my breasts they also removed my filter. In reality that is SO TRUE.

As strange as it sounds but the above is wonderful-
I interrupt that as you have a new zest on life. Don't wait time is precious enjoy every moment speak you mind and enjoy life filter free!

The first time my sister was diagnosed, she became timid and shy and struggled with the loss of her female identity. Went through reconstruction surgery multiple times to feel "normal"

The years later when the 2nd diagnosis came in she got FIERCE and found her voice again. After all the removal of the reconstruction and what needed to be done to once again be cancer free she choose instead to have tattoos of flowers and daisies things that made her happy to look at.

 

[55plus]

I believe Wyndham not allowing rentals except on EH is part bottom- line, but I do believe the main reason is to increase availability for owners who use points for themselves. I noticed since the restrictions went into effect I've been able to make more reservations at high demand locations and time-frames without having to book at 10 months out.

 

[HitchHiker71]

I'm assuming you received the cease and desist warning letters prior to the account suspension? Typically owners will receive at least one if not two cease and desist owner communications indicating that there is suspect activity that appears commercial in nature on your account. You explicitly mention the one GC that you used on your pastor, 31 were banned - so I'm assuming you were able to use six GCs? What were the other five used for? Just doing the math here to better understand the use case and specifics in play.

On the cancer note - it sounds like you are in remission - I sure hope so at least. I am in remission from prostate cancer after undergoing treatment in early 2016. Every blood test I have where my numbers are where we expect them to be is a triumph of course. Those of us who survive cancer do tend to find our voices in this life as we tend to realize firsthand just how precious life is, perhaps a bit more than others who don't have to confront their own mortality like cancer survivors do. Keep on keeping on @Pink_Warrior!

 

[cbyrne1174]

In June, we sent OUR PASTOR on a trip (no money whatsoever.) The day, and I mean THE DAY that we did that, they canceled the only two guest reservations we had for the end of the year. I called in and I was told that I was banned from using guest confirmations. Period. End of story. No more. That was all they said. And they didn't even refund the $$ that I spent on one of them.

After that point I had owner reservations canceled. No reason. It said overlapping but I have the paper trail from inside the account that they were not.

I've had owners' names changed from correct to incorrect. Not just a bit incorrect. One owner's name is now 18 characters long. The confirmation calls him by two apostrophes it is so long.

So I can not use guest confirmations ( 31 guest confirmations from last year were banned from usage.) I get 37.

Additionally I do not get two guest allowances. I get ZERO since I cannot use guest confirmations.

And now, I cannot book. It spins and spins. And owner's care cannot book on my account either. I have over 2 million points for this year in my account and I cannot use them AT ALL.

And all of this happened AFTER I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER!!! In fact, the fiasco with blocking the account was exactly 8 WEEKS out from double mastectomy.

So I can't book, I can't use guest confirmations, and my owner's reservations are subject to cancellation.

If my ability to book returns, I will absolutely send my family and friends on vacation. I will show up MYSELF to check them in. And as my username states, PINK WARRIOR, I am an advocate. My family and friends will not be surprised (well maybe the pastor) if I have to show my scars to the front desk as to WHY I AM HERE IN PERSON. I have no breasts and no nipples. I have nothing to hide. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

In my house the running joke is that when the surgeons removed my breasts they also removed my filter. In reality that is SO TRUE.

It may be time for non collegial remedies.

One thing I do love about TUG is that they don't try to filter you like on Disboards. I'm sorry your ta-tas tried to kill you.

....

Oh yea, and F Wyndham!!

 

[Melder]

I believe Wyndham not allowing rentals except on EH is part bottom- line, but I do believe the main reason is to increase availability for owners who use points for themselves. I noticed since the restrictions went into effect I've been able to make more reservations at high demand locations and time-frames without having to book at 10 months out.

I agree. I said the same thing on another thread back in October, then was told "availability at the more desirable resorts was created by Covid not owners no longer renting their reservations."

 

[WManning]

I believe Wyndham not allowing rentals except on EH is part bottom- line, but I do believe the main reason is to increase availability for owners who use points for themselves. I noticed since the restrictions went into effect I've been able to make more reservations at high demand locations and time-frames without having to book at 10 months out.

I have noticed more availability for my personal use also.

 

[Rolltydr]

I have noticed more availability for my personal use also.

Agree! There has been more Presidential availability, as well, including within the standard and express windows.

 

[55plus]

I picked up 14 nights in Clearwater at half points. Usually I would find 2 to 3 night cancellations. Clearwater doesn't allow guests anymore. Now owners that book reservations maybe trying to play cancel and rebook. I got 6 more nights at half points for in February. Going to Bonnet Creek in between.

 

[WManning]

I picked up 14 nights in Clearwater at half points. Usually I would find 2 to 3 night cancellations. Clearwater doesn't allow guests anymore. Now owners that book reservations maybe trying to play cancel and rebook. I got 6 more nights at half points for in February. Going to Bonnet Creek in between.

Sooner or later Wyndham will find a way to prevent VIP owners from booking allowed discounts. Work it while it's still available!

 

[55plus]

Sooner or later Wyndham will find a way to prevent VIP owners from booking allowed discounts. Work it while it's still available!

If they screw with point discounts it's time to leave. We've been owner going on thirty years so when owning isn't beneficial anymore I'm gone. Our ownership paid for itself many times over so I lose nothing by leaving.

 

[Jan M.]

If they screw with point discounts it's time to leave. We've been owner going on thirty years so when owning isn't beneficial anymore I'm gone. Our ownership paid for itself many times over so I lose nothing by leaving.

Another owner I know thinks Wyndham would love to see us VIP owners who have grandfathered unlimited housekeeping gone.

Without a decent VIP program Wyndham would be in a world of hurt. Most new owners find information online, find the Facebook groups, find TUG and learn about how they could have bought resale for a small fraction of what they spent. Wyndham needs repeat buyers. The VIP program is the carrot that keeps them coming back.

 

[CO skier]

Without a decent VIP program Wyndham would be in a world of hurt.

Wyndham sells a lot of what will soon be termed "VIP" memberships in WorldMark without a 50% or any VIP discount off of credit bookings.

 

[WManning]

Wyndham sells a lot of what will soon be termed "VIP" memberships in WorldMark without a 50% or any VIP discount off of credit bookings.

Wyndham eventually will keep chopping away at discounts. It is costing them to much not to limit the 50% bookings. Travelshare is what Worldmark pushes to sell more points.

If they screw with point discounts it's time to leave. We've been owner going on thirty years so when owning isn't beneficial anymore I'm gone. Our ownership paid for itself many times over so I lose nothing by leaving.

This is exactly what Wyndham would want. By leaving and walking away you played into their hand. Your ownership will be free inventory for them to sell. The new type of ownership will replace the aging VIP crowd.

Another owner I know thinks Wyndham would love to see us VIP owners who have grandfathered unlimited housekeeping gone.

Without a decent VIP program Wyndham would be in a world of hurt. Most new owners find information online, find the Facebook groups, find TUG and learn about how they could have bought resale for a small fraction of what they spent. Wyndham needs repeat buyers. The VIP program is the carrot that keeps them coming back.

Unlimited housekeeping is very costly when added to 50% discounted bookings. When booking a 1 bedroom it can add up to thousands a year in lost revenue for short stays. Im sure Wyndham can come up with another gimmick like they used Club Wyndham Access to sell more points. The VIP program is past its prime and there has been plenty of speculation of catering to the next generations wants or needs. A monthly fee based subscription without a large cash commitment is more than likely coming soon.

 

[troy12n]

Wyndham sells a lot of what will soon be termed "VIP" memberships in WorldMark without a 50% or any VIP discount off of credit bookings.

While that may be true, Worldmark also offers some discount programs that Wyndham does not. Like Bonus Time, and other sales and discount offers open to all owners. Like they have that BOGO promotion going right now.

Worldmark never, to my knowledge anyway, had a program with unlimited housekeeping, maybe they did a long time ago.

I don't think that Wyndham will severely deprecate the VIP program, they dont need to because the system is more or less closed, no new people coming in and people leaving all the time... it does them no good to further "bite the hands that feed them".

They rid themselves of the scourge of mega renters for the most part. Those few left are disposing of their garbage contracts as fast as they can.

 

[bnoble]

Most new owners find information online, find the Facebook groups, find TUG and learn about how they could have bought resale for a small fraction of what they spent.

I'm not sure about that, Jan.

It's true that sales to existing owners are a healthy chunk, but there are plenty of new owners too. How many of those new owners find their way to TUG to ask if they should rescind? Very few. Figure that maybe 10-20x of them find TUG and decide to rescind without asking the quesiton. Even under that assumption it is still, at most, several hundred per year. And this is one of the first places you'd find when you go looking. That's a drop in the bucket compared to the total number of sales per year.

I have some guesses as to why that is, but the short answer: The new buyer is on vacation, having the time of their lives, when a sales agent explains how they can bottle this magical feeling forever "at today's prices." That sounds like a great idea, and it feels really good to make that purchase. After all, it's an investment to bring yourself and your family good times for decades!

Someone who does that does not want to know that it was a bad idea. And when a person doesn't want to know something, they will go to great lengths to not learn it.

People have been saying that the Internet would kill the timeshare sales model for as long as I've been on TUG. It hasn't happened yet.

 

[WManning]

I'm not sure about that, Jan.

It's true that sales to existing owners are a healthy chunk, but there are plenty of new owners too. How many of those new owners find their way to TUG to ask if they should rescind? Very few. Figure that maybe 10-20x of them find TUG and decide to rescind without asking the quesiton. Even under that assumption it is still, at most, several hundred per year. And this is one of the first places you'd find when you go looking. That's a drop in the bucket compared to the total number of sales per year.

I have some guesses as to why that is, but the short answer: The new buyer is on vacation, having the time of their lives, when a sales agent explains how they can bottle this magical feeling forever "at today's prices." That sounds like a great idea, and it feels really good to make that purchase. After all, it's an investment to bring yourself and your family good times for decades!

Someone who does that does not want to know that it was a bad idea. And when a person doesn't want to know something, they will go to great lengths to not learn it.

People have been saying that the Internet would kill the timeshare sales model for as long as I've been on TUG. It hasn't happened yet.

Bnoble you hit the ball out of the park with this statement "Someone who does that does not want to know that it was a bad idea. And when a person doesn't want to know something, they will go to great lengths to not learn it." So much information at buyers finger tips today but they just don't want to put forth any effort to find it. This applies on the buy side and the sell side of transactions. Wyndham takes ownership back at no cost but exit companies are still profiting at the lack owners knowledge.

 

[WManning]

While that may be true, Worldmark also offers some discount programs that Wyndham does not. Like Bonus Time, and other sales and discount offers open to all owners. Like they have that BOGO promotion going right now.

Worldmark never, to my knowledge anyway, had a program with unlimited housekeeping, maybe they did a long time ago.

I don't think that Wyndham will severely deprecate the VIP program, they dont need to because the system is more or less closed, no new people coming in and people leaving all the time... it does them no good to further "bite the hands that feed them".

They rid themselves of the scourge of mega renters for the most part. Those few left are disposing of their garbage contracts as fast as they can.

Worldmark has a rental option for leftover inventory for owners. Example below for a reservation this weekend at Sea Gardens. A 5k ownership will cost about $600 a year in maintenance fees. A 20k ownership only costs about $1900 a year in maintenance fees. Notice cash options are not at 50% discount. Cash options do not use a HK credit or cost a HK fee if your out of yearly limit.

Vacation Credits | 4,200 credits
PAY WITH RENTAL OPTION(S)
Bonus Time | $340.20
FAX Time | $546.00
Inventory Special | $340.20

 

[paxsarah]

Bnoble you hit the ball out of the park with this statement "Someone who does that does not want to know that it was a bad idea. And when a person doesn't want to know something, they will go to great lengths to not learn it." So much information at buyers finger tips today but they just don't want to put forth any effort to find it. This applies on the buy side and the sell side of transactions. Wyndham takes ownership back at no cost but exit companies are still profiting at the lack owners knowledge.

That's also a stark contrast I see between the Wyndham Facebook groups and here. There are a lot of people who do not want to consider that it was a bad idea. There's even a whole group (Happy Wyndham Timeshare Owners) dedicated to that very ethos. And when the inevitable "Did I make a mistake? Should I rescind?" questions come, the responses (in the non-"Happy" groups) are much more of a mixed bag than here on TUG. Among the proportion of responses encouraging the owner to keep it (regardless of whether the conditions today are the same as when those owners bought, say, 20 years ago), there's almost always a "If you can afford it, keep it and use it." If you can afford it? Is that the only criteria? I mean, I can afford it but at this stage in my life I would rarely use VIP benefits (and even less so the discount and upgrade windows), so why waste that money on a retail purchase? So there are a lot of owners who have really never considered the possibility that there's any other way of going about ownership. Their advice seems to come from a place that the way they did it is the way that's right for everyone.

There are some really helpful, knowledgeable, and sensible people in the FB groups as well - some of whom are also here, but also many that appear to be only on FB - which is good, because there's a lot more BS to cut through over there.

 

[WManning]

While that may be true, Worldmark also offers some discount programs that Wyndham does not. Like Bonus Time, and other sales and discount offers open to all owners. Like they have that BOGO promotion going right now.

Worldmark never, to my knowledge anyway, had a program with unlimited housekeeping, maybe they did a long time ago.

I don't think that Wyndham will severely deprecate the VIP program, they dont need to because the system is more or less closed, no new people coming in and people leaving all the time... it does them no good to further "bite the hands that feed them".

They rid themselves of the scourge of mega renters for the most part. Those few left are disposing of their garbage contracts as fast as they can.

Some of the older ownerships did have unlimited HKs. You can find them resale but they are priced on the high range.

 

[CO skier]

Worldmark never, to my knowledge anyway, had a program with unlimited housekeeping, maybe they did a long time ago.

Travelshare was introduced in 2006, and unlimited housekeeping has always been a benefit with a 63,000 TravelShare account. I think that moved to 65,000 now and a few years ago. No idea if any "VIP" level will get unlimited housekeeping in the new VIP program (but highly doubtful based on the current Club Wyndham equivalent VIP program).

The salesweasels can honestly say, "Get grandfathered in now for unlimited housekeeping" and they will actually be right. Imagine that.

Caveat being, there is no mention of the TravelShare program in the most recent 2022-2023 Club Directory other than "TravelShare Guide to Affiliate Resorts."

 

[dioxide45]

Unlimited housekeeping is very costly when added to 50% discounted bookings.

Do we know who actually pays for the unlimited housekeeping? Does Wyndham pass housekeeping fees on to the resort HOAs when an owner pays them? If yes, do they pass on an equal amount of money when it is a free one for a VIP? Or does the HOA just pay for the "free" housekeeping by increasing the housekeeping line item in the annual budget?

 

[CO skier]

Do we know who actually pays for the unlimited housekeeping? Does Wyndham pass housekeeping fees on to the resort HOAs when an owner pays them? If yes, do they pass on an equal amount of money when it is a free one for a VIP? Or does the HOA just pay for the "free" housekeeping by increasing the housekeeping line item in the annual budget?

In WorldMark the answer is "Yes, it is known who pays for unlimited housekeeping." Years ago Eric Winch posted that he arranged a meeting and review of expenditures at WM headquarters and confirmed that unlimited housekeeping was paid by the sales department. It only makes sense -- TravelShare is a sales program.

It does not take a leap of logic to conclude the same for Club Wyndham.

And look at RCI where stays of less than a week using RCI points are charged for housekeeping.

Plus, a little common sense, no HOA is willing to absorb "free housekeeping"; "someone" will pay.