Guest Certificate hassles

[steve_solo]

I am wondering if this is a changed policy or just a resort quirk.
I gave my stepdaughter a vacation at Great Smokies Lodge. With GC in her married name.
First hassle - I lent a cc to her for checkin. Resort said they would not accept it because it wasn't in her name.
Even with me on the phone, no dice. So I transferred $250 to her debit card and she was able to check in.
She has used my cc multiple times for check-in. Is this new?
Second issue- she is divorced but still using her married name. But driver's license still had maiden name.
They wouldn't accept her driver's license and wanted a picture ID. Luckily she has an ID card for her nursing job that had her picture and married name.

What is Wyndham trying to crack down on here?

 

[CO skier]

This is not a Wyndham thing. It has been standard operating procedure in the hospitality industry for years. Some resorts are more lenient than others about having someone other than the guest use their credit card for the deposit.

This last January, I was checking-in to a resort at the same time as my daughter, who was listed as a guest on a different reservation. The desk agent waived her deposit, since the owner of the account was standing next to her.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Wyndham is looking for excuses to have you pay a GC fee. With CC fraud, I could understand that one. I guess I am surprised more places don't prohibit this.

You could get an additional card and add her as an authorized user, which provides a card in her name, but on your CC account, and give her the card when she needs to use it.

 

[dioxide45]

Polices like these are usually based on who you are actually working with on any given day. This recent experience may be different tomorrow, next, week, next year. Some people enforce the policies more even than others. Just how it is. Once experience isn't necessarily "cracking down". That said, you generally can't check in unless you can provide an ID that matches the guest name on the reservation. It seems you should have put the name of the guest as her maiden name that matches her ID. As for the credit card, there is always risk for a merchant accepting a form of payment not in the name of the person buying the service or product. She could run up a big bill, you claim a chargeback to your credit card company and now the resort is out those funds. It seems the resort followed proper procedures in all cases.

 

[Jan M.]

When you put a guest name on a reservation it's very important to make sure you're using their first and last name (no nicknames) and address exactly as it appears on their driver's license.

The front desk workers are supposed to check the ID and the name and address on ID are supposed to match what shows on their screen. If you and/or your guest have previously gotten away with it not matching, consider yourself lucky and don't push your luck in the future.

In my experience as long as someone in the the group checking in has a credit card in their name and their ID too the resorts will accept that person's credit card.

 

[kanerf]

I stay at the Wyndham Old Town Alexandria virtually every week for work. All of the staff know me by name, but when I check in I still need to show my ID.

 

[troy12n]

None of this seems unreasonable to me...

I'm not going to chastise Wyndham for not allowing someone to try to pass someone else's credit card... and for requiring a proper ID to check in.

I consider this all pretty proper and standard.

 

[dioxide45]

None of this seems unreasonable to me...

I'm not going to chastise Wyndham for not allowing someone to try to pass someone else's credit card... and for requiring a proper ID to check in.

I consider this all pretty proper and standard.

Exactly. Past results should never dictate current or future expectations.

 

[Sandi Bo]

I stay at the Wyndham Old Town Alexandria virtually every week for work. All of the staff know me by name, but when I check in I still need to show my ID.

I think they might be on camera. Big brother watching? I think Wyndham corporate has a heavy hand (just my impression).

I have found they will take any credit card. Which surprised me, I would think they would like the card to be the same as the owner or guest name. Also, some resorts don't require an owner to swipe a card (so do).

Unlike Budget, likely any car rental I am guessing - The credit card must match the name of the driver (person the rental is in). They won't take a card in my name if my husband is the driver. Recently we rented 2 cars and they wouldn't let us use the same credit card for both rentals (we are Fastbreak so it should default to the card on file - but with 2 rentals they made us put the 2nd reservation under a different card). Always something... and wouldn't surprise me if it was the employee - he was slow and it took forever, with Fastbreak, to get our cars (in Albany, NY). I walked over with my son in law - asked them to please check his license so they could list him as a driver and he could go get luggage (traveling with 3 kids 4 and under, car seats, etc). And then he had to come back and sign stuff.

 

[CO skier]

I think they might be on camera. Big brother watching? I think Wyndham corporate has a heavy hand (just my impression).

Wow. Talk about Wyndham paranoia ...

I am a frequent guest at a couple of Wyndham resorts. The check-in staff, maintenance people, shuttle drivers greet me by name on sight. At check-in, the staff, apologetically, asks for my ID explaining it is "policy." (Policy, not cameras ) I assure them I have no problem with that, and get a knowing smile in return.

 

[kanerf]

I think they might be on camera. Big brother watching? I think Wyndham corporate has a heavy hand (just my impression).

I have found they will take any credit card. Which surprised me, I would think they would like the card to be the same as the owner or guest name. Also, some resorts don't require an owner to swipe a card (so do).

Unlike Budget, likely any car rental I am guessing - The credit card must match the name of the driver (person the rental is in). They won't take a card in my name if my husband is the driver. Recently we rented 2 cars and they wouldn't let us use the same credit card for both rentals (we are Fastbreak so it should default to the card on file - but with 2 rentals they made us put the 2nd reservation under a different card). Always something... and wouldn't surprise me if it was the employee - he was slow and it took forever, with Fastbreak, to get our cars (in Albany, NY). I walked over with my son in law - asked them to please check his license so they could list him as a driver and he could go get luggage (traveling with 3 kids 4 and under, car seats, etc). And then he had to come back and sign stuff.

Yes, one of the agents told me there was a camera watching the check-in area.

 

[Jan M.]

Yes, one of the agents told me there was a camera watching the check-in area.

I would expect there to be cameras for security reasons, not just to monitor the employees.