Guest Certificates

[DayTraveler]

Hello. My wife and I entered into a short term rental for World Mark Oceanside. The contract was in my name and so the owner made the reservation in my name. However, I cannot be there until the day after check in and so my wife will need to check in. I let the owner know and she reached out to Wyndham and was told that they charge $129. She reached out within 24 hours of when the reservation was made and it is the same family. I asked the GM Victor Castro if he could just add my wife to the rental agreement and he said that the owner needs to change the reservation through Wyndham. The owner is frustrated and expressed that around 10 years ago when she upgraded that she was given free unlimited house cleaning and guest certificates. She thinks this is bad service as do I because we are the same family and why not just change the name or add my wife. Would anyone have an advice please?

 

[bnoble]

Wyndham is very very particular that (a) there be only one "lead guest" on a reservation, (b) that guest must be the one checking into the unit, and (c) changing the name for any reason requires a new guest certificate. There is no way around this.

The GC is only $99 (not $129) if the owner does it online, and that assumes the owner has used all of their allocated GCs already. What was true 10 years ago doesn't really matter today. If I were you, I'd offer to pay the $99 (but not $129) and just be done with it. But, do that at the very last minute in case your plans change again.

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Edited to add: You can change the name to one of the owners of record for free, but that does not help DayTraveler.

 

[HudsHut]

Unfortunately, the owner will be charged $99 to change the name online UNLESS the owner has additonal Guest Certificate Tokens on the account. Either the fee or the token must be used.
That is the risk the owner takes in renting out. Owner should have made clear that ANY change to the guest name would incur a $99 fee.

I'm not saying that I like the rule, but it is the rule. Wyndham added the guest certificate a few years ago, and has not ever allowed changes without a fee.

 

[CO skier]

Sounds like you are dealing with an amateur renter. Experienced renters know guest names may be changed online for $99.

Experienced renters know to wait until closer to the check-in date to assign the guest name to reservations for exactly situations such as yours where plans change before arrival.

Maybe ask the renter to absorb the cost of the guest certificate as "tuition" for their learning curve, or at least split the cost of the revised guest certificate (and do not change the name until closer to check-in should plans change again).

 

[CO skier]

This is not "bad service" on the part of Wyndham. This is bad service on the part of the renter, who should be familiar with this rule that has been in place since 2018.

 

[geist1223]

First off 10 years ago Worldmark did not have Guest Certificates. Worldmark Travelshare Platinum does have unlimited Housekeeping Tokens. Since instituted Guest Certificates have always been issued at 1 per 10,000 Credits or part thereof.

The named person on the Reservation has always been required to be present at Checkin. Only the Owner can change the name. Ever since the Worldmark BOD (on advice from the Manager Wyndham) adopted Guest Certificates a change has resulted in the loss of the used Guest Certificate and the need for the use of a new Guest Certificate.

When I make a Bookings for one of my Kids I leave the Booking in my name. About 35 days before checkin we talk. Confirm they are actually going. Only after this do I put their name on the Booking.

All Bookings and any changes are handled out of Central location/computer. Local Resorts and Managers basically have no Power in this area. They are there to manage the physical facility.

 

[RENTER]

This is not "bad service" on the part of Wyndham. This is bad service on the part of the renter, who should be familiar with this rule that has been in place since 2018.

View attachment 83940

Finally, something I can agree with you on. I make it clear to those renting from me that the person on the guest pass has to be the first person checking in and if they are delayed others have to wait until they do, or I have to charge them $99 to change it. If it is a less popular resort during non-prime period and it is very unlikely going to be subject to the black out period, I will wait until the last minute to arrange the guest pass in case of traffic or weather delays. If those renting know me, they have no problem with that. Those renting from me thru sites like Airbnb are protected from me scamming them because I do not receive payment until 2 days after checked in. So they do not panic if I wait until the last minute.

 

[DayTraveler]

Sounds like you are dealing with an amateur renter. Experienced renters know guest names may be changed online for $99.

Experienced renters know to wait until closer to the check-in date to assign the guest name to reservations for exactly situations such as yours where plans change before arrival.

Maybe ask the renter to absorb the cost of the guest certificate as "tuition" for their learning curve, or at least split the cost of the revised guest certificate (and do not change the name until closer to check-in should plans change again).

Well the general manager kept reminding me to have the owner change the reservation from her name to our name. We check in on December 23. We didn't realize my daughter had to stay for a school performance.

 

[DayTraveler]

This is not "bad service" on the part of Wyndham. This is bad service on the part of the renter, who should be familiar with this rule that has been in place since 2018.

View attachment 83940

Well putting everything aside it does seem not to be a big deal to change to my wife's name. And I read on another TUG post that these owners were promised unlimited guest certificates and that it was even on some kind of CD as a promise. I don't want to cause waves or have strong opinions but it would seem that if they say that is the case maybe it should really be the case even today.

 

[DayTraveler]

Wyndham is very very particular that (a) there be only one "lead guest" on a reservation, (b) that guest must be the one checking into the unit, and (c) changing the name for any reason requires a new guest certificate. There is no way around this.

The GC is only $99 (not $129) if the owner does it online, and that assumes the owner has used all of their allocated GCs already. What was true 10 years ago doesn't really matter today. If I were you, I'd offer to pay the $99 (but not $129) and just be done with it. But, do that at the very last minute in case your plans change again.

-------
Edited to add: You can change the name to one of the owners of record for free, but that does not help DayTraveler.

Sounds like you are dealing with an amateur renter. Experienced renters know guest names may be changed online for $99.

Experienced renters know to wait until closer to the check-in date to assign the guest name to reservations for exactly situations such as yours where plans change before arrival.

Maybe ask the renter to absorb the cost of the guest certificate as "tuition" for their learning curve, or at least split the cost of the revised guest certificate (and do not change the name until closer to check-in should plans change again) She is actually a very nice lady and very easy to deal with I really like her. Nobody is perfect. She did ask me how I want the reservation to read. And I know she thought we would both be there I gave her that impression. It was last minute we realized my daughter needed to stay for a school performance. Life is just feeling nickle and dimes these days.

 

[DayTraveler]

First off 10 years ago Worldmark did not have Guest Certificates. Worldmark Travelshare Platinum does have unlimited Housekeeping Tokens. Since instituted Guest Certificates have always been issued at 1 per 10,000 Credits or part thereof.

The named person on the Reservation has always been required to be present at Checkin. Only the Owner can change the name. Ever since the Worldmark BOD (on advice from the Manager Wyndham) adopted Guest Certificates a change has resulted in the loss of the used Guest Certificate and the need for the use of a new Guest Certificate.

When I make a Bookings for one of my Kids I leave the Booking in my name. About 35 days before checkin we talk. Confirm they are actually going. Only after this do I put their name on the Booking.

All Bookings and any changes are handled out of Central location/computer. Local Resorts and Managers basically have no Power in this area. They are there to manage the physical facility.

Ok sounds like I don't really know all that much about this process. I guess now I will for the future. Thank you for sharing and helping me understand.

 

[DayTraveler]

Thanks everyone. I have never done this before and don't know a lot about it. I do feel confused because another TUG post talked about some CD promising unlimited guest certificates 10 years ago. And this owner is a really nice honest person that told me she used to have unlimited guest certificates. She has been really good to work and she seems pretty informed. Not trying to make a big deal just don't really like extra fees that seem to be unnecessary.

 

[WyndhamBarter]

amateur renter

@DayTraveler, I think every use of the word “renter” in this paragraph
is intended to mean “owner who rents,” rather than “person who
rents from an owner.” In subsequent discussion,
it seems that not all readers of this thread may realize that, and so
the wrong impression could be given/gathered.

This particular word-choice ambiguity seems to cause angst regularly on TUGBBS.

I hope all your concerns are resolved to everyone’s mutual satisfaction!

 

[bnoble]

another TUG post talked about some CD promising unlimited guest certificates 10 years ago

You may be confusing this with the Club Wyndham VIP program. At some point the higher levels there had unlimited GCs, but that was changed years ago. Many owners didn’t like it, but the VIP program description is very clear in that it can change at Wyndham’s whim.

Either way, it doesn’t really matter. What matters os what is true today.

 

[rickandcindy23]

This is not "bad service" on the part of Wyndham. This is bad service on the part of the renter, who should be familiar with this rule that has been in place since 2018.

View attachment 83940

Give it a rest, this is not a person who is renting "commercially," as they seem to be unsure of the process. Most people use their timeshares and don't make it a business to rent. There are no rules against renting in WorldMark, if this is indeed WorldMark.

 

[DayTraveler]

@DayTraveler, I think every use of the word “renter” in this paragraph
is intended to mean “owner who rents,” rather than “person who
rents from an owner.” In subsequent discussion,
it seems that not all readers of this thread may realize that, and so
the wrong impression could be given/gathered.

This particular word-choice ambiguity seems to cause angst regularly on TUGBBS.

I hope all your concerns are resolved to everyone’s mutual satisfaction!

Yes I feel like i understand it better. I find the TUG folks to be super knowledgeable so I am not surprised word choice might bother them because they know so much. Yesterday I found out that our Welk (now Hyatt) maintenance fees were raised by 16-18% so I am pretty frustrated about money and little sensitive.

 

[DayTraveler]

Give it a rest, this is not a person who is renting "commercially," as they seem to be unsure of the process. Most people use their timeshares and don't make it a business to rent. There are no rules against renting in WorldMark, if this is indeed WorldMark.

I decided last night that giving it a rest was the best plan. Let it go learn and move on. Thank you.