How do various timeshare systems handle "last minute" cancellations?

[clifffaith]

Feeling bummed today because I turned in six days at Worldmark Yellowstone, and got dunned for four of the days. For a reservation made 13 months in advance cancellation deadline is one month before checkin. We hemmed and hawed around agonizing over my current mobility issues, and finally at about 27 days before our trip cancelled what Worldmark calls a grouped reservation--at 13 months out you can only book seven days, but all seven don't have to be in the same resort. So we'd strung together a trip getting us from Los Angeles to Montana 3 days St. George-3 days Park City - 6 days West Yellowstone.

Workdmark's rule is that if someone picks up your cancelled reservation you can call after the reservation is completed to get your points back. BUT if your reservation is picked up and then later rejected back into the system the original giver upper is on the hook. Yellowstone is one of those resorts where you have to be up at 6am 13 months in advance to make a reservation, and then be content to put yourself on the wait list when that doesn't work. For example, June 2018 in Yellowstone is completely booked the entire month except for two separate nights. So my cancelled Yellowstone and Park City reservations never hit live inventory, they immediately went to someone on the wait list. St. George lingered for two weeks before all inventory was gone and at that point I stopped keeping track.

Imagine my surprise and dismay when I called to get my points back only to find out that last Sun-Mon-Tues "my" one bedroom unit sat empty at Yellowstone, as did Friday night. It was suggested on Facebook that a "mega-renter" had ended up with my inventory and then cancelled it when they couldn't rent it. The drop dead date is fairly close to checkin date when a reservation is made within a month before arrival.

Worldmark's cancellation policy is actually better than our Diamond resort's which has a sliding scale as to how many points you lose, regardless as to whether or not someone picks up the reservation (granted at 59 days and 30 days they charge reservations at discounted points amounts). How do other systems handle cancellations?

 

[DeniseM]

Vistana - Cancellation deadling is 61 days before check-in. If you cancel after that, you have to pay a $50/$75 fee, and the Staroptions that you get back are very restricted.

 

[am1]

Seems very generous.

An incentive to cancel to free up the room for another owner.

 

[Panina]

For HGVC
30 to 15 days prior to the check-in date will result in loss of 25% of the points.

14 to 6 days prior to the check-in date will result in loss of 50% of the points.

5 or fewer days prior to the check-in date will result in 100% loss of the points.

You can purchase a protection where you do not lose any points if you cancel.

 

[icydog]

Disney Vacation Club Very similar to HGVC
Anything less than 30 days Before check in-- the points go into a holding account that have a 60 day usability window. Points in the holding account cannot be banked or borrowed.

 

[PigsDad]

For HGVC
30 to 15 days prior to the check-in date will result in loss of 25% of the points.

14 to 6 days prior to the check-in date will result in loss of 50% of the points.

5 or fewer days prior to the check-in date will result in 100% loss of the points.

You can purchase a protection where you do not lose any points if you cancel.

While this is true, one can effectively rebook a reservation as little as one-day before check-in day. Since HGVC reservations are all changeable, you can change your reservation to another (in the same calendar year) at any time without penalty as long as the new reservation uses the same or more number of points (and there is a way around that restriction as well). So up until one day before your check in, you can change the reservation to another location, date, etc.

Kurt

 

[Panina]

While this is true, one can effectively rebook a reservation as little as one-day before check-in day. Since HGVC reservations are all changeable, you can change your reservation to another (in the same calendar year) at any time without penalty as long as the new reservation uses the same or more number of points (and there is a way around that restriction as well). So up until one day before your check in, you can change the reservation to another location, date, etc.

Kurt

I've been taking the insurance protection. Seems if I have a reservation earlier in the year I don't have to take it as I will have time to plan something else if I can't go but probably good if the reservation is later in the year.

 

[WalnutBaron]

While this is true, one can effectively rebook a reservation as little as one-day before check-in day. Since HGVC reservations are all changeable, you can change your reservation to another (in the same calendar year) at any time without penalty as long as the new reservation uses the same or more number of points (and there is a way around that restriction as well). So up until one day before your check in, you can change the reservation to another location, date, etc.

Kurt

I discovered this hidden benefit of HGVC ownership earlier this year when I had to cancel a Hawaii reservation at 27 days out. I re-booked into a vacation at a HGVC resort in Mexico for December using a few more points than my original reservation. If, for some reason, I choose to cancel the Mexico reservation prior to the 30-day window, I can recover all of my points without penalty. It's definitely a loophole, but is also probably the most generous cancellation policy in the industry.

 

[VacationForever]

I also own at Worldmark and from all the timeshares that I own, Worldmark is the most generous in terms of cancellation penalty. I did also recently cancel a WM reservation for this summer at a very high demand before the penalty period. What I like especially about WM is that you get shorter penalty period when you book close to the date. I did several book and cance last year close to the date when friends were indecisive as to whether they would be joining us.

 

[puppymommo]

With Wyndham the rule is 15 days or more before check-in you get all your points back. 14 days or less, you lose them all.

 

[Talent312]

[With HGVC], one can effectively rebook a reservation as little as one-day before check-in day. Since HGVC reservations are all changeable, you can change your reservation to another (in the same calendar year) at any time without penalty as long as the new reservation uses the same or more number of points (and there is a way around that restriction as well).

... and then cancel without penalty 31 or more days prior to the new date.
Sneaky, but the system allows it, and CS Reps have reportedly suggested it.

.

 

[nuwermj]

With Bluegreen the rule is 10 days or more before check-in you get your points back, but there is a $60 fee. Within 10 days of check-in, points are lost.

 

[PigsDad]

... and then cancel without penalty 31 or more days prior to the new date.

Well, note quite without penalty -- you do lose your reservation fee.

Kurt