Interval International Getaway

[Eggrollcreative]

I bought two Interval International getaways each studios for the same week at Maverick Resort. Just found out they are closed until September due to hurricanes Ian and Nora. Interval tried to tell me too bad so sad I should have bought trip insurance. I got escalated to customer service and she was quite snotty but she did give us a credit for the two rooms. I went to replace it with a two bedroom costing the same price and the refund was in two buckets. I could only use one bucket! I called them and they said tough luck. I would have to book another getaway to use the rest of my credit. I asked to be escalated to customer service and that person (maybe same woman as yesterday?) REFUSED my call. I got lectured quite a while by the lower agent how I should have bought the insurance (which only covers part of cost and may not apply to this case) and how I should read all their small print. Their small print goes on for a dozen pages. What is especially disturbing is that I could have showed up to the resort and found out ONLY then that I had no room. They really don’t give a rip. UPDATE: I did receive a notice by email but it was buried in spam, so just now finding it and it’s dated November). It would have been easy to make me whole. I did buy insurance on this replacement it only reimburses about half the cost of my getaway for “covered” cancellations. The insurance is no panacea that’s for sure.

 

[VacationForever]

I am sorry that this happened to you. II could have done more but they could also have not done anything to reimburse you. I know that you are upset but s!@# happens and this is a minor in the grand scheme of things. You absolutely should have been informed of resort closure, but maybe II did not know about it. In this case, Maverick Resort should have informed you.

Something similar happened to me with RCI. I exchanged into Fisherman's Wharf in Punta Gorda and Hurricane Charley hit. I was not informed of closure but since I followed the hurricane closely, I knew to find out the condition of Fisherman's Wharf. It was damaged and closed for at least 2 years. I called RCI, and I got the same response, too bad so sad, and I should have bought insurance. I did not receive reimbursement of my lost points nor exchange fees. I didn't see a point in raising stink over it because it was out of RCI's control.

 

[Eggrollcreative]

Thanks for reply. But don’t you think they get those weeks back to sell next year? Say I hadn’t bought it and it was still on the market? Now they have nothing to sell. Do they just take the hit? Hard for me to believe. I will know tomorrow. Now I know RCI does the same thing. Won’t be buying those again. I don’t feel that’s ethical.

 

[dioxide45]

Try reaching out to Mark. If he can't help you, no one can.

Interval International provides direct email for TUG member support

I have recieved notification today that Interval has created a special email address specifically for TUG members who need direct assistance with II questions/concerns/issues. tugmembers@intervalintl.com feel free to use this email for appropriate situations where perhaps the regular website...

tugbbs.com

 

[VacationForever]

Thanks for reply. But don’t you think they get those weeks back to sell next year? Say I hadn’t bought it and it was still on the market? Now they have nothing to sell. Do they just take the hit? Hard for me to believe. I will know tomorrow. Now I know RCI does the same thing. Won’t be buying those again. I don’t feel that’s ethical.

If the resort is closed, those same weeks are gone. No one can occupy the weeks when it is closed, so they cannot be resold. If the resort is closed when the weeks were sold for that period, then it is a bigger issue.

 

[amycurl]

I feel I am missing something here---when did you purchase the Getaways? If you purchased them post-Ida, then, absolutely, II had no business selling you something; that's almost to the level of fraud (I feel it's on II to verify that the week they are selling is available from the resort.) If you purchased it *before* Ida, well, then....I would throw myself on the mercy of Mark, who is amazeballs and is one of the best benefits of being a TUG member *and* an II member.

 

[Eggrollcreative]

Deleting this post

 

[VacationForever]

I found the BBB site and hopefully I can get some satisfaction. Incidentally I did a search of my email and found the email back in November informing us of the closure and offering the $220 accommodation certificate. So I apologize they apparently did know about the closure and can’t imagine they were selling them after that. Anyhow, it’s costing me an extra $300 at this point based on this gal doing me a favor. I would have been better off with the AC. Here is the link which is full of interesting stories: https://www.bbb.org/us/fl/miami/pro...val-international-inc-0633-4005257/complaints

Were they really selling the getaway after you received information about closure from II? Do you have the data?

 

[Eggrollcreative]

Try reaching out to Mark. If he can't help you, no one can.

Interval International provides direct email for TUG member support

I have recieved notification today that Interval has created a special email address specifically for TUG members who need direct assistance with II questions/concerns/issues. tugmembers@intervalintl.com feel free to use this email for appropriate situations where perhaps the regular website...

tugbbs.com

This is awesome.

 

[Eggrollcreative]

Were they really selling the getaway after you received information about closure from II? Do you have the data?

No I was wrong about that. Sorry for confusion.

 

[Eggrollcreative]

I feel I am missing something here---when did you purchase the Getaways? If you purchased them post-Ida, then, absolutely, II had no business selling you something; that's almost to the level of fraud (I feel it's on II to verify that the week they are selling is available from the resort.) If you purchased it *before* Ida, well, then....I would throw myself on the mercy of Mark, who is amazeballs and is one of the best benefits of being a TUG member *and* an II member.

No fraud. But if Maverick gives them future weeks to replace their loss that might be on the edge if you ask me. I’m checking into that. After reading lots of BBB complaints and Yelp reviews it seems like things have been rough over there since COVID. I should be more patient and understanding. However their insurance is on the lame side and is not cheap. It doesn’t fix situations like this. So their tactic to blame folks for not buying insurance is kind of lame. Ok thanks everybody I feel much better.

 

[Eggrollcreative]

Ok just to wrap this up, I filed a complaint with the BBB and Interval International called the same day. They are refunding the second credit to my credit card per my request. As I mentioned before I applied the first credit to the replacement getaway with cost almost identical to the first (for the Maverick Resort closed due to the hurricane damage).

I am happy. Thank you Interval!

Also the reason my insurance doesn’t cover the cost of cancellation is because it’s based on what I paid. And since I had the credit, I didn’t pay as much. Brain hiccup!

However I did notice that insurance does not cover cost of cancellation due to pandemics although outraged customers over of the past couple years seems to have caused the company to relent a little. So there is always the question if your cancellation is for a “covered cause” and then you have to fill out paperwork and prove it.

Another reason that I opted not to spend $80 on insurance for an $800 getaway, was because I thought I was assuming the risk that I, myself, might have to cancel. I never dreamed that Interval could cancel my trip and it would be my problem. This is in part due to my husband having a stroke four days before a cruise and the insurance we had through Allianz had a $300 limit on our $11000 cruise. Our travel agent picked that plan and it left a bad taste in my mouth as you can imagine. (They had a better plan that we should have had instead.) Luckily a positive Covid test thanks to living in the ER for two days scored us a future cruise credit. So no one should feel sorry for me!

Lastly, I still feel that if they sell you a getaway and the resort closes, that is them breaking your contract and literally blaming us for not having insurance should not be their get out of jail free card. Especially when the resort is publicly promising to replace those weeks in the future. They should make it clear and not in small print that there is a chance your resort could be closed and they will not refund you.

All of this is just my opinion. But I apologize for slandering the company because in the end they made me whole and apparently based on what I have learned here and elsewhere I didn’t deserve it. Thank you Interval International. I hope others will benefit from my experience.

 

[tschwa2]

Ok just to wrap this up, I filed a complaint with the BBB and Interval International called the same day. They are refunding the second credit to my credit card per my request. As I mentioned before I applied the first credit to the replacement getaway with cost almost identical to the first (for the Maverick Resort closed due to the hurricane damage).

I am happy. Thank you Interval!

Also the reason my insurance doesn’t cover the cost of cancellation is because it’s based on what I paid. And since I had the credit, I didn’t pay as much. Brain hiccup!

However I did notice that insurance does not cover cost of cancellation due to pandemics although outraged customers over of the past couple years seems to have caused the company to relent a little. So there is always the question if your cancellation is for a “covered cause” and then you have to fill out paperwork and prove it.

Another reason that I opted not to spend $80 on insurance for an $800 getaway, was because I thought I was assuming the risk that I, myself, might have to cancel. I never dreamed that Interval could cancel my trip and it would be my problem. This is in part due to my husband having a stroke four days before a cruise and the insurance we had through Allianz had a $300 limit on our $11000 cruise. Our travel agent picked that plan and it left a bad taste in my mouth as you can imagine. (They had a better plan that we should have had instead.) Luckily a positive Covid test thanks to living in the ER for two days scored us a future cruise credit. So no one should feel sorry for me!

Lastly, I still feel that if they sell you a getaway and the resort closes, that is them breaking your contract and literally blaming us for not having insurance should not be their get out of jail free card. Especially when the resort is publicly promising to replace those weeks in the future. They should make it clear and not in small print that there is a chance your resort could be closed and they will not refund you.

All of this is just my opinion. But I apologize for slandering the company because in the end they made me whole and apparently based on what I have learned here and elsewhere I didn’t deserve it. Thank you Interval International. I hope others will benefit from my experience.

In my opinion you are lucky because although you assumed you were only assuming the risk if you cancelled the terms are quite clear that is not the case and Interval takes no responsibility if the unit is not available after the fact for any reason that is not within their control. So if their system cancelled the reservation yes, but if the resort can not honor the ii reservation, II will not cover it. The fact that you think think they should despite the fact that the terms clearly says they will not and you complained and got the money refunded does not mean that you should assume that the case will be next time. Do not book getaways with II or extra vacations with rci in the future if you do not want to assume the risk as outlined by their terms.

 

[Eggrollcreative]

In my opinion you are lucky because although you assumed you were only assuming the risk if you cancelled the terms are quite clear that is not the case and Interval takes no responsibility if the unit is not available after the fact for any reason that is not within their control. So if their system cancelled the reservation yes, but if the resort can not honor the ii reservation, II will not cover it. The fact that you think think they should despite the fact that the terms clearly says they will not and you complained and got the money refunded does not mean that you should assume that the case will be next time. Do not book getaways with II or extra vacations with rci in the future if you do not want to assume the risk as outlined by their terms.

Not RCI. Interval International. And yes, you are correct. I will not book another getaway. And I also will encourage other people not to book them. And this is about the 25th time I’ve been lectured, so thank you again for that.

 

[tschwa2]

Not RCI. Interval International. And yes, you are correct. I will not book another getaway. And I also will encourage other people not to book them. And this is about the 25th time I’ve been lectured, so thank you again for that.

rci extra vacations are the same. So just warning you to stay away from those too. RCI extra vacations you can usually find deals that aren't nearly so restrictive in terms of cancellation for not much more. II getaways are often $1000-$2000 less than you can find other places so sometimes the risk is worth it, IMO. Complete closures of resorts months after weather events or events like covid are still quite rare.

 

[dioxide45]

You can always purchase third party insurance. The insurance on getaways is actually kind of cheap. The reason for the bargain is due to the risk. Just like renting from an owner with a non cancellation clause for a lot less than booking directly with the hotel where you can usually cancel up to the day before checkin. Too many people want both, the cheap vacation and no risk. The two don't usually go hand in hand.

 

[Eggrollcreative]

You can always purchase third party insurance. The insurance on getaways is actually kind of cheap. The reason for the bargain is due to the risk. Just like renting from an owner with a non cancellation clause for a lot less than booking directly with the hotel where you can usually cancel up to the day before checkin. Too many people want both, the cheap vacation and no risk. The two don't usually go hand in hand.

Never in my life did I think I could go to a resort and find it closed. My email notice got buried in spam. I just got lucky I went on the web to see what was new at the resort.

In the email, they offer a voucher you have to pay $220 for and use within ONE MONTH. Now why would they offer that if they aren’t responsible at all? It feels like adding insult to injury.

A lot folks like you say want it both ways. However it really should be clearly spelled out when you buy a getaway: “You could be purchasing AIR, a vacation to NOWHERE, and still no refund.”

Through research on these boards, I learned Interval actually returned a week to an exchanger whose resort closed. So that sounds like double dipping.
I don’t know why there are so many defenders of Interval here. I guess you know how to work the system, and you get your properties upgraded when you exchange. And you can’t imagine being so stupid.

Consider this: on the Yelp or BBB you will find a complaint from a gal who got a room with no hot water and a stopped up shower, called Interval and got the very same insurance and “read the small print” lecture as I did …that’s AFTER trading in a nice 2 BR in Hawaii. Needless to say folks like that aren’t coming back. It’s a shame. Inexperienced fools not welcome.

Also in case an Interval Rep is reading this, do not forget the supervisor who refused to talk to me when she could have fixed my situation … she literally “did me a favor” that would have cost me more than the last minute voucher the email offered and then the next day refused my call.

Well I am very grateful in the end Interval did more than their fair share in my case. And I honestly hope they make some modifications that will work for all concerned. I’m sad that I will no longer consider Getaways as an option. They looked terrific. The marketing side is excellent. Well done on that anyway.

Regards to all and thanks for tip on third party insurance. PS just checked out Yelp reviews of Allianz. Oofdah! More horror stories. Insurance if you ask me is false security, a mirage of loopholes.

 

[pedro47]

To the OP. Suggestion only. Try purchasing the travel insurance online and do not call II until you have the policy in hand. Good Luck.

 

[Eggrollcreative]

Still waiting on the promised refund from II. Just FYI. If it doesn’t come in tomorrow I will reach out to Mark or reopen my BBB complaint. Since II is so reputable I’m sure it will come through. But I get quite concerned as the email said they had already submitted the refund. If they did I don’t know where it went. Regarding the travel insurance lecture, an update: I found that I booked MAVERICK after IAN became a named storm heading for the west coast of FL, so there is an out for Allianz right there. I should have known the storm would contribute to a closure in Daytona/Ormond Beach on the opposite side of the state. So good chance insurance wouldn’t have helped me in this case. Someone suggested we can get our own travel insurance and I see there are some without so many loopholes. Feel free to share your preferred provider. When I was younger and not so senile I used to replace scammy death and dismemberment and universal life policies with level term. So I imagine there are better options. I just have to do my homework.

 

[Eggrollcreative]

Ok BBB called me back and said it can take 10 days for the refund to show on my credit card. And after that I can reopen my complaint. So never mind please disregard my last post. My watched pot never boils! (How come I can’t delete my post?)

 

[dioxide45]

Ok BBB called me back and said it can take 10 days for the refund to show on my credit card. And after that I can reopen my complaint. So never mind please disregard my last post. My watched pot never boils! (How come I can’t delete my post?)

YOu need to use the Report link to request a moderator to delete.

 

[noreenkate]

Too many people want both, the cheap vacation and no risk.

That’s me !

And shamed to admit that I had no idea that this was even a thing with getaways & last calls…

So how would one go about getting outside travel insurance on exchanges and getaways?

Can someone recommend a reputable company?

 

[Eggrollcreative]

That’s me !

And shamed to admit that I had no idea that this was even a thing with getaways & last calls…

So how would one go about getting outside travel insurance on exchanges and getaways?

Can someone recommend a reputable company?

I’m wondering if we have a trusted agent they could fix is up? I would love some recommendations for sure. I remember one time at a charity golf tournament they bought hole in one insurance so they could offer a $500,000 prize…the agent told me they can insure ANYTHING. I’m exhausted from this experience and hope I can be smarter in the future.

 

[dioxide45]

We usually aren't buying expensive getaways and usually "self insure". The cost over the long term probably works out the same as if we had bought insurance. If we take 10 trips at $500 each and pay $50 in insurance to cover each one that is an extra $500. If we have to cancel one of those trips then we are even. This might change as we get older, but for now it is what we do. Travel insurance is kind of like extended warranties.

 

[mdurette]

We usually aren't buying expensive getaways and usually "self insure". The cost over the long term probably works out the same as if we had bought insurance. If we take 10 trips at $500 each and pay $50 in insurance to cover each one that is an extra $500. If we have to cancel one of those trips then we are even. This might change as we get older, but for now it is what we do. Travel insurance is kind of like extended warranties.

Agree with this as I have always said one day, I will take a hit.....but probably cheaper than all the cancel for any reason insurance that I could have bought.

But, with the price of getaways recently.....I may rethink that.