Issues Modifying Existing Reservations

[GMan82]

Have any of you run into this problem recently? I am a Legacy owner, owning at Elara HGVC by retail, and at West 57th by resale. No Max "benefits" or privileges for me. A few days ago, having seen that West 57th wasn't available, I instead booked a studio premier at the Quin. Doing so required that I borrow some of next year's points. Interestingly, the reservation booking window asked me if I wanted to borrow points from my Club or HC buckets from 2025. Naturally, I chose Club because those points are much cheaper. Success. Reservation confirmed.

Fast forward 48h to today. I am 64 days from check-in. A regular STP (studio plus) at West 57th is now available. Naturally, being an owner there, I'd rather stay there as I get the owner benefits. I try to modify the reservation online. I click "change reservation" and also "change resort." Now I see W 57th is available for my dates, but the system online WILL NOT let me click it. In the past, I would have been able to click it, the system would then bring me to the confirmation screen where I see the points difference (in this case a refund), and still being within the change window, it would have let me confirm. NOT the case this time. Trying to click on the green squares, I got an error message about it not being available for the points currency used.

Is this because the existing reservation was a combination of HC and next year's regular HGVC points? Even though when all's said and done, I would be refunded next year's points AND some of this year's BHC points?

So, I try to call the Club line instead. Same deal. They say something might have changed with the system upgrades earlier this year, but at the same time, this agent says she has never been able to successfully switch a resort within an existing reservation. I am calling BS here. Something stinks. In the end, I was able to cancel and rebook online into West 57th, but that risked someone else nabbing the room I wanted before my points were refunded and available to use.

Have any of you run into this issue? Should I send an e-mail to the Club to complain about a possible error in the booking process?

 

[Snezz1e]

Was there a point discount on original booking? I’ve noticed that I couldn’t change reservation with discounts lately no matter how far out.

 

[brp]

Is this because the existing reservation was a combination of HC and next year's regular HGVC points? Even though when all's said and done, I would be refunded next year's points AND some of this year's BHC points?

I would venture to say that this is it. You are outside the window to use Club points for W. 57th (but within the window for Quin, which is why it let you book that). For the system to make the change it would have required quite a bit of shuffling, and I would not be surprised that the online system couldn't handle this.

As for the agent, my guess is that she could have done it, but probably didn't realize the complexity.

Glad the cancel/rebook worked in the end.

Cheers.

 

[ljmiii]

I instead booked a studio premier at the Quin....A regular STP (studio plus) at West 57th is now available. Naturally, being an owner there, I'd rather stay there as I get the owner benefits. I try to modify the reservation online. I click "change reservation" and also "change resort." Now I see W 57th is available for my dates, but the system online WILL NOT let me click it....

So, I try to call the Club line instead. Same deal. They say something might have changed with the system upgrades earlier this year, but at the same time, this agent says she has never been able to successfully switch a resort within an existing reservation. I am calling BS here....

I've run into situations similar to yours a number of times with bHC reservations. I've had the online system refuse to let me change a reservation from HGVC to bHC, from bHC to HGVC, switch bHC resorts, and even once it would let me change my W57 reservation to any other NYC bHC location...but NOT change to another room type at W57!

But in all of these cases, I was able to call and explain the issue to the CSR and they did the change I wanted without charge.

 

[brp]

I've run into situations similar to yours a number of times with bHC reservations. I've had the online system refuse to let me change a reservation from HGVC to bHC, from bHC to HGVC, switch bHC resorts, and even once it would let me change my W57 reservation to any other NYC bHC location...but NOT change to another room type at W57!

Same here. Even within the HGVC window, a Change has never allowed a change from bHC to HGVC points. I never expected that it would, and I've confirmed this when trying. It will start by using the points already used and not attempt to swap currencies, and this makes sense to me from a complexity standpoint.

Cheers.

 

[BingoBangoBongo]

Have any of you run into this problem recently? I am a Legacy owner, owning at Elara HGVC by retail, and at West 57th by resale. No Max "benefits" or privileges for me. A few days ago, having seen that West 57th wasn't available, I instead booked a studio premier at the Quin. Doing so required that I borrow some of next year's points. Interestingly, the reservation booking window asked me if I wanted to borrow points from my Club or HC buckets from 2025. Naturally, I chose Club because those points are much cheaper. Success. Reservation confirmed.

Fast forward 48h to today. I am 64 days from check-in. A regular STP (studio plus) at West 57th is now available. Naturally, being an owner there, I'd rather stay there as I get the owner benefits. I try to modify the reservation online. I click "change reservation" and also "change resort." Now I see W 57th is available for my dates, but the system online WILL NOT let me click it. In the past, I would have been able to click it, the system would then bring me to the confirmation screen where I see the points difference (in this case a refund), and still being within the change window, it would have let me confirm. NOT the case this time. Trying to click on the green squares, I got an error message about it not being available for the points currency used.

Is this because the existing reservation was a combination of HC and next year's regular HGVC points? Even though when all's said and done, I would be refunded next year's points AND some of this year's BHC points?

So, I try to call the Club line instead. Same deal. They say something might have changed with the system upgrades earlier this year, but at the same time, this agent says she has never been able to successfully switch a resort within an existing reservation. I am calling BS here. Something stinks. In the end, I was able to cancel and rebook online into West 57th, but that risked someone else nabbing the room I wanted before my points were refunded and available to use.

Have any of you run into this issue? Should I send an e-mail to the Club to complain about a possible error in the booking process?

Something has changed in the Change Reservation windows...this was discussed in this thread. I haven't needed to actually change one yet and don't know if @letsgobobby got an answer.

No 'change reservation' window in availability?

I have a reservation at Sea world 12/31-1/5. But when I try to "change your reservation" and the availability window comes up, my reservation does not appear. Usually when I do this I see a window with my current reservation cost in points, and can drag the slider to add or remove days. I...

tugbbs.com

 

[GMan82]

Was there a point discount on original booking? I’ve noticed that I couldn’t change reservation with discounts lately no matter how far out.

No, this was a regular booking otherwise without any discount.

 

[GMan82]

I would venture to say that this is it. You are outside the window to use Club points for W. 57th (but within the window for Quin, which is why it let you book that). For the system to make the change it would have required quite a bit of shuffling, and I would not be surprised that the online system couldn't handle this.

As for the agent, my guess is that she could have done it, but probably didn't realize the complexity.

Glad the cancel/rebook worked in the end.

Cheers.

I figured as much, which is why I also tried over the phone with a CSR. She didn't sound very experienced, though. It's possible I could have HUCA'ed and gotten a more experienced agent, but since I don't have a reservation fee and I'm over 60 days out anyway, it was just easier to cancel and rebook.

 

[ljmiii]

Same here. Even within the HGVC window, a Change has never allowed a change from bHC to HGVC points. I never expected that it would, and I've confirmed this when trying. It will start by using the points already used and not attempt to swap currencies, and this makes sense to me from a complexity standpoint.

Actually, all of the issues I wrote of were exclusively using HGVC points (I had not yet acquired any bHC deeds). I just couldn't change from a bHC resort to a HGVC resort (or visa versa). Without question the weirdest one was being able to change from W57 to the Quin (or Residences) but not change to another W57 room...the CSR was gobsmacked by that one.

 

[brp]

Actually, all of the issues I wrote of were exclusively using HGVC points (I had not yet acquired any bHC deeds). I just couldn't change from a bHC resort to a HGVC resort (or visa versa). Without question the weirdest one was being able to change from W57 to the Quin (or Residences) but not change to another W57 room...the CSR was gobsmacked by that one.

OK, then it is weird. As you said, especially the last one.

Cheers.