Just canceled online- StarOptions are restricted

[GregT]

All,

I had a reservation at Westin Desert Willow for tomorrow through Friday that was for BNP -- I've been calling for days trying to get through without success. I finally just decided to cancel online and accept restricted StarOptions. The system allowed me to cancel, did not charge me a fee, and the StarOptions are restricted.

(EDITED: I thought they were unrestricted -- my error, I just checked and they are in fact restricted -- I thought for sure I confirmed it before, so either it changed or I missed it.....sorry for the false start TUG friends....)


Best,

Greg

 

[Julian926]

good to know. I have an Orlando trip in mid April. I’m thinking the Disney Star Wars marathon will be cancelled.

Anyone know if they’ll wave the banking fees?

 

[DannyTS]

Thank you for reporting this, it is very good news indeed. We do not have any trip to cancel but I am happy for those that were wasting hours on the phone for a simple operation that can be done online.

 

[kcole5]

Just tried to do the same for an April reservation at WKORVN, and online it would only allow it to be restricted options. Greg T. did you do that and then it came up as non-restricted?

 

[kcole5]

Update: I was able to get through to some one live and they took care of it. points are now non restricted.

 

[SVOForever]

How long is the call line. I have a reservation for April 4th, I want to get it cancelled when it is not restricted. I went online and still shows the note about it being restricted if I cancel. Anyone else seeing that?

 

[GregT]

Just tried to do the same for an April reservation at WKORVN, and online it would only allow it to be restricted options. Greg T. did you do that and then it came up as non-restricted?

That's interesting -- when I tried to cancel it last week (online) it gave me the notice about restricted StarOptions, thus why I've been calling.

Today when I went to cancel it, it did not give me the same notice that StarOptions would be restricted -- when I canceled, they were restored just like the other StarOptions -- and without a restriction.

Interesting. Perhaps it's only if you cancel very close to the check-in date? Strange....

Best,

Greg

 

[beachlynn]

Thanks for your post Greg. I've been contacting wedding vendors and guests all morning for my son's cancelled wedding that we were supposed to celebrate this Friday. I was just sitting down to cancel the honeymoon to Maui this Sunday. I thought I would check here for the most up to date info before I called Vistana. If I can just do it online then that will be helpful. Honestly I would rather push a few keys to cancel and then sit down for a good cry by myself than sit on the phone. I'm trying to be positive for the poor bride and groom.

 

[beachlynn]

I just went online and it says the star options would be restricted so I made a call and currently in a queue to be called back. This reservation was home resort one made at 365 days out. I am an oceanfront owner at WKORVN. Will I totally lose that benefit when rebooking?

 

[DavidnRobin]

Dear Vistana - How about an official written position on cancellations?


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[jabberwocky]

I just tried cancelling online. Reservation was for this Saturday.

Part of the reservation was with banked Staroptions (expiring this year), the other part was from our home week this year.

Both came back as restricted. (part fully restricted and partly banked restricted)

Talked online - agent said they were waiving fees but not restrictions Very ticked off right now.

 

[pacman777]

Would be nice if they could apply a consistent policy to all owners rather than a hodge podge of policies based on whatever the agent thinks is right or applicable. Assuming we can even get through to talk to someone this week!

 

[mjm1]

I just called and got through to the point of asking them to call me back. Anticipated to be in about one hour.

UPDATE AT 3:28PM: I just received a call back from Vistana. The official policy is that SO's from a cancelled reservation within 60 days of check-in will be restricted, but no fee will be assessed. I mentioned that some have cancelled online and SO's weren't restricted. He indicated that it may not appear that they are restricted, but they are. So, GregT and any others may have unrestricted SO's due to some quirk in the system, or they are restricted but don't appear to be. Hard to know for sure.

Best regards.

Mike

 

[GregT]

Sorry folks, I just checked again, and they are in fact restricted. I thought I had confirmed the Dashboard Balances that it was the same as the other banked options -- but it is now showing them as restricted. It was most likely my error, and not a change from Starwood.

Sorry about that....a little bummed, mostly because I posted bad info and misled people...sorry about that---- good luck to all!

Best,

Greg

 

[rubbernyc]

I just called for a reservation that begins in 13 days. Got the standard reply, fees are waived, but staroptions will be restricted. I wrote a very lengthy email to ownerres@vistana.com I would suggest that everyone does the same thing to voice our displeasure. We have have 2 weeks in Hawaii and don't want to go and are also afraid that we will get stuck there, who knows what will happen in 4 weeks from now.

 

[The Haileys]

I just sent a message via the Dashboard. We have two bookings in May, one for us, and one for my daughter and her family, at the Vistana resorts. If WDW is still closed, there's no sense in going. There may also be travel bans or restrictions by then, and we'd have no choice.

 

[mrpaulytx]

Hi, anyone know if they will refund third-party fees for cancellation? I booked for 36,000 points at HRO can I bank those points or must use them this year?

 

[DavidnRobin]

I just called and got through to the point of asking them to call me back. Anticipated to be in about one hour.

UPDATE AT 3:28PM: I just received a call back from Vistana. The official policy is that SO's from a cancelled reservation within 60 days of check-in will be restricted, but no fee will be assessed. I mentioned that some have cancelled online and SO's weren't restricted. He indicated that it may not appear that they are restricted, but they are. So, GregT and any others may have unrestricted SO's due to some quirk in the system, or they are restricted but don't appear to be. Hard to know for sure.

Best regards.

Mike

Official policy must be in writing - where is this written?
An official policy is not verbal.

I do expect a written policy, and expect they are quickly working on one. Perhaps...


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[ragdoll]

If we cancel before the 60-day period, what might we expect? Today is our 60th day before our rez. Will it make any difference if I wait vs doing it tonight? We own a developer week.

 

[SVOForever]

If it is literally the 60th day ... you are in the window of the restriction. If it is the 61st, you are good. I'd cancel at day 61 if at all possible; if day 60 might as well wait and see if they change their policy ... again. You can check online - if it tells you they will be restricted, you are already in the window. If you don't get told they will be restricted options, do it tonight.

 

[ragdoll]

Thanks for the info. We are at day 60. We will wait and see.

 

[dsmrp]

I cancelled today, less than 14 days before check-in, and like others had fee waived and options restricted. At least Vistana has a call-back feature. Hyatt had a couple recorded messages in common, but no call-back; had to stay on the line on hold for entire time. Hyatt waived cancellation fee too and points are likewise restricted to 60 days or less advance reservations.

At least I didn't have to call my airline; had fortunately booked on Southwest, so could cancel online w/o fee. I would have gladly cancelled Vistana and Hyatt reservations online knowing they'd be restricted. I can't see why Vistana and Marriott couldn't have put out some special message posting and temporary website logic waive cancellation fees due to COVID. Apparently HGVC got something together, altho' I didn't have anything with them to cancel.
https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/h...lation-fees-booking-fees.302671/#post-2409294

 

[VacationForever]

I just sent a message via the Dashboard. We have two bookings in May, one for us, and one for my daughter and her family, at the Vistana resorts. If WDW is still closed, there's no sense in going. There may also be travel bans or restrictions by then, and we'd have no choice.

I am not aware of any Vistana timeshare closure.

 

[CPNY]

I just called for a reservation that begins in 13 days. Got the standard reply, fees are waived, but staroptions will be restricted. I wrote a very lengthy email to ownerres@vistana.com I would suggest that everyone does the same thing to voice our displeasure. We have have 2 weeks in Hawaii and don't want to go and are also afraid that we will get stuck there, who knows what will happen in 4 weeks from now.

I don’t see you getting stuck there I think domestic travel will still happen

 

[VanDoozer]

All,

I had a reservation at WDW for tomorrow through Friday that was for BNP -- I've been calling for days trying to get through without success. I finally just decided to cancel online and accept restricted StarOptions. The system allowed me to cancel, did not charge me a fee, and the StarOptions are restricted.

(EDITED: I thought they were unrestricted -- my error, I just checked and they are in fact restricted -- I thought for sure I confirmed it before, so either it changed or I missed it.....sorry for the false start TUG friends....)


Best,

Greg

Greg - maybe you should change the subject line of your post. It give us hope to not have restrictions, to see it the way its written.