Modify Name option disappears at midnight EASTERN time on check-in day

[lost patience]

Our family had an interesting time checking in a few weeks ago. We booked a trip and not paying attention placed it in my husbands name. He was not going on this trip. We arrived at Grand Desert after 9pm. (This was before the time change.) At check in, the agent said we could not check in as he was not there. No problem - I logged into my phone to update the owner name only to find the modify option was gone. Shared this info with the agent. She said too bad, we could not check in. Myself and my daughter are owners on the account as well and we had 2 friends with us. I asked her to check with her manager, she went away, came back, and again said too bad, only my husband could check in. I asked to speak with the manager, where I got a "you won't get a different answer, she just told me what I just told you". We went to the manager, and after explanation, she grudgingly allowed us to check in as we were owners on the account.

This is a recent change. In the past, I know we have made changes even the next day. We have booked an extra night to allow early check in. We often are coming from different locations and we have changed the owner name once we know who is going to arrive first. And, have even added a guest name if a friend ended up being the one to arrive first. Not the case any longer.

 

[cbyrne1174]

Our family had an interesting time checking in a few weeks ago. We booked a trip and not paying attention placed it in my husbands name. He was not going on this trip. We arrived at Grand Desert after 9pm. (This was before the time change.) At check in, the agent said we could not check in as he was not there. No problem - I logged into my phone to update the owner name only to find the modify option was gone. Shared this info with the agent. She said too bad, we could not check in. Myself and my daughter are owners on the account as well and we had 2 friends with us. I asked her to check with her manager, she went away, came back, and again said too bad, only my husband could check in. I asked to speak with the manager, where I got a "you won't get a different answer, she just told me what I just told you". We went to the manager, and after explanation, she grudgingly allowed us to check in as we were owners on the account.

This is a recent change. In the past, I know we have made changes even the next day. We have booked an extra night to allow early check in. We often are coming from different locations and we have changed the owner name once we know who is going to arrive first. And, have even added a guest name if a friend ended up being the one to arrive first. Not the case any longer.

They did this so you couldn't add a guest cert last minute. IT just sucks and can't program it correctly to only cut off adding another person *not* on the account.

 

[Sandi Bo]

Hmmmmm. I have seen the modify option disappear once our room was ready. Which makes sense to me. But until then the modify option is usually available at least the day of checkin, and the day after. Shenanigans if you ask me.

 

[Sandy VDH]

I need to add a GC for my good friend's stay for her son's graduation from Boot Camp in San Antonio. But I am waiting for the new allotment of GCs to show up.

When exactly should I expect the modify option to disappear?

I think I should have time.

 

[dioxide45]

I need to add a GC for my good friend's stay for her son's graduation from Boot Camp in San Antonio. But I am waiting for the new allotment of GCs to show up.

When exactly should I expect the modify option to disappear?

I think I should have time.

I think "day of booking" in the title is incorrect. It should be day of checkin. Seems to be technically 12:00am day of checkin. Or at least sometime the day of checkin.

 

[paxsarah]

I think "day of booking" in the title is incorrect. It should be day of checkin. Seems to be technically 12:00am day of checkin. Or at least sometime the day of checkin.

From the description in the OP, it sounds like it disappeared at midnight Eastern the day after check-in. I guess there’s nothing to say that it didn’t disappear earlier on the day of check-in, but it sounds like the issue was that it was 9:xx pm Pacific when they checked in, which was after midnight Eastern the next day.

 

[dioxide45]

From the description in the OP, it sounds like it disappeared at midnight Eastern the day after check-in. I guess there’s nothing to say that it didn’t disappear earlier on the day of check-in, but it sounds like the issue was that it was 9:xx pm Pacific when they checked in, which was after midnight Eastern the next day.

I see that now. That makes sense.

 

[lost patience]

Oops - The title should say "modify name" option is removed at midnight Eastern time on day of CHECK IN. For those of us that travel in large family groups we don't always correctly guess who will be arriving first. Or if we forgot to change it an did not notice, as the traveler name is only visible when the reservation details are opened.

 

[HitchHiker71]

They did this so you couldn't add a guest cert last minute. IT just sucks and can't program it correctly to only cut off adding another person *not* on the account.

That's a good point - we have an open thread with Wyndham on a similar topic - I think I will suggest that they alter the logic to allow for modification but to prevent GC assignments at the last minute (which as you said - is primarily because those who continue to push renting - were making GC assignments at the very last minute - literally sometimes telling their renters to contact them when they arrive at the resort - after which the owner would then make the change right when the renter was walking into the resort).

EDIT: Actually as I think more about this topic - if the online system now proactively prevents GC usage during resort blackout periods - then it would seem removing the "Modify Name" function is redundant would it not? So even if the Modify Name function remained - if an owner attempted to add a GC at the very last minute (as opposed to a GA), the system would not allow for the GC to be assigned during any resort blackout period regardless.

 

[Sandy VDH]

@HitchHiker71 I assume it should let you add a GC if you had not exceeded your allotment, instead of just blocking you, period.

 

[Jan M.]

I thought someone posted that owners can call in for the reps to check and do a manual override. Of course owners have to remember to call in sufficient time before 8pm ET, Monday-Friday and 6pm on Saturday and Sunday. Oh, plus be aware of holiday closings.

They can keep track of our two exceptions but I really can't see our website or the IT dept. being able to track both the priority lists and whether or not we have a concurrent reservation.

This is one of the few times I can understand and side with Wyndham on how they're handling this. I also don't have a better solution. Adding a guest name on the day of check in was allowing owners and point managers to continue to rent. That wasn't fair to the owners who stopped renting after getting letters or who were blocked from adding any guest names.

 

[lost patience]

I'm not following the logic of how this restriction would change renting? I'm gathering that owners were violating the 2 guests during owner priority by adding guest names last minute. The recent change is supposed to stop that. For renting during any other times, again, why would applying a guest name on day of check in have anything to do with renting? Our family has a large account with lots of family names and we travel with friends. In the past, we have changed owner names, or even added a guest name depending on driving times and traffic delays on day of check in. Why would adding a name on day of arrival be a sign of commercial? What is wrong with allowing modifications until the unit is checked into with either an owner or a guest name?

 

[Jan M.]

I'm not following the logic of how this restriction would change renting? I'm gathering that owners were violating the 2 guests during owner priority by adding guest names last minute. The recent change is supposed to stop that. For renting during any other times, again, why would applying a guest name on day of check in have anything to do with renting? Our family has a large account with lots of family names and we travel with friends. In the past, we have changed owner names, or even added a guest name depending on driving times and traffic delays on day of check in. Why would adding a name on day of arrival be a sign of commercial? What is wrong with allowing modifications until the unit is checked into with either an owner or a guest name?

It's that the system can't distinguish who's doing what so any changes the day of check in are suspect. Unfortunately with good reason.

I'd like to say that the many are being punished for the sins of the few as the saying goes. However I have to acknowledge that the renting was out of control and growing rapidly.

 

[HitchHiker71]

@HitchHiker71 I assume it should let you add a GC if you had not exceeded your allotment, instead of just blocking you, period.

At this time - the website does not have the capability to differentiate between GAs and GCs, so until this is the case - it's a one size fits all solution.

 

[troy12n]

I understand WHY they did this... it's because the unscrupulous mega renters were trying to get around the blackouts and attach the GC right before checkin... typical.
But let me understand, is it just attaching a GC, or is it changing the owner too?
I was in a situation once where I had made the reservation, but had to change it literally an hour before check-in to my wife (owner, on the account, not a GC) because I had to divert due to a family medical emergency.

 

[HitchHiker71]

I understand WHY they did this... it's because the unscrupulous mega renters were trying to get around the blackouts and attach the GC right before checkin... typical.
But let me understand, is it just attaching a GC, or is it changing the owner too?
I was in a situation once where I had made the reservation, but had to change it literally an hour before check-in to my wife (owner, on the account, not a GC) because I had to divert due to a family medical emergency.

Currently on the day of checkin - the Modify Name function no longer appears as an option on the reservation - so it is both. That's what we're discussing here - the fact that if website now actually proactively prevents using GCs during blackout periods - why have this limitation on the website any longer? If the website won't ever allow the owner to assign a GC to a reservation for a resort during a blackout period - it seems harmless to allow owners to have access to change the reservation to another owner same day. That said, we haven't had a Tugger brave enough to potentially burn a GC solely to test whether this GC blackout period proactive prevention mechanism actually exists on the website yet. Anyone wanna volunteer?

I tested making an initial reservation at Clearwater in August 2023 - and I immediately chose a Guest during the booking process - and it let me fill out the GC info and took me to the final screen without complaining. I didn't actually make the reservation as I don't want to burn the GC unnecessarily - but I would have thought that if there was code limiting using a GC during booking - it would bark at me right when trying to choose the GC for a resort that doesn't allow GC usage at all all year round. That said, maybe somehow the website is using the GA vs the GC - in which case I would still have entitlement as I've not used either GA yet. That's likely wishful thinking though.

 

[Sandi Bo]

Our family had an interesting time checking in a few weeks ago. We booked a trip and not paying attention placed it in my husbands name. He was not going on this trip. We arrived at Grand Desert after 9pm. (This was before the time change.) At check in, the agent said we could not check in as he was not there. No problem - I logged into my phone to update the owner name only to find the modify option was gone. Shared this info with the agent. She said too bad, we could not check in. Myself and my daughter are owners on the account as well and we had 2 friends with us. I asked her to check with her manager, she went away, came back, and again said too bad, only my husband could check in. I asked to speak with the manager, where I got a "you won't get a different answer, she just told me what I just told you". We went to the manager, and after explanation, she grudgingly allowed us to check in as we were owners on the account.

This is a recent change. In the past, I know we have made changes even the next day. We have booked an extra night to allow early check in. We often are coming from different locations and we have changed the owner name once we know who is going to arrive first. And, have even added a guest name if a friend ended up being the one to arrive first. Not the case any longer.

So, this is a reservation today for for my sister, she hasn't checked in yet but will be within the hour. I could play with this and modify it, if it proves of any value to anyone. This reservation is not under any owner priority restrictions (if anyone thinks that would make a difference). @lost patience, I think something wonky was going on with your Grand Desert reservation. It is not unusual for us to modify the guest name the day of checkin, we just never know for sure who's arriving first. I did so on a reservation last week, too.

 

[Zeke_62]

The modify option is blocked at midnight Eastern time on check in day. Which means all the comments here about adding a GC/GA on day of check in to get around the blackout dates are not valid. Changes can be made up to midnight eastern time.
We had an almost same issue as @lost patience - we did not realize we had the wrong owner until the front desk would not let us check in. We had booked the night prior to ensure we could have a 9am check in. When the front desk would not let me check in, I logged into Wyndham from my phone to change the traveler, only to see the modify option was missing. I called Wyndham and they said we had to work with the resort as they could not change it either. In fact, they berated me for not verifying the traveler name ahead of time. (yes, I have provided feedback asking for traveler name to be displayed on the 'front' screen.) I asked to speak to the resort manager and the resort manager confirmed in "trip" that I was an owner on the account and let me complete checking in. An hour of wasted time.

 

[scootr5]

Currently on the day of checkin - the Modify Name function no longer appears as an option on the reservation - so it is both. That's what we're discussing here - the fact that if website now actually proactively prevents using GCs during blackout periods - why have this limitation on the website any longer? If the website won't ever allow the owner to assign a GC to a reservation for a resort during a blackout period - it seems harmless to allow owners to have access to change the reservation to another owner same day. That said, we haven't had a Tugger brave enough to potentially burn a GC solely to test whether this GC blackout period proactive prevention mechanism actually exists on the website yet. Anyone wanna volunteer?

I made a reservation on 1/15 for a friend of mine to take his family to Bonnet Creek June 3rd to the 7th, during the summer owner priority reservation time period. I used the first of my GCs for the year to put it in his name, with no issue.