Multiple Week Owners: Double SVN billing

[Dsauer1]

We learned this week that we had been billed for multiple SVN memberships over the past four years. Starwood will be crediting us back almost $700. Check your past statements to see if you are paying double ( or even triple.) According to the administration office, this is not uncommon, however, it appears nothing is done unless you initiate action with Starwood.

 

[pointsjunkie]

i have mutliple weeks and i check each year to see if they are charging for more svn ownership and it only shows up on my harborside account. guess i am lucky. glad you caught it.

 

[ada903]

I got charged $125 on all my three mandatory accounts as well. I called a month ago, I was told it would be fixed within a week. Never got fixed. Called again, this time I was told it would be credited back sometime in January.

 

[pointsjunkie]

if you pay on-line with a credit card you can change the amount you pay. so deduct the $125 that should not be on your bill.

i do that with ARDA.

 

[jarta]

Also, if you call to pay your assessments, you can point it out, have the Starwood agent check what else is in your account and the agent can correct the amounts on the spot. ... eom

 

[ada903]

I was told they cannot adjust the bill on the spot, I had to pay the full amount.. still waiting for that credit.. called HOA few times, and no luck yet.

Also, if you call to pay your assessments, you can point it out, have the Starwood agent check what else is in your account and the agent can correct the amounts on the spot. ... eom

 

[jarta]

ada, ... My experience differs from yours.

The SVN charge was removed on the spot when I called because I was already paying the maximum, I paid (by credit card) the lesser amount and the "duplicate" SVN charge has never reappeared in subsequent years.

I believe my extra charge was attached to a mandatory resale for the year after I purchased (first use year). I have always thought (don't think about it much lately) that the charge followed the purchase of the mandatory week - despite the fact that I already had 2 weeks in my Starwood account where the maximum SVN charge had been previously assessed. ... eom

 

[ada903]

I will call them back, I find it strange that it would take over a month to remove a charge! They are probably closed today, but I will try tomorrow again.

Yes, my weeks are mandatory resales which I picked up this year!

ada, ... My experience differs from yours.

The SVN charge was removed on the spot when I called because I was already paying the maximum, I paid (by credit card) the lesser amount and the "duplicate" SVN charge has never reappeared in subsequent years.

I believe my extra charge was attached to a mandatory resale for the year after I purchased (first use year). I have always thought (don't think about it much lately) that the charge followed the purchase of the mandatory week - despite the fact that I already had 2 weeks in my Starwood account where the maximum SVN charge had been previously assessed. ... eom

 

[jarta]

ada, ... First, everyone has the responsibility of being on top of the SVN fees, taxes and MFs they pay. You have to read the bill.

But, if you discover a mistake in billing, you also have to know the correct number to call (the one where your MF payments are made, not the HOA phone number), the correct time to ask (before paying) and the right subject to ask about (that you are being subjected to 2 (or more) SVN fees that add up to more than the maximum yearly SVN allowed total).

You also have to have all 3 of your mandatory resale purchases (Harborside, if I'm not mistaken) completed and the individual contract numbers for the weeks combined into one single Starwood account (that can't be accomplished unless the exact same name(s) are on all 3 deeds) before you can accomplish much of anything. I had one deed without middle initials for my wife and me and I had to re-record a corrective deed with middle initials to get that property into my Starwood account with the other properties.

Once you have paid, the refund has to go through layers of corporate approval before a check is belched out. It's the way that big corporations operate. GLTY! ... eom

 

[grgs]

if you pay on-line with a credit card you can change the amount you pay. so deduct the $125 that should not be on your bill.

That's what I did as when the SVN charge appeared on the bill of a resale non-mandatory week I bought. The SVN fee was not listed the following year.

Glorian

 

[ada903]

That is indeed some process, thanks for the insight! I did read the bills before paying them and saw the mistake, but I had to pay the fees because I am selling the weeks, and I want the account to be zero balance at the time of sale. My trouble is that because I buy and sell all the time, my portfolio of what I own changes every few weeks. Linking and de-linking weeks that are in the network has been an interesting process, with odd consequences at times. I am not the typical owner with a constant portfolio, so it's partly my "fault" too. It's my buyers actually that are responsible for those SVN fees (since they are reimbursing for 2012 usage), but I was hoping to help them out by having the reduced fee applied due to my multiple ownership weeks (most of my buyers also own Starwood mandatory weeks as well, so they should pay reduced fees or no fees as well after the ownership transfers). The word "linking" accounts gives me the chills - many times when I sold a week, it was still linked to my remaining accounts, giving the new owner access in my starcentral to our reservations, which were all linked together under the same account with pooled star options.

ada, ... First, everyone has the responsibility of being on top of the SVN fees, taxes and MFs they pay. You have to read the bill.

But, if you discover a mistake in billing, you also have to know the correct number to call (the one where your MF payments are made, not the HOA phone number), the correct time to ask (before paying) and the right subject to ask about (that you are being subjected to 2 (or more) SVN fees that add up to more than the maximum yearly SVN allowed total).

You also have to have all 3 of your mandatory resale purchases (Harborside, if I'm not mistaken) completed and the individual contract numbers for the weeks combined into one single Starwood account (that can't be accomplished unless the exact same name(s) are on all 3 deeds) before you can accomplish much of anything. I had one deed without middle initials for my wife and me and I had to re-record a corrective deed with middle initials to get that property into my Starwood account with the other properties.

Once you have paid, the refund has to go through layers of corporate approval before a check is belched out. It's the way that big corporations operate. GLTY! ... eom

 

[jarta]

"My trouble is that because I buy and sell all the time, my portfolio of what I own changes every few weeks.

Maybe the constant churning of weeks works to your detriment for administration of a timeshare program. I doubt any of them are set up for your method of ownership. But, still, GLTY! ... eom

 

[ada903]

Indeed!

"My trouble is that because I buy and sell all the time, my portfolio of what I own changes every few weeks.

Maybe the constant churning of weeks works to your detriment for administration of a timeshare program. I doubt any of them are set up for your method of ownership. But, still, GLTY! ... eom

 

[VacationForever]

That is indeed some process, thanks for the insight! I did read the bills before paying them and saw the mistake, but I had to pay the fees because I am selling the weeks, and I want the account to be zero balance at the time of sale. My trouble is that because I buy and sell all the time, my portfolio of what I own changes every few weeks. Linking and de-linking weeks that are in the network has been an interesting process, with odd consequences at times. I am not the typical owner with a constant portfolio, so it's partly my "fault" too. It's my buyers actually that are responsible for those SVN fees (since they are reimbursing for 2012 usage), but I was hoping to help them out by having the reduced fee applied due to my multiple ownership weeks (most of my buyers also own Starwood mandatory weeks as well, so they should pay reduced fees or no fees as well after the ownership transfers). The word "linking" accounts gives me the chills - many times when I sold a week, it was still linked to my remaining accounts, giving the new owner access in my starcentral to our reservations, which were all linked together under the same account with pooled star options.

Adriana, I just realized that you run a biz selling/renting timeshare by clicking on your website link today - very pretty site! My 2 cents, for all that it's worth, is that you have 2 separate mystarcentral accounts. One account for your own personal consumption. A separate one for the business and deed those properties that way. I am not an accountant or a lawyer but I think separation of personal properties and business properties is good. I own a business corporation and the thicker the corporate shield the safer I feel that I am protecting my personal assets in case I get into legal situation with the business. I am also in a business that carries the risk of lawsuits and hence the extra caution.

 

[ada903]

Absolutely. I did not plan the small business, it started happening as I learned more and figured there is room for small profit (enough to pay for our vacations, pretty much!). I am considering setting up an LLC for the business and separating accounts - but the linking and de-linking will cause issues like the ones I mentioned, as I buy and sell and constantly change the portfolio. The website needs more work, but it is coming along. Thanks for the kind words

In sum, it appears the multiple SVN charges happen on new mandatory resales when the accounts were not linked together. So perhaps it is good advice to ask Starwood for each new mandatory purchase to link the accounts.

Adriana, I just realized that you run a biz selling/renting timeshare by clicking on your website link today - very pretty site! My 2 cents, for all that it's worth, is that you have 2 separate mystarcentral accounts. One account for your own personal consumption. A separate one for the business and deed those properties that way. I am not an accountant or a lawyer but I think separation of personal properties and business properties is good. I own a business corporation and the thicker the corporate shield the safer I feel that I am protecting my personal assets in case I get into legal situation with the business. I am also in a business that carries the risk of lawsuits and hence the extra caution.

 

[PamMo]

We bought two Harborside units in 2011 which were added to our SVN account this month. I spoke with Olga in title services before the we closed on the weeks, to make sure they were added to our existing account (we own three other mandatory weeks). No problem. Then, HRA MF's were sent out and I noticed we were charged the $125 SVN fee on both units. When I called SVN, I was told it was an error, and the fees would be removed immediately. When they were still there a week later, I called back and was told because of the way they do the accounting, they cannot remove the HRA SVN fees until 2012 - the year of usage. (Odd, because we're not charged the full fees for 2012 on our second unit, or any fee on our third unit in Maui - just as it should be. ) So, I will wait until next week to see if they have adjusted our bill and removed the SVN fees.

 

[ada903]

Exactly what I was told. That we must wait until January 2012 for adjustments.

We bought two Harborside units in 2011 which were added to our SVN account this month. I spoke with Olga in title services before the we closed on the weeks, to make sure they were added to our existing account (we own three other mandatory weeks). No problem. Then, HRA MF's were sent out and I noticed we were charged the $125 SVN fee on both units. When I called SVN, I was told it was an error, and the fees would be removed immediately. When they were still there a week later, I called back and was told because of the way they do the accounting, they cannot remove the HRA SVN fees until 2012 - the year of usage. (Odd, because we're not charged the full fees for 2012 on our second unit, or any fee on our third unit in Maui. ) So, I will wait until next week to see if they have adjusted our bill and removed the SVN fees.