MVC Insurance for Points Reservations

[Superchief]

Has anyone used their MVC insurance for travel that included a MVC points reservation? How do they determine the value of the points, including 'Plus' points? I was told that a claim can only be made if your reservation is actually cancelled by MVC. Therefore, there is no reimbursement if you cancel and redeposit the points in the holding account and later lose those points.

 

[ljmiii]

Has anyone used their MVC insurance for travel that included a MVC points reservation?

Yes.

How do they determine the value of the points, including 'Plus' points?

You are refunded the MFs (trust or elected) for the points used. No idea about Plus points.

I was told that a claim can only be made if your reservation is actually cancelled by MVC....

There are a number of different reasons to make a claim...MVC cancelling the reservation is just one of them. But...

...Therefore, there is no reimbursement if you cancel and redeposit the points in the holding account and later lose those points.

If YOU cancel there can be no claim. You have to let the reservation go unused in order to make a claim for your loss.

 

[Zagrid094]

You are refunded the MFs (trust or elected) for the points used. No idea about Plus points.

There are a number of different reasons to make a claim...MVC cancelling the reservation is just one of them. But...

If YOU cancel there can be no claim. You have to let the reservation go unused in order to make a claim for your loss.

Hi, ljmiii. I just had a 7-day reservation using Club Points at Marriott's Crystal Shores cancelled by Marriott due to the resort being closed following Hurricane Ian. The points for the reservation have been refunded to me in a 60-day holding account and it is certain that I will be unable to use them prior to the end of the calendar year after which time they expire. When you say "you have to let the reservation go unused in order to make a claim for your loss" are you recommending that I wait until January 2023 before filing a claim with Travelex? All of the points used in this reservation were Trust Points. Thank you.

 

[Superchief]

Hi, ljmiii. I just had a 7-day reservation using Club Points at Marriott's Crystal Shores cancelled by Marriott due to the resort being closed following Hurricane Ian. The points for the reservation have been refunded to me in a 60-day holding account and it is certain that I will be unable to use them prior to the end of the calendar year after which time they expire. When you say "you have to let the reservation go unused in order to make a claim for your loss" are you recommending that I wait until January 2023 before filing a claim with Travelex? All of the points used in this reservation were Trust Points. Thank you.

I would think that they will cover it if you have proof that MVC cancelled it and that you can't use the points this year. It will also be helpful if you have the reservation with the details of the points that were used for the reservation. They then should reimburse you the MF's for those points. I have a complicating factor that I used 600 Plus points for my reservation, and it isn't clear how they handle those. I may be in a similar situation if they cancel my reservation for 10/15. I really wish they would be open with us and let us know what they are waiting for to open, so we can make an informed decision. If I knew that my Plus points would be covered, I would wait it out and just file a claim if cancelled. MVC customer communication is pathetic. I had a similar situation at Ocean Point a few years ago and didn't know until the day before that I could still stay there.

 

[Zagrid094]

Thanks, Superchief. I included the documentation you referenced above in my claim submittal including maintenance fees calculations. It will take at least 45-60 days before my claim is processed from what I understand due to the volume of claims filed. Time will tell. I wish you the best and hope you will be able to travel on 10/15.

 

[jpc763]

I would think that they will cover it if you have proof that MVC cancelled it and that you can't use the points this year. It will also be helpful if you have the reservation with the details of the points that were used for the reservation. They then should reimburse you the MF's for those points. I have a complicating factor that I used 600 Plus points for my reservation, and it isn't clear how they handle those. I may be in a similar situation if they cancel my reservation for 10/15. I really wish they would be open with us and let us know what they are waiting for to open, so we can make an informed decision. If I knew that my Plus points would be covered, I would wait it out and just file a claim if cancelled. MVC customer communication is pathetic. I had a similar situation at Ocean Point a few years ago and didn't know until the day before that I could still stay there.

I know who the GM is and can try to ask on LinkedIn (not sure he will answer). If my 10/15 reservation is cancelled, I will have to use the points for resort credit. I did not (and up to now have never) purchased travel insurance.

 

[ljmiii]

Hi, ljmiii...When you say "you have to let the reservation go unused in order to make a claim for your loss" are you recommending that I wait until January 2023 before filing a claim with Travelex?

Since MVC cancelled your reservation, I see no reason to wait. And from other posts it looks like you are doing everything right. But I just don't know how Travelex will value the points in a holding account that expire 12/31/22. Full value, no value, somewhere in between?

Again, knowing nothing, it would seem reasonable to raise the issue with MVC and see if you can escalate to a manager who is willing to give you non-holding account points that expire 12/31/23 instead (since they cancelled the reservation, not you). It might help if you explain that their cancelling the reservation and returning the points into holding is worse than useless since you have the Travelex insurance.

 

[TravelTime]

I am so confused about Travelex insurance from what everyone is saying.

 

[Superchief]

Thanks, Superchief. I included the documentation you referenced above in my claim submittal including maintenance fees calculations. It will take at least 45-60 days before my claim is processed from what I understand due to the volume of claims filed. Time will tell. I wish you the best and hope you will be able to travel on 10/15.

Please let me know if you hear anything. I plan to wait a few days before cancelling, but the longer I wait the less chance I'll have to make a reservation this year. If I didn't have those plus points that might not be covered, I'd probably just take my chances.

Since we own multiple MVC weeks and points, I've bought the Travelex insurance every year and have used it twice (both for weeks reservations). The key is that it only covers reservations that were made with points or weeks for the covered year. Since points can be banked and weeks exchanged for II, they have to match up the reservation to the covered period. The plan I buy covers multiple timeshares, but has a maximum payout per year. I checked with Delta regarding our airline tickets and they will provide a travel credit through 2023, so I can use them on next year's trips. We already have Crystal Shores reserved for the same week next year. It is our favorite MVC resort and location. Perhaps we can meet on a future trip. Good luck.

 

[Zagrid094]

Please let me know if you hear anything. I plan to wait a few days before cancelling, but the longer I wait the less chance I'll have to make a reservation this year. If I didn't have those plus points that might not be covered, I'd probably just take my chances.

Since we own multiple MVC weeks and points, I've bought the Travelex insurance every year and have used it twice (both for weeks reservations). The key is that it only covers reservations that were made with points or weeks for the covered year. Since points can be banked and weeks exchanged for II, they have to match up the reservation to the covered period. The plan I buy covers multiple timeshares, but has a maximum payout per year. I checked with Delta regarding our airline tickets and they will provide a travel credit through 2023, so I can use them on next year's trips. We already have Crystal Shores reserved for the same week next year. It is our favorite MVC resort and location. Perhaps we can meet on a future trip. Good luck.

Will do, Superchief. We have a reservation at Crystal Shores for October 8-15 next year and plan to reserve our week starting 10/15/23. Will be happy to meet you next year while we are there!

 

[NJMOM2]

I was at Crystal Shores the week Irma hit in 2017. We were scheduled to fly out on Sunday the day Irma came a shore. Check out was supposed to be Saturday but we left the resort on Wednesday and headed to Hilton Head....We were also evacuated from Hilton Head and ended up flying home from Charlotte. We stayed off the main highway and took secondary road most of our journey avoid the traffic.

Travelex refunded the cost as determined by Marriott for the Club Points based on our MFs we didn't finish using. We got up to $250 per day for food and hotels expenses for our 4 days of travel to home. We arrived home Saturday - our check out day. At that time the rental car company charged up and extra $800 for not returning the car to Fort Myers Airport. They later refunded it since the airport rental car return was closed - there was a message on our home phone when we got home not to return car to airport rental center. (Now I use my cell phone number.) I believe the extra fee for rental car return is now covered by Travelex.

The hardest and most frustrating part was trying to change our airline flights before the hurricane hit. If we changed it before United called it we would have been charged the change fee and the difference in ticket price. By the time United called it there weren't any seats left to fly out of Fort Myers or any other 'close' airport. We got a flight out of Savanna on Saturday. We had two separate airline reservations. When we were evacuated from Hilton Head I became away that they were on two different flights. We weren't going to leave my 80 year mother any her sister in the Savanna for a later flight so we change out flights again to Charlotte which was NOT direct. We could have driven home faster than detouring to Charlotte - it was the principle at that point to fly.

We did have written documentation that we were evacuated from both Marco Island and Hilton Head that to submitted to the Travelex. In the end we were well compensated for our expenses. On Sunday we were sitting at home watching the weather channel cover Irma. It was the first time we ever bought the insurance and the the best $99 I ever spent. The insurance covered the Use Year, therefore if I buy insurance for 2022 Use Year and bank the points they are still covered in 2023.

 

[TravelTime]

Please let me know if you hear anything. I plan to wait a few days before cancelling, but the longer I wait the less chance I'll have to make a reservation this year. If I didn't have those plus points that might not be covered, I'd probably just take my chances.

Since we own multiple MVC weeks and points, I've bought the Travelex insurance every year and have used it twice (both for weeks reservations). The key is that it only covers reservations that were made with points or weeks for the covered year. Since points can be banked and weeks exchanged for II, they have to match up the reservation to the covered period. The plan I buy covers multiple timeshares, but has a maximum payout per year. I checked with Delta regarding our airline tickets and they will provide a travel credit through 2023, so I can use them on next year's trips. We already have Crystal Shores reserved for the same week next year. It is our favorite MVC resort and location. Perhaps we can meet on a future trip. Good luck.

So let’s say someone has banked points and the new use year is 2023 beginning on Jan 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. How would the insurance work to cover these points?

 

[Fasttr]

So let’s say someone has banked points and the new use year is 2023 beginning on Jan 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. How would the insurance work to cover these points?

As I understand it, your 2022 insurance would cover those points. If you only had 2023 insurance, those points would not be covered, but the rest of the trip still would be (airline, etc).

 

[Superchief]

As I understand it, your 2022 insurance would cover those points. If you only had 2023 insurance, those points would not be covered, but the rest of the trip still would be (airline, etc).

Based on what I was told last year by Travelex, I don't think the rest of the trip would be covered unless the points used were banked from the covered year. I'm not sure how it would be handled if points from multiple years were used and not all had insurance coverage. This is why I buy the insurance every year.

The biggest unknown is what does Travelex due if MVC cancels the reservation and returns the points to the restricted account. I hope someone has a positive experience in these situations and posts on this thread.

 

[ljmiii]

So let’s say someone has banked points and the new use year is 2023 beginning on Jan 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. How would the insurance work to cover these points?

I'm confused by your question because points only have a 12 month use year not 18 months...so Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31st 2023 or July 1st 2023 to June 30th 2024.

In general, the MVC Travelex insurance covers the year you got the points or weeks - it doesn't matter what year the reservation is in. So if you insure your 2023 points and weeks it covers your costs when you use those 2023 points in 2022, 2023, 2024, or whatever. That said, the policy is written in a way that more or less assumes that your points are Jan 1st-Dec 31st. I would guess that points you get July 1st of 2023 are covered by a 2023 policy but don't know.

 

[TravelTime]

I'm confused by your question because points only have a 12 month use year not 18 months...so Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31st 2023 or July 1st 2023 to June 30th 2024.

In general, the MVC Travelex insurance covers the year you got the points or weeks - it doesn't matter what year the reservation is in. So if you insure your 2023 points and weeks it covers your costs when you use those 2023 points in 2022, 2023, 2024, or whatever. That said, the policy is written in a way that more or less assumes that your points are Jan 1st-Dec 31st. I would guess that points you get July 1st of 2023 are covered by a 2023 policy but don't know.

My points are banked and I am Presidential so the banking is for 18 months. So the 2022 points are now usable from Jan 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. I guess I needed to insure them in 2022 even if they are banked. So I assume it might be too late to insure those points.

 

[ljmiii]

My points are banked and I am Presidential so the banking is for 18 months. So the 2022 points are now usable from Jan 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.

Yes...but the original use year is all that matters in terms of the Travelex insurance. Banking or borrowing doesn't affect that.

I guess I needed to insure them in 2022 even if they are banked. So I assume it might be too late to insure those points.

I would assume so...but don't know for certain.

I do know that to avoid various exclusions you need to buy the insurance when you pay your MFs (or have purchased the previous year's insurance).