My Second "Letter" from Wyndham (Excessive Cancellations!)

[chapjim]

Got a letter from Wyndham in email this morning. Here's the gist:

QUOTE
We have recently identified activity associated with your Account that indicates possible misuse of the CLUB WYNDHAM Plus reservation system and conduct inconsistent with the CLUB WYNDHAM Plus Membership Directory and the standards established for participation in the Club Wyndham program.

The concerning activity includes, but is not limited to, an excessive pattern of making and subsequently cancelling reservations. While Members are permitted to modify travel plans and cancel reservations, when necessary, repeated reservation activity involving excessive booking and cancellation may negatively impact inventory availability for other Members and may indicate attempts to gain an unfair advantage within the reservation system.

Review of your Account reflects a pattern of reservation activity that includes a significant volume of cancellations relative to confirmed travel. Such activity may be viewed as inventory manipulation because it temporarily removes availability from other Members without a corresponding intent to utilize the reserved accommodations.
END QUOTE

Seems to me that booking a reservation will always "negatively impact inventory availability for other members." Canceling and rebooking a reservation always impacts availability for other members, both positively and negatively.

I often modify a reservation, adding a day at one or both ends of a reservation. Once I've done that, additional adjustments to the dates often require cancelation and re-booking.

Another cause of cancelations is just the way I do things. I book Wyndham reservations as far out as I can -- mostly ten months, but sometimes eleven or thirteen months before check-in. What that means is I use up points early in the year. Later, when the window opens for HGVC reservations (276 days before check-out), I might book with HGVC (or HVC) and cancel the Wyndham reservation, freeing up some points for later in the use year.

I don't see either as being abusive or gaining an unfair advantage. Apparently, Wyndham, in its sole discretion, does.

 

[paxsarah]

I agree that doesn't seem excessive. Every time you cancel a reservation you make someone else's day. I don't get Wyndham on this.

 

[Floridaman76]

Wow, i'm surprised if they are doing such things I have not gotten a nastygram. I am a frequent cancel/rebooker whenever possible. Also book vacations I end up cancelling because scheduling conflicts happen.

I just booked a week at Ocean Walk in October during that 50% off sale they just had and had to cancel it because a work conflict materialized...

 

[chapjim]

I agree that doesn't seem excessive. Every time you cancel a reservation you make someone else's day. I don't get Wyndham on this.

Like in August 2026 when I canceled a January 2027 reservation at Royal Vista, replacing it with a HGVC reservation.

Who was negatively impacted?

 

[rickandcindy23]

The Wyndham scrutiny never ends. I am going to be cancelling a Branson Meadows unit soon. Seems I will face their vitriol on that front as well. I have definitely cancelled quite a few for this fall. Then I booked a few nights at Dolphin's Cove for fall break and keep trying to add a few more nights, even if we have to change rooms. But if Marriott's Newport Coast comes through, I will be cancelling that one as well.

I assume the kids will want to do something and book it way ahead. Fall break, late spring, dates way out there, always hoping to use ourselves or for family. I wish I knew way ahead what to book, but I don't have magic powers to see into the future.

 

[Sandy VDH]

I am going to cancel something too, as one of the parties is now no longer going but I am keeping 2 of the 3 units I booked.

Is this the 2nd letter on cancelling. This is the first that I have heard of getting a letter for that. Too many GC yes, hear lots of folks get those, but cancellations, that is a new one.

Here again Wyndham goes and makes an issue over something for which there is NO guidance in the rules and regulations.

 

[Floridaman76]

If I have the points, I have been known to book "the unit size I need" and also book a size smaller hoping for an auto upgrade, then cancel one before the 15 day mark, that's not against any rules. In fact it used to be suggested by the update people

 

[bnoble]

I don't get Wyndham on this.

It is very likely that this is at least in part because Jim has been on the naughty list before. It would not be the first time Wyndham did something like this out of spite.

 

[rickandcindy23]

If I have the points, I have been known to book "the unit size I need" and also book a size smaller hoping for an auto upgrade, then cancel one before the 15 day mark, that's not against any rules. In fact it used to be suggested by the update people

When it works, it's great, and it's amazing that you commented before that it was terrible to do that. Interesting.

 

[Floridaman76]

When it works, it's great, and it's amazing that you commented before that it was terrible to do that. Interesting.

I never said that... I made a lot of comments about people renting, but not against cancel/rebook or even what I mentioned

 

[Travelingman1]

I don't see either as being abusive or gaining an unfair advantage. Apparently, Wyndham, in its sole discretion, does.

Not only is this reasonable IMO. I think any reasonable person would agree with what you did. I wonder if they had some sort of automated alert for every time you "touch" the reservation?

 

[dioxide45]

Wyndham is probably seeing this as potential speculative reservations for a commercial rental operation. Especially if most of the reservations are being cancelled shortly before the 15 day window.

 

[chapjim]

I am going to cancel something too, as one of the parties is now no longer going but I am keeping 2 of the 3 units I booked.

Is this the 2nd letter on cancelling. This is the first that I have heard of getting a letter for that. Too many GC yes, hear lots of folks get those, but cancellations, that is a new one.

Here again Wyndham goes and makes an issue over something for which there is NO guidance in the rules and regulations.

First letter was in October 2021 about "commercial use."

 

[chapjim]

It is very likely that this is at least in part because Jim has been on the naughty list before. It would not be the first time Wyndham did something like this out of spite.

But, I've been on the righteous path since the first one!

 

[b2bailey]

I'm not that category of owner, but I thought part of the sales pitch was the ability to "cancel and rebook using fewer points". Seems Wyndham is now cracking down on ideas that were used to promote sales.

 

[chapjim]

Wyndham is probably seeing this as potential speculative reservations for a commercial rental operation. Especially if most of the reservations are being cancelled shortly before the 15 day window.

That would make sense if I were a volume user of guest confirmations. I'm not. Two GCs this year, both for my daughter.

If I were canceling at fifteen days before check-in, that would support a suspicion of commercial use. Not the case, either.

 

[chapjim]

I'm not that category of owner, but I thought part of the sales pitch was the ability to "cancel and rebook using fewer points". Seems Wyndham is now cracking down on ideas that were used to promote sales.

Not exactly new for Wyndham!

 

[bnoble]

But, I've been on the righteous path since the first one!

They all say that, Jim.

Seems Wyndham is now cracking down on ideas that were used to promote sales.

If by "now" you mean "almost ten years ago," then yes.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I never said that... I made a lot of comments about people renting, but not against cancel/rebook or even what I mentioned

If it works for you, it's okay to cancel and re-book. You mentioned for personal use. You use it. I use it. Aren't we both manufacturing points from thin air?

Criticizing others for doing what you are doing is a bit silly.

The entire website is changed and it's not a guarantee you will get anything back after cancelling, but when it works, and you can save some points, good on ya!

 

[bnoble]

Can we please not do this again?

 

[Floridaman76]

Yeah, i'm not going to do this again, but what I described myself doing is not the same as the other thing referenced in your quote... me using my points to make 2 bookings then cancelling one of them refunded my points. It didn't fabricate points out of thin air fraudulently like some apparently did...

Your statement is a mischaracterization.

 

[CO skier]

(This is not a commentary on any specific case; rather, it is intended to provide some insight into the Big Picture.)

Here again Wyndham goes and makes an issue over something for which there is NO guidance in the rules and regulations.

It is impractical to publish rules for all possible situations within Club Wyndham, so Wyndham publishes a "catch-all" in the Program Guidelines:

Notice Wyndham's use of the bolded terms in both the Program Guidelines and the letter in post #1, "activity involving excessive booking and cancellation may negatively impact" and "attempts to gain an unfair advantage".

 

[amycurl]

I hope that @HitchHiker71 brings this up during his next chat with TPTB at Wyndham. It sounds as though you are using the system *exactly* as designed. And everything in the paragraph above seems to refer to on-site behavior. Is just maximizing the program now be considered "manipulation of the program rules?" Manipulating basically means *using* the program--you're not asking anyone to change the rules for you, or even doing so to skirt other rules.

There is no way I would ever be a Wyndham owner.

 

[Pink_Warrior]

Can we just call it what it is?

1.) You are older
2.) You are PR
3.) You have a lot of points
And the driving force:
4.) You have unlimited housekeeping.

Though I think that they missed ESQ no?

 

[chapjim]

Yeah, i'm not going to do this again, but what I described myself doing is not the same as the other thing referenced in your quote... me using my points to make 2 bookings then cancelling one of them refunded my points. It didn't fabricate points out of thin air fraudulently like some apparently did...

Your statement is a mischaracterization.

You lost me. What's the difference between "refunding my points" and "fabricating points out of thin air?"

When I canceled a 424,000 point 4BR Presidential unit at Bonnet Creek and upgraded a 1BR Deluxe with a 60% discount to a 4BR Presidential unit, then canceled the earlier reservation for the 4BR, some of my points were refunded. That was bad according to your post quoted in #19.

When you book two different size units at Ocean Walk, cancel the larger one and upgrade the smaller one to the larger, you generate some points. Not sure that's thin air is the right characterization but what's the difference, other than other than number of points generated? Don't tell me it's personal use vs. renting because your post in #19 makes them equally bad.

Seems you've had a change of heart or there's a subtlety that I'm missing!