• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

MyStarCentral

mlpmd56

Tug Review Crew: Rookie
TUG Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2006
Messages
175
Reaction score
1
Points
16
Location
Flagstaff, AZ
It is official and I am THRILLED. :banana: Husband and I are the PROUD new owners of a Westin Kaanapali One Bedroom Ocean View Even Years! YEA!! Ok, so I found that the deed was transferred on the Hawaii website (another TUG tip) awhile earlier, but now have confirmation from Westin. I guess I just couldn't believe they were going to let it go that cheap and I was afraid they would exercise ROFR or something at the last minute. (Everyone here reassured me but I am a worry wart.:eek: ) Anyway, I have registered on their website for owners: mystarcentral.com, but am wondering what good that does me. My impression is I still need to call for reservations, correct? (The title company made us reservations for next January already.) I have wandered around the website a little bit, looking for deals, etc., but so far haven't found anything too exciting. :confused: What am I missing, if anything? From my TUG research, I know that the Marriott owners like all the things they can do online. So, fellow Starwooders (or Starwoodians, or Starwoodettes, or ???), is there something I should check online? Thanks in advance, I LOVE TUG! :) And you all are the BEST!
 

pointsjunkie

TUG Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2007
Messages
2,285
Reaction score
1
Points
398
Location
goodyear AZ soon
except to pay your maintenance fees on MSC and seeing article of fellow TUGGERS there is not much you can do on MSC. read the articles and look at the pictures. it does keep a running total of your staroptions.

congratulations and enjoy your many years of travel.
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
57,668
Reaction score
9,088
Points
1,849
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
For a Hawaii reservation, where view is critical, it is absolutely essential to call at 8:59 am ET to make your reservation. If you use the online function, you are just send an email that a human has to respond to. I think the main function of mystarcentral.com is promotion! :rolleyes:

Congrats on your deed recording!
 

LisaRex

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2007
Messages
6,792
Reaction score
317
Points
518
Location
'burbs of Cincinnati, OH
Resorts Owned
Used to own: WKORV-N; SVV - Bella
Welcome to Starwood. Hope you enjoy many, many years of vacations in Maui. It's my favorite place on earth to visit.
 

jarta

TUG Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2008
Messages
2,916
Reaction score
1
Points
273
Location
Chicago
mlp, ... There are some opportunities listed on mystarcentral but very few "deals." The "deals" are usually received by SVO members by Starwood email. Some TUGgers would refer to the emailed "deals" as only slightly more than opportunities.

Mystarcentral provides information on which resorts are in the Starwood system, what amenities are available at them , what the resorts look like and it provides brief summaries of how to use your staroptions.

If you want to learn how to maximize your Starwood ownership ("game" the Starwood SVO system), TUG is a much more useful tool than mystarcentral. Start with the "stickys" found at the top of the TUG Starwood page.

I use mystarcentral only to find out how much my annual MF are, to verify that I have paid them and to keep running totals of what my remaining staroptions amount to. And, occasionally, to check out the configuration of the units and their amenities and the FAQ at a resort I am considering going to. Beyond that, I consider mystarcentral to be mostly cotton candy (looks appetizing but nothing's there). :) ... eom
 
Last edited:

jkrischt

TUG Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2007
Messages
134
Reaction score
0
Points
376
Location
Chicago, IL
I find the online chat on MSC to be really nice. I use it for questions and reservations all the time. I hate the telephone and much prefer e-mail/on-line chats to do things. Plus I work in an office surrounded by people, so rather then bother people around with phone calls to Starwood, I can use the chat. For whatever reason I also find them more accommodating on the chat for some reason. I don't know why, but they've waived cancelation restrictions on StarOptions, seem to look up whatever I want regarding availability, and answer my crazy questions. Maybe its because they can take their time and not feel so rushed as they do on phone.

However, Denise is right about calling at 8:59 AM the first day you can to get what you want. The chat isn't always available and they can take up to 24 hours to get to your e-mail.

Brad
 

abdibile

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2007
Messages
759
Reaction score
0
Points
376
Location
Germany
Which chat on MyStarcentral?

Is it a live Chat with instant answers or do you mean the message center (which takes between few hours and few days to get a reply)?
 

clsmit

Tug Review Crew: Rookie
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2008
Messages
1,256
Reaction score
6
Points
248
Location
Solon, OH (for love not the weather)
Resorts Owned
WSJ, HRA, WKORV, WMH, SBP, WLR
Which chat on MyStarcentral?

Is it a live Chat with instant answers or do you mean the message center (which takes between few hours and few days to get a reply)?

The Chat (when it is available) is a live interactive chat. I've used it to make a reservation.
 

jkrischt

TUG Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2007
Messages
134
Reaction score
0
Points
376
Location
Chicago, IL
Yep. Its a live chat where you actually talk to someone. Sometimes its not available. I assume its because they have only a couple people that monitor the chat. It seems like I always to talk to the same people...
 
Top