Why are you going to mess around "trying to extract your pound of flesh" from Wyndham?
I guess it's my emotions getting the better of me after another 'information' session earlier this week.
I met a nice brunette at Majestic Sun on Monday (I'll call her "Ally") who offered 105K CWA points for $22K. I told her I would listen more if 1) it cost me nothing out of pocket and 2) there was additional value. She claimed I would become VIP at 413K, with all privileges therein, would envelope all my existing contract in CWA shielding me from any more assessments on my existing crappy contracts and, explaining the silver VIP trick to cancel and rebook saving points then trade-in 200K points yearly to reduce my MF to 'zero' after ten years. Ally assured me that I'd be paying pretty much the same as today... maybe $60 more/month for the first decade. No more MF? Where do I sign? Ally brought me paperwork for the Wyndham credit card and began offering all the perks for an end of year sale: 188K free points and
maybe release of the CWA MF for 2016. (Credit card? Whatever...)
I told Ally, "let's finish this up!"
Ally takes me to see "Bob," the finance guy in another building. Right before we meet Bob, she tells me the good news that I've been approved for the one year CWA MF waiver. 'Great!" I exclaim. Ally tells me that the signing will be videotaped because Wyndham was recently sued and is now taking precautions. So I sit with Bob and we go over the finance sheet that pre-loads the cc with $11K @ 15% and bills that same cc monthly for the remaining $11K principal that Wyndham charges me 14%. So technically, Ally was correct... nothing out of my pocket. but little did I know she would be slipping a $22K debt into my pocket... So I question Bob about my total Wyndham monthly bill and he correctly tells me that it will rise from $225 to $400 for 2016 then jump again to $460 for years 2017-2025. I rise from my chair, wish him a good day and shake his hand. He runs out to find Ally. My wife and I leave the office and we run into Ally. I thank her for her time and explain that I'm already VIP Silver, not really knowing what else to say. Ally politely asks us to wait a minute while she goes into Bob's office to figure out what happened. My wife, you know, was so excited about the new perks!
We leave.
---
I highly recommend taking a Karrass negotiated class before ever seriously sitting with a Wyndham salesperson to finalize that contract to get to VIP. Some of us are natural 'wheeler-dealers' but I was surprised how much I, a self proclaimed know-it-all, could still learn. A few years back I drove my salesperson to $0.12/point until I asked for a free million points to close the deal. Apparently, he had enough.
EVERYTHING is negotiable!
So pay 2 more months MFs at the most ..
Yes, I can accept that.
Question: if, as Ron suggests, I book 2 x 154K trips this year, will the reservations stand after Ovation is finalized assuming Wyndham gives me nothing in return for my crappy weeks?
I'll phone Wyndham Monday and let you know what kind of exit deal I can negotiate.