Reservation Transactions - Can multiple res. be made same day using 1 transaction?

[ddavid1073]

Hi,
I just booked to two reservations today. It used my last two reservation transactions for the year. Did Wyndham make a change? It used to be so long as you made the reservations same day it would only use one transaction.

I did search through the forum so apologies if I missed the answer and the question has already been asked and answered before.

 

[folgema]

I am looking for the same answer...

 

[Free2Roam]

That was one of the changes made last May when they downgraded our vacation club experience. Each reservation now requires a reservation transaction.

 

[ddavid1073]

That was one of the changes made last May when they downgraded our vacation club experience. Each reservation now requires a reservation transaction.

Blood sucking vampires!

 

[JohnPaul]

Yikes. I hope this isn't coming to Shell.

 

[Sandy VDH]

You are NOW charged for each transaction, instead of the one fee per day and do as many transactions as possible, however the price per transaction also dropped from $39 to $19, if that helps at all. So 2 a day would now be $1 less than the previous price. More than 2 transaction in a single day and it now costs more.

The 3 things I really like about my VIP status, free transactions, free housekeeping and discounts. Upgrades are a bit of hit and miss of late.

 

[capital city]

To me this seems like one of the loopholes Wyndham took away rather than a benefit.

The fact that they lowered the fee equals it out to me. I do believe there should be a fee or people naturally will take advantage. Is $19 a big enough deterrent to not just book stuff on a whim and figure it out later? I would think not but with all these damn spreadsheets lately I'm probably wrong.

 

[Free2Roam]

To me this seems like one of the loopholes Wyndham took away rather than a benefit.

The fact that they lowered the fee equals it out to me. I do believe there should be a fee or people naturally will take advantage. Is $19 a big enough deterrent to not just book stuff on a whim and figure it out later? I would think not but with all these damn spreadsheets lately I'm probably wrong.

But that was one of the things I liked about Wyndham... being able to book something on a whim and figure it out later. I don't feel like I was taking advantage (in a bad way)... it was a benefit that, for about 20 years, allowed me to book what was available and then check with my travel partner(s).

Up until last May, when I made a reservation, I looked for other reservations, whether a full week for the family or a few days for a short getaway. If, after checking with my travel partner(s) it didn't work for us, I would let it go.

Other systems offer that benefit... RCI, for example, gives you the ability to hold a reservation until the next day and also to cancel a confirmed reservation by the next day, with no penalties. If the goal was to stop people from holding inventory - that they may or may not use - for long periods, a cancelation fee after a certain time period might be more effective, without punishing those who were not taking advantage (in a bad way.)

I would ASSuME that most who held reservations that they might not use (e.g. potential rentals) were VIP members with both unlimited reservation transactions and LOTS of points. The new reservation transaction policy doesn't affect them. Those who don't have a Gold/Platinum VIP-level number of annual points probably don't tie up their points holding a bunch of reservations that they won't use.

 

[skotrla]

To me this seems like one of the loopholes Wyndham took away rather than a benefit.

The fact that they lowered the fee equals it out to me. I do believe there should be a fee or people naturally will take advantage. Is $19 a big enough deterrent to not just book stuff on a whim and figure it out later? I would think not but with all these damn spreadsheets lately I'm probably wrong.

Generally speaking, I think the assumption in most spreadsheets would be that you are meeting the average of 1 transaction per 77k and ignoring the fee. I would assume that the people cancelling large quantities of reservations have VIP and are not paying $19 a pop.

-Scott

 

[breezez]

To me this seems like one of the loopholes Wyndham took away rather than a benefit.

The fact that they lowered the fee equals it out to me. I do believe there should be a fee or people naturally will take advantage. Is $19 a big enough deterrent to not just book stuff on a whim and figure it out later? I would think not but with all these damn spreadsheets lately I'm probably wrong.

Luckily I have never needed to pay for more than the five I get anyway. But, the entire concept of paying to book your trip seems stupid to me. I don’t pay Marriott, Hyatt, Sheraton, Westin, or any other hotel to book a room or possibly change my reservation later. It’s not like you are tying up people to make them. Most people are making reservations on the site. So yes it is a money grab... If people are big time renters they are going to VIP’s and they get unlimited reservations any way.

The reality is stuff happens and people have to modify their plans, especially in the TS world were you book really far out.

 

[capital city]

I agree with everything said. I book stuff too not knowing 100% if I'm going to use it. My thinking is if everyone books Mardi Gras, or Daytona 500, or Royal Vista winter weeks hoping to figure it out or possibly rent and maybe cancel later then I'm not getting those weeks. If $19 deters them then great because it wont bother me and I've got a better chance to get them 10 months out.

 

[Richelle]

I don’t like that they changed it to one per transaction, but as one said, that was a loop hole and not written as a benefit. Still, I am not sure how much it hurt them to allow people to make multiple reservations in one day. The way I look at the fee is, if everyone had unlimited, we’d all be paying the same amount to use the same reservation system regardless of whether or not you use it once a year or one hundred times a year. Personally, I do not like the idea of paying for some one else to use the system. The program fee we pay, is what gives us our allotted amount of reservation transaction credits and housekeeping credits. If someone goes beyond their allotted amount, they should have to pay to use it, so the rest of us do not have to pay for them to use it. Gold and Platinum get unlimited but they also pay more in program fees then someone with fewer points . Whether $19 is an excessive fee, I’m not sure. It may cost Wyndham that much when you factor in the cost to create and maintain that system. Or it could very well be a straight up money grab, or both. I’m Going to venture to say it’s a little bit of both.


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[paxsarah]

I don’t like that they changed it to one per transaction, but as one said, that was a loop hole and not written as a benefit.

It was written as a benefit. This is from the 2014-15 directory:

 

[CCdad]

Suggesting that Gold/Platinum VIP don't have to pay for their unlimited reservation transactions: all owners must pay the Program Fee (which supports the call center and the web site). The more points you own, the larger the annual Program fee you pay as an owner.

100K - $131 - $151 minimum annual program fee, depending on whether you have Plus Partners (PP)
700K - $392 - $406 (w PP)
1 Million - $560 - $640 (PR - Presidential Reserve owners)
10 Million - $5,600 - $5,860 (PR w PP)

And don't forget that those VIPs paid dearly for their developer purchase(s).

 

[Sandy VDH]

Of the programs i am with, $19 is the cheapest reservation price tag, between HGVC, HICV and Wyndham. The others are $65 per reservation, so consider $19 a bargain.

What are other reservation fees for other point systems?

 

[Richelle]

It was written as a benefit. This is from the 2014-15 directory:

Good point. I stand corrected.

 

[tschwa2]

To me this seems like one of the loopholes Wyndham took away rather than a benefit.

The fact that they lowered the fee equals it out to me. I do believe there should be a fee or people naturally will take advantage. Is $19 a big enough deterrent to not just book stuff on a whim and figure it out later? I would think not but with all these damn spreadsheets lately I'm probably wrong.

Most silver or non vip retail buyers don't have enough points to book too much on a whim and hold for later.

Suggesting that Gold/Platinum VIP don't have to pay for their unlimited reservation transactions: all owners must pay the Program Fee (which supports the call center and the web site). The more points you own, the larger the annual Program fee you pay as an owner.

100K - $131 - $151 minimum annual program fee, depending on whether you have Plus Partners (PP)
700K - $392 - $406 (w PP)
1 Million - $560 - $640 (PR - Presidential Reserve owners)
10 Million - $5,600 - $5,860 (PR w PP)

And don't forget that those VIPs paid dearly for their developer purchase(s).

a non VIP (resale) pays the same program fee based on the number of points. The high developer purchase does not support the call center or web site.

 

[bizaro86]

Of the programs i am with, $19 is the cheapest reservation price tag, between HGVC, HICV and Wyndham. The others are $65 per reservation, so consider $19 a bargain.

What are other reservation fees for other point systems?

Worldmark is free.

Shell is $25 by phone or $17.50 online after you've used the free ones.

 

[CCdad]

a non VIP (resale) pays the same program fee based on the number of points. The high developer purchase does not support the call center or web site.

Ah ... the what came first, the chicken or the egg? Without a developer purchase (e.g. a Wyndham resort to sell), there would be no need for a call center and later the web site. I do agree that they don't support the call center today.

The program fees have become a perpetual profit center for Wyndham. Every new resort brought online at ever increasing point values brings perpetual revenues to Wyndham, well in excess of the cost to maintain both the call center and web site maintenance.

 

[JohnPaul]

I own with Shell which has the old policy of as many transactions as you want in one day for one transaction fee (which I"m guessing will be going away with the fabulous new reservation system that is coming now that everyone at Wyndham loves it).

One question. With Shell, cancelling a reservation is also a transaction which requires a fee (or an included transaction). Was that the case with Wyndham or were cancellations free?

 

[Sandy VDH]

One question. With Shell, cancelling a reservation is also a transaction which requires a fee (or an included transaction). Was that the case with Wyndham or were cancellations free?

Cancelling is considered a transaction.

 

[Free2Roam]

Cancelling is considered a transaction.

I have not had to use or pay for a reservation transaction to cancel. I canceled something just last month.

 

[paxsarah]

Cancelling is considered a transaction.

It never has been and still isn't.

 

[Sandy VDH]

My bad, I thought it was.

I have VIP, so I don't pay, but I could have swore someone here posted it was a transaction.

 

[skotrla]

Ah ... the what came first, the chicken or the egg? Without a developer purchase (e.g. a Wyndham resort to sell), there would be no need for a call center and later the web site. I do agree that they don't support the call center today.

The program fees have become a perpetual profit center for Wyndham. Every new resort brought online at ever increasing point values brings perpetual revenues to Wyndham, well in excess of the cost to maintain both the call center and web site maintenance.

Timeshare program fees and per stay fees (booking fees, HK fees) are all covered by a combination of program fees and cash fees once credits are used. Wyndham has high program fees, but lower fees on the rest. For an average 2BR reservation of 77K, you are paying $0.56/1K and that's all (>234K) - if you double your points you double your program fees, but you have no out of pocket costs if you stay within the 77K average stay size. Using HICV with an average stay of 55K points (0.71 factor) and 166K account points (0.71 factor), an owner is paying $136 program fee + $64 x 3 booking fees = $328, which is 2.5x Wyndham's minimum of $131. Even if you get up into very large numbers of points where the HICV annual fee can be ignored, HICV reservation fees will be more than Wyndham program fees (at the Wyndham average of 77K), so the Wyndham owner still comes out ahead. For a large HICV account at larger reservation sizes (1.5x Wyndham minimum), the costs are similar.

I'm not sure how other systems compare to Wyndham and HICV in total costs beyond maintenance, but the Wyndham program fee seems to be less than the alternatives on a total basis.

-Scott