Room Choices for checkin - developer vs resale

[DazedandConfused]

Is anyone aware if any of the timeshare companies giving the developer sales the best rooms and the resale buyers the worst rooms at check-in?

You would think that all owners are equal with room availability, but I have heard some resale owners get the parking lot view and the developer sales get the best rooms.

 

[DeniseM]

About which company did you hear that?

At a resort where there are deeded views, an owner would get their deeded view.

 

[vacationhopeful]

Sounds like BS from the sales staff.

The front desk does not know where you brought your unit from, just the size or location/view of your reservation.

The points computer system is counting the points in your account and used for your reservation.

Most management companies' computers are just trying to balance the books - sort of like the banks having to count the money - is it in pennies, nickles, dimes and quarters OR in folding paper money? Doesn't matter -- the books just have to balance.

PS The is a very old line from the sales staff -- buy NOW and always get the best unit in the house (available at checkin time).

 

[DazedandConfused]

I am asking about a typical floating week and not a fixed week or fixed unit.

 

[DeniseM]

I am asking about a typical floating week and not a fixed week or fixed unit.

From what system?

BTW - even floating weeks can have a deeded view. Like the Westins and Marriotts in Hawaii.

 

[DazedandConfused]

Lets say it is Marriott, Hilton, DVC, Westgate, etc.

Lets say you own a resale unit and it is a standard floating week with no special view categories.

I have heard that some timeshare companies will give "resale owners" a less than desirable room (i.e. low floor or parking lot view or long hallway walk) and the "developer owners" get the better rooms.

Is this common practice or not?

Is it legal or not?

 

[vacationhopeful]

"Let's say" ....

if you want to image the sky is falling, that is okay.

But let's say I want to borrow your car ...

 

[SMHarman]

As far as I can see the reservations for all say Marriott / Hilton / Starwood rooms in a resort have to be booked on one reservation system or else there would be booking conflicts etc.

So you call to book a room at the resort and the booking is put into the system which for most of these is the standard hotel reservation system as it is linked to the hotels online booking engine for the cash bookings on the excess inventory not used by owners.

So now you are dependant on what data is put into that system by the system / person that made the TS booking.

Some of these systems will leave clues that the TS was resale, e.g. a Starwood TS without a SPG gold member would indicate that the TS was resale. Equally the fact someone is elite status in the TS system or the Hotel Rewards system will be in there. Do they look at how you bought the week and then consider that for the view. I think that highly unlikely, the elite status is more likely to be picked up as that is something front of house and hotel management will be looking at daily. Everything else is noise you hope they pick up and remind them about at checkin.

 

[DazedandConfused]

This is a serious question.

A friend of mine checked into his timeshare (resale purchase) and was given one of the worst rooms in the resort and was told that was because he bought on the resale market.

Is that a fluke or does this regularity happen for timeshare owners at checkin?

 

[Passepartout]

This is a serious question.

A friend of mine checked into his timeshare (resale purchase) and was given one of the worst rooms in the resort and was told that was because he bought on the resale market.

Is that a fluke or does this regularity happen for timeshare owners at checkin?

Let's name names? What resort? I can see exchangers getting less desirable views/units. I don't like it, but there is not a lot that can be done about it. SOMEONE has to get those rooms. But those who buy resale? How does the front desk even know the particulars of how someone purchased their interval? One reservation should look like any other unless it comes from an exchange company.

 

[Rent_Share]

That could/would be within Westgate's quiver

 

[davidvel]

This is a serious question.

A friend of mine checked into his timeshare (resale purchase) and was given one of the worst rooms in the resort and was told that was because he bought on the resale market.

Is that a fluke or does this regularity happen for timeshare owners at checkin?

If this was in CA and at a Marriott, it is my opinion that this (if proven) would violate the CC&Rs and give rise to claims against Marriott and the HOA.

It would be next to impossible to prove without something in writing.

 

[LAX Mom]

This is a serious question.

A friend of mine checked into his timeshare (resale purchase) and was given one of the worst rooms in the resort and was told that was because he bought on the resale market.

Is that a fluke or does this regularity happen for timeshare owners at checkin?

So tell us the timeshare company. Did your friend stay at the property as an owner or exchanger?

I've had numerous exchanges into Marriott, Westin, Four Seasons and others but I've never been told my room location was because I purchased my units resale or because I was there on an exchange. I've had some incredible views, some just average. Some high floors, some lower.

As an exchanger I don't expect to get the prime rooms. Sometimes I do, especially with Marriott. I think my platinum Marriott Rewards status usually helps there.

 

[DeniseM]

This is a serious question.

A friend of mine checked into his timeshare (resale purchase) and was given one of the worst rooms in the resort and was told that was because he bought on the resale market.

Is that a fluke or does this regularity happen for timeshare owners at checkin?

There is no reason not to name the resort here - every single system is different and there is no "one-size-fits-all" rule.

All resorts have pecking orders for assigning timeshares, but without more info., I don't know how we can help you.

 

[geekette]

Lets say it is Marriott, Hilton, DVC, Westgate, etc.

Lets say you own a resale unit and it is a standard floating week with no special view categories.

I have heard that some timeshare companies will give "resale owners" a less than desirable room (i.e. low floor or parking lot view or long hallway walk) and the "developer owners" get the better rooms.

Is this common practice or not?

Is it legal or not?

"Legal"? I would think so. Everything is subject to availability and on that slight chance that YOUR unit is damaged, they must have the ability to put you into an open room.

Otherwise, I doubt that the front desk at every ts knows how a ts was acquired, and see the reservation only, and can decipher Owner vs Exchanger.

It's possible that some systems show lots of info, including how the time was acquired.

Further, this is kind of why I like to be one of the first to check in, on the theory that they save the worst for last, hoping there is a no-show so that nobody gets The Worst Unit.

Unit view is not very important to me, but for those to whom it means a great deal, they should go through whatever process is in their system to acquire the view they desire and understand what 'guarantees' are or are not in place.

In your example, there is no unit view / placement guaranteed.

 

[DazedandConfused]

My friend is a (resale) owner at a specific resort and booked at his resort almost a year in advance and requested a high floor over spring break. When he checked in, he was given a first floor back of resort room and when he asked to change to a high floor like he requested, he was told, sorry, you are a resale owner and those rooms are given priority to developer sales first.

I don't want to name resorts as he may send a letter or complaint to the BBB or state real estate board as they "Discriminated" against him on the sole basis that he was a resale owner and was not entitled to the best rooms even though he is an owner there and pays the yearly dues.

I just wanted to know if this is common or not or if anyone else has encountered this.

I would think - all owners at a resort are equal to booking if they are current with dues and has passed ROFR.

It just seemed odd that they really treated him poorly at checkin SOLELY based upon his status as a resale owner.

 

[DeniseM]

Since we don't know who you are, and we certainly have no idea who your friend is, there is absolutely no reason not to post the name of the resort.

As I posted earlier, each system has a pecking order for assigning views, and it's is impossible to answer your question, without more info.

 

[geekette]

It seems like more of a customer service problem, IMO. By process of elimination, someone will have The Worst Unit. why someone at the front desk would EVER admit to classifying a type of owner as second class is really bad. Then, we don't know what system your friend is in, no one can say what the front desk "knows". Could have been checked in by a sales person telling a whopping lie in the hopes of getting your friend interested in buying more.

I notice that the complaint is not "I requested high floor and got ground", as of course, requests are generally Never Guaranteed, there is no obligation for a resort to honor any such thing.

I'm not sure how telling us the resort would jeopardize any action/inaction on the part of your friend, but it will be difficult to ferret out helpful responses without knowing Where This Happened. Who can say there is a pattern if I compare apple's to Denise's oranges?

 

[DeniseM]

I'm wondering if a SALES Rep. gave them this info.

 

[Passepartout]

I'm wondering if a SALES Rep. gave them this info.

I agree. Re-reading the OP suggests a salesweasel planted this kernel hoping it would bear fruit of a sale. I've heard less believable 'reasons' given to buy retail.

 

[Rent_Share]

I thought Marriott Sales was above those types of strategies

 

[Passepartout]

I thought Marriott Sales was above those types of strategies

Nobody said it was Marriott- or any other TS outfit for that matter.

 

[DazedandConfused]

ok, for all the curiosity killed the cat TUGers out there, this was a Westgate property

The "resale owner" has been a member for a few years and got a bargain on the purchase and has used the property in the past without any issues.

He reserved the week almost a year in advance and made the high floor request and then called a week in advance to repeat the request.

The week they stayed in the timeshare was not sold out and the owner saw many high floor rooms dark at night and the parking lot was never full.

I guess, this would not be an issue if it was simply explained as a luck of the draw, but the front desk person and manager both came out when he complained at checkin and requested a room change to try to make a change but were blocked or perhaps just made excuses. The checkin was actually around lunchtime, so it was not like they got there late at night.

There were several people (front desk worker, front desk manager, sales reps) that told him that resale owners get the least pull in room reservation requests. It was very apparent to this owner that the computer red flagged him as a resale owner.

Also, he said that someone mentioned that there was a group or conference going on there and they seemed to give high floor rooms to the cash renters.

All in all, the resale owner was ticked off that as an owner that passed ROFR and current in dues, he thought developer or resale should not matter, but it appeared that the assignment to the lowest floor and back room - something he described as the worst room in the resort.

Then he said the salesman tried to sell him on a fixed high floor unit for a specific fixed week for many thousands of dollars (I think it was over $10k) that would guarantee a high floor in the future, but he passed on the offer.

The salesman told this owner that they are tired of getting complaints from owners that paid big bucks are in lower rooms than people that bought resale off eBay and even mentioned that they are aware people talk in the hot tub to compare ownership status.

So, that should be enough info to give advise or opinions on if this is common practice with Westgate or all timeshares and is the practice of discrimination against "resale owners" to the worse or least desirable room locations legal and are there and recourses???

 

[DeniseM]

Westgate has the worst reputation in the timeshare industry - I'm not in the least bit surprised. They are known for this kind of shenanigans. It's not the norm in the industry.

But I think your friends chances of doing something about it are slim and none - his best bet is to dump the timeshare.

 

[Rent_Share]

I thought Marriott Sales was above those types of strategies

I swore I read it was Marriott.

Nothing would surprise me out of Westgate