Still Having Trouble With Reservations

[NWL]

Yes, it's me again! I tried to book my 2010 week today on-line and it says no availability. Granted, I didn't check right at 9am eastern, but based on comments in another of my threads, I'm not trying to book a popular week. Maybe yes, maybe no. There is nothing in my on-line account that says there's anything wrong with my account, and the VAs I've spoken to in the past 2 weeks when trying to make reservations have confirmed there's nothing wrong with my account.

Question: is there someone other than a VA that I can talk to and try to clear this up?

Thanks for helping a frustrated newbie!

 

[Dave M]

What week are you trying for? If any week other than starting the weekend of January 1, 2010, it wouldn't be available to anyone. You can reserve only 12 months in advance online.

 

[NWL]

I have been trying for the last 2 weeks of Jan. 2010. Since I have 2 weeks, I'm allowed to book at the 13 month point, but both times I was told there was no availability. I decided to see what would happen today since it's the beginning of the 12 month window for Jan 2010. Not that I want Jan 1, 2010. I just wanted to see if it would work. I only tried on-line, but I got the same results. This time the on-line page didn't have the blurb about the 12 month window. It had another blurb about no availability.

I should point out that I have reservations for Jan 2009 and March 2009 and I had no trouble booking them last year.

My 12 month window is coming up for the weeks I want and I'm trying to solve this problem before then. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[Beverley]

I didn't think we could book online for more than 12 months out. My 13 month reservations had to be called in. Perhaps that is the problem. As for the 1/1 test perhaps the resort you're trying to book has a "maintenance" week. If it does that week would normally be the 1st week of January. Monarch for instance has that and it is a week that is taken "off-line" for reservations. Another thought would be that the online may not work for days Marriott is closed??? like calling in for next year New Year's week had to be called on the 26th rather than the 25th because they were closed. Do not know about this for sure ... just a thought.

Good luck.

Beverley

 

[thinze3]

You CANNOT book before 12 months prior to the first check-in day of the week you are seeking when booking online.

If you are using two weeks and want to book at 13 months, you must call Marriott. If 50% of the rooms have been booked by now, nothing will be available to you, and you must then wait until the 12 month date.


Terry

 

[Dave M]

You can book 13 months in advance by phone, but not online. You have another thread that you started where you asked about making reservations online more than 12 months in advance and you were given accurate advice that you couldn't do it.

Thus, you have two choices for those last two weeks in January. (1) Keep trying occasionally via phone, but don't expect success. (2) Wait until 12 months before the first week you want and then call and try online (simultaneously) at 9:00 a.m. EST.

Very important: Note that, contrary to what you stated, the 12-month window for all of January 2010 did not start today. The earliest you can try for 12-month reservations is exactly 12 months prior to the first check-in day of the week you want. With Friday-Saturday-Sunday check-ins at Shadow Ridge, the first check-in date for the third full week of January 2010 would be Friday, January 15, 2010. Thus, you can call (and try online) on Thursday, January 15, 2009. Similarly, for the week that starts January 22, 2010, you must wait until Thursday, January 22, 2009 to try for 12-month reservations.

 

[NWL]

OK folks. I know I have to call to book 13 months out. That's not the question. I wanted to know if there is someone other than a VA who can look at my account to see if something is preventing me from making reservations. People have told me it's not a difficult week to get, and at this point I'm not convinced that I just have bad timing. If that's what it turns out to be, ok.

Dave M - I know the info from my other thread was correct, and I really appreciate everyones help. I had a different question so I started this thread.
Also, I was not trying to book the 3rd week of Jan 2010 today. I was trying to book the first week of Jan 2010 today just to see if I could get through.

Beverly's explanation of why it didn't work today is a good possibility. I'll try again tomorrow to book the first week of Jan 2010.

Thanks to everyone for their input!

 

[Dave M]

All of the agents ("VA"s) that you talk to at Owner Services have full access to all of the info in your account. There is no "higher authority" that would have more info. It just sounds to me as though there were a lot of people trying for that holiday weekend week.

The only other possibility I can think of is that, with the holiday today, the reservations for 12 months from today were not activated. Try again tomorrow morning and see what happens.

 

[NWL]

Yes, I think today being a holiday is the answer for what happened today. I was concerned when I saw that my reservation page did not say I was outside my 12 month window. Today it simply said nothing was available for the first week of 2010.

I apologize for being a pain! I'm just afraid of not getting the weeks I need.

Thank you for your patience!

 

[larue]

OK folks. I know I have to call to book 13 months out. That's not the question. I wanted to know if there is someone other than a VA who can look at my account to see if something is preventing me from making reservations. People have told me it's not a difficult week to get, and at this point I'm not convinced that I just have bad timing. If that's what it turns out to be, ok.

Dave M - I know the info from my other thread was correct, and I really appreciate everyones help. I had a different question so I started this thread.
Also, I was not trying to book the 3rd week of Jan 2010 today. I was trying to book the first week of Jan 2010 today just to see if I could get through.

Beverly's explanation of why it didn't work today is a good possibility. I'll try again tomorrow to book the first week of Jan 2010.

Thanks to everyone for their input!

I think you may have a problem of some kind, as I had no problem whatsoever with booking a January 1 2010 check in date today online, well past the 9:00 a.m. eastern time zone. I booked it around 1:00 p.m. this afternoon Mountain Standard Time.

 

[Dave M]

...I had no problem whatsoever with booking a January 1 2010 check in date today online....

I hadn't thought to try that. In doing so now, I see that there is ample availability (non-prime Platinum weeks) for all three check-in days (1/1/, 1/2 amd 1/3) for the first week of 2010 at one of my Marriotts.

 

[NWL]

I hadn't thought to try that. In doing so now, I see that there is ample availability (non-prime Platinum weeks) for all three check-in days (1/1/, 1/2 amd 1/3) for the first week of 2010 at one of my Marriotts.

I looked again this morning and it still says no availability for Jan 1, 2, 3, 2010. My on-line account says nothing about a problem with my account, and the VAs say there's nothing wrong with my account. How do I find out if there really is a problem with my account, or that I just have a lot of competition and bad timing?

I'm back to thinking it is the MFs. Mine aren't due until 1/23/09, but I do see on the web site that it says your MFs need to be paid before you can make a reservation.

 

[davidvel]

I'm back to thinking it is the MFs. Mine aren't due until 1/23/09, but I do see on the web site that it says your MFs need to be paid before you can make a reservation.

If the statement "your MFs need to be paid before you can make a reservation" is accurate, then I would surmise that your MFs need to be paid before you can make a reservation even if not yet "late."

 

[aka Julie]

I looked again this morning and it still says no availability for Jan 1, 2, 3, 2010. My on-line account says nothing about a problem with my account, and the VAs say there's nothing wrong with my account. How do I find out if there really is a problem with my account, or that I just have a lot of competition and bad timing?

I'm back to thinking it is the MFs. Mine aren't due until 1/23/09, but I do see on the web site that it says your MFs need to be paid before you can make a reservation.

Have you asked the VAs how many Enclave units are in the inventory since they have just opened.

I own at ShadowRidge Villages and when I check, there is availability at the Villages for Jan 1, 2, 3, 2010. Maybe it's just that people who own at the Enclaves have already reserved the available weeks for that weekend.

The MF shouldn't be an issue. Your MF which are due 1/23/09 are for your 2009 week(s). You don't pay the 2010 MF until the end of 2009 or early 2010.

 

[NWL]

Have you asked the VAs how many Enclave units are in the inventory since they have just opened.

I own at ShadowRidge Villages and when I check, there is availability at the Villages for Jan 1, 2, 3, 2010. Maybe it's just that people who own at the Enclaves have already reserved the available weeks for that weekend.

The MF shouldn't be an issue. Your MF which are due 1/23/09 are for your 2009 week(s). You don't pay the 2010 MF until the end of 2009 or early 2010.

I tried asking the VAs how many units they have and no one could give me an answer.

Other folks have said here, and the VAs as well, that the MFs shouldn't be an issue, but I just paid them on-line to find out. Now I just have to wait up to 48 hours for it to process and then I'll try again. I did a quick look on the reservation page and I still get "no availability". I didn't think it would work that fast, but I thought I'd look anyway.

Thanks again to everyone who has contributed their 2 cents worth to help me solve this problem!

 

[NWL]

It Was the MFs!

Good news for all Tuggers - I won't be harping on this problem any more! I paid my MFs on Jan 2 (last Friday), waited 48 hours for it to post, and low and behold, I can now make reservations on the web site!!!!!!!!!!!!! It would have been helpful if the Marriott web site, as well as the VAs on the phone, could have told me the reason I couldn't reserve was because I hadn't paid my MFs. All anyone or anything said was "no availability". My MFs weren't due until 1/23/09, but they kept me from making 2010 reservations. I'm glad I found the fine print on the web site!

Thanks again to everyone who helped me solve this problem!

 

[davidvel]

It would have been helpful if the Marriott web site. . . could have told me the reason I couldn't reserve was because I hadn't paid my MFs.

I thought you said the website did tell you you had to pay your maintenance fees to reserve:

Originally Posted by NWL
I'm back to thinking it is the MFs. Mine aren't due until 1/23/09, but I do see on the web site that it says your MFs need to be paid before you can make a reservation.

If the statement "your MFs need to be paid before you can make a reservation" is accurate, then I would surmise that your MFs need to be paid before you can make a reservation even if not yet "late."

 

[NWL]

I thought you said the website did tell you you had to pay your maintenance fees to reserve:

Originally Posted by NWL
I'm back to thinking it is the MFs. Mine aren't due until 1/23/09, but I do see on the web site that it says your MFs need to be paid before you can make a reservation.

If the statement "your MFs need to be paid before you can make a reservation" is accurate, then I would surmise that your MFs need to be paid before you can make a reservation even if not yet "late."

Yes, the web site does state this, but not when making reservations. I found it in the fine print in the newbie section on how to make reservations. When trying to book, all it said was "no availability". Even the VAs never mentioned the MFs, and I asked one of them about the possibility and she said that was not the problem. So much for accurate info from the VAs! I also got feedback from Tuggers that MFs were not the problem.

I'm just glad I got it straightened out and I hope this thread will be useful to other newbies.

 

[larue]

If the statement "your MFs need to be paid before you can make a reservation" is accurate, then I would surmise that your MFs need to be paid before you can make a reservation even if not yet "late."

I made a reservation no problem without yet paying my maintenance fees, which are not due until later this month.

 

[NWL]

I made a reservation no problem without yet paying my maintenance fees, which are not due until later this month.

I remember you saying that. I believe one of your reservations was for week 52 for 2009? I'm thinking that one went through because you paid for that year already. I can't explain the second reservation you made for the following week.

All I know is I was blacked out before I paid my MFs and now I'm not. I do believe it was the problem.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Dave M]

Marriott does not require that you pay MFs in advance. Guaranteed! The only requirement is that you not be delinquent on any fees you are responsible for.

 

[Beverley]

That is my understanding also, Dave. So there must have been a "glitch" for the reservation to work after the fees were paid and not before?? When I would usually make my 2010 reservation for my silver week is in March, 2009. My 2010 fees are not due until mid January 2010... I have never had a problem making the reservation. What do think?

Beverley

 

[aka Julie]

That is my understanding also, Dave. So there must have been a "glitch" for the reservation to work after the fees were paid and not before?? When I would usually make my 2010 reservation for my silver week is in March, 2009. My 2010 fees are not due until mid January 2010... I have never had a problem making the reservation. What do think?

Beverley

The OP just paid her 2009 MF which seemed to clear up the problem. She said the '09 MF was due on 1/23/09.

 

[NWL]

Well folks, all I know is I tried to make reservations for the past 3 weeks (I own 2 weeks, therefore I started trying 13 months out), and everything said "no availability". After asking this question twice on TUG and getting various responses (only one of which concurred with my theory), I decided to pay my MFs. Now, every date I want is available. Yes, maybe there were a lot of cancellations between Friday and today, but I don't think so. Maybe there was a glitch in the system. I'd like to think Marriott would not hold my weeks ransom to get me to pay my MFs early!

Yes, I now have the dates I want for 2010. :whoopie:

Once again, thank you all for your help!

 

[m61376]

Now I am very confused- are you saying you made reservations for multiple weeks on the website at this point? I understand that you can make multiple consecutive week reservations under the 13 month rule, but I thought those had to be made by phone. Only week 1 should be available for reserving on-line at this point.