Way to deal with "nothing available" calls from II

[JeffW]

I have an ongoing search in (using a week in my sister's account) for Westin timeshares on Kauai and Maui. I know my chances of getting an exchange are slim, but I put it in just in case one of the Sightings weeks escapes the Starwood preferred window.

She's gotten at least 3 calls so far with, "Nothing is available for your match.", do you want anything else. I tell her just to say no, they are cold-calling trying to get you to take a different resort, so they can make a commission on the exchange fee.

My ongoing search had been for all of October. This morning, I went in and changed it to the 2 weeks in specific we'll be in Hawaii, after having bought our airline tickets earlier this week. This evening (I'd say several to 6-7 hours after I changed they dates), I get a call from my sister. An II agent called her to tell her still nothing at the Westins, but she confirmed them for a different resort, and a week outside my search window.

Now I'm sitting on hold, trying to get to an II agent so I can cancel the exchange. I guess afterwards I'll need to resubmit another ongoing exchange.

Should II be doing it? Is there anything I can do to basically tell them, "Just let the ongoing search work as-is, and don't manually do anything with it?" As I said, I'm taking the time now to try to reserve a Westin week, if one shows up. I'm not expecting it to, and a month or so before our stay, I'll start to look in earnest online. I've done that for several trips without incident. Right now whatever help they think they are providing me is becoming a pain in the ___.

Jeff

 

[djyamyam]

You can tell them to call you only if there is an exact match. The guide puts some notes as part of the search. I have had that issue before and when I tell the to only call with what I've requested, I haven't gotten any more calls.

You may be able to get them to reinstate your original ongoing search if it's done withing the 24 hours (I think). Someone else might be able to confirm this.

 

[JeffW]

I finally got thru to II, they cancelled they exchange, and resumed the original ongoing search. I also told them what was going on, they said they'd make an internal complaint about the confirmation being made outside the definition of the exchange, and also not to call with anything outside that period. Hopefully that should solve the problem.

Jeff

 

[dougp26364]

I've always had good luck telling them to mark the file showing we were not interested in anything else and DO NOT CALL.

They always call at least once and offer an alternative. I don't think of them as being pushy or trying to make a commission but as trying to be helpful by offering alternatives. I believe TUGGER's are generally smarter than the average timeshare owner. We understand the sytem and we know how it works. I've spoken with so many timeshare owners who were so clueless as to how the system works that it's a wonder they get any benefit from their ownership at all.

The typical timeshare owner doesn't read Interval's instructions on how to make an exchange. They don't have a clue about how to do their own search online. Many of them believe the salesmen that tell them their unrated Orlando winter week can get the most difficult exchanges because Orlando is the #1 tourist destination in the world so it MUST have the highest demand and trade power.

I can easily see a need for Interval reps to call owners/members who have requested what is likely to be a very difficult trade and offer them alternatives. Westin's can be tough. I'd bet the average timeshare owner doesn't understand that trading a low demand week in Orlando isn't going to be an easy exchange for a higher demand time and high quality resort in Hawaii. After all, the salesman told them they'd have the highest demand resort in the highest demand area in all of timeshare land. It's no wonder Interval and RCI make these calls. In some respects it's their attempt to bring reality into the picture.

But, for the typical TUGGER, we know what were asking. We know it's a tough exchange. We know it might be unrealistic outside the Flexchange window but, we also know that we sometimes get lucky and can plan our vacations accordingly without being dissapointed. So for TUGGER's, these calls are annoying. You just have to keep it in the perspective of the big picture and unrealistic expectations from those that just don't understand how the sytem works or, how to work the system.

 

[Hoc]

What bothers me about the repeated calls (every 2 weeks or so) is that they call, let the phone ring twice, then hang up. Usually, by the time I reach the phone, they've already hung up. And they keep calling once or twice a night until I finally get to the phone in time, and then they start again two weeks after we've spoken.

Every time, "there's no availability there. Would you like something else?" "No, if I wanted something else, I would have put in a search for it." Really irritating.

 

[eal]

When we were travelling this past winter II was phoning me twice a day and after the first call when I firmly discouraged repeated calls I just didn't answer. Why should I pay roaming charges on my cell phone to hear that nothing is available? When they actually find something they email me.

When we arrived back in Canada in the spring our daughter came to visit and was telling me about her new assignment at work (she works at a car dealership) where she calls customers and reminds them of upcoming maintenance dates, etc.

She was just launching into telling me how she was enjoying it and how nice the people were who she called, when my cell phone went off, and it was II. I went into a screaming rant about I told you not to call unless you have something to say, etc. and hung up. I turned back to my daughter and said sweetly, "yes dear, tell me more" and she said, looking pale, that she was glad she didn't work for THAT company!

 

[timeos2]

No no no. Never happens. Oh, THAT! Sure they do THAT

Every time, "there's no availability there. Would you like something else?" "No, if I wanted something else, I would have put in a search for it." Really irritating.

You must be hallucinating as I am told over and over again II never does this. Or if they do you can stop it. Yeah, right. Maybe you can hold back a flood with a cork too. The II apologists don't want to hear how irritating this SOP is and how they use it to try to browbeat you into accepting the junk they are awash in at II.

 

[dougp26364]

I've been a member if I.I. since 1998 and make 3 or 4 exchanges per year with them. I've never been called every two weeks, never had repeated calls in one day and never been called on a daily basis. We have been called a couple of times to offer us alternatives and, for the most part, telling them to mark the file not to call unless they have a match has worked. Only once in recent memory have they continued to call after being told not to call. My wife got a little stern with the last call about marking the file as do-not-call unless you have our match and the calls stopped.

It's not as if RCI doesn't have it's little quirks. Things like changing the value of your deposit after you've deposited it, two seperate exchange systems that aren't suppose to co-mingle deposits or being accused of having multiple outlets to rent out deposits meant for the exchange pool.

 

[Hoc]

I've been a member if I.I. since 1998 and make 3 or 4 exchanges per year with them. I've never been called every two weeks, never had repeated calls in one day and never been called on a daily basis.

Well, then, you're very, very lucky and your case is quite unusual.

 

[gmarine]

I've never had a problem with multiple calls from II. I always ask them to note on my account to only call if it concerns an exact match.

 

[dougp26364]

Well, then, you're very, very lucky and your case is quite unusual.

Probably not. It's more likely that I'm a little more insistant than others. If I don't want to be called, I'll make sure, in a nice way, that they understand I DON'T want to be called. Short of that I could always change my phone number on my profile with Interval. But that seems a little drastic.

 

[tashamen]

I've never been called by II either when I have requests in.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I was called every day for about ten days to offer me alternatives for a recent search. I kept saying, "No, and please don't call me again," every time they would call me. That didn't stop II from continually calling, until the exchange I wanted finally came through, without a call, into my inbox. Yay! It couldn't have been soon enough for me, because I was sick of those calls.

 

[DebBrown]

I get a "courtesy" call once a month for each exchange request in the system. Yes, it is annoying but I try to be polite. No my email address has not changed. No I don't want to expand my search...

Deb

 

[happymum]

II has been very insistent with calls, basically daily and usually early in the morning. When I ask to be called for exact matches only, things definitely improve.I wish that there was a way to request this when putting in an on-going request on-line.

 

[JeffW]

I haven't had any calls since putting in the "no call" request, but for those that have, I think you really to to escalate it. First ask, "Whom am I speaking to (to get their name, maybe extension)". Then, whatever the calling agent asks you, say, "No thank you, but I need to talk to a supervisor".
When you get thru (regardless of whether they transfer you, or disconnect you, and you call back (with their name & extension), you can say, "Does my files have a "do not call request in it?" Since it should, then say, "Then why did xxxx @ extension yyy just call me?". I'd like to think that a supervisor repremanding an employee will carry much more weight than you just telling the employee "don't call me". When I called last week to complain, the agent I spoke with seemed to take it pretty seriously.

Jeff

 

[rickandcindy23]

The worst part of answering these calls is they tell you how very unlikely you will get this particular resort with your deposit. :annoyed: I was actually told that a Marriott owner would get what I requested at Westin Ka'anapali before my Sheraton Broadway Plantation would ever get it. WHAT????????

 

[short]

Jeff,

I have a week at the Westin in Princeville 10/18 that I might not be using. Plans are uncertain but if I cancel it will be about 10/1 so I can retrade into something I want in Palm Springs the first week in December. PM me if you would like to know when .I cancel

Short

 

[JeffW]

another call!

That didn't last long, there was another call again this evening. The agent I'm on the phone with now (apparently there weren't any supervisors whenI asked for one) said, "...the notes aren't that visible, it's not an area I'd always look at..."

The agent I spoke with Friday was extremely helpful: "no problem putting that note in your record, I'll notify the manager of the person who called you of the repremand." This one (so far, still on the phone with them): "they may or may not see it, they're just trying to help you get an exchange...", almost a 180 degree oppposite answer. Now I'm being transferred "to a vacation specialist who will try to help you..."

 

[JeffW]

... got transferred to the vacation counselor, who said II has an automated system to call people when it's found 'comparable' matches. The agent said the person I spoke with Friday just put a manual notation in my records; he put in a different one, that should stop the automatic calling. Sort of a shame, as I thought that Friday agent was pretty good, now it seems she may not have been as competent as I was giving her credit for.

We'll see.

Jeff