shareholder
TUG Member
We experienced a slick, encounter with the Member Services staff at a Wyndham resort recently. We had already declined the usual "update" due to super high pressure/grossly misleading updates in the past.
Our first staff contact was a beautiful young lady full of personality and smiles, bringing gifts who "just dropped into our apartment to welcome you to the resort". We chatted for a long time, getting us totally at ease, then as she turned to leave, she stopped and asked "Oh, by the way, has anyone checked your VIP properties lately?" Our answer was NO.
"Oh, you need to do this, it won't take a minute". So we naively set a "quick" appointment, plus "we just had to see the new 4 BR Presidential Suite in their building".
She knew of our reluctance, and the reasons, but convinced us that the sales staff was in the "other building" and they only worked with new guests who were not Wyndham members. Her team were not sales staff, they worked for Member Services, focusing only on the satisfaction and pleasure of existing members...... they work on a salary and were only there to see that our stay was comfortable.
At the meeting, we met with another male staff member who took us through their obviously planned scenario. "Yes, I am so sorry, but we have checked your properties and unfortunately, one of them no longer qualifies for VIP. However, I can offer you a Wyndham property etc, etc, that will qualify and return you to VIP status.
LONG STORY...........misleading information and finally, after a few weeks, refusal to return my calls or emails. However, unfortunately, they revealed a clause in their contract that confirmed that any weeks that are "points based" cannot be included in VIP. So this was just a trick screening process, to eliminate one week and to target another sale.
I have since reviewed my former VIP week file and it is a fixed week, unrelated to points, purchased several years before the resort went to points. Will persue this with Wyndham in the coming weeks.
In our ignorance, even after evaluating the cost of the new property vs losing VIP,we decided to purchase the new property. I now can see this is a planned training program process. I am sure many other current owners have had the same experience.
This is mostly just to vent, however, perhaps another Wyndham owner will know not be fooled into the same situation.
Signed
Ben Had (shareholder)
Our first staff contact was a beautiful young lady full of personality and smiles, bringing gifts who "just dropped into our apartment to welcome you to the resort". We chatted for a long time, getting us totally at ease, then as she turned to leave, she stopped and asked "Oh, by the way, has anyone checked your VIP properties lately?" Our answer was NO.
"Oh, you need to do this, it won't take a minute". So we naively set a "quick" appointment, plus "we just had to see the new 4 BR Presidential Suite in their building".
She knew of our reluctance, and the reasons, but convinced us that the sales staff was in the "other building" and they only worked with new guests who were not Wyndham members. Her team were not sales staff, they worked for Member Services, focusing only on the satisfaction and pleasure of existing members...... they work on a salary and were only there to see that our stay was comfortable.
At the meeting, we met with another male staff member who took us through their obviously planned scenario. "Yes, I am so sorry, but we have checked your properties and unfortunately, one of them no longer qualifies for VIP. However, I can offer you a Wyndham property etc, etc, that will qualify and return you to VIP status.
LONG STORY...........misleading information and finally, after a few weeks, refusal to return my calls or emails. However, unfortunately, they revealed a clause in their contract that confirmed that any weeks that are "points based" cannot be included in VIP. So this was just a trick screening process, to eliminate one week and to target another sale.
I have since reviewed my former VIP week file and it is a fixed week, unrelated to points, purchased several years before the resort went to points. Will persue this with Wyndham in the coming weeks.
In our ignorance, even after evaluating the cost of the new property vs losing VIP,we decided to purchase the new property. I now can see this is a planned training program process. I am sure many other current owners have had the same experience.
This is mostly just to vent, however, perhaps another Wyndham owner will know not be fooled into the same situation.
Signed
Ben Had (shareholder)
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