Vacation Strategy

[Teacher03]

I personally have all kinds of problems with OP's story and thought from the beginning that it was mostly exaggeration. I must ask this however, not wanting to start another huge debate, but how do we know this is actually Vacation Strategy LLC? This is after all an anonymous message board, and anyone could create a profile using their name.

I guess it's possible but unlikely in my opinion. There seems to be a lot of details to be made up. I think they probably wanted to clear their names since many have found then through this board.

 

[rutgers1]

I run a website with a large forum in my spare time. One of my advertisers was recently taken to task for an issue that turned out to be a lot less cut-and-dry than the person complaining led everyone to believe.

 

[DavidNYC]

Also appears based on grammar, spelling and coherence there might be some language issue that the OP had some misunderstanding with how everything worked. Definitely didn't quite make sense.

Staying for a week next week through VS and had to call resort to make a request and everything was all set with my reservation with them. No problems.

 

[darryl2008]

First I just want to say thank you to those that have responded to this thread in our favor, we appreciate the honesty, testimonials and business. I am sure many of you are trying to figure out what transpired here and what steps you need to take in booking a vacation with us. Amy was looking for accommodations at Bonnet Creek in Orlando, Fl. We sent her availability along with a 4 quotes as she changed her check in date 2 times and villa size 1 time. Finally she paid her 150 dollar deposit at 6:25 pm on Wednesday, 25 minutes after our standard business hours. At this point, next morning the unit was no longer available. We called her multiple times on Thursday and informed her the unit was not available and that we would refund the deposit immediately, which we did. This is our standard procedure as availability is always changing.

This Darryl booked the reservation. I do have some questions if you could answer them I would appreciate it so I myself have a better understanding of what happened. This email was sent from your company too me.

From: Vacation Strategy LLC <quotes@vacationstrategy.com>
Date: Wed, Nov 28, 2012 at 4:53 PM
Subject: We Found Your Request for a 2 Bedroom Deluxe Villa at Bonnet Creek
On top of the quote you sent me this was stated
Great News
We found your requested dates! We placed a temporary 24 hour hold on your villa, so if you want it, please use the link below to pay your initial deposit.
This is what I paid one hour later.
Visa
Date/Time: 28-Nov-2012 18:24:52 EST
Transaction ID: 4819998307



We paid the deposit within the hour. I have provided a receipt of the transaction. You state there is a 24-hour hold on reservation and we paid the monies so why are you not honoring the reservation. Amy is very upset over this whole situation since we cancelled our other reservation thinking we had this one since there was a 24-hour hold and we paid. So my question to your company is how many other people have paid deposits and actually do or do not have a reservation since it is on a 24 hour hold then been paid with a dated and timed receipt of the transaction.
Thank you

 

[softballmom3]

This Darryl booked the reservation. I do have some questions if you could answer them I would appreciate it so I myself have a better understanding of what happened. This email was sent from your company too me.

From: Vacation Strategy LLC <quotes@vacationstrategy.com>
Date: Wed, Nov 28, 2012 at 4:53 PM
Subject: We Found Your Request for a 2 Bedroom Deluxe Villa at Bonnet Creek
On top of the quote you sent me this was stated
Great News
We found your requested dates! We placed a temporary 24 hour hold on your villa, so if you want it, please use the link below to pay your initial deposit.
This is what I paid one hour later.
Visa
Date/Time: 28-Nov-2012 18:24:52 EST
Transaction ID: 4819998307

We paid the deposit within the hour. I have provided a receipt of the transaction. You state there is a 24-hour hold on reservation and we paid the monies so why are you not honoring the reservation. Amy is very upset over this whole situation since we cancelled our other reservation thinking we had this one since there was a 24-hour hold and we paid. So my question to your company is how many other people have paid deposits and actually do or do not have a reservation since it is on a 24 hour hold then been paid with a dated and timed receipt of the transaction.
Thank you

This is definitely a shame and I'm sure a trying time for you all. I hope you will be able to book elsewhere so that you can still have a wonderful trip to Disney this year!! I would definitely go ahead and book something else ASAP....... There are still great places out there!!!

 

[infopurposesonly]

So was your deposit refunded or not?

 

[ZehnJahren]

First I just want to say thank you to those that have responded to this thread in our favor, we appreciate the honesty, testimonials and business. I am sure many of you are trying to figure out what transpired here and what steps you need to take in booking a vacation with us. Amy was looking for accommodations at Bonnet Creek in Orlando, Fl. We sent her availability along with a 4 quotes as she changed her check in date 2 times and villa size 1 time. Finally she paid her 150 dollar deposit at 6:25 pm on Wednesday, 25 minutes after our standard business hours. At this point, next morning the unit was no longer available. We called her multiple times on Thursday and informed her the unit was not available and that we would refund the deposit immediately, which we did. This is our standard procedure as availability is always changing.

I don't know who this is, but could you imagine if this was really VS? Giving all the details of your private transaction on a major board? Basically blaming it on YOU if not everything went right? I hope no one really believes this is the real VS! I myself have contacted them in the past, and they always said they put the villa on hold for 24 hours, so she still would have been just fine. This poster is a fake.

OP, I an not sure what happened here, because that is a very respected company. Definitely dispute those charges if not refunded, but also keep in mind that refunds can take two or the months unfortunately. If you can, find another cheaper hotel: we stated at holiday inn when i was younger and I still have excellent memories of those trips. You can also try Priceline. Sounds like you really need to find a place, since airfare is not refundable and that's a lot of money if you cancel.

The best of luck to you.

 

[ZehnJahren]

First I just want to say thank you to those that have responded to this thread in our favor, we appreciate the honesty, testimonials and business. I am sure many of you are trying to figure out what transpired here and what steps you need to take in booking a vacation with us. Amy was looking for accommodations at Bonnet Creek in Orlando, Fl. We sent her availability along with a 4 quotes as she changed her check in date 2 times and villa size 1 time. Finally she paid her 150 dollar deposit at 6:25 pm on Wednesday, 25 minutes after our standard business hours. At this point, next morning the unit was no longer available. We called her multiple times on Thursday and informed her the unit was not available and that we would refund the deposit immediately, which we did. This is our standard procedure as availability is always changing.

I don't know who this is, but could you imagine if this was really VS? Giving all the details of your private transaction on a major board? Basically blaming it on YOU if not everything went right? I hope no one really believes this is the real VS!

OP, I an not sure what happened here, because that is a very respected company. Definitely dispute those charges if not refunded, but also keep in mind that refunds can take two or the months unfortunately. If you can, find another cheaper hotel: we stated at holiday inn when i was younger and I still have excellent memories of those trips. You can also try Priceline. Sounds like you really need to find a place, since airfare is not refundable and that's a lot of money if you cancel.

The best of luck to you.

 

[shalom]

This Darryl booked the reservation. I do have some questions if you could answer them I would appreciate it so I myself have a better understanding of what happened.

My guess is that, if it's true you made multiple changes, the hold was put on the wrong one. If VS works like other rental agencies I've worked with, then it's a two-layer process; you reserve with Vacation Strategy, then VS reserves with Wyndham. The more changes you put through that, the more opportunities for error. It may be that 4:53 timestamped request was the last you made, in which case it's VS or Wyndham's error, or it may be that you changed your request after the 4:53 one, and so they dropped that reservation and made another one -- at least with the systems I've worked with, only the last reservation you made would have a hold on it.

In other words, if you change your reservation, they will drop the earlier one and make a new one. That original hold is gone, and if they don't get the new reservation, you don't have anything on hold. If you want to go back to the earlier one, it's no longer on hold, so they will have to make a new reservation for that one, which may or may not be available. I know in my system, if someone calls up and wants to change their reservation, sometimes switching to a new one and then back in the same call can lose the original reservation. People post warnings of that right regular for newbies, because new owners don't always realize that's how it works and think they can switch back and forth at their leisure. Sometimes you can -- but your original reservation can also be snapped up in those few minutes you're not holding it.

So if you're renting Timeshares, don't cancel any other reservation until you have a confirmed reservation -- not just a hold. You only have a hold on that precise reservation, and if you change your reservation, that hold goes away.

That's why people are asking if VS refunded your money or not. If VS refunded your money, then they have fulfilled their responsibilities. The reservation didn't work out, is all. But if the reservation didn't work out, and they didn't refund your money, then you were cheated. Otherwise, it was just a mixup, a miscommunication. Very unfortunate, but no one deliberately wronged anyone.

 

[Lewisc]

Before the new rules many airlines would offer a courtesy hold. Some airlines would hold the reservation for 24 hours, some would hold it until midnight.

ZehnJahren--The OP already gave "details" regarding her transactions with VS. I don't have an issue if VS decides to give their side of the story.

edited to add VS didn't post the OPs full name, address, number of kids, phone number, email address or credit card information. I don't think VS posted any personal information.

Looks like OP attempted to book the trip within a month. Maybe the 24 hour courtesy hold isn't applicable

 

[shalom]

edited to add VS didn't post the OPs full name, address, number of kids, phone number, email address or credit card information. I don't think VS posted any personal information.

Agreed. They posted enough for the OP to verify they're talking about the same transaction (a common first name), but nothing that would give anyone else access to the OPs personal information. Their response is actually very similar to the ones you'll see on Trip Advisor -- details only of that transaction, with no personal information.

I also didn't think they were blaming the OP. Their stated purpose -- and, I think, their actual purpose -- was to let people know "what steps you need to take in booking a vacation with us." I would guess they also want to remind people that "availability is always changing" -- in other words, if someone wants the reservation they rejected yesterday, VS may not be able to get it. The fact that it was available yesterday -- or ten minutes ago -- has nothing to do with it. Motels or hotels in that situation can sometimes work around the system and finangle a reservation somehow; TS brokers really can't.

 

[ZehnJahren]

Here are the reasons I do not think this is VS - and am truly hoping it is not (besides the fact that this well-used company would have a new user name on the dis with only two posts, one of which was deleted? - and what did they write that needed to be deleted?).

First I just want to say thank you to those that have responded to this thread in our favor, we appreciate the honesty, testimonials and business.

Appears to be immediately putting the person they may have treated badly in the hot seat instead of apologizing to her for something that she thinks they did wrong. A good business will first say something like "We're very sorry that you feel you were wronged" and THEN work into the problem - I worked in customer service in a high complaint company where people came right to your face to complain, and the VERY FIRST THING YOU DO IS APOLOGIZE. Even if they're dead wrong. Here, they just take the stance that they're right - no apology for a misunderstanding or explanation as to why they hung up on her or haven't called her back.

I am sure many of you are trying to figure out what transpired here and what steps you need to take in booking a vacation with us.

No one here asked how to book a vacation with VS - did they? I see people saying they booked... but no one asking how. And no instruction is given later as to how to book, either.

Amy was looking for accommodations at Bonnet Creek in Orlando, Fl. We sent her availability along with a 4 quotes as she changed her check in date 2 times and villa size 1 time. Finally she paid her 150 dollar deposit at 6:25 pm on Wednesday, 25 minutes after our standard business hours. At this point, next morning the unit was no longer available.

Why not? Wasn't it quoted? So what if she changed her check in date and villa size; she still would have gotten a quote, yes? VS still sent a quote; and "should have" been holding the reservation, as per my understanding of their policy. Also, this poster still appears to be pointing the finger here - NOT good customer service at all. Even if they're right.

We called her multiple times on Thursday and informed her the unit was not available and that we would refund the deposit immediately, which we did. This is our standard procedure as availability is always changing.

Again, this just doesn't seem like VS. And it appears she paid more than the deposit, so where is this addressed? If I were writing here from VS, I'd be giving my name and title so she knew who to call to make it right - I'd wager this poster is simply a "Friend of VS" and wants to make OP look bad. Yes, it's the internet, people do that - I could make up a user name right now and say I'm the president, but am I?

And, more finger pointing "We tried to call her!!!!!!!1!!!"

So here's what I'd say - if it IS VS, post your name and title and a time that you will call Amy. Amy can then confirm here, and everything can be easily taken care of from then on and there's no more issue for Amy, and no more debate on what happened or whether or not VS is actually addressing it. That would be great customer service from VS and help Amy understand where all her money went, as well as calm the fears of many who are now worried about their own reservations.

 

[Lewisc]

ZehnJahren-

VS post is worded the same way a business typically responds on a site like Trip Adviser.

The OP accused VS as running a scam and (falsely) claimed the BBB has lot of complaints.

This is the kind of situation in which an explanation intended for other customers, and potential customers, and not an apology is appropriate.

There probably isn't any purpose in a phone call. I suspect the OP, with this thread, has burned any remaining bridges.

A business has to know there are a (hopefully small) number of potential customers it won't be able service.

Based on the large number of satisfied customers posting favorable experiences VS isn't running a "scam". Maybe they made a mistake in leading the OP to think a courtesy hold was in place. Based on her wording (a scam) and her BBB reference I won't give her the benefit of the doubt.

 

[shalom]

I worked in customer service in a high complaint company where people came right to your face to complain, and the VERY FIRST THING YOU DO IS APOLOGIZE. Even if they're dead wrong. Here, they just take the stance that they're right - no apology for a misunderstanding or explanation as to why they hung up on her or haven't called her back.

The difference here, I think, is that this is not someone complaining to the company -- this is someone who posted, to the Internet, that "Vacation Strategy is a scam; stay away." That is a totally different situation. For all we know, VS has already apologized to the OP, and feels the time for apology is over; now is the time for defense, because they have been unjustly accused, not to their face, but behind their back, if you will. Even on Trip Advisor, where the company has the official right of rebuttal and negative reviews are "in their face", company representatives do not always apologize first thing, and sometimes they don't apologize at all.

This thread has more than 5000 views; I have no doubt a fair percentage of those are people wondering what's the deal with Vacation Strategies.

From what Amy said, I think it's pretty clear that she didn't really understand how renting from a TS broker is different from getting a hotel or motel room, and apparently the explanation VS gave her on the phone once things went south didn't help much. While she admitted she was confused, she also posted to the Internet that it's a scam organization, and, when others disagreed, tried tie VS into a scam in Cancun. I am sure Amy has many good qualities and that we are not seeing her at her best, but I think it safe to say this is not a relationship VS wants to pursue.

I hope Amy finds somewhere else to stay, and that she can look into how TS brokers work when she isn't facing such a time crunch, because, while they are very different from motels and hotels, TS rentals offer some terrific deals.

 

[a1tinkfans]

What an interesting thread
I personally feel very bad for the OP. I think she clearly believes she had a room held when she deposited. It can be overwhelming to plan for any Disney vacation, never mind a first trip and one that is not directly booked thru Disney. I truly hope she will be able to make her trip and that it is MAGICAL!
Any company that responds to criticism or even a compliment (such as on Tripadvisor) should include the persons name and title at the company IMHO, that seems to validate the response for many. I am wondering how they even knew that this thread existed (tho the DIS is a popular place for many, it really is just one of a myriad of Disney related forums. )
And why does the responder have a "2" ....one would think that if they were aware of this thread, they likely had responded to others??
Regardless, its a bad situation all around.

 

[ZehnJahren]

ZehnJahren-

VS post is worded the same way a business typically responds on a site like Trip Adviser.

The OP accused VS as running a scam and (falsely) claimed the BBB has lot of complaints.

This is the kind of situation in which an explanation intended for other customers, and potential customers, and not an apology is appropriate.

The difference here, I think, is that this is not someone complaining to the company -- this is someone who posted, to the Internet, that "Vacation Strategy is a scam; stay away." That is a totally different situation. For all we know, VS has already apologized to the OP, and feels the time for apology is over; now is the time for defense, because they have been unjustly accused, not to their face, but behind their back, if you will.

I hear you both, and understand. However, I stand by my opinion (as I'm sure you'd stand by yours) as it relates just to the random post from someone claiming to be from VS: I have seen other people bring reviews like this about other companies on this forum and had the companies respond out of the blue. I remember in particular an issue with UT last year or the year before; the very first thing that was said is "we're sorry this is happening; we guarantee we're working to fix it." Others were the same. OP was not being nice on those threads, either; if you're posting on behalf of the company, this is an opportunity to show your good side, not your finger-pointing side.

This is the main reason I start to think that this is NOT VS. Also, those other companies replying to threads already had established posters on this board; this poster had only two posts, one of which they deleted.

Any company that responds to criticism or even a compliment (such as on Tripadvisor) should include the persons name and title at the company IMHO, that seems to validate the response for many. I am wondering how they even knew that this thread existed (tho the DIS is a popular place for many, it really is just one of a myriad of Disney related forums. )
And why does the responder have a "2" ....one would think that if they were aware of this thread, they likely had responded to others??
Regardless, its a bad situation all around.

Agreed all the way.

I feel bad for OP. I can understand ranting and wanting others to be aware of what happened to you; I also can understand the many positive responses about VS. I just hope OP can figure something else out; sadly, it might not be exactly what was originally wanted but it can still be a great, great vacation!

 

[rlilly79]

I've never booked through VS. The OP said she contacted BBB and was told there are many complaints about VS. BBB rates the company A- and shows ZERO COMPLAINTS in the last 3 years. That's why I question the accuracy of the OP. I'll defend VS since the OP is the first negative comment I've read about VS and the OPs BBB comments are fallacious.

I don't even know if VS hung up on her.

Not to be a troll here but I figured I would add this...I too have contacted the BBB about a legitimate complaint before and after it was all said and done, nothing ever showed up on the BBB site about the company. So I am not 100% sure how that process works but at any rate I don't think I would believe in an agency such as the BBB so much so that I felt the need to call other people liars??? What does she have to gain? Sounds like in some way or fashion she was taken for her $ and in every case, well that just sucks....mad, upset, confused and hurt, but I don't believe she is just lying about the whole thing. Most of these "scam" situations don't make much sense so that explains the difficulty she is having trying to explain something she doesn't even fully understand. Either way I hope it all works out for you and your family!!

 

[faindrops27]

I feel so bad for the OP. I do not know what is going on here, but to think your first trip to Disney and having to go through all of this. Hope things do get straightened out.

 

[DisLis]

At BCR this week and loving it. Great experience with vacation strategy. As a die-hard Disney resort fan I am surprised to say I doubt I'll stay anywhere other than BCR in future!

 

[blessedby3]

We booked through VS for our October 2012 trip. Everything went smoothly and we had no problems at all. I would definately book with them again. Sorry, OP, that you are having issues. I am having a hard time understanding your whole situation, though. I think all the facts are not laid out on the table. If you are only out $150 deposit (which Im sure you can get back by going through your credit card company) then find another place to stay and make your kids dreams still come true. There are literally TONS of places all around to stay. Why give up Party tickets, change airfare, etc just over $150
If you have paid out the whole amount for the room, then I think you have been scammed by another person.
What is the name of the person you talked to at VS that you say is hanging up on you? Everytime I called them they were beyond friendly and helpful.