Member cash discount restricted?

[beacher]

For this August at BCV, I have a 2 BR and 2 Studios reserved on points for Sun-Thurs. and have already booked the 2 Studios at Members' cash discount rate for the Friday night stay. The 2BR was not showing in the system as available for member discount, so the CM's kept advising me to check back periodically.

Today's "check back" call produced new info: the CM told me that the member cash discount can only be used for the one exact room in which the member is staying. Even though I am paying for our grown kids using the studios, the discount can't apply there and since the 2BR (where I'm actually staying) is still not available at the discount I might have to pay rack rate for all three rooms?!?

The prior calls actually yielded a written confirmation with our kids' names at the top and the discounted rate quoted. Should I just count on that or will the Front Desk make an adjustment to the rate? Is everyone else familiar with this policy and I missed it somehow? Thanks for your input...!

 

[PamOKW]

The policy has always been that the member must be staying in the room that is getting the member discount. They used to have an example in the paperwork describing a multi-room trip and how the member actually had to be in the cash room. Whether it's always enforced, I can't say for sure.

The other part of your question -- member discounted rooms are never guaranteed to be available for booking. I remember them saying that we should no longer count on their availability once OKW had sold-out. I assume the same is true for the other resorts -- once they are sold-out member rooms will be harder to come by.

 

[wdwstar]

hmmm, im not sure what to say, except for when i made my ressies thru ms and added a fri using cash i was told that the discount was available on that fri and she applied the discount and linked the room together with the discount, then i receive a confirmation for the discount price and was told that it would be charged to my cc, and as of now now charge has been made on the cc. but i have read on this board they dont charge your cc until you check in, so we will see what i end up paying for that fri.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Pam is right, it has alwasy been thus.

 

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by wdwstar
hmmm, im not sure what to say, except for when i made my ressies thru ms and added a fri using cash i was told that the discount was available on that fri and she applied the discount and linked the room together with the discount, then i receive a confirmation for the discount price and was told that it would be charged to my cc, and as of now now charge has been made on the cc. but i have read on this board they dont charge your cc until you check in, so we will see what i end up paying for that fri.

I did 2 member discount nights last May. They do not charge your card in advance, just hold the number as a guarantee (if you cancel 5 days or less, they charge 1 night). You should receive a confirmation with the discounted price. We arrived Friday, I booked Friday & Saturday nights with the discount and then Sunday to Thursday nights on points. When we checked in, they charged the card for the 2 nights. We got keys & parking permit for the entire week, we did not have to get new keys on Sunday. Trash & Towel was scheduled for Monday, which was day 4 of the combined reservation. Saved me 96 points (1 bedroom OKW). I booked the cash nights about 70 days out.

Beacher - you may want to see if discount code or AP rates come out for August, you may get a discount that way and it would probably be more than 25%.

 

[rsschneck]

I have August 28th booked for cash at OKW for a 2 bedroom. I am getting the member discount of 25% through MS and the ressie is linked to my points ressie.

We have AP's that will be activated during our August trip. So, if the discount comes up to be a better deal with an AP discount do you make the ressie for August 28th through CRO or MS? If you make the ressie through CRO can the cash night ressie be linked at all to the points nights ressie's?

I would hate to move 7 people for 1 night if I did not need to.

 

[RobDoc]

Originally posted by rsschneck

We have AP's that will be activated during our August trip. So, if the discount comes up to be a better deal with an AP discount do you make the ressie for August 28th through CRO or MS? If you make the ressie through CRO can the cash night ressie be linked at all to the points nights ressie's?

I would hate to move 7 people for 1 night if I did not need to.

MS can only reserve DVC points and "member cash" reservations (with or without the DVC discount). AP discounts must be booked thru WDTC and you can request that everything will be linked together (I'd make that request both thru MS and WDTC). AT check in- reverify both reservations and again request that they be linked so you don't have to move. You will have to get new room ID's at the desk for the AP nights.

Enjoy!

Cash night's with the DVC discount are supposed to be only for the DVC member- not guests. More than one villa should not have been reserved with the discount since the member must be staying in the room. If you have 2 rooms - one on points and one with the discount and both are in the member's name- there should be no problem.

In the past, our credit card has not been charged until arrival at the resort.

Good luck!

 

[DebbieB]

I did try to get an AP rate for our May trip. They didn't come out until a couple weeks before our trip and the AP discount was only about $20 per night less. I called member services and they said they could note it but they could not guarantee that we would not have to switch rooms. They said they could not officially link them like they can with the member discount. For only $20 per night (x2 nights) I decided it wasn't worth taking the chance, plus it was more convenient to just check-in on Friday and get everything taken care of for the week. If it would have been more of a discount I would have done it. I was disappointed that the AP discount was only about 30%, not 40%-50% like at other resorts.

 

[rsschneck]

We only have 1 night reserved for cash using the DVC discount. The ressie is for the same 2 bedroom we have booked with points. We will be staying in the 2 bedroom with my sister's family.

I will check the AP rates when they come out for August just to see if there is a big enough savings to make a difference. We are providing the 6 nights on points and have told my sister we will split the cost of the one night on cash. The money might be an issue for them, so I want to get the best deal I can.

Thanks for the information WebmasterDoc and DebbieB!