Pin Shennanigans

[Goofdad]

complicated story, but I'm trying to understand how this could have happened; maybe some of you Disboard Pin experts can help:

I received the most recent PIN via email... it was the 40% deluxe, 35% mid resort savings.
We have a large family group looking to go at the end of this year.
Upon receiving the PIN, I priced up moderate rooms at a Deluxe Resort and saw prices I liked; I notified my extended family that I would prefer to go on the dates that my PIN covered.

So, my Extended Family called a travel agent and explained that they were looking to book on a specific week because one of the group members (me) received a PIN and would save money.
The travel agent informed them that he/she could look up my information and PIN and we could all book up to 3 rooms under my pin (and savings) BUT there were no more moderate rooms left, only the very expensive rooms.

The agent then suggested that because everything was booking up fast that they hold a reservation for their 2 rooms and have me call back if I wanted the third room. The agent sent them comfirmations via email.

This all happened during mid-day and by the time I was able to get home and check prices again with my own pin, my PIN was being rejected for moderate rooms... moderate rooms were no longer availiable to me and please realize, the premium rooms were MUCH more expensive.

So, how did this happen? The PIN is supposed to be non-transferrable and applies to only family members at one address.

Don't get me wrong, if I could share my PIN I would, but I didn't think that was allowed.
And I'm not mad at my extended family; I know they were not doing anything malicious, they were just a bit foolish allowing a Travel Agent to take control of everything and sell only the bigger, better, rooms while locking us out of the cheaper rooms.

But I still don't really understandd what went on.
Was the Travel Agent able to "steal" my PIN?
Did the Travel Agent have moderate rooms available and just lie? Or, were we no longer eligilble for the moderates because the Agent locked us into multiple rooms?
Theoretically, the Agent had no idea who was on the phone that day, there was no proof that it was one of my family members. It's a bit concerning that the Agent would look up all my information like that (including my PIN).

In the end, it all worked out, we had (yet another) family member that received a PIN and we were able make one reservation (for 2 moderate rooms) under theirs. We booked this thru a different agent than the one above, but clearly there were still moderate rooms available because we got them.

Just not sure what to make of all this. It really seems that a Travel Agent looked me up, "stole" my PIN, and began booking very expensive rooms for people claiming to be my family members. How is this possible????

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

A lot depends on what time period you are going and how much availability they have at each resort. Disney could have booked all the available discount rooms at the moderate resort you were looking at.

 

[TinkWink]

I agree, it could have been ANYONE who booked those rooms - it's my understanding that PIN deals are like clearance free-for-alls...not like a sale where you have a shelf with your name on it and only you can purchase it! It's quite likely that the amount of rooms allocated for the deal just got used up.

 

[Goofdad]

thanks for the replies... but I'm not sure that the rooms were "used up" because I was able to get those moderate rooms afterwards!

Here is the order of events:
- My PIN was eligible for a moderate room.
- The Travel Agent got involved and made reservations for expensive rooms for other people with my PIN.
- My PIN no longer would work with moderate rooms.
- Another family member's PIN did work for moderate rooms (so clearly moderates were still available with PINs)

It just doesn't seem right that a Travel Agent could get my PIN and put any sort of restrictions on it.

 

[Sandisw]

thanks for the replies... but I'm not sure that the rooms were "used up" because I was able to get those moderate rooms afterwards!

Here is the order of events:
- My PIN was eligible for a moderate room.
- The Travel Agent got involved and made reservations for expensive rooms for other people with my PIN.
- My PIN no longer would work with moderate rooms.
- Another family member's PIN did work for moderate rooms (so clearly moderates were still available with PINs)

It just doesn't seem right that a Travel Agent could get my PIN and put any sort of restrictions on it.

That is strange and to be honest, I would contact Disney and ask them why it was allowed to happen.

Although all has worked out for you, I would be a little concerned that someone could easily do this.

 

[Sugar Jones]

Did the travel agent put the reservations for the deluxe rooms under your name? That's what it seems like to me since pin's are non-transferable?

I'd try to find that out!

 

[woodkins]

thanks for the replies... but I'm not sure that the rooms were "used up" because I was able to get those moderate rooms afterwards!

Here is the order of events:
- My PIN was eligible for a moderate room.
- The Travel Agent got involved and made reservations for expensive rooms for other people with my PIN.
- My PIN no longer would work with moderate rooms.
- Another family member's PIN did work for moderate rooms (so clearly moderates were still available with PINs)

It just doesn't seem right that a Travel Agent could get my PIN and put any sort of restrictions on it.

Did your family member have a different pin offer than you. I do know that amounts of rooms are allocated for different pin codes. I will tell you I also got a pin code today, out of curiosity priced it online and it was a great deal and had the room category I wanted. I called WDW ressies direct to book it & gave the CM my pin code and they gave me a price that was over $600 more than the price quoted online Evidently I must have had more than one pin code linked to my name because he was not using the one that I had provided him with and it was obviously not as good a deal for our family. Perhaps that is what happened to you.

 

[Rachaelt]

The TA probably told them that you would be part of the traveling party. I would call and ask to speak to guest services. Also check on other room categories yourself. And tear your cousin a new one for doing that.

 

[Goofdad]

Did the travel agent put the reservations for the deluxe rooms under your name? That's what it seems like to me since pin's are non-transferable?

It looks that way because my PIN had been "compromised" once I went back to online booking and tried to get the less expensive room; it was no longer available to me.
I know the TA suggested to them that we get a Grand Gathering.
I really had no problems if they could use my PIN, with these caveats:
1. I don't want everyone booked on my credit card, no desire to be the money-manager for a large group.
2. I wanted my moderate room, if they wanted the upgraded ones, no problem... but the upgrades (even with PIN savings) were MUCH more expensive than the moderate rooms I was looking at.
3. I had no interest in being booked as a Grand Gathereing.

Did your family member have a different pin offer than you... I must have had more than one pin code linked to my name

I initially thought that maybe the TA was giving them some different deal and just saying it was with my PIN to appease them. But once I realized that things had changed with my PIN, I knew the TA must have accessed it and done something with it.

The TA probably told them that you would be part of the traveling party. I would call and ask to speak to guest services. Also check on other room categories yourself. And tear your cousin a new one for doing that.

There was no malicious intent on my family's part... you'll just have to trust me on this one I guess... they're all good people, just sometimes too kind, trusting, and naive (dumb?) for their own good (i.e. "this wonderful travel agent says we can all save money, what could possibly go wrong, yippeee!")
The part that is most concerning is that in this age of identity theft, credit fraud, etc, the TA looked me up and discussed all my travel plans with people on the phone that had no way to prove they were family... sure they knew my name, address, and probable dates of travel, but they didn't have my PIN or any security codes to access my info.

 

[Luv2Roam]

I think it is the TA you need to ask details from.
Not even sure how much Disney would speak to you since TA's own the reservations, not the guests. That is why some do not book through TAs.
At best you could probably report the TA to Disney and state the TA used your pin without your authorization.
However I also would think someone would question why the TA had all your info in order to book.
And whose cc was used to book?
The TA probably told Disney you were in the traveling party, and you may be the lead. That I would check out just so it does not creates issues for your true res. May not at all. But I would not want surprises either for you or them.

Bottom line though I think your family members are to blame. It's not like the TA contacted them. So I don't think you should be looking to blame the TA or Disney. The TA acted on behalf of your family. And Disney acted in behalf of the TA your family contacted. And you do not know what Disney (nor the TA) was told.

 

[Goofdad]

Bottom line though I think your family members are to blame.
It's not like the TA contacted them.

perhaps... perhaps there was no malicious intent on the TAs part either, it's just a cluged situation.
Admittedly, I just assume that a TA is in sales and will push/bend things as much as possible to make the sale and make it bigger.
Yes, my family called but they had no intentions of using my PIN, we didn't even know that multiple rooms could be booked with one PIN... but the TA suggested we book multiples and offered up my PIN for booking/savings and in doing so locked ME out of the room/rate I wanted.

 

[Luv2Roam]

In all reality, if all this was done without your consent, wasn't this a form of identity theft?
Now you can understand why PINs are so selective on who should use them. Can you imagine if all this was done between family members who did not get along, or feuding ex's, etc?
I don't think anyone was being malicious. But that does not make it right either. Personally I would be concerned their naivety may get you into trouble with something else if they think nothing about using your information. Again, not malicious. But they really could have roped you into something you did not want, need or was nonrefundable.
I would say lesson learned and you need to speak with them (and the TA).

 

[Mrs D]

It looks that way because my PIN had been "compromised" once I went back to online booking and tried to get the less expensive room; it was no longer available to me.
3. I had no interest in being booked as a Grand Gathereing.

I don't think your PIN has been compromised - I think the inventory of moderates for the particular offer had been filled. Call Disney directly and see what is available.

A grand gathering really has no effect on your reservation. If you were all staying at the same resort it would be used to show multiple rooms are traveling together and to be assigned near each other. If not staying at the same resort, no effect. Being a grand gathering also allows you to make restaurant reservations for your large group as well as allowing you to book pricey special dining experiences!