PIN/Special Offer Help

[LisaT91403]

I'm hoping someone can offer advice on this one. About 6 months ago, I booked 2 rooms at GCH -- one for us, one for Grandma. The CM asked if s/he could use my email address and physical street address for both reservations. I said sure, why not? So Grandma's name was on her reservation, but the street address and email address were mine. And so was the credit card

Anyway, so far, Grandma has gotten 2 different PIN code offers (sent to my email address), and today she got an offer for the Aulani (stay 4 nights, get the 5th free). And me...the one who booked the rooms, paid for everything, did all the work...I get nothing. And they won't let me use her PIN codes either.

How can I get MY name associated with MY email address, and get Grandma off the darn list? It's driving me crazy!

 

[skiingfast]

Sign in, update you profile, and edit your personal information. This may effect what offers you recieve in the future.

 

[LisaT91403]

Sign in, update you profile, and edit your personal information. This may effect what offers you recieve in the future.

My personal info in my profile (including my AP number, etc.) is absolutely correct. They are not pulling the info from my profile. They are somehow using information from our GCH reservation...that's how my mom's name got associated with my email address.

Any other ideas?

 

[Sherry E]

There's not much you can do to stop Grandma from getting PIN offers at your e-mail address. Eventually they will stop coming as frequently when she doesn't book anything with them. All you can do is get as many things in your name as possible, save hotel offers in your name, order DVD's in your name, etc., to circulate your name around the Disney database.

I had a similar thing happen, and oddly enough, it also traces back to a reservation I had at the GCH (just like in your case!). I've stayed onsite bunches of times since the late '80s, and I have gotten lots of PIN codes and special offers over the years. But it was this one pesky GCH stay in 2007 that suddenly got my friend's name in the Disney database, and I have been receiving e-mails and snail mail with my friend's name on it ever since!

I recall booking the GCH reservation, and the CM on the phone asked me what the name of my guest(s) would be. I gave them my friend's name. I think the CM keyed in something wrong OR their computer just took my friend's name and assumed that she was the one booking the reservation, and latched onto her name. OF course, I was the one booking the room, paying for everything and making all the arrangements, but they started sending all this correspondence to my friend at my address after the trip was over.

When I called around to try to find someone I could speak with about removing my friend's name from my address - she neither checks my e-mail nor does she live at my street address - I was told by several CM's in various departments of Disneyland Resort that there is no way they can remove her name from the system once it's in there. It can't be edited. They did say that eventually the mailings would lessen - and they have, over time.

In fact, it helps when you book another onsite stay after the one that got Grandma in the system. When you book a new room for a future stay, you will start getting more stuff in your name and less stuff in Grandma's name.

One time I received a particular PIN code at my e-mail address, and it had my friend's name on it. When I explained the situation - and that there is no reason my friend should be getting any kind of mail at my address - I was told by some CM's that I could go ahead and use that PIN addressed to my friend...as long as I had proof to show that I lived at that address too, and as long as my friend was with me when I checked in. I would not have been able to use it otherwise.

 

[LisaT91403]

Thanks for the info. I have actually stayed one additional time at GCH since the time Grandma went with me. But, alas, all offers still come to her. And the part about using the PIN as long as I could prove my address is fine, but the part about having Grandma there at check in is the problem. She's not always with us -- for example, if we wanted to use the free night at Aulani, she probably wouldn't go. It's so aggravating! I paid. I'm the one with the AP. I'm the one with the 3 year old! They are marketing to the wrong person.

I completely trust you when you say that you spoke with the powers that be, and it can't be changed. If I decided to start my own crusade, and hear anything different, I will report back.

Argh!

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks for the info. I have actually stayed one additional time at GCH since the time Grandma went with me. But, alas, all offers still come to her. And the part about using the PIN as long as I could prove my address is fine, but the part about having Grandma there at check in is the problem. She's not always with us -- for example, if we wanted to use the free night at Aulani, she probably wouldn't go. It's so aggravating! I paid. I'm the one with the AP. I'm the one with the 3 year old! They are marketing to the wrong person.

I completely trust you when you say that you spoke with the powers that be, and it can't be changed. If I decided to start my own crusade, and hear anything different, I will report back.

Argh!

Whoever it was that I talked to, they all told me the same thing - that the computer just chooses names at random and the info cannot be changed in the database.

I totally understand what you're saying about being the one who paid, etc. I'm the one who paid and did all the work. I feel like Disney Destinations is just sending out PIN's that are wasted because they have the wrong name on them.

But the offers to your Grandma will lessen over time - you'll see. It doesn't happen quickly, but it happens gradually. Eventually you will start seeing more things in your name and fewer things in Grandma's name as long as you keep yourself active on the various Disney sites. It's been 4 years since my GCH reservation was made and their database latched onto my friend's name, and every once in a blue moon I will still get something addressed to her. But I get more things in my name now because I have stayed active on the Disneyland website and stayed onsite more times. I just kind of had to ride it out.

 

[Scribble Kitty]

I wish there were a way to share PIN codes. I got 2 different codes for the same offer recently, one by email and the other sail mail, and felt kinda bad for 'wasting' one that could have been sent to another family to use.

 

[Disney Dreams]

...She's not always with us -- for example, if we wanted to use the free night at Aulani, she probably wouldn't go. It's so aggravating! I paid. I'm the one with the AP. I'm the one with the 3 year old! They are marketing to the wrong person.....

Ah, but see, from Disney's viewpoint, they are marketing to exactly the right person. They've "got" you. You have the AP already. YOu have the three year old. You paid for a Disney vacation. And their research probably tells them that you are likely to do so again. Grandma however is a different case. She has stayed with Disney, but has not paid, does not have an AP. They don't know if she'll be back. But... maybe... if she has a PIN for a free night at Aulani... maybe... she just might come and stay again.

I hope you get a PIN that you can use, but finding a way to take Grandma with you might be easier than figuring out the magic combo to get a PIN.

Good luck,
Dreams

 

[Sherry E]

I wish there were a way to share PIN codes. I got 2 different codes for the same offer recently, one by email and the other sail mail, and felt kinda bad for 'wasting' one that could have been sent to another family to use.

I agree - I wish Disney would ease up on their rules about that. I think it's a shame to let perfectly good PIN codes go to waste.

I found a PIN code mailer near my mailbox recently - but it was not for me. It was for a former resident of this building, who has long since moved away. I thought, "What a shame that no one can use this PIN offer because it has a former resident's name on it."

I wish the offers were transferable. It's just a PIN code discount, after all - it doesn't seem like there would be any harm in letting other people use it (if that were ever allowed by Disney). It's not like you're giving away someone else's money or someone else's house or car or whatever. It's just a 35% off (roughly) discount!

But oh well, I guess there is a method to Disney's madness and they must have some valid reason why the PIN offers cannot be used by anyone else, I suppose.

 

[Scribble Kitty]

Seriously! Disney is obviously okay with me having this discount, but if I cant use it why stop me from passing it along to another potential customer?

The only reason I can see behind it is to make it impossible for counterfeiters to create/guess their own codes. But even that is a stretch of a reason.

 

[skiingfast]

Ah, but see, from Disney's viewpoint, they are marketing to exactly the right person. They've "got" you. You have the AP already. YOu have the three year old. You paid for a Disney vacation. And their research probably tells them that you are likely to do so again. Grandma however is a different case. She has stayed with Disney, but has not paid, does not have an AP. They don't know if she'll be back. But... maybe... if she has a PIN for a free night at Aulani... maybe... she just might come and stay again.

Indeed that is a part of it.

The other part is marketing is very sophisticated. It's not as random as some people might think, it's very expensive and time is spent figuring out how to spend the money. There is a lot of science that goes into it.

Seriously! Disney is obviously okay with me having this discount, but if I cant use it why stop me from passing it along to another potential customer?

The only reason I can see behind it is to make it impossible for counterfeiters to create/guess their own codes. But even that is a stretch of a reason.

So people don't sell the discounts, like they do with anything Disney they can.




A big thing to remember is PIN offers are often available to the general public too. Just look at this link below, many were first available as PINs.
http://disneyland.disney.go.com/special-offers/

 

[LisaT91403]

Ah, but see, from Disney's viewpoint, they are marketing to exactly the right person. They've "got" you. You have the AP already. YOu have the three year old. You paid for a Disney vacation. And their research probably tells them that you are likely to do so again. Grandma however is a different case. She has stayed with Disney, but has not paid, does not have an AP. They don't know if she'll be back. But... maybe... if she has a PIN for a free night at Aulani... maybe... she just might come and stay again.

I hope you get a PIN that you can use, but finding a way to take Grandma with you might be easier than figuring out the magic combo to get a PIN.

Good luck,
Dreams

Actually, I had Grandma buy an AP too because I like her to come with us! Believe me...my life would be a whole lot easier if Grandma came to Hawaii too. She's the best babysitter ever And not just that...she is great company too.

Thanks for the positive thoughts...I feel a PIN coming my way!

 

[larina]

I get PIN codes in my own name because we always book under my mom's name for the senior discount at PPH (best rate we can find on the suites there, 30% off every time we've done it). Thing is, as long as she is coming, we can't beat the senior discount, but if I ever go without her (don't really see that, but it could happen) it will be nice that the offers always come in my name.