Reallocate points - call or email?

[MouseOfCards]

In contacting MS to reallocate points, is it better to call or email? Would assume it's easier to be clear about what you want in writing, but calling and talking to MS directly would help if they had any questions. Which is preferred?

 

[rwcmath]

Calling to reallocate points is my preference.

 

[Dean]

In contacting MS to reallocate points, is it better to call or email? Would assume it's easier to be clear about what you want in writing, but calling and talking to MS directly would help if they had any questions. Which is preferred?

I think either is OK if you have time and it's not overly complicated. You may be on the phone for a while if you call.

 

[CarolMN]

I prefer to email (unless it is urgent) because I believe the more experienced CMs work those requests and because if there is a question on how to do it correctly, the CM has supervision nearby to ask. (My requests have been worked by the same 2 or 3 CMs). Plus, I will get a response via email so I have a record of what was requested and what was done.

That said, it usually takes me longer to put everything in writing to be sure what I want is very clear. I always do a "recap" of my points at the end of my request message to show where I expect to be at the end of the process, thinking that also helps with clarity. I've had very good luck with all of my email requests.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I always call. That way if there are any questions I can talk about it with the CM.

 

[drusba]

Depends on how quick you need it done. If by phone, you have whatever wait time is going on at the time of the call. If by email, they will not get back to you for five days to a week.

 

[Cyberc1978]

Hi

Just a small side question.

I read somewhere else that reallocating point might risk the entire reservation, why is that?

If I wish to reallocate points on a 7 months reservation and I call or write to MS to do so, why am I risking anything?

Regards

 

[Dean]

Hi

Just a small side question.

I read somewhere else that reallocating point might risk the entire reservation, why is that?

If I wish to reallocate points on a 7 months reservation and I call or write to MS to do so, why am I risking anything?

Regards

Because they have canceled and couldn't rebook at times.

 

[Cyberc1978]

Because they have canceled and couldn't rebook at times.

I thought that the whole idea by contacting MS was to avoid to cancel and rebook?

 

[Dean]

I thought that the whole idea by contacting MS was to avoid to cancel and rebook?

It's not a perfect system. Some at MS know how to do it better than others.

 

[Dean]

Depends on how quick you need it done. If by phone, you have whatever wait time is going on at the time of the call. If by email, they will not get back to you for five days to a week.

The turn around the last few months has been within 1-2 days consistently. I've had maybe 12 to 15 emails I sent them related to names on the reservations and combining reservations . In every case they got back to me within 2 days and often within 24 hours.

 

[disneynutz]

I have better luck when I email. Calling I have had MS make mistakes, emailing I haven't, plus I get a written record of what they did.

Bill

 

[MouseOfCards]

Thanks for all the suggestions! Very helpful.

A couple of follow-up questions:
1. If a reservation was made in the home resort 7-11 month window, and there is no availability now within the 7 month window, will they allow swapping of points with non-home resort points for that reservation?
2. If a reservation was made within the 7 month window, and there is no availability now, will they allow swapping of points with that reservation?

 

[Dean]

Thanks for all the suggestions! Very helpful.

A couple of follow-up questions:
1. If a reservation was made in the home resort 7-11 month window, and there is no availability now within the 7 month window, will they allow swapping of points with non-home resort points for that reservation?
2. If a reservation was made within the 7 month window, and there is no availability now, will they allow swapping of points with that reservation?

1. no not formally. But if you can make other days that are available with the 7 month points then you can swap those days and effectively you've done the same thing. Or you can cancel and try to catch the reservation with the 7 months points but that's a big risk. 2. if it's the same master account then they generally will.

 

[Cyberc1978]

It's not a perfect system. Some at MS know how to do it better than others.

If you mailed in your request couldn't you just state that you wish to replace the points on xx reservations with the yy points and that they need to replaced the points and not cancel and rebook the reservation?

 

[MouseOfCards]

But if you can make other days that are available with the 7 month points then you can swap those days and effectively you've done the same thing.

Can you give an example of this?

 

[Dean]

If you mailed in your request couldn't you just state that you wish to replace the points on xx reservations with the yy points and that they need to replaced the points and not cancel and rebook the reservation?

Sure but the issue is it's possible, and been reported here a number of times, that reservations have been lost making such changes. It does seem to have been better the last couple of years in that it's been a while since I've seen such a report but just know there is risk anytime they're doing something like this.

Can you give an example of this?

Sure, I'll try not to make it too complicated but it can be inherently so. Let's say I booked 7 nights early Dec BWV standard view studio at 11 months out. I wanted to use my AKV points to get the same reservation at 7 months. I couldn't just swap out the points because it wouldn't be available at 7 months but if ANY of the days were available, I could book those or I could wait list. Then when I got any days, have them combine those into my current reservations or adjust my current reservation if the same master contract. I actually just did this for Dec but rather than combining into my current reservation, I booked a completely separate reservation. I have BWV points and AKV points different UY therefore different master. My AKV points are August and my BWV Dec, I judge my Dec points to be more valuable than my August and my BWV more valuable than AKV. So I make several reservations for BWV (two 2BR & 2 standard studios) using BWV points. But I'd like to use my AKV points (100 yearly) instead for one of the studios if possible. I snagged days as available and wait listed others and ended up with a full week standard view studio mid Dec, same as I had already. In effect I've swapped AKV points for BWV. I actually ended up renting them all so I kept them but that wasn't the plan until I didn't need the space and had a couple of people specifically interested in renting what I had. The other alternative, and one I was likely going to take had I not gotten the reservation otherwise, was to cancel a BWV studio and then try to rebook immediately with the AKV points.

 

[maburke]

Depends on how quick you need it done. If by phone, you have whatever wait time is going on at the time of the call. If by email, they will not get back to you for five days to a week.

On Tuesday, I emailed twice: once to add a guest and again when I realized I had to change another guest's address. Shockingly, each was handled in under 15 minutes! Probably less time than I'd spend on the phone! But chat wasn't available, so maybe email was handled basically like a chat.