SOG Vent & Question--UPDATE

[inaminute]

I am so furious now I could just scream!

We made a reservation at the Contemporary through SOG from 6/25/03 to 6/29/03. I pulled out my confirmation and noticed on the bottom "Deposit of $105.93 is due by Sat, 04/12/03; Remaining package amount: $318.07 is due by 6/4/03 ***No additional notices will be sent***" I went into panic mode. I made the deposit way back, but never noticed the part about the remaining package amount (or I did notice and forgot--we've had a lot going on).

Anyway, I decided to call SOG to find out if we still had a reservation and to pay the final balance. I called at 4:45 p.m. EST. Got the message that "the office is open from 0800 to 1700 hours M-F, etc. Please stay on the line all calls will be answered in the order in which they were received." So I wait. At 5:04 p.m. I get a message that the office is closed. Then the system disconnected me.

I then called Disney CRO since the confirmation has all of the Disney numbers and payment information. What a waste of time that was. They can't tell me anything about my reservation and the CM told me she couldn't even accept payment. What? Then why am I told to make out my check to WD Parks and Resorts, and why am I given Disney's fax number? She doesn't believe me and doesn't know. She transfers me to Guest Services who can't help me either. Nor can they give me the name of the manager at SOG. He tells me no one at Disney knows that information.

O.k. So, now I wait until Monday to find out if I even still have a reservation. I'm assuming that I do as the deposit hasn't been returned, but I dont' know for sure. It's going to be a long weekend.

To be honest, I'm not sure if I'm more angry at SOG not answering the telephone and disconnecting me, or at CRO for not being able to provide any information--not even whether I still have a reservation!

I guess I'm most angry at SOG. So, my question is: does anyone know the name of the manager at SOG, and the mailing address? I really want to send a letter about this. There was no reason for my call to be disconnected as I called 15 minutes before the office closed.

Thanks for letting me vent! I guess I'll find out on Monday whether we're still going or not.

 

[palmtreegirl]

I can't help but I just wanted to wish you luck, hope it all works out!!

 

[Pamlur]

I know I saw a thread here somewhere, the same thing happened to another person (didn't make the final payment in time) and they still had a reservation.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

It was a Saturday when we first decided to stay at CR/SOG. As I knew that I couldn't call, I went ahead and sent an e-mail, expecting to hear back on the following Monday. To my surpirse, I got a response on Sunday morning!

Try sending an e-mail and maybe there will be some one there this weekend who can confirm your reservation.

Best of luck! -- Suzanne

 

[madge]

disregard the final payment is due....if you made a deposit, you have a room. At least that's how it's always been done in the past.

hope you get it straightened out

 

[NickyRe]

We just stayed with CR through SOG and the person who helped us make our reservation with SOG told us we would be getting a notice like yours but to ignore it, that you make your final payments when you're actually there. Hope this helps ease your mind a little.

 

[Camping Disney]

Dear inaminute,

Don't worry about the final payment due date. If you paid a deposit, you have a reservation. When you get through on Monday, they will either ask for payment in full or will tell you to simply pay when you arrive at the hotel. I honestly have never heard of SOG requiring payment in full prior to arrival. That is simply a Disney request. The only snag you may have, so be prepared......they may move you to a different resort. I have heard of this happening. Either way, you will have a wonderful time at WDW and I am sure you will love your accomadations!!

Believe me, you have the military on your side, WDW doesn't want to mess with ya!!

LOL,

Michele (Army wife)

 

[inaminute]

Thanks everyone, for your responses. I was hoping that would be the case. I'll find out for sure on Monday.

I'm still peeved that they didn't answer the telephone at SOG. It's really rude to have the system disconnect people who are on hold when the office closes. I could understand if I'd called at 4:58, but I'd been waiting 15 minutes. I'd still like to make my feelings known to management.

Thanks again!

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

We were told to disregard the statement about remaining payment being due. We did and were at CR last week. Did you get a confirmation that they had received your deposit? It usually says "Modified" at the top and the deposit amount is listed.
We also have received that statement from Disney when we book Overflow through SOG. We always disregard and have never had trouble.
I too was disconnected one day after being on hold since 4:30!
I have done the e-mail and Fax route and received an e-mail response on a Sunday. Got a Fax response 10 minutes after I sent it one weekday! Good luck and enjoy CR.

 

[Alice28]

I don't know if the policy changed, but when we went in March (SoG at the Contemporary), we paid our deposit and then paid the balance upon arrival. Hopefully it will all work out for you!

 

[Joan S.]

I was also told to disregard the "payment in full due"on the confirmation letter and I have asked twice when calling for other reasons. SOG told me payment is due when we check in. Joan

 

[swatts1]

I've stayed at SOG/CR about 8 times. The only time I've had to pay in full, in advance was during the NY Eve holiday package 1999. And they sent a notice when it was due. (I think the notice was even certified mail.)

 

[Betsyt82]

Not to worry........if you sent in a deposit your good to go.

 

[AmyA]

I'll add my reassurance to the others'. I've stayed at the CR via SOG twice (and will for a third time in December!) and I've always just piad my balance due upon arrival.

As for the phones off at 5pm, that's happened to me a couple of times too, and it is very frustrating! However, it's the military and you know---when the day is over it is over! My suggestion is to call SoG as soon as they open. You'll wait a lot less time. Also, if it's late in the day and I know I'll have a long wait if I use the 800 number, I use my cell phone (free long distance!) and call their direct line. There's never been a wait and I am usually off the phone in 5 minutes.

 

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by AmyA
I'll add my reassurance to the others'. I've stayed at the CR via SOG twice (and will for a third time in December!) and I've always just piad my balance due upon arrival.

As for the phones off at 5pm, that's happened to me a couple of times too, and it is very frustrating! However, it's the military and you know---when the day is over it is over! My suggestion is to call SoG as soon as they open. You'll wait a lot less time. Also, if it's late in the day and I know I'll have a long wait if I use the 800 number, I use my cell phone (free long distance!) and call their direct line. There's never been a wait and I am usually off the phone in 5 minutes.

First, let's clear up that "it's the military" statement. SoG is NOT military by any stretch of the imagination. While the employees there are DoD personnel, they are NOT military, they are civilians. As someone who spent 10yrs of active duty service in the military as well as over 3yrs working full time at SoG, I can assure, SoG doesn't come close to being military. It's also extremely insulting to imply, esp with so many of our troops in harm's way, that the military, unlike those hard working civilians (cough cough), refuses to work past the time they are scheduled.

That off my chest....resv agents have been told time and again to advise the guests of what the confirmation letter states. This is not a new policy. It was in effect long before SoG started staying at CR. Why? Because of overflow. Any time a guest booked overflow, we were supposed to let them know about hose wonderful Disney confirmation letters. I'm sorry it did not seem to be done in the original poster's case.

Remaining balance is not due until arrival. I've had guests who I remembered speaking to earlier that same day calling back (to see if they'd get a different answer) and try to tell me I never told them such a thing. When I reminded them they spoke with ME (most guests don't bother taking names down) and I know exactly what I tell my guests, they'd usually hang up or back down...hehehehe. I'd even have guests who'd argue with me that it was in writing and they HAD TO PAY it and who was I to tell them they didn't. So, I told them to make themselves feel better and pay it, but they really didn't have to and here's my manager if you'd like to check up on me <G>.

As to the phones, it's a sore subject with the guests. I know they've ALWAYS had problems with the phones (and I don't mean the waiting times....that's a lack of agents, lack of space for more agents and too much popularity). When 5pm comes around, someone (preferably a manager) goes into the manager's office and hits a special button on the phone. In theory, the activation now means no new calls come in, however every one who dialed in and was holding before the button was pressed stays on line (unless they hang up) and is answered. There were many upon many times that when the button was hit, it knocked every one off line and now they couldn't come back in because it was on the "night call".

I'm sorry it happened to you. I'm sorry they still can't seem to get that problem fixed. Complaining does no good (obviously since it still seems to happen). On the bright side, more often than not, the system does work correctly and that could be why they won't bother spending money to try and make it work correctly all the time.

As another poster wrote, as long as you paid your deposit before the due date, you have your reservation(s). Disney cannot and will not help confirm any thing for you. Reservations made through SoG must be dealt with through SoG. Those are Disney's rules. It was very frustrating when they wouldn't even confirm for a guest they had a reservation. The upset guest would call us. We couldn't confirm any thing. We had to put the guest on hold and, in turn, call the part of CRO we dealt with and ask ourselves. A great big pain and a lot of frustration for both the guest and the SoG agent. :-(

 

[MHopkins2]

Not that she can't defend herself, but...

It's also extremely insulting to imply, esp with so many of our troops in harm's way, that the military, unlike those hard working civilians (cough cough), refuses to work past the time they are scheduled.

Amy's DH is a military man - she meant that comment tongue-in-cheek.

 

[AmyA]

First, let's clear up that "it's the military" statement. SoG is NOT military by any stretch of the imagination. While the employees there are DoD personnel, they are NOT military, they are civilians. As someone who spent 10yrs of active duty service in the military as well as over 3yrs working full time at SoG, I can assure, SoG doesn't come close to being military. It's also extremely insulting to imply, esp with so many of our troops in harm's way, that the military, unlike those hard working civilians (cough cough), refuses to work past the time they are scheduled.

Uh, I was kidding....

Also, my DH has been in the Army for 12 years. We've been stationed everywhere from Hawaii to Virginia, and I can tell you with certainty that all the offices on every single post close to the public at the official closing time. In fact, here at Ft Campbell the housing office, travel office, and legal close 30 minutes before official closing. That doesn't mean that the military members inside aren't still working. It just means they are taking no new "customers". I have the feeling it's the same at SoG.

Sorry I upset you.

 

[inaminute]

FirstNo--Thanks! I'm not going to worry about it anymore. I'll call on Monday just to double check but since you actually work(ed?) there, and others have had no problem, I'll trust the advice I've received.

It does seem a shame that they can't (or won't) fix the problem with the phone. It certainly makes me wonder about everything else. Luckily for us, we don't HAVE to use SOG in the future and we probably won't. I like to get information about my reservation when I need it.

Regarding the comment about the military--I know the employees there are DoD. That's probably why I overreacted. The telephone thing is typical of DoD procedures. I used to be a DoD employee and DH still is. Our son is in the Army (currently in Kuwait waiting to come home--possibly next month) and I don't think he'd take offence at the comment. He'd probably just laugh and say something like "I wish!."

 

[Maridw]

FirstNo-- Maybe you can answer a question about the waiting list for Christmas reservations. We called early in the year (Feb/Mar - I think) and put our name down for Christimas reservations - to see if we could get a room over Christmas. We were told that they were taking names and someone would be calling in late May or early June. Are they calling people to let them know who has gotten a requested reservation for Christmas, or should we try calling back to see if we got in? What is the best way to handle this?

We have booked at CS for over Thanksgiving but would drop that in a heartbeat if we had SoG ressies for Christmas. We have always wanted to try and do Christmas at WDW.

 

[skorpie]

I have a ressie at the Contemporary for 4 nights because we are attending a convention. At first I panicked when I read your post but now I remember being told not to pay the balance until we arrive. I'm sure that things are OK!