Strange "upgrade" experience

[bobbiwoz]

For the '10 Marathon time, I had booked lake view BLT, but we were on a low floor and I called MS to say I think this is a standard room. They gave me back the points, and even put them in the next Use Year, since I have March UY and would have lost them if they just stayed in the '09 one.

 

[cseca]

It pays to check with MS if you think you are getting something you did not request. I would have thought I was just being upgraded. If you stay at hotels, upgrades happen alot for free!!!!

Exactly!
I probably would've thought it too except in our check in papers it clearly listed the upgraded level.
Which confused me a lot.

For the '10 Marathon time, I had booked lake view BLT, but we were on a low floor and I called MS to say I think this is a standard room. They gave me back the points, and even put them in the next Use Year, since I have March UY and would have lost them if they just stayed in the '09 one.

Wow, seemed like this happened quite a bit. Especially after reading the AKV checkin issue.
Not a recent issue either since yours happened in 2010 and some other PPs incident happened even before that.
I thought this might have been the new computer program issue but it could just be random glitches since forever.

Pretty scary.

 

[n2mm]

Can you imagine this happening to someone you rented points too. You may not ever know unless you noticed your points missing. The renter would think, "wow" and you would think "ugh".

 

[Marc A.]

I am almost positive this just happened to us.
We booked a sv at BLT, 1 br. I requested highest floor possible.
We got room 7912 which I now realize is a lake view room I think.
We were never told that we were upgraded or about points but today I checked the
Account online and it does look like we were charged without anyone bringing
This to my attention.
I'll be on the phone first thing in the morning.

 

[Sammie]

I am almost positive this just happened to us.
We booked a sv at BLT, 1 br. I requested highest floor possible.
We got room 7912 which I now realize is a lake view room I think.
We were never told that we were upgraded or about points but today I checked the
Account online and it does look like we were charged without anyone bringing
This to my attention.
I'll be on the phone first thing in the morning.

Good grief, I hope you get them back. What a mess.

 

[Sammie]

Can you imagine this happening to someone you rented points too. You may not ever know unless you noticed your points missing. The renter would think, "wow" and you would think "ugh".

actually this happened to someone that had rented a standard view to someone at the BWV. The renter/guest went to the desk and complained about the view and the desk upgraded them to Boardwalk/preferred and charged the needed extra points to the owner.

 

[Doug7856]

I am almost positive this just happened to us.
We booked a sv at BLT, 1 br. I requested highest floor possible.
We got room 7912 which I now realize is a lake view room I think.
We were never told that we were upgraded or about points but today I checked the
Account online and it does look like we were charged without anyone bringing
This to my attention.
I'll be on the phone first thing in the morning.

Please let us know how this is resolved.

Thanks!

 

[dianeschlicht]

This whole discussion makes me glad I usually book at OKW where there are no point differences for different booking categories.

 

[cseca]

I am almost positive this just happened to us.
We booked a sv at BLT, 1 br. I requested highest floor possible.
We got room 7912 which I now realize is a lake view room I think.
We were never told that we were upgraded or about points but today I checked the
Account online and it does look like we were charged without anyone bringing
This to my attention.
I'll be on the phone first thing in the morning.

Good luck and I hope you get a nice CM like I did.
She made me feel better about the whole thing and resolved it within 2 hours. I hope yours will get resolved quickly too.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Is this kind of thing mostly happening at the resorts that have both DVC and non-DVC in the same check in area? I wonder if sometimes what is happening is that maybe the cast members at resorts that serve both don't quite understand how MS works. I really don't like the idea that disk workers can get into my point account without telling me about it.

 

[Marc A.]

Ok, just got off the phone with MS and its taken care of.
We were upgraded by the Contemporary and when that happens they need to move the points to show DVC what happened with the
upgrade.
MS credited me the 36 points that they took for the difference in the room category and all is well again.
For some reason when looking at my points online this wasn't shown but then when I tried printing it out details changed and it showed all of the changes.
Just wished MS could have called or sent an email regarding this.

I do remember that two days before our trip we did get a call from the Contemporary but they left no messages. I bet the call was regarding the upgrade.

All is well thankfully. All this searching around on the DVC site has got me planning another trip. Too bad the fall 2012 calculator isnt working. LOL

 

[dzorn]

Any upgrade at the desk they should be checking that it is the owner checking in and confirming that they want to upgrade and the points it will cost unless it is a room availability problem that would result in a free upgrade. With that in mind if you know you are asking for a room that is not in the category you reserved you should be asking how many point additional it is going to cost.

I suspect on line booking is going to be a nightmare for many people. If the desk cannot get it straight when they deal with points imagine some owners will have even more trouble.

Denise in MI

 

[cseca]

Oh good Marc A.
I'm glad they resolved it quickly.
I think our "upgraded" room was almost exactly 1 floor below you. So yeah, it was LV...

I just don't understand how they (front desk or DVC program) could make random changes like that without owner's consent.
Waitlists I understand because owners already gave consent. But these last minute automatic changes made no sense to me.

 

[dzorn]

Oh good Marc A.
I'm glad they resolved it quickly.
I think our "upgraded" room was almost exactly 1 floor below you. So yeah, it was LV...

I just don't understand how they (front desk or DVC program) could make random changes like that without owner's consent.
Waitlists I understand because owners already gave consent. But these last minute automatic changes made no sense to me.

I don't think they are automatic I think the desk just does not treat the points like cash. Given that it is just points they do not think twice about changing it especially when someone request another category at check in.

Denise in MI

 

[px57chevy]

All of the upgrades I ever received were from asking at check-in. They were always without spending additional points.

 

[mickey&minniealways]

We are going in May staying in Kidani on rented points. We are booded into a standard 2 bedroom as that is what we could aford. I was hoping we would get an upgrade. If by chance we do I will now know to mention if we do get the upgrade not to charge it to the members account. I want to be able to rent from them again if need be or at least recomend them to others.

 

[cseca]

I don't think they are automatic I think the desk just does not treat the points like cash. Given that it is just points they do not think twice about changing it especially when someone request another category at check in.

Denise in MI

You might be right.
DVC still needs to address that issue to each resort and they need to realize that all upgrades should not be charged extra points UNLESS the owner specifically requested it during the stay.

I seriously wonder how many members now have been charged for an upgrade they didn't request and didn't know it.

 

[WDWMom]

Another reason I love OKW. Never have to worry about this.

 

[helloirishkitty]

It looks like I read this post just in time!

We did online check-in on Wednesday for our stay next week, a ded 2bdr standard view at BLT. I checked the reservation today and it definitely says Magic Kingdom View, but we were charged points for it! I thought it was just a nice wedding present (we're getting married at WDW next weekend).

Should I call member services now or wait until I get back? Hmm...

 

[dzorn]

It looks like I read this post just in time!

We did online check-in on Wednesday for our stay next week, a ded 2bdr standard view at BLT. I checked the reservation today and it definitely says Magic Kingdom View, but we were charged points for it! I thought it was just a nice wedding present (we're getting married at WDW next weekend).

Should I call member services now or wait until I get back? Hmm...

If you know it an error but let it go through I would expect to be paying the points. Of course I am the type of person if the cashier gives me too much change I correct them, but not everyone does.

Congratulations on your wedding.

Denise in MI