New SVO Reservation Website

I sat through a presentation at WKORV last week while I stayed at the Westin Maui. And one of the many sales people I talked to had mentioned that a new online StarOptions Reservation system would be available in about 3 and 1/2 monthes. I told them that I prefered the Internet over the phone and this is what I was told. Honestly, I didn't believe half the crap they told me sometimes, but has anyone heard the same thing? Any truth to this?

jkrischt said:

Honestly, I didn't believe half the crap they told me sometimes, but has anyone heard the same thing? Any truth to this?

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Smart cookie! Sounds like it could be great, but I'll believe it when I see it. Let's hope that if they do go online, it will be real time as opposed to the current system that simply generates an e-mail request to SVO that they take care of whenever they get around to it. I hope they weren't referring to the recently announced "new" online reservation system that isn't so new.

Even SVN knows that its salesfolks “stretch the truth” in order to induce sales. If you were to have gotten to the purchase phase of the pitch, your purchase agreement expressly says:

“You understand and acknowledge that no salesperson, broker or other person has any authority whatsoever to make any representation, agreement or warranty, express or implied, for Us, except those expressly set forth in writing in this Agreement . . . ..”

Unless the new online reservation system is expressly set forth in your purchase agreement (which it won’t be), the salesperson is just blowing smoke.

Next time, ask ‘em to put it in writing and watch ‘em squirm.

-nodge

FWIW: SVN has a hard time honoring terms that ARE written into its purchase agreements, like elite ugrades. So going with SVN, and its current brute-force, 50's-style, abacus-toting, management "team," is pretty much a leap of faith anyway.

nodge said:

Even SVN knows that its salesfolks “stretch the truth” in order to induce sales. If you were to have gotten to the purchase phase of the pitch, your purchase agreement expressly says:

“You understand and acknowledge that no salesperson, broker or other person has any authority whatsoever to make any representation, agreement or warranty, express or implied, for Us, except those expressly set forth in writing in this Agreement . . . ..”

Unless the new online reservation system is expressly set forth in your purchase agreement (which it won’t be), the salesperson is just blowing smoke.

Next time, ask ‘em to put it in writing and watch ‘em squirm.

-nodge

FWIW: SVN has a hard time honoring terms that ARE written into its purchase agreements, like elite ugrades. So going with SVN, and its current brute-force, 50's-style, abacus-toting, management "team," is pretty much a leap of faith anyway.

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Elite upgrades written into purchase agreements???!!! Not in any that I have seen - al least not without an 'out' clause that says these can change these benefits at anytime as they see fit. The only thing you can count on - is the type of unit, season, and resort location that you have deeded. They can even change the amount of StarOptions (and/or StarPoints) associated with your VIO - says so in the CCC&Rs.

As to an real-time on-line reservation system... not going to happen unless they reconstruct and update their mismatched databases that they work with. Do not hold your breath.

DavidnRobin said:

Elite upgrades written into purchase agreements???!!! Not in any that I have seen - al least not without an 'out' clause that says these can change these benefits at anytime as they see fit.

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OK I'll rephrase things . . . .

It doesn't really matter what SVN writes into its purchase agreements because it has so many "out" clauses SVN can (and apparently will within months or in some cases days of you signing the agreement) cancel terms that SVN promised you in order to induce you to buy.

With respect to the elite upgrade benefit, I have maintained that:

1. The "out" clause is so poorly drafted with respect to discussing that benefit that it doesn't include that benefit as written; and,

2. Even if the clause were valid, SVN's practice of cancelling this benefit before the ink even dried on some of us owner's purchases, amounts to "fraud in the inducement."

No need to rehash things here, but just because SVN puts "out" clauses in its paperwork, doesn't mean they are valid or enforceable.

What is clear here is that SVN has a documented history of doing what it wants when it wants, independent of its promises, written or otherwise, to us owners. This trait makes buying SVN a leap of faith.

-nodge

nodge said:

OK I'll rephrase things . . . .

It doesn't really matter what SVN writes into its purchase agreements because it has so many "out" clauses SVN can (and apparently will within months or in some cases days of you signing the agreement) cancel terms that SVN promised you in order to induce you to buy.

With respect to the elite upgrade benefit, I have maintained that:

1. The "out" clause is so poorly drafted with respect to discussing that benefit that it doesn't include that benefit as written; and,

2. Even if the clause were valid, SVN's practice of cancelling this benefit before the ink even dried on some of us owner's purchases, amounts to "fraud in the inducement."

No need to rehash things here, but just because SVN puts "out" clauses in its paperwork, doesn't mean they are valid or enforceable.

What is clear here is that SVN has a documented history of doing what it wants when it wants, independent of its promises, written or otherwise, to us owners. This trait makes buying SVN a leap of faith.

-nodge

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I wasn't attempting to defend them - just trying to be clear. It really comes down to whether a verbal promise is binding once a written and signed contract is in place (unfortunately not...). I don't recall anything about Elite Status or associated benefits being part of the purchase agreement. Overall, I do not hold any faith in what I am told, and only what is written - and even there most has some type of 'out' clause. Like they can change SOs - or even stop using SVN altogether.

I am glad I did not persue 5* Elite. The only thing I get out of being 3* is a special line I can call that seems to have more knowledgable people answering the phone lines.

I am still grateful for the "whatever the salesman promises is not binding" clause that you showed me and that I used to my advantage during my retro negotiations - and therefore had them include 'in writing' the conditions of the retro status into the paperwork that went with the PC

btw - I just received my WPORV deed - so it looks as if the last piece from my negotiations has finally come to fruition.

HA! They also told me they are about 3 years from a buy back program. However, I think I believe that more then I believe the realtime online reservation system. At least they can buy back some timeshares cheap and put them back on the market at a much higher price...

Here is a link to a relevant thread that I started many months ago:
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48378

Maybe I'm an optomist but here was my post:
In my call today with Suzanne Clark, she informed me of some changes that are coming for Starwood's reservation system. I took notes on this and so it should be fairly accurate although I'm sure there are a few things that could be off a little or could change. About 2-3 years ago, Starwood started working on this project and they are releasing it in modules. Suzanne agreed that the current system is labor intensive and was built sometime in the 1980s.

The first module is the ICS (inventory control system). This currently allows Starwood reps to view what is available in the inventory. It sounds as if right now the people answering the phones are toggling between this and the old reservation system.

The next phase that is currently being developed is the "rules system". There are alot of different policies that Starwood must code into this new system including things such as ownership weeks, lock offs, elite status, StarPoints, StarOptions, II, etc. No timeframe was given for the completion of this phase but it should save the phone answerers a lot of time when completed. It sounded as if this "rules system" will be tied in directly to the ICS.

The 3rd phase will be the online reservations system for your home resort. I believe that this phase will be released to us although no timeframe was given. When this happens, I would imagine that Starwood will be able to cut their phone answering staff significantly. Again, this phase should be tied in directly to the previous two phases.

The final phase will be the reservation system for exceptions. This should include SPG, SO conversions, and II and will again be tied into the above systems.

The bottom line is that Starwood is aware of the problem and they are fixing it. I don't think that it will be too long (1-2 years maybe) before 90% of us will be making and viewing all of our reservations through a real time automated reservations system; I sure hope so!