II Get-away Discounts non refundable??

[ansadler]

We booked a "get-away" discount offer with II (my parents time sharer). We bought the insurance also, and now need to cancel. They are saying it's NON-REFUNDABLE unless there is a life-threatening emergency!! No where in any of the information did it state that, when we booked the reservation on-line. Anyone had experience with this or can help me figure out if there is any way of getting my money back??

We are going to have an empty 2BR villa at Sheraton Vistana at the end of April and I KNOW they could EASILY sell it. That's what is SOOO frustrating. It's not Sheraton, either (they have a great cancellation policy). It's II's policy that has me hung up....

Any advice?

 

[Brian Noble]

No where in any of the information did it state that, when we booked the reservation on-line.

I'm afraid it did. If you click on the "Terms and Conditions" link, you get the text version of the II "Buyer's Guide":

http://www.intervalworld.com/pdf/iw/buyers-guide.pdf

And it very clearly spells out the cancellation terms:

II’s Exchange Cancellation Policy does not apply to
Getaway Confirmations. Any cancellation of a Getaway Confirmation
results in the loss of the unit. Getaway fees will not be refunded under
any circumstances.

My guess is that the insurance only covers you in the event of certain situations, and not just "we decided we didn't want to go". You'll have to read your insurance certificate for that.

 

[Detailor]

On page 8 of the Buyers' 08 Guide for members of the Interval International exchange network, in the Special Exchange Services section it says, in part...

"Any cancellation of a Getaway Confirmation results in the loss of the unit. Getaway fees will not be refunded under any circumstances. Members are expressly prohibited from selling or exchanging a Getaway Confirmation for cash, barter, or other consideration."


Dick Taylor

 

[ansadler]

Thanks for the information in the buyers guide. Unfortunately I didn't have access to that since I'm not the owner. And, when you go through the on-line booking process for get-aways, there is no where that states any of that. Wish they would have that in the terms and conditions for Get-aways when you actually book one. My parents (the actual owners) have never used the get-aways so I'm assuming didn't realize the strict policy.

The only thing it says in my "guest certificate" when you opt to buy the insurance is "up to $1000 in trip cancellation". Nothing more.... They really need to make the terms and conditions a little more specific and clear. I guess I should have read through an interval buyers guide before booking. I've definitely learned my lesson!

Thanks.

 

[ansadler]

i went back on-line and combed through the terms and conditions for get-aways again and i did find this:
"Getaway fees will not be refunded under any circumstances. Members are expressly prohibited from selling or exchanging a Getaway Confirmation for cash, barter, or other consideration."

Is the "fee" the purchase of the entire get-away, or the "fee" that interval charged me to process the get-away. Still a little unclear to me.

My bigger issue is with the insurance. When you go to purchase the insurance, this is the explanation of your coverage...

"This insurance plan includes the following benefits:

Up to $1,000 trip Cancellation and Interruption
Up to $300 Travel Delay ($100 maximum per day)
Up to $500 Baggage and Travel Documents
Up to $100 Baggage Delay
TRAVEL GUARD Assist "


When they emailed me my confirmation it says:
"for a full explanation of cancellation policy please see terms and conditions".
Then in the terms and conditions there is absolutely no mention of a cancellation policy.

I would think the non-refundable part would be something they would want to make very clear. Not in the 17th paragraph of the fine print. Again, learned my lesson about "get-aways". A great benefit, but don't book until you are absolutely, positively sure you won't have to change your dates!

 

[Brian Noble]

And, when you go through the on-line booking process for get-aways, there is no where that states any of that.

Again, as I explained to you above, the terms and conditions link (that you have to check to signify that you've read them) does in fact state that.

Travel Guard is standard trip insurance. Like all such policies, it covers you only for very specific things---deciding you don't want to go is not one of those things. The certificate of coverage spells out what it does apply for---anything else is not under the umbrella.

You can send a friend, family member, or business associate by purchasing a gift certificate for them. It must be a gift, you are not allowed to accept any compensation in turn. If I were in your position, I would be inclined to try to find someone who could use the week.

I understand that you are unhappy about this, but in this case, the fault is your own, not Interval's or Travel Guard's.

 

[Detailor]

Is the "fee" the purchase of the entire get-away, or the "fee" that interval charged me to process the get-away. Still a little unclear to me.!

The fee refers to the amount that you paid for the getaway (plus any applicable taxes) and, in your case, the cost of the Guest Certificate to convey the getaway week from the II member to you.

My bigger issue is with the insurance. When you go to purchase the insurance, this is the explanation of your coverage...

I don't know anything about the trip insurance offered through II. I've always looked at the insurance as pretty much useless as there seem severe limits to its use. I suppose it would make sense if going to a hurricane area during the heart of hurricane season but I'd probably take my chances then, too.

I would think the non-refundable part would be something they would want to make very clear. Not in the 17th paragraph of the fine print. Again, learned my lesson about "get-aways". A great benefit, but don't book until you are absolutely, positively sure you won't have to change your dates!

They seem to be really careful to include all of the legaleze in back of the resort directory book every year so members can't just claim that they don't know the rules or never received terms and conditions. But that's not much consolation for you as you're not the member. Owning a timeshare offers some excellent opportunities to visit some really nice resorts but, whether its an exchange, a bonus week or a getaway, the rules aren't the same as those for hotel reservation. Sorry that that didn't work out for you.

Dick Taylor