posted 10-28-2004 11:44               

My husband called on Monday morning and the HGVC rep immediately helped us; she said the total points would be refunded to our account if we could fax proof of the hospitalization. We immediately got a letter from the hospital, and I provided proof that I was the daughter, etc. We wanted to be fair to Hilton so they could rent the timeshare as soon as possible. As soon as they got the faxed info, the points were refunded.

Needless to say, I am very happy with what HGVC did for us. I only wish the representative on Saturday had known what Hilton usually does in such situations as I would have been reassured when it became more apparent we couldn't go.

Now these 2004 points expire by the end of the year. Is an RCI search our best bet for using them next year? What happens if the RCI search was changed in 2005? Would we lose the points? We may also go ahead and decide to go to Las Vegas before the end of the year. Any thoughts?

posted 10-28-2004 12:02               

I have found most of the Hilton reps to be quite good and responsive. I have had one or two that were less helpful and just ended up hanging up and calling back.

As you stated you can bank them with RCI or still go to Vegas. That really depends on your schedule and what you like to do.

Enjoy,

posted 10-28-2004 18:21               

quote:

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Originally posted by sb1070:
If you're happy with the outcome then that's all that matters, but I'd be mad as hell if asked to provide proof that I was telling the truth.
Supposed you had a death in the family. I guess Hilton would ask for a copy of the death certificate. That's just wrong.

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I can understand your sentiment and appreciate that you would be annoyed. But don't you think that without proof there may be folks who would lie?

I am like you, I like to believe someone when they say something, and I like to be truthful. But unfortunately have also found out that honesty and integrity are values that not everyone practices.

JMHO

posted 10-28-2004 20:46               

quote:

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Originally posted by sb1070:
If you're happy with the outcome then that's all that matters, but I'd be mad as hell if asked to provide proof that I was telling the truth.
Supposed you had a death in the family. I guess Hilton would ask for a copy of the death certificate. That's just wrong.

---

Airlines ask for death certificates to get special last minute flight rates for funerals.

posted 10-28-2004 21:34            

If you are an owner you shouldn't have to prove anything. Faxing proof that a family member is ill and hospitalized is terrible. With so many rules and policies in Hiltons favor, I can no longer see the benefit of owning.

posted 10-28-2004 22:57               

I hate HGVC[/QUOTE

Got to admit that's the first time I have seen this here on this board!

I am sorry you have been disappointed with your purchase. Most people here enjoy their HGVC experience and are pleased with their purchase.

Sure it has some things that are annoying and you are right about the nickle and dime fee's.

But why not just keep reading and learning...take your time and ask questions...Perhaps you can learn some ways to get better value out of your ownership.

JMHO

Enjoy!
Rick

posted 10-29-2004 19:56               

quote:

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Originally posted by sb1070:
I can't even sell because I paid $12000 and Hilton tells me I can't get more than $7000. I hate HGVC

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According to this link.. you bought a 3500 point unit. I can see why you are bitter if you recently paid $12K, now you want to sell. If you got $4500, I think you'd be lucky. Plus you are financing thru HGVC , you are probably going to pay $20K after interest. I think I'd let them foreclose and take the loss.

posted 10-29-2004 21:17            

For instance my first vacation is next month. I tried to book a 2 bedroom unit (what I bought) and I was told there wasn't any available, so I booked a 1 bedroom unit. Well because I booked a 1 bedroom and bought a 2 bedroom I had to pay a $49 fee, even though I didn't want the 1 bedroom.
I've called a few times to ask questions and I'm treated rudely on a regular basis.

I went to Hilton.com, typed in Orlando and chose all brands. HGVC Orlando location display with available listed to the side. I go through the steps and back out at the last minute. I call HGVC corporate and ask why I was told there's no 2 bedrooms available and hilton.com shows there are.
I was told it was hotel inventory. I asked why I couldn't get it as an owner, but someone else could just come along with a CC and book it.
The rep told me she was at the same website and didn't see a 2 bedroom available. I made a PDF of the page and sent it to her. She then told me she couldn't see the same inventory as the hotel system has listed.
I kept getting the run around, instead of good or decent service.

Of course my sales person never told me about the shit I've had to deal with. I fell like I paid all this money for the right to make a simple hotel reservation and hope for availability.

posted 10-29-2004 21:38               

quote:

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Originally posted by PSound:
I recently pulled out of a deal with HGVC after finally realizing that I could get a 7000 point based property for $12k resale (without any work or effort), versus the ~$25k (plus for some properties) that it cost via the 'developer'..... and that the extra money did not really buy me much.

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Congratulations! Enjoy all the money you saved

posted 10-29-2004 22:00               

quote:

---

Originally posted by sb1070:
For instance my first vacation is next month. I tried to book a 2 bedroom unit (what I bought) and I was told there wasn't any available, so I booked a 1 bedroom unit. Well because I booked a 1 bedroom and bought a 2 bedroom I had to pay a $49 fee, even though I didn't want the 1 bedroom.
I've called a few times to ask questions and I'm treated rudely on a regular basis.

---

If you're booking next month, unless you're an "elite" member, you'd have to pay $49 no matter which type you own since it's either club or open season. The only time you don't have to pay is for your unit during home season which is 12-9 months in advance.

quote:

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I went to Hilton.com, typed in Orlando and chose all brands. HGVC Orlando location display with available listed to the side. I go through the steps and back out at the last minute. I call HGVC corporate and ask why I was told there's no 2 bedrooms available and hilton.com shows there are.
I was told it was hotel inventory. I asked why I couldn't get it as an owner, but someone else could just come along with a CC and book it.
The rep told me she was at the same website and didn't see a 2 bedroom available. I made a PDF of the page and sent it to her. She then told me she couldn't see the same inventory as the hotel system has listed.

---

The hotel inventory is from an exchange for HHonor points. Once that's done, HGVC doesn't have access to it anymore. That's the result of the benefit that owners receive.

posted 10-30-2004 07:06               

quote:

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Originally posted by sb1070:
For instance my first vacation is next month.

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One thing to learn is that timeshares having a different planning horizon than hotel planning windows. One month in advance via timeshares is very last minute. Perhaps that planning horizon was not really explained or understood.

quote:

---

I went to Hilton.com, typed in Orlando and chose all brands. HGVC Orlando location display with available listed to the side. I go through the steps and back out at the last minute. I call HGVC corporate and ask why I was told there's no 2 bedrooms available and hilton.com shows there are.
I was told it was hotel inventory. I asked why I couldn't get it as an owner, but someone else could just come along with a CC and book it.

---

HGVC owners are allowed to purchase cruises, hotel rooms and other items with their HGVC points. Also Owners convert their points to HHonors Points. This is how inventory gets into Hilton Inventory. HGVC does NOT equal Hilton, these are seperate and distinct inventories.

quote:

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I kept getting the run around, instead of good or decent service.

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Perhaps because your expectation are in line with booking a hotel room, as you said ....

quote:

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Of course my sales person never told me about the shit I've had to deal with. I fell like I paid all this money for the right to make a simple hotel reservation and hope for availability. I guess it's my fault for being so naive.

---

I think both sales persons and 1st time purchases are to blame for many misunderstandings. Sales people are selling the experience. But they overlook the details about how to make that happen. As a 1st time purchaser your only experience for booking a vacation is a hotel one, which likely happends a month before you go somewhere you pick up the brochure and decide. You never ask specific questions about how things need to work and you relate it to what you know. If that is the case then you will likely continue to be disappointed in HGVC and any timeshare for that matter. Planning horizon are longer.

Frankly if I were booking something in the next 30 day window, I would be looking in open season and probably pay cash rates. I save my points for harder to obtain inventory that I plan in advance for. With only 3500 points as someone speculated you have limited timeframes in which to obtain a 2 BR with. Banking and borrowing points from eithe past or previous year will give you more options.

I suggest you read and learn as much as possible. Ask questions, Lots of questions, and figure out how you, as an owner, can get the most out of your purchase. I would guess that 75% of us bought a timeshare from a developer first and then were soured at what you find when you come her.

I had 3 purchases directly from the developer. Do I feel dumb knowing what I know now, Yes, but I can't change that. I have learned to make the best use possible from that purchase and have augmented that with resales to obtain more points. I recently purchased and additional 7000 HGVC points bringing me to 14000 per year. I love HGVC, but I have learned and now understand how timesharing works and I make the most of it.

Hopefully you will to.

posted 10-30-2004 15:35            

I bought into the club in Feb 2004. I was closed in their system on March 2 2004, at that time I made my reservation for Nov 2nd 8 MONTHS in advance and there were no 2 bedrooms available. I made the reservation 8 months in advance and as soon as I could.
I was told to keep checking back to see if there were cancellations on 2 bedrooms.
I bought a 2 bedroom silver so I should not have to pay $49 since I am staying during the silver time period. I was charged the $49 fee because I had to book a different sized unit that what I bought because there was a 2 bedroom available. If it had been my choice to book a 1 bedroom then I would understand the fee, but it wasn't.

When I checked hilton.com for availability I did so on a hunch. I was my thought that if there was a 2 bedroom available even if it was allocated for the hotel side, that perhaps they could make an exception and give it too me since I am an owner.

I don't have unrealistic expectations about HGVC. As I had stated before I simply expected to be able to make a reservation 8 months in advance (as soon as the sale had closed in the system)and to not have to pay a fee for booking a different type of unit than the one I purchased simply because of availability. Even so I paid and waited for an opportunity get a 2 bedroom.

I never expected to hear an overly cheery person on the phone, but someone who simply answers my questions and doesn't act as if I am disturbing them by calling would be nice.
Someone who would waive a fee.

If i'm booking at a hotel room and person is rude and unaccommodating then so be it, maybe I choose not to stay there out of protest, but when I paid $12000 I expect a little more when I call and I never see it from HGVC.

As an owner booking 8 months in advance I couldn't secure the unit I purchased. Then an ordinary person who can only book into HGVC properties through hilton.com 5 days before the check in date can get it at $199.00 a night. IT'S NOT RIGHT!

I do appreciate the responses from everyone on this thread. I just can't share in your joy to be a member of Hilton Grand Vacations Club.

posted 10-31-2004 15:23               

Another bit of HGVC knowledge that I have observed is that weeks that are limited in availabilily and less points do have a tendency to fill up quickly.

For instance, Hawaii has only 10 weeks all season that are gold. Those week always book up much faster than the other Platinum weeks around them. Why, because people want to save point and still get Hawaii.

Silver is Orlando is only a 7 week interval. For things that are limited in availability you really need to book in your HOME season. Bronze time is hard too, as It is very limited and people are tyring to stretch their points.

I understand your difficulty this year because your closing was done 8 months prior to your desired exchange week.

posted 10-31-2004 17:50            

I understand that most of you are happy with HGVC. I further believe I can't be the only person Hilton is doing this to. Since the property is a Grand Vacations resort and not a Hilton brand hotel owners should be given access, especially if it's their home resort and season.

I never meant to get on a tangent, I'm sorry if I've offended anyone. I read how pleased everyone is with HGVC, and often ask myself how we can be talking about the same company.

posted 10-31-2004 21:49               

quote:

---

Originally posted by sb1070:
Silver is my home season and seaworld is my home resort. The resort had availibility, that I was told was allocated to the hotel reservation system.

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I believe Seaworld is already sold out so there aren't any units "allocated" to Hilton since every week/units are owned by individuals. Think about this, if Hilton gives you one of their 2-bedroom units, how will it recover its cost for the room(s) it gave to the original owner who traded? Hilton can't just take other inventory. It's not theirs to take!

quote:

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8 months should have been enough time to secure a 2 bedroom unit, further the fee should have been waived under the circumstances.

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I don't understand? During Club Season, 1 to 9 months out, everyone pays $49 for any bookings, including like units (same as what you own). I would be happy if you can change the rule since I've not stayed at my home unit once in 4 years

quote:

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I understand that most of you are happy with HGVC. I further believe I can't be the only person Hilton is doing this to. Since the property is a Grand Vacations resort and not a Hilton brand hotel owners should be given access, especially if it's their home resort and season.

I never meant to get on a tangent, I'm sorry if I've offended anyone. I read how pleased everyone is with HGVC, and often ask myself how we can be talking about the same company.

I can't be the only one, people with similar experiences need to come forward and set the record straight.

---

posted 11-01-2004 06:47            

Futher if you book 7 nights at your home resort, in the same type of unit you bought during the same season you bought, there is no reservation fee.

posted 01-15-2005 02:39               

Of course my sales person never told me about the shit I've had to deal with.

Above is a sample of the 4 letter words you have used in your postings, in addition to hell and sux.

posted 01-15-2005 19:46            

quote:

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...Futher if you book 7 nights at your home resort, in the same type of unit you bought during the same season you bought, there is no reservation fee.

I was charged one because I wasn't booking the same type of unit that I bought, but I wasn't booking the same type of unit because there wasn't one available, so I felt under the circumstances HGVC should have waived the fee.

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sb1070 I'm sorry your first experience with HGVC wasn't a good one. As wmmmmm stated above you were charged because you booked during Club Season. Even if your unit type was available in your home resort in your season the club rules state that the Home Resort Reservation Window ends 9 months from checkin date.

Here's the statement from the 2005 Club Member Guide on page 72, 2nd column, third paragraph "The Home Resort Reservation Window lasts approximately ninety days beginning one year from the start of the date of the Member's designated season and ending nine months in advance of the check-in date".

During our timeshare presentation we didn't realize that our home week must by booked before Club Season began to avoid the reservation fee but once you review and understand the rules then you know what you need to do going forward.