TS Today - Creating a Vision for the Future of Vacation Ownership Issue #96 Nov/Dec, 2007 | Page 19

TimeSharing Today

Page 19

Nov/Dec, 2007

Interval International Cancellation Policy:
The Complaint and the Explanation
The Complaint

The Explanation

If you exchange your week and then
are unable to travel and must cancel within
seven days of travel date, Interval International (II) not only keeps your exchange fee (which I find fair) but does not
allow another exchange against your
banked week. I find this unfair because II
does not lose the week I banked with them
and can still realize an exchange fee for my
banked week. When I stated my concern
to the vacation counselor, she replied,
“you can buy insurance from us for
$64.00.” She then, at my request, transferred me to a supervisor who reiterated
the vacation counselor’s statements.
Why is it necessary to buy insurance
when nothing is lost to II if, at the last
minute, I am unable to travel? They still
have their exchange fee and my banked
week to realize another exchange fee on.
They also have my cancelled exchange
week to offer for sale or exchange.
I had a similar situation about five
years ago with II and don’t recall if it was
settled to my satisfaction.
It has been my experience when cancelling, no matter how close to the travel
date, that RCI and Donita’s Dial An Exchange will merely keep the exchange fee
and allow you to request another week
against your banked week .
II’s policy of keeping your banked
week unless you buy their insurance is an
unfair business practice. At best, it’s called
a shady way to do business and, at worse,
extortion.
D. Ullman, Aiken, SC

We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the letter you received from Interval International member, D. Ullman,
who raised questions about our cancellation and travel protection insurance policies.
Interval’s cancellation policy provides
that a member who cancels with sufficient
advance notice so that another Interval
member can select the week returned will
have an opportunity for a second exchange (with the payment of an exchange
fee to cover the cost of the transaction).
However, when a member cancels a confirmation six days or less prior to the checkin date, the returned week is far less likely
to be used by another Interval member than
a week returned earlier.
Our study of members’ vacation
choices indicates that a high percentage
of weeks returned to Interval a few days
before check-in go unused. For example,
highly sought after weeks in Hawaii and
the Caribbean, which require air travel for
most Y[X