Starwood Preferred Guest - SPG rep wouldn't answer my questions directly - need confirmation from FTers

Ugh, that was a painful phone call. I would ask a question and get a very roundabout answer. The guy kept cutting me off and seemed very impatient with my questions. It didn't make me feel very comfortable with the answers, so I'd like to get a better answer here.

1. Currently I have 5 nights booked at a Cat 3 hotel from a night/flight award. How long is that award good for - in other words, does it expire and if so, can I extend it? There's a good chance I will cancel this stay, but I'm only interested in rebooking at a non-US Cat 3 hotel, which means usage in later half of 2007, possibly 2008. The rep would only say "just call us and we'll book you at any other hotel that has availability." He would not say outright that there was no expiration or that it could be extended for a specific period of time or indefinitely.

2. If I cancel without rebooking, do the points go back into my account at a loss? This is what I'm trying to ensure doesn't happen, so I want to keep extending the original award if needed. The rep said I could get rebooked at a Cat 3 or 4 hotel. When I clarified that the award was for a Cat 3 only and I couldn't pay the difference for a Cat 4, he said "you have enough points (now) for a Cat 4." I told him it didn't matter what points I had in my account, I was referring to the existing Cat 3 nights. Anyway this implied that the cancellation of the booking will credit my account back with the points and I don't want to take a loss.

3. If it looks like I can't use the award soon, I might want to let a family member or friend use the nights. Can I make the res with their name on it with no problems? Will the hotel ask for anything at check-in to show the award stay is legit? The rep said I could change the res name and the person would be added to the "guest list." I just want to make sure whoever uses it doesn't get grilled by the front desk or has to pay because the guest name doesn't match the name on the SPG account.

Any help will be appreciated. I think I'm just overly frustrated because I was dealing with one of my employees today who is a lot like this rep!

Your award will not, AFAK, expire unless you simply redeposit the points in your SPG account. Once you do that, I don't think the N&F point advantage can be restored (you won't lose any points, you'll just lose the 20K vs. 28K award advantage for a Cat 3 hotel stay of five nights). So, keep your res as is and keep advancing the date or switch it to another Cat 3 property at a later date. If you choose to add a family member's name you want to use the award to the res, that's legitimate and the recipient should have no problem at check-in (I've done this a couple of times). One added bonus, any spending done at the property by your family member or anyone in that party charging to the room will result in points to your account! ;)

Details here: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/starpoints/redeem/nights_flights.html

For Question #1, the award expiration, once booked, would fall under the cancellation terms shown in your reservation. However, as the rep said...if you call and re-book before the stay is to happen "just call us and we'll book you at any other hotel that has availability." see below--Travel Award Change & Cancel Policies (para 2)

I believe that Question #2 regarding cancellation and redeposit of points is answered in the T&C's below. see below--Travel Award Change & Cancel Policies (para 4)

For Question #3, it appears that the rep answered it: The rep said I could change the res name and the person would be added to the "guest list."
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Nights & Flights
Terms & Conditions:
Nights & Flights awards must be made by calling your local Customer Contact Center.

Nights & Flights Awards must be ordered at least 30 business days prior to the arrival date for a U.S. airline and at least 30 business days prior to arrival for a non-U.S. Airline. This will allow for processing of the airline transfer portion of the award.

This Award is only offered with airlines with a 1 Starpoint to 1 Airline mile transfer ratio. The maximum transfer to the airline offered in this award is 50,000 miles, so it is each member's responsibility to verify with their desired airline the value of these miles for air travel awards. Any additional miles required are the responsibility of the member.

It is the member's responsibility to make his/her own flight arrangements pertaining to the Nights & Flights award. These awards are not for sale without the airline transfer.

Free Night Award reservations for Nights & Flights awards must never be less than five nights. Any additional free nights must be ordered separately.

Travel Award Change & Cancel Policies

It is the member's responsibility to change or cancel any flight arrangements made for this award.

If hotel availability allows a date change on the Free Night Award reservation for a Nights & Flights award, the Nights & Flights award dates may be changed.

No Starpoints will be refunded for any portion of the Nights & Flights award's free nights not stayed at the property. Members who elect to stay fewer nights than the required 5 nights stay for the Nights & Flights award offer should advise the hotel at check-in to avoid any early departure charges.

Nights & Flights awards may be canceled. If a Nights & Flights award is canceled, the member will only receive a Starpoint credit of 20,000 for a Category 3 and 30,000 for a Category 4 Travel Award. The 40,000-point airline transfer, plus the 10,000-point bonus from Starwood Preferred Guest, will remain as airline miles and cannot be returned to the member's Starwood Preferred Guest account.

Thanks - yes, I did read the terms on the SPG website, but felt it still didn't answer my questions directly. The rep seemed to be reading the answers out of a book and wouldn't confirm in exact response to my question, making me infer the correct answer from there ("Call and rebook based on availability" does not necessarily mean "No, this does not expire."). Basically I just wanted to make sure I wasn't impacted in the same way Marriott does their travel packages; the hotel stays are initially good for a year, must be actively extended, and result in a huge point hit if redeposited.