Starwood Preferred Guest - Totally Crazy!!! My BRG stays at Sheraton Padova cancelled but not by me

Hi guys,
It's still me from Venice; take a look at what happens this morning to me:
Arrived at office I opened my e.mails to check for some good news and what I've seen?? 3 e.mails from Sheraton Padova that announce that the reservations I did last week using the BRG claim and confirmed from SPG had been canceled... "What??, I said" I did not call anyone to cancel those reservations that will give me 2000 SPG points and with the new promos a double night trough platinum (I still need 7 nights)...
I rapidly called SPG Gold number in Italy and after some little bit of time I spoke to the lady that received the phone call in the early morning that canceled my reservations... She was totally in trouble listenting to my voice 'cause she remembered perfectly the person who called her to cancel the reservations and that was not me (for sure, I guaranteee!!!). She told me sorry a thousand of time, telling me that they ask only for the basic datas and the person who called had my SPG reference number and the reservations number, so she accepted the cancellation... After some minutes she put me in contact with the SPG customer care to open an investigation to what happened in the morning, telling me that they recordered the phone call, and they could see the phone call number that called them.
Well finally I'll tell what "probably" happened...
Someone from the hotel "probably" called the SPG phone center to cancel the reservations, 'cause is the only way to that, (in fact they don't have the password to do this by my SPG account, the only way i use to cancel reservation), because they don't want to honor my BRG claim because of the cost they have to pay for that... Now the hotel changes the price to reflect the OTA price, and because of my cancelation I can't use anymore the BRG claim for my next stay, so they don't have to pay for the 2000 points they had to give me at check out.
I'm Italian and I love my country, but I'm not astonished at all to see that this could happens only here..... :(
But, it's really so incredible to ask for a BRG claim??????
If you were me,now what you'll do???
P.S. Sorry for my poor english....
Max

and this is what they wrote in an e-mail I just received

----------------------------
Dear Mr. Esposito,

We are referring to your enquiry made directly to the Starwood Customer Service
concerning the cancellation of your booking for next September 20th – 1 night.

We looked very carefully into the matter and the only response we got is that reservation has been made by the system and by the system in the same way has been cancelled.
Please see the attached copy that we also received from the system.

For your information you made also other bookings for the dates 18, and 19 of September and both are also cancelled. Even one for October has been cancelled, and we do hope that for those reservations you will agree with us.

Concerning your way of thinking, we are very surprised and invite you to discuss the all matter directly with us at your next stay at our hotel. In case this booking has still to be considered valid, we are willing to honour you the same rate of Euro 75,00 as booked on this reservation as proof of our professionalism. If you are honest with yourself, you must admit the truth that you never had starpoints NOT credited on your account till today, even if your way of earning those points has not been the correct one.

Yours faithfully,

Antonio General Manager
Sheraton Padova Hotel & Conference Center
______________________________________

My way of earning the points is not correct????? I made 12 paid night until today!!!!! And if I use a BRG claim is not the right way to earn points???????????

They'll Honor the rate but not the BRG claim!!!

I've often wondered that too. If I am traveling with a friend on American Airlines, and he got the upgrade and I didn't, it would be so easy to call AA on the phone and politely say, "hi this is XYZ on Flight 123, can you put me back in coach and un-upgrade me?" No questions. Obviously, this would leave a nice seat for me to take =)

There really should be more security safeguards in the travel industry.

It is certainly very unprofessional for the hotel to cancel the bookings in this way. I would expect them to honour the rate and give you your 2000 BRG points.

However, why did you make 3 separate reservations for 3 consecutive nights? According to SPG rules, this will not earn you any additional stay credits, and only 1 BRG 2000 point reward would apply.

I would imagine this attempt to game the system is what attracted the hotel's attention.

Obviously I didn't book 3 consecutives nights, but:
1 night 09/18 > 09/19
1 night 09/20> 09/21
1 night 10/18> 10/19!!!!!

the third is in October!!! :)

I never never tried to game the system, I pay for my stays to reach the status and gain great starpoints. But they are really scared about the BRG system....
Max

Max, they have done you a favor. RUN, don't walk, to another hotel. This is one of the worst properties (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starwood-preferred-guest/173730-sheraton-padova-italy-master-thread.html) in the Starwood chain.

Max, they have done you a favor. RUN, don't walk, to another hotel. This is one of the worst properties (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starwood-preferred-guest/173730-sheraton-padova-italy-master-thread.html) in the Starwood chain.

even if true, did you notice that the OP is based in Venice? thusly they dont have that many to chose from unless they dont mind paying top $$ for the Europa & Regina as Gritti and Deniali are usually more $$

most likely Padova is the cheapest and the closest to where they live, and the OP is interested in doing some Runs to get a free night and requalify for Status

most likely Padova is the cheapest and the closest to where they live, and the OP is interested in doing some Runs to get a free night and requalify for Status

Sure, I'm in my platinum run, and you know, if I found some great BRG rates there are 2000 great starpoints to take... but it's seem that they are not really happy about that...
Well the thing that I don't like is that they call the way we use to get points (because many of us try to get a BRG) not correct... This is poor...
Max

Italian style funny business at it's finest ! :D

Sure, I'm in my platinum run, and you know, if I found some great BRG rates there are 2000 great starpoints to take... but it's seem that they are not really happy about that...
Well the thing that I don't like is that they call the way we use to get points (because many of us try to get a BRG) not correct... This is poor...
Max

I wasnt knocking You, just trying to explain to others who might not have picked up that you are located in VCE and not the US or Canada and that most hotels anywhere in Italy are usually very expensive

If I wasnt just in VCE and didnt take the ES from ROMA I wouldnt have known that Padova was close (compared to most *W Hotel cities in Italy) but the train makes a stop at Padova

FWIW if i was in your shoes Id do the same, no SHAME whatsoever

I so don't understand the last sentence of the email from the GM. However, despite not understanding it, the tone seems inappropriate to me.

I would follow up further with customer service. First it is obvious they canceled your reservations to get out of the BRG and then it seems they are actually accusing you of being dishonest and that just would not fly with me.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9530/4.7.0.113 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

First stop, Corporate Customer Service.