musikdude

this updated T&C really affects me badly for future bookings at a certain favorite property

luckily i just booked several BRG's last week for this property for Sept. and the old rules would seem to apply as the property is "within 50 miles of my address" and I have a few BRG's that are within the "once per 7 day" new rule.

i understand that IHG must change the terms to keep the program from being abused, as it was certainly open to abuse if one chose to really take advantage of the set-up.

no one knows "what straw broke the camel's back" and made them update the rules - but i think i might have been one of those straws though

but there had to be several "straws" so that makes me feel less guilty!

oh well- it has been a fun few months (all good things come to an end!)

mitpat474

Don't forget that blogger! I doubt these terms were written over night and probably took a couple of months for them to be commissioned.

tangey

The "7 day within 50 miles" rule is a reasonable and fair way of stopping hotel hopping. You can be sure its not a response to an email I sent a few days ago, big companies work slowly, but some will believe what they want.

THE BIG BIG DIFFERENCE

OLD BRG T&C
NEW BRG T&C
ALL CLAIMS MUST USE THE ONLINE CLAIM FORM. Phone claims are gone from the T&C. The phone lines are still listed on the website, but I think this must mean they are being withdrawn. They didn't remove the mention of the "best price guarantee support desk" by accident.

So, the BRG now can not receive emails when it suits them, if a blogger posts a BRG, they'll just not receive the emails. Also gives them loads of time in general for the price to get changed on either the competing website or IHG website, and the claim to be denied.

The withdrawal of phone claims is a major retraction on the usability and the practicality of the BRG, and means it's much more open to abuse from the other end now. Clearly this is a response to being inundated via the blogger postings a few months ago, which caused the phone lines to lock up for hours. I did voice my suspicions that this would result in changes to the T&C or withdrawal of the BRG altogether. I suppose we can be happy its still there in some form.

Not hard to see why they did this. I speculated at the time that the highly public "FREE NIGHT...." postings in another forum on FT, for a hotel in New York in particular, would result in loads of people just wastefully booking a night, with many of them probably living in New York. Clearly, IHG was finding this to be a significant trend.

My words in my posting in march of this year, on this thread seem to have come to pass:- (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/20448689-post3326.html)
That gives you a good timeframe for the genesis of these latest T&C changes

mitpat474

I just called to have that clarified and yes the manner of contact for a claim submission is changing.. you can still call as there is not a definate date ,but it is changing.

It must have been that F%^g blogger. clogged up the lines

onlysuites

tangey

According to the new T&C, "you MUST contact us using the online claim form...."
In other words, going by the letter of the T&C, a phoned BRG is not valid as of 30th July.

Another small change. They have now specifically barred the use of screen shots as documentary evidence. Not that I ever used it, but I know that some did.

mitpat474

I spoke to an agent this morning and he said its still ok till further notice to claim via phone

Amyrlin

I *think* there was a case not long ago which demonstrated they used a straight line "as the crow flies' for this, not the road route, so this is better.

Amyrlin

This is also slightly different

5. Matching Terms.
All terms of the comparison room reservation, including, but not limited to pre-payment, deposit, number of guests, or other requirements must be equal in all respects to the terms found on an IHG website for your claim to be valid. For example, when you book a room that may be cancelled without penalty on an IHG website, you may not compare it to a room with a pre-paid or non-refundable price on a non-IHG website.

This indicates that the terms need to match exactly, in the past it was OK if the third party site had better terms. We know you could not try and match a Best Flex rate on the IHG site with a AP rate on the third party site, but this now reads that if the third party site used for the match is better, then you cannot use it.

lfc84

must be equal in all respects to the terms found on an IHG website for your claim to be valid

So, I guess that means cancellation policy which kills off all AP claims that i have done in the past since the 3rd party sites have different deadline times

scubaccr

This could be considered as already covered by IHG under before under phrasing such as ... circumventing intent of the BRG program or manipulating the BRG program.

part quote
" or the Guarantee is otherwise being intentionally abused or manipulated to circumvent its intent, "

scubaccr

I suggest blogger is main (or only) reason no more phone lines.
A total phone- lines melt down for a couple of days due to that post.

May even be totally responsible for 50mile rule, as no doubt people in and around new york fancied a night out on long island only when it is free, and otherwise go home after a times square show etc.

mitpat474

Ye must have been the selfish pr&%k, didn't even remove the post either.

markraby

I still say one free night every seven days is pretty good. Choice Hotels restricts it to once every 30 days. (although I am glad that I already locked in two free nights within four days of each other for a trip in August)

For stays of four nights or more, though, it looks like I'll also now have to consider Marriott since their price match + 25% makes a four-night stay the equivalent of getting a free night.

tangey

You are only prohibited from booking another BRG within 7 days of an existing BRG if that hotel is within 50 miles of the first hotel. You could in theory BRG every night of the year, provided each night's stay was more than 50 miles from the previous night.