Free night certificate error somehow my fault
Nov 12, 2023, 3:49 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 13
Free night certificate error somehow my fault
I made a booking back in June 2023 for a stay in July 2023 and attached my free night certificate (35,000pts) to the reservation. Afterwards, I made a booking at another hotel for the end of September with points (18,000 pts if I remember correctly). Because of a system error, the points for the second stay were not deducted from the account.
In July, my travel plans changed and I ended up cancelling the reservation made with the free night certificate. The certificate returned to the account. After my stay at the end of September, the free night certificate disappeared from my account. I contacted customer service and after a back and forth, they admitted that it was a system error and that the certificate had automatically attached to the second reservation, but that I should have noticed the error before the stay. As such, they would give me 10,000 pts goodwill and nothing else.
When I asked for it to be escalated to a supervisor, I was told no. Seriously?!
TLDR; system error on booking, I didn't notice and have lost my free night certificate because of it.
In July, my travel plans changed and I ended up cancelling the reservation made with the free night certificate. The certificate returned to the account. After my stay at the end of September, the free night certificate disappeared from my account. I contacted customer service and after a back and forth, they admitted that it was a system error and that the certificate had automatically attached to the second reservation, but that I should have noticed the error before the stay. As such, they would give me 10,000 pts goodwill and nothing else.
When I asked for it to be escalated to a supervisor, I was told no. Seriously?!
TLDR; system error on booking, I didn't notice and have lost my free night certificate because of it.
Nov 12, 2023, 5:36 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 2,155
The system error sucks of course, and the "you should have noticed" doesn't sound like the customer friendliest way to have responded.
Effectively for your 35k certificate you have receiveed a room for 18k plus 10k points. I don't know what you have been hoping for but a nicely worded email requesting the missing 7k to make you whole again might be reasonable but also perhaps as much as could be expected?
Effectively for your 35k certificate you have receiveed a room for 18k plus 10k points. I don't know what you have been hoping for but a nicely worded email requesting the missing 7k to make you whole again might be reasonable but also perhaps as much as could be expected?
Nov 12, 2023, 6:04 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 13
The system error sucks of course, and the "you should have noticed" doesn't sound like the customer friendliest way to have responded.
Effectively for your 35k certificate you have receiveed a room for 18k plus 10k points. I don't know what you have been hoping for but a nicely worded email requesting the missing 7k to make you whole again might be reasonable but also perhaps as much as could be expected?
Effectively for your 35k certificate you have receiveed a room for 18k plus 10k points. I don't know what you have been hoping for but a nicely worded email requesting the missing 7k to make you whole again might be reasonable but also perhaps as much as could be expected?
Nov 12, 2023, 7:18 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,483
I made a booking back in June 2023 for a stay in July 2023 and attached my free night certificate (35,000pts) to the reservation. Afterwards, I made a booking at another hotel for the end of September with points (18,000 pts if I remember correctly). Because of a system error, the points for the second stay were not deducted from the account............
If there is no point or cert attached to an award booking, the property will pull award upon you checking in. Unfortunately, Bonvoy system defaults to deduct the first certificate. If you have multiple certificates, it will actually deduct the certificate with the earliest expiration. For example, if you have a 85K certificate with earlier expiration, it will pull that one for the 18K booking.
It is a system error which is easily corrected before the stay yet difficult after the fact. I am not saying this is the right way to do it but just explaining it.
Nov 12, 2023, 7:34 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 13
Did you notice the system error of not deducting 18K point right away or after the stay?
If there is no point or cert attached to an award booking, the property will pull award upon you checking in. Unfortunately, Bonvoy system defaults to deduct the first certificate. If you have multiple certificates, it will actually deduct the certificate with the earliest expiration. For example, if you have a 85K certificate with earlier expiration, it will pull that one for the 18K booking. It is a system error which is easily corrected before the stay yet difficult after the fact. I am not saying this is the right way to do it but just explaining it.
If there is no point or cert attached to an award booking, the property will pull award upon you checking in. Unfortunately, Bonvoy system defaults to deduct the first certificate. If you have multiple certificates, it will actually deduct the certificate with the earliest expiration. For example, if you have a 85K certificate with earlier expiration, it will pull that one for the 18K booking.
It is a system error which is easily corrected before the stay yet difficult after the fact. I am not saying this is the right way to do it but just explaining it.What would have happened if I had no certificate. They would have just taken the points, right?
Nov 12, 2023, 9:23 pm
#6
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 2,155
It does seem harsh to say you should have noticed it before the stay when the certificate was not removed from your account until after the stay. And I suppose another harsh position by them could possibly be to suggest that by the time they took the certificate the redemption rate had increased to 25k (I’m just speculating there). And yes I suspect they would have just taken points otherwise.
A simple friendly email can't hurt though. You may have just had a poor agent on the phone. Keep it simple and emotion-free, say you couldn't notice the certificate was being used before the stay, thanks for the 10k so far but could they just make it whole again please to correct their system error that was out of your control
I get that it's the principle as much as the points, and only you can know how much effort you want to put in for 7k points.
Good luck!
A simple friendly email can't hurt though. You may have just had a poor agent on the phone. Keep it simple and emotion-free, say you couldn't notice the certificate was being used before the stay, thanks for the 10k so far but could they just make it whole again please to correct their system error that was out of your control
I get that it's the principle as much as the points, and only you can know how much effort you want to put in for 7k points.
Good luck!
Nov 12, 2023, 10:57 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2012
Programs: AA Plat Pro
Posts: 911
I made a booking back in June 2023 for a stay in July 2023 and attached my free night certificate (35,000pts) to the reservation. Afterwards, I made a booking at another hotel for the end of September with points (18,000 pts if I remember correctly). Because of a system error, the points for the second stay were not deducted from the account.
In July, my travel plans changed and I ended up cancelling the reservation made with the free night certificate. The certificate returned to the account. After my stay at the end of September, the free night certificate disappeared from my account. I contacted customer service and after a back and forth, they admitted that it was a system error and that the certificate had automatically attached to the second reservation, but that I should have noticed the error before the stay. As such, they would give me 10,000 pts goodwill and nothing else.
When I asked for it to be escalated to a supervisor, I was told no. Seriously?!
TLDR; system error on booking, I didn't notice and have lost my free night certificate because of it.
In July, my travel plans changed and I ended up cancelling the reservation made with the free night certificate. The certificate returned to the account. After my stay at the end of September, the free night certificate disappeared from my account. I contacted customer service and after a back and forth, they admitted that it was a system error and that the certificate had automatically attached to the second reservation, but that I should have noticed the error before the stay. As such, they would give me 10,000 pts goodwill and nothing else.
When I asked for it to be escalated to a supervisor, I was told no. Seriously?!
TLDR; system error on booking, I didn't notice and have lost my free night certificate because of it.
Nov 13, 2023, 5:50 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2021
Programs: United, EVA, Marriott, Hilton
Posts: 309
Nov 13, 2023, 10:43 am
#11
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Nov 13, 2023, 3:24 pm
#12
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Posts: 15,058
That is assuming one has plans to stay at a 50K property. Not everyone does.
Nov 14, 2023, 6:45 am
#13
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 15,206
Right, but if you have a 35k cert and it was mishandled by Marriott, then you should reasonably expect at LEAST to receive that amount of points in return.
Nov 14, 2023, 7:09 am
#14
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Nov 14, 2023, 7:26 am
#15
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 2,155
Pragmatism may work in your favour here. If your 35k cert got used for an 18k room, and they (eventually) give you back 17k points, you are pretty much getting two free nights at that level of hotel for your one free night cert. Plus the points are more flexible.
Whether you might have used the original cert for a 35k+ room somewhere else is irrelevant really as you still have the 18k points that weren't taken in the first place.
But it shouldn't be a fight to get the 17k made good if it was their error.
Whether you might have used the original cert for a 35k+ room somewhere else is irrelevant really as you still have the 18k points that weren't taken in the first place.
But it shouldn't be a fight to get the 17k made good if it was their error.