We were posting at the same time.

Re: of you being a passive person, you put out $$ for the gift card. Don't just let it go. That's your hard-earned $$. Presumably you don't have $$ to throw away.

If anything, tell the gift card people to void the e-card & issue a physical card. Ultimately it was their screw-up and while they can't force the hotel to do right by you, they can take responsibility for their own mistake.

While the gift card can't be used for pre-authorization, it can be used at check-out. We have lots of reports on FT of people using gift cards with no issues (although they were physical cards & not e-cards). I still think part of the issue is that the hotel doesn't know how to handle e-cards.

There is one 'possible' way to use a gift card at check-in. Tell them you want to pay for the room at check-in as a "deposit". If they code it correctly, then when accounting applies the actual room charge it will come out as a zero at the end (ie, charge applied against a deposit) & the card is authorized/charged at the beginning. Of course that requires getting a front-desk clerk who knows what they're doing; not all do. I've done that a few times with a credit card.

Cheers.

Hi SkiAdcock,

Thank you for the response. Issuing another gift card was my initial request, but I was informed that they are unable to do that. Instead I was offered the option to have an e-gift card.

The front desk associate stopped me this morning and her exact words were "We can accept your gift card. We have your credit card on file in case anything happens."

I was a little bit taken back by this last sentence. It made me feel bad. I have been nothing but respectful to the associates here. I have tipped well my entire stay, so I am unsure what she was referring too by that last statement. I said I would bring it down later. I am not sure how it will turn out, but I will report back.

What she meant by that is that if the gift card doesn't work, they'll use the credit card on file to charge your stay. Also, if you act like a drugged out rock star & trash the room :D, they'll use the credit card on file to bill you for damages. Given you were eating candy bars, I don't see the latter being an issue :)

Cheers.

A word of caution, take names and keep detailed notes of what has been said. Get a copy of your folio at check-out and verify the account numbers used for any credits to your account. The property has flip-flopped too many times to remain passive about any of this. Since they do have (and should have) your CC on file, they could change their minds after you check out and you'll be right where you were before. With the documentation you will have grounds to challenge any charges to your CC and re-engage the GC staff to help sort this out. They may not be able to force the property to take the GC, but they sure can help educate the property on how to process the payment.

Enjoy what is left of your trip. Once everything settles out, you might want to write up your experience and send it to MR. Maybe they need to change, yet again, who/how they process gift cards. Or get more proactive at training the property staff.

pooker, please name the property so that your fellow FTers know there could be issues w/ gift cards when staying there. FTers often ask for property names so they know where to stay/which to avoid, or know if mgmt responded in a customer-service manner or not.

Cheers.

If only I could be a rockstar :P

Yes, I have verified the importance of documenting things. I will do this for sure. The manager stopped me again this morning after I had finished breakfast. She seemed very sympathetic and asked if there was anything she could do. I just asked if she would still accept the gift card and she said that she would. She said there was some miscommunication and that accounting would deal with it. I told her about my extend phone calls and asked if there was anything I could do in the future to ensure that this would not happen again. Apparently, the person who was overseeing the entire process has been there for a very long time. I initially thought like some of you that it might of just been inexperience on accepting digital gift cards that was the issue, but that doesn't seem to be the case. The person who declined it has been there for many years and I can only assume that they are familar with Marriott conditions.

On a more positive note, I called my credit card company to make a payment and instead of making a payment they instantly increased my credit limit by 1000. I was a little shocked that it was that easy to increase my credit limit. I have grown a-lot from this stay. :D

Sounds like you now have the right people involved and it will work out fine. Just keep the notes to make sure there are no surprises two months down the road and your memory has faded. All to often when I find people that don't know how to do something the first response is it "can't" be done. It's the easier answer than doing any research. I had an agent tell me their chain "would never do such a promo" that I was calling in about. When I asked for a supervisor she said she was a supervisor! Not until I asked for her manager did she go away and come back apologizing saying she just returned from maternity leave and hadn't caught up on her email. Service just isn't what it use to be. :(

Yes, CC companies do seem to do what you least expect. Now had you called before your trip to make the request, there's a good chance it would be turned down. Keeping a good margin of your credit available for emergencies is a good idea, it may take some time to build it up. I make a point of carrying a few different cards yet pretty much only use one.

Glad to hear you're on track to a good resolution.

Glad to hear that the GM was prodded into resolving this for you and that the GC folks kept the pressure up, which they should.

I understand you are not an argumentative person, and that this is difficult for you, but you shouldn't feel like you are doing anything wrong. OK on switching to Hilton, but eventually you will run out of places to switch if you don't see this for what it is, a (probably) decent property that made a mistake, was happy when you folded and used your credit card, and eventually got this sorted out when you stood up for what was right. You helped yourself and other folks when you taught them how to use the ecard.

Next stay at Marriott you will probably see the other end of the spectrum, the trained desk person who will take your card with nary a problem, and treat you like the guest you are. Don't take it out on the chain, just use it as a data point to build your impression overall. And a data point on "deals..." they often need a little (and sometimes a lot) of personal intervention to get them to work out. If it's not worth it to you, fine, I get that, but don't think it is always like this or that all deals are this much trouble. My opinion - try again, save the 10% or whatever you got for the GC deal, and just realize that every now and then it will take a little extra work to get it done. I think that most of us (and this is why a forum like FT exists) would tell you "play fair, but make them play fair also, and it will pay off well in the long run." Rather than give up, use this as a learning point that a little perserverance, a kind but firm insistance on getting what you are supposed to get, and a knowledge of the rules goes a long way when things go awry. Best of luck!

Added...

I missed this first time through...please reconsider next time...99% of all the really difficult customer service issues get resolved when the senior agents get involved. Having a company advocate for your case would have really helped.

Why not a conference call among OP, Marriott and the hotel's manager?
 

I wonder if having a conference call at the first place would have cleared up some "miscommunication" issue.

I really HATE the hotel managers fondness of using "miscommunication" to brush over serious customer service issue when the hotel was clearly at fault and wouldn't correct it even after initial intervention from the corporate. I had some such experience with a Hyatt property while not related to GC but related to the hotel had initially promised me we could park our car there for a week (with fee) even though we did not book the park and fly package but using Hyatt points. The GM denied the hotel had made such promise when the FD asked how to process the charge. I had to call Gold Passport right there and the Gold Passport demanded to talk to the GM who then lied to Gold Passport about having "miscommunication". Even the FD clerk was shocked for the blatant lie and quietly told me she knew it was not any miscommunication.

Back to Gift Card not accepted issue. I do think a conference call with all 3 parties involved may resolve the issue quicker.

I had an experience with an AMEX GC that had a fine print that could not be used to pay cruise lines but the restriction was not stated on the AMEX GC website, rather it was on the sleeve in which the GC was mailed. Long story short when the GC was declined by Holland America's payment system, I called AMEX GC and connected to the customer service in Manila. Eventually the rep made a conference call with me and my cruise agent to explain the restriction. Later she told me she would process a REFUND of the GC because the restriction was not clear to the customer (she herself had to dig deep to figure out why the payment was declined.)

I feel the Marriott GC folks should do a better job to resolve the messed up issuance of the GC, and later the handling of e-GC by the hotels.

OP, it is nothing to do with argument - when you are clearly wronged, you should get corporate office involved and let the corporate and the hotel sort this out at the senior management level.

Pooker, really glad that you had a good day out and about. Presumably that is what you are there for, rather than spending endless time working to resolve (what should have been) a non-issue!

With regards to your post above -(edited by me)
1) I would hope the GM IS very sympathetic! This is an issue that took place in her hotel, due to an error by her staff. You did nothing wrong, and in fact, have been inconvenienced by this error.
2) She is not "still" taking the gift card. She is not doing you a favor, she is "supposed" to take the gift card.
3) It is unfortunate, but one cannot assume (at any business) that length of time in job equals knowledge. In any future issue with anyone, never decline when contact with management is offered. As Orca15 stated, it can make all the difference.

Reconsider your position on compensation. You gave a lot of time to this, and your Thanksgiving was not the best. Either get some $$$$ off the bill, or (preferably) get some extra points. I realize you have 3 nights you can't use right now - but points don't expire, and I promise - they will come in handy one day!

I am sure you don't want to, but you need to share at which hotel this occurred. It will help others, as they have helped you.

And one final piece of advice :D - make that payment to the credit card company, even with a limit increase!

if this property is among those that do not participate in accepting the GC then I just cannot agree with your position................

According to the OP, it has now been determined the property in question can and does accept gift cards. As it was an employee error that caused the issue, my statement and position is fair to both hotel and OP.

if as you and the OP say that in fact the property can and does accept GCs then what is the problem??????????????

The fact that the OP was originally told by the property that they didn't accept the card, when indeed they do, and was put through a lot of grief for nothing on a holiday stay. That's assuming that this does get sorted properly at the end.

Cheers.