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PROMO: SPG Free Weekends 2010 earn thru July 31; redeem through Dec. 19

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PROMO: SPG Free Weekends 2010 earn thru July 31; redeem through Dec. 19

 
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Old Apr 29, 2010, 1:23 pm
  #316  
Company Representative - Starwood
 
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Originally Posted by pointsjunkie53
if my stay is for 4/30-5/1 and i check out on 5/1 will this count towards a stay for this promotion?
I'm thinking "no" since no qualifying night fell in the promotion period that begins 5/1. If you had left on 5/2, then "yes" because the night of 5/1 would have.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]
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Old Apr 29, 2010, 2:16 pm
  #317  
 
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Originally Posted by saad
if its a starwood property then it will advertise the promo....doesn't matter if its participating or not....no harm there....
So if Ford let's say for example advertises $5000 cash back for all new car purchases. They run a commercial with a Mustang convertible throughout the entire ad, only to learn at the dealership or in the fine print that Mustangs are excluded from this promotion, that is acceptable to you?

Not hard to see using pictures of an SPG hotel that doesn't participate in the promo is an oversight at best, and most likely misleading to most.
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Old Apr 29, 2010, 2:26 pm
  #318  
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Originally Posted by schley
...Not hard to see using pictures of an SPG hotel that doesn't participate in the promo is an oversight at best, and most likely misleading to most.
So, hypothetically-speaking, this would really not be an issue if this hotel participated in SPG at some point during the promotion?

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

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Old Apr 29, 2010, 2:30 pm
  #319  
 
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Originally Posted by Starwood Lurker
So, hypothetically-speaking, this would really not be an issue if this hotel participated in SPG at some point during the promotion?

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]
No not at all. If they participate in said promo then feel free to advertise. What are you getting at, that you can receive a stay credit to count towards the promo, but cannot redeem FFN there?

If that is the case I would still claim it misleading.
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Old Apr 29, 2010, 2:33 pm
  #320  
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Originally Posted by schley
No not at all. If they participate in said promo then feel free to advertise. What are you getting at, that you can receive a stay credit to count towards the promo, but cannot redeem FFN there?
I'm getting at if this hotel began participating in SPG at the beginning or near beginning of this promotion and you could earn and/or burn there, would it still be an issue that their photo was used to advertise Free Weekend Nights (not FFN)?

If that is the case I would still claim it misleading.
Interesting.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]
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Old Apr 29, 2010, 2:35 pm
  #321  
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Originally Posted by schley
So if Ford let's say for example advertises $5000 cash back for all new car purchases. They run a commercial with a Mustang convertible throughout the entire ad, only to learn at the dealership or in the fine print that Mustangs are excluded from this promotion, that is acceptable to you?

Not hard to see using pictures of an SPG hotel that doesn't participate in the promo is an oversight at best, and most likely misleading to most.
that's not quite the same....

if ford said 'all new car purchases' & then excluded a type then it would be misleading....if ford were to run a promotion like that saying selected cars were included in this promotion & then displayed a sign on all their cars for advertising the promo then there is nothing misleading about that....at the end of the say only the cars included in the promo would be eligable for the $5,000 cash back & not the mustang convertible, even though it was displaying a sign for the promo....

but spg does not say earn & redeem at all properties....it clearly says all participating properties....
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Old Apr 29, 2010, 2:39 pm
  #322  
 
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Originally Posted by Starwood Lurker
I'm getting at if this hotel began participating in SPG at the beginning or near beginning of this promotion and you could earn and/or burn there, would it still be an issue that their photo was used to advertise Free Weekend Nights (not FFN)?



Interesting.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]
If a hotel isn't participating in the promo why have the photo, which is accompanied by the name and location in the lower right hand corner we all know, (I really like that feature by the way as it puts a name with a face so to to speak) to begin with?

I don't know the particulars you are referring, I'm guessing the property is participating for only part of the promo. If that were the case then I would think for the period of time they are actually participating it would be fine to show the picture of the hotel. When they aren't, then take it down. That is simple and straightforward. SPG I don't think needs to resort to a bait and switch do they?

Do you have details on your "hypothetical"?
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Old Apr 29, 2010, 2:43 pm
  #323  
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Originally Posted by schley
If a hotel isn't participating in the promo why have the photo, which is accompanied by the name and location in the lower right hand corner we all know, (I really like that feature by the way as it puts a name with a face so to to speak) to begin with?
Indeed.

I don't know the particulars you are referring, I'm guessing the property is participating for only part of the promo. If that were the case then I would think for the period of time they are actually participating it would be fine to show the picture of the hotel. When they aren't, then take it down. That is simple and straightforward. SPG I don't think needs to resort to a bait and switch do they?

Do you have details on your "hypothetical"?
Oh, yes. But I am inclined to let the pot boil a little longer.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

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Old Apr 29, 2010, 2:43 pm
  #324  
 
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Originally Posted by saad
that's not quite the same....

if ford said 'all new car purchases' & then excluded a type then it would be misleading....but spg does not say earn & redeem at all properties....it clearly says all participating properties....
Saad, come on, you are an educated man and you are going to nit pick on wording used in my hypothetical example to try and defend your position? What if they had an * in really small print somewhere in the ad, who knows or cares. If the mustang is being used to advertise a cash back offer, for which it is not included in that is misleading, much the same as what SPG is doing. How is this hard to understand? Come on here this is basic bait and switch advertising.
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Old Apr 29, 2010, 2:47 pm
  #325  
 
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Originally Posted by saad

but spg does not say earn & redeem at all properties....it clearly says all participating properties....
Great they do, but WHY USE A PICTURE OF A PROPERTY THAT ISN'T PARTICIPATING TO ADVERTISE IT?

It is called bait and switch advertising, or bad IT that can't change the picture to cycle properly, or an oversight. Either way it is misleading to the consumer who is looking at it.
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Old Apr 29, 2010, 2:48 pm
  #326  
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Originally Posted by schley
...Come on here this is basic bait and switch advertising.
Bait and switch



Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

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Old Apr 29, 2010, 2:48 pm
  #327  
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Originally Posted by schley
Saad, come on, you are an educated man and you are going to nit pick on wording used in my hypothetical example to try and defend your position? What if they had an * in really small print somewhere in the ad, who knows or cares. If the mustang is being used to advertise a cash back offer, for which it is not included in that is misleading, much the same as what SPG is doing. How is this hard to understand? Come on here this is basic bait and switch advertising.
as a lawyer the one thing we were told again & again in law school was to always read the whole document including the fine print....after all, you find all the 'real' stuff in the fine print....

i don't find what spg is doing as misleading....some others (including you) might....lets just leave it at that....
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Old Apr 29, 2010, 2:51 pm
  #328  
 
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Originally Posted by Starwood Lurker
Indeed.



Oh, yes. But I am inclined to let the pot boil a little longer.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]
I'm not upset, I just think it a bad reflection on SPG. I enjoy the conversation, which in this particular example I'm surprised some are even debating it, but it is FT thus disagreement is part of the TOS.
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Old Apr 29, 2010, 2:57 pm
  #329  
 
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Originally Posted by saad
as a lawyer the one thing we were told again & again in law school was to always read the whole document including the fine print....after all, you find all the 'real' stuff in the fine print....

i don't find what spg is doing as misleading....some others (including you) might....lets just leave it at that....
I know your profession which is why I noted educated previously, however it shouldn't mean you look at everything that is defensible under the law as right. There are ethics involved here, and although minor I agree, it still is deceptive to use a picture of a hotel to advertise a promo that they aren't participating in (at that time I guess William to appease you). Period that is my point and it hasn't changed nor will it.
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Old Apr 29, 2010, 3:01 pm
  #330  
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Originally Posted by schley
I know your profession which is why I noted educated previously, however it shouldn't mean you look at everything that is defensible under the law as right. There are ethics involved here, and although minor I agree, it still is deceptive to use a picture of a hotel to advertise a promo that they aren't participating in (at that time I guess William to appease you). Period that is my point and it hasn't changed nor will it.
like i said before, some will find it misleading & some won't....lets just leave it at that....
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