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Wyndham Makes a 12-hr Play for Starwood Loyalty Members [UPDATE: Now CANCELLED]

Wyndham Makes a 12-hr Play for Starwood Loyalty Members [UPDATE: Now CANCELLED]

 
Old Oct 11, 2016, 1:29 pm
  #31  
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Originally Posted by pinniped
Did they have any way to verify the donations? Or was it just screenshots?

The requirement to empty out an account was just stupid to begin with. Certainly airlines and hotels know their most valuable guests have accounts (and balances) with multiple brands. Forcing someone to empty an account to participate in the promotion seems mean-spirited, and makes me *less* likely to want to do business with Wyndham. (Not that I had a huge burning desire to do so before this promotion...)
Maybe some of the Starwood employees who ended up moving to Wyndham really have an axe to grind?
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Old Oct 11, 2016, 1:44 pm
  #32  
 
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Why in the world would someone want to switch from SPG to Wyndham??
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Old Oct 11, 2016, 1:51 pm
  #33  
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Originally Posted by dilbertsdaddy
Why in the world would someone want to switch from SPG to Wyndham??
I'm really tired of Westin, W, and Sheraton. It's time for Travelodge!!
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Old Oct 11, 2016, 2:12 pm
  #34  
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Originally Posted by pinniped
I'm really tired of Westin, W, and Sheraton. It's time for Travelodge!!
There are some Wyndham Rewards proprieties that are not exactly bottom-fishing for the locality, but those properties are a tiny sliver of Wyndham properties when talking about large cities.

I have used WR for hotels in Miami and NYC. Starwood has more upscale properties in both places.

Last edited by GUWonder; Oct 11, 2016 at 2:13 pm Reason: You
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Old Oct 11, 2016, 2:16 pm
  #35  
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Originally Posted by dilbertsdaddy
Why in the world would someone want to switch from SPG to Wyndham??
Loyalty Traveler blog explains why he was doing this (before it got pulled).
http://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea....-points-today/
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Old Oct 11, 2016, 2:18 pm
  #36  
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Originally Posted by cln
Can u just get a status match without the points ?
Hi cln,

Those who have already submitted will be contacted via email with further instructions regarding points awarding and status match. We are working to respond to all of the email inquiries and review submissions as quickly as possible. For more: https://a.pgtb.me/dBfc49.
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Old Oct 11, 2016, 3:38 pm
  #37  
 
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Originally Posted by swag
Loyalty Traveler blog explains why he was doing this (before it got pulled).
http://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea....-points-today/
He basically had no points or status with SPG, so I think that explains the person who would do this.

There isn't a ton you can do with only 12K SPG points.
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Old Oct 11, 2016, 4:07 pm
  #38  
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Originally Posted by spgplat21
He basically had no points or status with SPG, so I think that explains the person who would do this.

There isn't a ton you can do with only 12K SPG points.
But 48k Wyndham points can go a long way in saving money relative to 12k SPG.

I would have considered changing 12k SPG to 48k Wyndham, even as I've got status with SPG and prefer SPG properties overall to WR properties overall.
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Old Oct 11, 2016, 4:32 pm
  #39  
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
But 48k Wyndham points can go a long way in saving money relative to 12k SPG.
Yeah, I've tried some of his suggestions in Europe. They're solid. And I have bought points during Discover Americas so I could stay at the Miami Beach Shelbourne at a significant discount, or at the New Yorker (managed to score a suite with a sweet Chrysler Tower view and a balcony).

The problem is that WR has pulled these kind of no-notice stunts where they jerk people around over and over again, so I'm pretty disinterested in them save on a transactional basis "("Oh, this particular thing I can do looks like a win, so I'll try it"), not as a loyalty program I'd want to accrue a balance in or have a long term relationship with (very earn and burn). That doesn't mean I won't stay at a Travelodge and get points for it if it's the right thing to do (at that point I consider loyalty programs pure bonus), but I simply don't put much faith in Lucy keeping the football where I can kick it when it comes to WR program rules.
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Old Oct 11, 2016, 5:00 pm
  #40  
 
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Before the offer even began, there were obvious and significant examples of fraud.

Before the OFFER even BEGAN! How???

We will, however, make a donation of 5 million Wyndham Rewards points to charity as the work they do on behalf of others is real magic.

The charity already has their points! Why do they need another 5 million? (That's also not very many SPG points!)

Cos 'that's where the magic happens'!

Who writes this dreadful copy?

Don't these loyalty schemed think it through?
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Old Oct 11, 2016, 5:22 pm
  #41  
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Originally Posted by eponymous_coward
Yeah, I've tried some of his suggestions in Europe. They're solid. And I have bought points during Discover Americas so I could stay at the Miami Beach Shelbourne at a significant discount, or at the New Yorker (managed to score a suite with a sweet Chrysler Tower view and a balcony).

The problem is that WR has pulled these kind of no-notice stunts where they jerk people around over and over again, so I'm pretty disinterested in them save on a transactional basis "("Oh, this particular thing I can do looks like a win, so I'll try it"), not as a loyalty program I'd want to accrue a balance in or have a long term relationship with (very earn and burn). That doesn't mean I won't stay at a Travelodge and get points for it if it's the right thing to do (at that point I consider loyalty programs pure bonus), but I simply don't put much faith in Lucy keeping the football where I can kick it when it comes to WR program rules.
Wyndham Reward is indeed rather notorious for rushed implementation of customer-unfriendly shenanigans. And some may say this promotion cancellation is yet another sign that the program management still leaves much to be desired before investing too much into WRs.

It's WR's history that made me most hesitant to jump into this promotion. Trust is lacking.
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Old Oct 11, 2016, 6:39 pm
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
There are some Wyndham Rewards proprieties that are not exactly bottom-fishing for the locality, but those properties are a tiny sliver of Wyndham properties when talking about large cities.

I have used WR for hotels in Miami and NYC. Starwood has more upscale properties in both places.
Yes, and Wyndham has virtually no blackout dates. I was planning on using the points at the New Yorker in Manhattan for New Year's Eve. Would have been a sweet deal!
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Old Oct 11, 2016, 6:42 pm
  #43  
 
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Any guesses on what fraud Wyndham saw before the promotion went live?
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Old Oct 11, 2016, 6:56 pm
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Originally Posted by charlesonmission
Any guesses on what fraud Wyndham saw before the promotion went live?
Not sure they have proof of any actual customer-committed fraud to show us, when it comes to submissions for the promotion. But false account balances and false charity transfers are the two approaches I would have expected to be a potential fraud problem to be anticipated before even publicizing the promo.

The peddling of a photoshop-type service to misrepresent the SP account and SPG account activity? That wouldn't surprise me, but I saw no such thing either.
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