Marriott Travel Packages Refunds
A few days ago I wrote a post about how in my opinion Marriott “screwed” a certain segment of customers with their travel packages when switching from the old to new program.
This is because:
- Category 6, 8 and Ritz 1-3 packages all became worth the same as certs one category below which cost 30,000 points less
- Marriott knew they were going to make these changes
- Marriott took people’s points and allowed them to purchase these packages up until the last minute knowing they were overcharging by 30,000 points
Thankfully the company has seemingly seen the error of their ways for the most part. They have announced it is possible to get a 30,000 point refund, but you have to jump through a hoop. Yes, they could have automatically just refunded the points, but to get your 30K you’ll need to fill out a form.
How to get your refund:
- First, contact Marriott customer service via this link
- Next, select “Packages-Deals”
- Then, give them hell! Just kidding. Ask to get your points back by downgrading your certificate to one category lower. This still gives you the same value in the new program
While I do wish they would just automatically refund members, the form is simple and takes less than a minute to fill out. You will also receive a confirmation email with a case number to follow up.
Packages Can Be Used Sooner
Originally Marriott announced that travel packages wouldn’t be redeemable until September 18, 2018 due to limitations with their computer systems. Thankfully no issues arose so now you can book your packages as of today. This is a nice little development and a case of Marriott delivering more than they promised. I like when that happens.
Conclusion
I’m happy that Marriott backtracked a bit and gave customers with Category 6, 8 and Ritz 1-3 packages a chance to get their points back. Things could have been handled better, but this is a positive step and one I’ll give the company credit for.
HT: OMAAT
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This is the response I received a couple weeks back.
Thank you for taking the time to reach out to Marriott Customer Care today.
The point difference will be returned to your account automatically but not until all Marriott Rewards and SPG accounts are merged. This will happen in the near future.
They took away the opportunity to request those 30,000 points back.
Really? What did they say – you only had a certain amount of time to ask for the points?
Hi
I have a cat 8
Certificate attached to a reservation for April
What’s my best move ?
I have one Cat 8 and I did not attach as I wanted a wider variety of properties to choose from post Aug. 18. I have not received any refund and there is no spot anymore to pick packages-deals on the Marriott page.
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Here’s the response I got:
Thank you for contacting Marriott Customer Care regarding your travel package details.
After further reviewing your account, I see that your certificate is not attached to your reservation. Any certificates that were not attached prior to August 17, 2018 will not be honored. There will be no adjustment of points for the category changes, and you will need to book at the points rate for the new category. There will be a month long black out period ending mid September, where you will be unable to access your certificates. Once access to use them are restored, guests will have the ability to book reservations through http://www.marriott.com.
We appreciate your patience during this time. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions or concerns.
Safe travels,
Jeffrey Robinson
Marriott Customer Care
Guess were funcked?
I also attempted to attach a reservation and was told that the SPG properties are not yet bookable and to call back. They did mention they had the ability to book Marriott properties for the vouchers. Recommended I call back in a week. On a good note, I was told my point difference would be refunded on the Cat 6 I rushed to attain.
The only fair solution is to let people move down one category OR up one category for 30K points (the difference between categories on old travel package chart). I say this because CSRs misinformed people by telling them things like “Buy Cat 8 for that property you want because it will transfer to Cat 6 after 8/18”, which was wrong when certificate map was released on the 19th.
NOTE: Certificates not attached to the property because the desired date was more than 1 year out and Marriott doesn’t book 1 year out.
Tried to attach a reservation today and was told to call back later.
I don’t see the “points ‘ next to my package anymore
All I see is “7 nights travel package Category 6”
Have people actually received refunds? Im holding 2 – Cat 8’s (now Cat 5) but have them attached to a reservations. I dont want my reservations touched and messed up so I will wait to see how this plays out
This is for unattached certificates.