This has been going on for awhile, actually.

If you are not a Diamond or higher, you are routed to the Philippines, where the reps are both confused and unempowered.

The only good news is that VIP Services is mostly located in the US, and they are the ones who handle both Seven Stars/Diamond and Total Rewards offer bookings.

If you end up being connected to someone with a Filipino-sounding accent, you should immediately ask to be transfered to the US. Last time I dealt with one of these foreign call reps, it was a nightmare.