Just had a crazy DVC conversation!

[Sammy]

I had the most insane conversation with a coworker today regarding DVC. He knows how much of a Disney fan I am, so he mentioned today that he and his wife just bought DVC at AKL. I congratulated him, and the conversation went downhill from there:

Me: "Congratulations...Animal Kingdom is really cool! You'll love it there!
Him: "We bought enough points to have a scenic view." (Savannah view?)
Me: "Nice! We own at Old Key West."
Him: "Oh, we own right at Disney"
Me: "Um, yeah, OKW is also at Disney. It was the first Vacation Club Resort."
Him: "Oh. Well, I guess you can stay at the other Vacation Club Resorts too, right? I know there's some kind of Music resort, and one named Coronado."
Me: "No, those aren't DVC Resorts," (I named a few) "but once you start staying DVC, you'll really get spoiled."
Him: "I know! I'm paying $250 a month for 10 years and then I'll have 50 years of vacations for free."

At this point, I'm flabbergasted and realize I need to just shut up and nod my head a few times. He's really clueless. Then the conversation ends with this gem:

Him: "My wife and I going to celebrate our 25th Anniversary in 5 years, so I'm planning on saving up a few years' points and booking at the Grand Floridian."

Oh god. How can someone spend $14,000 (what he told me he paid) and not have a CLUE???? Did Disney see this guy coming or what?

I know not everyone is as informed at the people on this board, but really! If you're going to make a signficant purchase like this, shouldn't you do a little more research?

[TiggerFreak]

He forgot to tell you about the new Harry Potter ride opening soon at Disney World:rotfl2:
Oh and how he can bring all 17 of his inlaws and have them stay with them in a 2 bedroom :banana::banana::banana::banana::banana: :banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana: :banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:

[tinkerfan1]

Maybe he has an "in" and knows about a new DVC that will be opening in 5 years at the GF? Yeah right! Lordy...

[WilsonFlyer]

My bet would be on the fact that he doesn't know what he's talking about because he hasn't bought DVC. Either that or the old adage applies, "A fool and his money are soon parted." ;)

[Sammy]

My bet would be on the fact that he doesn't know what he's talking about because he hasn't bought DVC. Either that or the old adage applies, "A fool and his money are soon parted." ;)

Bob,

Unfortunately, I think that's the case. He was so excited, saying they've been to Disney 4 times over the past 6 years and now he'd be all set for the next 50 years of vacations!

[Harlemgirl720]

My bet would be on the fact that he doesn't know what he's talking about because he hasn't bought DVC. Either that or the old adage applies, "A fool and his money are soon parted." ;)

I was thinking the same thing. :rotfl2:

[DVCJones]

:headache:

[Tiger926]

That conversation just made my head hurt...Tiger:eek:

[lugnut33]

Disney should make reading these boards mandatory if you want to purchase DVC.

[3DisneyKids]

These stories never cease to amaze me! How can someone spend that kind of money and have no clue?!?!

[disneynutz]

I hate to pop your bubble but most folks don't use the DIS. In fact most who buy an interest in the DVC only know what they are told by a Guide or what they see at the presentation or DVD.

We talk to other owners on every trip and most have very little knowledge about what they own.

Last month we met a couple who haven't used their points in three years. We talked about banking and he told me that they don't know anything about it and that it sounded like too much trouble. :scared1:

If the member meeting last month is any indication or owner demographics, the average age of DVC owners is around 60 years of age. A group that maybe doesn't take the time to DIS.

:) Bill

[Chim Chiminy]

My parents bought their own at SSR in 2006 and don't understand how DVC works.
I am an associate on theirs and help them with booking and banking points.
They aren't interested in learning the ins and outs which baffles me. And yes, they are both in their mid 60's.

[3DisneyKids]

I hate to pop your bubble but most folks don't use the DIS. In fact most who buy an interest in the DVC only know what they are told by a Guide or what they see at the presentation or DVD.

We talk to other owners on every trip and most have very little knowledge about what they own.

Last month we met a couple who haven't used their points in three years. We talked about banking and he told me that they don't know anything about it and that it sounded like too much trouble. :scared1:

If the member meeting last month is any indication or owner demographics, the average age of DVC owners is around 60 years of age. A group that maybe doesn't take the time to DIS.

:) Bill

Bill makes a great point here. A few years ago, a bunch of us here attempted to figure out about what percentage of owners were actually on the DIS, and it seemed that best case scenario was like 2%. Very low. The assumption was that those of us here on the DIS are more informed than the "average" owner who just watches the DVD and talks to the guide.

Now, there are certainly other fan sites out there (though the DIS is the biggest, by far), so even if you take all of them into consideration, you MIGHT be talking 4-5% who are "die hard" DVCers and really know all of the ins and outs of the system.

So again, it never ceases to amaze me...

But YIKES on the story above about the owner who hasn't gone in three years and never banked points! Holy wasted money!

[robertdangelo]

Maybe his wife has all the facts & is the planner of the family. My wife prefers to have me handle our DVC planning. We discuss things together, but when it comes to banking/borrowing, etc. I work it all out.
Our 20 month old daughter loves looking at the DVC planning book. She knows the resorts when I ask her to point at them! My wife often jokes that when I pass on, our daughter will have to manage and plan DVC! :)

Bob

[BeccaG]

Oh to be rich enough to spend 14K and not really care to know the details or use the points I bought!

[Starr W.]

I hate to pop your bubble but most folks don't use the DIS. In fact most who buy an interest in the DVC only know what they are told by a Guide or what they see at the presentation or DVD.

We talk to other owners on every trip and most have very little knowledge about what they own.

Last month we met a couple who haven't used their points in three years. We talked about banking and he told me that they don't know anything about it and that it sounded like too much trouble. :scared1:

If the member meeting last month is any indication or owner demographics, the average age of DVC owners is around 60 years of age. A group that maybe doesn't take the time to DIS.

:) Bill


You are right on the money. We met a non-DIS member DVC owner at our school carnival.

:scared1: on how much they didn't know about the system.

They use their points to cruise, had only spent 1 night at a DVC resort(post-cruise!).

[dianeschlicht]

You do NOT have to be on the DIS to know how to use your DVC. I didn't find the DIS for the first 4 years of membership in DVC, and I learned how to use it just fine.

The problem is that DVC does not do a tutorial, and if folks aren't willing to read and learn on their own, then they WILL be a FOOL parted with their money AND points.

Our guide told us of someone who owned for 12 years and paid dues for 12 years and never once booked a trip! My guess is that one thought they were paying for "one trip" and never even realized they could travel every year.

Sorry, but folks who aren't smart enough to own DVC will learn the hard way what they can and can't do. My guess is your co-worker will be coming to you in a year or two to find out "what he did wrong". Either that, or he'll be complaining about how worthless it is to him!;)

[tjkraz]

I hate to pop your bubble but most folks don't use the DIS. In fact most who buy an interest in the DVC only know what they are told by a Guide or what they see at the presentation or DVD.



Totally agree. Not only do they just know what they are told, they often seem to misinterpret what is said. That's why I'm always a bit dubious when people make claims like "my Guide told me the points would NEVER change!"

Really? Are you sure about that? ;)

As for the individual in question, obviously he's wrong about the trips being "free" for 50 years. But I'm not inclined to slight him over a desire to stay at the Grand Floridian. They are his points and he can pay the premium rate for another resort if he wishes. :confused3

Every day people choose to pay $50K for a Cadillac instead of $25K for a Kia. It's their money.

[BWV Dreamin]

Maybe his wife has all the facts & is the planner of the family. My wife prefers to have me handle our DVC planning. We discuss things together, but when it comes to banking/borrowing, etc. I work it all out.
Our 20 month old daughter loves looking at the DVC planning book. She knows the resorts when I ask her to point at them! My wife often jokes that when I pass on, our daughter will have to manage and plan DVC! :)

Bob
:rotfl2: So true! My DH doesn't have a clue.....:laughing:

[Crystal_27]

I know not everyone is as informed at the people on this board, but really! If you're going to make a signficant purchase like this, shouldn't you do a little more research?

I think the lack of research happens more than you would ever imagine. In fact, Disney probably banks on the fact that the majority of people buy DVC as an impulse while on vacation without doing any research. I know that when we bought, we were eating ice cream with another couple who also bought in, and I asked them where they had bought and they said "Bay View...or something." That really gave me pause because I would think that if someone just dropped $15,000+++, they should at least know the name of what they bought. However, the term "Bay View" is now a standing joke between DH and I, and hopefully the new owners in question are happy with their purchase. :rolleyes:

[dianeschlicht]

I think the lack of research happens more than you would ever imagine. In fact, Disney probably banks on the fact that the majority of people buy DVC as an impulse while on vacation without doing any research. I know that when we bought, we were eating ice cream with another couple who also bought in, and I asked them where they had bought and they said "Bay View...or something." That really gave me pause because I would think that if someone just dropped $15,000+++, they should at least know the name of what they bought. However, the term "Bay View" is now a standing joke between DH and I, and hopefully the new owners in question are happy with their purchase. :rolleyes:

I think you are right on with that! Our guide told us many stories of folks who don't utilize their membership, so I KNOW DVC is aware of the problem, and they aren't very upfront with having any kind of tutorial for them. It's kind of like buying an I-Phone or I-Touch. If you aren't going to do the unline tutorial, what is the point of buying it??

[HGLightlyj]

I hate to pop your bubble but most folks don't use the DIS. In fact most who buy an interest in the DVC only know what they are told by a Guide or what they see at the presentation or DVD.

We talk to other owners on every trip and most have very little knowledge about what they own.

Last month we met a couple who haven't used their points in three years. We talked about banking and he told me that they don't know anything about it and that it sounded like too much trouble. :scared1:

If the member meeting last month is any indication or owner demographics, the average age of DVC owners is around 60 years of age. A group that maybe doesn't take the time to DIS.

:) Bill

f.y.i. I'm over 60 and bought DVC because of DIS. I was impressed by the enthusiasm of DVC owners to keep adding on more points. I tend to be frugal with my money and like to have all the facts before I spend it. Perhaps these folks don't have to worry about "counting their pennies" or maybe not.:goodvibes

[Joan S.]

:rotfl2: So true! My DH doesn't have a clue.....:laughing:

DITTO!! And I SURE hold it over his head!! Not happy with me WELL be careful because he does not keep track of dates we are going,what time the plane leaves our home airport,where dinner is each night or get this (after 24 years of WDW) which rides are in which park and where are they located!! It REALLY is PRETTY funny but he has a GREAT time when we go and looks forward to each trip like a little kid!! But he is CLUELESS as to how our DVC works!! I have already told my DD(25) if anything happens to me just TAKE OVER the DVC points. ;) Joan

[BEASLYBOO]

Maybe his wife will be the one who will coordinate and keep up with the points they bought, I hope. Banking/Borrowing etc. can seem a little daunting at first, and I am sure there are many people who have timeshares, not only DVC who don't use them year to year never realizing what options they may have.

I used a friends membership 3 or 4 times before buying in, so I had a good idea of what I was purchasing. They had purchased 4 full weeks in a 2br at OKW when it opened and as their children grew and moved away, at least 2 of those weeks just expired every year, till I happened along that is! i think this happens to a great many people, who knew the importance of banking those last little 8 points would have since the 2010 point chart reorganization.

I took the tour in 1996, they were in sell mode and my guide was not the best, he promised me the moon!

If he truly made a purchase, he'll get a real education when he gets all of his paperwork and yearly book.

[BEASLYBOO]

I think you are right on with that! Our guide told us many stories of folks who don't utilize their membership, so I KNOW DVC is aware of the problem, and they aren't very upfront with having any kind of tutorial for them. It's kind of like buying an I-Phone or I-Touch. If you aren't going to do the unline tutorial, what is the point of buying it??
Unfortunately a great many people (men, in general, flame away!) don't/won't follow directions/instructions. I wonder in DVC households who really manages the points, the men or woman.

[christa112]

I think another sad part of that conversation is the Guide should have realized that these people had no idea what he or she was even talking about. Maybe stop the sales pitch and go into much needed details, as obviously your co-worker doesn't have a clue.

It is sad how the Guides just gloss over parts of their pitch and you need to come on a message board to find out the real details of the DVC. :confused3

I guess people will do anything to make a buck. :rolleyes1

[disneynutz]

I think another sad part of that conversation is the Guide should have realized that these people had no idea what he or she was even talking about. Maybe stop the sales pitch and go into much needed details, as obviously your co-worker doesn't have a clue.

It is sad how the Guides just gloss over parts of their pitch and you need to come on a message board to find out the real details of the DVC. :confused3

I guess people will do anything to make a buck. :rolleyes1

That's the business that they are in. Disney has a "if not asked, don't tell" policy.

:) Bill

[ssawka]

Maybe his wife has all the facts & is the planner of the family. My wife prefers to have me handle our DVC planning. We discuss things together, but when it comes to banking/borrowing, etc. I work it all out.
Our 20 month old daughter loves looking at the DVC planning book. She knows the resorts when I ask her to point at them! My wife often jokes that when I pass on, our daughter will have to manage and plan DVC! :)

Bob


That was my thought exactly! Although in our house, I'm the Disney/DVC nut!!

Unfortunately a great many people (men, in general, flame away!) don't/won't follow directions/instructions. I wonder in DVC households who really manages the points, the men or woman.

I manage everything about Disney/DVC and I'm a man!

[ssawka]

I think the lack of research happens more than you would ever imagine. In fact, Disney probably banks on the fact that the majority of people buy DVC as an impulse while on vacation without doing any research. I know that when we bought, we were eating ice cream with another couple who also bought in, and I asked them where they had bought and they said "Bay View...or something." That really gave me pause because I would think that if someone just dropped $15,000+++, they should at least know the name of what they bought. However, the term "Bay View" is now a standing joke between DH and I, and hopefully the new owners in question are happy with their purchase. :rolleyes:


That is exactly why we never took the tour before buying. I did not want to be swayed one way or another by a tour guide. In fact, I buy very little on impulse. I usually research the heck out of products I buy and once I decide to buy, I further research to find the best deal.

[tjkraz]

I think another sad part of that conversation is the Guide should have realized that these people had no idea what he or she was even talking about. Maybe stop the sales pitch and go into much needed details, as obviously your co-worker doesn't have a clue.

It is sad how the Guides just gloss over parts of their pitch and you need to come on a message board to find out the real details of the DVC. :confused3

I guess people will do anything to make a buck. :rolleyes1

Does a car salesman TELL you that you need to get the oil changed every 3000 miles, that the tires need to be rotated and that you need to keep the tank full of gas?

Does the person taking your lunch order inform you that the double cheeseburger platter has 1500 calories?

Does a grocery store warn you that your produce purchases are going to spoil if not used in about a week?

The only real issue with the original post is the comment that the vacations are "free" after the mortgage is paid off. Even reading this we don't know if the individual was just speaking in generalities (meaning the mortgage is gone after 10 years), if the wife is the one who truly understands the program, or even if the individual was nodding his head along the entire time as the salesperson repeatedly went over the costs involved.

There's a point where some personal responsibility has to be assumed on the part of the buyer, rather than trying to find a scapegoat for ones mistakes.

[dgaston]

I turn 59 next month. DH wants me to write him a DVC tutorial in case something happens to me because he, too, is pretty much in the dark when it comes to managing the points. At least he has quit saying we own points at Coronado Springs. :lmao:

[WebmasterCricket]

I just had a conversation with a guy from NJ at the SSR pool a few weeks ago about his vacation and he was in his 3rd year of not banking his extra points he never used that use year. He had no clue you could bank/borrow. He told his wife with my assistance and she didn't believe me at first and then someone in the next chair agreed with me and I swear she was about to start crying.

She said it added up to about 150 points over 3 years!

[ssawka]

I think another sad part of that conversation is the Guide should have realized that these people had no idea what he or she was even talking about. Maybe stop the sales pitch and go into much needed details, as obviously your co-worker doesn't have a clue.

It is sad how the Guides just gloss over parts of their pitch and you need to come on a message board to find out the real details of the DVC. :confused3

I guess people will do anything to make a buck. :rolleyes1

Sorry for so many posts, but this is such a great topic. Anyway, we had the exact opposite experience with our guide. He seemed so laid back. We called him several times and not once did he try to "make the sale". Maybe he could sense that we would eventually buy without the sales pitch. :rotfl2: Don't get me wrong, he was great and knew his stuff about DVC, he just had more of a "soft sell" approach.

[bwvBound]

Does the person taking your lunch order inform you that the double cheeseburger platter has 1500 calories?:rotfl2:

[DizGirl20]

Great topic! popcorn::

After about a year or so of research (mostly here on The Dis) we purchased 2 weeks ago at AKV. DVC so far has been fantastic with communications. We have received multiple phone calls asking if we have any questions or concerns. My guide has sent e-mails reiterating that he is always a phone call or e-mail away. Quite honestly they've been more helpful than I expected. I really haven't had alot to ask because of reading these boards - I feel like I could sell DVC myself! :rotfl:

[Reddog1134]

I guess I was lucky and got a really good guide. I'm the kind of person that usually thinks of questions after the fact but I left the DVC sales pitch knowing how the points worked, what DVC resorts there were, how banking worked, the money I was paying, the duration of the contract, etc.

[Dean]

"A fool and his money are soon parted." ;)That's what popped into my head, unfortunately it does sound like he bought but took the sales spiel hook, line and sinker. I feel for Sammy because he knows he could help this person so much to get the most out of their ownership and possibly to make better choices buying in if they're not locked in already but the guy doesn't want help and will likely either get mad or argue with him if he tries right now. What I've done in those situations is to simply say to them that I know a lot about it and I can help them get the more out of their membership, and leave an open invitation to lunch or similar. I see it all the time where people just don't want help. I've known people who I talked to before they went to a timeshare tour who I told them not to buy, that they could buy the EXACT same thing resale for pennies, and yet they bought retail and then didn't say anything until it was too late to cancel.

You do NOT have to be on the DIS to know how to use your DVC. I didn't find the DIS for the first 4 years of membership in DVC, and I learned how to use it just fine.

The problem is that DVC does not do a tutorial, and if folks aren't willing to read and learn on their own, then they WILL be a FOOL parted with their money AND points.

Our guide told us of someone who owned for 12 years and paid dues for 12 years and never once booked a trip! My guess is that one thought they were paying for "one trip" and never even realized they could travel every year.

Sorry, but folks who aren't smart enough to own DVC will learn the hard way what they can and can't do. My guess is your co-worker will be coming to you in a year or two to find out "what he did wrong". Either that, or he'll be complaining about how worthless it is to him!;)DIS and the internet in general is a great resource but ultimately it comes down to the effort of the individual. I was one of the first, if not the first, resale buyer that DVC had and I feel I knew a lot when I joined DIS way back when, not much after it started. I was on the prodigy board before that but it was not a very helpful place overall. I toured, got the legal info and went through it and then made a decision. Even then I was given specific and incorrect information by DVC which they ended up offering to buy back my contract for full value including closing costs after it had closed due to that incorrect info. I suspect DVC hasn't made that offer to another resale member since or before. I talked to my wife and she wanted to give it a try so we did and we're glad.

[marynvince]

Unfortunately a great many people (men, in general, flame away!) don't/won't follow directions/instructions. I wonder in DVC households who really manages the points, the men or woman.

i, the man in our house(at least most of the time) handles all of the vacation planning and money management. My wife is happy that we get to vacation several times a year and like that i plan everything. She could, but there is no need for both of us to do this as we have kids and careers and no free time to duplicate effort.

[cel_disney]

Wow! I really think that the color brochure with all of the resort pictures/point charts, the simple clear paragraph about banking with the nice little calendar that shows the banking deadlines and the usage deadlines was really pretty clear!!!

I dont see how anyone wouldnt have a clue just from reading that - you dont have to read the detailed developer/condo docs to understand the basics!

Amazing what people will pay for without even understanding!!! Did you say he was a teacher???

[marynvince]

I think another sad part of that conversation is the Guide should have realized that these people had no idea what he or she was even talking about. Maybe stop the sales pitch and go into much needed details, as obviously your co-worker doesn't have a clue.

It is sad how the Guides just gloss over parts of their pitch and you need to come on a message board to find out the real details of the DVC. :confused3

I guess people will do anything to make a buck. :rolleyes1

before we gang up on sales. I can tell two different people the same exact thing and they will have differing understanding of what they just heard based on education, perspective, intelligence and a host of other factors.
It is the salespersons job to present the information, not to insure the recipient of that information has complete understanding. As long as there are no misrepresentations, sales has done their job.

[Dean]

before we gang up on sales. I can tell two different people the same exact thing and they will have differing understanding of what they just heard based on education, perspective, intelligence and a host of other factors.
It is the salespersons job to present the information, not to insure the recipient of that information has complete understanding. As long as there are no misrepresentations, sales has done their job.They are timeshare sales staff but as such, DVC guides are almost always honest and upfront and most of them make an attempt to educate you on what they think you want/need to know about. And I would agree that DVC info is pretty clear overall. A point I intended to make above, but forgot to, was that DVC normally calls each resale member who doesn't already own and go over the system with them and answer any questions, at least last I heard they were still doing this. Overall I'd say DVC is one of the easiest systems to understand and DVC makes it easier than most in their approach. And they generally don't push people into buying unlike some systems.

[Lynne M]

I agree that it's the buyer's responsibility to understand what they're purchasing. If the guide is misrepresenting facts, or flat-out lying, that's another matter entirely. But it's on the buyer to ask the follow-up questions after the sales spiel.

I purchased VWL over the phone. I called, asked for the sales package, read it over and watched the DVD, then did a LOT of googling, read everything I could find on this site and many others, joined the DISboards and asked some questions, and then came up with a list of questions for my guide. She answered every one of them, and my follow-up questions, and I put down a deposit. When the contract arrived, I read all of the documents over the course of a few days, and that was that.

I don't think many people approach their purchase that way. For most, DVC is probably an impulse buy while at WDW or on a cruise. And the power of Disney marketing is VERY strong - how many times have we seen posts from people who don't really know what DVC is, but desperately want to buy it, right away? I think a lot of people barely listen to the guide's spiel, or hear what they want to hear, to justify their purchase.

[christa112]

I am not putting all of the blame on the sales person. I am just stating that it seems like guides gloss over some items. This person obviously has no idea what he just purchased and you kinda have to scratch your head and say what the heck happened during the sales presentation. I do believe as a sales person it is their job to make sure their customer knows exactly what they are purchasing.


In regards to our DVC I definately took the bull by the horns and made myself understand what we were pruchasing by researching on the Dis and asking tons and tons of questions. I am definately more informed than my DH. That is one of the major reasons why we did not just purchase while on property. I educated myself for over 6 mos before acutally purchasing. I don't think the DVC is something to just purchase at a whim it is not like you can return it when you get buyer's remorse.

before we gang up on sales. I can tell two different people the same exact thing and they will have differing understanding of what they just heard based on education, perspective, intelligence and a host of other factors.
It is the salespersons job to present the information, not to insure the recipient of that information has complete understanding. As long as there are no misrepresentations, sales has done their job.

[christa112]

:scared1:

I just had a conversation with a guy from NJ at the SSR pool a few weeks ago about his vacation and he was in his 3rd year of not banking his extra points he never used that use year. He had no clue you could bank/borrow. He told his wife with my assistance and she didn't believe me at first and then someone in the next chair agreed with me and I swear she was about to start crying.

She said it added up to about 150 points over 3 years!

[braudcms]

Waitin' for the day when I can use DVC points to buy tickets to the theme parks! :banana:

[Cee]

:headache:

Ditto....and some.:headache::headache::headache:........

[backyardponder]

Interesting thread.

The less members who know how DVC works = more breakage income = lower dues. :thumbsup2 (and why do they call it breakage :confused3)

The less members who know how DVC works = less people know about VB. :banana:

[Dean]

Waitin' for the day when I can use DVC points to buy tickets to the theme parks! :banana:Wait to you see the exchange rate somewhere around $5-6 per point.

[bwvBound]

Wait to you see the exchange rate somewhere around $5-6 per point.Might be a bargain for folks who own VB? ;)

[Dean]

Might be a bargain for folks who own VB? ;)I doubt it if they pay more for their dues than the get for their points but I know you're just joshing at this point. The reality is that DVC leaves so much value on the table when it comes to cash equivalent exchange options but that the system they have set up is inherently inefficient and thus limits what they can do for the members.

[Greysword]

I'm wodering if this is the sort of gentleman that we find yelling at the cast members, exclaiming loudly that they paid thousands of dollars for the right and are not getting their money's worth.

If the guy wants to be uninformed, then that is his option. My concern is when members have unreasonable expectations based on their lack of knowledge on how things work and the effect it has on my vacation (damage to the rooms, cast member attitude, onerous rules to curtail certain behavior patterns, etc).

- Chris

[dcamdad]

Unfortunately a great many people (men, in general, flame away!) don't/won't follow directions/instructions. I wonder in DVC households who really manages the points, the men or woman.

Hey, I strongly resemble that remark, remember many Christmas Eves ago working all night on a Holly Hobby kitchen set to accomplish nothing by Christmas morning. Except when it comes to managing our DVC, my wife just rolls her eyes when she catches me figuring how to stretch out the maximum amount of days we can play.

[BEASLYBOO]

Hey, I strongly resemble that remark, remember many Christmas Eves ago working all night on a Holly Hobby kitchen set to accomplish nothing by Christmas morning. Except when it comes to managing our DVC, my wife just rolls her eyes when she catches me figuring how to stretch out the maximum amount of days we can play.

I give you a big :thumbsup2

My significant other, doesn't assemble well or follow instructions and as far as DVC/vacation ,it's "Just tell me where and when and what I have to pack!" :rotfl2:
It's 40 degrees here in WPB Florida, I need the flames to warm me up!

[allflgirl]

The saddest part of this is that there are so many people like the one described in the original post that buy without doing any research at all and that is on any purchase they make. This is probably the sort of person that couldn't tell you how much they pay for their car insurance each year, if they pay a fee on their credit cards they hold, the current balance on their mortgage and the list goes on and on.

I'm so glad for this forum and finding it when I was making my decision on buying into DVC, which took me about 3 months. I wouldn't have bought in without the add'l knowledge gleaned from reading post after post and asking questions. Thank you, guys!

[Donna M]

My friends owned for years and they are the reason we bought DVC. I didn't know about the Dis back then, and didn't know anything about buying resale. I'm glad I at least had an idea about how everything worked. There have to be tons of people who only know what DVC is telling them.

[bumbershoot]

That's the business that they are in. Disney has a "if not asked, don't tell" policy.

:) Bill

So glad for my guide! He explained it all. I did have some background b/c of the dis, but he really did a good job. The ONLY thing that I came away confused about (and I didn't know I was confused about it at the time) was the issue with owning at Bay Lake but not being able to use the points for any site until after BLT was actually open. And yet, DH totally got that, tells me that Jim said it!

So between the two of us, we understood it all from our guide's in depth discussions (over nearly 2 years, LOL).


Maybe his wife has all the facts & is the planner of the family. My wife prefers to have me handle our DVC planning. We discuss things together, but when it comes to banking/borrowing, etc. I work it all out.

Definite possibility!

Oh to be rich enough to spend 14K and not really care to know the details or use the points I bought!

[dude said] "I'm paying $250 a month for 10 years"


I think that when you finance, as we are doing, it's really easy to fall into the thought that it's just x per month, without thinking of the total. In fact it was that realization, that the payments are that low (not much more, if more at all, from what we were saving for our DLR vacations already!), that helped us decide to finance instead of saving up (b/c that would be double-saving...saving for trips currently being taken plus saving for future DVC purchase). But we are WELL aware of the total cost, and are working hard to get it paid off inside of 3 years, instead of 10.

Anyway, if you're just thinking "250/month", it's easy to NOT think about 16K (or 14K...sounds like the dude was also ignoring his downpayment, LOL).

At least he has quit saying we own points at Coronado Springs. :lmao:

:rotfl:

Wow! I really think that the color brochure with all of the resort pictures/point charts, the simple clear paragraph about banking with the nice little calendar that shows the banking deadlines and the usage deadlines was really pretty clear!!!


I agree!

And when you look at your account online, how it shows you in that box when you need to bank points by, and all that...

[dburg30]

Unfortunately a great many people (men, in general, flame away!) don't/won't follow directions/instructions. I wonder in DVC households who really manages the points, the men or woman.

I am the man of the house, at least when my wife isnt home. But I do handle all the DVC scheduling / banking / planning etc etc. Well, actually I am the family WDW travel agent lol..

I think another sad part of that conversation is the Guide should have realized that these people had no idea what he or she was even talking about. Maybe stop the sales pitch and go into much needed details, as obviously your co-worker doesn't have a clue.

It is sad how the Guides just gloss over parts of their pitch and you need to come on a message board to find out the real details of the DVC. :confused3

I guess people will do anything to make a buck. :rolleyes1

Well, we only know 1/2 of the story. We dont know that the guide didnt explain to them how it worked, and the person said they understood. Could be one of those people that cant accept they dont understand, and just wont admit it. Trust me, they are out there, I have to deal with them. At that point, the guide could have had my reaction... "Well, if the person believes that, wont listen to what I am saying, I will sell them exactly what they ask for, not what they need".

Or you get the person that only believes the first person they talk to.... ie: "My neighbor told me the problem with my equipment was caused by xxxxxx" We tell them there is no way that could be the problem as this two systems arent linked AT ALL. Do they believe someone who does this EVERYDAY, and sees this, is trained on it??? Nope... I bet 90% of the time they go back to.. Well, I'm going to try what my neighbor told me... Fine, see ya...

Our guide was very, very good on making sure we understood things ESPECIALLY how the use year was set up, how to bank points, when to make sure they were banked etc etc. Basically, everything about how it works. The one thing that didnt really "get me" but I just flat out misunderstood, was the points changing. It wasnt the guides fault, I just didnt "get it". I now understand that the total points for the year cant change, but they can be shuffled around from day to day / season to season.. So far I dont think that will be an issue.

[tjkraz]

I am not putting all of the blame on the sales person. I am just stating that it seems like guides gloss over some items. This person obviously has no idea what he just purchased and you kinda have to scratch your head and say what the heck happened during the sales presentation. I do believe as a sales person it is their job to make sure their customer knows exactly what they are purchasing.

Guides could read through the entire member handbook word-for-word with buyers and 90% of them wouldn't retain any of it after they walked out the door.

Every DVC member was a newbie at some point. To expect someone to recite DVC regs verbatim a few days after the purchase just isn't realistic.

The saddest part of this is that there are so many people like the one described in the original post that buy without doing any research at all and that is on any purchase they make. This is probably the sort of person that couldn't tell you how much they pay for their car insurance each year, if they pay a fee on their credit cards they hold, the current balance on their mortgage and the list goes on and on.

My wife couldn't tell you how much we owe on our mortgage, how much we pay for car insurance and she probably couldn't tell you much about DVC booking rules or banking deadlines.

Until today I didn't think that made her a bad person...

[auntsue]

That really is a shame, but maybe there is hope for him.

I guess you could say that we bought on impulse, we certainly knew nothing about it, that's for sure. We had never even heard of DVC, but had seen some info on it at the YC, so on our last day of a trip in 1999 we went over to the Boardwalk to see the model. We always stayed at deluxe resorts and when we saw the 1BR we were both sold. Having two rooms would be such an upgrade and the location was exactly the same as the YC. No pressure whatsoever from our guide. He did a great job explaining everything. DH had a million questions (I just wanted it) and we were there for hours. DH would not have spent all that money without knowing all about it. We sold back half of our points that day, and banked the rest since we only went every two years back then. We did no research whatsoever but luckily everything worked out great for us. We've since added on three times, and totally enjoy all our trips.

Two years later I found the DIS and every question I have ever had about DVC, since then, has been answered. Maybe you could point him in this direction.

Hey, I passed my 60th birthday, and I read the DIS boards a lot! A whole lot!

[Sammy]

Well, I kind of hope it IS a case of his wife knowing all the answers, because I'd really feel bad for them otherwise. He is a very intelligent person, so I guess I was a little shocked that he didn't seem to really know anything at all. I'd love to help him out, but I didn't get the feeling he wanted any.

It's easy to forget that not everyone knows the minute details of DVC like everyone on the DIS boards!! Heck, most of the time we know more than the CMs, never mind the average person! :rotfl:

[TiszBear]

Here's my 2 cents worth..

I bought in 1999 and did not know about the Disboards until 2004. When I brought in I had a great guide who explained how the "system" worked. He even wrote out examples and information to make it easier to understand. Well 8 months after I purchased he sent a letter to me and I assume to others that he was moving on and I would be assigned a new guide. I was and I couldn't be happier with who I have. But anyway...

I also have met as I assume most of have, those are DVC owners that just don't understand. They choose not to read the materials given to them or ask questions and I feel that no matter what I say it won't change how they use their membership. So when I "run" into a "brick wall" I just nod when they start to talk and move on because pretty soon one day the light bulb will light up and they will realize that they lost out on alot of useable points and perks.

[saintstickets]

SHHHHH PEOPLE!!! If ALL DVC members start lurking on the DISboard then they will become informed and we'll never get that primo view at 7 months not at our home resort!!! :lmao: I feel for them but if someone is willing to spend that much money without getting all the facts, then they have no one to blame but themselves. In the words of David Hannum "There's a sucker born every minute!" :rotfl2:
(BTW, this saying is erroneously attributed to P. T. Barnum)

[Husurdady]

I had the most insane conversation with a coworker today regarding DVC. He knows how much of a Disney fan I am, so he mentioned today that he and his wife just bought DVC at AKL. I congratulated him, and the conversation went downhill from there:

Me: "Congratulations...Animal Kingdom is really cool! You'll love it there!
Him: "We bought enough points to have a scenic view." (Savannah view?)
Me: "Nice! We own at Old Key West."
Him: "Oh, we own right at Disney"
Me: "Um, yeah, OKW is also at Disney. It was the first Vacation Club Resort."
Him: "Oh. Well, I guess you can stay at the other Vacation Club Resorts too, right? I know there's some kind of Music resort, and one named Coronado."
Me: "No, those aren't DVC Resorts," (I named a few) "but once you start staying DVC, you'll really get spoiled."
Him: "I know! I'm paying $250 a month for 10 years and then I'll have 50 years of vacations for free."

At this point, I'm flabbergasted and realize I need to just shut up and nod my head a few times. He's really clueless. Then the conversation ends with this gem:

Him: "My wife and I going to celebrate our 25th Anniversary in 5 years, so I'm planning on saving up a few years' points and booking at the Grand Floridian."

Oh god. How can someone spend $14,000 (what he told me he paid) and not have a CLUE???? Did Disney see this guy coming or what?

I know not everyone is as informed at the people on this board, but really! If you're going to make a signficant purchase like this, shouldn't you do a little more research?

How's that saying go; A sucker is born every minute.

[hlyntunstl]

DIS and the internet in general is a great resource but ultimately it comes down to the effort of the individual.I couldn't agree more. Everything is spelled out in the contract and, if there's something you don't understand, you should ask. I spoke occasionally to my guide over a 10 year period prior to actually making a purchase and she very patiently answered every single question I ever had despite the fact that she probably thought I had no intention of ever purchasing. I managed to understand the process pre-DIS boards but I took the time to make sure I had full understanding of everything prior to signing those final documents.

Reading every word of everything I sign once saved me $500 on my car as the dealer "neglected" to include my previously provided downpayment (given to hold the vehicle) in the total I was about to finance. If I start thinking "why am I am reading this entire thing", I just remember that $500. It's up to me as the purchaser to fully understand or ask questions if I don't.

I hope things work out for the OP's friend and I'm sorry to hear so many other people don't understand what they spent good money to have.

[Goofy442]

I had the most insane conversation with a coworker today regarding DVC. He knows how much of a Disney fan I am, so he mentioned today that he and his wife just bought DVC at AKL. I congratulated him, and the conversation went downhill from there:

Me: "Congratulations...Animal Kingdom is really cool! You'll love it there!
Him: "We bought enough points to have a scenic view." (Savannah view?)
Me: "Nice! We own at Old Key West."
Him: "Oh, we own right at Disney"
Me: "Um, yeah, OKW is also at Disney. It was the first Vacation Club Resort."
Him: "Oh. Well, I guess you can stay at the other Vacation Club Resorts too, right? I know there's some kind of Music resort, and one named Coronado."
Me: "No, those aren't DVC Resorts," (I named a few) "but once you start staying DVC, you'll really get spoiled."
Him: "I know! I'm paying $250 a month for 10 years and then I'll have 50 years of vacations for free."

At this point, I'm flabbergasted and realize I need to just shut up and nod my head a few times. He's really clueless. Then the conversation ends with this gem:

Him: "My wife and I going to celebrate our 25th Anniversary in 5 years, so I'm planning on saving up a few years' points and booking at the Grand Floridian."

Oh god. How can someone spend $14,000 (what he told me he paid) and not have a CLUE???? Did Disney see this guy coming or what?

I know not everyone is as informed at the people on this board, but really! If you're going to make a signficant purchase like this, shouldn't you do a little more research?

This made my day I was :rotfl2: laughing :rotfl: so much that people were asking what is so funny if they only knew. We go to WDW every year so we would take the DVC tours and I think our guide was tired of seeing us:rolleyes1. My DH had to know everything he could before buying DVC. You need to read the fine print!

[Coach81]

All I can say is... WOW

[RIJim]

I agree with the earlier post that he/she's spouse is the primary driver and thats why they are uninformed. I plan all our vacations, including DVC, flights, hotels, activities. I joke that all my wife does is get up in the morning and sit in the car seat, I take care of everything. :confused3

[gracelrm]

We bought back in 2001. I must say, our guide spelled it all out quite specifically. We asked questions and then left. We had 30 days to purchase under the conditions that we were given. We called back with several questions and read the literature we had been given. I finally gave in on day 29 and we purchased. I can not imagine not knowing what you were getting in to. My DH had watched the DVC advertisements on our in-room tv during one trip. Then on our next trip - he watched some more and went to the lobby of the WL and talked several times with the guide there. He talked me in to going to the presentation on the last day of our trip. It's funny - he had a clue in the beginning, now I keep track of everything and he's a little clueless! I do keep up with these boards and I think that helps me stay in the loop - whereas, he just dreams up trips and then I make them happen!

[smjj]

This thread is a hoot but right on. It reminds me of the time we were waiting in the Orlando Terminal to go home from our Member's Cruise. A couple accross from us saw my hat and shirt and stated they were on the same cruise with us and wanted to know what resort we had bought into. They we members at OKW. I explained we had just bought in 2 years prior at OKW and they both looked at us like we were lying to them. He stated that OKW was and had been sold out for years and wanted to know how that was possible. I explained the Timeshare Store and how resales happen and stuff like that. They were in shock. They thought once a resort was sold out , it was forever sold out and they had no idea you could buy from someone other than Disney. These people did not look that much older than us and we are in our early 50's. I told them about this site(DIS) and they were glueless. I remind you they were on the Members Cruise with us. How can this be???...smjj :confused3

[El&Asmom]

I'm not surprised. My parents are some of the biggest cheapskates around, but my dad bought two timeshares over the phone without doing any research on them or even going to one of the resorts they bought into. They have yet to use their RCI TS, and only go to their TS in Cancun every few years. They probably spent about 15k for them. I wish they would have just invested in DVC. We could have managed their points, and they could be taking us on vacation instead of us putting them up with us. Oh well. They took my brother and I many places growing up, so now it's our turn.
I think the big issue is that they are in their 60s, and are not good at researching on line. I will probably have them give me their documents so I can try to figure it out so they can get some use out of them.

[KAT4DISNEY]

Oh - if someone spoke to my spouse about DVC there would probably be a thread about that conversation! :goodvibes

[dianeschlicht]

I'm not surprised. My parents are some of the biggest cheapskates around, but my dad bought two timeshares over the phone without doing any research on them or even going to one of the resorts they bought into. They have yet to use their RCI TS, and only go to their TS in Cancun every few years. They probably spent about 15k for them. I wish they would have just invested in DVC. We could have managed their points, and they could be taking us on vacation instead of us putting them up with us. Oh well. They took my brother and I many places growing up, so now it's our turn.
I think the big issue is that they are in their 60s, and are not good at researching on line. I will probably have them give me their documents so I can try to figure it out so they can get some use out of them.

LOL, the bolded part of the quote above made me laugh out loud! I'm going to guess El&Asmom is younger than my children! We are in our 60's and I know for a fact we are not the ONLY ones on this board who are!:rotfl::lmao:

[kimberh]

I just hope his wife was the one that had the knowledge about DVC. I know my dear husband would be lost if I were to die. I need to write it all down for my kids to follow. We have 4 membership numbers, 3 UY's, 2 dvc passwords and ID numbers, for the accounts, it can get complicated. I didn't understand in the beginning to join these memberships. Then when DVC started all their enhancements to make our membership better, I was glad that I had not.

[Grumpygrandpa]

OK. Confession time here. When I first bought in I was pretty ignorant. My business was humming along and I wasn't as careful in general with money as I am now (I am so ready for this recession to be over). I was one of those that just loved owning a piece of Disney. I knew nothing about the resale market. I spent most of my points in CA at the GCH (not the most efficient use of points). But over a short period of time (thanks be to Disboards) I learned all about DVC and how to use and manage my points and other things. I never knew that you could get a reduction on your airfare with Southwest just because they had lowered their prices (even after I had already paid for my tickets). I love the boards.:thumbsup2

[james'mommy]

My DH would probably be okay on his own if I died. He seems to have a pretty good grasp on DVC. He could use it as a way to lure a new wife. ;) We just booked a vacation for my whole family and DH pointed out that I could borrow 2011 points when I was stressing about having enough points.

[thesupersmartguy]

He forgot to tell you about the new Harry Potter ride opening soon at Disney World:rotfl2:
Oh and how he can bring all 17 of his inlaws and have them stay with them in a 2 bedroom :banana::banana::banana::banana::banana: :banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana: :banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:

Maybe he will book the Venetian Resort. You know, the one between the Contemporary and Magic Kingdom?

[Sammie]

I guess I am going to be the dissenter here. I figure if someone is happy with their purchase it is their business how much they know or how little.

Everyone is different and many would think most of us are overly obsessive about Disney, DVC and all the planning.

I don't give them a hard time about how they do things and they don't give me a hard time either. There is no one way to do this.

As to the Grand Floridian comment, sorry I don't get what is wrong with that at all. I use my points anywhere I want to and I can certainly understand saving them to use for something special like that.

Some think it is foolish to use points on weekends but I personally don't.

[CoffeeCup]

DH and I bought a DVC membership last summer at AKL, and I am in my early 60's while he soon will be. Far from being clueless, we researched the offer very carefully, paid cash for it, and have 2 vacations booked for this year. I frequently read the Dis for information and entertainment, and we have been to Disney World too many times to count. Don't make fun of us old people. Most of the people I know in their 60's are about like us....retired, receive a good pension, still work at least part-time since we have too much energy to sit in our rocking chairs and enjoy spending money too much not to continue earning more of it. Our brains still work okay, our bodies still work well enough to get around DW, we have 5 computers in our house for the 2 of us, and life is good....especially when we are on vacation. Last year we took a cruise to the Southern Caribbean, spent a week at AKL, spent a week at the beach, and took several shorter trips. There are advantages to being "old"!

[maburke]

I guess I am going to be the dissenter here. I figure if someone is happy with their purchase it is their business how much they know or how little.

Everyone is different and many would think most of us are overly obsessive about Disney, DVC and all the planning.

I don't give them a hard time about how they do things and they don't give me a hard time either. There is no one way to do this.

As to the Grand Floridian comment, sorry I don't get what is wrong with that at all. I use my points anywhere I want to and I can certainly understand saving them to use for something special like that.

Some think it is foolish to use points on weekends but I personally don't.

I don't think the OP was trying to give him a hard time, but trying to help him despite the "I know more than you, I bought on property" attitude the new buyer was giving. (And I can't believe that anyone would rather stay ignorant of banking and lose points.) And he can stay at the Grand Floridian if he wants, but he can't save up 5 years' worth of points! If he doesn't find that out before the time comes to make that reservation, he'll be mighty disappointed.

[Tiger926]

I guess I am going to be the dissenter here. I figure if someone is happy with their purchase it is their business how much they know or how little.

Everyone is different and many would think most of us are overly obsessive about Disney, DVC and all the planning.

I don't give them a hard time about how they do things and they don't give me a hard time either. There is no one way to do this.

As to the Grand Floridian comment, sorry I don't get what is wrong with that at all. I use my points anywhere I want to and I can certainly understand saving them to use for something special like that.

Some think it is foolish to use points on weekends but I personally don't.

You make some good points about if people are happy, so be it! I've been thinking about that very thing since I read the first post. Many of us on here are obsessed with Disney and planning, but that doesn't mean everyone has to be or should be. We also believe that our points are ours to do with what we like - whether that be weekends, cruising or non-DVC. We have used them to stay in non-DVC resorts as well. Best points I ever spent were for Contemporary Concierge - we got upgraded to Presidential Suite for 1 night. OMG!!! It was a sweet surprise and one that we will never forget as that MK view was outstanding!

I think for many here, this kind of conversation seems so absurd as it's far from the compulsive, Disney-obsessed, planning world that most of us live in. That being said, I do believe that not understanding the actual policies and procedures of DVC could prove dangerous in terms of losing points, not understanding cancellation policies, etc., but that is their choice in not properly knowing how to work their vacation program. It's not very smart, IMHO, as it will most certainly mean loss of points, booking windows, etc., but not much can be done about that but provide info - whether people take you up on that offer is another thing altogether.

Good points - thanks for providing another point of view, Tiger

[Ellester]

I don't think the OP was trying to give him a hard time, but trying to help him despite the "I know more than you, I bought on property" attitude the new buyer was giving. (And I can't believe that anyone would rather stay ignorant of banking and lose points.) And he can stay at the Grand Floridian if he wants, but he can't save up 5 years' worth of points! If he doesn't find that out before the time comes to make that reservation, he'll be mighty disappointed.

Totally agree, especially with the bolded above.

[edk35]

My husband is not the PLANNER in our family HOWEVER...I think he would be able to handle a conversation about DVC and relay enough information to a coworker...... at least sound like he knows DVC. This cracked me up.

[edk35]

You do NOT have to be on the DIS to know how to use your DVC. I didn't find the DIS for the first 4 years of membership in DVC, and I learned how to use it just fine.

The problem is that DVC does not do a tutorial, and if folks aren't willing to read and learn on their own, then they WILL be a FOOL parted with their money AND points.

Our guide told us of someone who owned for 12 years and paid dues for 12 years and never once booked a trip! My guess is that one thought they were paying for "one trip" and never even realized they could travel every year.

Sorry, but folks who aren't smart enough to own DVC will learn the hard way what they can and can't do. My guess is your co-worker will be coming to you in a year or two to find out "what he did wrong". Either that, or he'll be complaining about how worthless it is to him!;)

:scared1::scared1::scared1::scared1::scared1: 12 years???????????????????????

[disneynutz]

I guess I am going to be the dissenter here. I figure if someone is happy with their purchase it is their business how much they know or how little.

Everyone is different and many would think most of us are overly obsessive about Disney, DVC and all the planning.

I don't give them a hard time about how they do things and they don't give me a hard time either. There is no one way to do this.

As to the Grand Floridian comment, sorry I don't get what is wrong with that at all. I use my points anywhere I want to and I can certainly understand saving them to use for something special like that.

Some think it is foolish to use points on weekends but I personally don't.

I guess it's a DIS Family thing. :grouphug:

If someone is here to learn and share their experiences, then many of us feel obligated to share information to keep the newbie from making the same mistakes that we did. :goodvibes

:) Bill

[Jason@dvcstore]

I had the most insane conversation with a coworker today regarding DVC. He knows how much of a Disney fan I am, so he mentioned today that he and his wife just bought DVC at AKL. I congratulated him, and the conversation went downhill from there:

Me: "Congratulations...Animal Kingdom is really cool! You'll love it there!
Him: "We bought enough points to have a scenic view." (Savannah view?)
Me: "Nice! We own at Old Key West."
Him: "Oh, we own right at Disney"
Me: "Um, yeah, OKW is also at Disney. It was the first Vacation Club Resort."
Him: "Oh. Well, I guess you can stay at the other Vacation Club Resorts too, right? I know there's some kind of Music resort, and one named Coronado."
Me: "No, those aren't DVC Resorts," (I named a few) "but once you start staying DVC, you'll really get spoiled."
Him: "I know! I'm paying $250 a month for 10 years and then I'll have 50 years of vacations for free."

At this point, I'm flabbergasted and realize I need to just shut up and nod my head a few times. He's really clueless. Then the conversation ends with this gem:

Him: "My wife and I going to celebrate our 25th Anniversary in 5 years, so I'm planning on saving up a few years' points and booking at the Grand Floridian."

Oh god. How can someone spend $14,000 (what he told me he paid) and not have a CLUE???? Did Disney see this guy coming or what?

I know not everyone is as informed at the people on this board, but really! If you're going to make a signficant purchase like this, shouldn't you do a little more research?

I haven't read all the responses but I bet this is someone who will be calling The Timeshare Store, Inc.® in a few years to sell. That is crazy.

You probably want to spend time educating him but sounds like he thinks he has it all figured out.

Jason

[tinkerfan1]

Oh how I'd love to get these people who are just letting their points expire give them to me!!! Might as well let somebody enjoy them, right??? I can't imagine ever letting a single point go wasted.

[BWV Dreamin]

DH and I bought a DVC membership last summer at AKL, and I am in my early 60's while he soon will be. Far from being clueless, we researched the offer very carefully, paid cash for it, and have 2 vacations booked for this year. I frequently read the Dis for information and entertainment, and we have been to Disney World too many times to count. Don't make fun of us old people. Most of the people I know in their 60's are about like us....retired, receive a good pension, still work at least part-time since we have too much energy to sit in our rocking chairs and enjoy spending money too much not to continue earning more of it. Our brains still work okay, our bodies still work well enough to get around DW, we have 5 computers in our house for the 2 of us, and life is good....especially when we are on vacation. Last year we took a cruise to the Southern Caribbean, spent a week at AKL, spent a week at the beach, and took several shorter trips. There are advantages to being "old"!
You go girl!!! :wizard:

[Sammie]

I just figure if people want advice they will ask for it. I did not know near as much about DVC and how it worked when we first bought as I do now.

But you know it did not hurt anyone, we went, we learned and we had great trips without all the obsessive planning and such.

Maybe I took everyone's comments the wrong way and if I did, I apologize but it appeared to me that he was being made fun of. He will learn, maybe the hard way but sometimes that is the best way.

If someone is discussing having surgery and you realize that they are making a huge mistake due to lack of knowledge I figure you owe it to them to try and help out and educate them.

But its a Disney vacation, I think we might need to remember that sometimes is all.

[Sammy]

I just figure if people want advice they will ask for it. I did not know near as much about DVC and how it worked when we first bought as I do now.

But you know it did not hurt anyone, we went, we learned and we had great trips without all the obsessive planning and such.

Maybe I took everyone's comments the wrong way and if I did, I apologize but it appeared to me that he was being made fun of. He will learn, maybe the hard way but sometimes that is the best way.

If someone is discussing having surgery and you realize that they are making a huge mistake due to lack of knowledge I figure you owe it to them to try and help out and educate them.

But its a Disney vacation, I think we might need to remember that sometimes is all.


Hi Sammie:

I appreciate your point of view, thanks! Just want to clarify that in no way was I making fun of my co-worker. I truly was shocked at how uninformed he seemed to be. I tried to discreetly correct a few things he said in the conversation, but I got the impression he was not interested. He thinks he "knows" what's going on, and that is certainly his right to do so. As another poster said above, I would really hate for him to think he could save 3 or 4 years worth of points in order to get his Grand Floridian vacation, and end up losing them all.

[Hunclemarco]

Unfortunately a great many people (men, in general, flame away!) don't/won't follow directions/instructions. I wonder in DVC households who really manages the points, the men or woman.

I'm the obsessive/compulsive that plans all of our trips. I'll gather all the information, and mention it all to my wife.
I manage all of the points, but my wife fully understands the program too.
Oh... we're 43 and 41 popcorn::

When we're at the mouse, we'll get in conversations with "neighbors" from time to time. I always direct their attention to the DIS Boards. I have also had conversations where the "newly purchased neighbors" didn't fully understand the point system, the realocation, and other policy's. They tell me what their guide said, and when there's a "misunderstanding", i'll tactfully state the reality, and ask them to contact their guide for further understanding. :thumbsup2

[ACDSNY]

My husband is not the PLANNER in our family HOWEVER...I think he would be able to handle a conversation about DVC and relay enough information to a coworker...... at least sound like he knows DVC. This cracked me up.

I'm not so sure my DH would know enough about DVC and we've been members since 2005. Can you guess who takes care of all our travel arrangements in our house? :rolleyes:

[Sammie]

Hi Sammie:

I appreciate your point of view, thanks! Just want to clarify that in no way was I making fun of my co-worker. I truly was shocked at how uninformed he seemed to be. I tried to discreetly correct a few things he said in the conversation, but I got the impression he was not interested. He thinks he "knows" what's going on, and that is certainly his right to do so. As another poster said above, I would really hate for him to think he could save 3 or 4 years worth of points in order to get his Grand Floridian vacation, and end up losing them all.

Actually the comments that followed were what I was referencing. He will learn, possibly the hard way, about all you can do is simply say something to the affect that it can all be very confusing at times and if he ever needs some assistance please ask. After that he is on his own.

Honestly though when we bought I did not know about this website and websites such as this were not that common when we bought.

We learned as we went along and did fine. If I lost a point or two along the way truly its not that big a deal. We possibly might have made some silly comments at the beginning but we caught on fast and started reading the guidebook and asking questions. I don't think it's necessary to be an expert
right at the beginning.

We use our points our way which at times means getting a two bedroom for 2 people. I am sure some would think that is ridiculous but they are mine to use as I choose.

[TROSELL14843]

Our guide was great on the cruise (Dave K) but our friends were better - I am certain he knew more and looking back he explained it very well but the simple basics came easy from the friends. It took a little time to get the "point" system but when you can rent points for about $10 per point it gets pretty easy to understand.

I spent the last 20 mins watching the BCS game (go Bama!) and reading the whole thread. I think I know the bank, borrow, current year - can't it be a max of three years of points being used at a single time?? my 220 from last year that i banked(if i did) - my current year 220 an my next year 220 for a toltal of 660 at one time??

I will be reading entire threads now that we are "in" DVC to learn even more. I just knew a few basics:
we have 7 and 10 year old children
i love the disney movies/themes
i wanta be warm in some winter days
she loves the warm weather
we will be going to disney places for the next bunch of years with the kids
non-DVC places were opening up as options
you could "loan" them out
we could afford it
how couldn't we do it - it would "force" us to vacation if we were paying each month for the points

I think you could look at it from a ton of angles but pay for 10 years in the financing plan and get 40 years "free" - paying the points maintenance is all after the financing could be a very simple view of the system. I am I wrong?

WE are 42 and 41 and I "the man" look like I will be doing the planning

I took the kids down for two separate long weekends on the developer points we had to use before Oct 3 last year and brought my 72 yr old father along for one of them - it's been priceless so far.

Tim

ps it's darn cold here in western NY in Dec and Feb

SSR 9/09(twice!!)

"Friends let friends buy DVC" is my slogan - you guys can use it if you like:cool1:

[kristenrice]

I wonder how one finds out what the "value" category at AKV is without these boards?:confused3 There is no mention of them in the planning book and no definition of "value" on the points chart. I think most people just assume that they are a view of the compost heap from the grazing savanna animals:lmao:.

It seems that CM's at both MS and the resort itself are unclear as to what makes a value a value.

I hope they stay a "secret" since those value 1BR's with a savanna view are my new favorite!

[El&Asmom]

LOL, the bolded part of the quote above made me laugh out loud! I'm going to guess El&Asmom is younger than my children! We are in our 60's and I know for a fact we are not the ONLY ones on this board who are!:rotfl::lmao:

Sorry, in no way did I intend to suggest that 60 year olds can't do online research, only that my 60 year old parents don't. :lmao:

[alamode]

I wonder how one finds out what the "value" category at AKV is without these boards?:confused3 There is no mention of them in the planning book and no definition of "value" on the points chart. I think most people just assume that they are a view of the compost heap from the grazing savanna animals:lmao:.

It seems that CM's at both MS and the resort itself are unclear as to what makes a value a value.

I hope they stay a "secret" since those value 1BR's with a savanna view are my new favorite!

So just how hard is it to get a value savanna view? I have a 2 bedroom booked for May 27th to June 4th. It will be our first ever DVC trip!!!

[Pootle]

I think the big issue is that they are in their 60s, and are not good at researching on line.

I'm also amused by this - at 59 and 60 we both try to limit ourselves to no more than a couple of hours on line each day, and it's hard ;) As a generalization it's probably true that the older you are the less likelihood you have embraced the Internet but, anecdotally, my best friend's 25 year old graduate daughter is just hopeless with IT :confused3

Back on topic, the OP made me sigh too, but then my DH wouldn't be great at DVC specifics either :)

[Tiger926]

I wonder how one finds out what the "value" category at AKV is without these boards?:confused3 There is no mention of them in the planning book and no definition of "value" on the points chart. I think most people just assume that they are a view of the compost heap from the grazing savanna animals:lmao:.

It seems that CM's at both MS and the resort itself are unclear as to what makes a value a value.

I hope they stay a "secret" since those value 1BR's with a savanna view are my new favorite!

We are doing the value 1bed this July for 13 days - we think it's a great best kept secret! But seriously, we've never had issues with figuring out ourselves (our guess was a smaller room configuration and we were right) and then being told we were correct by a CM. More than one CM we've spoken to has known that they are smaller room configurations. I agree that it would be good to have better descriptions in the planner, but I'm guessing that many people use the web, and when you click on room layouts, it says that the Value rooms are smaller.

We are hoping to get a savannah view this year too! Have a great trip, Tiger

[christa112]

:rotfl2:

Oh - if someone spoke to my spouse about DVC there would probably be a thread about that conversation! :goodvibes

[dianeschlicht]

While I do all the booking and planning, I do know that DH could do it if he had to. He'd have a hard time the first time he tried it, but he does understand the basics, just not the details! Well, I guess that's not exactly true either, but he's never actually done it!

[dburg30]

My DH would probably be okay on his own if I died. He seems to have a pretty good grasp on DVC. He could use it as a way to lure a new wife. ;) We just booked a vacation for my whole family and DH pointed out that I could borrow 2011 points when I was stressing about having enough points.

Obviously I hope nothing happens to you for a long time, but I just had to laugh at that. :goodvibes:lmao::thumbsup2

[ssawka]

I posted a poll to put an end to the Man vs. Woman debate that started in this thread. :)

[IggyLans]

Oh to be rich enough to spend 14K and not really care to know the details or use the points I bought!

I don't think it's rich to pay $250/month for 10 years....

[photobob]

Lets just hope that the guy's wife is the planner and has the DVC knowledge! My DW pretty well knows the basics of DVC but doesn't know the fine details that I do. Granted she does know which resorts are DVC, but I would say that this guy probably isn't alone in his lack of knowledge, let's just hope that every owner has one person that knows!

[mom3sonstt]

We have some friends that bought points - they initially bought 200 then went back and bought 100 more. That's all well and good - but they are a married couple with no children, and she doesn't even seem to like Disney all that much. We had a family trip in 2008 that they came down for 5 days of (we were there with our kids for 8-9 days, they came down mid-way through our trip - in their own room - we just showed them around). For that trip they stayed in a 1 BR using incentive points.

In December just the 4 of us went down. We come down often, so were conserving our points and got a standard view studio at AKL. They did the same.

We were talking about banking - I think they have lost some of their initial points. I don't know their use year - but they initiated the purchase in the fall of 2007, they have only stayed about 8 nights since then, and part of them were on incentive points - not even their regular points.

While we were there in December they went and watched the Candlelight Processional because, as the wife said, it could be 3 or 4 years before they come back again. HUH?? What are you going to do with all your points???

I know you can trade out and do other stuff with them - something we never seem to have enough points to do because we use all ours at WDW, but from what I have seen that takes more planning - and they are more spur-of-the-moment travelers.

Both of them are intelligent people so I guess I just don't get how they are handling this. And trust me, we have talked their ears off about how it all works, and banking and borrowing.... :confused3

[mom3sonstt]

Oh- as far as DIS goes, I was a DVC member about 9 or 10 years before I had ever heard of DIS, have never lost a point, and feel pretty knowledgeable about how to use it. I have never traded out so would need walked through that process - but when we bought DVC it wasn't with the intention of trading out - we bought it to go to Disney World - not to go somewhere else.

[starstruck93]

I hate to pop your bubble but most folks don't use the DIS. In fact most who buy an interest in the DVC only know what they are told by a Guide or what they see at the presentation or DVD.

We talk to other owners on every trip and most have very little knowledge about what they own.

Last month we met a couple who haven't used their points in three years. We talked about banking and he told me that they don't know anything about it and that it sounded like too much trouble. :scared1:

If the member meeting last month is any indication or owner demographics, the average age of DVC owners is around 60 years of age. A group that maybe doesn't take the time to DIS.


Bill

:scared1::scared1::scared1::scared1:On the NO banking of all of those poor defensless unused points!! LOL! :lmao:

[starstruck93]

I'm not so sure my DH would know enough about DVC and we've been members since 2005. Can you guess who takes care of all our travel arrangements in our house? :rolleyes:



ITA!:rotfl2: This would be us too.... DH said... "The DVC is YOUR baby":lmao:

[LSchrow]

we've gotten the range of peculiar comments about dvc (including from 3 seperate ppl who insisted they owned DVC - at bonnet creek, from where you could "walk right into EPCOT", from actual owners that were sure: there were no more expenses after the initial purchase (despite maint being auto deducted from their checking:confused3), stated that you could only book at your home resort, thought everyone that owned dvc had the same amt of points, were positive they owned a certain week that would never expire, the dining plan was included, there are special buses for dvc owners, bw view is available at a few different resorts, you can walk to a park from any dvc resort, 150 points is the maximum you can own, you can book most cro specials using dvc points, MS does all of the paperwork without the owner having to call about banking or borrowing, and the list goes on and on......

we try to clear things up if they're receptive, but won't argue. :)

[corpcomp]

[QUOTE=Sammy;34890650]I had the most insane conversation with a coworker today regarding DVC. He knows how much of a Disney fan I am, so he mentioned today that he and his wife just bought DVC at AKL. I congratulated him, and the conversation went downhill from there: Oh god. How can someone spend $14,000 (what he told me he paid) and not have a CLUE???? Did Disney see this guy coming or what?/QUOTE]

Wait a minute!!! He's spending $250 a month for 10 years on a $14K purchase? Thats $30,000 in principal and interest. Forget free vacations for 50 years. What finance company saw him coming?? Countrywide??

[tjkraz]

[QUOTE=Sammy;34890650]Wait a minute!!! He's spending $250 a month for 10 years on a $14K purchase? Thats $30,000 in principal and interest. Forget free vacations for 50 years. What finance company saw him coming?? Countrywide??

Probably includes $60-70 per month worth of dues.

The principle plus interest will certainly be much higher than $14K when all is said and done--assuming he takes the full 10 years to pay off the balance. Nevertheless, about 75% of buyers finance through DVC.

[corpcomp]

[QUOTE=corpcomp;34967522]

Probably includes $60-70 per month worth of dues.

The principle plus interest will certainly be much higher than $14K when all is said and done--assuming he takes the full 10 years to pay off the balance. Nevertheless, about 75% of buyers finance through DVC.


75%? that is disappointing. My family always believed that if you cannot afford to buy it (except your primary home) you should wait till you have the money and not build up your debt.

I suspect the dues are separate from the payments.

[tjkraz]

75%? that is disappointing. My family always believed that if you cannot afford to buy it (except your primary home) you should wait till you have the money and not build up your debt.

Different strokes... I agree there is some financial risk involved in paying so much interest on a timeshare, but I'm not going to pass judgment.

I will say this: Given the long term savings realized by a DVC purchase, financing still makes sense when compared to the alternative of remaining a cash guest for the next 40-50 years. Even when paying thousands of extra dollars in interest.

I suspect the dues are separate from the payments.

$14K financed at Disney rate of around 11% for 10 years equals payments of roughly $190 per month. Add in dues of about $66 per month on 160 AKV points and you're right at his cited figure of $250.

The dues are a separate direct debit amount but the individual in question was obviously speaking in generalities--whether or not he has a firm grasp on the details of the purchase. Assuming that he was simply stating that DVC is taking around $250 per month from his bank account for the timeshare, that appears to be a supportable figure for payments + dues on 160 AKV points.

[WithFaith50]

Wait to you see the exchange rate somewhere around $5-6 per point.

Hello Dean...I'm just curious...Is using DVC to purchase park tickets something that's in the works or were these comments just joking around? :confused3

[wulfekamp]

Ok thats just scary. But I do feel much better about myself. I know i'm not the smartest person but i'm ahead of that guy.

[bumbershoot]

Wait a minute!!! He's spending $250 a month for 10 years on a $14K purchase? Thats $30,000 in principal and interest. Forget free vacations for 50 years. What finance company saw him coming?? Countrywide??

[QUOTE=corpcomp;34967522]

Probably includes $60-70 per month worth of dues.

The principle plus interest will certainly be much higher than $14K when all is said and done--assuming he takes the full 10 years to pay off the balance. Nevertheless, about 75% of buyers finance through DVC.


I would agree it likely includes dues. For instance, taking the downpayment out of the equation, we owe a bit over 14K, we pay 226/month and then 46/month for dues at Bay Lake. When you look at the handy dandy amortization schedule right there on the DVC loan page, the interest over that 10 years is really really high! Thankfully we'll be smacking it down inside of 3 years, not 10, but I can see where the whole "250/month" thing makes it seem really affordable to people! It's actually why we bit the bullet and financed, b/c the monthly payment is so relatively low especially if you have plans to pay it off much quicker.

[Dean]

Hello Dean...I'm just curious...Is using DVC to purchase park tickets something that's in the works or were these comments just joking around? :confused3Neither. I responded to someone hoping to see this as an option. My response was a reality check as to what the costs were likely to be IF they were to happen. BTW, you can buy DVC tickets with RCI points but not with DVC points.