waiting, waiting, waiting for my membership mumber

[GoofyDad1970]

We closed on our 250 point AKV purchase last Thursday (we bought resale, for which I am very thankful). I would like to make a reservation, and yesterday I called membership administration to see if I could get my membership number and make my reservation. Tammy told me I am not in the system yet.

Today I spoke with Kevin who told me I am still not in the system AND (contrary to what has been posted on this board) he told me they do not give out membership numbers over the phone anymore, that I will have to wait for my packet in the mail, and it might be another two to three weeks (including time for the mail deliver). He also told me this is a new policy. Has anyone else heard of this? Or is it a situation where you speak with three different people and you get three different answers? Thanks.

We started this process in early-December. Yes, I knew going in it could take two months, but two more weeks would put us at around ten to eleven weeks. AAARRRGGGHHHH!

 

[czmom]

Ack!!! I hope not! I just received my closing documents today from Timeshare Title, so I am a good week or two behind you. But I need to make a reservation for April 10 as soon as possible!

Please update when you can, and good luck!

 

[disneynutz]

There have been several posts of the new policy. IMO it's Disney's way of adding an additional delay for resale buyers.

Guides can tell prospective buyers that if they buy resale, they will have to wait 2 1/2 months to make their first reservation, if they buy direct, they can book tomorrow. Disney by the way causes most of the resale delay themselves but they would never tell a new buyer that.

Bill

 

[GOOFY D]

Seems to be almost spiteful to not give the membership number over the phone. I would love to know their reasoning for this give the significant information that has to be provided to them to prove your identity. Do we not pay their salaries too (just like direct purchasers) via the maintenance fee?

 

[tmerf11]

We didn't receive our membership number for 3 weeks after closing. I even found us listed on the florida comptrollers website and then it was still another week before we got our number. And this was recent. We got the closure notice from the Timeshare Store on Dec 27th and made our first reservations on 1/18...

 

[disneynutz]

Seems to be almost spiteful to not give the membership number over the phone. I would love to know their reasoning for this give the significant information that has to be provided to them to prove your identity. Do we not pay their salaries too (just like direct purchasers) via the maintenance fee?

Just as spiteful as the resale booking restrictions?

It almost seems like Disney cares more about being a profit machine instead of taking care of existing owners or resale buyers.

Bill

 

[lodge]

I wouldn't be able to handle pressure to book. We bought stripped, knowing we needed that time to figure it all out.

 

[RSWA2]

Disney would not give me my membership number either. However, they did let me know when the letter with the number was mailed out. I had closed on a Thursday and by next Monday (not the direct next one), they had mailed it out and said I would get it in no more than 5 business days. They said they mail these out in bulk once a week.

So from closing to when I got the letter, was 11 business days.

However, in between that time, I went to Disneyland and to the DVC center and asked them for my number and they gave it to me.

 

[mousefan1972]

There have been several posts of the new policy. IMO it's Disney's way of adding an additional delay for resale buyers.

Guides can tell prospective buyers that if they buy resale, they will have to wait 2 1/2 months to make their first reservation, if they buy direct, they can book tomorrow....
Bill

Not even tomorrow. We booked a reservation the same day when we bought BLT direct 3 years ago. And given that there was very little BLT resale on the market then and we paid $106 per point, it was a great deal/perk for us to buy direct and not only book the same day, but to have our guide pull inventory for us at BCV for July. (this was in April)

 

[ELMC]

We closed on our 250 point AKV purchase last Thursday (we bought resale, for which I am very thankful). I would like to make a reservation, and yesterday I called membership administration to see if I could get my membership number and make my reservation. Tammy told me I am not in the system yet.

Today I spoke with Kevin who told me I am still not in the system AND (contrary to what has been posted on this board) he told me they do not give out membership numbers over the phone anymore, that I will have to wait for my packet in the mail, and it might be another two to three weeks (including time for the mail deliver). He also told me this is a new policy. Has anyone else heard of this? Or is it a situation where you speak with three different people and you get three different answers? Thanks.

We started this process in early-December. Yes, I knew going in it could take two months, but two more weeks would put us at around ten to eleven weeks. AAARRRGGGHHHH!

Sorry for the delay, but what you are experiencing is typical. Two months is the absolute best you can hope for on a resale deal and in my experience is not a realistic expectation. The typical time frame for a resale purchase is 10-12 weeks.

Seems to be almost spiteful to not give the membership number over the phone. I would love to know their reasoning for this give the significant information that has to be provided to them to prove your identity. Do we not pay their salaries too (just like direct purchasers) via the maintenance fee?

Statements like this make me cringe. Our maintenance fees go to pay the expenses of the DVC resorts (including the costs of DVC cast member salaries). That being said, I do not think that this entitles us to special privileges, the right to make demands, or the right to treat cast members as if they work for us directly.

This discussion boiled over last summer when there was a frenzy of new members waiting for their membership numbers. Several people advocated calling MA several times a day to check to see if their membership had been updated. I said then and I'll say it now, I don't think this is right. MA CMs have a job to do, and one of those jobs is inputting new member numbers into the computer and mailing out the packets. I don't think it's right to contact them multiple times a day or week to ask for updates about the process. I know waiting can be difficult, but it's Disney we're talking about. We should really be used to waiting by now.

 

[jimim]

We closed on our 250 point AKV purchase last Thursday (we bought resale, for which I am very thankful). I would like to make a reservation, and yesterday I called membership administration to see if I could get my membership number and make my reservation. Tammy told me I am not in the system yet.

Today I spoke with Kevin who told me I am still not in the system AND (contrary to what has been posted on this board) he told me they do not give out membership numbers over the phone anymore, that I will have to wait for my packet in the mail, and it might be another two to three weeks (including time for the mail deliver). He also told me this is a new policy. Has anyone else heard of this? Or is it a situation where you speak with three different people and you get three different answers? Thanks.

We started this process in early-December. Yes, I knew going in it could take two months, but two more weeks would put us at around ten to eleven weeks. AAARRRGGGHHHH!

This is the new policy since the beginning of this year I was told. I was told it was due to identity theft. Even by giving all ur info they still won't cause anyone can have ur address, phone, birthdate and such.

I closed on 1/18/13
My transfer to Disney was 1/28/13
My number came 2/2/13 This had my member number only. they said my cards would follow which they did. This was the point I was able to book.
My actual cards came 2/12/13

I was told many times as others that resale can take up to 2 months. Mine was 5 days short of 2 months.

They did tell me when I called that my member number was mailed out on a specific day but wouldn't give the number as I said above. I got the envelope 3 days later.

jimi

 

[BLTisforME]

Seems to be almost spiteful to not give the membership number over the phone. I would love to know their reasoning for this give the significant information that has to be provided to them to prove your identity. Do we not pay their salaries too (just like direct purchasers) via the maintenance fee?

I agree that seems to be a hurdle to dissuade a resale buyer. However, don't the maintenance fees pay for the properties? Maybe I'm wrong. Still relatively new to DVC. Only a member for one year and I bought direct. Thinking about adding on more via resale though.

 

[BLTisforME]

Sorry for the delay, but what you are experiencing is typical. Two months is the absolute best you can hope for on a resale deal and in my experience is not a realistic expectation. The typical time frame for a resale purchase is 10-12 weeks.

Statements like this make me cringe. Our maintenance fees go to pay the expenses of the DVC resorts (including the costs of DVC cast member salaries). That being said, I do not think that this entitles us to special privileges, the right to make demands, or the right to treat cast members as if they work for us directly.

This discussion boiled over last summer when there was a frenzy of new members waiting for their membership numbers. Several people advocated calling MA several times a day to check to see if their membership had been updated. I said then and I'll say it now, I don't think this is right. MA CMs have a job to do, and one of those jobs is inputting new member numbers into the computer and mailing out the packets. I don't think it's right to contact them multiple times a day or week to ask for updates about the process. I know waiting can be difficult, but it's Disney we're talking about. We should really be used to waiting by now.

I agree. Thought that the maintenance went to care for the properties. In the end, Disney is a business just like anything else. They technically have the right to have different processes for direct purchases and resale.

One of the reasons people who buy direct pay more. One of the reasons I went direct was because I wanted what I wanted- when I wanted it.

 

[Sandisw]

Sorry for the delay, but what you are experiencing is typical. Two months is the absolute best you can hope for on a resale deal and in my experience is not a realistic expectation. The typical time frame for a resale purchase is 10-12 weeks.



Statements like this make me cringe. Our maintenance fees go to pay the expenses of the DVC resorts (including the costs of DVC cast member salaries). That being said, I do not think that this entitles us to special privileges, the right to make demands, or the right to treat cast members as if they work for us directly.

This discussion boiled over last summer when there was a frenzy of new members waiting for their membership numbers. Several people advocated calling MA several times a day to check to see if their membership had been updated. I said then and I'll say it now, I don't think this is right. MA CMs have a job to do, and one of those jobs is inputting new member numbers into the computer and mailing out the packets. I don't think it's right to contact them multiple times a day or week to ask for updates about the process. I know waiting can be difficult, but it's Disney we're talking about. We should really be used to waiting by now.

Maybe I am just the type that tries to see things from a positive intention but I am thinking that this is the reason the policy was put in place-way too many people calling and wanting the information and it prevented those working to get done what needed to get done vs. just a way to stick it to resale buyers.

My understanding, and I could be wrong, is that office has only a few CM's working in it that handle the entering of the new information so multiple calls a day to stop and check may have been actually delaying things getting done.

 

[candiemonster]

Disney would not give me my membership number either. However, they did let me know when the letter with the number was mailed out. I had closed on a Thursday and by next Monday (not the direct next one), they had mailed it out and said I would get it in no more than 5 business days. They said they mail these out in bulk once a week.

So from closing to when I got the letter, was 11 business days.

However, in between that time, I went to Disneyland and to the DVC center and asked them for my number and they gave it to me.

That's a good idea! I'll definitely make note of this one the next time I buy resale. Thanks!

 

[disneynutz]

Maybe I am just the type that tries to see things from a positive intention but I am thinking that this is the reason the policy was put in place-way too many people calling and wanting the information and it prevented those working to get done what needed to get done vs. just a way to stick it to resale buyers.

My understanding, and I could be wrong, is that office has only a few CM's working in it that handle the entering of the new information so multiple calls a day to stop and check may have been actually delaying things getting done.

I see it from a business stand point. Disney made it clear that they have no problem hurting resale buyers when they took away the ability to book outside of DVC and RCI. They make the broker wait for the Estoppel info and the ROFR status. Now they don't want phone calls and instead mail the info apparently using security as the excuse.

The buyer by the way, pays Disney's $50 Estoppel fee which is basically verifying in the computer the sellers account status. They could charge $100 to cover the added expense of expediting the resale process if they wanted to, but it appears that they don't.

Meanwhile direct buyers get an account, points assigned, and reservations made the same day in many cases and they don't have the same security issues?

If they can set direct buyers up in one day, they could do the same for resale buyers if they wanted to.

Bill

 

[Missyrose]

Maybe I am just the type that tries to see things from a positive intention but I am thinking that this is the reason the policy was put in place-way too many people calling and wanting the information and it prevented those working to get done what needed to get done vs. just a way to stick it to resale buyers.

My understanding, and I could be wrong, is that office has only a few CM's working in it that handle the entering of the new information so multiple calls a day to stop and check may have been actually delaying things getting done.

Honestly? I think it's somewhere in between. There are only a couple of people to input all the contracts into the system, so getting a bunch of calls all day, every day, requesting membership numbers probably slowed their productivity. By adopting the new policy, it gets rid of most of those calls eventually. And as a byproduct, they were able to tack on a bit more time to the resale buying process. So now, instead of saying resale takes about two months start to finish, it will actually take closer to three (which for many it already did). Win-win all the way around for DVC/DVD.

 

[undchefreak]

I was called by my guide, and after a short conversation I asked him my member number, which I then took to memeber services to get a reservation and my sign in information about 8 days before my member number arrived via snail mail.

My timing was Nov 13 offer to Jan 17th booking, so 2 months 4 days with two holidays.

 

[Disbroads]

Ack!!! I hope not! I just received my closing documents today from Timeshare Title, so I am a good week or two behind you. But I need to make a reservation for April 10 as soon as possible!

Please update when you can, and good luck!

If it is your expectation that you can book for early April, a peak time, so close to arrival, you might want to pause and research your purchase.
I'm not saying that to be Debbie downer. Just don't want to read another "disappointed with my DVC" post.

Honestly, mid March through most of April is high demand times and typically booked out once the 7 month window has passed, with possible exception of Saratoga and maybe Old Key West.
As of five days ago, your date was open to people with holding points.

Which resort(s) were you looking to book?

 

[DannysMom]

If it is your expectation that you can book for early April, a peak time, so close to arrival, you might want to pause and research your purchase.
I'm not saying that to be Debbie downer. Just don't want to read another "disappointed with my DVC" post.

Honestly, mid March through most of April is high demand times and typically booked out once the 7 month window has passed, with possible exception of Saratoga and maybe Old Key West.
As of five days ago, your date was open to people with holding points.

Which resort(s) were you looking to book?

Most years. This year Easter is early 3/31, so if the PP is looking for something for 4/10, as long as they are flexible on location or room size, they could still ( now) find something. If delays mean they can't make reservations for another month, well no telling what might be available at that time.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards App, please excuse any typos or autocorrects!