$5 Package Handling Fee

[Tinkerbell58]

Checked in at SSR today and had an Amazon package shipped here. There is now a $5 handling fee for each package shipped. Front desk said the resorts are getting too many packages, so they are now charging a fee.

 

[mustinjourney]

Kinda sucks but I don't blame them at all. It could get unruly.

 

[drusba]

I think that charge is improper unless the amounts collected are returned to the members via an offset in dues. Your dues cover the labor and other operating costs of SSR, including any related to receipt of and delivery of any packages. Charging that fee thus results in being double charged for the labor involved in handling the packages. Disney can legally charge members the labor and other costs of handling the packages, which it does in the dues, but it cannot then add a $5 per package profit providing it extra money it can keep.

It has for several years charged package fees at Boardwalk and other convention centers because it could properly do so. Those centers are operated by third parties under contract with Disney and thus their package handling fees are not part of our dues. It is the same with valet services. When members had free valet, the reason it was free is because all the employees and operations of valet services were included in dues and thus it was improper for Disney to charge members separately for valet. That changed when Disney outsourced valet services and thus the costs for valet service were no longer part of our dues.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I think that charge is improper unless the amounts collected are returned to the members via an offset in dues. Your dues cover the labor and other operating costs of SSR, including any related to receipt of and delivery of any packages. Charging that fee thus results in being double charged for the labor involved in handling the packages. Disney can legally charge members the labor and other costs of handling the packages, which it does in the dues, but it cannot then add a $5 per package profit providing it extra money it can keep.

It has for several years charged package fees at Boardwalk and other convention centers because it could properly do so. Those centers are operated by third parties under contract with Disney and thus their package handling fees are not part of our dues. It is the same with valet services. When members had free valet, the reason it was free is because all the employees and operations of valet services were included in dues and thus it was improper for Disney to charge members separately for valet. That changed when Disney outsourced valet services and thus the costs for valet service were no longer part of our dues.

I agree this is questionable if they are not being credited back to the association -i.e., as an offset against dues that pay for those employees since SSR does not have a contracted business center.

 

[Dano1182]

I think that Disney has caught on and realize that many people are having items sent to the hotels instead of buying on site.
The five dollar fee per package will curtail this.

 

[BillPA]

Disney will need to improve the options and reduce price to get more membesr buying from their on site grocery stores.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

More likely imposed because people weren't tipping bell services when they delivered.

 

[elaine amj]

Good to know since we are staying at SSR and was thinking of having groceries delivered through Instacart.

 

[CMNJ]

Good to know since we are staying at SSR and was thinking of having groceries delivered through Instacart.

I've now stayed at both SSR and Poly since the new charge was imposed and not encountered a fee for groceries delivered to bell services on check in day (used garden Grover and Amazon prime now). Is instacart like that or is it sent via ups/FedEx/usps? I think they are supposedly only charging the fee for packages that are shipped as they go through a central processing center and then get delivered to the resort.

 

[Dano1182]

Nex they will Ban food deliveries
Bit I am sure the scam Pizza menus will never go away

 

[lawgator]

Earlier this month I had 2 NCAA basketball tickets delivered via Fed Ex in a regular size overnight mailing envelope. They went to the front desk at OKW where I had to go and pick them up after they left me a phone message in our villa. There was a $5.00 charge for this placed on our account. I didn't realize we were already being charged for these services in our dues. Any suggestions of what we could do to change this?

 

[disneynutz]

Earlier this month I had 2 NCAA basketball tickets delivered via Fed Ex in a regular size overnight mailing envelope. They went to the front desk at OKW where I had to go and pick them up after they left me a phone message in our villa. There was a $5.00 charge for this placed on our account. I didn't realize we were already being charged for these services in our dues. Any suggestions of what we could do to change this?

Class Action?

Bill

 

[Chuck S]

Rather than get all excited about a class action suit, if you're really interested where the fees go, why not simply ask Member Services/Member Administration?

 

[disneynutz]

Rather than get all excited about a class action suit, if you're really interested where the fees go, why not simply ask Member Services/Member Administration?

Have you ever tried to get info from DVC management on these types of subjects? I have asked questions face to face with Lewis and was told that staff would get back to me, they never did. Haven't tried Potrock but my gut tells me that they don't like to share.

Bill

 

[Anal Annie]

More likely imposed because people weren't tipping bell services when they delivered.

Not everything goes thru Bell Services. Groceries and Owners Lockers do but most USPS, UPS and Fed Ex packages are delivered to the front desk. We have only had things delivered 2x. First time was several years ago when we set up our Owners Locker and I sent a large box via UPS with the contents we were planning to leave. I told them at the front desk at check-in that I was expecting a large box and they found it for us. It may have then been brought to our room along with our other bags by Bell Services but it didn't start out there. The 2nd time was last summer. We were driving down and stopping somewhere in NC overnight. When we stopped for a lunch break I suddenly had this flash of horror that I had forgotten to bring my "Disney wallet" (which is where I keep our TIW card, DVC cards and AP's in-between trips) along with a ziplock baggie with about $900 worth of Disney gift cards in it. I had to call our next door neighbor and get her to go into my nightstand to find all this junk and send it Fed Ex overnight so it would arrive the same day as us for check-in. Anyway, it had arrived just before us and had already been noted on our reservation so that when we checked in they said "Oh and you have a package waiting for you". It was in the back office behind the front desk waiting for us. It was not at Bell Services....

 

[DisTravels]

I agree this is questionable if they are not being credited back to the association -i.e., as an offset against dues that pay for those employees since SSR does not have a contracted business center.

Agreed that the revenue for this service, which the owners pay for, should be an offset to maintenance fees.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

Agreed that the revenue for this service, which the owners pay for, should be an offset to maintenance fees.

This is true for DVC only resorts like SSR, but it is more fuzzy for hotel/DVC together resorts, like VGF, Poly, AK, etc.

 

[TheGecko]

Disagree with members paying for package delivery as part of their dues. If everyone decided to have a package delivered every trip it would get out of hand and fees would have to be increased for the majority to support a minority request.

This should be a use fee for those who want an added service. I don't want to pay for your boxes and you should not have to pay for mine.

 

[mdelano4]

Sorry, I love my DVC, but this is just a money grab. It's just enough to make it annoying, but probably not to deter people from sending boxes ahead. I remember when we rented a double stroller for $12/day and the next year it was $25. The package fee will rise, like everything else, then some enterprising Floridian will come up with a service where you can mail them your package and they will hand it to you at your resort for a smaller fee.

Sorry, was I rambling?

 

[Brian Noble]

This isn't just happening at DVC; it is happening at all Disney resorts, and for cash guests as well. Things delivered by courier (Garden Grocer, Owners Locker, etc.) are not charged, but things that come in via a standard shipper (USPS, FedEx, etc.) are. I suspect the fact that it applies to all guests on a fee-for-service basis would invalidate any double charging arguments, but IANAL.