$95 fee and MS comments

[MichelleB]

My DH wrote an email complaining about the new $95 fee to reserve Disney hotels on WDW property that are not DVC. We feel this changes the plan we were presented (not as a perk as it was never presented that way, it was the DVC plan) and rather than pay a $95 fee to reserve a WDW hotel, we'll limit ourselves to only DVC property or offsite. We received a call from MS today regarding my DHs email. He reiterated our displeasure and that in implementing this fee, we will only stay DVC and if choosing to extend a stay, we'll either pay cash or look off-site and if looking off-site then we'll also eat off-site. The fee according to MS is being implemented to "streamline backroom operations" which will shorten phone line wait times. She said when you call to make a reservation at a non-DVC place, MS castmembers have to go into 5 separate systems and make a minimum of 3 phone calls to make that reservation all while we're on hold, blocking phone lines. She stated that if they collect enough of $95 fees then they can upgrade their computer systems streamlining the process resulting in us seeing shorter hold times and better service.

DVC stated they've had a lot of complaints about this....I imagine they have!

I don't know about any of you, but that doesn't wash with me. I still don't buy the reasoning and still never looked at using points at a non-DVC hotel as a perk as, again, it wasn't stated to us like that. I'm still really ticked about this fee and will NOT be paying $95 to stay at one of the other hotels. I understand the fee when using points outside of Disney to say the Whitehall or other concierge collections, but not in this regards. In my mind, the benefits of our purchase just decreased and apparently based on her comment that they've received a LOT of call, so do many others. I don't think we'll change it, but if you're not happy, please let them know.

 

[gtrist4life]

Last week I emailed member services the following:

"Dear Member Satisfaction team,

I'm writing to express my disappointment with finding out about the
upcoming
increase in fees to members who use their points to stay at Non DVC WDW
Resorts.

This is being discussed on discussion boards and quite a few members are
unhappy. Many believe this is a continuation of a slow process that is
eroding the perceived value of DVC (and the WDW experience, particularly
in
dining) in exchange for maximizing profits. Please forward to management
so
that they can have the opportunity to address this situation and others
so
the perceptions can be reversed.

Thanks,"

----------------------------------------------------------------

Today I recieved the following reply:

"Hello Steven,

Thank you for taking the time to contact Disney Vacation Club.

I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for your
disappointment in regards to the Disney Vacation Club policy changes for
2008. It is never our intention to inconvenience or dissatisfy our
members.

I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share your honest feedback
with us. The comments we receive are very important to us, as they let
us know what we are doing right and what we can do better. You may be
assured that your feedback will be shared with the appropriate
departments and individuals.

For any future communications with Member Correspondence, please include
your member number, home address, and phone number to ensure we are
documenting these concerns properly and so we may contact you via
telephone if necessary.

We appreciate you being a part of our Disney Vacation Club family, and
we look forward to entertaining you for years to come.

Sincerely,

MS CM Name (I deleted the actual name)
Disney Vacation Club
Member Correspondence"

We'll see... I don't buy the "upgrade our phone system" response. That should have been budgeted with the expansion of DVC and the increase in members.

Peace,
G4L

 

[Rwars10230]

We were trying to get a letter started that members could print and then actually mail. I was told that this was being done in order to facilitate an equipment upgrade as well. I was told that the discussions involved either this, or an increase in dues for all members. The mind set behind this was to not charge members who would not be exchanging. I think that this is horrible either way. I remember the sales pitch and it was very much, "you will never pay a fee" when staying with Disney. So much for that. I was also told that if you want to use your points at multiple resorts during the same trip, that each different hotel would incur the $95 fee. What a joke.

 

[MichelleB]

The whole thing "stinks". I sent an email to the email address on the DVC website and I got a response to the tune of we don't have the vacation magic that's been printed yet and can't address your comments. My DH sent the email to the one posted on this website a week or so ago and he got a phone call. Either way, the response was it's to upgrade and make things smoother for all of us. I guess things won't be getting any better phone-wise then because I rather doubt many members will be paying this fee.

 

[flyerron]

It is absurd to believe disney needs $95 from DVC members to upgrade their phone or computer systems. IT IS ABSURD!!!!

 

[madduck]

When we bought in I specifically remember our guide telling us that DVC wont nickel and dime you with all these hidden fees. Well I see thats gone by the wayside. What next?

 

[jodifla]

I share your outrage!

This is a definite downgrade of DVC. I'm still working on the letter. I wanted to give myself a few days to cool off.

Interesting how they are now blaming time and equipment as the reason. I thought it was to keep it simple for us DVC simpletons?

They must think we're complete dupes.

 

[KevGuy]

Don't they have to send us a letter outlining a policy change like a credit card would? I never received one.

 

[cobbler]

Paying to upgrade their systems?? Shouldn't they do that regardless? I think that is a BS line of excuses. There has to be better or even a different underlying reason for this.

Honestly it's a load of crap.

I will be sending my email shortly.

With all these changes, the Member Condo meetings should be interesting. I know it's really all a pretty facade but heck, if enough of us stand up and speak out, something can be done.

 

[Donna]

I will be sending a letter also. We like to use some of our points to stay at Ft. Wilderness in our RV and i can hardly justify paying an add'l $95 for using MY POINTS there, as the sites themselves are only $40-60 a night! i can almost get two more nights out of that $95 fee Disney wants from me.

I sold off 3/4 of my contracts and this might just be what pushes me over the edge to sell the rest off while i can. Something like this should be voted on by the members, not the DVC board or whoever the powers-that-be are there. Nothing irritates me more than that canned letter they send everyone about rest assured that your comments will be forwarded on to the right people, blah blah blah.

Isn't there SOMEONE we can address a letter to, in lieu of an email that just anyone at MS reads and tosses?

ETA: i DID make my 2008 pts reservations with MS for the Fort next year and was NOT charged this fee, nor was it mentioned. Now i am wondering why. afraid to ask!

 

[LIFERBABE]

I share your outrage!

This is a definite downgrade of DVC. I'm still working on the letter. I wanted to give myself a few days to cool off.

Interesting how they are now blaming time and equipment as the reason. I thought it was to keep it simple for us DVC simpletons?

They must think we're complete dupes.

I got a call on my answering machine, now that I know the script, they dont want me to return the call, because I might lose my magic!

I agree, I get more insulted with each excuse. How do they think we got all this money to pay for DVC. Robbed the Pizza Man?

Just because we choose to escape reality does not mean we are not steeped in it.

Totally absurd, on 1 page they want to make things simpler and on the other hand they want us to fork over $25 per point for points we dont get to use for 35 years!
Can you see all the DVC execs patting each other on the back, congratulating each other for being so much smarter than us.

Tell us anything and coat it with Family Magic memories and we will fall for it and fork over the cash

 

[mouseclick1]

IF they were truly charging $95 to upgrade the system to provide better service (and that is a great big IF because I don't buy it), then I wold have appreciated something along the lines of "a $95 charge will now apply to all Disney Collection exchanges so that we may upgrade our system to provide the best service for our customers...blah, blah, blah". I find it so insulting that Jim Lewis claims it is being done to make things simpler for members.

 

[jcf]

I was going to use dev points to stay at Poly. I also factored in extra points for an occassional re-visit there.

They don't make enough money at $104 pt to upgrade their computers. Oh well, $95 just cost them $12,000+.

Maybe they are inhaling too much pixie dust.

 

[MichelleB]

The email address that was posted on this site a couple of weeks ago was:

Disney Vacation Club Member Satisfaction email is DVCMemberSatisfactionTeam@disneyvacationclub.com

This is the email address my husband used. The general DVC email doesn't do anything but get a general response back so we used this one.

 

[Chuck S]

You realize that they don't have to allow us to use our points anywhere except our home resorts, right? There are no guarantees that WDW resorts, cruises or anything other than your home resort will remain a booking option.

You also realize tha ANY DVC computer upgrades won't be paid for by Disney, they are paid either through booking fees (like the $95) or an overall increase in dues.

 

[MichelleB]

I don't even want to think about that as it's a completely different option than we purchased. I love DVC and am already considering selling off a couple of our contracts, so I really hope those changes never come or I may regret the purchase.

 

[jbrowna]

For all the reasons that have been bandied about as to why this $95 fee is being added, I think the most obvious is the fact that DVC wants to discourage its members from booking outside of DVC. Why? Well, whenever someone books outside of a DVC resort, that takes that room out of DVC inventory and puts it in CRO -- so now, CRO has to try to rent that room for $$$$. If they can't, DVC loses out.

Have you ever been bummed because no rooms are available to book using points, but are available for cash? That's because some DVC member has used points to stay at a non-DVC resort. The simplest thing, from DVC's point of view, is to discourage DVC members from using points for non-DVC resorts. That way, those rooms stay in DVC inventory. And if the member really wants to trade out, at least DVC can collect the $95 fee even if the room remains unrented for cash.

So, for me, it makes perfect sense. Why use DVC points for a non-DVC rooms? Pay cash for non-DVC rooms, and points for DVC rooms.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...So, for me, it makes perfect sense. Why use DVC points for a non-DVC rooms? Pay cash for non-DVC rooms, and points for DVC rooms.

And there goes the big "500 other places to use your points" selling point for DVC.

 

[mello]

You realize that they don't have to allow us to use our points anywhere except our home resorts, right? There are no guarantees that WDW resorts, cruises or anything other than your home resort will remain a booking option.

You also realize tha ANY DVC computer upgrades won't be paid for by Disney, they are paid either through booking fees (like the $95) or an overall increase in dues.

I believe that since all the things you mention were and are being used as sales pitches for DVC, if it ever comes to the point where nothing but home resort is a booking option, the market will be so flooded with resales at low prices that Disney will be hard pressed to buy back all the ROFRs. When people buy a product, they expect it to deliver what they were told it would deliver. If that doesn't happen, the product becomes worthless in the eyes of the consumer. (Here's a quick unrelated but still somewhat pertinent example - look at what's happened to the sales/value of the XBox 360 lately). I believe we're right to be concerned about the perceived value of DVC.

I also realize that DVD should be upfront and clearly spell out what the fees are actually going for. I don't mind paying for something useful if I know what my money's buying, but I do resent being condescended to by being told that this new fee is being enacted in order to simplify my life.

 

[Mickey Moose]

somewhat pertinent example - look at what's happened to the sales/value of the XBox 360 lately).