Baited and switched? re: SSR

[Dreamfinder2]

Disclaimer: We own at both BWV and SSR. We love them both, and for entirely different reasons. We've stayed at all the WDW DVC properties, and loved them all, too (altho some more than others, but I'd take any of 'em over just about anywhere else in the world.)

AND, our guide was/is just superb. No hard sell, patient to a fault, and just a sweetheart in general (is it OK to say that about a salesperson?)

Here's my question. If you bought SSR through Disney, were you (a) attracted to SSR for what it was, being perfectly content with the property, and looking forward to it being your home resort, or (b) buying SSR just because that was all that was available, AND your guide played up the ability to trade into other DVC properties as a major selling point? Just some idle perusing of some old threads/posts might lead someone to believe that the guides mislead purchasers, using other properties as the "bait" but leading the purchasers to buy SSR ... something less than what they expected and now they're "stuck."

I'll just say there wasn't a bit of deception present in either of or DVC purchases, and I knew clearly what we were doing, and have absolutely no regrets. But I see plenty of "what have we done?" posts from SSRers who've never stayed in their home resort, but are spooked by some of the posts here.

So... what was your experience? Was your guide clear on your SSR purchase, or did you feel mislead into believing where you bought didn't matter?

 

[DISNEYFOS]

We almost bought in December at SSR even though it was not the resort we planned on staying at. Our guide gave no indication we could buy anywhere else. When I asked about resales he "cautioned" us against them and said we could stay anywhere even if our home resort was SSR.

We ended up bailing out of the deal once we got home..

I'm now reading from this site that we can truly buy into the other resorts which is where we would most likely stay(BCV, BWV) which would make me much more comfortable.. We are revisiting.

I am a little annoyed with our Guide....

 

[jblb1020]

I just purchased DVC at Saratoga Springs. I have never visited the SS but will be going for three nights in May for the first time. I love the VWL and was looking into purchasing there but was convinced by my guide that if I don't plan my vacations 11 months out (which we don't) then I could still stay at the VWL at the 7 month mark. I would also have 12 additional years on my contract and I would be able to get the current promo of last years points and $1200.00 off the price. So I was convinced. I have read the boards and heard many opinions about Saratoga Springs but I feel I need to find out for myself. I love everything Disney and can't imagine not liking Saratoga Springs. I will let you know when I get back if I have any regrets but I'm thinking not.

 

[elijahpep]

AS soon as we pulled up to SSR we loved everything about it. Our guide went thru the whole sales pitch and we were hooked. There was "mention" of staying at other resorts but we didn't inquire therefore she didn't elaborate about it. We also love everything Disney and this was a great match for us.
We just did an add on in March while we were there with our guide and this time there was absolutely no mention of other resorts. We feel as if our guide has been up front with everything and when we have called she has always been very gracious!

~DW

 

[JimMIA]

I'm always a little amused by some of the stories we hear of interactions with DVC guides. I often wonder what role the prospective buyer thinks the guide plays.

Just so there's no misunderstanding -- they are sales people! And they are hired to sell what Disney is selling, not what some existing owner is selling. They are not counselors...they are sales people.

My first exposure to DVC was an SSR tour, and I really liked it. The guide was helpful, professional, and honest. I didn't want to make a decision right away because I had too many questions -- how many points, should I include my adult daughters, etc, etc.

So I came home and did a Google search for Disney Vacation Club, which landed me (thank goodness!) on The Timeshare Store website. From there, I found the DIS and got a ton of helpful information from both sources...as well as my guide. As a result, I decided to buy OKW resale. I called my guide and told her that's what I was doing.

What do you think she said? She said Disney was aggressively ROFRing resale contracts, and that I could use SSR points anywhere at 7 months, it had 12 more years, etc. She also said to let her know if I changed my mind, and to call her if I had any questions.

Was I upset with her? No. She told me the truth. Disney was ROFRing aggressively at that time, etc, etc.

Did I expect her to jump for joy that I was considering another route? Of course not! That would be like expecting a Ford salesman to tell me a Lexus has higher resale value than the car I might buy from him. That's not his job, that's MY job as a consumer.

I don't expect a Ford salesman to sell me a used Lexus from another dealer's lot, even if it is a better deal for me. And I don't expect my Disney guide to offer to sell me OKW for $87 (their price at the time) instead of me buying it resale for $73! If she had suggested that, I would have concluded either a) SHE was stupid, or b) She thought I was!

My guide did exactly what a good guide is supposed to do -- she presented her product in the most positive way she could, and she tried to minimize or overcome whatever objections I presented. She failed on the first go-around, but when she had a BETTER deal, I bought an SSR add-on from her...because it has 12 more years, and I can use the points anywhere at 7 months!

 

[spiceycat]

every time there is a new DVC resort - it get bashed here....

ignore it - if you are happy with your resort who cares what others think.

I still remember when BWV was built - from the posts here it like it was the worst thing in the world....

the only one that wasn't bashed was the BCV - the owners actually bashed that one.

their guides did not explain that BCV was grandmother cottage - so think old stuff.... they expected it to be brand new and look new... It is brand new but it looks old intentional.... You know sometimes I think the designer should make up a pamplet and send to all the new owners of any of the DVC resort.... bet it would stop alot of the complaints...

VWL, VB, HH all were bashed....

some DVC members don't seem to understand that people have different taste.... thank goodness DVC does. or it would be very boring....

appreciate what you have!!!! SSR is a beautiful resort!!!

 

[Slakk]

I am an SSR owner and I do not feel mislead at all I agree that it is just the new guy bashing stuff and I ignore it. And fwiw I have stayed at other resorts with my points and had no problem well one problem...I WISH I HAD BEEN AT SSR!!!

 

[Poohs Pal]

I purchased SSR for SSR. I needed the zero entry pool for DS. Liked the idea of being very close to DTD(night time for me) and a MickyD's for DS. I did my homework before purchasing and new I would mainly stay at SSR. I will on occasion use BWV and VWL. As a matter of fact i'll be staying at BWV next week and I booked about 2 months out. It is just me and DSis so we plan on Jelly Rolls every night and just visiting Epcot and MGM. My guide never pushed the buy here stay there at me. Susan

 

[DrTomorrow]

IMHO, "Bait and Switch" is a pretty strong - and inappropriate - term in this situation. The OP is asking a pretty leading question; to paraphrase: "Did you buy SSR because you liked it or were you cheated?" Yeesh.

In our situation, we went it eyes wide open - thanks to the friendly folks here on the DIS. We bought into SSR because we truly liked the look, feel, layout and location of the resort. We purchased before it opened, hence no SSR resales available, and we knew the relative issues of 11/7 and BWYWTS.

To be honest, and sorry to disappoint the OP, but the ability to stay at the other DVC resorts is a non-trivial benefit; as much as we love SSR, it certainly is nice to visit our other "homes" now and then for a night or two. And unless the guide guaranteed that you will always be able to book anywhere at any point within the booking windows, I can't see a bait-and-switch situation. Let's be honest: even when you BWYWTS, there's no guarantee that you will be able to book at your home resort - if it is busy (FW, F&G, early Dec) and you wait until 8 months out, you may out of luck. Is that bait-and-switch, too?

Finally, JimMIA makes an excellent point about Guides being salespeople; they are agents of Disney, period. They may be nicer than most TS sales folks, but their priorities do NOT include looking out for your best interests. Hmmmm, I wonder - is there such a thing as a Timeshare buyer's agent, like there is for houses?

 

[Dreamfinder2]

Just to be in full disclosure mode here - and DrT is spot on - I hope I can be forgiven a bit of hyperbole in my original post. I just hate for potential buyers who are on the fence to be discouraged because they think that SSR is less than desirable (and that's due in part to my having read a boatload of negative posts today.) Reflecting on some of the posts I read, you'd think that the mandate from On High to the salespeople/guides is "do whatever it takes to sell the product, promise the moon, tell 'em the rez window is irrelevant, etc."

All the DVC properties are just fine. We love SSR ... when it came time to buy some more points, it was the clear winner, and complements BWV perfectly for us.

The idea that the guides, as a matter of course, are less than forthcoming is an accusation I've heard plenty of times. I'd love to see it laid to rest, unless it's the truth, and the only way I knew to get at the truth was to hear the experiences of others.

They are salespeople, after all. But from what I've read so far, the idea that SSR is just a vehicle presented to give others opportunities to stay in other properties is bogus. I'd love to lay that to rest.

Again, I'm sorry if my questions were leading, and I'll try to do better!

 

[mowog]

We walked over to the BWV sales office (had appointment) in Oct. 2003 interested in buying BCV. We finally, after probably 15 WDW trips, agreed that it was a smart thing to do and fit our vacation planing and style. The guide started talking about SSR and we asked if any BCV were still available? He broke the bad news to us gently and told us no, all sold out. We asked about deaths, divorces, bankruptcy, ect. and he informed us that Disney exercises ROFR on all of these kinds of transactions. He said Disney buys them back for current BCV members desiring more points. My wife and I had talked before going over and decided it was to be BCV or nothing, so we said lets not waste each others time and thanks for the info.

Back at home my wife thought "that can't be right" and found the disboards and the resale market. We bought a resale in Jan. 2004 and have enjoyed several trips home. We didn't spend enough time for the bait of SSR as we were aware of the 7/11 month booking window and didn't want to buy where we didn't want to stay. As we've learned more we would be happy staying at BWV, VWL, and probably OKW, but I'm sorry that SSR doesn't do much for me (strictly location).

So were we lied to? yes, as the guide didn't say DVC "may" exercise ROFR, but that they "always". Anyway everthing had a happy ending and we love our BCV home.

 

[DISNEYFOS]

Mowog That was my experience as well. We were told "no all sold out". I think thats completely misleading. It really has nothing to do with SSR..I think its about full disclosure.

Well I'm now five months later I'm finally on the waitlist for BCV because I found these sites.

 

[rigsby25]

I fell in love with SSR and bought the day of our presentation. When we came home, we decided to cancel because I found out the day we returned that my team was breaking up at work due to a merger. Since then we looked at resales. We didn't even know when we signed the contract for SSR that there were resales. The only thing "shady" was that there were 5 people in our party because my daughter brought a friend along, and our guide stressed emphatically that 5 people would be comfortable in a studio if we brought an air bed. I didn't ask about 5 people. She volunteered the information. Now it looks as though this isn't necessarily true. We wanted to get a resale on SSR but at that time, there weren't any. We bought a resale contract at OKW sight unseen. We got 210 points for 15,000. instead of 160 points for 15,000. I'm going to be 52 this year, and my husband is 53. My 19 and 16 year olds like WDW, but who knows how they will feel years from now. So we decided to go with the most points for the money as opposed to the most years for the money. We've stayed at OKW and SSR now, and will try to visit the others as well.

 

[bpmorley]

We purchased SSR for SSR. To be honest we really didn't know about any of the other DVC's. We did like the idea of staying at different resorts, but that wasn't the selling point. Just wish the points would be less for regular resorts.

 

[keishashadow]

ahem...must interject my 2 cents worth here. Speaking as a Realtor (not licensed in the great state of FL I must point out); we are so much more than a SALESPERSON.

Do not confuse a real estate salesperson with a Realtor (who have mandatory additional training & follow a much stricter code of ethics, etc.) along w/applicable state laws.

Assume TS salepeople are licensed (real estate agents?). Would think they work (agency) for the seller.

When we contacted DVC last spring, we too were told that the other resorts were sold out & could not be purchased. Nothing was disclosed about secondary markets, etc. Although we didn't ask specifically if resale was an option, a prudent person could infer that the term "sold-out" meant you couldn't purchase them - period!

Additionally, nothing was mentioned about 11 month windows, etc. Only after receving the written material was this discovered. Guide insisted that it wasn't a problem, you could almost always get into the resort you wanted to visit.

Think most TS employees are maligned, don't think you can categorize them as bottom-feeders. However, my initial contact w/DVC guide was certainly mis-informative. So glad that Brian, my assigned "new" guide is forthright & helpful.

 

[Daddio]

We bought at SSR because we wanted to be at DISNEY. And the deal at the time was good (F&F) in our opinion. We still feel that way and I bet I'll get to stay at all of the resorts sooner or later (for 12 years longer than some others).

 

[Zurg]

I'm always a little amused by some of the stories we hear of interactions with DVC guides. I often wonder what role the prospective buyer thinks the guide plays.

LOL. In the immortal words of the Talking Heads, "Stop Making Sense."

 

[gharrer]

We bought at SSR and we just returned from a great trip. I love the resort and the location near DTD. We have been to disney enough times that we like to do other things sometimes like go to HOB and listen to music, and the teens like to go shopping. I was happy with every aspect and only hope that I can stay at Vero or HHI, in Disney, SSR is fine. nancy

 

[Boston5602]

When I bought last month , I had known about SSR , and knew I only wanted BWV ( because of my own likes and dislikes ). I called DVC and talked to a guide that said ONLY SSR was available. I posted such statement here on the boards and was lead to a guide who could and did help me for what I wanted figuring out points and such, thanks Byron. I'm now a happy BWV owner who bought through Disney.

 

[pb4ugo]

i feel much like JimMIA and DrTomorrow so i never make a major purchase without doing scads of research...we were guests at okw in 2/2005 and our friends loved regaling us with the tales of how good a time they have when staying at their dvc...that trip we visited the boardwalk, wilderness lodge, and drove thru the ssr grounds...and we fell in love with okw and ssr...we will never stay at bwv or at bcv...dh and i are products of the jersey shore in its heyday and still today...we have absolutely no desire to be amongst everything that those owners cherish so dearly...and i say god bless them 'cause they will not have any desire to stay at okw or ssr.......

after i came home last feb, i did the internet search thing and also wound up reading and lurking among the disers...and i read all that the board sponsor had to offer re resales...so when the dh suggested that we look into a purchase, i agreed that he should contact our friend's guide and get the latest disney propaganda so that we could seriously evaluate the expense...when we went to list the pluses and minuses - there were very few reasons not to buy...so we called the guide back and told him exactly what we wanted, how much we would put down and gave him the deposit then and there on a credit card...he didn't have to sell us anything......

so to bottom line it - no one sold us on a property - the dvc concept sold us - and when we went to buy in, the guide told us that we were getting the f&f promotion [a better deal than when we had originally made our inquiry!]...we bought ssr because we liked ssr...and we liked okw, too...those are likely to be the only resorts where we will want a ressie...not looking for a resort at animal kingdom or contemporary or poly...just ssr/okw.