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[mustinjourney]

OP here. Thanks everyone!

I was/am looking for confirmation/clarification that if I add on 25 points direct from Disney with the same use year and resort, that I would be able to get full membership benefits. I guess I'm worried that because the membership number originated as a resale contract that it will be flagged as one and I wouldn't get the benefits and discounts with a direct add-on.

Background: I have a resale SSR contract in ROFR right now, which I fully expect to go through. It's not too big, 100 points. I can afford a 25 point add on contract in cash as soon as everything is done, and was looking to do that ASAP. My wife and I (no kids... yet) love spending time at Disney Springs, so we have no issue having SSR as our home resort. We visit WDW at least once a year, and also live on the west coast so we intend on using at Aulani when we can. Yes, the intent of my post was knowledge to gain access to the discounts and benefits, knowing full well that they can be taken away at anytime. I accepted the fact that I wouldn't be getting discounts with my resale contract, but then I remembered the lounge at Epcot and that got the gears in my head spinning.

Yes -- 25 points gives you full membership. Doesn't matter that you were originally a second class citizen.

 

[PAPIHAVANA]

Does anyone think that with all the members buying resale and being discriminated by not giving them the same benefits as all other members prior to April 2016. Would it be cause for a class action law suite? I understand that it is a benefit and it can be taken away at anytime. But, it should be an equal benefit. Does it seem fair to an individual that purchased April 4th, 2016, than and individual that purchased April 5th. 2016. If you ask me I think a class action suite is in order!

And I know what some people are going to say "Well you knew you weren't going to get the incidentals benefits when you purchased" Yes I know! But it's the matter of principal! Plus we are not supposed to be living in an age of segregation. A membership is a membership no matter what! We all have ownership rights and soon more will be without benefits than those with the benefits. If their are any attorneys out there listening???

 

[PAPIHAVANA]

Does anyone think that with all the members buying resale and being discriminated by not giving them the same benefits as all other members prior to April 2016. Would it be cause for a class action law suite? I understand that it is a benefit and it can be taken away at anytime. But, it should be an equal benefit. Does it seem fair to an individual that purchased April 4th, 2016, than and individual that purchased April 5th. 2016. If you ask me I think a class action suite is in order!

And I know what some people are going to say "Well you knew you weren't going to get the incidentals benefits when you purchased" Yes I know! But it's the matter of principle! Plus we are not supposed to be living in an age of segregation. A membership is a membership no matter what! We all have ownership rights and soon more will be without benefits than those with the benefits. If their are any attorneys out there listening???

 

[Dean]

Does anyone think that with all the members buying resale and being discriminated by not giving them the same benefits as all other members prior to April 2016. Would it be cause for a class action law suite? I understand that it is a benefit and it can be taken away at anytime. But, it should be an equal benefit. Does it seem fair to an individual that purchased April 4th, 2016, than and individual that purchased April 5th. 2016. If you ask me I think a class action suite is in order!

And I know what some people are going to say "Well you knew you weren't going to get the incidentals benefits when you purchased" Yes I know! But it's the matter of principal! Plus we are not supposed to be living in an age of segregation. A membership is a membership no matter what! We all have ownership rights and soon more will be without benefits than those with the benefits. If their are any attorneys out there listening???

One should understand what they are committing to.

 

[Wakey]

Does anyone think that with all the members buying resale and being discriminated by not giving them the same benefits as all other members prior to April 2016. Would it be cause for a class action law suite? I understand that it is a benefit and it can be taken away at anytime. But, it should be an equal benefit. Does it seem fair to an individual that purchased April 4th, 2016, than and individual that purchased April 5th. 2016. If you ask me I think a class action suite is in order!

And I know what some people are going to say "Well you knew you weren't going to get the incidentals benefits when you purchased" Yes I know! But it's the matter of principal! Plus we are not supposed to be living in an age of segregation. A membership is a membership no matter what! We all have ownership rights and soon more will be without benefits than those with the benefits. If their are any attorneys out there listening???

No because we aren't being discriminated against. All perks are just marketing, paid for by Disney Vacation Developments who build and sell the timeshare, not DVC. Where the problem arises is that direct buyers think they are buying something they are not, they think they are buying a different DVC. Nope, it's exactly the same deed, with DVD spending some marketing dollars on offering them things. What I never see discussed is the Florida statute which limits the freebies DVD can give away to a maximum percentage of the contract cost. That's another limiting factor on the marketing spend. If anyone has a complaint it will be direct buyers for being induced into paying a lot more, but DVD have themselves covered with disclaimers saying the buyer is not getting the perks as part if the deed, not relying on them when buying and they only last 3 years etc. Even though the majority of direct buyers are clueless about this and do not even realise they signed it from what I have seen on DVC Facebook pages.

 

[PAPIHAVANA]

Isn't it discrimination when I am hot standing out side the member lounge and cannot go inside to sit down and cool off because I am a "resale member"!

 

[PAPIHAVANA]

Isn't it discrimination when I have to pay full price for "food" while others that also bought resale get it discounted?

 

[PAPIHAVANA]

Even just not having the blue card is discrimination in it self.

 

[PAPIHAVANA]

I can understand since you didn't pay full price you don't get the tote or whatever gifts are given. Instead they treat you like a second class citizen. Someone told me that in the original condo docs it states that membership perks are not to be downgraded or removed for this would reduce the value of the membership in itself. By allowing DVD to downgrade memberships contracts thus further devaluing our investments. People are not getting upset because it doesn't affect them until the day the want to sell. If we continue to allow DVD to depreciate our investments, soon enough it wont be worth anything. This is why I feel we should stand up and not voice our opinion just once a year but have DVD correct this and revert to what the memberships were prior to April 4, 2016.

 

[Dean]

Isn't it discrimination when I am hot standing out side the member lounge and cannot go inside to sit down and cool off because I am a "resale member"!

No, all one buys is the right to use the timeshare and appropriate management. The other items are non contractual add ons by DVD, the sales developer. If it bothers you that much you really should wash your hands of the system.

Isn't it discrimination when I have to pay full price for "food" while others that also bought resale get it discounted?

Again, no. You have the potential for the discounts just like every one else, you just don't qualify for them. The idea that companies treat all customers the same, or even should, is simply wrong. My Toyota dealership has a VIP lounge that one only qualifies for if you buy a ?new vehicle directly from them. Free food, drinks, computers and the like. The differential DVD has made so far between qualified and non qualified is minor compared to what most timeshares have done.

Even just not having the blue card is discrimination in it self.

Again, no, for the same reasons.

I can understand since you didn't pay full price you don't get the tote or whatever gifts are given. Instead they treat you like a second class citizen. Someone told me that in the original condo docs it states that membership perks are not to be downgraded or removed for this would reduce the value of the membership in itself. By allowing DVD to downgrade memberships contracts thus further devaluing our investments. People are not getting upset because it doesn't affect them until the day the want to sell. If we continue to allow DVD to depreciate our investments, soon enough it wont be worth anything. This is why I feel we should stand up and not voice our opinion just once a year but have DVD correct this and revert to what the memberships were prior to April 4, 2016.

You should read it for yourself, there is no such statement. It says they are not guaranteed and doesn't address the issue otherwise except for points banking if you buy retail and that was added later. They're providing everything contractually covered. But you could always buy retail and get the perks and currently 25 points retail will get you everything of value.

 

[Dean]

Did you not understand what you were buying when you bought resale?

 

[D-Trick]

Even just not having the blue card is discrimination in it self.

I fail to see the "discrimination" logic.

For arguments sake, let's make an analogy with these member benefits. I will be comparing them to: Non-expiration WDW tickets.

Timeline for Non-expiration WDW tickets:

1. Beginning-2005: All tickets and hoppers never expired.
2. 2005-2013: You can still have the non-expiration option, but you have to pay more for it.
3. 2013-present: A non-expiration option is no longer available.

Tickets, whether they're non-expiration or not, serve its purpose of getting you into the parks.

If I buy a 10 day hopper ticket today and only use 5 days, I'm not going to fight to make the unused days non-expiration. It's the terms of when I bought the ticket.

Timeline for Member benefits:

1. Beginning-4/4/2016: All members received benefits.
2. 4/5/2016-present: You can still have member benefits, but you have to pay more for it (aka direct purchase).
3. ???-???: Member benefits are no longer available.

Membership, whether you're direct or resale, serve its purpose and gets you into the DVC resorts.

If I buy a resale contract today, I'm not going to fight for the membership perks. It's the terms of when I bought the contract.

 

[CliftonParkGMan]

Greetings! First time poster.

Has anyone who has purchased resale recently (after April 2016) bought a minimum add on contract direct from Disney? At the time of this writing, the DVC website states that an add-on contract for SSR is $140/pt, with a 25 point minimum. In the next couple months I hope to have my first DVC contract at SSR.

I understand that incidental benefits and membership extras are not guaranteed and can be taken away at anytime (I've read that disclaimer more times than I can count), but will adding on a small contract direct from Disney at the same resort with the same use year result in a membership card and thus granting the membership extras?

Thanks in advance!

Many folks used this strategy and DVD responded by a new policy effective 2/25/18 - You must have a minimum of 75 points and maintain that level of points purchased from DVD.

Anyone who bought the min add on of 25 points prior to 2/25 will not be impacted by this policy.

DVD is trying to keep the value per point as high as possible. Each person needs to make a decision but the cost savings on resale can be huge. Unless you have a big family and buy a lot of AP's and Merch financially DVD purchases of DVC might not make sense at 75 pts.

A strategy that some DVC families who bought resale (and even cash resort families) do is to have one member buy an AP to get the discounts which are similar to DVC.

 

[D-Trick]

Hi @CliftonParkGMan,

Not sure how you stumbled upon this thread and if you were replying to me, but this is from May of 2017, not this year.

I will re-title this thread.