Disney Vacation Club Meeting on Board - Drawing Rigged?

[tlynk]

Are you sure he was not checking for duplicates?

I'm pretty sure. He was in front of all of us and informed us he was now going to draw a name. I've been to at least 10 of these presentations for members and non-members. I don't think these things are rigged, but I do think he cheated a little this time. I hope I'm wrong. I'm happy for the person that won though.

 

[zymurgy1999]

I'm pretty sure. He was in front of all of us and informed us he was now going to draw a name. I've been to at least 10 of these presentations for members and non-members. I don't think these things are rigged, but I do think he cheated a little this time. I hope I'm wrong. I'm happy for the person that won though.

OK, so maybe "rigged" was not the right word, but they make it sound like it is a game of chance. That you have a shot at winning if you show up and listen to the presentation. The impression, the optics, that I got was that they were paying attention to the people who walked in, identified a "mark" so to speak, and intentionally picked that person out of the box. That is what it looked like to me. I know that this is Disney and we all hold them to a higher standard, but these folks are timeshare sales people. They work on commission and my impression was that this was intentional. This is not right.

 

[tlynk]

OK, so maybe "rigged" was not the right word, but they make it sound like it is a game of chance. That you have a shot at winning if you show up and listen to the presentation. The impression, the optics, that I got was that they were paying attention to the people who walked in, identified a "mark" so to speak, and intentionally picked that person out of the box. That is what it looked like to me. I know that this is Disney and we all hold them to a higher standard, but these folks are timeshare sales people. They work on commission and my impression was that this was intentional. This is not right.

I felt something wasn't right my last time as well. Rigged may have been your experience- not arguing that. I was talking about my past experiences. Lots of eye brows were raised when the DVC presenter picked a name. I almost posted about it on the DIS, but I figured it would turn into a debate. Yes we do hold Disney to a higher standard - that's why I'm a DVC member and I love it!

 

[NS8VN]

OK, so maybe "rigged" was not the right word, but they make it sound like it is a game of chance. That you have a shot at winning if you show up and listen to the presentation. The impression, the optics, that I got was that they were paying attention to the people who walked in, identified a "mark" so to speak, and intentionally picked that person out of the box. That is what it looked like to me. I know that this is Disney and we all hold them to a higher standard, but these folks are timeshare sales people. They work on commission and my impression was that this was intentional. This is not right.

Well a lot of people have what they consider proof that the powers that be are working against them. They see something and rather than weigh the possibilities they immediately categorize it as something sinister. You can go on Youtube and find videos of traffic lights that someone feels proves they are being controlled and changed based on who is driving down the street.

I'm in no way suggesting that you did not see someone flipping through the cards. I'm only saying that it could have been something normal, routine, and completely proper. Or maybe it was rigged. I just wonder how you can be so positive that what you saw was improper. You saw someone flip through the cards and that has morphed in to a story of rigged drawings and searching for a mark. I'm sorry, but I am just not confident in your interpretation of the situation. After all, in a room of 30 people it isn't too difficult for 29 of them to convince themselves that it was all rigged against them.

 

[mathgeek]

I'm fairly certain that nothing was rigged the time I won on the Dream. I was the only DVC member at the Group Presentation for non-members, and I was not there to add on.

 

[mj2vacation]

They have to check that you are a US resident (or a resident of certain places, depending on where in the world you are and who is in legal at the time). Even something like a random drawing at Sea is subject to registration laws per Disney legal.

It’s really awkward when the person who wins is not eligible.

The quality assurance managers will make absolutely sure that rules are followed.

 

[Shanti]

Well a lot of people have what they consider proof that the powers that be are working against them. They see something and rather than weigh the possibilities they immediately categorize it as something sinister. You can go on Youtube and find videos of traffic lights that someone feels proves they are being controlled and changed based on who is driving down the street.

I'm in no way suggesting that you did not see someone flipping through the cards. I'm only saying that it could have been something normal, routine, and completely proper. Or maybe it was rigged. I just wonder how you can be so positive that what you saw was improper. You saw someone flip through the cards and that has morphed in to a story of rigged drawings and searching for a mark. I'm sorry, but I am just not confident in your interpretation of the situation. After all, in a room of 30 people it isn't too difficult for 29 of them to convince themselves that it was all rigged against them.

The poster reported what "it looked like" and what his "impression" was. He didn't insist that the DVC presenters absolutely were cheating, but rather that it seemed that way. A very clear & non-paranoid description was given, and multiple other posters have reported the same experience. So there is no need to dismiss it as a paranoid reaction.

I personally wouldn't be at all surprised if the OP's suspicions were right. That they'd visually screen people upon entering, pick someone who looked like a likely potential client & note his or her name from the sign-in sheet. The high from winning $200 might help seal the deal with someone who was considering a purchase.

The presenters are salespeople who personally make money off the people who buy DVC. So I actually think it's a bit naive to believe that none of them would ever try to tilt the drawing winnings in their favor. Some probably do, though I'm sure not all. Each ship has different presenters on it with different levels of personal ethics.

 

[Shanti]

The quality assurance managers will make absolutely sure that rules are followed.

Exactly how would they do this? There are no non-DVC salesperson DCL overseers present at these events.

 

[Dug720]

Well a lot of people have what they consider proof that the powers that be are working against them. They see something and rather than weigh the possibilities they immediately categorize it as something sinister. You can go on Youtube and find videos of traffic lights that someone feels proves they are being controlled and changed based on who is driving down the street.

I'm in no way suggesting that you did not see someone flipping through the cards. I'm only saying that it could have been something normal, routine, and completely proper. Or maybe it was rigged. I just wonder how you can be so positive that what you saw was improper. You saw someone flip through the cards and that has morphed in to a story of rigged drawings and searching for a mark. I'm sorry, but I am just not confident in your interpretation of the situation. After all, in a room of 30 people it isn't too difficult for 29 of them to convince themselves that it was all rigged against them.

Excellent points.

I live in NYC and when the theatre ticket lotteries were in person and not online/digital, I used to go to them quite a lot. There were some that always seemed like they might be rigged, but once at the drawing for "A Chorus Line" I experienced it first-hand. The entry slips were all 3x5 index card sized papers. We were instructed to fold them once, short side to short side. A girl came in with her family, and she obviously knew the person running the lottery - they hugged and greeted each other like BFFs. Not necessarily a big deal. BUT. She made a point of saying it would be her family's first Broadway show to the lottery girl. The lottery girl then had her and her family fold their papers long side to long side. Which makes it quite obvious to anyone drawing which are different, even without looking. She didn't think any of us had heard her, but a couple of us exchanged looks. Sure enough, she drew one short-short card, then wham in a row 2 or 3 for the BFF - and lottery girl proceeded to look at the BFF and say "Does that cover what you need?" At that point one of the other people in the lobby for the drawing went to the box office and asked if there was a manager there and told the manager what had happened. Every single one of us who had entered got tickets at lottery price that day, and I never saw lottery girl working in any theatre again. THAT is obvious rigging.

I'm still in the camp that in all likelihood they were checking for eligibility and against double entries.

 

[OKW Lover]

Whenever we have done this the drawing was done by somebody in the audience.

 

[yargrnhoj]

I won on the Wonder in July and am not DVC nor did I sign up for an appointment. No way the person choosing knew me or could have thought I was a mark. In fact, my wife dropped our forms off in the box, not me, so they wouldn't even know who I was. I do wonder if they were looking to make sure the cards were eligible before picking a winner.

 

[emma'smom]

We one half of an OBC credit once.....there was only one other couple in the room for the presentation (I think it was a port day) so the presenter asked if we wanted her to draw or just agree to split it between the two couples that were there (us and them). We all agreed that was fine....a few hours later with had 100 bucks credited to our account. Easy!

 

[MouseOfCards]

Excellent points.

I live in NYC and when the theatre ticket lotteries were in person and not online/digital, I used to go to them quite a lot. There were some that always seemed like they might be rigged, but once at the drawing for "A Chorus Line" I experienced it first-hand. The entry slips were all 3x5 index card sized papers. We were instructed to fold them once, short side to short side. A girl came in with her family, and she obviously knew the person running the lottery - they hugged and greeted each other like BFFs. Not necessarily a big deal. BUT. She made a point of saying it would be her family's first Broadway show to the lottery girl. The lottery girl then had her and her family fold their papers long side to long side. Which makes it quite obvious to anyone drawing which are different, even without looking. She didn't think any of us had heard her, but a couple of us exchanged looks. Sure enough, she drew one short-short card, then wham in a row 2 or 3 for the BFF - and lottery girl proceeded to look at the BFF and say "Does that cover what you need?" At that point one of the other people in the lobby for the drawing went to the box office and asked if there was a manager there and told the manager what had happened. Every single one of us who had entered got tickets at lottery price that day, and I never saw lottery girl working in any theatre again. THAT is obvious rigging.

I'm still in the camp that in all likelihood they were checking for eligibility and against double entries.

Wow. Nice to hear that somebody spoke up!

 

[Dug720]

Wow. Nice to hear that somebody spoke up!

I know. The rest of us were too shocked that she was that blatant about it to really move. You always suspected some were rigged, but you never really saw it happening so you were never really sure. The online system seems a bit better since it uses randomizers for drawing...though I'm sure people have found a way around the one entry per person thing.