Do the guides really not know about DIS?

[riggins]

Hi Everyone-
I just returned from a trip to BWV which we got by renting points from a DVC member here. While there, we stopped at the DVC sales center to get more info on buying. The guide who greeted us asked us some basic questions about where we were staying and what we knew about DVC. I explained that we were renting points from someone we'd met here and that we knew a lot about DVC from reading things on this board. She seemed completely unaware of this board and the concept of renting points from someone on-line. I didn't think much of it, but when we met with the second person who actually gave us the tour, he asked similar questions and I explained the same thing. He seemed surprised that people were renting points out on-line and that I had been able to get so much info prior to coming. Do these guides really not know this is here??? I would think that they would want to know what existing and prospective members are doing and saying. Quite frankly, this board is a much better DVC sales tool than any of the slick material they give you during the tour . . . maybe you guys should split the commission!! Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[JeffreyH]

I've had the same experience with my guide on the phone. I called to confirm something, and she'll ask how I heard about it. I explained about DIS...she seemed surprised. In fact, when I first called to set up a tour, I had to convince her I had never gotten the tour before because of some of the things I knew (e.g. the financing rate they offer is only good for like 30 days after your tour, etc.). So I explained that I had even seen reviews of her work on these boards (all good)!

But you would think they would be interested what customers and potential customers are saying, thinking, confused about, etc.

Maybe cost cutting doesn't enable them to have someone surf the sites....maybe I'll offer my services while I'm down there next week!!

 

[POLLY ANN]

IMO, I think they do know, they just aren't supposed to let US know they know!

 

[DVC-Don]

When we first purchased I had already researched quite a bit online. (pre DIS days). The guide said I already knew most of it and asked how. I just said a lot of internet surfing. He just told me it was a very easy sell. My mind was made up before we got there.

 

[mle]

I agree with POLLY ANN!

Being from NY, my guide had suggested that I call her every Monday to check on the status of their NY approval. It was from DIS that I found the incentives were ending. When I called my guide the next morning (not a Monday) she mentioned that she knew I would be calling.

 

[sgtpet]

They know of DIS. I spoke to my guide off the record and they are not allowed to discuss it since it is an unofficial site. She told me she knew were I was getting my information.

 

[Beth]

I defended my guide when her actions were in question in a thread here over a year ago.

She left a voice mail at my office "... thanking me for sticking up for her." That ..."someone told her about what I had said on the Internet."

Yeah - they're watching... Even more so, while I use my own name, here, I don't use my surname. She was able to determine that it was "me" just from my first name and location, I assume.

That's why reports like the one currently on the board about the disappointing trade are so useful, IMO - I believe DVC gets a lot from what we discuss here...

 

[ErinC]

Beth, I think you are right. I use most of my name and my location, and when I complained here about our original guide it made me nervous. Everything I said was true, but I wished I had a user name that was not so obvious! I bought DVC because of everything I read here, and my guide had an easy job. I think they probably check this board frequently, but they aren't allowed to "act like they know".

 

[mtdewhead]

When we took the tour at WDW my DH asked the guide if there was much of a secondary market and she responded, "Oh, very very little". Well, much to our happiness, we found this board and a huge resale market!

 

[Carl]

First, I used this board to rent points to give the DVC resorts a try.
Second, I used the Timeshare Store to make the resale purchase
Third, I decided to buy with the idea in mind that I would always have a way to recoup my money for fees, if I was unable to travel in some years, by renting out my points.
This board is a REAL seller of Timeshares!

 

[AnnaS]

My guide is also aware of this site. She also knows that I will get my info here first.

 

[nhmomx2]

I told my guide all about it this site a long time ago...she checks it out - and has gotten a kick out of some of it's contents! We email each other frequently and we discuss it every so often - more often than not when the issue of the lottery was hot! I think someone else hit it right on the head...they know but they can't acknowledge they know! So...they're out there

 

[DebbieB]

When I was planning to purchase in the fall of 1999, I was going to do it when I was at WDW in October. Then I heard on this board that the Magical Beginnings program was changing (changing from a max of $1500 over the phone or $2000 at WDW to a max of half your points for $10), I decided to call and do it over the phone. My guide was totally amazed that I knew about the change, he only first heard about it the day before at a meeting!

 

[Granny]

I think you're right, POLLY ANN and others who say that the CM's know about DIS but can't (won't) acknowledge it.

When I called my guide the first time I told him I knew many of the details from reading them here. He said to be wary of internet information sources since they are not always accurate. We then went on and he confirmed everything I said was true!

He claimed he did not know about the existence of this board. I find that hard to believe. If I'm in sales and have inside access to customers' thoughts and opinions, I'm reading this (and other) boards.

 

[Dean]

In those immortal words of Sargent Shultz "I know nooooothing".

 

[Cruelladeville]

My guide told me that all the guides read the posts on this site, but may not ever answer any questions or correct errors. And I have gotten phone calls from my guide too, thanking me for kind words I have written about him on this site, so of course they read up on what we are all thinking. It's just good marketing strategy.

 

[Beth]

Ha!

They're probably getting a kick out of reading this thread right now!!!

<< HI GUYS!! >>

 

[chris1gill]

I agree Beth, they probably are laughing right now My guide knows I get all my insider info off this board LOL... she knows if I find something of interest to me, I usually give a call (like when other use years were getting BWV add ons & we weren't called yet, our use year was just very slow in coming) but she said she knew I'd be calling! She's been really excellent towards us, so I usually tell others if they ask

 

[MikeScott8]

Yeah well I have to add my two cents to this thread now. when my fiance and I took our tour with Bettie back in Jan. I metioned I got a lot of information online. I don't recall if I mentioned this site in particular, but I am sure we were an easy tour for her as we knew most of the info already and just had a few last minutes questions for her.

I had gotten Bettie's name from the person who runs DVC 101 mailing list on Yahoo. I found that list before I found this site and from thier links for the group I found these boards. finding that Yahoo groups was great as two of the best things about getting into DVC came from that list (Bettie and these boards)

(and just in case she is reading "HI Bettie P.!")

Mike