DVC called me on email about RCI and II!

culli

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jan 19, 2008
Messages
1,194
I received a call from DVC in response to my e-mail. Say what you want about Disney etc but one thing I can say is they do follow up. I have sent them about 4 e-mails in the last few years. Every single time I have received a call from them to discuss the situation. Now whether this accomplishes anything is another story. I also find their member services to be awesome.....some individuals better than others but that is true for almost everything. Wyndham for instance charges you for just about everything you want to do, VRI is hit and miss (overall pretty good), RCI is a joke and II is a little above average. DVC is by far the best customer service that I have seen from most other organizations.

Ok ok enough of that. I did tell them my perception is Disney did this to make a buck and not necessarily for the benefit of the owners. She did give me the company line on RCI. I just told her debating RCI vs II is a matter of opinion. Why didn't they let the membership/ownership vote on what they want RCI or II? Why don't they allow both RCI and II? She listened and said she will share the points of view I have with the "leadership team". Funny thing is when I did mention about anyone asking what the OWNERS wanted she said many times "excellent point", which does bother me why this wasn't ownership or members or whatever we are called asked to vote on this change? I'm sure this is more damage control than anything but still nice to have someone take the time to call you. Actually she was leaving a message on my answering machine and I picked up when she finished. I said "hello, hello" and she must of heard me as she was hanging up because she called me back instantly. Which shows (to me at least) they actually did want to talk to me not just leave a courtesy message.

I will admit that I have a vested interest that DVC stays with II as I supplement my DVC points with an occasional trade into DCV. So I don't want to debate RCI vs II. However I do have memberships in both and in MY OPINION only is that II has better service and trades...gotta love the Marriott resorts!!!
 
why this wasn't ownership or members or whatever we are called asked to vote on this change?
Because that's not the way Disney does things. They are not particularly fond of ceding control for any reason to anyone. Remember: this is the company that, as a condition of opening the Florida resort, got the state to give them their very own governmental entity, (the the Reedy Creek Improvement Distrct,) to ensure control of the land.

To this day, the only landowners in the district, other than TWDC, are five senior company employees. The only other District residents (who themselves are not landowners) are also employees.

The sanctity of RCID is likely one of the main reasons that DVC is structured as a deeded leasehold, not a straight deed, and one of the reasons why the NE corner where Four Seasons is going was de-annexed---that development is going to have privately owned residences, and Disney will not allow any such residences to be placed within the District.
 
think this was more Jim Lewis than DVC saying what was happening.

we use to vote on everything.

except when they changed from RCI to II. that was done without a member vote.

so guess they think it is okay to change back.

It just seem to be last minute - meet someone at a party - type decision.'

It may have been given lots of though. but lots of though doesn't happen in Dec with switch in Jan - too bad if you wanted something in II than RCI does not have.

the whole thing seems last minute.
 
The reason I am not complaining about this switch, although I was looking at an Aruba Marriott trade, is because I know that Jim Lewis really wanted to eliminate exchanging all together. This is probably the best they could do so Im willing to give it a chance. This has been a long discussion within DVC, at least 3 years that I know about.

The good news is that last year I was looking at picking up a Silverleaf resort for local trips and I know they have a terrible reputation and their MF's are $800 a year which I thought were extremely high for what you get. Rural resorts in rural locations. They trade thru RCI and I would much rather spend my money on DVC than Silverleaf. They may not even be on the list, but they do have some brand new units in Tyler, Tx that are very worthy and they are Pet Friendly.
 

I know that Jim Lewis really wanted to eliminate exchanging all together.
Really? That's interesting, because the marketing material (specifically, the recent Travel Channel infomercial) really emphasized non-DVC destinations, more than I would have expected.
 
The reason I am not complaining about this switch, although I was looking at an Aruba Marriott trade, is because I know that Jim Lewis really wanted to eliminate exchanging all together. This is probably the best they could do so Im willing to give it a chance. This has been a long discussion within DVC, at least 3 years that I know about.

The good news is that last year I was looking at picking up a Silverleaf resort for local trips and I know they have a terrible reputation and their MF's are $800 a year which I thought were extremely high for what you get. Rural resorts in rural locations. They trade thru RCI and I would much rather spend my money on DVC than Silverleaf. They may not even be on the list, but they do have some brand new units in Tyler, Tx that are very worthy and they are Pet Friendly.


I am confused - what do you mean he wanted to eliminate - not be able to use DVC for non Disney travel? I am just curious because that was one small selling point for us to be able to go to other parts of the world if we want to - although why would you want to (just kidding).
 
I am confused - what do you mean he wanted to eliminate - not be able to use DVC for non Disney travel? I am just curious because that was one small selling point for us to be able to go to other parts of the world if we want to - although why would you want to (just kidding).

you can now - VB and HH are not on Disney property.

think he just wants more non-WDW or DL - DVC resorts. Of course selling the DVC resorts in those places was a big PROBLEM.

guess Hawaii will be answer that questions. If they can't sell DVC in Hawaii - then it is only a WDW or DL type buy.
 
think this was more Jim Lewis than DVC saying what was happening.

we use to vote on everything.

except when they changed from RCI to II. that was done without a member vote.

so guess they think it is okay to change back.

It just seem to be last minute - meet someone at a party - type decision.'

It may have been given lots of though. but lots of though doesn't happen in Dec with switch in Jan - too bad if you wanted something in II than RCI does not have.

the whole thing seems last minute.

What have the members ever been asked to vote on?

Members did not vote when DVC reallocated the OKW point charts, did not vote on changing from RCI to II, did not vote on adding the pool slide at OKW, did not vote on extending the OKW contracts, did not vote on not including the Attic as part of BWV as suggested, did not vote on discontinuing the 10% discount on non-AP park admission, did not vote on changing the reservation window to be based on check-in instead of arrival date, did not vote on changing the banking deadlines, did not vote on changing the ability to reserve at non-DVC resorts (from 2 months to 4 months), did not vote to change the transfer rule from ONE transfer per year to multiple transfers and then back to ONE per year - among many other things. In addition, DVC does NOT need to have the permission of the members to make any of these changes, we have already granted DVC permission to do this by accepting our contracts in the first place.

This current decision was not made at the last minute - it has been in negotiation for some time as the expiration of the II agreement has been known for years. We will not likely know the details of the negotiation and what was asked and/or offered by DVC to II and by II to DVC - but the decision has been made and it is what it is.
 
I was looking forward to Atlantis - it doesn't look like RCI has Atlantis?
 
Doc,

Very good points. Also, not saying that I disapprove of the smoking ban, but you left that out. Dvc smoking members lost their ability to smoke in their "Home away from home" without any input from them.

Also Doc, please be assured that not all DVC members are disappointed with this decision. As a Boardwalk Villa owner since 1999 and also a owner of a RCI timeshare, I look forward to this change on Jan. 1, 2009.

Dumbo
 
We're all assuming it was a DVC decision, since any trade agreement would have to be negotiated between DVC and II or RCI. Seems to me RCI just came out ahead in the negotiations. Another possibility is that II dropped DVC. Hard to believe anyone would drop DVC but it is possible.:confused3
 
We're all assuming it was a DVC decision, since any trade agreement would have to be negotiated between DVC and II or RCI. Seems to me RCI just came out ahead in the negotiations. Another possibility is that II dropped DVC. Hard to believe anyone would drop DVC but it is possible.:confused3
About as possible as winning the lottery without buying a ticket, you simply find one on the sidewalk. At most would be that II gave up because they couldn't compete with II's offer. I have to think there will be more than we know for this decision to have been made. I'm hopeful that there will be options that members have not had before like non 7 day stays 10 months out, online access, getaway access, the ability to trade up in unit size and possibly cheaper stays. It will be very interesting to see the final product.
 
Just guessing but I'd say: short stays in advance, limited getaways, trading up in size (which translates to cheaper stays). But, probably not online access, and probably not most getaways or any last calls.
 
I have to think that this was more of a spur of the moment decision.

I received the new II book a few days ago, and the DVC resorts were still there. I don't know when the book went to press, but even if it was a few months ago, it still doesn't look like it was a long, thought out decision.

June
 
It just seems that most of the hardships DVC members had with II was impossed by Disney not II? The only real limitations I saw with II is the lack of short stays?
 
It just seems that most of the hardships DVC members had with II was impossed by Disney not II? The only real limitations I saw with II is the lack of short stays?
It depends on your focus. II has it's on limitations such as availability of top resorts during peak times and not telling you that your chances of success with a given match are exceedingly low as examples. DVC added another layer and many other restrictions such as NO trading up, only to certain resorts and the like. DVC also blocked access to II directly (as they did RCI before) including getaways and bonus weeks. Given short stays are by definition excess inventory (in this case only a small subset of it), limited availability would be the norm. If DVC members had direct access including bonus weeks and getaways with a reduced cost trade option inside the 60 days window (45 for RCI) you'd have access to a lot more options for likely the same cost or less in almost all cases.
 
It depends on your focus. II has it's on limitations such as availability of top resorts during peak times and not telling you that your chances of success with a given match are exceedingly low as examples. DVC added another layer and many other restrictions such as NO trading up, only to certain resorts and the like. DVC also blocked access to II directly (as they did RCI before) including getaways and bonus weeks. Given short stays are by definition excess inventory (in this case only a small subset of it), limited availability would be the norm. If DVC members had direct access including bonus weeks and getaways with a reduced cost trade option inside the 60 days window (45 for RCI) you'd have access to a lot more options for likely the same cost or less in almost all cases.

I agree but my point is by Disney trying to control the trades the members end up losing. If members could get full access to II then most of the issues would not exist. The flexibility and usage of their site is lost when Disney controls it. I'm pretty sure DVC deposits would get AC's and would be pretty darn good traders if you removed the Disney layer. The more I learn about trading the more I realize how Disney is really putting the screws to their members for trades. Now I wouldn't probably trade my DVC points as it is not a good value......but that is because of the limitations Disney put on the members.
 
I agree but my point is by Disney trying to control the trades the members end up losing. If members could get full access to II then most of the issues would not exist. The flexibility and usage of their site is lost when Disney controls it. I'm pretty sure DVC deposits would get AC's and would be pretty darn good traders if you removed the Disney layer. The more I learn about trading the more I realize how Disney is really putting the screws to their members for trades. Now I wouldn't probably trade my DVC points as it is not a good value......but that is because of the limitations Disney put on the members.
To a degree. The reality is that anything you trade is really not eligible for all 1900 II or 3800 RCI resorts, only a portion. This is due to resort quality filters and trade power issues. I think those like you and I do lose out potentially as I MIGHT consider trading DVC if I could position it better by being a direct member. However, I think the casual DVC member and occasional DVC exchanger likely has benefitted more from the lower exchange fees, search first and lack of membership costs than if we were able to be direct members. Most are novices that need some hand holding and DVC does that to a degree. I do think the hand holding is more smoke and mirrors than reality but that's just me. And I suspect even if you and I traded DVC it'd only be for the pie in the sky options since we have other, better and cheaper options than using DVC.
 













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