DVC Customer Service due to poor lodging?

[ChelleinNC]

Anyhow, as the original post goes, is there someone more direct that I can contact? What about compensation?

Cheers.

I put the email address in post #4

I hope that you went (not called) to the front desk and reported this at the time. Pictures would be helpful as well.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

I own and rent out non-vacation homes; I know well the treatment renters give my property. My comment was simply a refection of this knowledge. From my experience, those who rent, in general, do not have the investment and therefore do not take care of the property they rent. This is a simple fact, not a judgement. Blahnde

I have rental properties also and understand completely what you speak of... However, I don't see it conveying to DVC resorts. I personally think renters are no more irresponsible than owners.

 

[KLEONARD]

Wow! Quite a heated debate.


Faculty, this thread seems pretty calm and civil to me.
Just positives and negatives being traded back and forth.
If you have any pictures of the bad conditions you encountered, please post them. It would really add credence to the post.
I hope the next trip goes better. My DW and I are looking forward to SSR in late Oct. We have been happy with the last four visits there.

 

[The Faculty]

Wow! Quite a heated debate.


Faculty, this thread seems pretty calm and civil to me.
Just positives and negatives being traded back and forth.
If you have any pictures of the bad conditions you encountered, please post them. It would really add credence to the post.
I hope the next trip goes better. My DW and I are looking forward to SSR in late Oct. We have been happy with the last four visits there.

I hope you are not suggesting that I am making this up. We never thought to take pictures but I definitely will if I encounter it again.

And yes I reported it in person at the front desk. They sent out, supposedly, a housekeeping manager who had a nifty PDA and took notes as I told her the issues. She said, so do you think the carpet needs replaced? I said definitely. She responded, Ok.

Thanks for the input from everyone. I will use that email but I also plan to send a hard copy to Jim Lewis as I am sure he will appreciate it.

I will report back here if and when I hear something.

 

[Markeymouses]

I agree ... we stayed at the end of July. SSR congress park section. We had many of the same issues....carpet made our socks black and a little sticky and the housekeeping was so below the service we had as regular guests that we also had doubted our purchase. We bought into AK so we plan on giving it a few more vacations to explore our home and other resorts. Unfortunately, I feel your pain here's hoping things are better from now on.

 

[ClarabelleCow]

did you ask to be moved to a different room all together? either at SSR or at a different resort? If the room was that nasty, I would have never stayed there! Usually when they agree that there is something wrong, they will move heaven and earth to fix it!

 

[Lynn5700]

I hate reading stuff like this...it makes me wonder if DVC is worth it. I just see more complaints with things than good.

I do agree that there should not be issues like that to begin with and maybe people who stay there should take care of the rooms and not trash them.Treat the room like it is your own house.

Our first DVC stay will be at SSR in less than a month. I'm looking forward to it but I get nervous because all I see is complaints everywhere.

 

[goalie5hole]

The issues you refer to are exactly why I put my SSR points on the market (and thankfully have sold both blocks of points).

We encountered some of the same type of room issues last November over the Thanksgiving weekend. We also noticed the piles of garbage and linen bags in the hallways that often remained there for most of the day. Not a first rate operation in my opinion. I actually emailed Member Satisfaction and my guide when I got home to make them aware of the issues.

Did you buy at another resort or are you done with DVC?

 

[Blahnde]

I have rental properties also and understand completely what you speak of... However, I don't see it conveying to DVC resorts. I personally think renters are no more irresponsible than owners.

I want to be clear that I was not referring to traditional renters that use individual owners points for stays.

I was referring to those that get moved to DVC resorts from other Disney properties due to overbooking. In traditional renting the individual owner would be held responsible for stolen items or excessive damage ... or at least they should be! I am talking about those that are not held responsible because Disney is the owner. My thought process was that this lack of responsibility not only led to excessive damage, but that since Disney was the owner they did not bill themselves for the repairs. It is simply a theory that may (or may not!) account for some of the issue that have been reported at SSR ... the resort that is regularly used for overflow.

But I want to be very clear that I am not against renting and this was not intended to be an anti-renting post.

Blahnde

 

[VAgal76]

I know that not every single room on property is in tip top shape. The 1 bdrm suite at CR's 14th floor concierge was in fair shape. It needed overhaulin' and got just that after we left. However, it was clean as housekeeping could get it. The fridge was on a shelf that was warped (I thought it was going to fall), the pipe busted and flooded our entry, the carpet was worn, well - the room looked tired - but the view was amazing and so were the staff members. We had a birthday party during the entry way flood clean up. I didn't expect any compensation despite the workman being in my room until midnight. You think the PJs would've been the clue to do a quick fix and fix the rest in the morning. My biggest pet peeve - immediately expecting compensation when something was a little below par. I really could've thrown a tantrum about my room (condition, pipe busting, workman staying in there for hours interrupting our celebration, I could really go on here), but we focused on the positives. The CM in the lounge apologized for the pipe busting. What more could they have done for us, really? I knew about the scheduled renovations so I expected some wear but it was still a bit below my expectations. Honestly, I could pick apart any room on property if given the opportunity.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I want to be clear that I was not referring to traditional renters that use individual owners points for stays.

I was referring to those that get moved to DVC resorts from other Disney properties due to overbooking. In traditional renting the individual owner would be held responsible for stolen items or excessive damage ... or at least they should be! I am talking about those that are not held responsible because Disney is the owner. My thought process was that this lack of responsibility not only led to excessive damage, but that since Disney was the owner they did not bill themselves for the repairs. It is simply a theory that may (or may not!) account for some of the issue that have been reported at SSR ... the resort that is regularly used for overflow.

But I want to be very clear that I am not against renting and this was not intended to be an anti-renting post.

Blahnde

I agree with others that "upgraded" CRO guests are no more likely to cause room damage than a guest booking on points or direclty through CRO for a DVC resort.

Guests who are upgraded from one resort to another are no less responsible for damages they may inflict on a room during their stay than another guest who booked there directly. However, in most cases, this liability is more theoretical than actual.

I understand that WDW Resorts, like many other hotels, does not usualy charge guests for damage (or for smoking in a non-smoking room). It creates bad will with the guest and ties up a lot of staff time while trying to get back what is a relatively small amount of money in light of the overall repair budget.

As others have posted DVC does not usually pursue guests for damages either. So no group of guests is more likely to be held responsible for damage than any other.

Luckily, I doubt that possible liability is all that is keeping most guests at DVC resorts from leaving behind a mess. Most guests try to avoid damaging other people's property becuase it is the right thing to do. -- Suzanne

 

[ChelleinNC]

I hate reading stuff like this...it makes me wonder if DVC is worth it. I just see more complaints with things than good.

I do agree that there should not be issues like that to begin with and maybe people who stay there should take care of the rooms and not trash them.Treat the room like it is your own house.

Our first DVC stay will be at SSR in less than a month. I'm looking forward to it but I get nervous because all I see is complaints everywhere.

Please don't let the bad reports get to you. Remember that most of the time no one "reports" that the room was in good shape, that the busses were always there as soon as they walked up, that the CM's were friendly and smiling. Those reports are to boring to bother posting, and when they are posted they fall off the top page before anyone reads it. The "problem" reports get all the attention but I really truely believe they are the exception, not the rule.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

I hate reading stuff like this...it makes me wonder if DVC is worth it. I just see more complaints with things than good.

I recently purchased a new digital camera. It was a step forward for me in technology and quality (I thought). I joined a product specific discussion board to gain some insight and tips on getting the best out of my new camera.

Well... let me tell you. After about 3 days I was feeling sick to my stomach and wishing I had my old camera back because of sooo many complaints, and problems, and issues, and blah, blah, blah...

Once I stopped viewing this forum I fell back in love with my new camera and I am happy.

Misery loves company and needs validation. Often times someone will post a legitimate complaint about something and then before you know it you have everyone sharing their misery looking for and offering validation. It is not really bad, it is just human nature. So many times it seems like OMG! I've made a big mistake, but really it is just a flurry of activity.

I look forward to reading your trip report in the near future.

 

[CarolA]

I recently purchased a new digital camera. It was a step forward for me in technology and quality (I thought). I joined a product specific discussion board to gain some insight and tips on getting the best out of my new camera.

Well... let me tell you. After about 3 days I was feeling sick to my stomach and wishing I had my old camera back because of sooo many complaints, and problems, and issues, and blah, blah, blah...

Once I stopped viewing this forum I fell back in love with my new camera and I am happy.

Misery loves company and needs validation. Often times someone will post a legitimate complaint about something and then before you know it you have everyone sharing their misery looking for and offering validation. It is not really bad, it is just human nature. So many times it seems like OMG! I've made a big mistake, but really it is just a flurry of activity.

I look forward to reading your trip report in the near future.

This is a great post.

The other thing is that the glass can be half full or half empty. I have a co-worker who goes in every hotel room and "inspects" it. The next morning she spends the entire drive to whereever telling us what's wrong.... The rest of us just go in and live there. As one guy said to her... "how did you find the whole in the carpet, I can't tell you what color it is?"

Now I am NOT saying OP did that, but I have seen some folks who first post "I could only get XXX and I don't think I am going to like it" And they come back and post the laudry list of what was wrong....... Perhaps because they were LOOKING for something to dislike to prove thier point. (When BCV first opened you should have seen the posts.. Everything about the place was subpar... now it sells at a premium!)

 

[Lynn5700]

Ok WHEW thank you guys...I needed to hear that lol!!!!

I'm going to Disney with a positive outlook like always! I will post a NICE review when we get back LOL.

 

[DisneydaveCT]

I recently purchased a new digital camera. It was a step forward for me in technology and quality (I thought). I joined a product specific discussion board to gain some insight and tips on getting the best out of my new camera.

Well... let me tell you. After about 3 days I was feeling sick to my stomach and wishing I had my old camera back because of sooo many complaints, and problems, and issues, and blah, blah, blah...

Once I stopped viewing this forum I fell back in love with my new camera and I am happy.

Misery loves company and needs validation. Often times someone will post a legitimate complaint about something and then before you know it you have everyone sharing their misery looking for and offering validation. It is not really bad, it is just human nature. So many times it seems like OMG! I've made a big mistake, but really it is just a flurry of activity.

I look forward to reading your trip report in the near future.

Yes, I agree that people very often jump on the misery bandwagon. I have read post after post about poor room conditions at each of the DVC where I have vacationed, and as noted earlier, I have not experienced such poor conditions.

During the nearly 12+ years that I have been a DVC member, I have stayed at non-DVC timeshares in Orlando as the guest of someone else. And each time I stayed at those resorts, I kept wishing at I was a DVC resort.

Ok WHEW thank you guys...I needed to hear that lol!!!!

I'm going to Disney with a positive outlook like always! I will post a NICE review when we get back LOL.

Lynn-Don't let these poor reports scare you off. I have yet to have a bad stay at a DVC resort. And this past January after 12 years as a member I extended my OKW membership, while increasing the number of points that I own in DVC. I wouldn't have done either if I thought that DVC was a poor long-term investment.

 

[mvc1997]

I have only stayed at SSR twice but both times the unit was in ok shape. I say ok, not great because the carpet looked worn and stained(esp by the entrance). The sheets were at the end of their life, and the shower had paint peeling. None of it ruined my stay and I did mention it to the CM at checkout but I think alot of my issues are because of the lack of daily cleaning. I know our fee's would increase with daily cleaning and I'm not saying that should happen, but they need to do a better job of cleaning when a guest checks out. Have a cleaning schedule based on the length of stay or at the very least a check list that is signed by the mousekeeper and the superviser before that room is released to a guest.
On the checklist could be things like-
Is the shower area/shower curtain free from mold
Do all the drawers and doors operate properly
Are all the utensils(forks/spoons/corkscrew,etc)in the unit
Is the hide-a-bed made with clean linens
Is the safe operational
Is the fridge operational
etc,etc,etc
And if the "List" already exsists, why isn't somebody being held accountable for the units condition

JMHO

To be fair,I think that most villa's are in good shape. Unless you get one that was just renovated there just isn't enough time to do everything.
A studio is easy.
A 1bdrm harder,
A 2 bdrm your working up a sweat!
A Grand Villa!!!! (well hopefully the people left it void of all there junk!)

It takes me all day to clean my house. Change the linens in 3 bedrooms, dust & wax the furniture, vacuum,and wash the floors. Then we have three bathrooms,wash the mirrors, clean the counters & sinks. On to the tubs and showers.....spray the tile, tubs, shower doors, and wipe them down.

Next the kitchen, put the dishes in the dishwasher away, put any breakfast ones in the washer after rinsing them. Clean the sink, wash the stove top, clean the counters and wash the fronts of the fridge, stove and microwave.

By this time I'm pooped and need to shower!
AND I never looked in any of the cabinets, inside the fridge or the stove!!!
Let alone look for forks knives, pots & pans OR shampooed the carpets!!
Mousekeeping needs us to help alittle. That's where we all come in.

Make sure when we leave, All evidence of us being there is GONE!
If We make a spill, we clean it up!!
At our home we never walk in it with shoes!!
That's not happening here, if the carpet is that dirty. Report it.
And TRY not to leave extra messes!!
We All want to get in our rooms by 4:00!!
They don't have a team of cleaners for each villa.
OK I'm done.
Love my DVC!!!

 

[Lynn5700]

Dave thank you sooo much for making me feel better!!!!! That is great to hear!!

I was just going to ask how other timeshares compare to DVC.

Thank you everybody for making me feel better lol.

 

[disney54us]

Misery??? Why is it that when someone post a laundry list of complaints that, and I have said this b/f we make excuses for DVC. If you don't mind paying that kind of money and are satisfied great, but lets not always jump on someone who is listing what was wrong. I have read wonderful great reports so I do not agree that people only post the negative.
I think that there has been much talk about the lack of mousekeeping and standards in recent times. Sorry I bought DVC because it was able to provide me with the way I like to vacation. 1st class and stay in deluxe resorts, if I am there and it is not up to par, I am not making excuses. Go look up the price of the rooms and ask if I paid for a vacation and spent this for my length of stay for a resort, would this be acceptable? I would have to say that if you were going to anywhere USA and your stay was costing you thousands for that stay at that resort, you would not find these things acceptable.
Forget emailing as long as there are those who have no problem spending money and think that lack of upkeep and poor mousekeeping is okay, then DVC has no worries or a need to improve.
I am not planning on selling my DVC, but it is sad to see it is not the same DVC that we purchased 11 years ago, though those maint. fees do keep going up.

 

[Lynn5700]

Nobody was jumping on the OP about the review.