Failed referral - any success fixing it?

[AmongMadPeople]

Long story short, we referred someone who bought around the beginning of the year. We've done a referral before so we know how it works. We hadn't received anything via email or mail about it, so we waited. Starting in May I tried contacting my guide as well as our referral's guide. My guide eventually told me we have no referral on our account. I've since been tossed around by various people, each of them telling me they can't help me, to call the person who told me to call them.

Anyone out there had any success with getting a referral that was never properly set up?

I plan to write Member Satisfaction, but I don't know if writing now will help it get resolved, or if I'll just wait until someone says it can't be done.

 

[tjkraz]

My understanding is that when a new member buys, there is now a page included in their paperwork to verify the referral. It asks them to list the name of the referring member.

Do you know if the buyer in question listed you on this paperwork?

DVC does periodically have issues with salespeople not listing the referrals properly. Listing the referral typically leads to sharing of credit for a sale, thus some have been known to conveniently ignore that step.

The referral paperwork was intended to help resolve some of those issues.

 

[AmongMadPeople]

Our referral knows we've had problems, and has told us several times they wrote our names. She even said she called her guide to confirm we were listed as their referral. Of course, I can't verify anything. Currently, I'm waiting for my referral's guide to call me. I can see why she may not want to call me back, but my guide is always selling on a cruise and nearly impossible to get a hold of.

Thanks for the response, Tim.

 

[disneynutz]

Contact Member Satisfaction and the Share the Magic Program Team. I have their contact info but can't post it since it's not public info. PM me if you can't get it from your Guide or MS.

Bill

 

[nerb]

Well let me tell you an experience we had....sorry this is a bit longwinded...
Rewind to about 8 years or so...
My dh and I went to Disney w/ my sil & bil and while there we all stopped at a dvc kiosk. We both did the meeting and tour. During the mtg, they asked if we were referred by anyone. My sil/bil had a friend that was a dvc member so we both listed her as our referral at that time. My sil/bil joined dvc on the spot. My dh & I decided not to join dvc - we couldn't afford it then.
Ok fast forward to about a year and a half ago...
Dh & I decide to take the pluge and buy into dvc...I let my sil know we put them as our referral. I even completed the paperwork stating they were our referral when whe sent back the contract. Told sil to be sure and let me know when she got her gift card....she didn't hear anything for a while...turns out...the friend we listed over 8 years ago was the one that got the referral gift!!!! apparently dvc keeps records of you even when you don't join!
Luckily the friend was a good (and honest!) friend and turned the gift over to my sil...
So I guess my question is....did your referral ever look into dvc before and give a different name as a referral?
I hope that all made sense!

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

This happened to me twice. I just called in once to my guide, he fixed it and I got my reward (very late of course, but still got it at least), and recently happened AGAIN. It makes me suspicious that they do that on purpose hoping you won't notice. This time, I called Quality Assurance and spoke with the person in charge of all that and fixed it.

 

[vicki_c]

Well let me tell you an experience we had....sorry this is a bit longwinded...
Rewind to about 8 years or so...
My dh and I went to Disney w/ my sil & bil and while there we all stopped at a dvc kiosk. We both did the meeting and tour. During the mtg, they asked if we were referred by anyone. My sil/bil had a friend that was a dvc member so we both listed her as our referral at that time. My sil/bil joined dvc on the spot. My dh & I decided not to join dvc - we couldn't afford it then.
Ok fast forward to about a year and a half ago...
Dh & I decide to take the pluge and buy into dvc...I let my sil know we put them as our referral. I even completed the paperwork stating they were our referral when whe sent back the contract. Told sil to be sure and let me know when she got her gift card....she didn't hear anything for a while...turns out...the friend we listed over 8 years ago was the one that got the referral gift!!!! apparently dvc keeps records of you even when you don't join!
Luckily the friend was a good (and honest!) friend and turned the gift over to my sil...
So I guess my question is....did your referral ever look into dvc before and give a different name as a referral?
I hope that all made sense!

This is the way it's supposed to work. You can only have ONE referral and it stays with your information forever. Only the FIRST person who ever referred you to DVC is supposed to get the credit.

 

[AmongMadPeople]

I'll update on my referral problem in case any one else finds this thread when they have a problem.

2 years ago our referral took a tour, and listed someone else as their referral. Fast forward to this year, and even though they told their guide to change their referral to us, it never happened. It was never changed in their contract documents, and I don't think our referral even knew that paper was in there.

Curiously, our referral's account notes show no evidence of a conversation about her referral. As it also happens, the person originally listed as her referrer two years ago lives in a state where they can't pay out referral rewards.

Without getting into a debate about what's right/wrong, I am bummed because we are the reason they bought into DVC, not the person they listed two years ago. We answered their questions and told them the upsides and downsides to DVC.

I eventually spoke to a Quality Assurance Manager who was able to pull up the documents and let me know what was going on. The actual person I spoke with wasn't in the right department to fix the mistake, if in fact we were listed as the referral. Since their contract is long closed, I don't think anything can be done at this point.

 

[CarolAnnC]

Unfortunately, DVC does not allow a change in referral. The first one listed remains the referral. The same with Guide assignment. The first DVC Guide you speak with or have contact with, is associated permanently with your name. Unless of course there are "issues" or problems that arise.

We have had the same situation over the years. Many times we chatted up people and convinced them to purchase, but when they have a prior referral name that was turned in, they are the only ones that receive referral credit.

Oh well, their rules. We don't regret any time we spend discussing DVC with anyone. Whether or not there is a reward involved, we would do the same all over again!

 

[Dean]

If there's been a contact previously, no one is likely to get a referral. If they were previously referred, this is the only person who is in line for the referral.

 

[msp2mco]

I'm glad you started this thread because we had friends that put us down as a referral. I had received a note in the mail thanking us, but there was no additional information. I called MS and didn't get much help other than they would look into it. I don't have time to continue to check into this, but at least I can see some next steps from what other posters have said.

Thanks everyone!

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

How long does it usually take for the referrals to show up? My aunt and uncle bought Alunai points about a month ago. They put us as their referral. I've not seen anything on it yet and don't know whether to be concerned.

 

[vicki_c]

In my experience, we got a letter from our guide thanking us within a few weeks - maybe 3, then later than that - another few weeks, our referral info showed up separately and it was on the website then. We have had 4 referrals over the years and I'd say that's been about the timing on all of them. In fact, we had one this year and it was even faster. You might check the website to make sure it's not already there, or call your guide and ask.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Where would it show on the web site?

 

[vicki_c]

Where would it show on the web site?

Log in. Then in the box on the right titled "My Membership" - pick the Sharing the Magic item (after closing out of the giant Aulani ad that shows up on top of everything).

I have one sitting out there right now that I haven't redeemed and it shows up on that page.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I'm glad you started this thread because we had friends that put us down as a referral. I had received a note in the mail thanking us, but there was no additional information. I called MS and didn't get much help other than they would look into it. I don't have time to continue to check into this, but at least I can see some next steps from what other posters have said.

Thanks everyone!

You wont get anything more either. Like us, you live in Minnesota where referal bonus' are not allowed. I've had numerous referrals, and all we ever get is that nice letter.