Is this a scam, or new marketing ploy?

[buzzrelly]

I just received this email from DVC...



I haven't requested any points in a very long time. The last time they reached out to me I told them I was buying resale.

Has anyone else received this email?

 

[Chuck S]

I doubt it is a scam. It could be that somone made a note of the resort you were interested in and as the points became available, they contacted you. You can either ignore the email, or call your guide and tell them thenk you, but you are not in interested at this time.

I know DVC has been trying to make sure every current member, especially those of us that have owned a long time, have a current guide, in case our guides retired. I've had two of them retire, and there was an actual guide at OKW when I checked in last month, asking who my guide is, and when I told her the names, they had both retired, and she asked if she could list herself as my current guide. They will also want to be sure all of our contact info is current, since with so much online these days, and rarely talking to Member Services they want to be sure everything is current. In the 30 years since I've owned the only info I've changed is my email address and preferred phione number. I still have my landline number, (which is now a VoIp number) but it is very rare anyone uses it now, but I've had that number for 40 years. I've converted most everything to my cell number, when I finally broke down and got a cell phone 11 years ago.

 

[CarolMN]

It looks legit. If you have doubts, call the main sales number and ask for your guide. From the Members' Website:

Sales Center​

Our sales center is currently available with limited hours of operation.
Hours of Operation
Monday to Sunday
9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time


Phone Number
(407) 566-3100
or (800) 500-3990✝

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

No, that’s weird. Doesn’t make sense either. Hold points for 5 days? And the language “we will have to make these Vacation points available to other interested families…” sounds unprofessional, almost threatening, like the person who wrote it doesn’t know how to write an email. Well, actually, maybe it is today’s Disney. Lol. But seriously, the writing sounds stilted and awkward.

 

[sheilafri]

As a matter of policy I never call the number included in an email or text. Find the DVC number elsewhere and call that. If it’s a legit email and you’re interested, they will get you to someone who can help.

 

[buzzrelly]

No, that’s weird. Doesn’t make sense either. Hold points for 5 days? And the language “we will have to make these Vacation points available to other interested families…” sounds unprofessional, almost threatening, like the person who wrote it doesn’t know how to write an email. Well, actually, maybe it is today’s Disney. Lol. But seriously, the writing sounds stilted and awkward.

I think it's weird too, especially since it's not like I had called them looking for points. Also, why wouldn't it say specifically what resort the points became available at?

To be clear, I do think the legitimately came from DVC but it seems like a Marketing ploy to me.

 

[Chuck S]

No, that’s weird. Doesn’t make sense either. Hold points for 5 days? And the language “we will have to make these Vacation points available to other interested families…” sounds unprofessional, almost threatening, like the person who wrote it doesn’t know how to write an email. Well, actually, maybe it is today’s Disney. Lol. But seriously, the writing sounds stilted and awkward.

Actually it is pretty normal if the points that DVC shows the member may be intersted in is a sold out resort, WHen points for the resort and use year bacame available, it likely triggered an auto email, and placed a temporary hold on points to check with the member.

Everyone is so suspicious these days for no reason, especially when it can all be taken care of with a simple phone call.

 

[buzzrelly]

Actually it is pretty normal if the points that DVC shows the member may be intersted in is a sold out resort,

But I wasn't interested in any points...

 

[Chuck S]

But I wasn't interested in any points...

Actually if you told them you were buying resale, you technically were interested in points. And if you were already a member when you told them that, they likely made a notation of the resort you were interested in at that time. Again, a simple call to DVC Sales will answer any questions for you about why you were contacted.

 

[CarolMN]

FWIW, 800-800-9100 is a legitimate toll free number assigned to the Disney Vacation Club.

https://img.disneystore.com/content/global/guest_services11/helpfulnumbers.html

 

[Narcoossee11]

My take :


Marketing to 'see' if more points is in your future.
A sense of urgency is a sales technique.
Sales guide touching base with you.

I called number. It went to sales center at SSR. Phone number was for your sales guide.

 

[zavandor]

A sense of urgency is a typical sign for a scam. However, it doesn't have a link to click and they ask to call a legitimate toll free number, so it seems legit.
When one receives an unsolicited email it's very wise to stop before acting and check if it's a scam.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Actually it is pretty normal if the points that DVC shows the member may be intersted in is a sold out resort, WHen points for the resort and use year bacame available, it likely triggered an auto email, and placed a temporary hold on points to check with the member.

Everyone is so suspicious these days for no reason, especially when it can all be taken care of with a simple phone call.

While I agree it can be answered with a phone call - I disagree with the idea of people being suspicious without reason. Way too many scams and hackers out there who only need people to click on a link to get access to info they shouldn't have. Suspicion and caution are always the way to go with emails and phone calls you're not expecting. Like a stranger coming to your front door - you make sure of a few things before you let them in - or you just send them on their way......

With this email, it's either delete the email and forget it, or call DVC and ask if it's legit. It'll be interesting to see if other DVC owners get it.

 

[_19disnA]

^^ I agree WAY too many scammers around who try to make something appear to be legit to fool you. If you get an unsolicited email with some sort of 'offer' that I might be interested in, I would look first at an official Disney website to get a valid phone number to call. Calling a phone # in a scam email will simply connect you to those who are part of the scam. Almost weekly I get texts or email that appear to be from various companies and are actually scams (i.e Fedex doesn't text to ask delivery questions, I have nothing currently on order from Amazon and have NEVER had a Netflix account so attempts to 'reset' my account are clearly scams).

 

[Travel60]

Interesting.... I received a phone call this week on my cell. I only answered because it IDd as Disney Vacation Club. The caller said "Is this Dolly?". I responded "There's no Dolly here." He then used my real name, identified himself as my guide, and said he had received a message that I am interested in more points at [home resort]. I told him I own 1200 points there and have not expressed interest in more. He tried explaining that there may have been a communication error and continued to talk. I finally said I don't know why he got that message and hung up.

Maybe they are just cold calling/emailing to try to get rid of points they've taken in first right of refusal.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I'm not sure which would be worse - that these are actually scammers trying to get information (or money) through emails/calls. Or that this is really DVC and a new Disney approach to push sales in a very different and sleazy way.

 

[Simba's Mom]

The one thing I noticed was the phone number-800-800-9100. Last time I called DVC, the phone # was 800-800-9300, not 9100. Close, but not exact, a common deliberate mistake. However, it's been several years since I've called DVC, so phone numbers have changed.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

The one thing I noticed was the phone number-800-800-9100. Last time I called DVC, the phone # was 800-800-9300, not 9100. Close, but not exact, a common deliberate mistake. However, it's been several years since I've called DVC, so phone numbers have changed.

I think DVC has several numbers - thought 9100 was for membership/ownership questions.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

I'm not sure which would be worse - that these are actually scammers trying to get information (or money) through emails/calls. Or that this is really DVC and a new Disney approach to push sales in a very different and sleazy way.

Will be really interesting to see next month’s direct sales report. Sounds like they’re having issues…

 

[RoseGold]

Wow, this is bad. More timeshare-y every day, Disney.

This sounds like it was written by the Timeshare Chat GPT Bot, which doesn't even know how DVC works. Shameful, because I'm sure Disney has professionals looking at everything that comes out of DVC.