Kudos to DVC

[minandmick]

First of all, no flames please.

This is a long post about comparison of timeshare sales tactics.

My husband and I have been looking at timeshares for a little over a year. Last January, while we were in Disney, we took the time to tour the DVC models and talk to a salesperson. They assured us before we got on the DVC van that it would be low-pressure and as soon as we said no they wouldn't push us anymore. It would take about 45 minutes, maybe longer if we asked a lot of questions. I'll be honest, we were a little skeptical that they wouldn't lay on the pressure. But we went anyway, if we didn't sign-on-the-line, what did we have to lose?

Wow, were we surprised. The whole experience was wonderful. The elderly man who picked us up was warm and welcoming. He talked to us about his wife and how long he had worked for the big D. We loved the ambiance of the resorts and the welcoming center. They took time to get to know a little about us in a small room off the lobby. They never made us feel like we were putting them out for taking up their time and not buying. Made a big deal about it being our 5 year anniversary. Our salesperson told us about her family and we shared stories, laughed and we could really say that we had a fun experience at the DVC after they dropped us off at Hollywood Studios (our choice). The sales pitch was truly non-pressure in a small room with just the three of us. They asked if we could buy today, what would we purchase? We said BLT and they brought out a spreadsheet explaining all the different purchase prices, down payment, MF, interest rates and so on. We said "thanks but no thanks" and she said, "ok, here's your fast passes and take a few extra since it's your anniversary!" She told us we had until the end of our trip to take advantage of the special offer and called once to check and see if we changed our minds.

Since then we have received a few pieces of junk mail about special offers and one phone call from a man that asked if we had received our letter about DVC when we returned from our trip. I said, "yes." and he said, "great, have a magical day!" and that was it!

So easy. So relaxing. So Disney.

So, why am I bringing this up 7 months later? Because my aunt called me about 3 weeks ago about a "mini-vac" she had signed up for through a timeshare company and turns out she can't go (going out of town for something to do with my cousin-her grandson- military something or other). Would we like to go on this vacation, learn a little about a different timeshare?

Cost oop- $200 for 3 nights. Sure we'll go! We did a little research, talked to the ****-***** Royal people to get a few answers. Everything seemed legit, let's get planning!

Our trip was for the fourth of July weekend. (Yep, this happened yesterday) They only obligation we had was to attend a 45-90 minute presentation on Saturday of our trip. After that we were free to do whatever we wanted! When I talked to their customer service I asked them, "is it high-pressured." She assured me over and over, "No! just tell them you're not interested and you'll be out of there in 45 minutes, 60 minutes tops!"

Well, yesterday was our bullying...I mean presentation. From the moment we walked in to the building we knew it wasn't something we were interested in purchasing. The sales people were curt and the whole place was LOUD! like they were pumping sounds of people partying from the back room. Before we could sit down we were asked a ton of personal financial questions about our income, one of which was our yearly gross. It varies from year to year because of overtime (and we both worked a lot of over time last year) so my husband and I gave 2 different answers at the same time. (mine from last years which was about 10,000 more than the one he gave, which was the year before.) That immediately sent their heads spinning. We explained the reasoning and they wouldn't let it go. They made us write down the matching numbers and then initial by the number to say that we weren't lying. WoW We told them right there we weren't interested in buying we were just coming for information!!!

Finally the sales lady came out to greet us. She took us in the back and we immediately knew why it sounded like a party. We were in a large vaulted room with about 30 mini tables with hard chairs. At each table were various couples, some with kids/babies and some without. There was a salesperson at each table talking to these families and it was LOUD!!!! So we sat down with our lady...and she began to ask us questions about how many vacations we've ever been on and how much we spend on vacations...where have we gone...pretty much what we would expect from a salesperson. We were very polite the entire time and answered her questions. We told her we were there to get information but not to buy in at this time. Of course she kept trying to get us to buy in, but we expected that too...it's not like Disney where they know we will keep coming back, right? This was their only time to snag us and we knew that.

It didn't take long for the tide to turn. She asked us if spending time together was important to us. "yes, of course." Then why don't you want to invest in a vacations. Do you know the divorce rate of people that don't vacation together. "It's not that we don't want to vacation together, we just want to do it with cash, not financing." I directly quote her, " I have never met anyone like you two, do you realize that you will be 80 and never get on these vacations you could be taking?" At that point I was done with this lady, but remained polite. We only had a little while left, right? Once we started showing less and less interest (about 40 minutes into the presentation) she started saying, "so what you are saying by not doing this time share is that you want to stay s****y hotels for the rest of your vacations". I couldn't believe this lady was now cussing during our sales presentation.

Neither of us responded but I was squeezing my husband's leg under the table. He gave me a look like, "oh God, what have gotten ourselves into."
She never left us alone for a second. After 60 minutes she said, "let's go preview what your vacations could be like." So off we went to the condos.

Wait, no we didn't. The van was broke.

Ok, here we are standing in the hot foyer while she pitched more and more reasons why we should buy in and with inflation the same $ we spend today would eventually cost us over $300,000 during the course of our lifetime. and oh, againby the way, you don't want to be 80 years old and remember all the S****Y hotels you stayed in (her words, not mine!!! ) when you could have been in our condos. Finally, 20 minutes later, we're in an employee's Lexus on our way to the condo. The van apparently was officially broke down.

We tour the condos. Brown decor....flat screen TV's...generic but nice. No complaints. Back to the sales center we go....We're about done, right? It's been an hour and half now.....

Weeeellll....not so much.

Here we are, back in the giant vaulted-ceiling table room. We are one of 3 couples left. This lady was pitching sales so hard I wouldn't be surprised if she needed to ice her shoulder when we were finished. "no thanks, not right now, not interested, thanks anyway....."

Finally, she started throwing the real low-blows.

"I don't understand you two. You really don't want to put your marriage first by taking vacations?"
me- "That's not what we are saying. We want to be financially smart about it and want to be able to lay down at night knowing that we did it the right way."
her- "I've never met anyone like you guys. You need to budget for vacations for your marriage to work."
my husband- " we do, but we make it affordable. Right now..." (she interrupts)
her- "DUH! THAT'S WHAT A TIMESHARE IS FOR!"

Now I am HOT! You just interrupted my husband and said duh? like he was stupid?!?!? I'm ready to go home and I tell her that. It's been 2 and half hours! Not quite yet, she has someone that want's to talk with us.

The "manager" comes over. She has special pricing for us. Just for today though because it's a "special VIP pricing" that just came through. Our sales lady looks at her, "really? wow! I didn't know that! " Uh huh. Can we go home now?
Then they start the severe sales pitches now. I swear there were beads of sweat coming off of the heads. We keep saying, "no thanks. no thanks. no thanks."

then she goes in for the kill...remember when I said that she asked about our previous vacations? well, when we first got married we couldn't afford a honeymoon. Three years ago, for our second year anniversary, his parents bought us a weeks vacation to Sandals resort in Jamaica and we shared that information in the beginning of this twilight zone timeshare presentation.

Well, here's what our saleslady said,

"Bottom line, you're old enough now that your parent's shouldn't be buying your vacations."

I lost it. I burst into tears and said, " I WANT TO GO HOME NOW! WE'VE BEEN HERE THREE HOURS AND YOU HAVE GREATLY OFFENDED US MANY TIMES!"

I wish I could have recorded to look on my husband's face. Pure shock. He told me, "baby, go get a kleenex, I'll take care of this." So I did. When I came back they were both gone and my husband was sitting there with the "VIP Manager." who was giving my husband a final pitch about how they will lock in the special price for a year and send us on a cruise, blah blah blah. He took my comments about the place and I said, "I'm not buying anything from your company. I want my refund." And I got it all back.

When we got in our car, my husband and I were singing the praises of Disney. Then he said that at first, when I started crying, he thought I was acting and he was going to get me a trophy for best actress with waterworks. Of course, it didn't take him long to realize that I was seriously that upset and then he said the anger clicked in his head. Thank God for my husband taking control because I was so angry I don't know what I would have said.

So, if you are still reading, thanks. I'm sure all timeshare companies are not like this one, but boy was it a slap in the face to reality of timeshare sales compared to what we received at Disney. I remember growing up and hearing horror stories about timeshare sales pitches. I guess I was to innocent as what to expect.

Bottom line, I'm aware of all the finances involved, but just give me some pixie-dust with it, ok? After all this, I realize that is what I'm going to be paying for....gladly.

 

[ldietiker]

First of all, I'm really sorry you had to go through that. Those sales pitches are the worst!

My experience with DVC was similar to yours. I was relieved, too, and ready to walk away at all points. We literally waited until the last moment to say yes, giving our rep every opportunity to screw up and use low-level tactics, which he never did.

Luckily, we had done the reverse - seen the worst several times before Disney. Now I realize there is not enough time in a lifetime to waste on experiences like that... and will be very picky from now on.

Good luck in the future!

 

[minandmick]

Thanks, ldietiker.

It was definitely an experience we will never forget!

It will make for a good story when we are sitting on our balcony at BWV some days....."remember the time I lost it in the nasty timeshare in Branson?"

 

[TisBit]

Many people have said that DVC has gone to a more high pressure sales pitch, which I strongly disagree with. Anyone who has sat through a normal timeshare presentation (not a top timeshare like Hilton, etc) knows that regardless Disney is not "high pressure" or overtly dishonest in their presentations. I have never been to a timeshare that didn't require you to meet with three people to get out of their and you had to push for it. We used to do the timeshare presentations while staying offsite to get their perks (disney dollars, etc) and became very well versed on how to keep it pretty close the the 60 or 90 minutes that they told us.....but you have to be high pressure yourself to get out.

DVC does make mistakes and there are some guides that use more "aggressive tactics", but none of them are like these other timeshares where it is encourage or even mandatory to lie and be a sleaze.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Timeshare purchase cannot be an emotional purchase. You'll spend a lot of money and maybe be unhappy or maybe be happy.

You might still find a great timeshare through a resale of that company you toured this weekend that will work. You just don't want to buy through the company.

And DVC isn't all pixie dust and rainbows, either. They seem to be getting a little more hardball with their sales and are trying to promote the 500 Kingdoms that await your purchase.

 

[JimMIA]

For the most part, DVC has been one of the timeshare companies that has used more ethical, lower pressure sales tactics. (Not the only one, but one of a small group of better timeshares) You'll see an occasional deviation, probably from some new timeshare salesman they just hired from another company, but generally they're pretty low key.

I do think that's changing a little, but it's a change of degree, not kind. I think DVC is getting fairly misleading with their "500 Kingdoms" sales strategy and some of the sales personnel are getting a little more insistent than they used to be -- probably because nobody's buying.

With just about any timeshare -- including DVC -- the prudent consumer is better off skipping the drama and buying resale. OP can probably buy the timeshare they were trying to sell her for $1 on eBay any day of the week. And even with DVC, the resale savings have simply gotten too great to ignore.

 

[disneynutz]

A sale is a sale. Different companies use different tactics to separate you from your money but their goal in the end is the same. A timeshare works for some people and unfortunately not for many others based on the number of resales available.

In the last couple of years Disney has felt the success of selling timeshares and they have opened off property sales locations, hired contracted sales people and hired salespeople from other timeshare companies. There is nothing wrong with that but their business model is changing.

Bill

 

[TIGGERmetoo]

Wow - I've always thought about going to one of those presentations. Not any more. Glad your DVC experience was better.

 

[palaemon]

We've been to 2 non-DVC timeshare presentations. One was mediocre and the other was not bad.

Didn't buy the mediocre one - wasn't interested, even though they said it's the largest single-location timeshare in Orlando (they say.) The salesperson was visibly unhappy that he had spent 3 hours w/ us, and no sale.

Bought the second one, but after reading reviews and horror stories about availability (more so w/ "bonus nights") I had my one and only panic attack. We rescinded the next day. The female salesperson was fun and loved having us as potential clients. "Same-sex couples are always the most fun." In fact, she is no longer w/ that company, but we are still in contact with her.

Our DVC guide was fine. He laid out the fact, and never pressure us. He seemed rather distant and a bit uninterested, like "we weren't going to buy, so why get too involved." We did the tour originally at BWV/BCV and then again after it moved to SSR. We were hoping to get another "more enjoyable" guide, but nope.

 

[Doug7856]

We've done two timeshare tours since we were married 18 years ago. The first was dreadful. We had just been married and they took six hours of our time even though we consistently said "no". By the end the "nice" people turned on us and insulted us much like you experienced. We drove home late and said we'd never do a tour again.

In 2003 we bought DVC over the phone. The sales person took her time with us. Let me ask questions. I did research (that's when I found Disboards) and the process took about two weeks before we decided to buy in. We've been very happy!

A few years ago, friends gave us a week at a Wyndham in Williamsburg. I'd read that they badger you to take a tour so we decided to cut to the chase and accept the "welcome gifts". When we started the tour we said we aren't purchasing. The product was nice and we liked it, but we explained that we were adopting a child and our financial resources were set aside for the adoption. So far it wasn't too painful. We were almost done and sent to a closer who let the insults fly. In closing she told us that we are on a "banned list" and would never be able to receive "welcome gifts" again! We left and again said we'd never do a tour again. We've since bought a Wyndham membership (resale) to supplement our DVC. We paid $400 for it and didn't have to sit through a presentation!

 

[DVC-Don]

Sounds like one we went through in Hawaii back in the 1980's to get a sunset dinner cruise.

 

[Tinks "SS"]

Wow! We had done several before we bought DVC. That may be the one reason we bought is because it wasn't as hard core as the other ones. The last one we sat through was a well known very nice timeshare company that really wouldn't have minded owning if i could get a really cheap resale on one. We got suckered into going with my DH's parents. They enjoy going to them for "fun". They told them no so they turned on us and started badgering us really hard. Then we didn't get any help from the inlaws. They started asking us why we came. Hello, we were suckered into coming.

AH well, so glad we don't go with them anymore. now they just drag our poor niece and newphew with them.

Saw your signature and just keep saving for DVC!!

 

[minandmick]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I will admit that I was a little apprehensive of the what kind of replies would be waiting for me when I checked the boards again. You never know how people will react to things here on the Dis.

Anyway, I agree that timeshares are not emotional and the bottom line is always about the $$. However, there is something to be said for good customer service no matter what product you are pitching.

The difference, in our case, is a signature (or not) on the dotted line.

So now that I've started this thread, I was thinking of a few questions today.

Those of you that own both DVC and another timeshare...What do you like/dislike about DVC in comparison?

 

[ljcrochet]

One of the things that sold us on DVC was a time share presentation at a hilton grand vacation club in Orlando. We were with FIL and during the presentation DH and I kept on looking at each both of us thinking why would we do this over DVC. We had taken the DVC tour 6 months before. We came home from that trip, got an offer from our guide. We bought AKV.

 

[Dean]

This sounds pretty aggressive for timeshare tours in the US. I can assure you that this is not the norm overall though DVC has historically been TOO low pressure. I do think they've changed a little bit but not enough to be a problem and I personally think they need to change more to ensure enough sales to keep the system going, esp for HI. Some companies are historically this bad though, Westgate is one, Spinnaker is another. Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Westin tend to be professional and relatively low pressure. Bluegreen and Wyndham are somewhere in between. But it will vary a lot with your luck of sales person as well and in that, some with DVC have had fairly aggressive tours and some a traditionally difficult company have gotten off easy. As for the financials, it's part of the requirement to attend for almost all of them that you have a gross income over a certain level. I think $60K is the most common I've seen but I've seen anywhere from $40K to $75K. On those promo tours it's part of the requirements to attend and get the discounts for the stay. If you don't meet the requirements they can back charge you the full price.

I enjoy doing the tours and these type of things really don't bother me too much unless truly extreme (this was it seems). Most people are reasonably appropriate in this situation. Having said that, we were at a tour a couple of months ago and had a problem right off the bat. When I "offered" to make an announcement about our situation, do door knocking and hang out in the lobby of the sales area "discussing" resale; they saw things my way very quickly. What I didn't tell them was I had cards in my wallet and luggage for the Timeshare Users Group which I would have handed out as well. My daughter and SIL ended up doing the Westgate Tour in Gatlinburg 2 weeks ago. I had warned them under no circumstances to do so due to Westgate's reputation but they got tricked into it. Apparently their guide was very nice but the closer was extremely rude. It wasn't that they were pressured but rather than the "manager" openly chastised the guide in from of them. In my daughter's words he "ripped him a new one" right there in front of them.

We were in MX 18 months ago and attended the Grande Mayan tour (where we were staying). It was 4 hours and four people. Our guide then a closer, then our "check out" person who tried to sell us a cheaper more limited option, then a closer for that. I'd say about half the tours I've done the last 4-5 years have been without my spouse and without compensation.

Now a practical warning. MOST timeshares are moderately to very aggressive to get you to sign up. They can be very tricky in doing it. They will often promise things that are blatantly untrue (like 60 or 90 minutes or low pressure). Often they start by calling you on the phone before arrival. If you own timeshares they'll invite you to an "update" so you can learn what's new with timeshares. Many have a "concierge" who's main job is generally to get you to sign up but they often also function truly as a concierge. Often they'll encourage you to go to a specific desk or location by either making that where you get parking passes or discount packages. Many of the people getting you to sign up at a tour (even if it's onsite), don't work for the company and are often called either ASA (Advanced Sales Associates) or OPC (Off Premises Contacts). In all cases I know of, they are paid based somewhat or completely on how many and/or what % of check in guests they get to the tour. The sales guides are on a different wavelength and are generally paid commission based on sales and evaluated mostly on their % of tours they get to buy.

IMO, one of the mistakes many people make is they judge a given system by the sales tour experience itself. While I understand this, it's a major mistake. Buying DVC because it's "different" by being low pressure or not buying X other timeshare because of a high pressure tour will put many people into a system that doesn't fit their needs nearly as well as something else might. One really has to separate the issues and look at the facts to decide if/what system is best for them.

 

[bwvBound]

Those of you that own both DVC and another timeshare...What do you like/dislike about DVC in comparison?

The great thing about timeshare is the enormous diversity! They can be so different from one another and so different from one's everyday life.

My most-happy-place is a non-DVC timeshare. It is a place of space, peace and quiet. It is a large property situated along the Pacific Crest Trail with miles of trails to explore by foot, mountain bike, or horseback. Our favorite units on the property are old adobe cottages from the 1880s that remain free of televisions, alarm clocks, radios, and telephones. Some units are pet-friendly and many owners/guests board horses at the equestrian center. The ownership model is completely different than that of DVC: flat buy-in price but pay discounted owner rates (cash) for every night you stay on property. Come every weekend or only once a year -- the initial buy-in and dues are the same. (Over simplified ... but it gets the basic point across.)

The next most-favorite timeshare is a points system similar to that of DVC. In its favor over DVC: 60+ resort locations; no "home resort" (I can book any resort in the system at the 13-month reservation window); bonus time (discounted cash rates rivaling cost of dues); web-based reservation system; better exchange options (direct memberships with RCI/II); etc.

Happy hunting!

 

[Dean]

Those of you that own both DVC and another timeshare...What do you like/dislike about DVC in comparison?

No one size fits all, what's best for one may be horrible for another and the reverse may be true for the next person. I own Marriott, Bluegreen and DVC along with RCI points and a MX resort that works on points. I have positioned myself really well and my overall costs are very good. Were I starting from scratch today but with the knowledge I currently have, I would likely make fairly similar choices but I would adjusts somewhat related to changes in the industry over the past few years and also taking the current economics in mind. I would likely not own DVC points or own just a small package, I would likely own less Marriott's but the same locations for the most part. I would not have qualified Bluegreen points due to the cost differential and I would likely add Wyndham to my portfolio in replacement of some of the things I currently have (DVC, volume of Marriott).

 

[bwvBound]

This is a long post about comparison of timeshare sales tactics.

Funny story about buying our most-favorite timeshare ...

We visited the resort, as non-owners, hoping to book a weekend package for my 40th bday which was yet a few months out. The guard shack denied us entrance ("No owner card? No entrance!"), the front desk denied us guest passes ("Must be invited by an owner!") and even the sales person denied us a tour ("You wouldn't like it here.") What -- really?

We returned eight months later with owner's cards in hand ... having bought resale on eBay. As for that 40th bday ... we went to Paris for the weekend instead. Spent the entire day at the Louvre, enjoyed a dinner cruise on the Seine, visited a few favorite places and then returned home. Short but sweet!

 

[JimMIA]

Those of you that own both DVC and another timeshare...What do you like/dislike about DVC in comparison?

Our "other" timeshare is Wyndham. The advantages of Wyndham are (IMHO)

• very low purchase cost (we bought the rough equivalent of 500 DVC points for less than $2,000 including closing on eBay)
• Much more variety -- Wyndham has about 70 resorts in more than 50 locations vs. 11 resorts in 5 locations for DVC.
• FULL RCI membership - gives us access not only to 6,500+ RCI resorts (vs <600 with DVC), but also Extra Vacations and Last Calls (greatly discounted cash options)
• Lower annual dues -- our dues are currently $4.28 per 1000 points, which is lower than most DVC dues. Combining the purchase price with dues, my total costs for DVC (OKW purchased at $72 + dues) were $7 per point; Wyndham is $4.48 per point.
• Much lower points-per-night costs = much less expensive lodging
• Better availability -- with rare exceptions, we have no difficulty getting reservations at non-home resorts, unless we're trying to book something truly special like 500 Week at Daytona.
• Miscellaneous benefits -- the ability to book both Wyndham or RCI easily online.

DVC Advantages, again IMHO

• Obviously the onsite resorts at WDW are in another league from offsite resorts
• The theming of the onsite resorts at WDW adds value to the stay there
• This is probably not true for all Wyndham resorts (and maybe not all DVC resorts), but the onsite DVC resorts offer more and better dining choices
• Doesn't apply to us, and it's a perk that could go away at any time, but the AP discount is a plus. (We have better options as Florida residents)
• The banking and borrowing provisions with DVC are superior to our options with Wyndham.
• Better transportation and free theme-park parking.
• With DVC, you pay dues...period. Wyndham has some annoying little charges if you do a lot of short stays or change reservations a lot. We haven't paid a penny yet, but it's still an annoyance to have to remember those.
• Although the exchange choices are only 10% of the full RCI inventory, DVC's $95 exchange fee is half what many other systems are.

Overall, I think DVC is a great timeshare for someone who wants to vacation at WDW every year (or every other year with half the points), provided that you REALLY want to stay ONSITE. I think people who are spending a small fortune for a vacation should stay where they want, and if you want onsite, you can't beat DVC.

That's provided you buy DVC resale. DVC at $50-$60 per point is a very different equation than DVC at retail prices.

When I look at my vacation costs having bought OKW at $72, and look at folks buying small contracts direct from DVC for $120-$140, I shudder. I don't see how those folks will ever get reasonable value from that expenditure of tens of thousands of dollars. You have to really do some mathematical acrobatics to make today's retail prices work, IMHO. For that reason, I would not recommend than anyone buy DVC direct (I have in the past, several years ago).

You'll notice that I didn't list HHI, VB, VGC, or Aulani as advantages for DVC. All of this is obviously only one person's opinion, and I think the comparative value of DVC really diminishes once you leave WDW. The other DVC resorts are certainly wonderful, but I think we have better options than any of those with Wyndham. We're obviously vastly superior in California and Hawaii. Wyndham doesn't have resorts at Hilton Head or Vero, but we have numerous similar choices at other locations all along the east coast.

 

[disneyfreak2127]

First of all, my DH and I have been on 4 timeshare presentations during our 20 years of marriage.

The first we were newlyweds and it was local. Got $100 gift card to a local department store as "gift". Did not purchase.

The second was at about 12 years of marriage in Orlando (not Disney). It was pretty high pressure with the "special price" only available on the spot. The first guide was pleasant, but each person they handed us off to got progressively more tacky. Since we were in Orlando, they kept saying how close they were to Disney and how convenient it would be. We finally got through to them that we weren't ready to commit that day, but needed time to consider our options and that we wanted to get more information. That was fine, but as stated earlier the "special price" would no longer be available. We left there feeling very grumpy.

The next day while strolling through EPCOT, we happened upon a DVC kiosk. We decided to stop and see what information they could give us. We signed up for the following day to tour BWV and BCV. Best experience! Our guide was pleasant and not high pressured at all. Don't even remember what the incentive to take the tour was b/c we were so impressed with the presentation. Zero pressure! We did purchase that day! Proud owners at BCV since 2003! Our kids were little at the time and we knew 100% we would be back many, many times to Disney!

Finally this brings me to the 4th timeshare presentation. We had put some non-bankable points(me not getting them banked in time) into RCI and needed to use them by July 2011. So, we booked a mountain resort in Virginia in March of this year. Partly b/c my husband has family near so we thought we could visit them without having to impose. Sounded good so far. Resort was nice, but very sprawled out. A couple of the activities my kids wanted to do were not up and running, bummer! They said weather pending. Had to drive from our condo to all activities. At check in we were offered an "owners" presentation since they new we owned at Disney, but just wanted to show us around. Our reward was water park passes for the 4 of us ($165 value). So we agreed. First mistake! Just my DH and I went to presentation since it was an early "gourmet" breakfast. Gourmet translated to restaurant buffet! Second bummer! Our sales rep made a tacky used car salesman look appealing. Once she found out we were not truly owners at that resort it turned as high pressure as you can get. We also kept stressing that we were getting ready to send our daughter to college the following year and all of our finances would be going toward that. At one point toward the end and on the 3rd sales guy, he insulted my husband and his family since they were "local hicks" from the valley. 3 hours later we were finally excused to leave. Our kids had texted us 3 times b/c they were hungry. We were told this would only take 45 minutes to an hour. Only time on the entire trip I was glad to have had to drive myself to the sales center.
While waiting to get the water park passes before we could leave another couple asked if we were going down the mountain to the resort and could we give them a ride? They had also declined to purchase and had been left stranded by their rep. She was supposedly arranging transportation back down the mountain that had taken over 35 minutes at that point. We gave them a ride and learned that they had a very similar experience. They, like us, had kept saying that they were here on an RCI trade and although the resort was nice, already owned a timeshare and were very happy.

This is why I love DVC and can't wait to go "home" to BCV in March 2012!