My most shockingly, un-Disney moment - Courtesy of the DVC

[smjj]

I wonder if these sales people work straight commission? We have bought both our sales from a re-seller, as a matter of fact they sponsor this board...smjj

 

[tjkraz]

I think your experience shows how badly their sales are going lately, and how big a chunk of their market is being lost to resale. With prices $30 or more below DVC's direct price, it's no wonder.

The interesting part is that DVC sales really AREN'T down. August 2010 was their single best month in probably the last year-and-a-half, and July was very good as well.

http://dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/financial/dvc-sales-statistics

(Note figures for June & July '09 include 6 months worth of catch-up on VGC sales.)

That's without including any Aulani numbers. It's also worth noting that they are charging an all time high of $120 per point for the three "active" resorts. Cash discounts are decent (about $10-15 off) but there are no extraordinary incentives--no Annual Passes, no free cruises, no webcasts, no Doorway to Dreams events, etc.

There is some line of thinking that DVC's lack of ROFR activity suggests they are "hurting." But looking at the numbers, I suspect the primary reasons they aren't using ROFR much are because:

1. They don't need the points. AKV, BLT and others are readily available. Why bother spending hundreds-of-thousands to recoup even more points?

2. The resale market isn't hurting direct sales.

If DVC is still closing on 2000 contracts per month and charging $105-110 per point, why bother with ROFR? The fact that you can buy SSR and others for $65 per point doesn't appear to be deterring many buyers.

All of that said, sorry to hear about OP's experience. I would definitely put something in writing to Disney/DVC managers regarding that encounter. Hopefully these folks are still the exception rather than the rule.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I want to clarify my earlier post.

I was not bashing Saratoga Springs at all...but merely stating that OP could have pointed out to the cast member just how flawed it is for DVD to bad mouth a resort developed by DVD.

Please forgive me if you were offended by my comments.

 

[Harlemgirl720]

I am so sorry for your experience. I was there over the weekend and spoke with my guide on Thursday (at BLT). I know he works out of SSR and was off on the weekend so I know it wasn't him. Thank goodness. He isn't like that anyway. Good guy. I had bought 100 pts at BLT and he was actually trying to get me to buy at SSR or OKW but he thought it was a good choice because the Maintenance Fees are one of the lowest.

He offered Aulani but I won't be getting there no time soon. I hope the person you dealt with gets reprimanded in some way.

 

[JimMIA]

The interesting part is that DVC sales really AREN'T down.

Hmmm...I don't doubt your numbers, but then how do we explain this DVC timeshare salesman's behavior? Or the behavior of the other guy (or same guy) who spread the lies about resale points being different from direct points?

Just rejects from some other timeshare sales organization, I guess...

 

[JimMIA]

I had bought 100 pts at BLT and he was actually trying to get me to buy at SSR or OKW but he thought it was a good choice because the Maintenance Fees are one of the lowest.

He offered Aulani but I won't be getting there no time soon.

It's his job to offer you anything he has to sell. And he will have a story to tell (low maintenance fees, etc) for whatever he is pushing at the moment.

I hope the person you dealt with gets reprimanded in some way.

Realistically, if the timeshare salesman's sales numbers are okay, probably nothing will happen. Has anyone ever heard of a DVC timeshare salesman disciplined in any way for lying to a customer or other unprofessional behavior?

 

[lilpooh108]

To the OP--thanks for posting this. DH and I actually planned our DVC purchase the exact same way...we bought SSR sight unseen, were lucky enough to make all the room reservations/DCL reservations we wanted this year, and wanted to take a non-sales tour at SSR to check out the models during our Labor Day Weekend trip. We just never got around to it. I would have been very upest if this happened to us, and it would have slightly ruined the experience and excitement of having just purchased DVC. I think it's silly that the guide was berating you---We bought SSR re-sale because at the time it was $35+ cheaper than going direct. But it didn't mean that we had ruled out buying direct ever...we bought Aulani directly from DVC this year. How insulting for that guide to act that way.

I'm glad your wife is writing to management. I think you should contact member satisfaction as well. We recently had a very positive experience with them.

 

[Greysword]

Make sure you either call or include in your etter that you will never buy from either the salesman or manager ever, and that you want a new guide. Otherwise, this "person" (I use the term loosely) may still be listed as your guide.

Of course if you want to poke him, you could call and talk to him. Once on the phone, tell him you are thinking of adding onto BLT, but you had a few "questions". Then fire off a battery of questions about the quality of the furniture, air conditioning, bathroom locks, small studios, etc (find more on these boards). Also, make a reference that SSR doesn't have the issue being discussed at the moment. Then after some time, tell him that you thought about it and you'll just add onto SSR through resale, since it is a better resort.

Anyway, check if this guy is still listd a yor guide and request a change if so.

Good luck!

- Chris

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Has anyone ever heard of a DVC timeshare salesman disciplined in any way for lying to a customer or other unprofessional behavior?

I have been told that it has happened but I do not have immediate first hand knowledge.

 

[bumbershoot]

I want to clarify my earlier post.

I was not bashing Saratoga Springs at all...but merely stating that OP could have pointed out to the cast member just how flawed it is for DVD to bad mouth a resort developed by DVD.

Please forgive me if you were offended by my comments.

FWIW, I heard the tone of your post the way you intended it.

Hmmm...I don't doubt your numbers, but then how do we explain this DVC timeshare salesman's behavior? Or the behavior of the other guy (or same guy) who spread the lies about resale points being different from direct points?

Just rejects from some other timeshare sales organization, I guess...

Because there will always be salespeople who act that way. And it works, on SOME people. think of the post a few months ago with the salesguy that acted like the dis'ers couldn't afford it...same as the Kia salesguy that tried the same thing on me and DH...it's sort of an opposite way to sell, and I can't imagine trying to be a girlfriend of a person like that, but it does work on SOME people.

Has anyone ever heard of a DVC timeshare salesman disciplined in any way for lying to a customer or other unprofessional behavior?

I think it was this bit that caused me to think that his managers might like to know about this...

went on a tirade about our purchase decision and Saratoga Springs within earshot of everyone else waiting!

None of them should act in a way that could be described as a "tirade", and I'm sure it totally turned off many other customers that day. I know I would have taken a step back if I had been in earshot!

 

[tjkraz]

Hmmm...I don't doubt your numbers, but then how do we explain this DVC timeshare salesman's behavior? Or the behavior of the other guy (or same guy) who spread the lies about resale points being different from direct points?

Salespeople adopt their own styles. Any sales environment tends to be competitive at its core. Each staff member is competing with colleagues to put up the best numbers. Could be a case of someone lagging behind for the month. Impossible to know.

But I certainly wouldn't do business with such a person and would make some attempt to let higher-ups know what I think of the behavior.

Has anyone ever heard of a DVC timeshare salesman disciplined in any way for lying to a customer or other unprofessional behavior?

I wouldn't expect us to be privy to disciplinary matters between an employee and his employer.

 

[TisBit]

First, I agree this seems like pretty unacceptable behavior and it can come off in a very very bad way on both the guide and DVC as a whole. I recommend you ensure he is not your guide, so if you do ever decide to buy add ons, you don't have to deal with him. But, do it in a polite and courteous way, if you start demanding or such, it can take away from the issues at hand when you file your complaint.

I understand what the guide was trying to do, but maybe he just doesn't have the tact for it. He was trying to put doubt in your head on the resale and hope you would bite on BLT. He couldn't compete with a resale contract on SSR, so there was not point trying to convince you to buy direct. The first comment about no one wanting SSR is completely out of line, but the rest are just some reasons to choose BLT over SSR, longer length of ownership, cheaper MF's and BLT will most likely have a better resale value then SSR (go up in value is a stretch). I am sure the guide wasn't intentionally trying to bash SSR (he would have gladly sold you that if you wanted...LOL), but obviously there was a communication break down and he came off that way.

 

[vicki_c]

I am sure the guide wasn't intentionally trying to bash SSR (he would have gladly sold you that if you wanted...LOL), but obviously there was a communication break down and he came off that way.

Given what the OP posted, I would entirely disagree with this - and I'm usually one of the first to "stick up" for Disney/DVC in many cases.

 

[PoohNFriends]

Definitely UN-Disney like.
I'm sure when the OP and DW were in the college program there was not a section on "It's ok to take your bad day/sales numbers/burnt out at job feelings on the guests occasionally"
I'm new to DVC, but from reading the boards it sounds like rude guides are a relatively new thing for DVC. So if DVC doesn't have problems with sales as a PP posted, things might start to change if their guides don't.
Glad the OP and his DW are being proactive and writing a letter. While I doubt the guide would get fired, unless he has numerous other complaints, I hope the letter goes in his file as a warning and DVC tries to fix the problem of bad apple guides being rude to guests.

P.S. HOME!!!

 

[fishermouse]

please ignore anything negative the sales rep told you, I have owned SSR since it opened as well as AKL. We have also stayed at all but BCV, all the resorts are nice but SSR is HOME and we love it there.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I was ready to read yet another post from a DIS member who didn't get the pixie dust that they expected. Needless to say, I was shocked by your post. What were those two thinking? Isn't the preview center located AT SSR? I wonder how many more visitors had a big change of plan after witnessing that tirade.

I agree that you should write a letter to someone who can do something about this.

And I agree that SSR is a wonderful resort. Enjoy your ownership there.

 

[Marymom]

Just wanted to let you know...we bought a resale at OKW over 10 years ago and have never been treated like a second-rate owner during our visits! If the staff even has access to that information, it has never been brought up or affected our stays. Enjoy your ownership! : We are staying at SSR this weekend for the first time. I know it will be a magical stay!

 

[bmtta2003]

I bought a resale thru TSS at BWV and never regretted it. I was assigned a guide from Disney and he leaves me a pleasant message on every trip I take, welcoming me home.

Please don't feel that SSR is a lesser resort because of your experience. I have stayed there 3 times. It is a beautiful resort and if you like DTD there is no better location.

 

[adminjedi]

so sorry.

 

[nickspace]

The real problem is not the salesperson but the selling company. While the behavior of the salesperson was wrong, what drove them to be so highly frustrated? Imagine what it would be like to wait for a long period of time for your next potential sales only to find out that that you lead had no interest whatsoever in making a purchase but only wants to take a tour. Now they have to get in the end of the line again and wait for the next lead. I am not saying they were right as they were wrong. But I am saying that the selling company needs to be more responsible in how they treat their employees. When people act out there is a source of frustration.

Another problem is when you focus on growth to much you often neglect quality.