Read the FAQ, still don't know. Fees question

[ChairborneRangr]

OK, I have not jumped in to DVC. I get really irritated when companies don't provide the information to make an informed decision without going to a "presentation". The timeshare salesmen I have met (non Disney) are a step below the stereotypical "used-car" salesmen. But everyone on this board has been very informative. Disney could learn something from the DIS.

The one thing I don't seem to be able to find is once you own points, is there a fee structure? Maintenance fees, trading fees etc. Basically I am trying to find out what the on-going cost of ownership is.

Also, I would like the Beach Club as my home resort. Does anyone know if there is there still availability there? Also, has anyone had any difficulty in selling unneeded points?

I appreciate the info!

 

[Chuck S]

1) DVC sales presentations are not the stereotypical high pressure sales. And they will provide you with all the necessary info to make an informed decision by mail, but since laws governing timeshares vary state by state, the info packet will be tailored to your states rules.

2) Yearly maintenance fees/taxes/dues vary by resort, an average is $4 per point...higher than many timeshare, but then again DVC is NOT your average timeshare.

There are trade out fees for staying at non-DVC properties. I have not used a non-DVC trade, but I think the fees are $75 to $95 per trade.

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by ChairborneRangr
Disney could learn something from the DIS.

I think you're making a bit of a leap there. While your characterization of many timeshare sales programs may be accurate, I have absolutely NOTHING bad to say about the individuals I delt with at DVC. At no time did our Guide:

- Attempt to sell us more points than I asked for.
- Place unsolicated phone calls. We took about 4-6 weeks from initial contact to decide. While our Guide promptly returned all of my calls, he never called to apply any pressure.
- Give us anything that could be construed as a "hard sell".

Basically DVC sells itself. There is no negotiation on the price, so if our expreience was any barometer, the Guides take a pretty factual sales approach:

"Here's the price. Here's how the program works. What questions can I answer? Call me back when you are ready."

The one thing I don't seem to be able to find is once you own points, is there a fee structure? Maintenance fees, trading fees etc. Basically I am trying to find out what the on-going cost of ownership is.

Chuck S summarized the fees pretty well. SSR, which I believe is the only resort that DVC is selling now, is $3.80 per point for 2004. OKW is a little lower, and I believe the rest of the resorts are higher than that.

Also, I would like the Beach Club as my home resort. Does anyone know if there is there still availability there?

BCV is sold out. You would have to buy a resale contract. Resales are typically cheaper, but be sure to add in closing costs which will run $400+ regardless of the size of the contract. For smaller contracts it could add $3-4 per point to the final cost.

DVC also has Right of First Refusal on resales, meaning that they can swoop in and buy the contract at the terms you negotiated if they so desire.

Resales at BCV and VWL are harder to find than the other resorts, but they do exist.

Whether you decide to purchase a resale or buy SSR direct, I believe you would be well served to contact DVC and be put in touch with a Guide. The DVC sales materials and your Guide will be able to walk you through the entire program and answer your questions. While this board is great, I can't tell you how many times I've read posts that start "I just closed on a resale, but can someone please explain this Use Year thing to me!!!"

Also, has anyone had any difficulty in selling unneeded points?

Depends upon what you mean by "selling". You cannot permanently separate points from a contract. If you buy a 300 pt contract, you cannot later decide that you want to sell 100 because you are only using about 200 per year.

If you're talking about RENTING points, which is basically a one-time transaction where someone else uses your DVC points in return for a cash payment, the market is fairly good. Point renting can be a hassle (you need to negotiate financial terms, check on availability, collect the money, often times deal with a nervous renter), but there is nothing currently in the DVC rules that prohibit it.

 

[ChairborneRangr]

The only thing I meant by "Disney could learn from the DIS" is I want to learn the information up front. If it is that cut and dried, why even require a sales presentation?

If I buy a car, I know everything about it, what I want on it and what I am going to pay before I ever show up to the dealership.

Same thing with a house.

I live in Colorado. When I am at DIsney I do not want to waste precious time with a presentation unless I already know that I want to buy.

Thanks for the correction. I am talking about renting points. I keep using the wrong term.

Anyway, thanks for all the info!

BTW if there are any DVC sales types that frequent the boards here, please feel free to PM me or email me.

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by ChairborneRangr
The only thing I meant by "Disney could learn from the DIS" is I want to learn the information up front. If it is that cut and dried, why even require a sales presentation?

Gotcha.

I think a lot of that MAY have to do with the laws surrounding sales of timeshares. There are states in which DVC cannot even sell over the mail / phone because they are not approved to do so.

DVC has a referral program in which current members can earn Disney Dollars for referring new members. But, again due to state laws, the referral bonus can only be offered in a handful of states.

When purchasing over the phone, we found our Guide to be very specific in the items that he discussed during the final stages of the purchase. Many of them were items that we had previously discussed, but we could tell he was reading from a checklist of items in the vein of "you understand how_____ works, correct?"

Like I said, I wouldn't hesitate to call a Guide. Ours is Byron, and you are welcome to ask for him by name. I've also read very good things about him on this site, which leads me to believe that my purchase experience wasn't unique.

 

[mom2alix]

I can completely understand not wanting to break into your vacation time unless you're pretty sure you want to purchase. I think it would definitely be worthwhile for you to contact DVC and see if they could send an informational packet to you (if your state allows it). I think you can actually request it from the website.

As others have mentioned, we never received a call from a sales agent that we did not originate. It is really a no pressure sales approach, they give you the facts and let you decide what you want to do. I know there have been people on these boards who have purchased sight-unseen, no sales presentation required so it can be done. The only reason I can think where you might be required to meet with a rep while at Disney is if your state laws require it.

I know our "sales presentation" was basically a tour of what the DVC suites looked like and then sitting with the guide and paper work where he offered to answer any questions. He was perfectly happy to let us take the documentation and call him later if we were interested or had questions.

Good luck and enjoy your trip!

 

[Dean]

Actually DVC is far better than almost all other timeshares in this regard. Not only are the presentations typically low key, they are very happy to provide a lot of info up front. OTOH, they will likely not provide the legal documentation up front though you could always ask for it. It would be difficult to impossible to provide everything up front that most people would need for an informed decision. Besides, they are in the business of selling timeshares, where they are best sold in person where it's harder to say no.

 

[wisbucky]

When my DH and I went on a DVC presentation during our vacation it only took up a total of 2 hours. That is from the time they picked us up until they brought us back. In return for our time they gave us a walk on fast pass. This meant that we did not have to wait for the fast pass time to come up. We just handed the CM our walk on fast pass and we went directly on a ride. Disney had absolutely no high pressure sales. The very polite lady presented us with a video and then gave us a quick run down (fifteen minutes tops) of exactly what it was all about. She asked us if we had any questions. We then were handed all the packet info and went on our way.

During this we also had a tour of the facilites which at the time was Boardwalk. I was very impressed with their professionalism. My DH and I have been on timeshare presentations before and by the time we were done we hated the very mention of timeshare. But DVC is not your typical timeshare.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You can also watch the DVC channel at WDW on your room TV and that will give you some idea of what DVC is all about. That's what my husband did on our first trip and we came home as members at OKW.