Refused information by Cast Member? What the heck?

[Spankadoodle]

I just finished an infuriating chat on the vacation booking page. I'm basically trying to get my budget set for my trip, so I asked a CM named BonnieJo what the rate was on a 7 day dining plan for my stay at Pop Century for Jan6-13, 2014.

I explained that i know the prices have not been released yet, so if she could provide me with today's prices, I'd be happy to budget an extra 12-17% for a price increase.

She responded by stating prices for next year were not yet available. I responded that I understood that, I'd like to know the plan prices for todays dates. Again she responded by stating that it would not be advisable to go by todays prices.

I then requested the prices for 7 days DDP at peak season and stated I understand that prices will change. I'm simply trying to ballpark my prices. She then told me to contact them again in August!

Is this normal? Do they usually refuse to tell people prices in the chat system? Or did I simply get a crappy cast member?

 

[jw50]

You asked her a question that she couldn't answer because the 2014 rates are set yet. Then you tried to get her to tell you rates for other periods this year when you had already told her you weren't going until 2014.

The CMs have probably been told not play that game so they don't have to deal with someone complaining that they were quoted an incorrect price. And while you may not have been intending to try that I am sure there have been people that tried it before.

The cost of the dining plan for this year is readily available on this board and many other places so there was no need for you to keep pushing that CM once she told you that she could not answer your question. It is also quite possible that the CRO CMs do not have the dining plan costs separate from a package, since you can't purchase the dining plan separately.

 

[Spankadoodle]

Thanks for the reply. I got a lot of information from the Dining plan thread which has cleared up my initial questions. I was not aware that CM in chat were not supposed to give prices. She did not make that clear. If she had, I would have know to check elsewhere. I understand now that she was doing her job to the best of her abilities based on the parameters Disney allowed her to use.