Semi-bad news for DVC resale buyers

[MardiGrasDVC]

We bought an OKW resale from The Timeshare Store in 3/01. I was talking to my Sales Guide yesterday about a BCV add-on and discovered that, as a resale owner, I am not eligible to get referral fees when I refer friends & family. Only DVC owners who bought directly from Disney are eligible to earn referral fees.

I was very surprised to hear this, since I thought once you closed on a resale DVC treated you the same as people who bought directly. Guess not!

My Sales Guide is checking on whether buying the BCV add-on (directly from DVC) will make us eligible to earn referral fees. I hope so ... we've got several friends & family members who have taken the tour and are considering buying!

 

[Richyams]

Wow, that is definitely news to me. I was very much under the impression that there was absolutely no difference at all in ownership.

I guess there still isn't for those liveing in states that don't allow the referal at all.

I think its a big plus for those states, imagine having your government care so much about you that they would go to such lengths to protect you from the EVIL Disney company.

 

[SueM in MN]

WWell, we've bought both directly from Disney and thru resales, so we'd be eligible. IF our state allowed us to get a referral fee, we would have gotten a couple already.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Really? Why should it matter? If you're referring someone to DVC and THEY buy through Disney, why shouldn't you get the reward for it?

 

[mikek]

Originally posted by Richyams


I think its a big plus for those states, imagine having your government care so much about you that they would go to such lengths to protect you from the EVIL Disney company.

I live in over regulated NJ.
I think your a little confused Rich- I beleive they are trying to protect my family from ME. I think the thought is i might screw over my family and friends by recommending disney.

Who knows though- i live in the only place in the world where its 'too dangerous' to pump your own gas. And when the rest of you get free stuff for buying $8 worth of gas we arent allowed to have it. It seems alot of people might just want $7.99 of gas so forcing the $8 minimum causes people to over spend their budgets to get charlie brown glasses at the mobil.

Apparently we're the only ones paying to step foot on our beaches too so who knows....

 

[triple7]

Just be sure that the potential buyer mentions your name prior to them agreeing to buy. I was denied a referral last year because my name was mentioned after my friends said they would buy. I talked to my guide and he was able to look up the computer records of the sale. A notation was clearly written that said I had made the referral but my friends only mentioned me after the sale was verbally agreed to. He said that is policy, and that he also missed out on some form of recognition. (Apparenly the guide of a person who makes a referral gets something also.) It wouldn't have mattered anyway because I live in Virginia and it is one of the states that do not allow DVC to compensate referrals.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

why DVD has to be soooo cheap about throwing a couple of bucks your way. It's a little annoying that you that to make sure your referal mentions your name before a certain point in the transaction. Kind of a weasely loophole...........Ooops to bad/so sad.....you lose!!!!

 

[triple7]

To shed a little more light on the subject, this happened on the Disney Magic and I am almost positive that I had told the DVC Rep that I was working hard to convince some people that DVC was right for them. There was another DVC owning couple at our table and between the four of us we had them sold before they walked into their appointment. The most important thing is that they bought and like many of us, they are convinced that it is some of the best money we have ever spent.

 

[DeeP]

mikek,
NJ residents are eligible for the DVC referral bonus as long as the buyers buy through Disney and not a resale but that is true no matter what state you live in. I own homes in NJ and FL and I was going to get a referral bonus on my NJ address but then the people bought a resale through timeshare.com so of course that was the end of the referral bonus.
Also other states besides NJ charge beach fees but I will admit it is a pain but NJ is not the only state that does charge beach fees.

 

[Paul in CT]

DeeP,

Not true! Connecticut does not allow any bonus payments for referrals so DVC gladly complies.


Mikek,

I feel your pain! I drive through NJ frequently and I hate having to wait for them to pump the gas. The attendants must have a strong union.

 

[DeeP]

I was only talking about NJ, I do not know what other states do as far as DVC referrals go but I do know about NJ and FL since I am a home owner in both of these states. Are you saying that in CT even if someone buys through a resale and not through Disney, DVC gives you the referral bonus??
I actually like having my gas pumped when I am in NJ, when I am in FL and paying almost the same prices for gas I do not like to have to pump my own gas, but have no choice.

 

[KNWVIKING]

Not all Jersey beaches charge beach fee's and the price I pay for full service gas is less then other states pay for self serve.

 

[DeeP]

This is true KNWVIKING, I recently paid more for gas in FL that I had to pump myself than gas that I had bought in NJ that was pumped for me!

 

[Paul in CT]

I was responding to your comment that "NJ residents are eligible for the DVC referral bonus as long as the buyers buy through Disney and not a resale but that is true no matter what state you live in." I thought that you meant DVC referrals bought through Disney received bonuses "no matter what state you live in."

I am saying that CT does not allow the payment of referral bonuses for timeshares period, no matter if resale or not. I suspect our attorney general is trying to "protect" us from unscrupulous timeshares.

My objection to the prohibition of pumping your own gas in NJ is strictly related to convenience. Nearly every other state has "pay at the Pump" everywhere by CC and it is much faster than waiting for the attendant pump and then run yuour card IMHO.

 

[DeeP]

Ok, Paul, now I understand what you meant about timeshare referrals in CT. We were in the same church but different pews! LOL
I never pay for gas with a CC so the time factor to run the CC is not an issue for me and most times in FL when I have to go inside to pay with cash I always have to wait in a line so it is costing me almost the same or more for the gas and I have to pump my own gas and then walk inside to pay for it. Amazing how the same experience but with slightly different circumstances are so different for each individual.

 

[anniet]

I am glad this topic came up about the referral bonus. Here's what happened to me, and I'm a little disappointed with the way Disney handled it.

A friend/woman I work with requested DVC infor a couple of YEARS ago. I went down in March and bought the DVC at WLV. I came back raving about it and my friend said she looked into it a few years ago, but she had just bought her house and didn't want to take on another financial burden. After I told her how I financed and what my payments were, she called DVC to make and appointment for a tour in June when she would be visiting Orlando. At that time she mentioned my name, and was told that since she didn't mention me as a referral when she originally called for information, and because they had already sent her the information, I couldn't get credit for the referral.

Annie<--------Huh???????????????

My friend bought 270 points, they are making good money off of her, and she might not have looked into it further if we hadn't had a conversation. You would think $250 Disney dollars would be no big deal to them.

 

[KimOhio]

how much money do you get for a referal??

 

[anniet]

They give you $250 Disney dollars for the first referral, and the second too? I'm not sure and then I believe it may go up from there, but not much. I don't really know, they sent me a kit, but after what I happened I was so disappointed I just threw it in the trash.

But as my brother-in-law pointed out yesterday, since they give you Disney dollars, and given their retail prices it's probably only about $100 or so that really comes out of their pocket, which isn't much given the prices of DVC.

 

[RobDoc]

Basically, the first contact with DVC must indicate your referral. If the person already has taken a tour or sent for information, DVC regards the initial contact to have come from their own marketing efforts, not those of someone else.

While the policy may seem harsh at times, it does eliminate a lot of potential problems for the program in general.

If you have a friend you think might be a good candidate, just send the name and contact iformation to your own guide. You'll get a thankyou response from your guide and will be the reference of note for that individual should they later purchase.

I have a stack of those "Thankyou" notes and many have become members, but Indiana isn't a state eligible for any reward. I do get some personal satisfaction from the effort however.

Enjoy!

 

[PamOKW]

I know that at least in some cases, when a person asks DVC for information DVC asks them if they know a DVC member. A co-worker told me they had given DVC my name and the same with some relatives who stopped in for the tour. So, I think DVC does try to give credit when they can. I'm also from CT, so no bonuses for me, just the thank-you notes.