Shady sales tactics for direct contracts?

[crisi]

The suggesting of a particular UY is normal and they have always had one that seemed to be the particular one being offered.

But, if a new buyer asks for and requests the huge get approval for a different one, I have never heard of someone not getting what they want.

With the exception of that use year being sold out. If you are buying a resort that is not in active sales or is close to selling out, you may not be able to choose your use year, regardless of what hoops the guide and Accounting are willing to go through. Also, not all months have use years attached to them - which might lead to a buyer hearing no and not understanding the explanation (or not getting one other than "that isn't available.").

 

[Flash_Sloth]

You qualify the the member incentives, but since it’s new membership and not an add on, it requires the membership minimum.

When I bought last year in a new June UY, I had to buy the 150 and it had to be one contract..could not be split because it was a new membership for me.

The 150 I added on to my Dec UY could have been split into smaller contracts because they were add ons

I was even given the 300 point incentive price for the points, even though they went into two different memberships!

I'm curious. Were the 300 points at the same resort or 2 different resorts? I recently added 150 pts at VGF, and at that time, I asked my guide if I added 50 pts at VDH, would I receive the discounted pricing for buying 200 points. He said no. Therefore, I currently have 0 points at VDH.

 

[Sandisw]

I'm curious. Were the 300 points at the same resort or 2 different resorts? I recently added 150 pts at VGF, and at that time, I asked my guide if I added 50 pts at VDH, would I receive the discounted pricing for buying 200 points. He said no. Therefore, I currently have 0 points at VDH.

Yes, they were both VGF. That is the only reason I got the 300 point price.

 

[SkampyOne]

What's the view on asking for a different guide? I was randomly assigned one when doing a tour as a resale owner. Anytime someone looks up my guide in the system they always say "oh he's the best" but he also tried to convince me that I would pay MF on the 2022 points using MB. He could just be misinformed, but he was really insistent - even put it in writing. I've spoken with him a few times and he just gives me "smarmy" vibes. Ultimately, this is a transactional relationship but I will admit it's nice to hear how awesome some guides have been with their clients...

 

[CarolMN]

What's the view on asking for a different guide? I was randomly assigned one when doing a tour as a resale owner. Anytime someone looks up my guide in the system they always say "oh he's the best" but he also tried to convince me that I would pay MF on the 2022 points using MB. He could just be misinformed, but he was really insistent - even put it in writing. I've spoken with him a few times and he just gives me "smarmy" vibes. Ultimately, this is a transactional relationship but I will admit it's nice to hear how awesome some guides have been with their clients...

Well,technically, you could be, lol. Dues are based on calendar year. For example!e, let's say that on August 1, you buy a contract with a December use year. You get 2022 use year points. You pay prorated 2023 dues (for 8/1/23 -12/31/23). But technically, you are paying for 4 months of 2022 points and 1 month of 2023 points.

 

[crisi]

What's the view on asking for a different guide? I was randomly assigned one when doing a tour as a resale owner. Anytime someone looks up my guide in the system they always say "oh he's the best" but he also tried to convince me that I would pay MF on the 2022 points using MB. He could just be misinformed, but he was really insistent - even put it in writing. I've spoken with him a few times and he just gives me "smarmy" vibes. Ultimately, this is a transactional relationship but I will admit it's nice to hear how awesome some guides have been with their clients...

MOST guides are just going to be guides - they aren't going to call you or treat your kids well. Ours (you get - or at least used to get - one assigned even if you bought resale like we did) contacted us only if there was a new resort to see if we wanted to buy points....just a sales job. And then retired. I'm sure if I called DVC I have a guide in the system - I've never heard from them.

Its like buying a car - you probably aren't going to end up having a long term relationship with your car salesman. Its a short term purchase that is going to happen according to Disney's standards - and your best source of information is likely here. Though if you value that relationship (and I am NOT someone who does - but I know people who have long term relationships with their car salesperson, their realtor, etc), get recommendations for guides and switch. Disney does not make it easy to switch - but they'd rather give you a new guide than loose a sale - and "this guy just rubs me the wrong way and I'm not going to continue the process if its him...I hear _______ is really good, can you transfer me" is worth it.

Also keep in mind that some guides have that relationship with some clients but not all clients - ours apparently did with a few clients from former threads here - but never with us. Of course, we bought resale and he never sold us anything and its quite possible that the people he had relationships with bought a lot of points - or that they just bonded.

 

[Magic•Happens]

TBH, we've worked with random guides for our purchases. The guides are just sales associates with a fanciful title. Each time we purchased or toured with guides, they retired from the company soon thereafter. Our last guide that we toured Riviera with is now at www.dvcresalemarket.com. We currently do not have a guide assigned and we find out most of our information here. On occaasion I would get voicemails from guides on my number for my DW.... which would be the harder person to convicnce to buy more points.

 

[Jwaire]

After reading the "Purchasing DVC" forum over the past few days, I'm curious/concerned about uninformed or shady sales guides at DVC direct. There are active threads right now about guides that seem to have given erroneous information about the current MB incentives (to the buyer's disadvantage) and/or said that only certain use years are available and/or gave questionable guidance on splitting contracts.

Is this typical? Or maybe a result of overwhelmed sales guides dealing with great incentives and more active resorts? I'm currently closing on a resale contract, but keeping on eye on Poly2 for the future and want to know what I could be dealing with. I know many of you had great experiences with your guides, hope these are just outlier stories.

DVC threw out a lot of incentives and offers all at once along with a new property going on sale. It doesn't surprise me that not every guide understands every available offer on day one. They're also limited by what they can say. For example, it took awhile to get an official answer on parking fees at the Villas at Disneyland Hotel.

Just my personal experience, but I've never felt any cast member in DVC direct sales (including guides and the kiosk people) has been shady. I've bought two direct contracts and changed my mind 1/2 through with both of them to make changes. My guide never complained. He just got it done.

He also didn't discourage me from getting a resale contract. In fact, he encouraged me to close my resale contract and then call him back so I would get a better deal for my direct points.

Now, do I get birthday phone calls or Christmas cards from my guide like I've read on here? No. Sometimes I don't even get a phone call when I'm at the resort. But he's around if I need him and I can shoot him an email with a question and he'll get back to me when he gets a chance.

A good guide is going to get back to you. That's all you can ask.

As my guide put it, "Oh you're on DISboards, you're probably going to know before me."

 

[DonMacGregor]

TBH, we've worked with random guides for our purchases. The guides are just sales associates with a fanciful title. Each time we purchased or toured with guides, they retired from the company soon thereafter.

Well, they ARE fully licensed real estate agents in each of the respective states that they sell resorts in, but I do agree that their role begins and ends with selling timeshare points.