The Disney Visa NIGHTMARE

[Dean]

Originally posted by MelissathePooh
Dean -

The Disney Visa has nothing to do with FL residents - it is or at least what is supposed to be - the replacement for the DC. It has been marketed that way from the beginning - although what was promised/marketed and what actually came about are two completely different things.

Disney said that the replacement program for DC would be the wonderfully individual preferences based rewards program - tailored to each family based on past traveling experiences. There was never a mention that certain people would not be eligible - it was to replace the DC and be available to anyone. At the last minute it became a financial decision that had nothing to do with the guest experience.

Melissa
Melissa

Maybe, I just haven't seen anything from Disney that said the CC was a replacement for the DC. Maybe they did and I didn't see it. All I've seen is advertisements for the card and hype associated and a separate indication from Disney that a replacement would be coming for the DC. I think many people just assumed they were the same, which I think is a reasonable assumption but not automatic. I'd love to be wrong as I have the Disney CC and don't plan to pay for another discount card.

I know the CC is not related to FL residents, just quoting some of the current discounts available at WDW and wondering if they're decreasing the built in disscounts in favor of those directed at specific areas like a time of the year or resort that is underutiilized.

 

[TIdoublegaER]

It got so that any time I wanted to charge something over about $100 they wanted to talk to me on the phone there in the store, and ask me if my bank account contained enough money to pay for the bill, and were generally rude about it, even though we paid the bill every month.

I too have never experienced this. Only the call to check identity if I make multiple charges at the same store (or mall) on the same day. I have also had the card company call after I get back from vacation, especially when we drive. They just want to make sure we knew "someone" was using our card in IL, TN, KY, GA, SC and FL!

I do wonder at times why CC companies give the credit limits that they do. We have a $30,000 limit on one of our cards and our highest balance in 3 years has been $5000 and that's because I put my grad school tuition on it. We didn't ask for that much credit, that's just what they gave us - probably hoping we would charge it up. Little did they know!

We thought about giving up our current MC to get the Disney visa, but frankly I don't think its worth it. The MC has a fixed 7.9% APR and doesn't use the 2 billing cycle method for calcuating finance charges. We very rarely carry over a balance, but if we do why should I pay more interest on it? We'd probably get turned down because we pay off our cards every month.

I hope this really isn't Disney's answer to the DC, but it just might be.

 

[MelissathePooh]

From the LA Times last October:

quote:
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Disney said Monday it would replace the Disney Club with a "co-branded" Disney/Visa credit card with which customers will be able to accumulate points that can be redeemed toward discounts on Disney merchandise and vacations.

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And from the Orlando Sentinal, concerning the demise of the disney club and the introduction of the credit card:

quote:
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"We have not forgotten these club members," Foster said. "We do feel like we're developing a program that is going to be much better than the Disney Club."



In the past regardless of what other special offers have been available (FL resident offers, room/package discount codes, emails, postcards) there has ALWAYS been another program that was available to ANYONE who wanted to join. Now there is NO such program. But anyone can still be an official loyal Disney guest as long as they aren't Canadian, Eurpean, etc... or deemed unworthy by Bank one.

Frankly its disgusting, deplorable and detestable. Anyone who considers themselves a loyal guest should be offended, IMHO.

Melissa

 

[mikeymars]

>>So...Mikeymars...what u r saying is that if it were your company you would let anyone have your card because they were a loyal customer to your parter in the venture? That seems like a fairly senseless business statement to me. Yes...you do want to reward loyalty, but at the expense of your own business?? I'd think not.<<

Rather than responding to this myself, I'll let the well-spoken Sarangel speak for me:

"I think you mis-understand. The point I keep seeing being made is that DISNEY could have chosen a better way to reward their loyal customers than choosing to offer a credit card that excludes (voluntarily or involuntarily) a fairly high percentage of their loyal fan base."

>>In response to receiving applications after you have already received cards or applied for them...I have news for everyone, there isn't a single credit card company out there that doesn't have that problem. If you have found one, consider yourself lucky.<<

Smart firms DO scrub files to avoid this, because if they don't, they annoy clients. My company always scrubs these types of files one to two days prior to mailing. Always.

And that isn't "rare." The letter I received Thursday from Disney management admitted this and apologized for the fact I had received an invitation to apply after already being turned down!!!!

 

[DisneyKidds]

Maybe, I just haven't seen anything from Disney that said the CC was a replacement for the DC.

Maybe they haven't said it directly to most of us, but the handwriting is on the wall. The quotes from respected news sources kind of lay it out as well.

 

[PatriciaH]

I have $0 debt and always pay off my cards every month if I put anything on them. I have a platinum cash back card, a platinum phone card/cc and the Disney Visa. I TOLD them I only wanted $1,000 limit on it-they still gave it to me. I also TOLD my other 2 cards the limit I wanted on them and to never raise it without asking me. My credit score is over 800 so maybe this is why? Anyway they will never make any finance charge money off of me

 

[roymccoy]

PatriciaH...you have ideal credit as far as the FICO score is concerned. However, you also have a credit profile which could be very volatile. As long as you don't put anything on your credit cards, you're fine but if you ever do carry a balance of any kind, your score could plummet. Credit scoring is all based on how the average person with your similar circumstances pays their bills. If you were to say, put $4000 on your credit card it could hit you much harder than someone who keeps $4000 on their cards all the time. The difference is the length of time that you have carried a balance as compared to the other person. Anytime a person's credit habits change, it changes their score. I see it all the time. People wih the "best" credit scores usually owe no money and only have a couple of trades. What happens is that as soon as those people apply for and receive credit, their score usually goes down by a hefty percentage. I've seen 800 FICO scores go down into the 600's just by getting one card and running it up to the limit.

I guess what I am saying is, a high score is good, but a high score because you just don't have a lot of credit can be very volatile when you do go to get and use new credit. There just isn't very much history to look back on for that person.

Roy

P.S. The person who impresses me the most is the one with an 800 FICO score even with a couple of credit card balances, a Mercedes lease and a jumbo mortgage. That person has weathered the bumps of being new and established and came out with a pretty bulletproof score.

 

[honeymom]

I don't know. I think the formula to who they give the card to must have more to do with debt to income ratio than to having low balances, not using revolving credit etc. I think it is also possible that if you check your credit report that there may be mistakes that you can have corrected on it.

We tend to pay off our balances and don't keep a lot of cards anymore. So don't ask me why, but we had no problem getting the card although some of you in the same situation did. That's why I would check your credit reports.

Yes, they have offered a good room discount so far. Unfortunately, this discount wound up being available to population at large - so much for the advantage of having the card.

Still, I know a Disney vacation is somewhere in our future - so I'm buying my broccoli to get more of those reward dollars!

 

[mikeymars]

>>Do a search and read more threads. There are many people who heard that message and subsequently got a card. I'm one...<<

I have no reason to doubt your experience, but after quite a bit of searching (on a bunch of the other boards) I'm still having a tough time finding any the other threads you imply are out there with that story.

However, I don't have any problems finding ones with the scenario I mentioned (ergo, a "I've been getting the "your application is under review" message for days/weeks now, but haven't gotten any card," post appears, from an author who subsequently dissapears and never returns to close their story.

 

[PatriciaH]

Originally posted by roymccoy
PatriciaH...you have ideal credit as far as the FICO score is concerned. However, you also have a credit profile which could be very volatile. As long as you don't put anything on your credit cards, you're fine but if you ever do carry a balance of any kind, your score could plummet. Credit scoring is all based on how the average person with your similar circumstances pays their bills. If you were to say, put $4000 on your credit card it could hit you much harder than someone who keeps $4000 on their cards all the time.

I put big charges on my cards every few months. I am a travel agent and travel a lot Then I pay them off. It has never affected my score.

 

[KNWVIKING]

I have zero debt,I have several reward cards,gold and plat, I do have high limits but never carry a balance. I pay everything possible with my cards, including seven years of college-so far- for my two boys,three DVC purchases and even my all-time favorite points/reward churner, US savings bonds. I have know idea what my "score" is, but if Bank 1 gives this card based on the criteria posted here,then why did I get this card ? Because I carry no balance,I must not be very profitable to them.

 

[HorizonsFan]

However, I don't have any problems finding ones with the scenario I mentioned (ergo, a "I've been getting the "your application is under review" message for days/weeks now, but haven't gotten any card," post appears, from an author who subsequently dissapears and never returns to close their story.

Is this because they got the card or not? Personally, I would be more likely to post if I were declined. I just don't think "under review" is a secret code...

 

[BCVOwner2002]

After reading all of these posts I have to put my two cents in too! I was declined the CC and after reading all of these posts am happy I was!!! The only thing that I was upset about is that the card is replacing DC and I have always enjoyed the $aving$. If there isn't something available to all then I think Disney (not BankOne) is discriminating against a large group of people. (Any lawyers here? Class action ringing in your ear). If Disney replaced a $39 plan (which many people have newspaper articles) with a program that is not available to the same group of people I think that could be an issue. Now once again, this will spawn some discussion and I am not a lawyer but am posing the question. Annmarie

 

[HorizonsFan]

If there isn't something available to all then I think Disney (not BankOne) is discriminating against a large group of people. (Any lawyers here? Class action ringing in your ear). If Disney replaced a $39 plan (which many people have newspaper articles) with a program that is not available to the same group of people I think that could be an issue.

Are you really saying that a company who offers a discount plan can never eliminate that plan without being sued? Discrimination occurs when rights are violated. Nobody has a right to a Disney discount!

I'm still having a tough time finding any the other threads you imply are out there with that story.

Here's one with several folks saying they got the card after the "under review" message.
http://disboards.com/showthread.php...5&highlight= visa under review&pagenumber=6

 

[KNWVIKING]

I doubt the law requires Disney to offer discounts to everybody. I don't get newspapers, I doubt I can sue Betty Crocker because I'm not getting the coupons people do that buy newspapers. Can I sue because Fl residents get better discounts then NJ ?

And I'm just curious: Has anybody lost a discount yet ? The DC club is still in affect. The Dis Visa is up and running. Maybe we should wait to see what happens at the end of 2003 when DC ends. Maybe they start something new,maybe they add discounts to the Visa card. Maybe none of the above.

 

[BCVOwner2002]

I was only being sarcastic about a lawsuit! LOL!! That's what I like about these boards - always many opinions to a subject and you don't even have to be on the Debate Board either!

I agree that we really won't know if there will be anything (other than what's been stated) replacing DC but I know that I will miss the benefits.

Annmarie

 

[HorizonsFan]

I was only being sarcastic about a lawsuit!

Sorry for taking your post at face-value. Perhaps some sort of smiley might communicate your meaning more clearly.

 

[cherylp3]

I have a question and a simple solution: Why couldn't Bank One and/or Disney add the option of a secured card for those who were rejected.

Definition of a secured card:
A credit card that a card holder secures with a security deposit to ensure payment of the outstanding balance if the card holder defaults on payments.

- Cheryl

 

[HorizonsFan]

Why couldn't Bank One and/or Disney add the option of a secured card for those who were rejected.

An EXCELLENT idea! Or they could offer a normal Visa instead of just the platinum.

 

[mikeymars]

Just a couple of point on some of the issues recently brought up on this thread.

The Disney "Rewards Program" --which is ONLY available to those holding the Bank One VISA card -- is THE replacment for the Disney Club when it closes at the end of this year. Disney has no plans to start up any other membership program that offers regular ongoing discounts.

So as some others have stated, prior members of the Magic Kingdom and Disney Clubs who either don't want or can't get the new VISA card are being completely left out in the cold.

As for the "secured" credit recommendation, that implies that those who are being turned down for the Bank One VISA are "credit risks."

That's not really the issue: search these boards, and you'll find that plenty of those who are being turned down have good credit histories: long term home owners who have worked for the same firm for decades who have little or no debt. In other words, Bank One is turning us down not because we are "risky" but because their proprietary analysis model (they have their own 30 point system, they do NOT use FICO) predicts we won't be particularly profitable to them (particularly those who don't carry balances).