Tiered Benefits DVC Poll

[AnnaS]

This is very funny to me. Especially in light of the many posts in a different forum saying things along the lines of 1800pts for rent. Experienced owner. Etc. etc….

Do we really want those owners having an advantage over the everyday owners?

At first I was not going to vote - no opinion/care - but then - I had the same thought this morning. I decided to vote "no" this morning. I like what I bought into 25 years ago.

 

[Brian Noble]

Am I in favor of it? Not particularly.

Do I think some version of tiered benefits will happen in the not-too-distant future? You bet.

As @Sandisw points out, the governing documents probably preclude an earlier home resort booking window. I am less sure if an earlier non-home window is possible. But there are plenty of other things that could fall into this category: early access to (or access to more) MM events, for example.

 

[kathi]

This would give all the bulk resale owners priority and that is just not ok.

 

[Girlstar30]

This would give all the bulk resale owners priority and that is just not ok.

I know, I mean I can get why other programs like cruise loyalty programs have tiered benefits, because they want people to keep coming back and need to incentivize them, but with DVC people are locked in.

They have to incentivize people and convince them from the start initially that this is worth the price. I don't see how rolling out tiered benefits is going to convince people that can only afford 150 points that this is worth it

 

[Brian Noble]

bulk resale owners

No chance.

If there is a tiered recognition system, I'll bet a very large pile of Mickeybars that only developer points will count.

 

[Brian Noble]

I don't see how rolling out tiered benefits is going to convince people that can only afford 150 points that this is worth it

That's not the target market of these sorts of programs.

The target market is mostly upselling people who are already owners to buy up to the next tier.

 

[Sandisw]

With Fl timeshare laws - could DVC offer something like enhanced OTU points usage based on tiers? Maybe when you can use them tiered - top tier at 8 months - rest at 7? I think it actually wouldn’t matter a whole bunch since large owners wouldn’t (at least theoretically) need them as often but it would give at least the illusion of booking benefits…just wondering.

They can definitely set up a program that allows owners access to DVC/DVD own points.

So, could sell owners OTU points to specific resorts if they wanted to with some level of trading or purchase.

The hard part would be having in stock points for all the resorts offered.

However, it could be managed in some way.

 

[Sandisw]

It isn't fair to neglect the hundreds of things they could do that aren't even a part of anything they are doing now.

I didn’t vote because the post said limit it to priority. But regardless, my opinion is the same.

I’m indifferent to it…all, some , yes or no…it doesn’t matter to me one way or the other.

 

[Sandisw]

Is that true even for non-home resorts?
E.g., could they give some owners 8-month booking at non-home resorts instead of 7?

I don’t believe they can’t because of the way the DVC resort agreement is written.

A resort enters into that agreement and it applies to owners. The reason resale can be restricted is because it’s a trade…and the law allows that to be different when the resorts becomes part of it.

It is why IMO they had to grandfather in pre 2019 owners to be excluded when RIV entered with the new rules.

And to be fair, some don’t believe that the way RIV entered should have been allowed.

But I think the grandfathering of previous owners is enough to make it valid…however nothing more than my opinion.

 

[mort1331]

They have a tiered system right now. Not based on points, but based on where you live. If not USA then you can not buy MM. That is already a tier. If not Direct buy you cant have member extras, another tier.
They could go further and say only owners at xyz resorts get extra morning hours, but if your abc, no. Like they do right now for deluxe resorts. Justify the higher buy in cost.
It is different then the cruise line in the way that we actually have a financial interest in the product, and not just purchasing a service. So not a loyalty program.
I will say I am not in favour of any of this, I dont live in the US so was upset that I can not purchase MM. And the lame excuse they have given us that we cant buy.

 

[CarolynFH]

I voted No because there’s no way we’ll be able to join the 1000 point club or even get close.

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

I voted Yes because.... I want this.

If there is a tiered recognition system, I'll bet a very large pile of Mickeybars that only developer points will count.

The target market is mostly upselling people who are already owners to buy up to the next tier.

To the points above and as said by others already, I'm shocked a tier system does not already exist - greed should have created this system by now. There is guaranteed to be something/anything DVD can offer direct owners at different point ownership levels that does not violate the spacetime continuum or timeshare laws, whichever comes first. The sheer idea that something (e.g. welcome home bag like DCL does with the resort name on it?) can be had "for just a few more total direct points" will stimulate point sales.

If I had a choice in the matter, I would want non-owner booking window increases beyond 7 months and stopping at 10 months to preserve the owner's window booking premium of 11 months. I thought DVD retained the right to change the 7 month booking window for non-owners anyway so not sure why they couldn't make a change like this?

 

[Chuck S]

Your talking about two very different things It is doubtful home resort priority for reservations could extended for those with high point counts, as they are deeded interests at all resorts, except maybe for the trust members at Ft. Wilderness.

Could the booking window for 7 months be change? Possibly, but imagine the nightmares this would cause both for CMs and IT. So I don't see that happening. For Moonlight Magic, it is a perk paid for by DVC Marketing, so it could be a way to sell more direct points, but again, the IT booking issues it would cause may not be worth it. Especially, when you consider the history of including even all resale members that purchased before the cut off date for "blue card" benefits. Their mistake was not having resale restrictions in place from day one.

As far as whether I'd be in favor of it...maybe for some small perks, but since they simply decided to charge eligible members for MMB instead, I think the MOST we'd ever see would like a 1,000 point club for free MMB or free exchanges to the Disney collection.

 

[Brian Noble]

but imagine the nightmares this would cause both for CMs and IT.

It can be done. Wyndham does something similar: Home Resort is 13 months, Non-Home is normally 10 months. However, owners with status can have a limited number of non-home reservations at 11 months, at many (but not all) of the resorts in-system, and most times of the year.

This is all implemented on their online booking tool.

 

[tx911]

It can be done. Wyndham does something similar: Home Resort is 13 months, Non-Home is normally 10 months. However, owners with status can have a limited number of non-home reservations at 11 months, at many (but not all) of the resorts in-system, and most times of the year.

This is all implemented on their online booking tool.

I assumed it would be pretty easily done. They already give tiered access to cruise bookings and runDisney events. This would seemingly just be more of the same, at least for Moonlight Magic events. But then we'd only have the bougie people at moonlight magic Maybe better to leave it as is.

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

Could the booking window for 7 months be change? Possibly, but imagine the nightmares this would cause both for CMs and IT.

It can be done. Wyndham does something similar...

I'm in the camp of it can be done. Can only guess this is a programming feature that determines the number of months in advance that reservations can be made by an owner at certain resorts, so would guess the programming can be adjusted. But, I don't know if there is some other feature of the contracts that prohibit an enhanced benefit like this that is conditioned on an arbitrary number of points.

 

[Sandisw]

I'm in the camp of it can be done. Can only guess this is a programming feature that determines the number of months in advance that reservations can be made by an owner at certain resorts, so would guess the programming can be adjusted. But, I don't know if there is some other feature of the contracts that prohibit an enhanced benefit like this that is conditioned on an arbitrary number of points.

From my reading of it, it’s not a programming issue, but rather a DVC resort agreement issue.

Does the resort agreements allow BVTC to put in different booking windows for individual owners when trading? I don’t see that they can.

They can give each resort its own booking window…for example, they could give give owners at any resort a longer home resort period, which would reduced its trading window.

But, a tiered booking window for individuals doesn’t seem possible unless it’s giving owners DVDs own points to cover it…then it might work.

 

[Chuck S]

OF course, if implemented, it would make home resort reservation walking nearly a necessity for much of the year. as the home window would be narrower.

 

[xdan0920]

Reading this thread is making my blood boil.

 

[Sandisw]

Here is something they could offer for tiered benefits. Ability to pay a fee for CL access…similar to what they tried with WL and reunion station.