Took DVC Tour - strange experience

[deedeetoo]

We have just returned from our vacation to WDW. While there, we took the DVC tour. I have never taken a timeshare tour before but this was not what I expected. First went to a large conference room where two guys took turns introducing segments of a prerecorded video. There were about 20 people taking the tour. Much of the video was repetitive of the info in the DVD they mailed me. There was lots of feel-good statements and not much real information. Then they split the group in half and took us on tours of the units. After that they talked about incentives for about 5 minutes, gave us packets, and told us we would need to make appts to come back if we wanted to talk to someone personally or ask questions. I thought that's what we were there for.

We were really disappointed. We had done our homework up front and were ready to sit down and really talk to someone. Instead all we got was an hour long commercial and an invitation to make an appt to come back again. Oh - and they gave us ice cream and fast passes. It really was a waste of time.

From the presentation you never would have known that you could buy anywhere else and they really push the "you can stay anywhere" angle. They told us you never have to really stay at SSR. We did manage to get one of them aside for five minutes at the end but when we started asking questions about other resorts he really discouraged it.

We are still considering buying but this left a bad taste in our mouths. We are definitely not as excited as we were before the trip. We almost got the impresssion that they are trying to hide something by making you come back twice to ask questions. We didn't make the second trip btw, we felt we had wasted enough vacation time.

 

[almousefan]

That is strange! Our experience last month was nothing like that.

 

[JimMIA]

That's very odd. Did you take the tour as a group, or were the other people just there when you arrived?

 

[drakethib]

Maybe it is me, but it seems like they were NOT trying to make everyone feel like it was pressure sales.

I am a little confused on why they wouldn't want to keep people their who were ready to talk turkey.

They are trying to fill the SSR quita I guess and that is why I assume they are not very giving on the fact that you can buy at other resorts.

Just my 2 cents

 

[TroyandDabs]

Here is my question ... What time of day did you tour? Could it have been later in the day or early in the morning where they might have been booked to capacity (or overbooked) and didnt have enought guides there at that hour to handle everyone? (So, they improvised and did a version of the tour that they do on the cruise ships?)

 

[deedeetoo]

We took the tour at 7pm. We didn't realize that we would get a different type of tour depending on time of day.

We didn't go as a group. We went as a couple. It seemed that everyone else was there as couples also. No one seemed to know each other on the tour.

It was really weird at the end. I got the impression that other couples also were surprised at the abrupt ending with no chance to really talk about buying.

 

[Sarnia]

Don't let it put you off, if DVC is a good fir for you then it would be a shame to give up on it because of some bad salesman.

I think it's a bit sad that they push the other resorts so much and point out that people would never have to stay at SSR. I have toured all of the on-site DVC's and SSR is the one that I most want to stay at by far. It seems that they almost start people off with a bad impression of SSR by saying that.

 

[Slakk]

Don't let it put you off, if DVC is a good fir for you then it would be a shame to give up on it because of some bad salesman.

I think it's a bit sad that they push the other resorts so much and point out that people would never have to stay at SSR. I have toured all of the on-site DVC's and SSR is the one that I most want to stay at by far. It seems that they almost start people off with a bad impression of SSR by saying that.

I agree - SSR is my favorite as well. When I did my tour they did say you could stay at any resort but it was very SSR oriented.

 

[vinnie_a72]

That is strange. We were there last month and the experience was great. We got a lot of 1 to 1 interaction with our guide and she took plenty of time to answer all my questions. We returned home an thought about it for a day and joined. It seems to me like not very many people have had the same experience so don’t let it leave a bad taste in your mouth.

 

[hoopsrob]

We had a similar experience on DCL.

We went to a group presentation --- it was actually helpful to me as I needed info and had not done homework ahead of time.

But at the end of the presentation, you could sign up for one-on-one appts to discuss it further. No option to stay and talk right then.

I agree it is a low pressure approach----and that's not a bad thing. But there should be some mechanism to close the deal right then with people who are ready to write the check instead of having to schedule another time to come back.

 

[BevS97]

we went last March- made an appointment in MK and visited SSR the following day - we had a one on one talk with a rep who was great, talked to us in detail, showed us the properties and would have signed us up there and then but we weren't ready to do so. I made it quite clear we really wanted Boardwalk and he was ok about that (although he never suggested that he could sell me Boardwalk, and did try and convince me SSR was a better deal, but he seemed quite ok with the fact I wasn't going to buy SSR)

 

[rinkwide]

...there should be some mechanism to close the deal right then with people who are ready to write the check instead of having to schedule another time to come back...

These poor timeshare sellers - damned if they do, damned if they don't.

 

[hoopsrob]

Yeah, you're right about that.

Don't want too much pressure....but a little nudge is ok!! HAHA.

Can't they read our minds and know what we want??!!

 

[spiceycat]

deedeetoo - call DVC now and complaint.

You may have been send to the wrong place....

if you have an appointment - it should have been with a person (guide) - not just everyone treated the same and a commerical...

so sorry!!!

when you call DVC ask who your guide is????

see if they tell you a person to talk too...

here is the phone number 800-500-3990

 

[DonnaL]

Does anyone remember a while back when SSR was getting a lot of bad mouthing? After reading the above posts a little light went off in my head wondering if some of the DVC guides actually inadvertently had something to do with that......I mean, if they are saying in their presentations "You can buy SSR for the extra 12 years, but, don't ever HAVE to stay there" it almost gives the impression that something is wrong with the place and they themselves wouldn't stay there so why would anyone else? Personally, I agree with one of the above posters......I think SSR is a beautiful resort, the furnishings are beautiful, the grounds are gorgeous and sometimes it CAN be a plus to have your car right outside your door. We always have a rental and sometimes I really don't like to either walk to self-park or wait for valet at VWL, BWV, and BCV. We own at VWL (which will always be a favorite) and SSR (have stayed there our last three visits and will be again in October) and then at VWL in 1/07 (VWL is always so cozy in the winter)

 

[Anewman]

When we took the tour last year at Disneyland, they also encouraged us to go home and sleep on it. We purchased then and there.

It just seems that if they apply anytype of pressure there will be complaints and if they dont...

 

[Disney Doll]

I'm amazed!!! When we did our tour, they were very willing right after the tour to sit down and answer all our questions. We did the tour in the AM though...I htink around 10:00 if I remember correctly.

Maybe the time of day was factor???

 

[rinkwide]

When we took the tour last year at Disneyland, they also encouraged us to go home and sleep on it. We purchased then and there...

What a dirty trick - using reverse-psychology on you like that.

 

[vonderbar]

Your experience sounds strange to me too. The first time we took tour of DVC, we made an appointment first. Our cast member met with us and asked a few basic questions. He gave us some general information and asked if we would like to continue. This gave us an opportunity to "walk" if we didn't feel this was the right thing for us. Instead, we knew we were interested and wanted to get into the financial portion of the conversation. He took us to a private room and it was here that we signed our contract. We since have purchased additional points, but this time at SSR. Because we were already members and went during the "Members Homecoming" event, the process was to just hear the financial arrangements and sign our contracts.

I'm sorry you have a "bad taste in your mouth", but can understand under the circumstances. I can tell you that if it weren't for our DVC membership, my DH and I would not be able to visit WDW 2 - 3 times a year. I also enjoyed being able to give my Mom a WDW stay for her 80th birthday. I am only sorry that we didn't become members way back when it all began.

 

[normr]

I think they were giving you a low pressure experience, let you know what it's about, see the accomodations and then let you come to sites like here to do research on your own.

I've been to some timeshare presentations where you thought you'd never get out alive. Like you needed to sign on the dotted line right now, plus give up your firstborn if you wanted to ever see daylight again.

You're doing the best thing, you've learned a little about it from Disney, no come and ask us about DVC.

We've enjoyed our DVC membership and when we aren't going to Disney and need to stay some other place that disney can't accomodate, we just rent some points, like when we stayed in Las Vegas, I found out that disney didn't really have a very nice place in las Vegas, so I got rates for the Bellagio and once I knew that would cost, we just rented out enough points to cover it which turned out to be cheaper than going through Disney.