Uncool... Wrong info in Vacation Magic. UPDATE - PAGE 2!

[lenshanem]

Have an appointment for my girls at the new Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in April. I saw in the new Vacation Magic that there is a 10% DVC member discount thru June 15. I called back to add the perk, but was told that they have the DVC discount as good only for May thru mid June.

I told them Vacation Magic has
"Disney Vacation Club Members will enjoy a 10 percent discount on these packages through June 15. "

They asked me to fax it, but my fax machine is broken. She told me she would look into it and call back. (She was very nice.) Well, she called back the next day and I missed her call. I called and got another person who was a little rude. Told me I had to fax it or she couldn't help me.

I got off the phone and thought this is stupid - like I'm going to Kinkos for a tiny 10% discount, but I was a little irked and thought this was a mass email sent out and I probably wouldn't be the only one. I might as well take the initiative to get it straightened out.

Sooo, I called DVC and got a really nice person. She said she'd look into it and call me back after the weekend. She called back today and said they won't honor it. Told me to change my appointment to May. Well, our trip is the first week of April. She then said she didn't think it was even open then. Well, I hope so! I have appointments and my girls are pretty excited.

Anyway, I thought this was pretty tacky. I dunno...

So there's a heads up - no DVC discount will be honored in April despite the Vacation Magic email.

 

[sajetto]

That stinks! I was going to take my niece and take advantage of that "so called" discount. I figured it would be really cute to get her all dressed up like a princess. Is there someone else you can call to be sure there is no discount?

 

[lenshanem]

I dunno. ~Supposedly~ the two women I talked to at the Boutique put me on hold to speak to a manager. The first woman also "looked" into it and called me back the next day.

The woman at DVC ~supposedly~ put me on hold to speak to her manager AND left messages with DVC marketing, thus waiting over the weekend before calling me back to tell me sorry - no discount.

I'm actually rather insulted. What kind of customer service is that? They can't honor a pathetic 10% discount, but they can send me an email thirty minutes later asking me to spend over $4000 to add on at VB.

And it was their mistake! It is not like I came up with this on my own! Has Disney become that greedy that can't honor something as small as that as a show of good customer service?

OK...

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

And it was their mistake! It is not like I came up with this on my own! Has Disney become that greedy that can't honor something as small as that as a show of good customer service?

I bet that they will honor it but after making you jump through a number of hoops. It seems that the larger the company, the harder it is for people in the trenches to make decisions on their own. Can you imagine how hard it will be to get customer service when the only three companies in the world are Disney, Exxon/Mobil and GE?

Good luck in your quest.

HBC

 

[lenshanem]

I don't care to continue. It is for 10%! Totally not worth my time. It is just unfortunate cause if anyone loves Disney it is me and this was really bad show. We'll probably spend around $1500 on this coming trip just on food and souvenirs alone and they can't honor a $9 discount on my girls' packages?!?

My advice is if you planned on taking advantage of the "perk" I would make sure you took a copy of the email with you.

I'm sure they have made a note on my ressie, but for anyone else...

 

[Sammie]

Was it in the Vacation Magic Magazine or in a email, I am confused.

 

[Bella2000]

Was it in the Vacation Magic Magazine or in a email, I am confused.

March Vacation Magic Email has the following:

Princess perk
The "Bibbidi-Bobbidy Boutique," opening next month as part of the enhanced World of Disney® store at Downtown Disney® Marketplace at the Walt Disney World® Resort, is turning little girls into Disney royalty.

Princesses-in-waiting choose from the Coach treatment (hair style and shimmering makeup, $35 plus tax), the Crown package (hair style, and shimmering makeup and nails, $45 plus tax) and the Castle experience (hair style, shimmering makeup and nails, plus a complete costume with accessories, starting at $175 plus tax).

Disney Vacation Club Members will enjoy a 10 percent discount on these packages through June 15.

For more information or reservations, call (407) WDW-STYLE (939-7895).

 

[MrShiny]

I'd just take a copy of Vacation Magic with you. I bet you anything that they will honor the discount on the spot.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Wow Shan.....unbelievable. It sure appears to clearly state the discount is good "thru" June 15. I also feel this is their error and it should be honored. Hope your two have a magical time at the boutique in spite of this.
Wish my girls were younger so I could take them here too !

 

[Doctor P]

I agree that the email suggests that the discount should be available, however I wonder if what is going on (and I hope not for shan's sake) is that it will, indeed, not be opening till May (or at least not "officially" opening). Thus, no April discount will be possible. I hope this is not the case, but it seems possible that the cart got before the horse.

 

[Caskbill]

I agree that the email suggests that the discount should be available, however I wonder if what is going on (and I hope not for shan's sake) is that it will, indeed, not be opening till May (or at least not "officially" opening). Thus, no April discount will be possible. I hope this is not the case, but it seems possible that the cart got before the horse.

That's what I was thinking also. If it was meant to be an April issue, then 'next month' would be May.

 

[lenshanem]

I don't think so or else it would seem when I talked to the women working at the Boutique that they would have told me it wasn't opening as planned. (They asked me for my ressie number and the first woman then confirmed it for me.) We have an April 5th appointment and that is officially the grand opening according to the press releases I've seen.

NOW, if we show up at DTD and they didn't mention to tell me when I called or never called me back to tell me they weren't opening as planned I would be pretty darn mad, especially given what I just went thru.

 

[rocketriter]

I'd just take a copy of Vacation Magic with you. I bet you anything that they will honor the discount on the spot.

As a matter of fact, if you walk in with a copy of a mass mailing that has that information, they're legally required to honor it. Disney's management would obliterate a low-level employee or manager who put the company into a position of being vulnerable to bait-and-switch charges.

 

[Caskbill]

As a matter of fact, if you walk in with a copy of a mass mailing that has that information, they're legally required to honor it. Disney's management would obliterate a low-level employee or manager who put the company into a position of being vulnerable to bait-and-switch charges.

I don't think that's true. If an honest mistake was made in an ad, they can simply put up a notice about it. I've seen that many times in stores, where they'll have a display saying something about their recent ad in such and such newspaper, etc., incorrectly stated the price as $x dollars. And the correct sale price is $y dollars. They're not obligated to sell it at the incorrectly advertised price.

I would think the same would apply here. They can apologize, but wouldn't be legally bound to honor it. Although, they could make a good-faith jesture and honor it, even if the e-mail 'ad' was incorrect.

Besides, it wouldn't be a bait and switch, I don't think. It would be like a sale price, or discount. You'd still get the same 'product', just not get the sale price. That's different than a 'bait and switch' where they actually try to get you to a higher priced 'product'.

 

[buckylarue]

That's what I was thinking also. If it was meant to be an April issue, then 'next month' would be May.

Nope, it firmly states "March Vacation Magic Email Update" in the message header, and says the boutique is "opening next month", which would be April, and does not say the discount is available May 1 thru June 15, but simply 'through June 15'. They had best honor it or get a corrected Vacation Magic Email out ASAP!

 

[lenshanem]

AllEars new newsletter states DVC members get 10% off thru June 15th.

Guess I need to email them!

 

[Caskbill]

Nope, it firmly states "March Vacation Magic Email Update" in the message header, and says the boutique is "opening next month", which would be April, and does not say the discount is available May 1 thru June 15, but simply 'through June 15'. They had best honor it or get a corrected Vacation Magic Email out ASAP!

What I meant was that maybe the notice was meant to go into the April newsletter e-mail, but somehow by mistake it wound up in the March issue.

I agree, they either need to send out a new e-mail and correct it, or better still, just go ahead and honor the discount for April. That would be the wise thing for them to do.

Give the customer the discount, and the customer will probably come back again in the future. Deny the discount, and they may never see the customer again.

 

[Dean]

I don't think that's true. If an honest mistake was made in an ad, they can simply put up a notice about it. I've seen that many times in stores, where they'll have a display saying something about their recent ad in such and such newspaper, etc., incorrectly stated the price as $x dollars. And the correct sale price is $y dollars. They're not obligated to sell it at the incorrectly advertised price.

I would think the same would apply here. They can apologize, but wouldn't be legally bound to honor it. Although, they could make a good-faith jesture and honor it, even if the e-mail 'ad' was incorrect.

Besides, it wouldn't be a bait and switch, I don't think. It would be like a sale price, or discount. You'd still get the same 'product', just not get the sale price. That's different than a 'bait and switch' where they actually try to get you to a higher priced 'product'.

Agreed, no legal obligation to meet an add actually correct or otherwise. This happens with franchises not uncommonly where a franchisee either doesn't have a specific advertised item or elects not to participate.

 

[lenshanem]

Just back. They honored the discount. I took a copy of the email with me and asked. They went into the back to talk to the manager and came back and told me that the dates were wrong, but they would honor it for me.

BTW, that place is gonna be a huge hit! My girls LOVED it.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

Glad it all worked out for you, sound like fun. It's crazy you have to bring all this discount documentation proof with you on a WDW vacation.

You gotta do what you gotta due to save enough to squeeze in an extra DVC trip At least that's how we look at it.