We went on a DVC tour and I'm am disappointed

[tikilyn]

and I don't know if maybe I'm missing something or the sales guy was just having a bad day?

My family and I just got home today from a 10 night stay at the All Stars Resort. We were approached by a DVC rep (he was really cool) and he talked us into touring SSR and talking to a sales rep.

When we got to SSR and finally met with our sales rep it just seemed like he didn't want us to buy into DVC. Everything he had to say to us was negative, like "I know for a fact if you don't sign today you wont buy DVC at all".He also implied that we couldn't afford DVC. Where he came up with that I don't know? I mean really how did he know that? I never make big purchases without sitting on it a couple of days. All we wanted was someone to really explain the whole process and show us numbers so we can see if this is something that we want to buy into.

I understand that it's "no pressure" but geez he didn't try to sell us a DVC contract. So now I'm trying to figure all of this out on my own, which in the end I will gather everything I need to make a decision and we are about 85% sure we will buy dvc, just have to figure everything out.


What was your experience with dvc sales reps?

 

[ilovesugar]

and I don't know if maybe I'm missing something or the sales guy was just having a bad day?

My family and I just got home today from a 10 night stay at the All Stars Resort. We were approached by a DVC rep (he was really cool) and he talked us into touring SSR and talking to a sales rep.

When we got to SSR and finally met with our sales rep it just seemed like he didn't want us to buy into DVC. Everything he had to say to us was negative, like "I know for a fact if you don't sign today you wont buy DVC at all".He also implied that we couldn't afford DVC. Where he came up with that I don't know? I mean really how did he know that? I never make big purchases without sitting on it a couple of days. All we wanted was someone to really explain the whole process and show us numbers so we can see if this is something that we want to buy into.

I understand that it's "no pressure" but geez he didn't try to sell us a DVC contract. So now I'm trying to figure all of this out on my own, which in the end I will gather everything I need to make a decision and we are about 85% sure we will buy dvc, just have to figure everything out.


What was your experience with dvc sales reps?

That is strange. What did he say that made you think he thought you could not afford it?

I had a crappy guide at first, but nothing like what you mentioned.

 

[ChiSoxKeith]

Sounds like you just had a bad rep or at least one that was having a really bad day.

Do your homework and get questions answered on these boards. Then make the decision for yourself.

 

[tikilyn]

He just kept telling us that the majority of people who buy dvc pay cash but if we couldn't "afford" it we were welcome to finance through disney. He went on to tell us about the high down payment we would have to make(900.00) and so on. I think it was the way he was stressing the word afford. He just really was stressing how expensive dvc was. I don't know maybe I am just being sensitive or something.

Is there a place where I can read up on dvc and what is involved?

 

[iwrbnd]

Sorry you got such a bum rep! Try again! Ours just explained it to us and let us make the decision. I loved the no pressure thing and I also loved knowing the deal he was telling us was the deal for everybody and nobody else was haggling a lower price.

 

[Greyhound22]

Sorry for your awful experience. In all of my experience with DVC, I've never come in contact with a negative CM. Please don't be put off because of the bad experience. Bad CM's are the minority, without a doubt. Read about all of the HAPPY people on this site and how we "mostly" all love our DVC. I had a great CM at my tour and really felt like he was looking out for my families best interest when he explained the financing. Good luck and I'd say try, try again!

 

[WeRblam]

Sorry you got such a bum rep! Try again! Ours just explained it to us and let us make the decision. I loved the no pressure thing and I also loved knowing the deal he was telling us was the deal for everybody and nobody else was haggling a lower price.

That is good to know -- I like no haggling deals! Do they offer you free fast passes or something for going on these tours?

 

[Orsino]

He just kept telling us that the majority of people who buy dvc pay cash but if we couldn't "afford" it we were welcome to finance through disney. He went on to tell us about the high down payment we would have to make(900.00) and so on. I think it was the way he was stressing the word afford. He just really was stressing how expensive dvc was. I don't know maybe I am just being sensitive or something.

Is there a place where I can read up on dvc and what is involved?

That is strange. Not the best way to get a sale, IMO -- unless it was some weird mental game where he was trying to get you to buy by making you feel inadequate if you didn't buy. Kind of a:
"I don't think you can afford it."
"Oh yeah? write up the paper work right now Bucko!"

But you were absolutely right not to buy right away. At the very least, you owe it to yourself to consider resale. It's not for everyone, but you should find out if it is good for you.

I'm currently waiting for ROFR; but I've found this website is very helpful in learning about DVC. So much so that when I went for a DVC tour I only asked to see the rooms, I didn't want any explanation from the guide. At the core DVC is a pretty logical system.

 

[UGAFan0829]

Wow, I'm really surprised at the guide's attitude. It doesn't sound like he really cares about making a sale very much. We were fortunate to have a wonderful guide who took his time with us and didn't pressure us at all. He went over all the numbers and explained everything to us. We really wanted to buy in at that time, but it just wasn't the right thing for us to do, financially. That was back in January of 2006, and we finally joined summer of last year. So obviously, him telling you that if you didn't join then, you never would was totally wrong! I don't know if you're still researching or not, but I went to disneyvacationclub.com before we bought in. There is the opportunity to have a live chat with a rep who can answer questions for you.

 

[cseca]

If you do decide to purchase make sure to ask for a different guide. So you won't have to deal with this bad guide ever again. Even if he was having a bad day, doesn't mean you have to deal with it y'know?
And don't worry, this board is full of helpful people who could answer almost all your questions

 

[Julylady]

I bought DVC without ever having a conversation with a guide. After spending over $5000 at Disney resorts in an 18 month period, I started thinking about it. I then happened to sit next to a BWV owner on the way back to airport on a Mears bus. I asked him a ton of questions! When I got home I did all my research on the Disboards. When I had additional questions, I posed them here. After about a month I decided to buy and contacted a representative at the Timeshare Store. It was only after I made the purchase that a DVC guide was assigned to me. I have never met him and don't really see a need to!

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

He just kept telling us that the majority of people who buy dvc pay cash but if we couldn't "afford" it we were welcome to finance through disney. He went on to tell us about the high down payment we would have to make(900.00) and so on. I think it was the way he was stressing the word afford. He just really was stressing how expensive dvc was. I don't know maybe I am just being sensitive or something.

Is there a place where I can read up on dvc and what is involved?

You state "high down payment" of $900.00. I don't honestly know how it could possibly be that LOW. You need at least 10% down. Points are $112 to $120 each. At initial 160 point minimum purchase for new members, even with a $10/per point discount, your down payment still could not possibly be only $900. It should be at least $1,632.00. Maybe you misunderstood alot of what he was trying to explain. Surely he made notes on paper and gave them to you, as well as the financing through Disney he offered you. Look at the notes again, and the papers.
The down payment would have to be alot higher than $900.00.

 

[ChiSoxKeith]

I didn't pay cash for my entire DVC, I financed threw them. Throw the bum of a guide out.

 

[bumbershoot]

Everything he had to say to us was negative, like "I know for a fact if you don't sign today you wont buy DVC at all".He also implied that we couldn't afford DVC.

It's one of the technique some salespeople use.

...trying to get you to buy by making you feel inadequate if you didn't buy. Kind of a:
"I don't think you can afford it."
"Oh yeah? write up the paper work right now Bucko!"

That's it exactly.

It works on some people. Doesn't work on us; didn't work on us when trying to buy a car. Nasty salesguy at a Kia place up north of Seattle, the guy was *awful*.

And DH recognized what he was doing, because both he and his brother have been car salespeople in the past, and they've seen it. Neither of them used that technique, but it *can* be successful if you get the "right" people coming in to see you.

We refused to buy from him, and buy there at all, because of the technique he used (and they did a blatant internet ad bait and switch, going so far as to say that the car we saw online for their store wasn't online at all...and that I was making it up, even though I had the printout from THEIR store's site in my hand).

But it works on some!


My guide was lovely as anything. Had ameeting with us in '07, spent ages talking about things, and when we said we weren't going to do it then, he said "I know you'll be back, and I'll be here for you!" (or something like that). Lo and behold, not even 2 years later, we were calling him.

 

[ssawka]

You state "high down payment" of $900.00. I don't honestly know how it could possibly be that LOW. You need at least 10% down. Points are $112 to $120 each. At initial 160 point minimum purchase for new members, even with a $10/per point discount, your down payment still could not possibly be only $900. It should be at least $1,632.00. Maybe you misunderstood alot of what he was trying to explain. Surely he made notes on paper and gave them to you, as well as the financing through Disney he offered you. Look at the notes again, and the papers.
The down payment would have to be alot higher than $900.00.

Actually, DVD is no longer requiring a 160 point minimum. They bumped it down to 100 points about a month ago.

 

[Brian Noble]

I understand that it's "no pressure" but geez he didn't try to sell us a DVC contract.

It was, and he did. He used the "today or never" line. He told you it was something you *couldn't* have. For a surprising number of people, those things work.

I'm going to guess that he knew the resort at which you were staying. I'm going to further guess that if you'd been staying at, say, the Grand Floridian, he would have used a different approach. He's playing the odds with the sales technique he took; it is possible that it has worked well for him in the past.

Ultimately, DVC is a timeshare, and timeshares are built on sales. Disney works very hard to make their sales pitches feel like there is "no pressure", but if you are paying attention, there is a lot of emotional game-playing that goes on during a tour.

 

[bumbershoot]

I thought referrals weren't allowed on the DIS anymore?

Thought so too.

 

[mousefan1972]

It was, and he did. He used the "today or never" line. He told you it was something you *couldn't* have. For a surprising number of people, those things work.

I'm going to guess that he knew the resort at which you were staying. I'm going to further guess that if you'd been staying at, say, the Grand Floridian, he would have used a different approach. He's playing the odds with the sales technique he took; it is possible that it has worked well for him in the past.

Ultimately, DVC is a timeshare, and timeshares are built on sales. Disney works very hard to make their sales pitches feel like there is "no pressure", but if you are paying attention, there is a lot of emotional game-playing that goes on during a tour.

Bolded part was my first thought, as well. I'm sure he knew OP was staying at the All Stars, b/c we just joined this past April and when we signed up for the DVC tour at a kiosk in Epcot, we were asked what resort we were staying at. Which, coincindentally, was the Grand Floridian. Our guide did not use the same approach that the OP's did. In fact, his approach was not "are you buying", but "how many points, and will it be BLT or AK?".

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

It was, and he did. He used the "today or never" line. He told you it was something you *couldn't* have. For a surprising number of people, those things work.

I'm going to guess that he knew the resort at which you were staying. I'm going to further guess that if you'd been staying at, say, the Grand Floridian, he would have used a different approach. He's playing the odds with the sales technique he took; it is possible that it has worked well for him in the past.

Ultimately, DVC is a timeshare, and timeshares are built on sales. Disney works very hard to make their sales pitches feel like there is "no pressure", but if you are paying attention, there is a lot of emotional game-playing that goes on during a tour.

I noticed the game playing when I went with friends on the tour back in January. We had seen the games when we took the tour in 2002 and hoped that it was just that guide back then. I guess not.

I'm happy with DVC, but am glad that I bought RESALE.

 

[ToddyLu]

I got a lot of info here before I made the call. My Guide George said he was pleasantly surprised that I knew so much. He called to check on us last winter when they had a webcast just to let us know that he was there when we needed him. I thought that was nice and low pressure, he did not make any comments whatsoever for us to buy right then or anything.

Please do not let this experience get you down. I would see it as a positive to guide you here for more info.

So where are you looking to buy?? Are you considering a resale??