Who has only purchased direct and why?

[TEK224]

I purchased my original contract in 2005 from WDW. Purchased my add-on direct from WDW again in 2007. I did it for the financing and to begin using my points right away. I know it wasn't the most cost effective in terms of the finance charges, but I don't know if I would have saved up that much money to pay cash. I've been paying extra so both contracts will be paid off before the 10 years is up.

However, if I do any add-ons from now on, I would go the resale route. Even with the restrictions on resale purchases, that wouldn't really effect me as I usually only use my points for DVC stays.

 

[ELMC]

One of the things you can see right away from the list is that resale's only advantage is price and that is real easy to talk about and model. Direct's advantage don't really have a financial component to them which means everyone has to put their own value on them making it hard to compare since everyone will value it differently.

Excellent point. Although the way things are going with the wait lists, speed of transaction might actually fall on the side of resale. Of course, that's most likely an anomaly.

I think it is also how the advice is sometimes offered. Sometimes there is as much wanting to win as there is wanting to inform. And that's really not very helpful to anyone.

I will admit that at times I have been guilty of this.

OTOH, sometimes it is important to correct misstatements of fact or illogical reasoning. Not that you're going to turn that other person around, but for the benefit of lurkers who don't realize what someone posted is just plain wrong or makes no sense.

Agreed.

I think there has to be a balance, and a realization that what is "right" for my family may not be "right" for someone else's.

And that's really all that I'm hoping for from these discussions. After hearing all of the information, having someone simply say that despite the costs, direct is the right course of action for them and the reasons why. You can't argue with that, because it's personal preference. I also think we are starting to see a lot more of that, and that's a good thing.

 

[ELMC]

Well it's more then 2 more like 5 and they have had many trips for a long time . There is something to be said for the fact that these people have gone on a lot of trips and always got what they wanted .

Wow. Do you really believe that the fact that it is five people instead of two is statistically significant in any way?

In my personal limited experience of one reservation I got what I wanted an AKV room at 7 months . I am not using that experience to relay info cause its not a big enough sample size

Well at least you recognize that. But as soon as "what you want" becomes a more desirable booking category or a smaller resort or a popular time, you won't have the same experience. And neither will the people who are reading your posts and thinking that buying SSR and getting whatever they want will be a cinch. I'm just asking you to see that.

but my friend and his girlfriend have over 1000 DVC points and go 4 times a year , plus a few people my wife works with . I tend to take there opinions into high regard over some people on the Internet , where I often find unreasonable people that seem to never be satisfied . See omg this is taking to long threads

Again...so much missing information here. How far in advance are they booking? What resorts/room categories are they booking? Are they booking at peak or off peak times of the year? As far as the people your wife works with, I'm sure we all know a guy who knows a guy. I wouldn't exactly consider that reliable information. With regards to the "people on the internet", I think you are doing yourself a huge disservice by discounting what they know. I've never met Dean in my entire life. But I know enough to know that he has an incredible wealth of timeshare knowledge, and I'm inferring that only a fraction of it has been shared on these forums. I have plenty of good friends who own timeshares. When it comes to watching my kids, I would trust them in a heartbeat. But when it comes to information about timeshares, I trust Dean more than any of them.

Here's the deal. You get upset because you think people are picking on you or because threads seem to go on and on. But you make these incredibly misleading generalizations and expect that nobody will address them. It's not going to happen.

 

[Dean]

Well it's more then 2 more like 5 and they have had many trips for a long time . There is something to be said for the fact that these people have gone on a lot of trips and always got what they wanted . In my personal limited experience of one reservation I got what I wanted an AKV room at 7 months . I am not using that experience to relay info cause its not a big enough sample size but my friend and his girlfriend have over 1000 DVC points and go 4 times a year , plus a few people my wife works with . I tend to take there opinions into high regard over some people on the Internet , where I often find unreasonable people that seem to never be satisfied . See omg this is taking to long threads

I'd certainly take the aggregate info on this board over a few friends/acquaintance but I doubt the info truly disagrees. I think one of the splits on this board and others is along this lines. IMO it's important for some to own what they want and not others. It ultimately comes down to their risk tolerance and a cost vs benefit analysis. There are certain things one will not get routinely if they don't own there and in some cases, even if you own there and reserve a 11 months out you may not get it. GF will be an example of this just like AKV concierge and BCV 2 queens. The main differences along the home resort question are between those that believe you should own where you want to stay most trips and those that feel you should own the cheapest thing that will generally give you what you want most of the time. For some, this is the same. If one only wants GF, the recommendations end up being the same, buy GF. But for many it ends up being buy something cheaper like SSR and then trying different things over time. As long as you're happy at SSR if you can't get something else, that's OK for that person.

One can take it a step further by looking at those who want WDW but own elsewhere (or similar) and even another step further by looking at those trying to trade in to DVC through RCI whether they own or not. I've always got something I'd be happy with (time, unit type, resort) by reserving or exchanging. But I understand the system, have realistic expectations and put int he effort and planning to make it happen. So if you had friends that always got what they wanted trading in, would you have the same opinion for exchanges that you do for purchasing?

Can you give a specific example of where the info on this board would differ from what you get from your friends who own AND use DVC.

 

[BestDadEver]

Wow. Do you really believe that the fact that it is five people instead of two is statistically significant in any way?



Well at least you recognize that. But as soon as "what you want" becomes a more desirable booking category or a smaller resort or a popular time, you won't have the same experience. And neither will the people who are reading your posts and thinking that buying SSR and getting whatever they want will be a cinch. I'm just asking you to see that.



Again...so much missing information here. How far in advance are they booking? What resorts/room categories are they booking? Are they booking at peak or off peak times of the year? As far as the people your wife works with, I'm sure we all know a guy who knows a guy. I wouldn't exactly consider that reliable information. With regards to the "people on the internet", I think you are doing yourself a huge disservice by discounting what they know. I've never met Dean in my entire life. But I know enough to know that he has an incredible wealth of timeshare knowledge, and I'm inferring that only a fraction of it has been shared on these forums. I have plenty of good friends who own timeshares. When it comes to watching my kids, I would trust them in a heartbeat. But when it comes to information about timeshares, I trust Dean more than any of them.

Here's the deal. You get upset because you think people are picking on you or because threads seem to go on and on. But you make these incredibly misleading generalizations and expect that nobody will address them. It's not going to happen.

While I have friend I wouldn't hold in such high regard the individuals I mentioned I do . As for my wife's friends not mine that dosn't mean she doesn't trust them after working with them for more the 8 years . I hardly consider them aquantinces . I consider some of my past co workers to be some of my best friends as does my wife . My point is its not just a guy that knows a guy .

Yes dean has great wealth of timeshare knowledge . But he comes of quite disgruntled with DVC , and I often disagree with him .

 

[SFlaDisneyfans]

Speaking as someone who has been here about a month, while I see people have conviction in their decisions I don't see it as being anything more than that. I came here to learn about DVC and had the intentions of buying direct. The more I read (here and elsewhere) the more I felt that I needed to consider resale. I want to buy direct for the same principle that I try to buy from Mom and Pop businesses. This was Disney's idea, I like their business and I like to support it because they treat me with great customer service whenever I deal with them.

I am willing to pay a premium for my principles and likes. I like Levi jeans and pay a premium to own them. I am willing to pay a premium to buy from and support Disney. I also have a fiduciary responsibility to myself and family. After what I considered a sufficient amount of research I decided that the premium Disney charges for points is above when I am willing to pay. Hopefully everyone makes there own decisions the same way, through research and evaluation.

All that being said, we are still considering a very small direct purchase of VGF. The amount I am willing to pay goes up since there are currently no other viable options. My GF enjoys staying at the GF and making her happy is a variable I factor into the equation when I look at the direct cost. I might wait until they hit the resale market but I have to consider how much competition I will have for VGF small contracts.

 

[twinsouvenirs]

although I do tend to agree with those who feel that 'disagreement' can sometimes verge on insulting in these threads, I do have to stick up for some of the usual suspects in that when I determined to purchase a small contract for GFV, no one was successful in making me feel like an idiot for it and in fact several have posted that they do not think it is entirely foolhardy to purchase a small contract direct at a new small resort at which you want the home court advantage. And when/if Poly enters the picture I suspect you may see some resale-only types making an exception. Many if not all of the usual suspects also advise buying at the resort you intend to frequent.

I do plan on going resale for the bulk of our use points... but if you compare a 29 year resort and a 51 year resort, there are an extra 22 years of enjoyment built into that initial cost (or probable resale value available in 22 years) so you could argue that to some extent the additional costs are mitigated.

That, however, relies on the attraction of the specific resort too because you could always get a 41, 44 or 47 year resort at a decent discount--but say you are comparing just the initial investment of BC resale at $80 to GFV direct at $150, and if you planned to use it for the whole length of the contract ... you COULD make the argument that there is a very small difference in initial cost over the length of the contract. At those prices it's $276 per use year for BC and $294 for GFV. Yes, I understand you are talking additional opportunity costs and all but laying that aside...

Again, I come back to MFs really being what make the difference, and yet it is really hard to make any decisions about such an unknown.

So for a brand new resort, I definitely would not rag on someone for going direct because they are purchasing more length than most of the resale contracts, as well as a priority that is not available on the resale market; but I do agree that unless you really insist on using your points for the Disney collection and other 'direct only benefits, and you understand that those could be removed (although I suspect they'll cling to anything differentiating direct from resale so I think complete discontinuation isn't a huge risk) you should consider purchasing resale any points you do not need for booking at the 11 mo window at the brand new resort.

Hope this makes sense. I do NOT see the logic in buying direct on any resort that has a good resale price unless you really insist on using points any way you want, even very inefficiently (cruises etc). That said, I have plenty of friends who would rather blow the initial $ on any resort they feel like, have the perception of flexibility and the instant gratification of buying direct. Those friends are generally overpaid or have trust funds

 

[Dean]

Yes dean has great wealth of timeshare knowledge . But he comes of quite disgruntled with DVC , and I often disagree with him .

Not disgruntled at all, just honest and realistic, just another case of you not grasping the big picture. I'm not perfect but I am comfortable in my principles, if you truly disagree when it comes to DVC I'm sure you'll be out on a limb more often than not. If you disagree, post your opinion and let it be discussed, others can do the same and those that read can decide what they want to believe.

Speaking as someone who has been here about a month, while I see people have conviction in their decisions I don't see it as being anything more than that. I came here to learn about DVC and had the intentions of buying direct. The more I read (here and elsewhere) the more I felt that I needed to consider resale. I want to buy direct for the same principle that I try to buy from Mom and Pop businesses. This was Disney's idea, I like their business and I like to support it because they treat me with great customer service whenever I deal with them.

I am willing to pay a premium for my principles and likes. I like Levi jeans and pay a premium to own them. I am willing to pay a premium to buy from and support Disney. I also have a fiduciary responsibility to myself and family. After what I considered a sufficient amount of research I decided that the premium Disney charges for points is above when I am willing to pay. Hopefully everyone makes there own decisions the same way, through research and evaluation.

All that being said, we are still considering a very small direct purchase of VGF. The amount I am willing to pay goes up since there are currently no other viable options. My GF enjoys staying at the GF and making her happy is a variable I factor into the equation when I look at the direct cost. I might wait until they hit the resale market but I have to consider how much competition I will have for VGF small contracts.

And that's exactly as it should be. Honestly, if I had the liquidity at this time that was not ear marked for other options, I'd likely have bought a fixed week at GF myself.

 

[Dean]

although I do tend to agree with those who feel that 'disagreement' can sometimes verge on insulting in these threads, I do have to stick up for some of the usual suspects in that when I determined to purchase a small contract for GFV, no one was successful in making me feel like an idiot for it and in fact several have posted that they do not think it is entirely foolhardy to purchase a small contract direct at a new small resort at which you want the home court advantage. And when/if Poly enters the picture I suspect you may see some resale-only types making an exception.

I do plan on going resale for the bulk of our use points... but if you compare a 29 year resort and a 51 year resort, there are an extra 22 years of enjoyment built into that initial cost (or probable resale value available in 22 years) so you could argue that to some extent the additional costs are mitigated.

That, however, relies on the attraction of the specific resort too because you could always get a 41, 44 or 47 year resort at a decent discount--but say you are comparing just the initial investment of BC resale at $80 to GFV direct at $150, and if you planned to use it for the whole length of the contract ... you COULD make the argument that there is a very small difference in initial cost over the length of the contract. At those prices it's $276 per use year for BC and $294 for GFV. Yes, I understand you are talking additional opportunity costs and all but laying that aside...

Again, I come back to MFs really being what make the difference, and yet it is really hard to make any decisions about such an unknown.

So for a brand new resort, I definitely would not rag on someone for going direct because they are purchasing more length than most of the resale contracts, as well as a priority that is not available on the resale market; but I do agree that unless you really insist on using your points for the Disney collection and other 'direct only benefits, and you understand that those could be removed (although I suspect they'll cling to anything differentiating direct from resale so I think complete discontinuation isn't a huge risk) you should consider purchasing resale any points you do not need for booking at the 11 mo window at the brand new resort.

Hope this makes sense. I do NOT see the logic in buying direct on any resort that has a good resale price unless you really insist on using points any way you want, even very inefficiently (cruises etc). That said, I have plenty of friends who would rather blow the initial $ on any resort they feel like, have the perception of flexibility and the instant gratification of buying direct. Those friends are generally overpaid or have trust funds

Exactly. Let me add one large group to your last sentence, those that simply make poor financial choices which is unfortunately the largest group by far.

 

[wdwlover25]

Been playing the timeshare game since 1998 and purchased DVC in 07... Hoping availability would be better but it's still the same. Everyone typically wants the same place at the same times. The best advice I've received on these boards is to buy where you want to stay. I enjoy AKV and would love to use resort priority to book CL... Still hasn't happened. Another than CL, resort priority isn't as useful as other properties. I've had great success booking BWV except when trying to book October. Was very surprised to see most properties booked pretty solid at 7 months. Thanks to this board now I know why! Which is why I'm seriously thinking about an add on at BWV. Would love to take advantage of the ease of a direct purchase; however, resale in this particular situation might make more sense.

 

[Sandisw]

There continues to be back and forth and a very good point made that this thread has veered very far off topic. I think in the interest of everyone I am going to close it.