Why do I feel like I am being punished by DVC for buying resale?

[CMNJ]

Well, I am going to try it in the next week or so. Ill let you know. We go in Feb, so I'll know when I try to pick them up I guess.

Not sure about the website glitch but if you call DVC to buy a discounted AP they check your account to confirm eligibility prior to selling them. It is a perk no longer offered to new resale owners (I know a previous poster said it was uncertain if new resale owners were considered eligible). If the website allows you to buy it you could definitely try it but just wanted to give you a heads up that new resale aren't actually eligible for the discount so you may be required to pay a higher amount when you go to activate the AP. I had a problem buying my gold AP online over the summer even though I am DVC (pre 4/4) and had to call member services. The first thing she did was check my account to verify I was eligible for the gold AP.

 

[MrInfinity]

Oh my people are being so serious and condescending! It's just a sensationalized post -- A way to talk about something. Kind of like if you say "Oh my god I got stuck in traffic for hours, I almost died" no one really means they almost died, nor that they didn't understand the risks of driving in traffic, nor that they need to be educated on safer driving. It's just a forum post. The talk about how timeshare-buyers need to be more educated is a bit extreme.

They are, in a way. You just have to decide if you want to pay for them. If you call your Guide and ask for a 25 point contract at most any resort, they will find a way to make it happen. There are a few sold-out where the waitlist for new points is closed, but just a few.

Yeah, my salesperson made it happen. It was easy. He was unhappy that I bought the primary contract resale, but still willing to sell additional points. We waitlisted them, and a few weeks later they came in.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Okay, again. I knew what was happening. I knew what I was losing. So don't wonder about that. I did my homework. Disney was TELLING ME I was going to lose benefits. My problem/annoyance was that Disney has somehow managed to make DVC into 2 clubs. You've got the direct and the resale post perks loss people. And as I said over and over again in this thread, I am simply bummed that those perks were not on the table anymore. The way that the sales department interacted with me in general. It just seemed very "undisney" to me. Emphasis on "to me." - subjective. Its simply the way I feel. I feel like I'm beating a dead horse with a stick right now.

People I am not an idiot. I was simply reaching out to see what others experiences were with this. And I learned stuff so I don't regret it, but, wow, I am ready to delete my profile and go back to idiot land where I apparently came from.

I get it...
A few years ago I bought a second car. I opted to save $1500 by purchasing a manual transmission. To this day I I'm glad I did, but it still sucks when I'm driving in a traffic jam.... and I voice it to my wife.

MG

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Not sure about the website glitch but if you call DVC to buy a discounted AP they check your account to confirm eligibility prior to selling them. It is a perk no longer offered to new resale owners (I know a previous poster said it was uncertain if new resale owners were considered eligible). If the website allows you to buy it you could definitely try it but just wanted to give you a heads up that new resale aren't actually eligible for the discount so you may be required to pay a higher amount when you go to activate the AP. I had a problem buying my gold AP online over the summer even though I am DVC (pre 4/4) and had to call member services. The first thing she did was check my account to verify I was eligible for the gold AP.

It was me (and perhaps someone else also) that said it's uncertain if a Gold AP is available to resale buyers. I got that info from another thread on these boards. I don't know the language used to describe the perks unavailable to resale buyers, but the Gold Pass is not a discounted pass the way I see it. It's a cheaper pass because it has black out days. On the other hand there are two separate prices for a Platinum Pass, including a discounted price for DVC Members. So, there is a difference between a Gold and a discounted pass.

MG

 

[Brian Noble]

The talk about how timeshare-buyers need to be more educated is a bit extreme.

While perhaps extreme in this case, in general it is true. Most people do not take nearly enough time to understand what they are buying when they buy a timeshare---and that includes resale purchasers.

 

[ziravan]

I think the issue is that people think they're supposed to be different but in reality it's just another timeshare that happens to be on Disney property. All any of us bought is a place to stay, plain and simple.

Companies place tons of value in branding.

The difference between perception and reality in the case of Disney comes from decades of branding "magic".

They aren't going to undo decades of branding with one resale restriction. Or two. It does chip away, though.

You consistently dismiss that branding and I understand why you do. You want people to see the reality over the carefully built perception. I understand.

MY point is that I think it's a bad - more so because it's unnecessary - move on Disney's part to attack its own branding.

I didn't come up with the "Disney Difference". They did. Ok, then. BE different.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

But I have warned this was possible many times to be told they can't do it .

No, it's not that they can't. It is that some of the changes that rumor suggests they'd make are not possible.

YES: They can say resale buyers can't trade for cruises.
YES: They can not give resale buyers free Cokes at the Epcot lounge.
YES: They can restrict resale buyers from the Gold AP.

NO: They can't force resale buyers to only stay at home resort, with no 11/7 booking.
NO: They cannot charge more points for the same unit to a resale contract holder.
NO: They can't charge a resale buyer higher per-point dues.

The key is that Disney can't do much with the primary real estate benefit, legally. They can toy with some of the "club!" and "fringe benefits" that are not linked to a real property interest. The 11/7 booking is linked to the real property interest and condo structure, so there are laws that apply.

To some, that's a big deal. See also how well they do with tchotchkes like DVC sliders and shirts and mugs. Most timeshare owners aren't parading around with their timeshare logo as a designator of status.

 

[Dean]

Oh my people are being so serious and condescending! It's just a sensationalized post -- A way to talk about something. Kind of like if you say "Oh my god I got stuck in traffic for hours, I almost died" no one really means they almost died, nor that they didn't understand the risks of driving in traffic, nor that they need to be educated on safer driving. It's just a forum post. The talk about how timeshare-buyers need to be more educated is a bit extreme.

I feel that words have meaning, the wording on the OP and others is very clear as I read it that they were upset that what happened was what they were told would happen and knew before they made the decision to sell and rebuy. IMO the core of the question is that of being educated about where one spends their money and the specifics of this timeshare called the Disney Vacation Club.

Companies place tons of value in branding.

The difference between perception and reality in the case of Disney comes from decades of branding "magic".

They aren't going to undo decades of branding with one resale restriction. Or two. It does chip away, though.

You consistently dismiss that branding and I understand why you do. You want people to see the reality over the carefully built perception. I understand.

MY point is that I think it's a bad - more so because it's unnecessary - move on Disney's part to attack its own branding.

I didn't come up with the "Disney Difference". They did. Ok, then. BE different.

We'll have to disagree on it being reasonable or unnecessary. There are other things they could do to improve sales and ALL would have it's detractors and each would stand or fall on it's own merit. The reasonableness or lack of one doesn't affect the others IMO. My point is that most of this is assumption and hype and not reality. Obviously DVC is better accepted because it's Disney and on Property but the reality is it's not possible to please everyone and it's not possible to do enough to make everyone feel special consistently because the bar keeps rising even if they try. This is the very reason they removed a formal effort for requests, they simply gave up because they couldn't please people anyway, at least that's the info I have put together.

As timeshares go, DVC brings only 2 things to the table that set them apart, IMO, theming and location. From a management and maintenance standpoint I feel they're just another timeshare and not at the very top even then. I'm on record as saying that I think that many of the areas where they fall down simply require effort and leadership and not actually more cost or work. Things like putting real effort and management direction into requests and maintenance and being consistent on matters of complaints. How many times have we heard of housekeeping not hitting the mark or a maint issues being called in and not taken care of in a timely or appropriate manner or even at all over several days. Or then we hear about someone who gets points back that shouldn't have like they didn't like the view from the room in that view category. I believe they lose far more good will in these areas than in the sales decisions where I happen to feel they haven't done enough to distinguish resale from retail.

 

[MrInfinity]

I feel that words have meaning, the wording on the OP and others is very clear as I read it that they were upset that what happened was what they were told would happen and knew before they made the decision to sell and rebuy. IMO the core of the question is that of being educated about where one spends their money and the specifics of this timeshare called the Disney Vacation Club.

Right, but I didn't take away from the OP's post that he was uneducated on the matter or that he seriously expected to retain use of something he sold. I even posted a parody to the effect. Rather, I'm completely sure the OP is educated on the matter, made a savvy economic decision, knew what he was buying and selling and understood he was losing a certain perk -- and was just griping in the sort of common English way that people gripe about things they willingly engage in.

 

[BestDadEver]

They are, in a way. You just have to decide if you want to pay for them. If you call your Guide and ask for a 25 point contract at most any resort, they will find a way to make it happen. There are a few sold-out where the waitlist for new points is closed, but just a few.


This comes up a lot. Disney is in the business of selling happiness. That's not the same as "Disney wants me, personally, to be happy." The first time someone comes face-to-face with that reality, it can be disappointing. But, it was always true. It's just that different people are at different places along the path to realizing it.

When you hit this realization, you have a couple of options. You can move on, you can go along with it but with eyes wide open, or you can ignore it. Some fraction of people do move on. But, the thing in Disney's favor is that there is a new batch of five-year-olds every year, and at least in certain strata of our society, the Disney trip is a right of passage for such kids. And, some fraction of those "new families" will be bitten by the bug and return for 5-10 years before they, too, discover that Disney doesn't care about them personally.

And, that group will be bolstered by the folks that have "seen reality" but don't really care all that much, and they keep going too.

I am confused why anyone would think a person that bought a product form someone else would think the company would care about your purchase.

 

[bumbershoot]

Oh my people are being so serious and condescending! It's just a sensationalized post -- A way to talk about something. Kind of like if you say "Oh my god I got stuck in traffic for hours, I almost died" no one really means they almost died, nor that they didn't understand the risks of driving in traffic, nor that they need to be educated on safer driving. It's just a forum post. The talk about how timeshare-buyers need to be more educated is a bit extreme.

So now it's not ok to take someone seriously?

I feel that words have meaning, the wording on the OP and others is very clear as I read it that they were upset that what happened was what they were told would happen and knew before they made the decision to sell and rebuy. IMO the core of the question is that of being educated about where one spends their money and the specifics of this timeshare called the Disney Vacation Club.

I agree. Words have meaning.

And I did NOT read the op's words to say that they knew what was going to happen, precisely because they are acting surprised and disappointed. The time for disappointment was while deciding to make the switch. Not after.

but I didn't take away from the OP's post that he was uneducated on the matter or that he seriously expected to retain use of something he sold.

Well, I'm glad that you got it so fast. I did not. From the emotions and reactions it really seemed that somehow the op didn't know ahead if time.

And given what people do get surprised by, and what people miss, it wouldn't have surprised me at all if someone didn't know ahead of time.


I hate that the perks have been watered down and are now kept from some. But it is what it is. And one of the points of this section of the Dis is to help others understand for the future what "is" is so they aren't surprised.

 

[supersnoop]

To answer the OP's question: "Why do I feel like I am being punished by DVC for buying resale?"

You feel that way because you think you had something taken away from you. That's the definition of punishment. Disney, on the other hand, is trying to frame it as "positive reinforcement." They're giving extra for a desired behavior.

To the point being made in the rest of the thread is that you didn't actually have something taken away (and hence it's not technically punishment), but rather, you gave something up of your own accord.

So, that's why you feel you're being punished, even though you are not.

 

[MrInfinity]

Words have meaning.

So do colloquialisms.

Even now ppl are STILL answering the OPs statement based on a literal read even after he's spelled it out that it was not a literal expression of having been punished for something he didn't understand.

 

[Anthony1971]

I do not see them taking away most of the resort/dinning discounts as a big deal... First they are not guaranteed period to anyone.. direct sale or not.. second most of the discounts are the same with a Disney Visa card and in the past the annual pass holders had more available.. You did mention 7 people, you did realize the DVC dinning discounts are only good for up to 4 people -- enforced everywhere no but it can be.... Okay the 10% off on all Disney owned stores is nice but really 10% off of a pencil with mickey ears that is $6.00.. does the 60 cents matter at that point. Wahoo 5.40 for pencil that would be 2 for 1.00 in your local dollar store and you might even think twice about buying it there....Be happy you saved money if you want you can still sell your AKL points and buy retail and get the discounts.. not worth it by any means in my opinion.. annual pass discount may be worth something but I do not buy them and likely never will unless I lived in Florida.. again you mentioned 7 people and 200 points... hardly enough points to get one trip a year for a group that size so I just do not see how AP would be worth it for either.

 

[Dean]

Right, but I didn't take away from the OP's post that he was uneducated on the matter or that he seriously expected to retain use of something he sold. I even posted a parody to the effect. Rather, I'm completely sure the OP is educated on the matter, made a savvy economic decision, knew what he was buying and selling and understood he was losing a certain perk -- and was just griping in the sort of common English way that people gripe about things they willingly engage in.

I totally agree up to the point of the interpretation of how they framed it, I read the rest the same way and it's in part the reason I questioned it since they did know in advance. As I read the OP and the follow up messages I get the sense that the thread topic is a fair representation of their feel in spite of the awareness and knowledge you agree they had. One can gripe but if they're off base, as I feel is the case here, be prepared to have some question it. Obviously we don't have body language, voice inflections or other information to add to the words used, I took them at face value and still do.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

It was me (and perhaps someone else also) that said it's uncertain if a Gold AP is available to resale buyers. I got that info from another thread on these boards. I don't know the language used to describe the perks unavailable to resale buyers, but the Gold Pass is not a discounted pass the way I see it. It's a cheaper pass because it has black out days. On the other hand there are two separate prices for a Platinum Pass, including a discounted price for DVC Members. So, there is a difference between a Gold and a discounted pass.

MG

The ability to purchase the Gold pass is a perk or benefit for DVC members. It isn't available otherwise outside of FL residents. Perks/benefits such as that are exactly what was removed for resale purchasers after April, 2016. Could one or two slip by? As Disney systems are not always on top of it sure, but all indicators were that it would not be available.

 

[Sammie]

One has to also understand you are on a forum where many DVC members are veterans to DVC and to timeshares in general. Some of us simply do not buy into the premise that Disney owes us anything other than what we signed on for, a discount on rooms. Perks are very clearly laid out as something that can come and go. It is very clearly stated all over the DVC site: You should not purchase or add on real estate interest in a Disney Vacation Club Resort in reliance upon the continued availability or renewal or extension of these offers. These offers may only be available to Members at various times and may or may not be renewed or extended.

Maybe the OP did do his or her homework but he or she does seem to have an emotional attachment to Disney and expected them to do business differently from what some of us believe. They also seem to get upset when someone does not agree with that premise.

I realized from day one that Disney is in business to make money. I understand what tactics they use to achieve that. While I agree they are in the business to sell a brand of happiness, I do not expect that brand to have my name on it personally. I can go there and make my own happiness and memories with what they are selling.

Plus one has to realize that many of us that have been on this forum for years have seen similar comments and disappointments and we feel by sharing the truth of DVC the company someone else considering buying in, will be prepared for the truth of how Disney does business.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

The ability to purchase the Gold pass is a perk or benefit for DVC members. It isn't available otherwise outside of FL residents. Perks/benefits such as that are exactly what was removed for resale purchasers after April, 2016. Could one or two slip by? As Disney systems are not always on top of it sure, but all indicators were that it would not be available.

Indeed... I'm just repeating from another thread, where several said that has not been determined. Personally I have absolutely zero clue.

MG

 

[Sammie]

Indeed... I'm just repeating from another thread, where several said that has not been determined. Personally I have absolutely zero clue.

MG

This is what is listed on the page to purchase the discounted Annual Pass. Some might have slipped through, though.

To receive any Membership Extras, purchasers must present a valid Disney Vacation Club Membership Card along with a corresponding valid photo ID. Disney and Concierge Collections options are not available for ownership interests not purchased directly from Disney Vacation Development, Inc. after March 21, 2011, and, effective April 4, 2016, Members who do not purchase an ownership interest directly from Disney Vacation Development Inc. will not have access to Membership Extras.

 

[supersnoop]

The ability to purchase the Gold pass is a perk or benefit for DVC members.

Along the "words have meaning" lines, let's be clear that the benefit is effectiveky for DVD customers, not DVC members.