Why I Appreciate The Dvc

webmomom

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How I really appreciate the DVC.

As I was making my plans for our last trip (Dec1-5 at BCV) I recieved an offer for a two night three day free trip at a Ramada Resort in three locations. One of course was Orlando.

Having worked in this type of industry a few years ago, I thought I would play this game and see how far it took me. I called and was told no sales pitch would be given and all I had to do was send in my dates. This I did. I thought why not go for two nights before our scheduled arrival at WDW. On the bottom of the voucher it said a $50.00 deposit would be required once the dates were confirmed and would be refunded on check-in. Since I could use my cc I thought why not can always get it back from the cc. Recieved all the docmentation from them. Now we are off. The hotel we are staying at is on #192. It was the Amerihost Resort and I was very happy with the hotel. It was about a mile from disney. When we checked in we had to go to the Welcome Center. Now this sounds famililiar to me. Now is when we here the word "TIMESHARE". Up to this point I have spoken with three different people and questioned each one and each and everyone has said "No timeshare presentation". As I talked with them I keep waiting for the catch. I knew!!! They said the next day we would be taken to breakfast at Celebration and then go for a short presentaiton of their Timeshare, about 90 minutes. We had to given them a 20.00 deposit to say we would be there for breakfast and would get it back. He also said at the end of the presentation we would get back the 50.00 plus another $50.00. I had him write this down and sign it. So it is the next day and we meet our rep. She drives us over to Celebration and we go in have a buffet breakfast. She is being really friendly to us, like we have been her friends for years. Now be go back to the base. Now we taken through the timeshare. I will say they were beautiful. We go into this very large room and there are all of these tables set up and people all over the room. It is like a cattle call. All of the tables are round. We are not allowed to sit across from each other, we have to sit side-by-side. I know they do not want us to have eye contact. Now she starts. Basically what it boiled down to was. A two bedroom for six, and one week. There is choice for room size like we do at the DVC. They are in RCI so there are dues that have to be paid each year. They Annual duesfor the timeshare run about the same as we pay plus the RCI. The beginning price for one week was $19,000.00. Now you cannot choose your week, they let the computer pick it. If you don't like your week, you can trade it in and go another week, but it will cost you from $139.00 to $179.00 a week extra. Of course they are pushing the fact that you can travel all over the world. During some point I tell her we owned DVC. When it got to the bottom line we told her no. Well now she says she will be right back.She brings over a man we have not seen, but HE IS THE CLOOSER!!! WE had orginally been shown the older unit, but because we own DVC we can see the newer units and get in on this. So we are taken to see the newer units. Now the price goes to $22,000.00, BUT he will give us four weeks, pay our dues for the first year, take money off the deposit on account of ;at this point I am losing track of all of the because of's we are being offered. Now he get's it down to $9000.00 He keeps trying to get us to sign and we keep telling him no. Finally he says alright and have a nice day. She tells us there is a desk we must stop at before we leave. They like to find out how the people did and would we mind answering a few questions. We said fine. Well we are told again to sit side-by-side, this should have been a first clue. A man comes over and yes he asked a couple of questions about the last two people and then he starts. He how brings it down to $5000.00 and gives us something more I honestly can't remember what he was going to give us. Yes again we tell him no. Up to this point we had people around us the entire time and once we said no at the final point, it was Good-By and find your own way out. When we were brought to the area it was a strip of stores which we walked to the back then throught a boardwalk in a foresty area, around and through time share buildings. When we got to the front yes I did get all of the money in cash. I was very surprised.

I don't thinkpeople realize how great it is to work with Disney. No pressure. When we bought our rep Doug wa great. We were buying at the end of the year, he did offer us a good deal by putting deposit down by the new year which wa totally refunable if we deceided not go ahead, just so we could get the points for that year. No high pressure, no Closer no mass room meeting. Sicne I have done this I really appreciate the sales approach that disney uses. When the itme comes to spend more money on timeshare it will be with Disney and not these other ones.
 
We too have had calls and mailings for those time share pitches and they are so pushy! I am very happy with my purchase/experience at DVC. I called them for the info and the rep Randy was great. No pressure, here I'll send you all the info, look it over and if you like it you can let us know. He locked me in at $72/ppt (it was going up to $75 @ the 1st of the next month) so I could have time to decide and not have the price go up while I'm thinking. Shortly after the papers were all signed, sealed, and finished he called to say welcome home, etc. It was a very plesant experience!
 
We went to 3 while in HI. Embassy Mauik Embassy Kauai and the Hanalei Bay. Done in 20 minutes, 45 minutes and 90 minutes. When they found out I own 9 weeks, all of them bought resale, they were not wanting to take anymore time than they had to. It was interesting that at the Embassy Maui they had taken the II a nd RCI book and taken the best resorts out and had the pages laminated into a Spiral book, including the DVC resorts.
 
A few years ago we took advantage of a Marriott offer that included Universal tickets. We did go to the presentation, but, once we told the guide that we were DVC members, he wasn't pushy at all. He knew that we wouldn't be joining their program.

We still laugh about the DVC presentation. This was back on 12/1/91. Once we decided that we wanted to join, they sent someone else in to talk to us, but not as a closer. His job was to make absolutely sure that we understood the program and still wanted to go ahead with it. If anything, it seemed as if his job was to talk us out of it.:p :p :p
 

How can they mislead you into not thinking it was going to be a timeshare presentation? Don't they have to disclose specifically that it is for purposes of selling timeshares in the literature?? I sat through a Marriott one in Hilton Head and it was NOT a pleasant experience.
 
We may be able to come close to topping these horror stories. We agreed to attend a timeshare presentation in Las Vegas (I can't remember the company name), in exchange for show tickets to a non-prime stage show---a magic show. We, too, were placed in a large room with round tables----approximately 20 tables. After the 60-75 minute presentation, the entire audience was asked who wanted to buy. Those who raised their hands were taken out of the room. Then individual "closer" came to our table and the tables of others were weren't interested. There was heavy pressure to buy but we still said "no thanks". At that point we were escorted to a small windowless room, along with 3 other couples. The room was barren except for metal chairs. The eight of us were left in that enclosed room for over 30 minutes before someone came and asked us again if we were going to buy. All of us said "no" and we were escorted from the property after being given the show tickets. This was several years ago, long before we bought DVC. It was the only timeshare presentation we have attended and we won't be attending any others. We bought DVC sight unseen and our guide, Nick, is the greatest.
 
It was first presented by e-mail. I debated and as I had said I have worked in this industry before so I knew the bells and whislte to say or mention if things went astray.

I called the number and was told it was a promotion for Universal. OK. When I found out where the hotel was, I knew that was not correct as it was to far away from Universal. It was only a mile from Disney. the person on the phone told me it was one mile from UV and a 20 minute drive to WDW. They were wrong. When I spoke to people booking the dates they assured me that there was not presentation. Since I have worked in this industry, let me clarily, I worked in the main office and did not have contact with customers, I knew there was going to be a presentation. It was fun playing the game.
One thing I did was make sure I kept all papers sent to me, had all names, dates and numbers I talked to. Even If I talked several times a day I kept the info and kept the e-mails. when I first sent in dates I heard nothing and I tried calling a number that was given to me no avail. So I e-mailed them telling them it was a SCHAM and I needed for them to CALL ME to set the dates. Next day phone call.
On the voucher it states you must pay Hotel Taxes. I called the hotel to try a book a room (not really) for the dates I was going to be there. Asked the price and tax on the room. the room was 49,.00 and night and tax 12%. Ok now I have my base. When we check in she tells me I have to pay the room tax and tells me it is 24dollars and something per night. I ask how this can be as the rate is !2%. then she starts telling me that it is 12% and there is this fee and that fee. I told her no. My voucher states hotel tax not user fees. we argue a little and out comes the manager and we go through this again. Somewhere in my conversation the AG's ofice for the state of Florida is mentioned. It was like a miracle. We were charge only 12%. Like I said it was fun playing the game.,
 
I know of people who were held in a locked room until they agreed to buy, 6.5 hours. Others were threatened physically if they didn't buy.
 
We had a very similar experience with a Hilton presentation in Vegas (for show tickets). First lady very nice, the closer a little more "business like" and the final person posing as an auditor. The closer was the only one not polite but they were all very pushy. The deals kept getting lower and lower, with more "extras" thrown in at every step. We just kept saying "no thanks", told them we own DVC and didn't feel the need for another just yet and told them we usually get comped in Vegas anyway. They certainly didn't take "no thanks" for an answer the first few times, but we did make it out of there in about two hours.

Probably wasn't worth it for the show tickets, but it was an eye-opener! We had avoided timeshare presentations like the plague - took us years to do the DVC one (could kick myself for that now!). Then we got spoiled. We knew Hilton would be more pressure, but we still weren't quite prepared.

We just got an e-mail offering us a cheap weekend at the Hilton timeshare property in Orlando anytime in the next year. It DOES mention a 90-minute presentation. We're thinking of doing it just before our DVC holiday trip next year, but that previous experience is making us think twice about whether it's worth it.
 
I have also been to some yucky presentations, but a few years ago we got an offer from Marriott to stay at their hotel in Kauai for a week for about $300 including breakfast each day and drinks each evening. We thought it was a really good deal. The resort was great and the presentation was OPTIONAL. $50 if you decided to attend, but we already owned DVC and knew we wouldn't buy. We had a great time, skipped the presentation, and really enjoyed an affordable vacation.
 
Webmomom- you're story brought me back to those frightening days right before I purchased DVC-

Background:We've vacationed in Orlando every January since 1991 and actually went in both January and September for 2000 and 2001. I always wanted to look into DVC, but DBF had absolutely not interest.

Our trip:
Last week of February first week of March 2002 we went to Central Florida- The plan- drive down the East Coast for the first week, go back to Disney for the second...the ONLY place we had reservations was at Tropical Palms Funsuites in Kissimmee, where we always stay.

While at Cocoa Beach we stop at RonJon's surf shop. I got the pitch...I say NO, when DBF walks up and hears the offer; two nights in a one bedroom for only $40 at RonJons Resort off 192 in Kissimmee, give us your credit card and $20 cash, you get breakfast and a short no pressure presentation....yah right! DBF decided we should do it. I work in Sales, I KNOW BETTER, but I agreed.

First the sales rep lied to us and told us he was from Accounting. The short presentation amounted to 3 hours of our time, all through which the salesman kept saying "People love to come down here all to see the RAT next door" which kind of bothered me. When we told him we have visited every year since 1991 he kept saying "This fits you like a GLOVE!" uggggghhhh!

The first pitch was for a 3 bedroom for I think $25,000, even though we TOLD them it was only the two of us that would be vacationing there. When I asked how much the dues were I NEVER got a straight answer.

We said NO to the Salesman, he brought over the manager, we said NO to the manger he brought over a closer, we said NO to him, he signed our paper and sent us over to a desk to get our money back.

I thought we were going to get our money back when the woman asks us to write down the names addresses and phone numbers of 10 friends. I look at DBF and say "Do we know 10 people we don't like?" We tell her NO, she tells us she's "sure" we can think of somebody, and walks away for another five minutes......we tell her NO again, she signs the paper and sends us to a cashier. DBF has had it by now and since it's MY $20 he leaves me to the cashier on my own and goes back to the room.

The cashier gives me my $20 and says, "Now you just need to speak to the lady behind you before you leave" I am so aggravated, I turn to the woman and rudely say "What on earth for?" She asks if I have passes to the parks, and I say yes, so then she asks If I would like to make $75 by attending a lower pressure timeshare presentation, to which I reply "NO WAY!" and walk out.


The Silver Lining Of My Story:

This was such a high pressure upsetting experience, that when I somehow convinced DBF to take the DVC tour with me, it was soooooooooo pleasant, we COULD NOT WAIT TO SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE! I wrote a letter to RonJon thanking them and telling them I might not have become a DVC owner otherwise!:D
 
ANNIET ... I think yours is worst than mine. We only had three people. I still think I am going to write to the AG's office about the tax on the room. I knew to fight it, but what about all of the other people that just pay it. the other thing was since I do have the names ( I know they are not really their's) and dates and times I am also going to mention that my first three contacts assured me it was not a sales presentation. only after I arrived a the hotel did I find out.
 
I remember taking a timeshare tour and presentation when we were on our honeymoon in Cancun. Talk about scary! I actually feared for my safety. Luckily, my husband doesn't take any crap from anybody. He kept saying no, they kept moving us to smaller and smaller rooms each time, then the big bouncer-types started to appear(I thought my husband was going to be hit-mob style). They were all Americans, but we were afraid, since we were in another country. I thought they were going to follow us back to our hotel. I don't understand why they need to use those tactics to "entice" people to buy. Even if I liked the place, there's no way I'm going to be pressured into buying. Who would buy after an experience like that? The DVC presentation was so informative, enjoyable, and relaxed. And the guides make sure that all your questions are answered and that you understand completely how it works (at least ours did). What a relief! And we asked to take the DVC tour. Best tour we ever took.

Sheri
 
Dean- that is too funny. I'm trying to picture my DH in that situation. I'm sure there would be physical threats but I don't think it would be on us after being locked in a room for 6.5 hrs.
 



















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