feel a little cheated by dvc

smurphym

Earning My Ears
Joined
Sep 2, 2019
so my wife and I (got married at the poly last april) are in our early 50's (no kids) and have rented points for the last few years for 2 trips per year. recently, we've been contemplating buying a small direct contract (for the blue card) and a resale contract down the road. when it was announced last week that they were increasing the minimum from 75 to 100 pts, I figured it was now or never. September 16th was the last day that 75 point contracts would be available. so after a long discussion with my wife, we decided we would bite the bullet and join. so the evening of the 16th, I went to the dvc website at 7:30pm to get their phone number and see how late they were open. while on the site, I noticed that you could do a live chat with an agent. I chose to do that 1st before calling, just to get some last minute details. when I opened the chat window, it states that the conversation may be recorded for training purposes (I hope that it was, it may help with my issue.) I asked the person with whom I was connected to how late they were there that evening, she told me 9pm. I told her I was interested in buying a contract so she transferred me over to George (not his real name, I'm not trying to make anyone look bad on here.) I told George I was interested in 75 pts at Saratoga. he proceeded to give me details such as maintenance fees and price per point. when I asked how much the closing fees were, we told me that Disney does not allow him to give contract details in a chat and that I could call him directly for the details. he said that he would be there until 8pm, then he ended the conversation abruptly. I was a little put off how he ended our conversation, but I figured they were swamped with people buying last minute contracts, so it really didn't bother me. keep in mind, he told me that "he" was there until 8pm. I was told that they were open until 9pm, so I figured I had until 9pm to call them and I would just get a different agent other than George, since he was leaving at 8pm. so at about 8:20pm, I go back on the dvc site with the intentions of being connected with another agent. I planned on telling them my intentions of buying 75 pts at Saratoga, then getting their direct number to make the sale. well, when I was connected to another agent, she broke the news to me that all contracts had to be done by 8pm! I told her that I was told that they were open until 9pm, and was never told that contracts had to be done by 8pm. also I told her that I spoke with George earlier that evening and he only said that "he" was leaving by 8pm, he never said all contracts had to be in by 8pm! she was very apologetic, but said that there was nothing that she could do. she said that all the agents that can write up a contract left at 8pm. my wife and I were just floored by this. anyways, after feeling kind of cheated by this whole experience, I decided to call the next day and see if a sales manager could resolve this. after all, i'm not looking for anything for free. i'm trying to give them $12,000, plus closing cost. so I call and politely ask for a sales manager. after just a minute on hold, guess who comes on the phone? its George. he was very polite, as was I. I explained that I had done a web chat with him the night before, and that he didn't tell me that I only had until 8pm to buy the contract. he said that he tried to call my house while we were chatting (he pulled up my information, but i'm on the "do not call list" so he couldn't call me) I said that if I had known it had to be in by 8 I would have called and done the deal. but since I was told that they were open until 9, I attempted at 8:20pm and was denied. he said let me put you on hold and see if they'll make an exception for me. he came back and said that he called someone and that they said no, there's nothing that they can do. well, sadly buying 100 points direct just doesnt make fiscal sense for us. its been a week since this happened and we just cant get over it. especially since its Disney, who prides themselves on customer service and doing the right thing. again, i'm not looking for anything for free, just feel like we were kind of cheated out of the opportunity to fulfill our dvc dream. anyways, sorry this was so long. does anyone have any advice, should I pursue reaching out to someone higher up? if so, whom? we're staying at Saratoga in November, i'm thinking about sitting down with someone there to see if there's anything they can do. thank you
 
Hate to say it, since you are looking to buy direct to get blue card benefits, but at this point, just buy all the points resale and save the upfront costs. Realistically, how many annual passes are you going to get in your lifetime, to make the blue card benefits worth it, how long will it take?

Personally, I would look at it as DVC did me a favor, now I am not married to DVC also, and can take my vacations at real world locations, not just Magical Disney world such as France, China, England, Japan, Norway, Italy, Mexico, Germany, etc, etc, etc...(Sorry if I didn't mention your country, there are just way too many to list). Just look at all the positives instead, and I am sure it will make you feel better, eventually!!!

Great3
 
Ignoring closing costs across the board, the 25 additional points you now have to buy (100 points instead of 75) will cost $160/point, or an additional $4,000.

In 2019, the only 25-point SSR contract reported on the ROFR thread passed at $120/point (completely stripped). That doesn't seem out of line with the premium paid for small contracts. SSR is passing for about $100-$105/point.

If you were planning to buy more resale contracts down the line anyway, the delta on buying the additional 25 points today vs. 25 points in the future will could be as little as $1,000, less if contract costs continue to rise.

Don't get me wrong, that's a good amount of money, but if you'll be like most owners, that 100-point SSR contract is just a "gateway" contract.

"Well, since we have the benefits, we could save even more money buying Gold APs. We in the club now!!! Woot! Woot!"
"Since we have Gold APs, and timeshare points, trips will only cost us food!"
"Since we're saving so much on the gate, we should get 1BRs to save on food... we just need more contracts!"

Next thing you know you're a menace ii society on the rent/trade boards offering cheeseburgers (among other unsavory favors) for points.

I guess the question is, in the grand scheme of what you'll be spending every year for at least the next 36 years, is it really worth expending any energy being upset, or feeling cheated over $1,000 that will be absolutely dwarfed by what you will drop on all things in the Disney timeshare halo?

The likelihood a "higher-up" will help you tomorrow when MS opens is pretty low; much less so when you're there in person in November... in fact, it's more likely Disney raises retail prices by November. The reality is, avoiding the loss of a $12,000 for an SSR contract, is probably pretty low on DVD's priorities. They know you'll either pony up the extra money now, or you'll come rushing back when they jack the minimum to 150 to buy in at only 100. That's how we consumers work. In any case, they won't care either way. If you're not buying Riviera, you're just taking up their time from selling Riviera.
 


I'm not claiming to have any special analytical powers, but the fact that you hesitated pulling the trigger on buying direct up until the very last possible moment may indicate you're not completely convinced this is a good idea. On the bright side, you now have extra time to consider your options without feeling rushed by some artificial deadline. Good luck with your decision!
 
I'm sorry you feel cheated, I truly am. It would be helpful if you focus on that when you read the rest of what I am going to say because it will mitigate the risk that my intent is lost in the cold callousness that is the internet. Here goes.

Keep in mind that I am no Disney apologist. I love Disney and I love DVC, but if you read my posts on here you'll see that I am quick to call them out on things where I feel they can be better. In this case, I don't think Disney did anything wrong. The initial online chat representative told you the truth and it is probably way above her pay grade to parse communications to the point where she has to identify those who want to write a contract that night and those who are simply inquiring for informational purposes. Truth be told, you waited until 40 minutes before the deadline that had been publicized for two weeks to have someone write up, execute, and sign a contract for a major real estate purchase. While I understand you are disappointed, this one is kind of on you.

So remember that part in the beginning where I said I'm sorry you feel cheated...let's get back to that for a second because I am sorry you feel that way. But I don't think it's going to be helpful for you to continue to have those feelings and it definitely will not be helpful for you to pursue it when you are there in November. At that point there's really nothing they can do and you're just going to dig down deeper into your resentment. What happened to you sucks, and I'm sorry it didn't work out. The advice on this thread is going to hopefully help you work out how you proceed, and I wish you luck.
 


It certainly is too bad that they were not clear during the chat, knowing that the minimum was going up. I do know that they are hesitant to put anything in an email or chat, but once you mentioned you wanted to buy, I think it would have been nice for the to have given you that very important detail.

As already mentioned, go back to analyzing your situation and resale only. You mention a Dec trip and if they could get that covered with DVC points, that might offset having to buy the other 25..plus the discount on the Gold AP. But I also know that given how you feel, you may not want to go that route.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.
 
No offense but if I wanted to buy something especially as important and a big investment like DVC, I would never do it such very last minute this is a real estate transaction which I never knew anyone who shows up buys a house in a hour or even two hours. I seen this before couple discusses buying hurries to buy in the end never took enough time to research everything out there about DVC so they make a sound decision. To help you feel better I think not buying that night was a big advantage to you and your wife now you have extra time to really research and find out if DVC is the right choice for you two. Please stay calm research more and now make a sound choice to see if DVC is really right for you without rushing and just thinking you missed out on something. Have a magical day and good luck !!
 
My response is going to be a little different, mostly because I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that being a direct DVC member is about more than just the finances.

so my wife and I (got married at the poly last april) are in our early 50's (no kids) and have rented points for the last few years for 2 trips per year.

I can see how being a direct DVC may have an emotional value to you and your wife (congratulations!) beyond just having points. Yea..you can get the white card via resale, or even keep renting points. But you could have also just kept dating, living together, etc. You didn't need to spend the money to get married. But you did, and when you did there's a reason that in this big world you chose the Poly to get married at. Perhaps it's the trips you've been taking, and the recent memories you've been making.

It stinks that you got treated the way you did, and that they weren't up front with you. There's no turning the clock back on that and unfortunately there are many others trying to escalate without much luck. But I have a question for you, is Disney really a big part of your life and the reason the two of you two are married? If so, the extra 25 points ($4000) is a lot of money; but maybe it is worth it.
 
Just keep telling yourself: It's a timeshare. It's not magic. It's not pride. It's not a secret club. It's not even really a club.
I get this and totally agree. But it's also easy for us to say because we are owners of DVC. For those who don't own, it's something to strive for. There's some psychological component, whether it be a connection to Disney, a sense of ownership, a sense of belonging...whatever it might be. For many owning DVC makes it easier to go to Disney. People are looking for that, which is why I think DVC is such a successful product and why it has been able to transcend these exorbitant price increases over the last five years.

Let's look at the OP. He's upset because he didn't have the opportunity to spend $12,000. That's a powerful statement right there.
 
I'll be the first to admit I don't know the inner workings of direct DVC, but if you were looking to buy SSR, wouldn't you technically have to go on a waitlist to get that anyway? Disney would have to buy a contract through ROFR before they could sell it to you. That doesn't happen overnight.

But yeah, silver lining - buy through resale, save thousands - easy math. You won't miss the bags of potato chips in the EPCOT lounge and the special events you wouldn't be able to attend even if you did have a blue card.
 
I'll be the first to admit I don't know the inner workings of direct DVC, but if you were looking to buy SSR, wouldn't you technically have to go on a waitlist to get that anyway? Disney would have to buy a contract through ROFR before they could sell it to you. That doesn't happen overnight.

Atleast as of last week, they had a large inventory of SSR points available
 
I'm going to echo the chorus and I think you're not going to get very far asking Disney to make an exception for you because in reality they didn't do anything wrong and I think you did a lot to sabotage yourself.

I've been on the receiving end of poor customer service and the only thing "George" did wrong was to not tell you that you really had 30 minutes to close the deal but he did tell you that he'd only be there for 30 minutes. That's not poor customer service.

You should only really be mad at yourself and you clearly made a lot of assumptions. You assumed that the transaction could be closed up until 9 pm because the office was open until 9 pm. You decided to engage in an online chat, rather than call, when time was of the essence to get the contract going. Even after "George" told you he was only going to be there for 30 more minutes, you waited an additional 50 minutes to actually call in. George tried to call you but you were on a "do not call" list. By finally calling in at 8:20 pm, you further assumed the real estate transaction could be done in 40 minutes.

After you were told no, you called the next day to ask for an exception. They inquired for you, and you were told no. You asked for a manager, and you were connected to George. He explained that they couldn't give you an exception. Now you'd like to sit down face-to-face if they could still give you an exception or if there is some other way you can get the deal you felt you were entitled to receive.

Had you been in the middle of processing the contract for the direct sale at the time 8 pm rolled around and then they said sorry, you can't buy direct, then I could understand the outrage.

But your outrage is misplaced.
 
Atleast as of last week, they had a large inventory of SSR points available

Yep, right now you only need to be on a waitlist for SSR if you want October or December UY points. In a few more days, October will be readily available as well.
 
We have both resale and direct points so we have a definite advantage. And I’m not a fan of SSR. But we just got 220 OKW extended to 2057 points for 100 per point. So for just 6000 more than you would pay direct for 100 points we got more than twice that number. If you’re not going to use them you could rent them and pay your maintenance fees and maybe even the cost of the annual pass. We have over 1300 points at several resorts and use them. But we never get less than a one bedroom. The kitchen and laundry are just too valuable to me!
 
I agree with others. For something that you and your wife have been thinking about for a while, calling at closing isn't the most practical. However, I do believe you did yourself a favor. Just purchase resale. I'm in my 50s too and since just two of you, you really won't be saving any extra buying direct vs resale. Heck, you will get more points resale than you were going to get direct with the same money.

Sorry you feel disenchanted but bottom line is bottom line and Disney is a business. We own 420 SSR points, all resale from 2007, and love our purchase.

PS, Paragraphs are your friend!

Good luck!
 
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so my wife and I (got married at the poly last april) are in our early 50's (no kids) and have rented points for the last few years for 2 trips per year. recently, we've been contemplating buying a small direct contract (for the blue card) and a resale contract down the road. when it was announced last week that they were increasing the minimum from 75 to 100 pts, I figured it was now or never. September 16th was the last day that 75 point contracts would be available. so after a long discussion with my wife, we decided we would bite the bullet and join. so the evening of the 16th, I went to the dvc website at 7:30pm to get their phone number and see how late they were open. while on the site, I noticed that you could do a live chat with an agent. I chose to do that 1st before calling, just to get some last minute details. when I opened the chat window, it states that the conversation may be recorded for training purposes (I hope that it was, it may help with my issue.) I asked the person with whom I was connected to how late they were there that evening, she told me 9pm. I told her I was interested in buying a contract so she transferred me over to George (not his real name, I'm not trying to make anyone look bad on here.) I told George I was interested in 75 pts at Saratoga. he proceeded to give me details such as maintenance fees and price per point. when I asked how much the closing fees were, we told me that Disney does not allow him to give contract details in a chat and that I could call him directly for the details. he said that he would be there until 8pm, then he ended the conversation abruptly. I was a little put off how he ended our conversation, but I figured they were swamped with people buying last minute contracts, so it really didn't bother me. keep in mind, he told me that "he" was there until 8pm. I was told that they were open until 9pm, so I figured I had until 9pm to call them and I would just get a different agent other than George, since he was leaving at 8pm. so at about 8:20pm, I go back on the dvc site with the intentions of being connected with another agent. I planned on telling them my intentions of buying 75 pts at Saratoga, then getting their direct number to make the sale. well, when I was connected to another agent, she broke the news to me that all contracts had to be done by 8pm! I told her that I was told that they were open until 9pm, and was never told that contracts had to be done by 8pm. also I told her that I spoke with George earlier that evening and he only said that "he" was leaving by 8pm, he never said all contracts had to be in by 8pm! she was very apologetic, but said that there was nothing that she could do. she said that all the agents that can write up a contract left at 8pm. my wife and I were just floored by this. anyways, after feeling kind of cheated by this whole experience, I decided to call the next day and see if a sales manager could resolve this. after all, i'm not looking for anything for free. i'm trying to give them $12,000, plus closing cost. so I call and politely ask for a sales manager. after just a minute on hold, guess who comes on the phone? its George. he was very polite, as was I. I explained that I had done a web chat with him the night before, and that he didn't tell me that I only had until 8pm to buy the contract. he said that he tried to call my house while we were chatting (he pulled up my information, but i'm on the "do not call list" so he couldn't call me) I said that if I had known it had to be in by 8 I would have called and done the deal. but since I was told that they were open until 9, I attempted at 8:20pm and was denied. he said let me put you on hold and see if they'll make an exception for me. he came back and said that he called someone and that they said no, there's nothing that they can do. well, sadly buying 100 points direct just doesnt make fiscal sense for us. its been a week since this happened and we just cant get over it. especially since its Disney, who prides themselves on customer service and doing the right thing. again, i'm not looking for anything for free, just feel like we were kind of cheated out of the opportunity to fulfill our dvc dream. anyways, sorry this was so long. does anyone have any advice, should I pursue reaching out to someone higher up? if so, whom? we're staying at Saratoga in November, i'm thinking about sitting down with someone there to see if there's anything they can do. thank you

OMG...paragraphs please!!!
 

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