RESALE POLICY CHANGE!

[southerngirl528]

I literally ordered a new card for my DH since he didn't get an updated one a month or two ago (long story). And that was Monday I think, so they are still sending them out.

Absolutely. MS can still request member ID's to be mailed to any pre-April 4 members. That is now the only way to get a physical card that I am aware of.

The email from my broker specifically stated we won't be issued member cards. This was posted from several other brokers as well. Its one thing to take away incidental benefits, if that's what you want to call them. I find it rather insulting to not provide member ID cards for folks who are committing to paying annual dues for the next few decades as well as spending their annual vacations at Disney. And the way it was handled makes it look like Steve Harvey is running their communications department!

You will have access to a digital download with your member number on it. Just download it and take a screen shot, then save to your favorites on your phone. Easy to have with you at all times. It won't look like a regular member card though.

I am sorry there was no advance notice on this and do sympathize with those midstream on purchases. But guys, you are buying into a program that has been wonderful for me and my brood for over 20 years. And you are getting it at a far, far lower price than those buying direct. Isn't that a pretty darned awesome benefit/discount right there?

Other TS companies delineate differences in their resale owners. I own other TS and one doesn't give any sort of member card, even for their retail owners. Odd, but true. And I have one resale week with another high-end TS. I can tell you that I have restrictions on that resale week. Should I be upset? Um, no. I bought far cheaper than retail.

 

[disneynutz]

That's not entirely true. Yes, those things would help, but direct contact is important as well. I'd also include dvcmembersatisfactionteam@disneyvacationclub.com as well, though, as it's more likely to get read that way.

I remember when airlines first instituted baggage fees. American and United waived the fees for people (grandfathered in) who had already purchased tickets, but Delta decided to stick it to everyone immediately. Eventually, with enough letter writing, Delta relented and waived the fees on people who had already purchased tickets prior to the announcement.

You're absolutely right about the "good will" factor, though. Living in Atlanta at the time, I began flying Airtran (now Southwest) immediately when they did that and I have only been on ONE Delta flight since due to lack of an alternative. It won't kill them, but it could make a little difference at the margins. Then again, Disney seems to be immune to this sort of thing.

DVD/DVC knows that their actions and the new policy will be met with negative feelings, sending them an email will accomplish nothing. You need to voice your disdain to outside media who will post the negative impact for all to see. Disney hates any negative media attention and they have teams of people who keeps these stories from being published.

Bill

 

[disneynutz]

Absolutely. MS can still request member ID's to be mailed to any pre-April 4 members. That is now the only way to get a physical card that I am aware of.



You will have access to a digital download with your member number on it. Just download it and take a screen shot, then save to your favorites on your phone. Easy to have with you at all times. It won't look like a regular member card though.

I am sorry there was no advance notice on this and do sympathize with those midstream on purchases. But guys, you are buying into a program that has been wonderful for me and my brood for over 20 years. And you are getting it at a far, far lower price than those buying direct. Isn't that a pretty darned awesome benefit/discount right there?

Other TS companies delineate differences in their resale owners. I own other TS and one doesn't give any sort of member card, even for their retail owners. Odd, but true. And I have one resale week with another high-end TS. I can tell you that I have restrictions on that resale week. Should I be upset? Um, no. I bought far cheaper than retail.

Some reports are that "non-members" will not have access to digital ID cards. The possibility is that the DVC accounts will be flagged in some way and that "members" will have info conveyed to their MDE account and MB's, while "non-member" owners won't.

Bill

 

[southerngirl528]

Some reports are that "non-members" will not have access to digital ID cards. The possibility is that the DVC accounts will be flagged in some way and that "members" will have info conveyed to their MDE account and MB's, while "non-member" owners won't.

Bill

There are all sorts of rumors going around, aren't there Bill? And what you state could be true, but this I do know for sure, resale buyers going forward will not receive a physical member card. They WILL be able to download an "informational" digital form that will include their member number. This will be their proof of I.D.

Right now there is no connection of DVC with the MB's. No doubt that technology will likely be done one day but the roll-out of the MB technology was both unbelievably expensive and a technical/practical nightmare according to many insiders so I am not sure that the DVC linkage to MB's will happen anytime soon. We shall see...

 

[Sophie_inBflo]

There are all sorts of rumors going around, aren't there Bill? And what you state could be true, but this I do know for sure, resale buyers going forward will not receive a physical member card. They WILL be able to download an "informational" digital form that will include their member number. This will be their proof of I.D.

Right now there is no connection of DVC with the MB's. No doubt that technology will likely be done one day but the roll-out of the MB technology was both unbelievably expensive and a technical/practical nightmare according to many insiders so I am not sure that the DVC linkage to MB's will happen anytime soon. We shall see...

What they do know (or could easily know) with the magic band is if you're staying in a DVC room- and if your reservation is a DVC reservation. They don't know if you're an owner or renter, of course.

I work in IT, so I've been joking with my DVC-owning coworkers that IT is probably furious right now... I can totally see the business coming to them on Sunday and saying, "hey, these are our new requirements, make it work!!!" And IT saying, "we don't have the data to make it work!!!"

 

[ScubaCat]

I still think that anyone who had a signed contract submitted to Disney prior to Monday will be grandfathered in. It's such a small number in the scheme of things and just "looks" sketchy. Time will tell.

 

[bonmarie_123]

We won't be issued member cards.

So e

I'm trying to make this decision now. I had hoped to not pass ROFR, got word I passed this morning.

I'm in the exact same boat. Kinda sucks the joy out of passing ROFR

 

[Sophie_inBflo]

I still think that anyone who had a signed contract submitted to Disney prior to Monday will be grandfathered in. It's such a small number in the scheme of things and just "looks" sketchy. Time will tell.

That would go a long way towards making me "happier" to have just committed to going to Disney for the next 41 years... it's like when they hand out golden fastpasses- it doesn't cost them much, but it makes me *feel* like someone cares.

 

[ziravan]

The removed perks is one thing. Except for AP discount, that wouldn't be a deal breaker. The Lady Tremaine treatment would be.

I'm not relieved because I have a direct contract. I agree that the "magic" is Disney being onstage. But DVC just pulled back the curtains.

Disney made its coin on the philosophy that great customer service will be rewarded. It's who they were.

I know that much of their business is pixie dusted travelers that buy on the spot. But. 1. This is the Internet world and even those buying on the spot can google on the spot. And where will google bring them? To this forum, to us. 2. Grandfathered or not, this is a very chilling move. What's the difference between a resale buyer and a current owner from a DVC sales point of view? Neither are contributing to new sales unless we add on. 3. The fact that we are a burden to the sales dept the moment the sale is completed (instead of a potential future customer) is chilling to me. I've cancelled plans to add on because of this.

The defense that DVC is just another timeshare is tragic. Yes, I expect this sort of behavior from my other timeshare. That's factored into the price and it's WHY I paid pennies on the dollar on the resale market.

DVC's "on stage" and carefully crafted reputation has always been that they're different from all the other timeshares. Hell, they're a club.

Not anymore. What kind of club refuses to acknowledge its members? I have a membership card at my grocery store for Pete's sake.

 

[southerngirl528]

What they do know (or could easily know) with the magic band is if you're staying in a DVC room- and if your reservation is a DVC reservation. They don't know if you're an owner or renter, of course.

I work in IT, so I've been joking with my DVC-owning coworkers that IT is probably furious right now... I can totally see the business coming to them on Sunday and saying, "hey, these are our new requirements, make it work!!!" And IT saying, "we don't have the data to make it work!!!"

First, bless you for working in IT! Couldn't make the world go 'round without ya'll! And I have no doubt that scenario could play out. Sad thing is that so much of Disney's IT now is outsourced which makes the task all the more challenging.

 

[TisBit]

There are all sorts of rumors going around, aren't there Bill? And what you state could be true, but this I do know for sure, resale buyers going forward will not receive a physical member card. They WILL be able to download an "informational" digital form that will include their member number. This will be their proof of I.D.

Right now there is no connection of DVC with the MB's. No doubt that technology will likely be done one day but the roll-out of the MB technology was both unbelievably expensive and a technical/practical nightmare according to many insiders so I am not sure that the DVC linkage to MB's will happen anytime soon. We shall see...

I believe the reason that DVC members are not being linked via magic band is the same as why they don't do it with annual pass members. They rely on people that are eligible for discounts to actually request that discount and not have it automatically applied at check out. They claim system issues or verifications, etc....but the truth is they want people to forget to ask and they save thousands a year. And the customer can only blame themselves. Especially in dining establishments where the discount is every changing and only at certain places/times.

As for people that are in the process of buying now, I think if I was in that situation and I was buying a resale now....and am looking to back out just to see how it plays out but would still buy resale later vs direct, I would definitely just buy my contract. Forfeiting deposits will cost money and I really don't see this having a major impact on the resale market at all. There might be a slight dip for a short period of time. But I think there is a very real possibility that Disney may grandfather the contracts in later, as was previously said. It would be foolish at this point to back out when there is a chance of getting it. Disney does this all the time, they will be all over the map and in the end usually end up sort of in the middle. It is a gamble, but before I threw away 1k dollars to hope the market goes down...its not worth it.

 

[southerngirl528]

Not anymore. What kind of club refuses to acknowledge its members? I have a membership card at my grocery store for Pete's sake.

In answer to your question: The kind of club where certain members do not pay the full membership fee. You can't waltz into your local country club and negotiate the fees way down and still get all the perks. Not going to happen. I can't buy a coach ticket and demand to sit in first class. Not going to happen.

I understand the angst. Truly. It's always hard when something is taken away from us that we liked, or thought we would like. But Disney is entirely within their rights, and I think way too late implementing these new guidelines. It has scarcely been fair to those that bought direct.

 

[ScubaCat]

That would go a long way towards making me "happier" to have just committed to going to Disney for the next 41 years... it's like when they hand out golden fastpasses- it doesn't cost them much, but it makes me *feel* like someone cares.

If I were in that boat (had my first contract in progress), I'd not do anything different. Prices are unlikely to drop at all. If you rescind, you just hurt yourself (assuming you're >10 days out) by losing your deposit. It also hurts the seller who isn't responsible in any way for this. And, you DEFINITELY won't get the perks with your next attempt.

None of us signed a resale purchase contract without some serious consideration beforehand, so obviously we wanted the membership regardless. I'd just hang tight and keep moving forward and see what happens.

Despite the calls that went out yesterday evening, I find it VERY unlikely that anyone already in the pipeline will ultimately be omitted. They may spin it as an extra "gesture of good will" or something, but I still think you'll be fine.

 

[hbrother]

Things to think about:

Why would anyone choose resale as of today? Why not rent?

If it turns out buyers think there is no reason the resale market dies. If it dies will as many be willing to buy full price points?

As for the argument of it is not fair that resale buyers get the "extras." I disagree, many are selling and making a small profit. Those who are selling at a loss may be experiencing financial hardship. The value of those points on the market are important even to current members.

I think the benefit will be in the DVC rental market. Those who would have bought will rent. If the resale market tanks sellers who would have sold will rent out their points.

 

[DVC Mike]

I find comments across all the boards saying there was no miscommunication or that it doesn't matter if there was or not to be a bit ridiculous.

When I call Member Administration and am told something, as far as I am concerned, it is an official communication from an authorized representative of DVC. When I call back a day later and get a completely different response from the same group, a miscommunication has occurred. Like it or not, DVC bungled the communication. I don't believe there was any intentional misrepresentation going on or that DVC changed its mind in one day on a policy they must have thought through. I just believe they dropped the ball and didn't send a clear message. They caused emotional damage to those people that for a day, thought they had squeaked by and still were getting the discounts and benefits.

if I was SVP of DVC, I'd issue an apology and stick with the original statement. The goodwill generated would be well worth it. It really wouldn't cost them anything but it would improve the goodwill among a population of their members.

Do do I believe DVC is going to do this. No way, as DVC's recent actions show they don't care. The change in the policy doesn't bother me one bit, as it's completely within their rights to make this change. I was wondering why they didn't do this before.

The only thing I'm miffed at is the communication gaffe.

http://i235.************************************************************* DVC Mike - *******.com

 

[southerngirl528]

The only thing I'm miffed at is the communication gaffe.

Absolutely agree. Someone's head should be rolling. This was too big a change not to have all "battle stations" well prepped.

 

[TisBit]

Things to think about:

Why would anyone choose resale as of today? Why not rent?

If it turns out buyers think there is no reason the resale market dies. If it dies will as many be willing to buy full price points?

As for the argument of it is not fair that resale buyers get the "extras." I disagree, many are selling and making a small profit. Those who are selling at a loss may be experiencing financial hardship. The value of those points on the market are important even to current members.

I think the benefit will be in the DVC rental market. Those who would have bought will rent. If the resale market tanks sellers who would have sold will rent out their points.

Why would someone choose retail vs rent. Renting comes with a risk and organizing through someone else. Renting also has variable pricing and generally the person that owns makes a few dollars. I know that renting less than half my points pays for all of my MF's. So there will still be advantages to buying resale.

I don't think anyone says it has not been "fair" for resale purchasers to get the extra benefits. The motivation of DVC is to give people a reason to buy direct vs resale. It is hard to market a product that you can buy for significantly less and get all the same benefits. But, I don't think it is unfair to distinguish between the two either (exception to contracts already sent to Disney prior to the change).

 

[ziravan]

Things to think about:

Why would anyone choose resale as of today? Why not rent?

If it turns out buyers think there is no reason the resale market dies. If it dies will as many be willing to buy full price points?

As for the argument of it is not fair that resale buyers get the "extras." I disagree, many are selling and making a small profit. Those who are selling at a loss may be experiencing financial hardship. The value of those points on the market are important even to current members.

I think the benefit will be in the DVC rental market. Those who would have bought will rent. If the resale market tanks sellers who would have sold will rent out their points.

What's going to tank the resale market isn't the loss of benefits but the spitefulness of not even giving a 20 cent membership card.

Resale buyers do research. They will come here and elsewhere and see. I was on this board for hours a night for months researching DVC before I bought resale.

They will see that resale buyers are 2nd class. It will tank the whole deal. If DVC will see me as 2nd class, why would I buy from them at all?

No way I would have bought in as a second class quasi-member.

 

[dsdeleon]

Doesn't anyone think that they are going to change the terms on renting soon? I mean that is Disney's biggest competition on the deluxe resorts. I could EASILY see Disney still allowing it but make something so difficult about it that people wouldn't want to rent to strangers. I do not know exactly what they will go after but I really think that's the next shoe to drop. If Disney is after the resale market they are certainly going to go after the rental market.

 

[Minniesgal]

We won't be issued member cards.

But has it been confirmed that you won't get digital cards you can print out that are different from the current ones.

I understand you won't get the plastic card we have currently but I don't understand that it follows that you won't get anything to identify you as a member especially since they have expressly said TOTW and pool hopping are still included at least for now.