DVC membership uk buyers issues

[Sam Talbot]

Hi all
I'm new to the forum .
We have returned from WDW having signed up to join DVC (150 points at Poly). The decision was tough , so we took our 15 days "cooling off period" to debate whether the purchase was good for our young family .
After worrying that the US financing was too risky (due to exchange rates and high interest rates) we decided to take the plunge as we had secured some 0% finance from our uk bank and had some savings also . I rang to pay on Friday at 3pm and was told that I had missed the cut off time so would only be able to pay on Monday (today). Having predicted that the exchange rate was worsening I asked to speak to a manager . She was lovely and gave us a longer recision period . However today , the pound is worth a further 5c less than it was on Friday and will mean we are paying hundreds more than before the weekend . Our sales guide is furious that the accounts department wouldn't take the money off us on Friday , as we are now considering whether to proceed . We are gutted as we are dedicated to holidaying in WDW ! Any advice or similar experience would be appreciated

 

[ParentsOf4]

Cancel and look into buying resale. You'll save thousands for the exact same number of points.

If you are uncomfortable buying resale, then look at the other DVC resorts. They cost less than PVB and, despite what you might have been told, most are available.

150 points doesn't go far at PVB, less than a week's stay in the summer.

Having crunched the numbers, I know that you are looking at decades before you'll reach the break-even point with a financed PVB purchase directly from Disney.

DVC prices just went up. They are unlikely to increase again in the short term.

Cancel now and do some research.

If, after researching the options, you decide you still want PVB, then email your guide and tell them you've changed your mind again. They will be more than happy to sell you the points.

Again, do the research before you take the plunge.

 

[Sam Talbot]

Cancel and look into buying resale. You'll save thousands for the exact same number of points.

If you are uncomfortable buying resale, then look at the other DVC resorts. They cost less than PVB and, despite what you might have been told, most are available.

150 points doesn't go far at PVB, less than a week's stay in the summer.

Having crunched the numbers, I know that you are looking at decades before you'll reach the break-even point with a financed PVB purchase directly from Disney.

DVC prices just went up. They are unlikely to increase again in the short term.

Cancel now and do some research.

If, after researching the options, you decide you still want PVB, then email your guide and tell them you've changed your mind again. They will be more than happy to sell you the points.

Again, do the research before you take the plunge.

Hi
Thank you so much for the info .
We were told that we couldn't purchase directly through Disney once we were back in the uk?, which is why we signed and took the recision period to look at the numbers .
Also we were only offered Polynesian points . We were lead to believe that all other resorts had sold out directly through Disney .
We had looked at the amount of points and were happy to have 150 , which would mean we could visit in May (our preferred time to visit) every other year for 2 weeks .
Have we been wrongly advised ?
Thanks
Sam

 

[ParentsOf4]

As is true with most commissioned sales people, you have been advised by someone whose livelihood is based on you buying the product. A good salesperson will steer you towards the sale, putting their product in the best light possible, without lying to you. They will word things in such a way as to steer you in the direction they want you to go.

Most DVC properties are available but sales agents are encouraged to sell only to the ones that are being actively marketed.

You can, for example, buy at Saratoga Springs Resort (SSR), which currently is selling for $140/point.

Regarding selling in England, I just chatted with a DVC representative who wrote "we are registered to sell Disney Vacation Club in England so your friend may purchase abroad."

"They can visit our website or call toll free ..."

Based on what you wrote, I'd say that your sales guide lead you in a direction that wasn't fully consistent with the truth. Only you know the actual words that person used. If you pick apart those words closely, they might not technically be a lie but, at the very least, the salesperson let you come to a conclusion that was not true.

In my opinion, this is even more of a reason to cancel now, do your homework, and then make a decision as an informed consumer.

 

[EOD K9]

Did anyone have Joan as their guide?

 

[danniyell]

Give them a ring if you Defo want to book through Disney - my DVC member contact for DVC sales is Bernard Lebeaupin and he's pretty good! He also always leaves a message on our room phone when we stay saying welcome home


Saying that I brought DVC through resale - 3 years ago and I brought into Boardwalk Villas. I guess it's dependant on the things above with who you buy through.

Give them a ring on the toll free number it's 0800 800 9800 to discuss with Disney Direct.

Another thing however is with just the small difference in £-$ currently as its dropped I wouldn't let that put you off buying. However you may be able to buy more points in another resort so that you can make better use of the purchase. For example I brought 250 points at Boardwalk at $90(bare in mind this was 3 years ago) approx a point - which will give me around 2 weeks every year - it's around 125 points a week to stay in a studio, where as you will just get 1 week approx in poly! You need to look at the average nightly cost of the resort and the amount of points your buying and work out approx how many times you can go for how long in a one to 3 year block - then put that together with the cost and see if it works for you.

I brought resale as I said and my experience was very very good the company was called DVC resales and everything was done very smoothly through email.
The only difference now is the benefits - you don't get the same member benefits as buying through Disney - but depends on how you feel about 10/20% discounts xx

 

[Sam Talbot]

Thanks again for all the advice . As tomorrow is the final day that we have to make the decision , we will see if the exchange rate changes in our favour . Think I'm still keen to go for it . We are happy with the points we have and the resort as it will mean we can visit every other year for 2 weeks . We can always top up later . Think we are just frustrated that the purchase will now cost us more than it would've when we tried to pay the full purchase price before the weekend when the exchange rate was more favourable ! Our sales guide was Marlene , she has been so helpful
Thanks again

 

[dreamfinder]

Also we were only offered Polynesian points . We were lead to believe that all other resorts had sold out directly through Disney .
We had looked at the amount of points and were happy to have 150 , which would mean we could visit in May (our preferred time to visit) every other year for 2 weeks .
Have we been wrongly advised ?
Thanks
Sam

Yup. DVD (The corporate wing that actually sells DVC) will definitely sell you points at any of the properties. However, for any property they aren't actively selling (I believe they are just actively selling Aulani and Poly) you would most likely need to go on a waitlist. DVD will then exercise ROFR on a resale contract that matches your needs when one becomes available to obtain the points to sell to you. Depending on what contracts are going through resale it may be a quick process, or you may be waiting for a while until they can obtain suitable points.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

Yup. DVD (The corporate wing that actually sells DVC) will definitely sell you points at any of the properties. However, for any property they aren't actively selling (I believe they are just actively selling Aulani and Poly) you would most likely need to go on a waitlist. DVD will then exercise ROFR on a resale contract that matches your needs when one becomes available to obtain the points to sell to you. Depending on what contracts are going through resale it may be a quick process, or you may be waiting for a while until they can obtain suitable points.

Very true with one exception. They are no longer placing anyone on the waitlist for GFV. They estimate it will take over 2 years just to get to the people already on it. May change as time goes on, but for now, you'd have to buy resale for VGF.

 

[Sam Talbot]

Having considered the pros and cons and all the fantastic advice on here , we cancelled the direct purchase . We then made an offer on 2 small contracts via resale . The first was for 50 points at BWV , which we have just received the news that Disney have waived their FROR , we paid 108 pp . The second is a 25 point Polynesian contract , still waiting for Disney to decide on that one . Our intention is to buy 75 points direct when we next go to WDW in May 2017 . Hoping that poly points are still available , so we'll have 50 at BWV and 100 at PVB . Love the location of both of those resorts , so fingers crossed , but at least we've made a start

 

[LuvtheGoof]

Welcome home! Poly points will definitely still be available then. They haven't even declared all of the units for purchase as of yet. Still a few million left to sell over-all.

 

[Sam Talbot]

Wow that's a lot of points
Reassuring for us in that case .
Thanks

 

[nickys]

Hi, I think the issue with selling in the uk is to do with finance. If you want to use the Disney financing then legally this has to be completed in the US. When we bought this was the case and because we had left it until the last day of our holiday we had to make a decision that day, albeit we still had the cooling off period.

We haven't regretted it. We're looking longer term. We've come very 3 years, 3rd visit coming up. 14 days each time. Last time we stayed for 21, paying for 7 nights at the dvc discount, so we know what the trip would have cost rack rate. At the end of 10 years we will have paid £23,000, including dues (I'm sticking to pounds here). We'll have had 3 trips, with a value of around £15,000. Plus we'll have a years worth of points in hand. Dues are £500 a year. In another 5 years after clearing the debt we'll have had another 2 trips, worth £10,000, and paid £2,500 in dues.

Just about break even then, after 15 years. We, and our kids then have another 43 years of holidays, for £500 a year. By the time dh and I are thinking of staying closer to home, our kids can start coming out with their families.

It's a decision everyone has to make about their situation. Why did we do it? Simple. We felt so relaxed in the Disney bubble, not having to drive unless we chose to visit elsewhere, go shopping etc. That meant so much more time to come together as a family, plus privacy from the kids, a kitchen, washer etc. Rather than sharing a room and having zero privacy on holiday! That made it worthwhile to us.