# Donita Is Back?



## Lee B (Jul 6, 2011)

Maybe you covered this already.  An email from TSToday said that Donita is back.

http://www.donita.com/info.html


----------



## Dori (Jul 6, 2011)

I read this too. I have never dealt with Donita, but she has an excellent reputation, and I have heard only good things said about her.

Dori


----------



## ampaholic (Jul 6, 2011)

$200 bucks to sign up? plus $150 per help? Makes TUG look like a real bargain.


----------



## Carolinian (Jul 8, 2011)

Donita has great contacts with trading partners to get exchanges.  Those who have dealt with her at the old DVU or when she was running DAE or when she was a consultant with DAE, know the value she can bring.  However, for prospective new members, the $200 may put them off when other independent exchange companies have free membership.  It will be interesting to see how that aspect works out.

It is good to see Donita back in the exchange business.  I think DAE made a big mistake for the growth of their own business in letting her contract expire.


----------



## heathpack (Jul 8, 2011)

So Donita is going to be an exchange company?

It is not clear to me from that email what services she will offer.  Why would one use her services over other options?

H


----------



## donita (Jul 20, 2011)

*Donita is back*

Hi There

Yes, I am back as my noncompete is over!  As in the past I keep exchange simple and affordable.  There is no signup fee to work with me and I put the member service first, always.

My website is under construction and I hope to have it up and running in short order.  I am also working with a great new program called Dream Vacation Network.  It really took my breathe away when I first saw it.  It offers so many options that are lacking in other programs.  I have always wanted you the timeshare owner to be able get the most out of your ownership as I have always felt the timeshare was the very best way to vacation.

Take care

Donita

alive and well in beautiful San Diego


----------



## Dori (Jul 20, 2011)

Welcome back Donita!


----------



## Jestjoan (Jul 20, 2011)

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150840


----------



## tombo (Jul 20, 2011)

Jestjoan said:


> http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150840



Those pesky posts about scams that are endorsed by others just won't go away. Thanks for the reminder..........


----------



## Patri (Jul 21, 2011)

I don't see what Donita offers that is of any value. TUG can give more help for free.
Her intro page needs some grammar clean up to look professional.


----------



## Carolinian (Jul 21, 2011)

Patri said:


> I don't see what Donita offers that is of any value. TUG can give more help for free.
> Her intro page needs some grammar clean up to look professional.



It looks like she is getting back in the exchange business, and that would have real value.  She has a great network to get partner inventory to get you the exchange you want.


----------



## Margariet (Jul 21, 2011)

Never heard of her and the website doesn't look good. :zzz:


----------



## donita (Jul 21, 2011)

*Donita is back*

I appreciate the comments and as to my website, it is under construction.  All good things take time.  I have been under a noncompete for the last 2 years and had to keep my head down.  But I am back and many of my old members are finding me.  I thank my lucky star all the time for all of the loyal 
members that have worked with me over the last 32 years.

I am already getting good inventory and can source much more if I do not have what you are looking for.

Have a wonderful day

Donita


----------



## Ridewithme38 (Jul 21, 2011)

donita said:


> I appreciate the comments and as to my website, it is under construction.  All good things take time.  I have been under a noncompete for the last 2 years and had to keep my head down.  But I am back and many of my old members are finding me.  I thank my lucky star all the time for all of the loyal
> members that have worked with me over the last 32 years.
> 
> I am already getting good inventory and can source much more if I do not have what you are looking for.
> ...



Are you an exchange company?  I'm confused


----------



## DeniseM (Jul 21, 2011)

Donita - I respect the fact that you have years of experience in the timeshare industry, and that you have a good reputation.

However, TUG has a strict no advertising rule, and you will have to be careful that you don't step over that line.

Here are the specific rules:



> # Advertising is prohibited.
> The Bulletin Board is for DISCUSSION. It is not for sales or solicitations. If you have something to sell, trade or rent, TUG Members may post up to 25 ads at a time in our Timeshare Marketplace at no charge. If you cannot adhere to the BBS posting rules, your posts will be deleted. This is a lot of extra work for the volunteers and offenders are not viewed well by them.
> 
> *If you are a broker or salesperson, or work in an allied field, we welcome your participation on the board. We value your industry perspective and valuable insights. We do not appreciate, however, attempts to use our bbs for direct commercial purposes. We do not, for instance, welcome your adding tag lines promoting your business, such as "Call me for more information." Use the board as a way to be helpful and build your reputation, not as a direct sales tool, please. Due to flagrant commercial violations by some abusers in the past, we have found it necessary to be very strict about this.*
> ...


----------



## DeniseM (Jul 21, 2011)

Ridewithme38 said:


> Are you an exchange company?  I'm confused



Ride - see the link in the first post in this thread.


----------



## Margariet (Jul 21, 2011)

donita said:


> I appreciate the comments and as to my website, it is under construction.  All good things take time.  I have been under a noncompete for the last 2 years and had to keep my head down.  But I am back and many of my old members are finding me.  I thank my lucky star all the time for all of the loyal
> members that have worked with me over the last 32 years.
> 
> I am already getting good inventory and can source much more if I do not have what you are looking for.
> ...



Amazing :zzz:


----------



## DavidnJudy (Jul 21, 2011)

donita said:


> ...as to my website, it is under construction.  All good things take time.  I have been under a noncompete for the last 2 years and had to keep my head down.



Maybe during that 2 years you could have worked on developing your website (not publishing it) and then publishing a nice website when the 2 years was up. The website is so vauge it is really worth close to nothing.  Next time wait to post your website when it is ready and useful.

Good luck with your business. I would try peddling it to non-savy timeshare owners.


----------



## Numismatist (Jul 21, 2011)

By posting here more, she's raising her name in the Google rankings higher.  Kind of dicey, considering the feedbacks she's getting.


----------



## Margariet (Jul 21, 2011)

Incredible   And there are still people buying this? :zzz:


----------



## Ridewithme38 (Jul 21, 2011)

Donita, is it ok if i send my $9,000 in small unmarked bills?


----------



## tombo (Jul 21, 2011)

Ridewithme38 said:


> Donita, is it ok if i send my $9,000 in small unmarked bills?





Carolinian said:


> It looks like she is getting back in the exchange business, and that would have real value.  She has a great network to get partner inventory to get you the exchange you want.




Carolinian has faith in Donita to get him good trades. Carolinian is the only person on this whole thread who sees any value in Donita. Let him pay her $9000. 

I bet Carolinian will hate Donita and DVN even more than RCI in a year or two when he is out 9 grand and the company called Dream Vacation Network is no longer in existence.


----------



## MuranoJo (Jul 21, 2011)

I remember in the early years when I first joined TUG ('02-on), Donita's was mentioned fairly often.  In fact, I used to keep notes of common recommendations--I checked those old notes tonight, and sure enough--there she was, along with SFX and Trading Places.

I never personally used her, but as I recall, people would contact her and if she didn't have the inventory, she'd try to source it for them.

This is not an endorsement, nor a criticism, just what I remember and what's in my notes.


----------



## DeniseM (Jul 21, 2011)

Let me just reconfirm that business owners are welcome on TUG - they just can't promote their business here.


----------



## tombo (Jul 21, 2011)

muranojo said:


> I remember in the early years when I first joined TUG ('02-on), Donita's was mentioned fairly often.  In fact, I used to keep notes of common recommendations--I checked those old notes tonight, and sure enough--there she was, along with SFX and Trading Places.
> 
> I never personally used her, but as I recall, people would contact her and if she didn't have the inventory, she'd try to source it for them.



For $7999 I will guarantee TUGGERS an exchange to any timeshare they want and save them over $1000 from the $9000 DVN membership fees. I will only guarantee you one trade, but that is probably one more exchange than you will ever get from DVN.


----------



## cbm32 (Jul 21, 2011)

I dont have a dog in this fight and I am certainly not trying to take sides or draw fire.  But, I can not for the life of me find out where this $9,000.00 figure came from that people are alluding to.

I see $995.00 on the webpage, but no mention of $9K anyplace.


----------



## DeniseM (Jul 21, 2011)

cbm32 said:


> I dont have a dog in this fight and I am certainly not trying to take sides or draw fire.  But, I can not for the life of me find out where this $9,000.00 figure came from that people are alluding to.
> 
> I see $995.00 on the webpage, but no mention of $9K anyplace.



Donita also posted in another thread about this company - in the thread, someone who bought the product reported that the enrollment fee is $9,000 and someone from the company confirmed it.


----------



## Carolinian (Jul 22, 2011)

I did not use the old Donita's Vacations Unlimited, but got to know her when she was runnning DAE's North American office, and then worked as a consultant for them.  I had seen the description of how the old Donita's worked and it was more like DAE and not at all like this Dream Vacation Network, which appears to belong to someone else.  She is getting back in the exchange business and we will see for certain how everything is set up when her new website is up, but I suspect it will be more like the old Donita's and like DAE.  If so, I would probably be inclined to give her one of my summer UK weeks that I had been planning to give to UKRE to try them out.

To give one example of how good she is in finding inventory, when my nephew got married, I offered them a timeshare week for their honeymoon. I thought they would probably want to go somewhere like the Caribbean or Hawaii, but they are both scuba divers and wanted to go to one of the diving areas in the Philipines of all places.  I knew the Philipines popped up occaisionally at DAE and checked online.  The time they needed was not availible and the resorts were not diving resorts.  Then I checked RCI and struck out there, too.  Then I called Donita, then working as a consultant with DAE, and she made some calls to her contacts and produced a week at an oceanfront Philipines resort with diviing facilities in a major dive area for exactly the week they needed.  When she says she can source weeks you need, she means it.





tombo said:


> Carolinian has faith in Donita to get him good trades. Carolinian is the only person on this whole thread who sees any value in Donita. Let him pay her $9000.
> 
> I bet Carolinian will hate Donita and DVN even more than RCI in a year or two when he is out 9 grand and the company called Dream Vacation Network is no longer in existence.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte (Jul 22, 2011)

Carolinian said:


> I did not use the old Donita's Vacations Unlimited, but got to know her when she was runnning DAE's North American office, and *then worked as a consultant for them.*


Interesting, Steve.

So in all of your longstanding disparaging of RCI and promoting of DAE, you  now acknowledge that you've actually had a business relationship with DAE.  You know,  if I were a cynical man  I might even ponder that perhaps you've been shilling for DAE all of these years.


----------



## Carolinian (Jul 22, 2011)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Interesting, Steve.
> 
> So in all of your longstanding disparaging of RCI and promoting of DAE, you  now acknowledge that you've actually had a business relationship with DAE.  You know,  if I were a cynical man  I might even ponder that perhaps you've been shilling for DAE all of these years.



Of course, the reference is to DONITA working as a consultant for them, not me!  My, how, you can sometimes try to turn things around!


----------



## Carolinian (Jul 22, 2011)

ampaholic said:


> $200 bucks to sign up? plus $150 per help? Makes TUG look like a real bargain.



I just got my latest _Timesharing Today_ magazine in today's mail and it is the issue with the annual comparision chart of exchange companies.  One of them listed is Donita's Vacations Unlimited.  It lists under ''Initial Membership Fee to Join'' as ''none'', and under ''annual dues'' it lists ''$25''.  Under exchange fees, it lists ''$125- US and Canada, $150 - international''.

The fees you quote must be from her prior timeshare business rather than from her re-started exchange company.


----------



## DeniseM (Jul 22, 2011)

The fees are from her webpage:



> Fees for belonging to the DVU Club Management Program:
> 
> Signup Fee: $200
> 
> ...


----------



## Carolinian (Jul 22, 2011)

DeniseM said:


> The fees are from her webpage:



Since the webpage is still under construction, and she ran her non-exchange businesses under the DVU banner during the period she was under the non-compete clause, one wonders if the DVU Club Management Program is a different animal than Donita's Vacations Unlimited revived exchange company.  Maybe we will have to wait until the new website is fully up and running to find out.


----------



## Margariet (Jul 22, 2011)

tombo said:


> For $7999 I will guarantee TUGGERS an exchange to any timeshare they want and save them over $1000 from the $9000 DVN membership fees. I will only guarantee you one trade, but that is probably one more exchange than you will ever get from DVN.



Me too!   I have great inventory :ignore:


----------



## tombo (Jul 22, 2011)

Carolinian said:


> I just got my latest _Timesharing Today_ magazine in today's mail and it is the issue with the annual comparision chart of exchange companies.  One of them listed is Donita's Vacations Unlimited.  It lists under ''Initial Membership Fee to Join'' as ''none'', and under ''annual dues'' it lists ''$25''.  Under exchange fees, it lists ''$125- US and Canada, $150 - international''.
> 
> The fees you quote must be from her prior timeshare business rather than from her re-started exchange company.



Wow you hate RCI which we almost all like, but somehow feel good about defending DVN in numerous posts. NOBODY BUT YOU thinks DVN is a worthwhile exchange company. Your credibility has been hurt by the never ending RCI bashing. Anything you say about RCI whether true or not is simply written off as hatred. 

Now you are further diminishing your credibility by ENDORSING and DEFENDING what everyone but you feels is a scam. It is amazing that you can endlessly malign RCI where millions of successful exchanges have occurred yet now defend and recommend Donita and DVN where no one you know (including yourself) has ever made a single successful exchange.



Carolinian said:


> I would probably be inclined to give her one of my summer UK weeks that I had been planning to give to UKRE to try them out.
> 
> When she says she can source weeks you need, she means it.



Carolinian put your money where your mouth is and pay the $9000 for this great company and for Donita's access to great inventory. Please update us on your trades and how they could possibly be worth a $9000 fee. 

You defend Donita and DVN and say they don't charge $9000. Read this thread where a newbie paid $9000 (they rescinded) and where a company rep confirmed it. http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150840

The OP said that they paid a $9000 fee (later reduced to under $7000). A DVN representative responded: "It is not a conversion fee, rather an enrollment fee into the Dream Vacation Network." The DVN rep did not refute the $9000 fee, they simply called it by a different name. I don't care what they call a $9000 fee, I call it a rip off. 

Jarta pointed out something that should cause anyone considering joining DVN great concern. If a group of Summer Bay people are trying the same thing they did before, the DVN future looks bleak:


jarta said:


> The Executive team for Vacation Business Services:  https://sites.google.com/a/vacationbizservices.com/www/our-company/our-staff
> 
> These are the remnants of the Summer Bay crew.  Same RCI MO.  http://www.timeshareforums.com/foru...eriences-timeshares/84947-rci-summer-bay.html
> 
> ...



Carolinian we will stick with the tried and true RCI and II exchange programs. You feel free to join with Donita and DVN paying huge money for a new, untried , unproven company. Let us know how it is working from time to time. 

You tell all that will listen to cancel their RCI membership and not exchange with RCI even though you have not made a single RCI exchange under the new weeks program. No personal experience but yet you feel like you know more than people who have made 10 or 20 successful exchanges under the new program. You hate the points values assigned to weeks calling them TPU " points lite" even though you have never deposited a single week,

How about for a change you give your exchange company advice based on your own personal experiences? Before you tell everyone that Donita and DVN have value, why not show the courage of your convictions and go ahead and join DVN? After you have been a DVN member for a while you can give an honest review on how the company operates from your own PERSONAL EXPERIENCE rather than just how you feel it operates. For all you know DVN might operate using DVU "points lite".....................


----------



## Numismatist (Jul 22, 2011)

Bump (to increase the Google rankings of this thread associated with DVN and Donita)...:hysterical:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte (Jul 22, 2011)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Interesting, Steve.
> 
> So in all of your longstanding disparaging of RCI and promoting of DAE, you  now acknowledge that you've actually had a business relationship with DAE.  You know,  if I were a cynical man  I might even ponder that perhaps you've been shilling for DAE all of these years.





Carolinian said:


> Of course, the reference is to DONITA working as a consultant for them, not me!  My, how, you can sometimes try to turn things around!


I wasn't trying to twist your words.  In the last clause of the sentence the antecedent is ambiguous. The sentence can easily be read to mean that you were saying that you got to know Donita when she was running the DAE North America office and then you went to work for DAE as a consultant. That's certainly the more likely interpretation when one knows from previous correspondence that Donita was an employee of DAE, thereby making it unlikely that she would be the one who had a consulting relationship.  And lest you think that's crazy, I also corresponded with some other people who saw the post and read it the exact same way that I did.

So thank you for clarifying the situation.  I wasn't trying to twist your words; I was in fact interpreting them very straightforwardly and directly.  

I apologize for mischaracterizing the relationship.  I also accept your apology for being less than clear in your post.


----------



## Ridewithme38 (Jul 22, 2011)

Ok heres my thoughts...Donita seems to offer personalized services from someone who truely knows the locations...For new timesharers, this maybe a great thing...I know, i haven't vacationed much before these last two years...so when trying to decide where to go and when....I've had no idea, calling RCI doesn't help, because the 'vacation reps' don't really know the areas either

If i called up Donita and said, 'i want to take a vacation between Novemeber 23th -November 30th, I need something with an impressive night life, some place for a single guy in his 30's, but i'm not really into skiing, and if possible i'd like to avoid the expensive of flying' she'd be able to suggest a handful of places she liked, that would fit my idea of a good time....If i call any of the large Exchange companies, they'll have no idea what to tell me...Now my impression that Donita would know where to recommend is from what i've read in previous threads about her...i don't have any personal experience

Now, is this service worth $9000...IMO no, i wouldn't pay that, My car's not even worth $9000 and i use it every single day....but $995 for a lifetime membership, MIGHT be worth it...


----------



## tombo (Jul 22, 2011)

Ridewithme38 said:


> Now, is this service worth $9000...IMO no, i wouldn't pay that, My car's not even worth $9000 and i use it every single day....but $995 for a lifetime membership, MIGHT be worth it...



The lifetime membership is not for your lifetime, it is for the lifetime of DVN. With fees of $9000 or even $995 I doubt that DVN has a long life expectancy. 

You need advice, cheap air fares, cheap rooms, google it for free. Free advice, free comparison shopping, free everything. TUG is free for guests. Finding people willing to pay for what they can get for free is a tall order and a poor business model doomed to fail IMO.

Redweek had money,a long term timeshare business, a good name, and many members when they entered the exchange business. They couldn't make it work and have called it quits. 

DVN is a new company with ZERO track record, zero existing members, and who knows how much (if any) cash they have to operate on while they attempt to start up this brand new travel company. I doubt they will see a one year anniversary. I would not give them one of my weeks if they would let me join for free.


----------



## heathpack (Jul 22, 2011)

I am a little surprised by the ferocity of the responses on this thread and it really seems like some things that this Donita person has said are getting twisted.

She commented on another thread that she is familiar with some other company who charges $9000 to join and she would recommend them.  She never said that she charges $9000 to join her service.  Ok, it is suspect if she'd recommend a service that costs $9000, but that is not the same thing as her service costing $9000.

We are also jumping all over this lady who has told us her website is still a work in process.  This all started when a TUGger said they'd gotten an email the Donita was back in business.  She did not start the thread, but jumped in to say she was back.  Yes, maybe she should have had her website done and all her ducks in a row before she did this, but that does not make her a scammer.

Yes, she made some very silly remarks about libel on the other thread, I am not impressed by that.  But now TUGgers seem like they are trying to disparage her and ruin her new endeavor before it even starts (bumping this thread to make it more likely to come up in Google searches, so people "out there" can read the rush to judgement that has occurred on TUG).

I will bet this lady will not be able to offer me anything of value and I will not use her new service.  But I would like to know what the service is, especially since she was well-respected here on TUG before my time.  You all are running her off TUG and I really wish you wouldn't, not without more information at least.

How about people back off until we learn more, actually give those of us who might want to hear what Donita has to offer a chance to hear it?

Just my personal opinion.

H


----------



## Numismatist (Jul 22, 2011)

Part of the issue is the veiled threats of slander and libel, the other part of it is the not-so-veiled and frankly blatant advertising she's trying to do.

I can't speak to the whole $9,000 issue as I haven't looked into that part.

So, (1) as a member or a potential company representative, don't threaten, and (2) TUGs basic stance towards 'salespeople' is well established; therefore, what would one expect when one comes in and tries to 'sell' in a thread on TUG?  Clearly, she does not seem to be acting as a member but more of a salesperson.  I, for one, come here for a respite from the sales crap.


----------



## Carolinian (Jul 22, 2011)

It really amazes me how we have a small group short and medium term members here who want to be a lynch mob for any independent exchange company.  The gross distortions in tying DVU (Donita's Vacations Unlimited) to this other company DVN (Dream Vacations Network) belonging to someone else are really over the top.  I wonder if some of them ever get tired of brownnosing RCI?


----------



## Carolinian (Jul 22, 2011)

Maybe the appropriate thing would be for TUG to offer her an ''Ask DVU'' board like they have for other independent exchange companies?  She doesn't seem to have done anything that any of those companies haven't done on their boards.




Numismatist said:


> Part of the issue is the veiled threats of slander and libel, the other part of it is the not-so-veiled and frankly blatant advertising she's trying to do.
> 
> I can't speak to the whole $9,000 issue as I haven't looked into that part.
> 
> So, (1) as a member or a potential company representative, don't threaten, and (2) TUGs basic stance towards 'salespeople' is well established; therefore, what would one expect when one comes in and tries to 'sell' in a thread on TUG?  Clearly, she does not seem to be acting as a member but more of a salesperson.  I, for one, come here for a respite from the sales crap.


----------



## tombo (Jul 22, 2011)

Carolinian said:


> It really amazes me how we have a small group short and medium term members here who want to be a lynch mob for any independent exchange company.  The gross distortions in tying DVU (Donita's Vacations Unlimited) to this other company DVN (Dream Vacations Network) belonging to someone else are really over the top.  I wonder if some of them ever get tired of brownnosing RCI?



Donita IS ASSOCIATED WITH DVN. As you like to say , get your facts straight!

Here is Donita's first 2 posts on the thread discussing a $9000 fee charged to a guest by DVN. Tuugers were telling the guest it was a rip-off and a scam when Donita jumped in defending DVN. These are her words, not ours.   Donita tied herself to DVN by her own posts. I feel 100% sure she is involved with DVN from her posts. I have been to sales presentations where the timeshare salesman was less defensive of their company.

PS After Donita's glowing endorsment are you going to join DVN? It amazes me that you are still a member of RCI which you hate but didn't join DVN based on Donita's rec and the fact that you quickly defended it. If it sounds good, join.




donita said:


> Not only have I heard of Dream Vacation Network, but I fully support it.  This is the most complete travel program I have ever seen and it blew me away the first time I was made aware of DVN.
> 
> It gives real value to timeshare ownership.  It is a totally honest program and is refreshing for timeshare.
> 
> ...



Is one supposed to believe she is not involved yet she has to post that it blew her away, that it gives real value, that it is refreshing and honest? She is without a doubt working with/for/and or owns part of DVN.



donita said:


> First of all, I have been in the timeshare industry since late 1979 and have many, many members that have worked with me over the years.  I have build my business by word of mouth as I believe in service first.  I have seen the good the bad and the ugly--I have cleaned up after them.  I would not tell you a program was good if I had not seen and checked it out.  I have worked hard over the years to keep the dream alive for timeshare owners and in building a First Class Reputation in this industry.  I truly believe that Dream Vacation Network is the best program to come down the pike in all the years I have been in the industry.  I stand by this statement.
> 
> One of these days I will write my book and believe me I know where all of the bodies are buried.
> 
> ...



DVN is the best she has EVER SEEN? In all of her years this upstart company is the best ever? And we are supposed to believe she has nothing to do with the company? She threatens libel and slander to the detractors. Sounds like someone with no ties to DVN all right.



donita said:


> Denise
> 
> That is a question that I would not be able to answer as I am not in sales.  It is question that should be asked of the people at Dream Vacation Network.  I have only seen the value and not asked about sales.  I am not a principal in DVN.
> 
> ...



She says she is not in sales and not a principle. The simple thing to do would be to say I have nothing to do with DVN. She did not say that because.........


----------



## Margariet (Jul 22, 2011)

The whole thing is hysterical ridiculous and funny to me. A person called Donita or a TS exchange company makes one of the most unprofessional websites I've ever seen. Tells us how much membership and fees cost, and boy, do they cost a lot! But here comes the ridiculous part: she/he/it has nothing to offer ! No exhanges, no weeks, no iventory, nothing! And we have to defend her? Please, we can all be kind and civilized but like I said: do come back when you have a decent website and a decent product. With RCI and II we know what we've got. There are lots of members and lots of weeks. Why the hell would we pay to an unknown person or company called Donita or Dream Vacations or whatever when they have nothing to offer? I've checked this DV company out which even has the most high fees I've ever seen but that doesn't look trusthworthy and professional at all. It's a shame and I cant't understand why therre are people here who defend these so called exchange companies. I don't care at all if this Donita person was so good at her job. We alle have our Donita's working in all sorts of companies or branches but that doesn't make them a good TS or travelcompany! Looks like some people are in desperate need of money.


----------



## heathpack (Jul 22, 2011)

Numismatist said:


> Part of the issue is the veiled threats of slander and libel, the other part of it is the not-so-veiled and frankly blatant advertising she's trying to do.
> 
> I can't speak to the whole $9,000 issue as I haven't looked into that part.
> 
> So, (1) as a member or a potential company representative, don't threaten, and (2) TUGs basic stance towards 'salespeople' is well established; therefore, what would one expect when one comes in and tries to 'sell' in a thread on TUG?  Clearly, she does not seem to be acting as a member but more of a salesperson.  I, for one, come here for a respite from the sales crap.



Ok, she says she is working with the Dream Vacation Network, I think most of us agree that it seems very unlikely that will be worth anything remotely arrpoaching the value they charge for their enrollment fee.  Scam? Maybe.  Overpriced bad value, almost certainly?  Totally fine for TUGgers to make that judgement and suspect Donita's judgement for endorsing them.

I thought the libel comment was ill-advised, but I did not find it threatening, or if a threat, completely hollow.  It's simply absurd to state that people can't criticize an over-priced (possible scam) service.  Ok, another negative for Donita.

Selling services?  She put a link to her website and said to call her.  She's not supposed to do that, she should read the rules before she posted.  The link has been removed and she has not been back.  That problem has been solved, yes another negative mark.

But what if, after seeing these negatives and fully understanding them, I as a TUG member look also at the fact that others have respected her in the past and therefore I still want to know what the service will be?  I totally get it that you do not, but you could just not read the posts on this subject.  Or you could jump in an comment on the negatives.

All I am saying is that your (and others') determination to drive her off denies me the ability to hear what she says.  I will likely have to go to the other TS forum to get that now and I like it here better.  So I respect your position, but if you could tone it down, maybe I could get what I need and you could get what you need.

Again, just my perspective.  I don't necessarily disagree with your conclusions, just with the way you are going about things.  I'd rather be able to hear and learn over shutting her down before we know much of anything.

H


----------



## heathpack (Jul 22, 2011)

Margariet said:


> And we have to defend her? QUOTE]
> 
> No one suggested you defend her.  Just let her speak, critique what she actually says.
> 
> ...


----------



## Numismatist (Jul 22, 2011)

heathpack said:


> Ok, she says she is working with the Dream Vacation Network, I think most of us agree that it seems very unlikely that will be worth anything remotely arrpoaching the value they charge for their enrollment fee.  Scam? Maybe.  Overpriced bad value, almost certainly?  Totally fine for TUGgers to make that judgement and suspect Donita's judgement for endorsing them.
> 
> I thought the libel comment was ill-advised, but I did not find it threatening, or if a threat, completely hollow.  It's simply absurd to state that people can't criticize an over-priced (possible scam) service.  Ok, another negative for Donita.
> 
> ...



OK, but I'm not a moderator and I can't shut her down.  I can only state how I feel about it, just as others state they feel positively about her.  Democracy in action.  It's good to her both sides, just like when you read Tripadvisor comments about a resort, there are good ones and ones that did not like the resort.

Here you have good comments about this and comments not so good.  Then you get to decide for yourself.  It's a forum, that's how it works.

You take issue with how I'm going about things, I'm merely taking issue with how Donita is going about things.

She presented herself in a certain fashion, and is being greeted with the result of that fashion.  Had she presented herself differently, she may have received a different result.  TUG exists because of so much skepticism about the timeshare industry, it is through this lens that we all see things.  Her posts have not done anything to alleviate my skepticism.


----------



## tombo (Jul 22, 2011)

heathpack said:


> Margariet said:
> 
> 
> > And we have to defend her? QUOTE]
> ...


----------



## Carolinian (Jul 22, 2011)

Donita's years in timesharing with her own company, Donita's Vacations Unlimited, and then in what was originally a joint venture called Donita's Dial an Exchange, and then as a consultant to DAE North America, is where most longtime Tuggers know her from.  Scroll back on the Ask DAE board and look at the positive references to Donita there, for example. Now we have some short to medium term members who were either not active on TUG when Donita was active in exchanging or had only a very brief overlap, who want to jump down her throat over a seperate company that she obviously had some unknown relationship with during her covenant to not compete period.  That is not the company that she is using for her exchange services but some want to distort the situation and make it appear that it is.  Part of the little band of RCI cheerleaders seems to be in the thick of it.

This Dream Vacation Network is not something I would ever join or recommend anyone else to join, but I am well aware of Donita's past work in exchanging and the value she can offer. Donitas Vacations Unlimited is a different critter altogether. The longtimers at TUG know Donita's character and abilities even if a few short and medium timers want to barbeque her for whatever reason.


----------



## heathpack (Jul 22, 2011)

Numismatist said:


> OK, but I'm not a moderator and I can't shut her down.  I can only state how I feel about it, just as others state they feel positively about her.  Democracy in action.  It's good to her both sides, just like when you read Tripadvisor comments about a resort, there are good ones and ones that did not like the resort.
> 
> Here you have good comments about this and comments not so good.  Then you get to decide for yourself.  It's a forum, that's how it works.
> 
> ...



I'm sorry, Democracy is not shouting someone down before they have a chance to fully articulate what they need to say.

A forum should be about discussion, not stopping discussion.  Yes, many internet forums are about piling on abuse until someone who is not liked leaves, but those are the lousy forums.  TUG is way better than that.

I understand that you think Donita is lousy and you want her gone.  You say you cannot shut her down only the mods can.  But you and others can make her go away by piling on abuse.  I would bet you have already made her go away.

I am just pointing out that you wanting her gone does not mean that everyone wanted her gone and that maybe you should take that into consideration.  If you respect my desire to hear what she says, you get in return a better more useful board- I stick around, I contribute, and so do many other reasonable people.  If TUG becomes a place where people get shouted down and run off, many will leave.  Just food for thought when you consider how to respond in a situation like this.

H


----------



## Numismatist (Jul 22, 2011)

heathpack said:


> I'm sorry, Democracy is not shouting someone down before they have a chance to fully articulate what they need to say.
> 
> A forum should be about discussion, not stopping discussion.  Yes, many internet forums are about piling on abuse until someone who is not liked leaves, but those are the lousy forums.  TUG is way better than that.
> 
> ...



I never said I want her gone.  I never said she's lousy.  I don't like her veiled threats to members considering she's trying to sell herself and that other company.  It makes a very bad impression coming from someone who is trying to get me to use her services.  That's my one critique.  I also did not like the idea of a 'member' using a thread to promote a business (which is against TUG rules) especially without attaining the TUG moderators permission to do so first.

These are my only issues.  As I said, I know nothing of the other company or the $9,000 fee issue mentioned here.  I'm well aware of the previous positive comments about Donita in past threads.

I'm commenting on how this recent re-introduction felt to me - a potential customer in her eyes.


----------



## heathpack (Jul 22, 2011)

Numismatist said:


> I never said I want her gone.  I never said she's lousy.  I don't like her veiled threats to members considering she's trying to sell herself and that other company.  It makes a very bad impression coming from someone who is trying to get me to use her services.  That's my one critique.  I also did not like the idea of a 'member' using a thread to promote a business (which is against TUG rules) especially without attaining the TUG moderators permission to do so first.
> 
> These are my only issues.  As I said, I know nothing of the other company or the $9,000 fee issue mentioned here.  I'm well aware of the previous positive comments about Donita in past threads.
> 
> I'm commenting on how this recent re-introduction felt to me - a potential customer in her eyes.



Ok, well, whats done is done.

I totally appreciate your perspective and I am not saying what you think is wrong.

I diagree with your methods, but thats life in the forum world.  I've said what I felt needed saying and will stop commenting further- not that I feel like I couldn't or shouldn't, just that there's nothing different to say.

Cheers,
H


----------



## Margariet (Jul 22, 2011)

I really don't care if this person called Donita was a good employee in an exchange company. We all know these people. They are great in their profession but they can be the worst managers or accountants. And it doesn't make them professional companies. It doesn't make a difference whether we know her or not or whether we are long term members or not. Her PR and marketing for her new organiazation is until now very bad. She doesn't make a good impression.


----------



## Carolinian (Jul 22, 2011)

I can understand your not picking up this point as you are rather new here, but Donita Cilch was not just a good employee of an exchange company, she OWNED an exchange company for many years, and then was in senior managment of DAE North America after she sold out to them.



Margariet said:


> I really don't care if this person called Donita was a good employee in an exchange company. We all know these people. They are great in their profession but they can be the worst managers or accountants. And it doesn't make them professional companies. It doesn't make a difference whether we know her or not or whether we are long term members or not. Her PR and marketing for her new organiazation is until now very bad. She doesn't make a good impression.


----------



## DeniseM (Jul 22, 2011)

donita said:


> *I am also working with a great new program called Dream Vacation Network.* It really took my breathe away when I first saw it. It offers so many options that are lacking in other programs. I have always wanted you the timeshare owner to be able get the most out of your ownership as I have always felt the timeshare was the very best way to vacation.



How do you interpret Donita's quote in red?  She's promoting her new website, and then she says she is "working" with Dream Vacation Network.

When I asked her about DVN, this is how she responded:



> That is a question that I would not be able to answer as I am not in sales. It is question that should be asked of the people at Dream Vacation Network. I have only seen the value and not asked about sales. I am not a principal in DVN.



Do you notice that she said she's "not in sales" and "not a principal" but did not say that she is not working with them in some capacity...

This is my guess - Donita came to TUG, after a long absence, and immediately promoted Dream Vacation Network with over the top praise.  My guess is that she was considering getting involved with DVN, or maybe already is, and was dismayed to find out that DVN has already been discussed on TUG and dismissed on TUG.

If she's not thinking about selling this product, or per her own words "working with a great new program," then I can't understand the statements she made about it, and her extreme defensiveness.

Since she was a consultant for DAE, maybe she is a consultant for DVN.

Again, just a theory - YMMV!


----------



## Zib (Jul 22, 2011)

*Wow!  How mean and judgemental can some people be before they even KNOW?*

I don't often participate on the Tug board but this is about the meanest thread I've ever seen!  I'm not on either side but I think most are very unfair to say so many nasty things (even called her a SCAM???) I doubt it!  Why not give her a chance and wait and see?  It doesn't seem that any of her critics have actually ever had any contact or dealings with her.  Not one I can find that can tell us of ACTUAL experience with her!  Where are you???  Most of you are just stating what you think, not what you actually KNOW from first hand experience with her!  I'm surprised this thread is let to go on.  It's sounds mean and nasty!!!  Sorry, I just couldn't help responding.........


----------



## billymach4 (Jul 23, 2011)

*Yes Give her a chance here!*

In reading Donita's posting I don't perceive any self less advertising. She just stated a few facts. You folks are all over her like "white on rice". 

I have seen the TS Today article, and the comparison chart long before her discussion her. 

We have seen many shills and scammers here, and will continue to see the scam characters until the end of time. I am usually a cynic as well. 

But please give this person the benefit of the doubt. 

I have nothing to lose or gain here either.


----------



## MuranoJo (Jul 23, 2011)

tombo said:


> For $7999 I will guarantee TUGGERS an exchange to any timeshare they want and save them over $1000 from the $9000 DVN membership fees. I will only guarantee you one trade, but that is probably one more exchange than you will ever get from DVN.



Note my post only mentioned that Donita at one time had a good reputation on this board.  I never claimed to have information on her true connection to DVN--and I'm not sure anyone does, so why this response?

Some of these threads feel like going back to grade school.  Recess is out and here come the bullies.


----------



## cbm32 (Jul 23, 2011)

I have been lied to often enough by timeshare sales reps to not be fond of them in the least.  I have also had them be rude to the max when they realized I was really NOT going to buy.  Two of the lies were good enough they actually got me to buy a contract (in both cases I kept going up the food chain until I got ahold of someone that would cancel the contract and return my money even though it was well after the recision perioid.  This was Wyndham by the way and I had to directly contact a VP in order to get the job done but at least it got done).

With all that said, I fail to see where Donita (and other than talking to her on the phone one time many years ago when she was at DAE I have had no contact with her) has done much of anything out of line here.  

I have seen her say that the options offered by DVN make it the most versital she has seen and that she believes it will be a good program for timeshare owners.  I did NOT see her really say that was or was not worth 9K.

I believe I saw on her webpage that she would be working "with" DVN when her new company is up and running.  WITH, not for.  I take that to mean that they will be one of the contacts that she utilizes at times to meet the needs of her clients.  Nothing more.

She did point out that people need to be careful  of what they post online.  Some apparently took that as a threat.  Being a member of another board that just settled a law suit over something that someone posted on their board about someone else, I think that might be pretty good advice.  I am NOT threatening anyone by making that statement.  I just know how much the owner of the other board spent defending that suit and that there WAS a settlement, the case was not just dropped.


----------



## shar (Jul 23, 2011)

I have been a member of Tug since 1997. When I joined one of the alternatives to using RCI was Donita's. She owned the company. There were many good references to her at that time. As I remember she was the one mentioned most often as an alternative. At some point she sold to Dial an Exchange and apparently worked or consulted with them. I never used Donita's but I have used DAE and they do a great job in my opinion. The only problem with DAE is they do not have the inventory in U.S. that RCI offers.

At this point give the lady a chance. Wait until her website is up and see what she has to offer. She should list and pay fees as any other vendor.  All this "guess work" on everyone's part does not make it true. Her non compete may have not allowed her to work on a website prior to this time.

She had a good reputation on TUG in the past. Lets see what she offers. Everyone can decide to take advantage of it or not.    

She is right about being careful what you say on the internet. It was not a threat. It was a statement.   

Shar


----------



## tombo (Jul 23, 2011)

A post on another thread was started by a guest who was talked into spending $9000 to join DVN. He was asking for advice. If ANYONE HERE feels like his $9000 investment in a new travel venture was money well spent, please feel free to state your reasons and advise him to join. 

Tuggers posted for him to rescind which is the only realistic option IMO. I wouldn't pay $9000 personally and would advise any family member, friend,or stranger to not throw their money away on an unproven venture. Redweek tried to start a new exchange company with 1000's of exisiting members and failed. The outlook for DVN is bleak IMO.

Donita came on that TUG and posted 7 total posts about 2 topics, both of which relate to her personal business. 

One topic was to promote and list her web site for her new company. It is not allowed per TUG rules. She wanted free advertising but her links were deleted as they should have been. Once she could no longer promote her personal agenda she had no desire to post here. 

Her other topic was DEFENDING a company called DVN which she is by her own admission working with. Can you say personal bias? She destroyed ALL of her objective credibility IMO when she said that this untested, untried, brand new upstart company was the BEST TRAVEL COMPANY SHE HAS EVER SEEN IN ALL OF HER YEARS. Not RCI, II, DAE, SFX, VRI, Wyndham, Bluegreen, etc, etc, etc. Donita said DVN with a $9000 enrollment fee and a zero track record is the best she has ever seen. When asked what could possibly make it worth a $9000 fee she had no response. 

Best company ever but no details about why it is so wonderful when asked for specifics? You would think a list of reasons it is so wonderful would be easy to detail with her years of experience. How about listing advantages DVN offers over current choices. Nahh. No details offered, just trust me I am experienced and well known. So was Bernie Madoff.. 

If some here feel that Donita's wholehearted endorsement of a ridiculously expensive travel company should be blindly accepted as fact, good for you. If some here want to join DVN for $9000 and report back on their great trades over the next few years, go for it. However if Donita wants to say that this is the best company ever she needs to IMO bring some facts to back up her assertion if she expects anyone to agree.

DVN is in my opinion a rip off and will probably fold within a year or two. This is simply my opinion and I have the right to state it. Donita and everyone else has the right to state theirs.  Feel free to disagree with me. I will not take my ball and go home. Of course I am not here promoting my personal business and defending my business partners. I am simply posting my opinions with nothing to gain or lose financially.


----------



## Patri (Jul 23, 2011)

Don't both companies have the initials DVN? I find that strange. Why would you choose the same?


----------



## heathpack (Jul 23, 2011)

Patri said:


> Don't both companies have the initials DVN? I find that strange. Why would you choose the same?



No.  One is Donita's Vacations Unlimited = DVU

The other is Dream Vacation Network = DVN

H


----------



## tombo (Jul 23, 2011)

PS. I have no knowledge of Edge of the World Vacations or 
Charles R Wilson, but they are listed with Donita's Vacations Unlimited on her web site as I assume a partner. 

There is a previous thread here on TUG from February 2010 where a guest complained about Charles Wilson if any are interested. 


Lady Rita said:


> I am new to this site and see that there could be a problem with
> Mr. Charles Wilson of Edge of the World Vacations.    I paid Mr Wilson $895.00 when joining Dae which is a free travel exchange program.  He was to transfer a timeshare from me to someone else to avoid me paying maintenance fees for 2010.I am retired and on a budget.  He did not make the transaction.  From July - Dec he did nothing for the $895.00, and I had to pay the maintenance fees on the timeshare that he did not follow through on.  I do not know if Donita is aware of who she is associated with.





Lady Rita said:


> Be careful.  I paid for services that I did not receive from Mr. Wilson.  He willnot refund my money.  I will be reporting him to any and all consumer agencies.


----------



## Judy (Aug 3, 2011)

tombo said:


> Carolinian is the only person on this whole thread who sees any value in Donita.


No he isn't.  OK, you're technically right in not counting me.  I've been away from TUG for a while.

I used to work with Donita at Donita's Vacations Unlimited.  I always had good experiences.  She gave personal attention to my requests and found me several exchanges I wanted.  I've really missed her since Donita's Vacations Unlimited was bought out by DAE.


----------



## cbm32 (Aug 3, 2011)

I have not signed up with her but probably will.  I emailed her and got some clarification on what it costs to get started with her.  

$25.00 sign up fee and after that you just pay for exchanges.

For 25 bucks I will test drive it and see if it handles well.


----------



## BocaBum99 (Aug 3, 2011)

This is one of the worst company introductions I have ever seen.   I know that Donita has a good reputation with some when she was at DAE.  I have never been impressed with DAE.  They seemed to have good customer service.  I just thought they had a terrible business model.  When I got here, they had an anything to anything business model.  I described what would happen in such a model and time has proven my predictions to be correct.

I believe that Donita through her relationships can get inventory.  I know the industry.  Without having done any research on DVN, they sound like the very typical Vacation Club.  They bill themselves as the anti-timeshare.  They get members and then they offer them discount weeks they get from other wholesalers.  I deal with a lot of those Vacation Clubs.  They buy weeks from me.  If this is what they do, then the $9000 is just the starting point of the negotiation.  They really only want between $1000-2000 upfront membership fees and then they offer members discount weeks.

If you have contacts, you can get the same such weeks for the same price without having to pay the upfront fees.  

I think that Donita may have thought that TUG was filled with people who were her friends.  Probably a clubby bunch of old week for week exchangers who love the way it was done in the last milennium.  Well, those days are over.  Times have changed.  Older timers in the industry either change with the times or wither away with the old.

I believe Donita will establish herself again just as a service provider.  She seemed to have a good client base in the past.  However, this thread will be a set back.


----------



## Carolinian (Aug 4, 2011)

It might educate some of the detractors if they would go to the Ask DAE board and look at the posts there over time about Donita.


----------



## DeniseM (Aug 4, 2011)

Carolinian - I don't know Donita, but I was quite surprised that the first thing she did when she came back to TUG was to promote a vacation club with a $9,000 enrollment fee, and then became quite hostile, and elusive, when people asked questions about the club.  She may have a wonderful reputation and be a great person, but the way she returned to TUG was a big mistake on her part.  YMMV


----------



## Margariet (Aug 4, 2011)

DeniseM said:


> Carolinian - I don't know Donita, but I was quite surprised that the first thing she did when she came back to TUG was to promote a vacation club with a $9,000 enrollment fee, and then became quite hostile, and elusive, when people asked questions about the club.  She may have a wonderful reputation and be a great person, but the way she returned to TUG was a big mistake on her part.  YMMV



Right! Well said! What matters is today and tomorrow - not the past.


----------



## BocaBum99 (Aug 4, 2011)

Margariet said:


> Right! Well said! What matters is today and tomorrow - not the past.



Unless you are stuck in the past.


----------



## Carolinian (Aug 4, 2011)

Margariet said:


> Right! Well said! What matters is today and tomorrow - not the past.



What matters when one is considering a new/old exchange company is the record of the head of that exchange company in the exchanging business, not some vague association with a different type of company that she may have had during the non-compete period.

Should we hold screwups by Cendant / Wyndham in their hotel business against the exchange company they own, RCI, in the exchange business?


----------



## DeniseM (Aug 4, 2011)

Carolinian - have you read all of her recent posts? - With her first 4-5 posts Donita clearly promoted a vacation club in GLOWING terms, and stated that she was "working with them."  That vacation club was the focus of most of the posts.  Then she got angry and hostile and said she would never post again - it was a major PR mistake on her part.

Why shouldn't she be accountable for that?  

Quite frankly, if a newbie did that, they would have immediately been banned as a spammer.  She was given a LOT of lee-way because of her previous reputation on TUG.


----------



## Steve@BWV (Aug 4, 2011)

It looks as if Donita has been back for sometime.  

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115550

Also, the Dream Vacation Network (DVN) website hosted by google sites is now shut down from public view.


----------



## Carolinian (Aug 5, 2011)

Not as an exchange company.  The original announcement when DAE bought her out said that Donita's Vacations Unlimited would remain a seperate entity owned by Donita and would work in other areas, travel agency being one if I recall correctly.  Apparently the non-compete allowed her to do some things in timesharing but not running an exchange company.  Now that the non-compete is over, she is back in the exchange business.

And, yes, I have joined her exchange program.




Steve@BWV said:


> It looks as if Donita has been back for sometime.
> 
> http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115550
> 
> Also, the Dream Vacation Network (DVN) website hosted by google sites is now shut down from public view.


----------



## Margariet (Aug 5, 2011)

Carolinian said:


> Not as an exchange company.  The original announcement when DAE bought her out said that Donita's Vacations Unlimited would remain a seperate entity owned by Donita and would work in other areas, travel agency being one if I recall correctly.  Apparently the non-compete allowed her to do some things in timesharing but not running an exchange company.  Now that the non-compete is over, she is back in the exchange business.
> 
> And, yes, I have joined her exchange program.



How much did you pay to join and where did you pay for? I assume you have read her program and terms and conditions and have seen her inventory? Can you post a link to the program?


----------



## Steve@BWV (Aug 5, 2011)

Carolinian said:


> Not as an exchange company.



The information in the thread started in February of 2010 is exactly what is listed on donitas site today.  I can not see how you could claim a difference.  

With the timeshare industry flush with fraudulent service providers I would recommend any potential customer exercise due diligence.   I my opinion, a website that has grammatical errors in its context for over at least a year and a half and the rest of the site "under construction" does not bode for the companies credibility.  A "recommendation" from a faceless anonymous poster does not over ride that skepticism. 

Also, the Dream Vacation Network (DVN) website was hosted on google sites free web hosting service.  This site has been locked since the discussion began here a few days ago.  I am guessing this is not a coincidence.  

I am new to the timshare industry having purchased my week ~2 years ago.  I have no experience with these individuals or companies.  From what I have seen I plan on avoiding them in the future.


----------



## Carolinian (Aug 5, 2011)

As you yourself point out, the new website is obviously not up yet.  The new information is in _Timesharing Today_ magazine.  If you are a subscriber, you may want to check it out.  If not, it is a great publication, and you should think about subscribing.  Having dealt with her before, I know her credibility, so I don't need to look at a website for that.



Steve@BWV said:


> The information in the thread started in February of 2010 is exactly what is listed on donitas site today.  I can not see how you could claim a difference.
> 
> With the timeshare industry flush with fraudulent service providers I would recommend any potential customer exercise due diligence.   I my opinion, a website that has grammatical errors in its context for over at least a year and a half and the rest of the site "under construction" does not bode for the companies credibility.  A "recommendation" from a faceless anonymous poster does not over ride that skepticism.
> 
> ...


----------



## Carolinian (Aug 5, 2011)

I dropped a check in the mail for the $25 annual dues to the address shown in _Timesharing Today_ magazine for Donitas Vacations Unlimited.  I have read the terms in the Comparision Chart of Exchange Companies in the July/August edition of _Timesharing Today_.  If you are a subscriber, you can go online to that article.  If not, I cannot post a link to it.  From my personal experience of her being able to source what I am looking for from her trading partners, I did not ask to look at her inventory.  She has gotten me some really good weeks in Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.




Margariet said:


> How much did you pay to join and where did you pay for? I assume you have read her program and terms and conditions and have seen her inventory? Can you post a link to the program?


----------



## BocaBum99 (Aug 5, 2011)

Carolinian said:


> I dropped a check in the mail for the $25 annual dues to the address shown in _Timesharing Today_ magazine for Donitas Vacations Unlimited.  I have read the terms in the Comparision Chart of Exchange Companies in the July/August edition of _Timesharing Today_.  If you are a subscriber, you can go online to that article.  If not, I cannot post a link to it.  From my personal experience of her being able to source what I am looking for from her trading partners, I did not ask to look at her inventory.  She has gotten me some really good weeks in Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.



Now that you are shilling her company, I am sure you will continue to get good trades.


----------



## Ridewithme38 (Aug 5, 2011)

edited, didn't work

http://www.tstoday.com/members/magazine/issue118/28-29-comp chart.pdf


----------



## Carolinian (Aug 5, 2011)

BocaBum99 said:


> Now that you are shilling her company, I am sure you will continue to get good trades.



I got good trades from her when she was at DAE, and that is why I am joining her new company.  It goes into the mix with DAE and SFX, and probably I will add UKRE as well.  Defending against vicious attacks is hardly shilling.  Again, do look at those old threads on the Ask DAE board about Donita.  Were those people shilling?  After I moved to Europe, I kept my DAE account initially with the US office, specifically because of the great servive I got from Donita, and when she left, I siwtched it almost immediately to the UK, where I should have been as soon as I moved.  I have gotten good service from the UK DAE office,  too, since I have been exchanging through them.

When one compares levels of honesty, Donita is head and shoulders above, say, RCI, which has repeatedly lied to its members about important aspects of its exchange system like the fact that RCI was renting prime exchange deposits to the general public.


----------



## BocaBum99 (Aug 5, 2011)

Carolinian said:


> I got good trades from her when she was at DAE, and that is why I am joining her new company.  It goes into the mix with DAE and SFX, and probably I will add UKRE as well.  Defending against vicious attacks is hardly shilling.  Again, do look at those old threads on the Ask DAE board about Donita.  Were those people shilling?  After I moved to Europe, I kept my DAE account initially with the US office, specifically because of the great servive I got from Donita, and when she left, I siwtched it almost immediately to the UK, where I should have been as soon as I moved.  I have gotten good service from the UK DAE office,  too, since I have been exchanging through them.
> 
> When one compares levels of honesty, Donita is head and shoulders above, say, RCI, which has repeatedly lied to its members about important aspects of its exchange system like the fact that RCI was renting prime exchange deposits to the general public.



I believe that most newbies would not agree with you after reading this thread.  Donita established her own lack of credility on this thread.  You just choose to defend her because you hate RCI.


----------



## cbm32 (Aug 5, 2011)

Hmmmm.  I do not hate RCI.  I use RCI frequently for exchanges and even more frequently for Last Call vacations.

I have never really done business with Donita, although I did speak to her on the phone a couple of times when she was at DAE, and I was well aware of her reputation back then.

I have read every post in this thread.

I dont see any real good reason for the vitriol aimed at her and also at Carolinian.

For $25 I will give Donita a go based on her past reputation.

In this thread people have implied things that she did not say and taken a statement of fact as a threat.

Saying that she had seen the way a new company laid out their program and finding it to be the best concept she had seen in the industry does not necessarily imply that she or anyone else should pay 9K for it.

Stating that one has to be careful what they say on these boards because they CAN be sued for their statements is a fact.  I have seen it happen on another board and, although the settlement was small, there WAS a settlement and defending themselves was NOT cheap.

A little restraint and civility goes a long way.


----------



## travelguy (Aug 6, 2011)

cbm32 said:


> Hmmmm.  I do not hate RCI.  I use RCI frequently for exchanges and even more frequently for Last Call vacations.
> 
> I have never really done business with Donita, although I did speak to her on the phone a couple of times when she was at DAE, and I was well aware of her reputation back then.
> 
> ...



Hmmmm ... if you did "_read every post in this thread_" them you would know that there is ANOTHER thread in which Donita makes some pretty self-damaging statements, IMO.  

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150840 (Post #8 of this thread)

Donita also appears to share your view on internet law and even has the same threatening tone about it....


----------



## BocaBum99 (Aug 6, 2011)

cbm32 said:


> Hmmmm.  I do not hate RCI.  I use RCI frequently for exchanges and even more frequently for Last Call vacations.



Nobody said or suggested you hate RCI.  I said Carolinian does.  He has spent thousands of pages of posts bashing RCI and promoting companies like DAE and Donita.  It turns out that Donita and DAE aren't that great either.  

The bottom line is that she promotes and supports DVN and she has not followed up with a good explanation of why she supports a company that most on this board thinks is a scam.  My guess is there is a financial relationship that encourages her to support it.

If she can explain why DVN is legit and everyone else here is wrong, I would respect her knowledge and change my view.  But, I will not be holding my breath.



cbm32 said:


> I have never really done business with Donita, although I did speak to her on the phone a couple of times when she was at DAE, and I was well aware of her reputation back then.



Most oldtimers acknowledge that she had a good reputation.  Others are now re-evaluating her integrity based on her posts on these threads regarding DVN.



cbm32 said:


> I have read every post in this thread.
> 
> I dont see any real good reason for the vitriol aimed at her and also at Carolinian.



You need to read more than just the posts in this thread to understand fully the push back.



cbm32 said:


> For $25 I will give Donita a go based on her past reputation.



So, you are not impressed with her performance here.


----------



## cbm32 (Aug 6, 2011)

See Travelguy.....that is a prime example.  You interpret my "tone" in an online post as being threatening.  I didnt threaten anyone and how the heck you pick up "tone" from my post is beyond me.  Looks like you are reading something into it that just isnt there.

I stated some facts.  That another board was caught up in litigation over something that someone posted on it.  It was NOT the owner of the board and was not even a moderator of the board.  Just a member making some statements that upset the person being talked about and the BOARD was sued over it.  In the end there was a small settlement but defending the suit was NOT a cheap matter.  Many members of that board contributed to a defense fund and held fundraisers to further build the defense war chest.  If they had not, that board would have in all liklihood ceased to exist as the owner could not have managed to pay the cost of defnending against the suit on his own.

That is a fact.  Not a threat.  A word of caution at most.

Boca....I did not mean to imply that you said I hated RCI...only that I dont and so that is NOT the angle I approach all of this from.

Again, I have seen Donita indicate that she was blown away by the program...not that she thought it was worth 9K.  She believes the people involved to be honest, many people are honest and yet still greedy and charge more for a service than is is really worth (they of course are probably convinced it is a good deal, that does not make it so).

Would I sign up with DVN?  Not for 9K.  No way in heck.  Probably not for 1K.  I am a cheap dude and just wouldnt do that.  But there are many many things I do not sign up for because I do not think it is worth the money, that doesnt make those things scams.  Just not for me is all.


----------



## DeniseM (Aug 6, 2011)

cbm32 said:


> Again, I have seen Donita indicate that she was blown away by the program...not that she thought it was worth 9K.  She believes the people involved to be honest, many people are honest and yet still greedy and charge more for a service than is is really worth (they of course are probably convinced it is a good deal, that does not make it so).



You are missing the most important point - that is not actually what Donita said - She clearly stated *"I am also working with a great new program called Dream Vacation Network."  * 

Her defenders in this thread are carefully side-stepping this point.  Donita side-stepped it too.  She announced her affiliation with this company in  glowing terms - but then refused to talk about it, and indeed, became quite hostile.

Saying - "I just found out about this product and it looks great," and saying "I am *working with them*," are two completely different things.

If you come to TUG and promote a product that you are selling or promoting, you better be prepared to defend it, or lose all credibility.


----------



## Carolinian (Aug 6, 2011)

Since there is nothing to indicate that she is currently involved with DVN, which like any other travel club or points system, I would not touch with a ten foot pole, or even that she had any significant involvement with them at some point in the past, this has no real relevence to her new / old exchange company.  It is a pure matter of guilt by association.

Yeah, some of the usual pro-RCI suspects (not you, but some others on this thread) are trying to make a mountain out of this DVN molehill.  But it all comes down to integrity, and there is nothing to show Donita has lied to members, something her competitor RCI has been caught at again and again and again. There is nothing to show that she is, for instance, renting exchange deposits to the general public on a massive scale and then lying about it to members.




DeniseM said:


> You are missing the most important point - that is not actually what Donita said - She clearly stated *"I am also working with a great new program called Dream Vacation Network."  *
> 
> Her defenders in this thread are carefully side-stepping this point.  Donita side-stepped it too.  She announced her affiliation with this company in  glowing terms - but then refused to talk about it, and indeed, became quite hostile.
> 
> ...


----------



## Margariet (Aug 6, 2011)

Carolinian said:


> pro-RCI suspects



Since when is it a crime to be pro RCI? Many of us are satisfied exchangers, no suspects, I believe.


----------



## Carolinian (Aug 6, 2011)

Margariet said:


> Since when is it a crime to be pro RCI? Many of us are satisfied exchangers, no suspects, I believe.



You might want to read up on their substantial diversion of exchange deposits into their rental to the general public program, which brought them three class action lawsuits.  There is a very long thread on TUG about it.  You might also get ahold of a copy of the special issue of the newsletter of the Seasons timeshare chain where they announced they were jumping ship from RCI to II over both the rentals and the unfair (to Weeks) relationship between Weeks and Points at RCI.  That explains those twin problems pretty well.


----------



## travelguy (Aug 6, 2011)

cbm32 said:


> See Travelguy.....that is a prime example.  You interpret my "tone" in an online post as being threatening.  I didnt threaten anyone and how the heck you pick up "tone" from my post is beyond me.  Looks like you are reading something into it that just isnt there.
> 
> I stated some facts.  That another board was caught up in litigation over something that someone posted on it.  It was NOT the owner of the board and was not even a moderator of the board.  Just a member making some statements that upset the person being talked about and the BOARD was sued over it.  In the end there was a small settlement but defending the suit was NOT a cheap matter.  Many members of that board contributed to a defense fund and held fundraisers to further build the defense war chest.  If they had not, that board would have in all liklihood ceased to exist as the owner could not have managed to pay the cost of defnending against the suit on his own.
> 
> That is a fact.  Not a threat.  A word of caution at most.



 .... and why even bring up the whole issue of litigation unless your objective is to "threaten" those posting negatively about DVN and Donita into silence??

I officially change my interpretation of your tone from "threatening" to "scolding", IMHO. 

_DISCLAIMER -> The above is only the opinion of the poster "Travelguy" and does not represent the opinions of anyone else on this forum, the forum moderators, the forum management, or the universe as a whole.
_


----------



## Numismatist (Aug 6, 2011)

DeniseM said:


> If you come to TUG and promote a product that you are selling or promoting, you better be prepared to defend it, or lose all credibility.



Third option is to issue vague threats of slander and libel against those who oppose your ideas...:annoyed:


----------



## chriskre (Aug 7, 2011)

Time will tell if Donita is worth dealing with or not.   

Looks like anyone needing handholding with their exchanging or trying to go to difficult to exchange into places, will be happy with her services.  For those of us who just want to go to Orlando and the beach, it may be annoying to have to hold a hand.  I'd much rather search online myself.


----------



## ampaholic (Aug 7, 2011)

chriskre said:


> Time will tell if Donita is worth dealing with or not.
> 
> Looks like anyone needing handholding with their exchanging or trying to go to difficult to exchange into places, will be happy with her services.  For those of us who just want to go to Orlando and the beach, it may be annoying to have to hold a hand.  I'd much rather search online myself.



I think that's all well and good - except I am leery about recommending a hand to hold for newbies if that hand might say to the newbie: "Hey, I know of this great program and for only $9000 you can be a part of it ..."

See my dilemma?


----------



## chriskre (Aug 7, 2011)

ampaholic said:


> I think that's all well and good - except I am leery about recommending a hand to hold for newbies if that hand might say to the newbie: "Hey, I know of this great program and for only $9000 you can be a part of it ..."
> 
> See my dilemma?



But I don't think it's $9K to join.  

She's posting on another forum that it's' only $25 to join per year and then $125 for national and $150 for Int'l exchanges.  That's not too unreasonable but I think she should consider free membership initially.  People just love Free.


----------



## ampaholic (Aug 7, 2011)

chriskre said:


> But I don't think it's $9K to join.
> 
> She's posting on another forum that it's' only $25 to join per year and then $125 for national and $150 for Int'l exchanges.  That's not too unreasonable but I think she should consider free membership initially.  People just love Free.



There are two entities Donita is "entwined" with:

1 is DVU - Donita's Vacations Unlimited - to quote Donita: "I charge $25 a year membership, $125 for US & Canada, and $150 for international. I do not charge upgrades for size or season and no extra charge for a guest pass."

2 is DVN - Dream Network Unlimited - this is a bit murky as to Donitas relationship with DVN and exactly what they provide and what they cost.

Donita has been quoted as saying she is working with DVN, and that she is not a principle and not in sales with DVN.

There have been numbers cast about like $995. and $9000 as the cost to join DVN - their website is no help as it is members only - perhaps it sooooo exclusive they use the $9000 cost to keep out the riff raff?

There are some private clubs around that do just that.


----------



## pranas (Aug 8, 2011)

According the the Timeshare Today chart, Donita was with DVU Club until June 13. 2011.  I have not done business with Donita but remember the praise that everyone had for her when she was with DAE. Business partners have falling outs and break-ups all the time.  Why is she not entitled to do the same? As to the initial membership or joining fee, the Timeshare Today article clearly states there is no such fee.

I agree with Steve that Donita's site should be added to TUG's list of exchange companies.  Many of us could benefit from this.


----------



## Zib (Aug 23, 2011)

*Donita's*

At the risk of starting this up all again..........  I had the popportunity to sit in on a presentation for "Dreams Vacations" Travel Club just last week and did so only because reading this thread made me so curious!  I did NOT and will NOT join because we are "old" and at the end of our traveling because of health but I was so curious to confront the the "EVIL" Dreams Vacations! (if it's the same one)  No where was anything mentioned about $9000!!!!  Where did that come from?  Must be a different club.  This one was quite reasonable to join and I can't see where anyone can lose very much money and they seemed to have some very good deals.  O.K. now I know I'm going to be accused of being a (what do you call it?) shill for the company.  I'm NOT!  You can think what you will, but I think most of you don't know what you are talking about!   I've satisfied myself about it and still think you are picking on Donita when you don't really know anything about her.  The people who have ACTUALLY dealt with her in the past all speak well of her.
As far as I can see, all who criticize her have never really dealt with her.
So, just as I attended that presentation thanks to this thread, I think I will try Donita's Vacations and see for myself!


----------



## DeniseM (Aug 23, 2011)

Zib said:


> No where was anything mentioned about $9000!!!!  Where did that come from?



There is an entirely different thread about it - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150840

There has been no criticism and little controversy about Donita's own company - it's her support of Dream Vacation Network that has been questioned.

I believe that Dream Vacations Travel Club is a *different entity* than Dream Vacations Network.  If you do a google search, you will find a dozen companies with "Dream Vacation" in their name.  Can you look at your paperwork and tell use EXACTLY what the name is?

Curious - if you got a different price, why didn't you post it?


----------



## Margariet (Aug 23, 2011)

Zib said:


> At the risk of starting this up all again..........  I had the popportunity to sit in on a presentation for "Dreams Vacations" Travel Club just last week and did so only because reading this thread made me so curious!  I did NOT and will NOT join because we are "old" and at the end of our traveling because of health but I was so curious to confront the the "EVIL" Dreams Vacations! (if it's the same one)  No where was anything mentioned about $9000!!!!  Where did that come from?  Must be a different club.  This one was quite reasonable to join and I can't see where anyone can lose very much money and they seemed to have some very good deals.  O.K. now I know I'm going to be accused of being a (what do you call it?) shill for the company.  I'm NOT!  You can think what you will, but I think most of you don't know what you are talking about!   I've satisfied myself about it and still think you are picking on Donita when you don't really know anything about her.  The people who have ACTUALLY dealt with her in the past all speak well of her.
> As far as I can see, all who criticize her have never really dealt with her.
> So, just as I attended that presentation thanks to this thread, I think I will try Donita's Vacations and see for myself!



This is indeed a mix up of 3 companies/persons: DVN, DV Travel Club and Donita's. We know that DVN asks over $9000.- which the DVN persons never deny. And we know that Donita was defending DVN. You are free to join Donita's club but as far as we know this has nothing to do with the presentation of DV Travel Club which you attended.


----------



## LynnW (Aug 23, 2011)

I am going to give Donita's a try again sometime. When she was with DAE she gave me her direct number and I got my requests confirmed the same day 3 times. She used her contact at the resort. She was always pleasant to talk to.

Lynn


----------



## Margariet (Aug 23, 2011)

LynnW said:


> I am going to give Donita's a try again sometime. When she was with DAE she gave me her direct number and I got my requests confirmed the same day 3 times. She used her contact at the resort. She was always pleasant to talk to.
> 
> Lynn



We'll see. Until now she hasn't shown us much. Her website is still under construction and there's not much activity going on in her little corner on another Timeshareforum where she was invited by Carolinian. She still hasn't answer a question which was asked weeks ago about what inventory she can offer. I'm sorry but I really can't understand anyone who's gonna sign up and pay for an exchange company who doesn't even show us what's in store.   I'm still waiting for the first TUGger who's gonna post his or her exchange with Donita, so we can compare her with the regular exchange companies.


----------



## Zib (Aug 25, 2011)

*Dream Vacations*

Denise,  Sorry, I haven't been home to post again sooner.  I was visiting an out-of-town friend who was having a Dreams Vacation presentation the night I was there so I sat in.  I did not collect any paperwork because I was not interested because, as I said, we are getting up in years and not doing much traveling anymore, except to our timeshare in Mexico where we go every year for a few weeks in the winter.  We love it there!  I really do not remember what the cost was, but I do remember that it wasn't $9000!
More like maybe a couple hundred to join and they did seem to have very good benefits that would be worth it, I thought at the time, but not for us because we wouldn't use it that much.  However, I really CAN NOT say if it would work out the way they said it would.  I'm always skeptical of those sales programs.  But I do think my friend is involved and uses the program so perhaps I could find out more about it from her IF anyone really wants to know about it.  I do remember a flyer on the table that had "World Ventures" on it but they called the program "Dreams Vacation Travel Club"  Does that mean anything to anyone?


----------



## Margariet (Aug 25, 2011)

Zib said:


> Denise,  Sorry, I haven't been home to post again sooner.  I was visiting an out-of-town friend who was having a Dreams Vacation presentation the night I was there so I sat in.  I did not collect any paperwork because I was not interested because, as I said, we are getting up in years and not doing much traveling anymore, except to our timeshare in Mexico where we go every year for a few weeks in the winter.  We love it there!  I really do not remember what the cost was, but I do remember that it wasn't $9000!
> More like maybe a couple hundred to join and they did seem to have very good benefits that would be worth it, I thought at the time, but not for us because we wouldn't use it that much.  However, I really CAN NOT say if it would work out the way they said it would.  I'm always skeptical of those sales programs.  But I do think my friend is involved and uses the program so perhaps I could find out more about it from her IF anyone really wants to know about it.  I do remember a flyer on the table that had "World Ventures" on it but they called the program "Dreams Vacation Travel Club"  Does that mean anything to anyone?



Zib, I already posted (see above) that there is a mix up of 3 companies and nown there is  mix up of 4 companies! Dream Vacation Travel Club is a totally different company than Donita's and DVN. Now you mention World Ventures which is an alltogether totally different club with a marketing and affiliate program which is also represented in my country!  Please, don't mix everything up.


----------



## DeniseM (Aug 25, 2011)

Zib said:


> I do remember a flyer on the table that had "World Ventures" on it but they called the program "Dreams Vacation Travel Club"  Does that mean anything to anyone?



Dream Vacations *Travel Club* is a different entity than Dream Vacations *Network*.


----------



## Margariet (Aug 25, 2011)

DeniseM said:


> Dream Vacations *Travel Club* is a different entity than Dream Vacations *Network*.



And World Ventures is a another different entity !


----------



## Zib (Aug 25, 2011)

Margariet,  O.K. Sorry,  I'm not trying to mix you up.  I only remember a flyer on the table that said "World Ventures"  But the presenter was talking about "Dreams Vacation Travel Club".  I thought they were somehow connected but I wasn't paying attention because I wasn't interested so I didn't get any details.  I guess I shouldn't have posted because I didn't have more accurate information.  Sorry!


----------



## Beefnot (Dec 27, 2011)

*Updates?*

Has anyone who paid and signed up with Donita used her for exchanges?  Has it worked? Is Dream Vacations some sort of mult-level marketing scheme? Does Donita's "working with" Dream Vacations simply mean that they use her for exchanges or is she in a deeper business relationship? Is Donita now a has-been and a fraud? Anything?


----------



## Timeshare Von (Dec 27, 2011)

Beefnot said:


> Has anyone who paid and signed up with Donita used her for exchanges?  Has it worked? Is Dream Vacations some sort of mult-level marketing scheme? Does Donita's "working with" Dream Vacations simply mean that they use her for exchanges or is she in a deeper business relationship? Is Donita now a has-been and a fraud? Anything?



Even more curious is the fact that there's been nothing more from Donita since the intitial couple of responses from her especially as the tit-for-tat back n forth debate stirred.


----------



## presley (Dec 27, 2011)

Beefnot said:


> Has anyone who paid and signed up with Donita used her for exchanges?  Has it worked? Is Dream Vacations some sort of mult-level marketing scheme? Does Donita's "working with" Dream Vacations simply mean that they use her for exchanges or is she in a deeper business relationship? Is Donita now a has-been and a fraud? Anything?





Timeshare Von said:


> Even more curious is the fact that there's been nothing more from Donita since the intitial couple of responses from her especially as the tit-for-tat back n forth debate stirred.



She has a forum area on another TS website.  From what I understand, she is doing exchanges, but is having a hard time getting her website set up.


----------



## csxjohn (Apr 25, 2012)

*I'm glad Donita is back*

I'm a new member of TUG but not new to Timeshares.

I traded with Donita before DAE took over her company and I traded with her while she was working with/for DAE.

She has gone the extra mile to help me get vacations I wanted.  I have joined up with her again now that she's up and operating.  $25.00 is the same as free.

I'm sure it will be a while before she builds up a good inventory but it will happen.  I deposited 3 weeks with her for this year.

Many are critical of her web page but the lack of a slick web site does not mean she doesn't know the timeshare business.

She's currently looking for a week for me that is proving difficult to fill.  How ever II doesn't have what I need either so it's not her, it's the week and occupancy that's the problem.  (July 8, sleeps 5, eastern US)

Welcome back Donita.


----------

