# DRI promo - a good deal?



## njdoofus (Nov 25, 2009)

Got a call last night from Diamond Resorts International offering a four-day, three-night package at my choice of several of their resorts for $148. The deal includes a $75 Visa gift card, plus a bonus three-day, two-night stay at another DRI resort.
We have been trying (no luck so far) to trade into Sedona for summer 2010, and the DRI rep said we would have no problem using the package at Sedona Summit for whatever week we want this summer. We would need a two-bedroom (upgrade $) and would want a couple of extra nights (another upgrade $), so the total costs for six days/five nights would be about $475.
BUT - by spending that $475, we get the $75 Visa card, we don't pay the II exchange fee, we don't use the timeshare week that we were going to trade for a Sedona summer week, and we get the bonus stay, which we can easily use for one of our frequent trips to Williamsburg.
Of course, we have to listen to the sales pitch, but thanks to what I've learned on this board, we know what the end result will be there.  
So, the big question (finally): does anyone see anything wrong with this deal. It seems pretty good to me, but I'm probably missing something.


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## dougp26364 (Nov 25, 2009)

njdoofus said:


> Got a call last night from Diamond Resorts International offering a four-day, three-night package at my choice of several of their resorts for $148. The deal includes a $75 Visa gift card, plus a bonus three-day, two-night stay at another DRI resort.
> We have been trying (no luck so far) to trade into Sedona for summer 2010, and the DRI rep said we would have no problem using the package at Sedona Summit for whatever week we want this summer. We would need a two-bedroom (upgrade $) and would want a couple of extra nights (another upgrade $), so the total costs for six days/five nights would be about $475.
> BUT - by spending that $475, we get the $75 Visa card, we don't pay the II exchange fee, we don't use the timeshare week that we were going to trade for a Sedona summer week, and we get the bonus stay, which we can easily use for one of our frequent trips to Williamsburg.
> Of course, we have to listen to the sales pitch, but thanks to what I've learned on this board, we know what the end result will be there.
> So, the big question (finally): does anyone see anything wrong with this deal. It seems pretty good to me, but I'm probably missing something.



Unless that rep is looking at inventory, he/she can't really say booking any resort won't be a problem. So, IMHO, you'll be taking a chance if you must have a specific resort during a specific time of the year. Especially when that time of the year happens to be a busy family travel time. Essentially, it sounds as if he's promising you anything you want just to get you to sign up.

Now, is the offer a good deal? So long as you don't need a specific resort at a specific time and a specific unit size, yes I think it's a good deal. For a 90 to 120 minute tour you can have your accomadations, the gift card and another two night stay at a DRI resort. They offered us the same deal (without the $175 charge) if we attended a presentation on our next stay. The only difference was the gift card would be $100 if we took the tour on Sunday.


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## dougp26364 (Nov 25, 2009)

*Great Availability online at DRI's website*

FWIW, I just checked online inventory for internal exchanges through DRI's THE Club. There are 2 bedroom units available for DRI members exchange every day of the week from June through August. It doesn't appear that there will be and inventory problem getting a 2 bedroom unit for the summer months of 2010 for Sedona Summit at this time.


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## njdoofus (Nov 25, 2009)

We've had a trade request pending with Interval for a summer 2010 week at Sedona Summit (among others) for a while, but we haven't gotten anywhere. If there is inventory available, I guess our Grande Vista week isn't a strong enough trader.  
One of these days, I'll get this system figured out.
In the meantime, as soon as I get my DRI confirmation info, I'm calling to book my Sedona week. If they say there's no availability, I have 10 day to cancel the package.


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## dougp26364 (Nov 25, 2009)

njdoofus said:


> We've had a trade request pending with Interval for a summer 2010 week at Sedona Summit (among others) for a while, but we haven't gotten anywhere. If there is inventory available, I guess our Grande Vista week isn't a strong enough trader.
> One of these days, I'll get this system figured out.
> In the meantime, as soon as I get my DRI confirmation info, I'm calling to book my Sedona week. If they say there's no availability, I have 10 day to cancel the package.



Not necessarily. DRI has a points based reservation system for many of their weeks. It allows DRI to control what inventory is given to I.I. and what inventory is held for DRI owners to reserve. DRI has contractual obligations as to how many and what type of weeks it releases for exchange but, it might not have to release those weeks until a certain point prior to the check in date. I don't know what DRI's contract states with Inteval but, it wouldn't surprise me if they don't release inventory for Interval exchanges much before 6 or 7 months ahead of the check in date. 

Grand Vista should have more than enough trade power. But even the strongest trade power can't get what hasn't been released to Interval for exchange. I don't believe it's an issue of power so much as in issue of availability. If I.I. doesn't have the invenory, no one can make the exchange.

Now if you REALLY want to get complicated, DRI acutally has THREE different reservations systems. Some owners are members of a trust and DRI has at least three different trusts. DRI also has an internal exchange system called THE Club which is a points based reseravtion system. Finally, DRI has traditional weeks owners who can only stay at their resort or exchange through I.I., RCI, or one of the independant exchange company's that will accept a week at a particular resort. 

DRI inventory can come from essentially three different places with a DRI resort. It can come from a weeks based ownership where the owner is depositing for exchage. It can come from the trust manager of a DRI trust making deposits according to the contract with I.I. It can also come from inventory in THE Club, which should include every resort in the DRI collection including resorts that are only affiliated with DRI and not directly managed by them.


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## njdoofus (Nov 25, 2009)

Thanks for all that info - head is spinning a little. I'm leaning toward doing this if we can get the 2-bedroom unit we want in the week we want. (Shouldn't be a problem, according to the sales rep :hysterical: )
We'll use our Grande Vista week for something else.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Nov 25, 2009)

dougp26364 said:


> DRI inventory can come from essentially three different places with a DRI resort.



Doug - don't you mean: _"*II* inventory can come from essentially three different places with a DRI resort"_?


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## Bill4728 (Nov 25, 2009)

> Originally Posted by dougp26364
> DRI inventory can come from essentially three different places with a DRI resort.





T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Doug - don't you mean: _"*II* inventory can come from essentially three different places with a DRI resort"_?


I don't think so, Doug was explaining that there are 3 kinds of owners at DRI, Club owners, Trust owners (not in the club) and weeks owners (not in the club).
3 kinds of owners, 3 kinds of inventory.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Nov 25, 2009)

Bill4728 said:


> I don't think so, Doug was explaining that there are 3 kinds of owners at DRI, Club owners, Trust owners (not in the club) and weeks owners (not in the club).
> 3 kinds of owners, 3 kinds of inventory.


Understood - but if I understand Doug's post, Doug was describing how inventory from a DRI resort gets into II.

Doug said that DRI inventory at a given resort can come from three different sources.  But that is not true.  At a given resort, there is only one way that DRI inventory is generated, and that is through weeks that have been added to the club.  Weeks that are not part of the Club are either trust inventory or deeded owner inventory, not DRI inventory. DRI has no rights at all with regard to any weeks that are not in the Club.

*****

It is correct to say that there can be three types of inventory at a DRI resort.  But there is only one source of inventory controlled by DRI at a DRI resort, and that is through the Club, when the owner of that inventory surrenders their rights to the Club.

But there are three ways that inventory from a DRI resort can reach II, one way for each of the three types of owners.


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## dougp26364 (Nov 25, 2009)

Yes, I meant that I.I. inventory comes from three different sources; DRI trusts, THE Club and regular deeded weeks owners. Each probably has it's own criteria for when it deposits inventory. Deeded weeks owners will deposit anytime during the year. I suspect that weeks in THE Club have some sort of contractual agreement as to what and when it's given to DRI and I'm sure that the DRI trust managers also follow some sort of timeline, giving trust members a fair shot at the weeks they want first. 

If you want to complicate matters further, some DRI trust weeks are also in THE Club, which would mean that there is likely two different dates for DRI trust deposits and THE Club deposits into I.I. inventory.


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## njdoofus (Dec 11, 2009)

*Got July 4 week*

Well, we went ahead and did this. We were able to book a two-bedroom unit for the July 4 week. Paid a little extra to upgrade to two bedrooms and extend the stay, but so far, it seems like a good deal, especially since we were trying to trade for Sedona this summer anyway. Now we can use our trade week for another trip.


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## nightnurse613 (Dec 11, 2009)

We used our points to book into California on the 4th of July week end however, as a DRI member I am noting that DRI has taken a prime vacation reservation and given it to you for about half of what it would of cost me in MF all in the hopes that you will soon be a member. That doesn't make me happy necessarily - although I congratulate you on what sounds like a very good deal - providing you can withstand the high pressure sales talk.  Sedona Summit can be an excellent trade and, I'm guessing they will try to impress you in one of the newer units!


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## Purefct (Jan 8, 2010)

Bill4728 said:


> I don't think so, Doug was explaining that there are 3 kinds of owners at DRI, Club owners, Trust owners (not in the club) and weeks owners (not in the club).
> 3 kinds of owners, 3 kinds of inventory.



Well, there are actually 4 kinds of owners.  you forget DRI itself owns unsold and repurchased inventory.  That prime week which just got promo'd to a potential new owner is supposed to come from DRI unsold inventory.  In many cases (In my opionion to the best of my understanding) DRI holds the best periods in reserve for these promos.  I believe I've seen numerous cases where a month before checkin (and in HI just in the last few weeks I saw this a week before checkin) it appears DRI releases their inventory to Club since they haven't rented or promo'd it.  I suspect DRI gives Club some of its inventory at the last minute which it doesn't think it will use and then takes Club inventory in exchange which has months remaining before expiration.

So in my opinion based on unconfirmed information I feel DRI gives themselves the best inventory before Club and Collections and Weeks owners, then in cases where they can't use their inventory they exchange it with one or more of the groups to get better available inventory.

On the one hand all of us looking for last minute discounts can benefot from this.  But on the other hand we don't get all the best inventory to start and "we" see more of "our" inventory expire unused due to the method DRI uses to preserve their own inventory.


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## Purefct (Jan 8, 2010)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> ... Doug said that DRI inventory at a given resort can come from three different sources.  But that is not true.  At a given resort, there is only one way that DRI inventory is generated, and that is through weeks that have been added to the club.  Weeks that are not part of the Club are either trust inventory or deeded owner inventory, not DRI inventory. DRI has no rights at all with regard to any weeks that are not in the Club.
> 
> *****
> 
> ...



I'm not certain I follow you here.  But I disagree DRI inventory is generated through weeks that have been added to the club.  It is always important to remember that Club is not ownership, it is membership.  

If your ownership participates in Club, then an II exchange is made thru Club regardless of what you own.  If your ownership doesn't participate in Club, then an exchange is made thru either DRI (I believe if you buy any Collections contract on the resale market and do not pay to get back into Club you might be able to use your pseudo-Club points to exchange thru II) or thru your resort and the external exchnage company. 

When you say "DRI has no rights at all with regard to any weeks that are not in the Club" I think possibly they do.  DRI buys and repossesses weeks ownership at times.  Currently I believe they convert the deeded weeks into the Collections contracts and sell the additional UDI points as part of the Collections contracts.  Aside from that though, they still control a number of HOA boards which are weeks based.  Until owners work to remove DRI owner/employees from their boards DRI will continue to have rights and control over weeks owners.


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## Bill4728 (Jan 8, 2010)

Purefct said:


> Well, there are actually 4 kinds of owners.  you forget DRI itself owns unsold and repurchased inventory.



True, DRI itself does own the unsold and repurchased inventory.

PS I'm moving this to the "other TS systems" board


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