DRI Negativism

[nuwermj]

Which raises an interesting question. MFs are paid with cash and a points allocation is deposited into one's account. To be able to do this, Club members pay significant yearly dues. Clearly, there should never be an expiration.

I don't think it is clear that points should never expire. Timeshare points represent accommodations within a specific time frame. A bit like a Southwest Airline ticket represents a flight, but not a seat. Timeshare points need to be used within the specific time frame because the underling accommodation (e.g. week 20 in 2018 at the Acme Resort) cannot be transferred into the future. Timeshare points are a bit more like seasons tickets than money. Moreover, saving points is actually an exchange system, not a system for storing or transferring value. If I save my points, I am exchanging this year's use rights for use rights next year. Because exchanges must be reciprocal, my saved points must be balanced against someone else's borrowed points: that is, someone exchanging their future use rights for use rights this year.

 

[WBP]

Back to the Original Poster's query about the cause(s) for "DRI's Negativism," I wouldn't know where to begin, chronicling all of the negativity that DRI has rightfully earned. It seems to me, that the cancer of Diamond Resorts International is spread all over the www, the challenge is to separate fact from fiction; however, very clear patterns emerge, which more than explain why so many people have such a rancid view of DRI.

Here's a recent "first person experience," spoken by DRI customers, again, part of a very consistent pattern:

 

[DanZale2000]

My bet (from your post) is that the negativity comes from:

• the high maintenance fees,
• the high pressure sales tactics,
  
• unprofessional presentations

As noted above, if you are still happy, then that's great.

2 of those 3 things can be ignored if one chooses to.

Diamond's high pressure sales force hound us with phone calls at home before a visit; they hound us in the lobby at check in; they hound us at the concierge's desk through out the visit; they hound us with calls in our unit during the visit, they even come knocking at the door of the unit. Very hard to ignore these behaviors.

 

[DRIless]

thank you for pointing this our to the TUGGERS interested in this forum. A case in point - When I cancelled my Flamingo Beach Villas reservation after hurricane Irma, I lost points precisely due to the "rule" explained in your first sentence. In this instance, points insurance is useless concluding that points, unlike currency, can become worthless. Which raises an interesting question. MFs are paid with cash and a points allocation is deposited into one's account. To be able to do this, Club members pay significant yearly dues. Clearly, there should never be an expiration. But then again, it certainly seems that these "value added" programs benefit DR (the recent corporate restructuring discarded the "International" moniker) more than the owners.

"Clearly, there should never be an expiration"
There is no way to sustain that in any viable system. In doing that, people will procrastinate and delay, leaving empty condos then a rash when everyone wants to use their points at some time and there's only a finite inventory where you've now allowed people to have an infinite amount of points over time.

 

[DRIless]

Back to the Original Poster's query about the cause(s) for "DRI's Negativism," I wouldn't know where to begin, chronicling all of the negativity that DRI has rightfully earned. It seems to me, that the cancer of Diamond Resorts International is spread all over the www, the challenge is to separate fact from fiction; however, very clear patterns emerge, which more than explain why so many people have such a rancid view of DRI.
Here's a recent "first person experience," spoken by DRI customers, again, part of a very consistent pattern:

I think this couple did a great job of documenting their experience. That CSR/Salesperson was way out of line and Diamond was wrong in letting that salesperson operate. Apollo bought Diamond as an investment but it's Diamond that still runs it and for salespeople to insinuate changes because of that purchase is ludicrous.

.50/pt rental buy back when thy "about to expire" when MFs are closing in on .30/pt is not believable
I had all my deeds and collections in one account ???
5000 pts gets you Platinum, also not believable

 

[DanZale2000]

Apollo bought Diamond as an investment but it's Diamond that still runs it and for salespeople to insinuate changes because of that purchase is ludicrous.

But Apollo promoted Michael Flaskey to the CEO jobs. Flaskey had been the Executive VP for Sales and Marketing between 2011 and 2017. He is the one responsible for the current sales division. Flaskey then promoted other senior sale managers into company wide jobs. It's the wolfs guarding the hen house. It would be a trivial management initiative to weed-out these and other behaviors within the sales force; if there was a desire to do so.

 

[DRIless]

But Apollo promoted Michael Flaskey to the CEO jobs. Flaskey had been the Executive VP for Sales and Marketing between 2011 and 2017. He is the one responsible for the current sales division. Flaskey then promoted other senior sale managers into company wide jobs. It's the wolfs guarding the hen house. It would be a trivial management initiative to weed-out these and other behaviors within the sales force; if there was a desire to do so.

If it's as widespread as everyone says, then it's not quite a trivial matter. The last time I went for an update (post Apollo) they tried to scare me into buying more to convert my fixed weeks pledged to THE Club for points every year saying "What happens when your resort isn't in THE Club any longer?" I said you can't scare me enough to double my MFs from X to 2X, which is what would happen if I converted them to US Collection. Then they sent in a guy with a man bun who tried to sell me some sort of program that gave me up to 52 bonus weeks in II for $199/week and I could rent them !!!

 

[WBP]

It's too bad that Diamond does not have a greater, on or off site sales and marketing presence in New York State. If they did, I'm sure this guy would have them for dinner:

https://ag.ny.gov/

 

[WBP]

......Then they sent in a guy with a man bun who tried to sell me some sort of program that gave me up to 52 bonus weeks in II for $199/week and I could rent them !!!

I don't think there's enough room in hell to accommodate Diamond's sales force. Renting II Bonus Weeks; that's funny.

In this sheltered life of mine, I had to look up "Man Bun.". Now I know what that thing is. Do you think those II Bonus Weeks are conceived in or under that Man Bun?

 

[DanZale2000]

If it's as widespread as everyone says, then it's not quite a trivial matter.

The managerial fix is trivial. It's easy to do.