Deposits from Diamond Resorts to DAE

[Marvin]

I have just finished a conversation with the manager at Greensprings Vacation Resort, a Diamond property, and was informed that effective immediately, no deposits of owner weeks from Greensprings or Powhatan would be allowed in the future. She said that their was provision in my original paper work, that RCI was the only exchange company I could use. I have been using DAE for the last 4 or 5 years with no problem.

Anyone have any experience like this?

 

[carl2591]

sounds like RCI is using a backdoor ploy to reduce defections to DAE and other exchange companies.. most likely RCI is feeling the heat and is to cowardly to duke it out in the public forum and go head to head with the likes of the other exchange companies. They choose to cheat and back stab owners in just another shining example of why they should be shunned.

 

[TTom]

No direct experience, but...

I would ask to see/verify the contention that this was "part of the original paper work". If you don't have your original agreement, I would expect the resort to have a copy.

If this is an owned/deeded property, I don't see how anyone can limit the way you can use your ownership.

Personally, I think this is just a ploy to prevent people from using other exchange companies, and RCI is relying on people to "roll over" because they say so. Another possibility is that RCI may threaten the resort with not accepting their deposits unless they have an "exclusive agreement". I don't know if this is possible or realistic, but that would be up to the resort to enforce.

I think it is worth pursuing and asking questions.

I would not want to be stuck with an ownership where my options were limited by anyone (other than the exchange companies i use).

JMHO,

Tom

 

[dougp26364]

The manger may be confused about the type of ownerships that DRI might be able to restrict. I can see with trust based ownerships or deeded weeks that participate in THE Club as being restricted. Trust based ownerships appear to be more like memberships than actual ownership of a deeded 1/52 interest in a condo. Internal exchange programs like THE Club are voluntary and membership is based upon the rules of the program. However, a deeded 1/52 interest might/should give you rights the independant exchange companies will say are protected by antitrust laws. That should give you the right to choose an independant exchange company.

I would think DAE would be more interested in enforcing what may be their rights, would have more leverage and probably has a dept. set up to handle such issues. I'd call them directly to discuss the issue and see what can or can not be done.

As I said, this may be as simple as the manager confusing the different types of ownership the DRI offers. Some of those ownership most likely can restrict with whom you can use to handle exchanges.

 

[eschjw]

II is the exchange company of choice for the DRI Club, as a membership comes with it I think. Never heard of any such restrictions against an independent like DAE and I have my doubts. I also think DRI and DAE have a "relationship" of some kind, so it makes no sense at all to me.

Push back to the manager, reserve the week you want and tell her that she and DAE can work it out if you decide to deposit with them.

 

[Marvin]

I did talk to DAE rep, and he said that they had run into this before. He also said that I would have to work out the problem with the resort. ( I have not talked to DAE management, but I intend to.)

I asked the Greensprings manager if this was Diamond's rule or the resort rule and she said she was speaking only for Greensprings and Powhatan.

DAE had problems with getting the weeks released by the resort, so I started on it myself. It took a little over a week to get to someone with Greensprings other than the operator. When I finally talked to someone in reservations, they told me that the manager was the only one who could release them, and that she was on vacation. I kept hounding her office after her return date to work, and she cleared the deposits for this year, and told me that any requests by DAE in the future would be denied.

I, too, am sure that I can use the exchange company for my deposits. I now have thought back, and remembered a big argument that I had earlier this year with a Greensprings sales rep over a request by him (really more like a demand) that I switch to points. I have been hassled to make the change for years now, so I decided to more or less verbally slam dunk him, so I think maybe I have been singled out for crappy treatment because of that.

Since I am only an hour away from the resort, I intend to make a day visit with the manager to try to get this threat resolved, hoping that I can hold back enough to not get thrown out of the place, or to be put in jail!!

 

[carl2591]

might be time for a timeshare revolution of sorts.. a fight against the right to exchange with whom ever you, as the owner of that week, determines is best for you.

more owners need to contact the HOA and demand action be taken to prevent this from becoming the norm.. now is the time to act before it become intrenched and harder to change or prevent.

RCI is most likely leading the behind scenes action to make sure it goes in their favor.. I don't suspect II is all that involved but you never know.

 

[dougp26364]

DRI is pretty commited to owner satisfaction in both experience and resort quality. I'd reach out to either Patrick Duffey or Stephen Cloobeck for clarification. It very well could be that DRI does allow managers the lattitude to make such decisions or, it could be a DRI policy that I'm unaware of since I've never used an outside exchange company before. It does sound as if you need to escalate you concerns since the manager has apparently stated it's the resorts policy, which leads me to think it might not be a DRI policy.

 

[Marvin]

Update on my depositing problem - This morning the depositing issue was completely resolved to my satisfaction, and I am posting now to bring all who read my posts up to date.

I received a call this morning from a person in the management office where I had left a voice mail last week. She was calling to find out what help I needed. I told her that the reservation clerk that I had talked to on Friday had transferred me to her office and that she had let me know that I could not deposit with DAE in the future. She said that it was not her that I had talked to and that she had no idea who would have told me that because the resort had no such policy, and that I could use any exchange company. She was extremely cooperative, even giving me her cell number if I ever needed anything else from Greensprings Resort. She apologized several times for any inconvenience cause by the bad information. I was glad she called and cleared the matter up. I feel a lot better about the resort now.

Thanks to all who offered input!

 

[TTom]

Congratulations!

Nice to see a successful resolution to the problem.

Sounds like misunderstanding/misinformation. Not ideal, but it does happen. Good that it didn't turn acrimonious. Some times, you just need to politely climb the ladder of authority until you get to someone who is "reasonable".

Ciao!

Tom

 

[hararou]

Depositing with DAE

I just read your post after depositing a week that we own at Powhatan. I've been a member of RCI for some years but decided to try DAE also. I emailed my deposit form to DAE this morning. The DAE VC I talked to never mentioned any possibility of problems depositing a unit from Powhatan or Greensprings (we own at both) so I'll be curious to see if the deposit goes through. I'll let you know.

Speaking of DAE, I was originally going to deposit 3 weeks with them but I found the entire depositing process cumbersome. As I started to deposit a week, a screen popped up telling me I had to get some type of form from my resort and send it to DAE. I sent DAE an email asking them if I would have to do this for every deposit. I got a vague reply telling me they would have a VC contact me. When the VC contacted me, without saying whether I would have to send in a form every time, he simply said he would email me a form to fill out and send back. The form had some incorrect information but I was able to correct it, sign it, scan it and email it back. I noticed on the form that it included a line saying that "as a courtesy" I should notify my resort of the deposit. I haven't done that yet but it will not surprise me if the deposit does not go through.

 

[hararou]

Marvin,

I didn't see your update before posting my earlier reply. I'm glad you were successful and hopefully I will not have any problems with my deposit either.

 

[Ask DAE]

Timeshare exchange options

Thank you for all of the information that has flowed on this topic!

You can indeed exchange your timeshare with any exchange company. You own it afterall.

We do run into challenges from time to time. Some of the resort staff may be misinformed as to your rights as consumers and timeshare owners and in some cases points programs will restrict how you use your week and whether or not you can exchange that week once booked. This is especially the case with an RCI points product in which RCI handle the bookings for the resorts.

Diamond weeks owners have not typically had a problem depositing with us. We do have issues conducting exchanges for Diamond Club members - their points program.

We appreciate that timeshare owners need, deserve and have a choice in where to conduct their exchanges and hope you continue comparing services until you find the service that works best for you!

I would humbly submit that we do a pretty good job!

 

[visitor23]

Resort refuses to make reservation for DAE exchange

I just tried to reserve a week at our timeshare Coral Princess, Cozumel, MX. I wanted to deposit the week with DAE. The resort has told me they will only make a reservation if I use it myself or if I deposit with RCI. What steps do I need to take to get a week and deposit it with DAE. If I tell them I changed my mind and will use the week myself, will it still be available for exhange by DAE?

 

[dougp26364]

I did talk to DAE rep, and he said that they had run into this before. He also said that I would have to work out the problem with the resort. ( I have not talked to DAE management, but I intend to.)

I asked the Greensprings manager if this was Diamond's rule or the resort rule and she said she was speaking only for Greensprings and Powhatan.

DAE had problems with getting the weeks released by the resort, so I started on it myself. It took a little over a week to get to someone with Greensprings other than the operator. When I finally talked to someone in reservations, they told me that the manager was the only one who could release them, and that she was on vacation. I kept hounding her office after her return date to work, and she cleared the deposits for this year, and told me that any requests by DAE in the future would be denied.

I, too, am sure that I can use the exchange company for my deposits. I now have thought back, and remembered a big argument that I had earlier this year with a Greensprings sales rep over a request by him (really more like a demand) that I switch to points. I have been hassled to make the change for years now, so I decided to more or less verbally slam dunk him, so I think maybe I have been singled out for crappy treatment because of that.

Since I am only an hour away from the resort, I intend to make a day visit with the manager to try to get this threat resolved, hoping that I can hold back enough to not get thrown out of the place, or to be put in jail!!

Just keep in the back of your mind the DRI has some pretty strict policies about abuse of their staff. Trust me when I say you do NOT want to get crossways of this policy.

 

[dougp26364]

Thank you for all of the information that has flowed on this topic!

You can indeed exchange your timeshare with any exchange company. You own it afterall.

We do run into challenges from time to time. Some of the resort staff may be misinformed as to your rights as consumers and timeshare owners and in some cases points programs will restrict how you use your week and whether or not you can exchange that week once booked. This is especially the case with an RCI points product in which RCI handle the bookings for the resorts.

Diamond weeks owners have not typically had a problem depositing with us. We do have issues conducting exchanges for Diamond Club members - their points program.

We appreciate that timeshare owners need, deserve and have a choice in where to conduct their exchanges and hope you continue comparing services until you find the service that works best for you!

I would humbly submit that we do a pretty good job!

If I'm not mistaken, THE Club has a provision of membership in it that requires THE Club members to use I.I. exclusively. This is a condition for memberhip in THE Club. Because I believe this is a legaly binding contract for membership my understanding is that DRI is within their rights to enforce this rule as a requirement of membership.

Deeded weeks owners not a member of THE Club should be a different issue. I do not believe a developer or management company can restrict free trade of a deeded week but, I'm no lawyer.