• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Setting up a conference call to confirm a reservation

JudyS

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
4,166
Reaction score
211
Points
448
Location
Ann Arbor, MI
Hi, I've had a situation come up with a timeshare rental that I need some advice on.

I have an upcoming Disney Vacation Club reservation that I've rented to someone who has never rented from me before. She wants to be able to speak to Disney directly to verify the reservation with them. However, DVC does not accept calls except from owners, so the only way to do this would be for me to set up a 3-way conference call between me, Disney, and my renter.

I've never set up a conference call before, and I don't think my phone has any special conference call features. Back in the days when I was a telephone operator (yep, I used to be a telephone operator back in the 1980s), you could just dial "0" the operator, and they would do it for you. But, I just tried that, and apparently, they don't do that anymore.

I believe there are services that will set this up for you. Does anyone know of any? I'm also wondering if I can install Skype on my computer and use that for a conference call -- anyone know?
 

PigsDad

TUG Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
Messages
10,072
Reaction score
7,077
Points
898
Location
Colorado and SW Florida
Resorts Owned
HGVC Elite: SeaWorld, Surf Club, Charter Club, Valdoro
Hi, I've had a situation come up with a timeshare rental that I need some advice on.

I have an upcoming Disney Vacation Club reservation that I've rented to someone who has never rented from me before. She wants to be able to speak to Disney directly to verify the reservation with them. However, DVC does not accept calls except from owners, so the only way to do this would be for me to set up a 3-way conference call between me, Disney, and my renter.

I've never set up a conference call before, and I don't think my phone has any special conference call features. Back in the days when I was a telephone operator (yep, I used to be a telephone operator back in the 1980s), you could just dial "0" the operator, and they would do it for you. But, I just tried that, and apparently, they don't do that anymore.

I believe there are services that will set this up for you. Does anyone know of any? I'm also wondering if I can install Skype on my computer and use that for a conference call -- anyone know?
3-way calling is pretty much a standard feature on most cell phone service plans these days. If you don't have it, I'm sure you could borrow a friend's cell for that one call.

Kurt
 

JudyS

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
4,166
Reaction score
211
Points
448
Location
Ann Arbor, MI
Actually, I just checked my cell phone's manual, and I should be able to use my cell phone. I'm thinking I should call Disney first, since they will ask for my DVC account number & the last 4 digits of my SSN, and I'd rather not have my renter hear those. Then, I'm hoping Disney will stay on the line while I call my renter.

Has anyone ever had a renter request a conference call before? I'm wondering if I should tell Disney that this is a rental or not.
 

Talent312

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2007
Messages
17,464
Reaction score
7,277
Points
948
Resorts Owned
HGVC & GTS
My idea for a workaround -- Get a land-line speaker-phone, call your renter on a cell phone and place it near the speaker, activate the speaker and check to see if your renter can hear the dial tone or ringing from the land-line.

But how does your renter know that the person who you dial is a Disney employee and not some friend to whom you've handed a script?
 

Amy

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
999
Reaction score
0
Points
226
Location
Pacific NW
Actually, I just checked my cell phone's manual, and I should be able to use my cell phone. I'm thinking I should call Disney first, since they will ask for my DVC account number & the last 4 digits of my SSN, and I'd rather not have my renter hear those. Then, I'm hoping Disney will stay on the line while I call my renter.

Has anyone ever had a renter request a conference call before? I'm wondering if I should tell Disney that this is a rental or not.

That is exactly what I have done once to avoid having the renter hear my account number; and on another occasion the CM kindly the offered to call from his end.

By the way, you need not use your SSN -- I have never given it to DVC (as I never financed a purchase) so it is not on my record. When asked I just say I don't use it and no one presses me.
 

Amy

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
999
Reaction score
0
Points
226
Location
Pacific NW
I have had other renters over the years who did not ask for a conference call. I always tell them I'll send them the *original* confirmation I receive from DVC right away and that it takes up to two weeks for me to receive the confirmation. I just make sure I keep a copy. This offer usually assures the renter; why would a phone call offer more assurance? The written confirmation would have the renter's name and address stated. It is not as if one couldn't turn around (after verification) and cancel the reservation anyway.
 

isisdave

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
2,762
Reaction score
1,284
Points
548
Location
Evansville IN
Resorts Owned
Marriott Waiohai
You want to make sure the renter will be on hand to answer. So here's how I would do it with my Verizon land line.

Call the renter, tell them you're going to call Disney, and that it will take a couple of minutes to get through the phone menu, so just stay on the line.

Flash (press your flash key or briefly depress the switchhook).

Dial Disney, get the adviser, get authenticated with your SSN etc. The renter can't hear this.

Flash again ... all parties are connected.

Verizon charges 75 cents for this if you don't have the monthly plan.

Of course, if the renter is paranoid, they will want to know that you haven't called your brother-in-law who is pretending to be a Disney adviser. If you get to this point, find another renter.
 

JudyS

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
4,166
Reaction score
211
Points
448
Location
Ann Arbor, MI
Thanks for all the responses!

Kurt, I didn't see your post until now. (I was posting at the same time that you were.) Thanks for the suggestion!

...By the way, you need not use your SSN -- I have never given it to DVC (as I never financed a purchase) so it is not on my record. When asked I just say I don't use it and no one presses me.
Amy, that's interesting! Now I'm wishing I hadn't told them my SSN. Do they just ask you for your address and phone number as evidence of who you are?

I have had other renters over the years who did not ask for a conference call. I always tell them I'll send them the *original* confirmation I receive from DVC right away and that it takes up to two weeks for me to receive the confirmation. I just make sure I keep a copy. This offer usually assures the renter; why would a phone call offer more assurance? The written confirmation would have the renter's name and address stated. It is not as if one couldn't turn around (after verification) and cancel the reservation anyway.
I did the sent Disney's confirmation. Actually, what seemed to trigger the request for the conference call was that the reservation letter (which has the renter's name and address) says there will be 2 people in the room, when actually there is 4. The reason for this is that I didn't have the names and addresses of the other two people at the time I put the reservation in the renter's name. I've now explained that to my renter, so maybe that will reassure her that she doesn't need the conference call. I agree with you and Talent that if I really were a scammer, I'd find a way to fake the phone call, too.

Isisdave, I don't think that works with my landline phone company, at least when I dialed the operator, they didn't seem to know anything about it. (I have AT&T.) But, my cell phone should work.
 

Amy

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
999
Reaction score
0
Points
226
Location
Pacific NW
Amy, that's interesting! Now I'm wishing I hadn't told them my SSN. Do they just ask you for your address and phone number as evidence of who you are?

Yup, they ask for my phone, address and member number to verify identity.
 

charford

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
525
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Toronto
You can amend the reservation to include the other two people, ask for a new confirmation to be sent and send it along to the renter. Disney does ask for all people occupying the unit to be listed on the reservation, even children and their ages.
 

Amy

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
999
Reaction score
0
Points
226
Location
Pacific NW
You can amend the reservation to include the other two people, ask for a new confirmation to be sent and send it along to the renter. Disney does ask for all people occupying the unit to be listed on the reservation, even children and their ages.

Yes, I was just thinking this morning I forgot to say this when I last responded!
 

JudyS

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
4,166
Reaction score
211
Points
448
Location
Ann Arbor, MI
Thanks for all the advice and information! My renter decided she didn't need the conference call after all, but it's really good to know for next time.

You can amend the reservation to include the other two people, ask for a new confirmation to be sent and send it along to the renter. Disney does ask for all people occupying the unit to be listed on the reservation, even children and their ages.
Yes, good point -- I had been thinking of doing this. However, I recently added Magical Express to the reservation, and Disney said they would send the transportation package directly to my renter. The transportation package will have all four names on it and may actually get to her faster than if I requested a new confirmation (since the new confirmation would be sent to me, and then I'd have to mail it to her.)

I didn't know Disney was willing to send the Magical Express package directly to renters/guests of DVC owners, rather than to the DVC owner -- maybe that's something new? It makes a lot of extra work for them if the Magical Express package doesn't arrive on time, so maybe that's why they do.
 
Top