WDWFigment
So What's Your Definition of "Keeping" a "Secret"?
Sarah and I just finished watching a Disney Vacation Club webcast (no, we aren't adding on, we just wanted the free lithograph they mail you if you watch it), and I have to say that while I love the experience of being DVC Owners, I think the marketing is becoming more and more disingenuous (possibly a byproduct of the poor economy--Disney can no longer retain its passivity compared to other pushy Timeshare sales practices? I don't know).
The things that I really found obnoxious were the supposed testimonies by current owners at the end. One, from a purported accountant, stated that after crunching the numbers, he determined DVC ownership was a financially savvy investment (not his exact words). Unless you are terrible at making investments, this is not the case. It's especially not the case if you purchase directly from Disney. The second testimonial was from a family claiming that, besides their house, their DVC ownership was their only asset that had appreciated in value. Unless they're living in some bizarro world, Timeshares do not appreciate in value; they are a diminishing asset. I know these comments are supposedly made by customers, but Disney is holding them out as true by including them in the webcast, and to me, they cross the line from mere puffery to a misrepresentation. I could easily see customers who fail to do their homework relying on statements such as those to make their purchase.
Obviously I understand that Disney wants to sell these units, and it has chosen to adopt a more aggressive strategy than in days past, but I still don't think it's necessary to be deceiving in the process. I certainly don't fault Disney for saying it's a "great incentive" to give me a 7-night cruise for four if I add on 200 points at $112/point, when I know I can head to the resale market and find a 200 point contract for $65/point, a difference of $9,400, which is far more than the cost of a 7-night cruise for 4... ;-P
So What's Your Definition of "Keeping" a "Secret"?
Sarah and I just finished watching a Disney Vacation Club webcast (no, we aren't adding on, we just wanted the free lithograph they mail you if you watch it), and I have to say that while I love the experience of being DVC Owners, I think the marketing is becoming more and more disingenuous (possibly a byproduct of the poor economy--Disney can no longer retain its passivity compared to other pushy Timeshare sales practices? I don't know).
The things that I really found obnoxious were the supposed testimonies by current owners at the end. One, from a purported accountant, stated that after crunching the numbers, he determined DVC ownership was a financially savvy investment (not his exact words). Unless you are terrible at making investments, this is not the case. It's especially not the case if you purchase directly from Disney. The second testimonial was from a family claiming that, besides their house, their DVC ownership was their only asset that had appreciated in value. Unless they're living in some bizarro world, Timeshares do not appreciate in value; they are a diminishing asset. I know these comments are supposedly made by customers, but Disney is holding them out as true by including them in the webcast, and to me, they cross the line from mere puffery to a misrepresentation. I could easily see customers who fail to do their homework relying on statements such as those to make their purchase.
Obviously I understand that Disney wants to sell these units, and it has chosen to adopt a more aggressive strategy than in days past, but I still don't think it's necessary to be deceiving in the process. I certainly don't fault Disney for saying it's a "great incentive" to give me a 7-night cruise for four if I add on 200 points at $112/point, when I know I can head to the resale market and find a 200 point contract for $65/point, a difference of $9,400, which is far more than the cost of a 7-night cruise for 4... ;-P