DRI has a way to go for customer satisfaction

[Carlos Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Carlos]

I can't believe this. I own with Diamond and when I bought additional points last year they agreed my maintenance fees for 2009. They credited me the amount of the maintenance fees on my account and it showed all year. I did not think that I had to worry about them. Then on January 1st I see a maintenace fee amount on there. I thought it was just some error. I called today and the customer service rep told me that because the maintenance fee went up for 2009 I had to pay the difference. I told the rep that I was told that the maintenance fee for the year was supposed to be covered as indicated on my contract. She got the contract and it showed a credit for the amount of last years maintenance fees. I checked mine and that's what it was. This is not right. That amount that was credited indicates that they were paying maintenance fees for the year. In my opinion they are reneging on their agreement with me even if they only credited the account. That to me is just not right. Am I wrong for feeling this way?

Doug, I am starting to understand you more and more.

Spence have you heard of this happening before?

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

Have you ever watched the movie Pirates of the Caribbean? I'm thinking about the part where the girl attempts to bargin with the captian under the terms of parlay. The problem she runs into comes in the details of the agreement, which she fails to ensure are spelled out to her satisfaction. Sometimes I feel that way about DRI.

[Carlos Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Carlos]

Have you ever watched the movie Pirates of the Caribbean? I'm thinking about the part where the girl attempts to bargin with the captian under the terms of parlay. The problem she runs into comes in the details of the agreement, which she fails to ensure are spelled out to her satisfaction. Sometimes I feel that way about DRI.

I guess. I don't like the way I feel because I am at a disadvantage on this one. I feel awful because I missed that little detail and it may cost me. I know they know what they did but it was meant to be that way. Since they are not customer service oriented they will not honor their agreement. This is what really disturbs me.

[Spence Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Spence]

Carlos,
I don't know what the saleswoman said or what is written in your contract. From the details that you've given us thus far, it would seem that they told you 2009 maintenance fees would be paid but the written word gave you a credit for the "estimated" amount of 2009 just based on 2008 fees. How was any member to know that there would be an across the board 25% increase in the Trusts and most of the resorts? I understand your concern and you might go to either/both of the following DRI personnel for help and/or explanation:

Patrick Duffy Chief Experience Officer
Jeff Shelton Executive Resolutions


Certainly, come back to this thread and let us know what happened. I have heard of similar cases and thought I remembered that they were concluded amicably.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

If it's in writing that the 2009 MF's would be paid, they'll have to honor that agreement.

When I joined THE Club, the written agreement that I had stated that THE Club dues would be paid the first year by DRI. About 6 months after the fact, I recieved a bill for those fee's. It took several E-mails, a couple of phone calls and asking them if they wanted me to fax the written agreement that THEIR representative signed to remind them of the fact (they didn't need it, they had a copy all along) but they did honor their agreement.

It was dissapointing that I had to go to those lenghts to get the job done. It was the begining of understanding that the word "simplicity" had a different meaning for me that it apparently has for DRI.

If it's in writing that the 2009 MF's will be paid by DRI and that writing doesn't include wording to the effect "based on 2008's MF's" or "excluding any increase in MF's", then I'd force the issue with DRI.


My problem was escalated to the appropriate person when I placed a question about why I was billed on DRI's members forum at the DRI website. You can access that forum by a very small link at the bottom of DRI's home page. I believe bottom and slightly to the right.

I took a couple of months for me to get the issue resolved. By that time I had paid the fee to avoid any late fee's or cancelation of my THE Club membership. DRI originally said they'd refund the money to me but, that apparently meant keeping my money and issuing me a credit on my account. Since it was only $155 in my case, I let it drop there and accepted the credit towards next years club fee's.

I did have to pay THE Club's special assessment. Special assesments were not covered in the agreement and, I had to pay the additional increase the next year above what was credited back to me. Which was OK in that I had understood that THE Club fee's to be credited for that year were $155 anyway.

[Carlos Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Carlos]

Carlos,
I don't know what the saleswoman said or what is written in your contract. From the details that you've given us thus far, it would seem that they told you 2009 maintenance fees would be paid but the written word gave you a credit for the "estimated" amount of 2009 just based on 2008 fees. How was any member to know that there would be an across the board 25% increase in the Trusts and most of the resorts? I understand your concern and you might go to either/both of the following DRI personnel for help and/or explanation:

Patrick Duffy Chief Experience Officer
Jeff Shelton Executive Resolutions



I will write them and see what happens. I will come back to the thread and let everyone know how it goes.

Certainly, come back to this thread and let us know what happened. I have heard of similar cases and thought I remembered that they were concluded amicably.

I will write them and see what happens. I will come back to the thread and let everyone know how it goes.

[mgbdragon Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mgbdragon]

Same thing

I can't believe this. I own with Diamond and when I bought additional points last year they agreed my maintenance fees for 2009. They credited me the amount of the maintenance fees on my account and it showed all year. I did not think that I had to worry about them. Then on January 1st I see a maintenace fee amount on there. I thought it was just some error. I called today and the customer service rep told me that because the maintenance fee went up for 2009 I had to pay the difference. I told the rep that I was told that the maintenance fee for the year was supposed to be covered as indicated on my contract. She got the contract and it showed a credit for the amount of last years maintenance fees. I checked mine and that's what it was. This is not right. That amount that was credited indicates that they were paying maintenance fees for the year. In my opinion they are reneging on their agreement with me even if they only credited the account. That to me is just not right. Am I wrong for feeling this way?

Doug, I am starting to understand you more and more.

Spence have you heard of this happening before?

The same thing happened to me when I purchased in fall 2007. Sales rep said that 2008 maintenance was paid for, but then they dinged me for the difference between the 2008 and 2007 maintenance fee. I complained to DRI, but all they would recognize was what was written in the agreement. I even went back to the resort sales person (phone), but he said he would bring it up to the manager, the he said his manager said no. Couldn't see any other course of action.

Not happy with how thing turned out, but have to make the most of my points (10 days in florida at Cypress pointe and Polynesian Isle for 2600 points next month) and still have a free II exchange to use this year.

[winger Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close winger]

exact same bs happened when i converted my Polo unit into the CLUB near the latter half of 2007. At least the est amt written on the contract and the actual 2008 mf was only about 5 or 10 dollars (?), but the dri rep i spoke with on the fone 'forced' me to pay the difference or i could not reserve my 2008 weeks. wow, simplicity at its best - simplicity in how to piss off a new customer !


don't get me wrong here, i love what dri has offered my family and i since we converted, but little things here and there are a bit annoying...to say it nicely.
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[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

exact same bs happened when i converted my Polo unit into the CLUB near the latter half of 2007. At least the est amt written on the contract and the actual 2008 mf was only about 5 or 10 dollars (?), but the dri rep i spoke with on the fone 'forced' me to pay the difference or i could not reserve my 2008 weeks. wow, simplicity at its best - simplicity in how to piss off a new customer !
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The issue will be in how it was actually worded in your contract and how hard you and the other might want to fight.

If the contract stated clearly that a certain years MF's were going to be paid, that should be an enforcable written agreement. If it stated a figure such as the previous years MF's then you would pay any difference.

Here's where it would get a little muddy. If the contract stated that a particular years MF's would be paid and gave an estimate of that amount but, did not state that any amount over that estimate would be paid by the owner, IMHO, they still must pay that years MF's regardless of the estimated amount.

If it were me and I felt that my contract stated the fee's would be paid without specifying a limit as to how much that fee would be, then I'd be looking at ways to enforce that contract. I believe the best place to start would be the department of that particular states real estate transactions. I would make a couple of phone calls and find out what was required to file an official complaint. I would then send the complaint and copies of any evidence I have backing up my contention that I was defrauded out of that exact amount of money.

The other option would be to find an attorny that could look over the contract and perhaps write a letter to DRI. The problem with this route would be that the attorny would need to be in a position to follow up and, it's likely to cost more to solve the problem than to just pay the difference in the MF's.

I believe that filing an official complaint with the appropriate states real estate division would be the most cost effective way to debate the validity of the contract and DRI's interpration of the meaning of 20xx' MF's will be paid.

[winger Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close winger]

in principle i totally agree, but honestly it's not worth my time. i already spent time trying to talk some sense into the phone rep back in 2007/2008 but she neither showed interest in understanding the situation and i doubt she was empowered to do anything about it even if she wanted to help. Plus, i am perpetually kept very busy planning the details of my upcoming Lake Tahoe, San Luis Obispo, Maui, Newport Beach, Carlsbad, and (newly-booked) Paris trips to deal with such a little nuisance things such as this MF issue.
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[Carlos Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Carlos]

Here's Their Response

Well, I must tell you that I am very displeased with the response that I got from the rep. I sent and email to Jeff Shelton and Patrick Duffy. Mr. Shelton had a person named Kasey help me.

Although she understood my position which was that I was given a credit of $2500 for the 2009 maintenance fees, she contends that they have honored the contract with the credit. She stated that they cannot predict what the maintenance fees will be so that they have to provide a specific estimated amount. That is where I have a problem. By them placing a specific amount on it they are able to renege on their promise which is not in the contract. I explained that I felt taken advantage of because I am not a contract lawyer and that I should not have to be one to catch that loophole. One should be able to reasonably expect a certain level of honest and good faith in this situation. I told her it was obvious that there was an agreement to pay all of my maintenance fees if the bill would have covered them if it were 2008's fee. She also upset me by stating that the maintenance fees were overly generous because the contract was only for the points I just received and not for the other points I already had. I shared with her that that was even further proof that the maintenance fees were to be covered in 2009 because I had negotiated that all maintenace fees were to be covered for the year.

I am very upset by this and followed up an email to Duffy and Shelton explaining my displeasure with their stance. Now I feel I must go through everything they do in great detail. The level of trust that I once had has gone out of the window. That is now over $900 that I must pay that I had no intention of paying because it was supposed to be handled. I truly believe this is wrong. No, it is wrong. However, I know that on paper the contract says what it says.

I feel like going on my next stay at a DRI property and handing out flyers telling folks to make sure exactly what they promise to put in writing especially when they talk about maintenance fees.

I don't usually get upset, but I am now very angry.

[winger Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close winger]

If you post flyers, not sure if the DRI folks would like it. But not sure what they can really do to you if the flyers contain all truth?

[Spence Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Spence]

Well, I must tell you that I am very displeased with the response that I got from the rep. I sent and email to Jeff Shelton and Patrick Duffy. Mr. Shelton had a person named Kasey help me.

Although she understood my position which was that I was given a credit of $2500 for the 2009 maintenance fees, she contends that they have honored the contract with the credit. She stated that they cannot predict what the maintenance fees will be so that they have to provide a specific estimated amount. That is where I have a problem. By them placing a specific amount on it they are able to renege on their promise which is not in the contract. I explained that I felt taken advantage of because I am not a contract lawyer and that I should not have to be one to catch that loophole. One should be able to reasonably expect a certain level of honest and good faith in this situation. I told her it was obvious that there was an agreement to pay all of my maintenance fees if the bill would have covered them if it were 2008's fee. She also upset me by stating that the maintenance fees were overly generous because the contract was only for the points I just received and not for the other points I already had. I shared with her that that was even further proof that the maintenance fees were to be covered in 2009 because I had negotiated that all maintenace fees were to be covered for the year.

I am very upset by this and followed up an email to Duffy and Shelton explaining my displeasure with their stance. Now I feel I must go through everything they do in great detail. The level of trust that I once had has gone out of the window. That is now over $900 that I must pay that I had no intention of paying because it was supposed to be handled. I truly believe this is wrong. No, it is wrong. However, I know that on paper the contract says what it says.

I feel like going on my next stay at a DRI property and handing out flyers telling folks to make sure exactly what they promise to put in writing especially when they talk about maintenance fees.

I don't usually get upset, but I am now very angry.

I feel your pain and how was anyone to know that this would be the year that they drove through a 25% across the board hike in MFs at most every managed resort and therefore the Trusts, too? You negotiated a good deal if you had them pay the estimated MFs on new purchase and already owned stuff, every time I've seen a contract like this it was a specified amount and not an open-ended fee. Imagine the administrative headache that would cause if they had to track each and every contract that they did this on. While they maybe should have told you in person that they were only paying the amount of current year fees going forward, I don't think that this is an agrevious breach of trust in my opinion and in most previous years the amount would have been peanuts. Sorry for your troubles.

[Carlos Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Carlos]

One Happy Customer

I can't believe this. I own with Diamond and when I bought additional points last year they agreed my maintenance fees for 2009. They credited me the amount of the maintenance fees on my account and it showed all year. I did not think that I had to worry about them. Then on January 1st I see a maintenace fee amount on there. I thought it was just some error. I called today and the customer service rep told me that because the maintenance fee went up for 2009 I had to pay the difference. I told the rep that I was told that the maintenance fee for the year was supposed to be covered as indicated on my contract. She got the contract and it showed a credit for the amount of last years maintenance fees. I checked mine and that's what it was. This is not right. That amount that was credited indicates that they were paying maintenance fees for the year. In my opinion they are reneging on their agreement with me even if they only credited the account. That to me is just not right. Am I wrong for feeling this way?

Doug, I am starting to understand you more and more.

Spence have you heard of this happening before?

I am happy to report that I am a satisfied and happy DRI customer again. I was able to resolve the situation. DRI will honor the agreement regarding the maintanence fees as promised.

Spence, thank you for the links to the right people.

Doug, they have done right by me. I am still a DRI fan. (One might say a fair weathered one, but a fan none the less. )

[winger Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close winger]

glad it worked out for you. just be extra greatful they even considered covering your previously-owned units !
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