Timeshare Company are often locked in to past models and out of date thinking yet it would be wrong so say that everyone is in the well of doom. Bucking the trend and leading the way to what could be a new day is Dial an Exchange
They conduct open meeting with Timeshare owners. Yep it’s true!
It is reported that at St Million in Cornwall DaE decide to promote conciliate and discuss with the very people they serve. The consumer!
The event was even attended by the Managing Director.
Graham Williams Says:“The most important points provided a better understanding for members to understand some recent changes that had taken place”.
Upgrades.
1) Most timeshare owners want to holiday in prime time and that’s June too September. If members are putting in low season weeks from November too mid-March and taken quality weeks out it brings about an imbalance.
This was explained in some detail illustrating this and why there was an upgrade fee. Most were not aware that this upgrade fee only related to weeks owned in Mainland Spain, Malta, the Balearic, islands and most resorts in Scotland.
2) Studio upgrades to say a sleep six have an upgrade fee of £25.
What has not been known to most is that these extra fees are ring fenced to buy in rental weeks from resorts that have unsold stock or a number of repossessed weeks. In the last couple of months this has enabled Dial An Exchange to bring in hundreds of UK weeks for rent that would have been otherwise not been available. This allows more control of inventory and helps to support the demands set by supply and demand.
This is a far better way to fill weeks at the moment rather than a resort trying to put their weeks with a booking agency as this sends a very poor message to your resort members. If you’re not able to sale your weeks and you have a weak marketing department with perhaps no process to sell them at the moment then this should be considered.
The UK is obviously the more popular in demand countries as demonstrated by a question put to the audience “in the next 12 months who in the audience are intending to holiday in the UK” at least two thirds raised their hand! As far as holidaying in Europe was concerned there was not even a quarter of those present who intended to holiday there in the next 12 months. The biggest demand is still school holiday time.
DAE made the statement they are REQUEST DRIVEN! All weeks deposited are put into a holding account to match their member’s requests. So ensure you put a request in as all that you see on the website is after they have for-filled their members requests.
Dial said that they would try to give you specific requests. If they send you something back please let them know immediately why this does not suit you so they can quickly offer this to someone else. If there is no feedback then you will be knocked down the pecking order. That seems fair to me if they are going to chase and try to assist in your holiday requirements than they need feedback.
As with all requests you are advised to be as broad as you can, like you want May-June and say South West Devon. Try not to give specific resorts but having said that let them know if this is important to you. Speak to them and let’s see if it’s practical.
If you’re booking online than ensure you use the comments section. This is vital especially if you have a disability or require an apartment with no stairs or on the ground floor perhaps for example you wish to know where it’s likely that DAE could get 2-3 units together. Whatever it is ensure you provide full details or pick up the phone and ask.
It is important to provide information to your exchange company as I have known timeshare owners for example turn up with a mobility issue and then complain because the resort has an unsuitable apartment. Yet they did not bring this to the attention of the Exchange Company or double-checked with the resort. No one needs this extra stress and neither does the resort so ensure that your requirements can be met by ensuring you communicate.
Deposit Incentive. DAE are incentivising members to deposit their weeks before the 31st December 2014. This provides the member with discounts on discounts ranging from 20% off a bonus week, 30% off an exchange fee and 40% off Gold advantage. This must be worked in this order so book your bonus week first. Any queries on this please take it up with Dial direct.
Questions and answers. After this Dial an exchange overview there was a question and answer session from the audience. Each of the panel responded when relative to their department. There was no negatives directed at Dial An Exchange but there were a number of concerns with resorts charging what would seem as excessive utility fees. One member stated that they had to leave a resort after a couple of nights because the heaters provided on cold nights helped to push up there utility bill up to £80 after just two days!! It was cheaper for them to return back home. Resorts need to review this, as utility charges should NOT be a means to make extreme profits.
Some raised concerns that they need information to see if some resorts could provide details on transfer facilities or perhaps supportive local services and distances from airport etc.
This was followed by a quiz and was a good way to gauge if your audience was attentive as members swapped papers at the end and marked them. Dial then read out the answers. Other Timeshare Companies should take note as when appropriate this is a good way to engage your audience and to offer up small incentives.
There was a number of guests who so happened to be members of a Timeshare Group owning fractional ownership and Oliver Green spent a little time with them on how to best use DAE. The other panel members then moved amongst the round tables covering any other questions that members may have had.
I had a good conversation with Oliver at the end and this is one Timeshare Company that is working back from what is in the consumer’s interest.
The one downside for me is that I was unable to participate in any of the tempting picky bits due to my 3-month self-imposed monk like existence!
If Dial An Exchange is new to you then read this article here to obtain more information. Dial An Exchange is free to join with no annual subscriptions. For non members including Points only members find out you could join here and get a £10 discount off your first bonus week.
http://www.timeshareweekly.com/index.asp?bid=24
All credit in this article is posthumously given to Timeshare Weekly.
For more information regarding this article or assistance in any other timeshare related issues please contact the TCA on 01908 881058 or email: info@TimeshareConsumerAssociation.org.uk