Renting DVC points vs renting a room

[tfiga]

I was just wondering what are the drawbacks of renting DVC points are vs renting a room. It appears that it is cheaper to go that route. Can you get the dining plan etc? I am assuming there must be some differences, I am just not sure what they are. Any help would be appreciated.

Mods please move this if this is the wrong board to post this on....

 

[PrejeanPrincess]

We stayed at BWV last Sept. and booked through CRO, and I do know that you do not get daily housekeeping when renting points through DVC.

 

[Hopefully]

We have stayed at OKW, BCV, and next BWV on cash reservations vs. renting points. It is much more expensive to pay CRO rates than to rent points from a member.
For me, the reason I did not rent points was the lack of flexibility when doing so. If need be, I can cancel my cash reservation without penalty up to 45 days from the date of arrival. If I were to rent from a member, I believe that you need to commit to the dates you contract with them for and there is no flexibility. Doing this 11 months in advance is, in my opinion, risky. But I believe that you are making a firm comittment to the owner when renting, there are penalities to them if you back out.
Another difference is when renting from a member you do not have daily housekeeping, if that is important to you. They do a trash removal and towel exchange midweek only. On a cash reservation you get daily mousekeeping, clean towels etc.
The owner also "owns" the reservation. You can not contact Member Services or Disney directly, but rather you must go through the owner.
You can have the owner arrange for the DDP for you.
Renting Points involves trust on both sides, as well as a contract that spells out your responsibilities. It works well for lots of folks.

 

[Lynne M]

There are major differences between getting a room through CRO, and renting a reservation from a DVC member.

It's far cheaper to rent from a member; you'll save a lot of money. That said, however, there are tradeoffs:

1. Renting is a private transaction between two individuals. Disney will NOT get involved in any way. You should get a copy of the confirmation from the member, but you will not be able to speak with DVC to confirm the reservation. About a week before your arrival, your reservation will download to the resort, and you can call them to confirm.

2. The member 'owns' the reservation until you check in. You won't be able to make any changes yourself; the member will have to add the dining plan, add DME, etc.

3. Because of the penalties the member may incur if the reservation is cancelled, many members who rent have a no-cancel policy. You may not get your money back if you have to cancel, because the member may lose their points or be unable to re-rent before they expire.

4. If you like to make a lot of changes to your ressies (switch dates, resorts, room size, etc.), renting from a member is not a good idea. DVC resorts get booked up far in advance (sometimes, 11 months out), and the member may not be able to get you into another resort, etc.

Go to the DVC Rent/Trade board, and read ALL of the FAQs/stickies there. There's lots more information than I provided above, and you need to be very familiar with the process before deciding to rent.

Oh - and you do not get daily housekeeping when staying on points. I believe you get trash pickup and new towels on the fourth day, and a full cleaning on the 7th, but I could be wrong on the days. You can purchase extra towels, and pay for additional days trash/towel service, or even full cleanings.

 

[LBurg93]

All of the above is correct. If you like trash & towel to be added, when renting points, you can, there is a fee. Not sure of the exact amount, but I think it is $25 per day

 

[CarolMN]

Renting points for Friday nights and Saturday nights will almost never save you "lots of money" - they are more expensive (for DVC members paying with points) than the weeknights .

If you don't want to split your stay (move to another room or resort for the weekends), renting points is not going to save you much over CRO/WDWTC, especially if you can get a discount.

 

[dis-happy]

One plus to renting DVC points....if you already have park tickets (either leftover or AP's) and want to add the DDP, you do not need to buy an add'l 1 day ticket to get it.

You can always pay extra for daily housekeeping. Most DVCers actually LIKE the no-housekeeping (I know we do) since you don't have to worry about people coming in to your room or waiting for the room to be finished when you are coming home during the day. At times we've even left the "do not disturb" sign up on trash and towel day.

 

[mgilmer]

We have always rented points to stay onsite. As the others have stated, it is much cheaper to stay in a DVC villa on a Sunday to Thurs by renting points than making a CRO ressie. It is generally cheaper to stay cash on Friday and Saturday. We usually go for 7-9 days with 5 days in a villa (Sun-Thurs) and bookend days around those in another resort (next time the Swan for the Frid-Sat both before and after; last time we stayed at POFQ on our bookend days). The others previously outlined the benefits/detriments of renting with flexibility being the downside (know your set in stone travel dates before making your deal with a member and check out your member with references BEFORE you tender your deposit to them). We have considered buying points but we do not go often enough now sad1: ) to make a purchase advantageous to us at this point (although if the rumored CR villas make an appearance, we will certainly reconsider!).

 

[Deb & Bill]

...Oh - and you do not get daily housekeeping when staying on points. I believe you get trash pickup and new towels on the fourth day, and a full cleaning on the 7th, but I could be wrong on the days. You can purchase extra towels, and pay for additional days trash/towel service, or even full cleanings.

All of the above is correct. If you like trash & towel to be added, when renting points, you can, there is a fee. Not sure of the exact amount, but I think it is $25 per day

Actually the part about housekeeping is incorrect. If you stay 7 nights or less, you get your towels replaced and trash removed on day 4. If you stay 8 nights or more, you get a full cleaning on day 4 and your trash removed and towels replaced on day 8. Then the cycle repeats.

There are a lot of members who don't take Paypal anymore because of problems with it. So be prepared to provide either cash or a check(of sorts) to the member. Most want at least 50% as soon as they provide the confirmation and the rest 60-90 days out. You can't wait until the last minute to make a DVC reservation, either, so you'll need to know ahead of time.

Also, if you post a thread on the R/T Board, you'll probably gets lots of responses from people who say they have the points you need. But if there are no reservations available (often the situation) the points will be worthless. And points are worthless to non-members because you can't do a thing with them. You're not really renting points, you are renting a reservation from a member.

DVC popular times don't always fit the same as the CRO popular times. Early Dec is extremely popular with members because of the lower points required and holiday decorations. Also, BWV standard views are tough to get (they require fewer points, so many BWV members lock those up close to the 11 month time frame). Many non-members think they are less desired so they usually say they want the standard view instead of the preferred view.

AKV is just opening in Sept with a limited number of villas. The newer building won't open until 2009, so it will be harder to get a reservation there.

 

[mprewitt]

As mentioned above, renting points from a DVC member is a private transaction between two people, and Disney is not involved at all.

Renting DVC points can be a wonderful way to enjoy a Disney vacation. It typically costs much less to rent from a DVC member than to book a DVC resort direct from Disney.

However, as with anything that requires money to be paid upfront, renting points takes some work ahead of time to protect yourself and minimize the inherent risk of these types of transactions.

You have to ensure you trust the person you are renting the points from. In most cases, it goes smoothly, but there have been times when a renter has sent payment to a DVC member and then was stuck without a reservation.

If you are not willing to take the appropriate steps and do the homework necessary ahead of time, and before any money changes hands, renting in general is probably not for you.

As always, it is up to each individual to remain vigilant and proactive during the transaction so that you receive and enjoy the Magical Disney DVC Vacation you expected.

1. Do your homework FIRST
2. Know who you are dealing with. Confirm ownership and check the Orange County Comptroller's website if necessary.
3. Require a written rental agreement.
4. Require references and check them.
5. Enforce your rental agreement
6. Never use Western Union in a rental transaction. There are too many other options.
7. Verify all contact information prior to remitting any funds
8. Know beforehand the busy DVC seasons so that you know whether or not it is even likely a reservation would be available
9. Understand the basic dynamics of how DVC works. A DVC reservation is very different from a regular hotel reservation and limitations/restrictions on the owner may make cancellation and rescheduling difficult or impossible
10. Be prepared to pursue whatever legal avenues are available if something does go wrong.

I'm sure there is more, but ultimately, remain vigilant and take the steps necessary to protect yourself first.

 

[msteddom]

I have rented points twice now with a third transaction in the works. Here is how I see it:

Pros of renting:
* Much cheaper than reserving through Disney
* Can get dining plan without purchasing tickets
* If you are considering DVC you get to "try before you buy"
*it's a good lesson on how the DVC point system works

Cons of Renting:
* Requires trust by both parties. You could end up getting ripped off
* Requires quite a bit of legwork to set up (conversations with Member, obtaining and sending cashiers check for payment)
*Any changes to the reservation must be made by the member, cannot be made by you
* Any changes are very difficult to make. Once I have my rented reservation in place I consider it "locked"


I'm sure there are other things that I have left out. Hope this helps!

Melissa

 

[ccw]

Obviously DVC points are pricey for weekends and renting DVC points for weekends is not cheap...however, EVEN WITH A FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT STAY, using DVC points for a 5 day stay in a one bedroom at SSR in October is $700 cheaper than renting thru CRO. Issues with housekeeping, lack of flexibility are certainly noted but saving $700 is not something to sneeze at. We have rented just to family and "near family" so have had nothing but positive experiences...win/win for both sides. It's easy to price out options on the Disney website and then decide for yourself (as a potential renter) whether the DVC rental is attractive enough to pursue.

 

[blanq]

I think everyone has done a great job explaining the pros/cons of point rental. I just want to make a few comments as someone who has rented points twice (BCV and SSR), with a third (AKV) to come in October. All three transactions happened via the Disboards, and I have had nothing but positive experiences. Every DVC owner I have worked with has been tremendously nice, dependable and fair. I personally feel more comfortable renting from someone who has been around the Boards for awhile, and I think talking to them on the phone is a good thing too. I think that both parties need to feel comfortable with the transaction. In my rental experiences, we have always stayed for 7 nights, so with a Fri/Sat night thrown in there, and each time the savings has been significant over CRO prices.

I like getting the cost savings of point rental, and being able to add on the DDP. I like being able to do laundry, have a bit more space (even in a studio)and have some kitchen facilities available. I don't mind straightening up my room each day; I tend to do that even when staying in resorts/hotels where daily maid service is provided. I also really like the amenities of the DVC resorts.

 

[tfiga]

Thanks so much for all the info. I am of course an obsessive planner so and am planning for Sept 08. I just wanted to find out if this is a good option and it seems to be.