? about renting/ressie/timing

[kileybeth]

I've never rented points before and am wondering if it is to soon to start asking for a ressie for last week in January at SSR? Also , what happens if I need to cancel (it is still 10 months out there and we have aging parents, always a concern. . .??) anyone know the answers? TIA

 

[lilkitty819]

No it's not to soon to request a ressie, some one who has points for SSR can make you a ressie now. Good Luck

 

[JimMIA]

I've never rented points before and am wondering if it is to soon to start asking for a ressie for last week in January at SSR? Also , what happens if I need to cancel (it is still 10 months out there and we have aging parents, always a concern. . .??) anyone know the answers? TIA

Two things you need to understand about renting a DVC ressie from an owner.

1. It is NOTHING like a hotel ressie. The primary difference is cancellation restrictions on the DVC points ressies. You can't just cancel (or reschedule) a ressie, and in some cases if you do cancel, the owner may not be able to help you at all.

2. The cancellation policy is whatever the owner says it is. You are dealing directly with another individual -- NOT Disney. Each individual DVC owner's situation is different, and their policies will vary widely.

The primary advice I would give you is to be completely sure that both you and the owner you are renting from fully understand what will happen in the event of a cancellation. Don't accept "Don't worry, if a problem arises we'll work it out." That's a sure sign of an owner who doesn't know what they are doing.

 

[kileybeth]

JimMIA,

that's exactly what I mean. Wil whomever I rent points from have some kind of written agreeement we can both sign or is it just a verbal handshake and a lot of trust on both sides. My DH is very nervous about just handing over monies w/o some kind of understanding (more than verbal) in place.

We have been to Disney more than a dozen times over the years but this is a new ballgame so to speak.

Is their trip insurance available for such a rental??

Or am I way ahead of myself and need to be talking to specific owners of points??

Visited SSR in January and fell in love but DH will not consider buying in for a variety of reasons but he will rent he says. . .


hhhmmm, trying to figure this out!

any other opinions out there?

 

[JimMIA]

JimMIA,

that's exactly what I mean. Wil whomever I rent points from have some kind of written agreeement we can both sign or is it just a verbal handshake and a lot of trust on both sides. My DH is very nervous about just handing over monies w/o some kind of understanding (more than verbal) in place.

DVC rules actually state that there should be a written contract. There was a very good thread here a few months ago that will give you a lot of ideas on contracts. I can't find it, but I'm sure Granny or Doc will post a link to it.

Personally, I think the main benefit of a contract/agreement/whatever is that it clarifies the expectations of both parties. It actually forces both parties to think about the transaction, and that's very helpful.

I'm not a big believer in contracts for small amounts of money actually being enforceable in court. It would just cost more than it was worth to sue somebody, but I think the clarification aspect of the contract makes them worth doing.

Is their trip insurance available for such a rental??

Yes. TravelGuard - the company which insures our DVC points reservations - will also insure rented reservations. They are a very good company. I've used them a number of times (for ski trips), and had to file claims twice...which I did with no problems. Their website is www.travelguard.com

However, I would research trip insurance before you do anything else. The reason is, you have to sign up for travel insurance usually within two weeks of making your first reservation (flight, hotel, etc.) or they won't cover the trip. (They have to protect themselves from people who would book a trip, find out they need to cancel...and then buy travel insurance.)

In particular, check to see exactly what they will and will not cover. I believe they will cover the full cost of a DVC rental IF the transaction is clearly non-refundable. (For our points ressies, they'll only cover $5 per point, but it's different in a rental transaction, which is more like a normal vacation reservation.) That's another place where a contract helps. If your contract says non-canceleable, non-refundable deposit, etc, that makes your claim a lot easier. But be sure you understand what they are covering.

Or am I way ahead of myself and need to be talking to specific owners of points??

No, I think you're doing it the right way. Do your homework first, THEN talk to individual owners.

 

[Granny]

JimMIA,

that's exactly what I mean. Wil whomever I rent points from have some kind of written agreeement we can both sign or is it just a verbal handshake and a lot of trust on both sides. My DH is very nervous about just handing over monies w/o some kind of understanding (more than verbal) in place.

We have been to Disney more than a dozen times over the years but this is a new ballgame so to speak.

Is their trip insurance available for such a rental??

Or am I way ahead of myself and need to be talking to specific owners of points??

Visited SSR in January and fell in love but DH will not consider buying in for a variety of reasons but he will rent he says. . .


hhhmmm, trying to figure this out!

any other opinions out there?

Kileybeth....you might want to read the thread at the following link which was developed to specifically answer many questions raised by new renters.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1255828


Also, many of the DVC owners here made some great suggestions on rental contracts and you can find much about them in the following thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=895654


Jim is absolutely right...doing the homework up front will make you a better consumer for having a DVC member sell your a reservation (ie, "rent points"). And it will keep the DVC member from having to teach you about how DVC works, which many members renting points would prefer not to have to do.

Good luck!

 

[kileybeth]

wow, JimMIA and Granny,

Thank you so much,that was some very helpful info. I'm thinking I ought to print some of this out, so I can sit and highlight and not forget what I'm learning! hehe

going over to check out those links now. so much to learn and when I become "learn-ed" perhaps I can explain to my DH why it is such a very good idea to own vs. renting and all my research will be for naught . . .or not. oh well! I'm staying at SSR one way or another and I've got 10 months to figure it out so, thanks again for all your help so far.

meaning, I'll be back!