Add-on: DVC or Resale

[Chellymouse]

This goes out to everyone who has "done it both ways" and by that I mean purchased once through DVC and purchased once through TSS. DH and I are planning an add-on within the next 6-10 months and while we can buy more for less via resale, I would like to know what others have experienced. Our guide (who is wonderful) was honest and said that it can be less per point, but by the time additional costs are added, resale may cost about the same and it takes significantly longer to be able to use the points. We are debating, as we are hoping to finance very little, if at all, which way would be better. Part of the reason we are waiting is to save because we are looking somewhere in the 100-200 point range of a second contract. We have 225 now, but we need more! Thanks in advance!

 

[TLSnell1981]

I thought about buying direct from Disney, but it was soooo much cheaper buying resale. All of our contracts have the same UY, so they are combined. Maybe, some day we'll buy from Disney.....

 

[rentayenta]

Have only bought from Disney and it was amazingly easy.

 

[disneynutz]

Buy from the cheapest source and save some money. It's easy to get the loaded cost from your resale broker and from Disney.

 

[toniosmom]

I think it depends on what resort you want to buy into and how quickly you are looking to use your membership.

If you are looking for BLT (and sometimes AKV), you may be better off with direct through Disney. When I look at resale prices, I take the total cost, add in the closing costs, and then divide that by the number of points in order to get a "true" cost of the points. In many cases in the past, it has always been within a few dollars of Disney and since I was buying a small add-on anyway, I went through Disney. I was also able to get 2008 points since my UY is December, which also added to the value for me. The incentives over the past year have been amazing, so buying resale wasn't always the best bargain. For older resorts, it's best to buy resale. You will always get more bang for your buck.

Having said that, how quickly do you want to use your membership? A resale contract can take 1-2 months to close and you can't use your membership until then. If you buy direct through Disney, the points are available within hours of commitment and you don't have to wait for the closing. I bought a small add-on at 9am, had my points by noon and was able to make a reservation at that time.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[wdwnut]

Hi: I have a total of 4 contracts at BWV- the first 3 directly through DVC and the last via resale. I would do either again. It' exceedingly easy to go direct-points are available in your account by the end of the phone call. Resale will take a couple of months and you need to pay closing costs which can add to the per point price. The biggest plus is you will be saving quite a bit buying resale. Stick with the resellers that people on these boards have used. If you get another contract with the same use year, it will just be added to the master contract you have and will be much easier to keep track of for borrowing/banking. Good luck!

 

[CMOORE185]

I bought 2 contracts through disney, a 240 point and a 100 point. I bought a third contract 160 point resale from the TSS. When I bought the first two the price difference was not enough to make resale attractive to me. But although I was a little weary at first of resale the $30 per point difference in price (SSR) between DVC and resale made me look into it. It went very smooth and I am glad I went this route. Remember that closing costs are negotiable as are MF's. Someone who wants to get rid of a contract bad enough will gladly pay these fees to get out from under their contract.

 

[Golden Rose]

We bought AKV direct from Disney and BWV resale. I would do either again, but the resale contract was definitely more of a headache and took a lot longer. Even considering the closing costs, we saved about $2000 on a 150 point contract... and we got a contract that had all the previous year's points banked, as well as all the current year's. It was a great deal, but we definitely had some frustrations with the resale process. (We weren't told when we passed ROFR, we weren't even told when we closed, and they messed up the names on our paperwork. Twice. But, everything came out right in the end.)

It almost certainly isn't worth it for a smaller contract, as Disney covers closing costs on add ons. Since you're thinking about 100 - 200 points, it is probably worth it, as long as you can find a contract you want for a reasonable price... that isn't already stripped.

 

[wdrl]

As others have said, a big advantage of buying an add-on direct from Disney is the quickness and ease of purchase. We did a BLT add-on through Disney and had our points in our account within hours. Another advantage with direct buy is that Disney usually gives you a fully loaded contract, meaning it comes with a full complement of current year and next UY's points. Some resale contracts are stripped of some or all of their points. My advice to you is to contact one of the resale dealers, such as the Timeshare Store, and ask to be put on their email list. You can see the asking prices for the different resorts and get a feel for what you may expect to pay. We are in the process of buying an AKV contract through the Timeshare Store (awaiting ROFR), and we have been very pleased with Scot and the staff at TSS. Good Luck!

 

[Forever a Princess]

Resale:

Pro
-Cheaper

Cons
-the wait time for ROFS
-may or may not get the contract depending on the ROFS
-usually need to have the whole amount (depends on you purchase through)
-depending on the contract that you buy, you may have to wait until the following use year to use your points.


Purchasing through DVC

Cons
-More expensive

Pros
-faster, no ROFS. If points are available you can purchase them same day.
-points are available for booking usually on the day of sale.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I have done both ways for different reasons. Buying direct is easy but unless you're buying BLT or VGC I'd be looking for resale knowing I could get a better deal on a contract of 100-200 pts. You'll know ahead of time exactly what the total costs are on the resale purchase and can easily calculate if it would be more or less to buy direct. Even before you find a contract The Timeshare Store (we haven't used them), or any of the other resellers can tell you how much the closing costs will be on certain point contracts and then you can consider that cost when you make your offer.

I really didn't find resale to be a pain. Yes - it takes longer and you might have to wait a little bit to find the contract you want but IMO it isn't a big deal at all. There is the potential for glitches but I think most transactions go well. Of course I do like saving money so that helps my patience!

Finally - if you're looking for SSR I'd absolutely do resale unless DVC decided to offer you some pretty amazing discounts. If it is SSR you'll probably be able to get a contract of that size for high 60's to low 70's. Add on maybe another $5/point and you'll be somewhere in the mid $70's. DVC isn't even close. You're guide may have been trying to be helpful but doesn't know what the resale market really is doing.