Adding-on a small contract in order to get the member perks.

[dismedvc]

As I understand it, if you are a member, even if you are only a part owner of a small contract, you get all the member perks every time you stay, even if you are staying on someone else’s points.

For existing owners, especially those who are planning on doing an add-on anyway, and who want their adult children and other relatives to be able to get the member perks and discounts, why not do a 25 point add-on. (I know that an add-on needs to be in the same names as the original owners, but once it is closed, you can re-title only the add-on with up to a total of 6 names). If you are just adding names without charging, I think this automatically passes ROFR. Any issues with the small number of points could be avoided by having the original owner transfer the points from this small contract up to the main contract each year, and from there they could be used or banked as needed. (That assumes the original owner would still be one of the up to 6 owners on the small contract, and does not need to "save" the one allowed transfer)

I have seen several posts about members wanting to add their children, mother, brother, sister, etc. to their membership so those people could get the member perks and discounts, especially the annual pass discount. However, most of the replies point out the risks if there are family problems, and the fact that everyone added would have full control to use or even sell the points. This avoids those problems and would be a relatively risk free way to add the people, since only a 25 point contract would be at risk.

Any thoughts? I would be especially interested in whether members think that even if this could be done under the “letter of the rules”, it is really against the DVC spirit.

P.S. Maybe a topic for a different post, (moderators feel free to pull or move this part) but what would stop a group of non-members who frequently stay a DVC resorts by renting points, from buying one very small resale contract and getting all the member benefits. Obviously they would need to use the points from their small contract before they expired, but they could still make the bulk of their stays on rented points. All the benefits of membership, but almost none of the commitment. What do you think of this?

 

[disneynutz]

This is going to be good.

 

[iloveokw]

The only way you can get the AP discount is if you all have the same address - they check your driver's licenses when you activate the vouchers. So don't think that will work.

 

[Chuck S]

Possible...probably. Worth it...doubtful.

If you constantly need to rent points to supplement your trips, and you are talking about annual trips on rented points, in the long run it is still less expensive to buy enough points to fill your travel needs when amortized over the years of the membership. Especially when you consider the real benefits of Discounted APs, a few dining discounts, and other perks can be discontinued at any time. You don't get free theme park parking by virtue of your membership.

And if you go to WDW often enough to make APs a value to you as a perk, then owning enough ponts for most of those stays is more economical i nthe long run than renting points.

 

[Tine731]

Okay, I will bite.

Let me start by saying we are a Disney family.

I was the 1st DVC member in my family but only my husband and I could take advantage of the perks. The rest of the family (mom and sister's family) missed out. As a Mother's day gift I bought a small OKW contract and had it deeded with all of our names...total of 4...so they can get the discounts. Since then I have added on several times to both original contracts.

 

[Chuck S]

The only way you can get the AP discount is if you all have the same address - they check your driver's licenses when you activate the vouchers. So don't think that will work.

The OP was talking about having several owners, with different addreses, on the contract.

 

[dismedvc]

Im a newbie, and I joined this forum to get opinions on adding our children to our membership now that they are both over 18. All we really wanted was to get them their own membership cards, so when they go with out us they can get the member perks. In order to do that I was told we would have to actually put them on the deed. Since we are about to do an add-on, we decided to re-title the original deed before we bought the add-on so we would not have to change two deeds. That is what we are going to do, dispite all the very good information about the risks.

However, I did think about the above. I also thought about whether renters might be doing this. I am sure I am not the first to "pass this way" so I thought I would ask about it.

If it is going to be a problem moderators you have my permision to remove this post, (not that you need it) or can I close it myself if it gets too "good"

 

[Caskbill]

According to the DVC rules, benefits cannot be extended to anyone who rents an accommodation. This is whether they're a member or not. So if they stayed somewhere on rented points they are not entitled to the discounts, etc.

Even if you bought a small add on and then 'sold' it, and DVC didn't ROFR it, there would still be closing costs of some kind.

To get all relatives, if they have different addresses, each would have to own their own small contract. Thus as a group, only one would be able to transfer their points to the 'main' contract group.

DVC could make it so that only members who own the minimum purchases (160 points for example) would be eligible for full member benefits.

 

[dismedvc]

We have been members since 1999, when our children were under 18. Our oldest child went with her collage friends this past April on our points, and had to pay for valet parking at our home resort and did not get dining discounts. That made me mad. We have never “rented” out our points, but have given a few nights to my sister, who also had to pay for the valet parking and did not get any member benefits. That also made me mad. However, unless I am wrong, I think any time a member stays on points, even if those are rented points, as long as the reservation is made in their name they get the member benefits. Personally, I think if you do not own the 100 plus point member minimum, you should not ever get the member benefits, and even if you have that minimum, you should not get the member benefits for “rented” days.

Like I said, I hope you are right, but I think as long as you show your member card and matching drivers license at check in you will get all the member benefits for that stay.

P.S. I am glad that over half the responses so far came from the moderators. I was going to PM a moderator to see if this topic was appropriate before posting it, but since I did not have 10 previous posts I could not do that. I could have posted a few “sounds like you are having fun” posts to up my post count, but that seemed dumb.

 

[dismedvc]

Reading my last post, it came across as petty. Sorry.

But, I think you can have up to six owners, all with different addresses on one 25 point contract, and all would be entitled to full member benefits, including the annual pass discount for all family members who lived at any of those six different addresses.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Reading my last post, it came across as petty. Sorry.

But, I think you can have up to six owners, all with different addresses on one 25 point contract, and all would be entitled to full member benefits, including the annual pass discount for all family members who lived at any of those six different addresses.

I'm not 100% sure about that, but it would seem so. I would think if a lot of people started doing that though, DVC would fix it pretty fast! It's an easy fix too... All they would have to do is require a minimum contract for certain benefits (like discounts etc) to take effect.

 

[Lynne M]

I can't imagine how it would be worth the expense and trouble. With the exception of the annual pass discount, it's just token discounts. Free valet parking at a handful of resorts? A small percentage off the bill at a few restaurants?

As for the AP discount, it's only a hundred bucks. If you buy a 25-point contract, for around $2500 bucks, you'd need to buy 25 annual passes to just break even. And that assumes the AP discount sticks around long enough for you to break even - it could be taken away the day after you buy.

Oops, I forgot maintenance fees. What, around $125 a year? Take that off the discount savings.

Nope, not worth it at all.

 

[Chuck S]

Reading my last post, it came across as petty. Sorry.

But, I think you can have up to six owners, all with different addresses on one 25 point contract, and all would be entitled to full member benefits, including the annual pass discount for all family members who lived at any of those six different addresses.

I thought the rules for the AP discount were a maximum of 8 per membership. How they track it, I don't know. Perhaps they enter the membership number in the computer and it cross-references other DVC Discounted APs.

 

[disneynutz]

I thought the rules for the AP discount were a maximum of 8 per membership. How they track it, I don't know. Perhaps they enter the membership number in the computer and it cross-references other DVC Discounted APs.

I think it's 6 per membership.

 

[crisi]

Also, anyone you are sharing your contract with opens you up to issues - they get divorced, your DVC contract is now part of their marital assets. They declare bankruptcy, your DVC contract is part of their assets. And just coordinating use of the actual points - particularly with a small contract - assuming some of your family actually wants to use the points and not just the perks.

Over the years we've had several posters post about the legal difficulties a shared contract creates when someone gets divorced or declares bankruptcy. It generally seems to work out well, but its a pretty big headache.

 

[dismedvc]

I appreciate all your comments. We also came to the conclusion that it was probably not worth the hassle. That is one of the many reasons we decided not to do it that way and just buy a regular add-on after we get our children added to our original deed. That will get them the benefits, and we were planning on eventually giving them the membership anyway. The add-on just triggered us to do it now. However, I wanted to see what others thought.

With regard to the poster who talked about the cost, for us, since we were doing an add-on anyway, the only extra cost would have been the cost to change the names on the deed for the 25 point add-on after it closed. Our add-on is for more than 25 points, but we were told we could have it done as one 25 point add-on, and then a second add-on for the rest of the points. Also, if someone did this and only saved on one annual pass a year, that would basically cover the current annual dues on a 25 point contract at BLT. (At least as long as they continue to offer that benefit.) In addition, if you use your own car at BWV on a daily basis, those valet fees can really add up.

However, after reading your comments I do agree it probably would not make sense for renters who would otherwise not be purchasing a contract. I also was unaware of any limit on the number of annual pass discounts.

 

[dismedvc]

My previous post was before I saw the post from Crisi. Those are good points.

However, since our goal was for our children to have full membership rights for themselves and any future family, putting them only on a 25 point add-on would have been safer than putting them on all our contracts for the reasons you mentioned. That was the main reason we considered it.

 

[crisi]

My previous post was before I saw the post from Crisi. Those are good points.

However, since our goal was for our children to have full membership rights for themselves and any future family, putting them only on a 25 point add-on would have been safer than putting them on all our contracts for the reasons you mentioned. That was the main reason we considered it.

Yep, it would have been a way to lower risk on that side. For some people the value of a 25 point contract is "pbbht - so what if it gets lost in a divorce" - for others its a huge deal.

 

[missy2217]

According to the DVC rules, benefits cannot be extended to anyone who rents an accommodation. This is whether they're a member or not. So if they stayed somewhere on rented points they are not entitled to the discounts, etc.

I stayed on rented point once, and am staying on rented points in January. I also became a DVC member about a month ago When we stayed the first time on rented point we got "perks" When we checked in we got the little perks book and I saw that we got discounts on food so when we went into the resaraunts we showed our room key, which said DVC member on it and we got the discount. I had no idea when we rented that there were "perks" that members got, nor did I expect any, but the resport provided the info and I used them.

 

[chalee94]

When we stayed the first time on rented point we got "perks" When we checked in we got the little perks book and I saw that we got discounts on food so when we went into the resaraunts we showed our room key, which said DVC member on it and we got the discount. I had no idea when we rented that there were "perks" that members got, nor did I expect any, but the resport provided the info and I used them.

just FYI, sometimes the restaurants allow the discount based on the room key and sometimes they require the blue DVC membership card. to make sure you get the perks as a member, always bring your actual membership card with you...