Advice on Expiring Points

[mfbnjwb]

I am a brand new DVC owner! I just bought a 270 point BCV resale contract. We have 224 2008 banked points that expire on April 1, 2010. On April 1st, we get 540 points (270 banked from 2009, and 270 2010 points). We're scheduling a trip in December 2010, but I'm not sure what to do with the points that expire by April. I don't have a membership ID yet, so I'm not sure of availabiliy for doing a trip in Q1. I guess I could sell / trade / rent these points. Or maybe I could convert the points to RCI. Any recommendations?

Thanks.

 

[dianeschlicht]

If you can't find available accommodations in time, you could deposit them into RCI as long as you do it soon.

 

[fers31]

Or you could give them to your new best friend, Scott.

 

[kimkatmom]

Mj: I too am in the same position as you. We have 100 points that expire on 4/1/2010. I refuse to deposit anything with RCI --- Bad choice of trading companies in my opinion.

I'm interested in the responses you get to your post, so I am simply "posting" as a bump.

Leslye

 

[Donna M]

We gave some points away to my sister who lives in Fl and could easily drive down and use them. We used some to trade into a nice hotel in Boston which we would never have spent the money on otherwise.

What about upgrading your accommodations or spending a couple of the nights in a different resort that uses more points.

There's always a short cruise!

 

[TENNDVC]

What about Rule of Four? I thought you couldn't use the points outside of DVC if you are within 4 months of your UY. Am I wrong on this? I also have points I need to use before April 1st.

Thanks, Yvonne

 

[Sandisw]

What about Rule of Four? I thought you couldn't use the points outside of DVC if you are within 4 months of your UY. Am I wrong on this? I also have points I need to use before April 1st.

Thanks, Yvonne

No, you are correct. You can not book AND travel during the last 4 months of a UY on the Disney Collection (except Disneyland Resort), Concierge Collection, or the Adventurer Collection.

So, at this point, those points can not be used for reservations like that, including a Disney Cruise. But they can be used for reservations at the DVC resorts.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Try selling them on the rent/trade board.

 

[mickeymom629]

Can't you call member services and find out about your membership cards/ID? How are you going to be able to rent them out? Maybe there is something I'm not getting, but I thought when you rent them YOU have to make the reservation for the renter. If you can do that, you could make it for yourself.

I would think that you would want to use them, since those points are somewhat a 'bonus' of buying the contract you purchased.

 

[CarolMN]

My first choice would be to use the points if you can make a trip before the points expire. There should be something you can book between now and 3/31/2010 if you are flexible regarding dates and resort.

If that doesn't work, you may be able to make a late deposit to RCI - you'd give MS points now and have up to a year (or maybe two) to select a trade. Assuming that you would be interested in a trade, call MS and ask if it's possible. There will be restrictions on what & how far in advance you can select your trade since it will be a late deposit. MS can explain all of that to you. Call later in the day as the phones will be busy most of the day with members calling to book the very popular early December vacations.

The others are correct that it is too late to book most non-DVC resorts using those points. However, there may still be an exception for the Disneyland Resorts. If you are interested in a stay at the DLH or the PP before 3/31/2010, ask MS about that.

My last choice would be to rent the points. You cannot transfer banked points, so you'd have to make reservations for others. Short notice reservations are a relatively tough thing to do for experienced owners who rent and really tough for a newbie. If you go that route, be prepared to spend a lot of time and effort learning DVC rules, finding renters, negotiating terms & payment, etc.

Finally, congratulations and welcome home!

 

[tiredaurora]

I'm in the same position as I just realized I messed up and have points that expire in my April 2010 use year. Was on the phone this afternoon and figured I would pass on the information as I understood it.

Per MS with an April 2010 use year if I deposit into RCI it must be done by the end of this month - Jan. I could then use the points anytime from now until Dec. 2012. They only take deposits in certain amounts that equate to one week of a specific type of accommodation during one of the three seasons that RCI uses. You need to consider which accommodation level/season you may use at RCI before you decide because you can end up short by an amount less than a week and then you can't deposit anything less than a week.

For a studio:
High season

134 pts​

Mid season

123 pts​

Low season

106 pts​

A low season one bedroom is 124 pts so if you have only deposited 123 you can't deposit the one point you would need to cover the week. So they suggested picking the largest room size you would use and then deposit enough to cover a high season week.

Still don't know what I'm going to do but since I just had the conversation thought the information might be helpful. Best of luck!

 

[jdkdorn]

I have used points from one use year to make reservations in the next use year without banking them, why not do it that way.

Book your December trip using the points but realize that if you cancel you will lose the points. I may be wrong in my thinkinging but I believe we have done this in the past.

Good Luck
Judy

 

[Sandisw]

I have used points from one use year to make reservations in the next use year without banking them, why not do it that way.

Book your December trip using the points but realize that if you cancel you will lose the points. I may be wrong in my thinkinging but I believe we have done this in the past.

Good Luck
Judy

Points are only good for stays during their current UY, unless they are banked into the next UY, or borrowed for a reservation into a previous UY.

For example, anyone wanting to book a trip in their 2010 UY with 2009 points, must bank them first. Once banked, they would now be good for the 2010 UY only. Same would be true if someone wants to use 2011 UY points for a trip during their 2010 UY. They can borrow the points for a reservation and then if cancelled, those borrowed points would now need to be used during 2010 UY--they can not be put back.

 

[RobDoc]

I'm in the same position as I just realized I messed up and have points that expire in my April 2010 use year. Was on the phone this afternoon and figured I would pass on the information as I understood it.

Per MS with an April 2010 use year if I deposit into RCI it must be done by the end of this month - Jan. I could then use the points anytime from now until Dec. 2012. They only take deposits in certain amounts that equate to one week of a specific type of accommodation during one of the three seasons that RCI uses. You need to consider which accommodation level/season you may use at RCI before you decide because you can end up short by an amount less than a week and then you can't deposit anything less than a week.
...

I suspect you are really talking about points from your April, 2009 Use Year. You had until the end of November to bank those points and extend them until March 31, 2011 unless they had already been banked from your 2008 Use Year. The points from your April, 2010 Use Year won't expire until 3/31/11 and may be banked for use thru 3/31/12.

I have used points from one use year to make reservations in the next use year without banking them, why not do it that way.

You can use points from one Use Year for travel in the next calendar year, but points from your 2009 Use Year cannot be used for a reservation in your 2010 Use Year unless they are banked - since they otherwise expire before that Use Year begins.

If you have an April Use Year the 2009 points may be used for stays from April 1, 2009 thru March 31, 2010. In order to use those points for a stay after April 1, 2010 they would need to be banked into the 2010 Use Year.

 

[TPBChick]

A friend of mine had this problem with expiring points so I decided to help her out. I will be staying at BCV for a week this summer.

 

[kimkatmom]

I am a brand new DVC owner! I just bought a 270 point BCV resale contract. We have 224 2008 banked points that expire on April 1, 2010. On April 1st, we get 540 points (270 banked from 2009, and 270 2010 points). We're scheduling a trip in December 2010, but I'm not sure what to do with the points that expire by April. I don't have a membership ID yet, so I'm not sure of availabiliy for doing a trip in Q1. I guess I could sell / trade / rent these points. Or maybe I could convert the points to RCI. Any recommendations?

Thanks.

Have you closed your contract yet?