Advice please!

[caresy]

Hello, first off I hope I am posting this in the right forum... I posted on the DVC rental page about 2 weeks ago requesting if anyone could help me by renting me points at BWV for 6 nights in August.

Yesterday I received an email from someone who offered me a rental at BCV for the same time frame. I was quoted a price of what it would cost and agreed that if I rented from them the price would be acceptable.The problem was she wanted me to pay upfront before she would make the reservation. I told them that I was leary of that because I had heard some horror stories of renters being scammed. I suggested some of the things I have heard on these boards (3 way calling to DVC etc). They advised that they would have to borrow points and that is why they wanted me to pay upfront.

We left it that they would call for availability and get back to me to let me know if the room was available for sure and then we would work it out.

A few hours later I received a call from them advising they had booked the room for me, but that they had miscalculated the price and it was approximately $150 more.

Ok, so big alarm bells are going off for me here - Firstly, this person had to search way back in the posts to find my request for a reservation wanted, secondly they did not post that they had points available, instead they did all kinds of searching rather than letting someone contact them, thirdly, they booked it without my final ok on it, and fourthly after they booked it they raised the price.

I haven't paid them anything yet, and don't feel comfortable renting from them. I feel like I am being pressured into something I didn't agree to. I guess the advice I need is if this is normal practices for renting points, or if my gut feeling is right that I shouldn't rent from them.

Any advice would be appreciated!!!

 

[JimMIA]

I haven't paid them anything yet, and don't feel comfortable renting from them. I feel like I am being pressured into something I didn't agree to. I guess the advice I need is if this is normal practices for renting points, or if my gut feeling is right that I shouldn't rent from them.

Any advice would be appreciated!!!

The person you are dealing with may be the most wonderful, ethical person on the planet. However, feeling the way you do, you definitely should NOT rent from them. There is some risk on both sides in a rental, and if you are not completely comfortable, look elsewhere. And if you don't find someone you are completely comfortable with who can provide the dates you need, so be it -- call CRO and take the risk out of the picture.

Nor should you feel at all pressured. If the DVC owner borrowed points to make a ressie you had not agreed to, that's their bad, not yours. You didn't tell them to book -- if they really did choose to do so, that was their decision and they are responsible for the ramifications.

Personally, just based on what you have posted and without even considering questions of trust, this owner sounds pretty badly disorganized. My personal belief is that the most risky thing in a rental is an owner, a renter, or both not knowing what they are doing. We see very little outright fraud in DVC rentals, but we do occasionally see screwups. I would not risk my vacation with someone who can't get their act together.

 

[LIFERBABE]

If you are not comfortable then dont rent. Renting is not for everyone and if it is going to cause you a great deal of stress then this ressie is not for you.

FWIW, I understand completely what occurred with this transaction and agree with the renter up until the price change. Even if I had quoted the wrong price, I would have stuck with the price quoted.

BCV is almost impossible to book a month out but neither of you are obligated to each other, until money changes hands.

If your spidey senses are tingling, trust them

 

[caresy]

Thanks Jim, I appreciate your advice! What you said about the owner being poorly organized makes a lot of sense to me in this case.

And you are absolutely right that I should not risk my vacation over it!!!

Thanks again, I am going to stick with my gut and not rent from them.

C.

 

[caresy]

If your spidey senses are tingling, trust them

I'm not so sure it's my spidey senses, more like that robot in Lost in Space saying "Danger Will Robinson Danger!!!"

Thanks for the advice!!!

 

[Muushka]

I really think that renters should not wait until the last minute to book a vacation. It causes stress on both sides. It does not allow the time needed to establish the relationship, for the planning and for the payment. Personally I would not rent any reservation this last minute. Actually I don't rent period!
OP, not a comment to you because I don't know what your circumstances are. You may have just been given an extra week off at work! Good luck!

 

[caresy]

I really think that renters should not wait until the last minute to book a vacation. It causes stress on both sides. It does not allow the time needed to establish the relationship, for the planning and for the payment. Personally I would not rent any reservation this last minute. Actually I don't rent period!
OP, not a comment to you because I don't know what your circumstances are. You may have just been given an extra week off at work! Good luck!

I have had my holiday booked for this week since last October, but I posted to try and rent something at the end of June. I hoped 2 months would be a decent amount of time. Obviously it isn't, and that's something I have learned about potentially renting points!

It was the seller who contacted me just yesterday.

I agree, this is too much stress because of the proximity of my vacation!!!

 

[JimMIA]

I really think that renters should not wait until the last minute to book a vacation. It causes stress on both sides. It does not allow the time needed to establish the relationship, for the planning and for the payment. Personally I would not rent any reservation this last minute.

I agree 100% with this. I don't rent either, but if I did, I certainly would never even consider renting a last minute ressie like this. Short lead times increase the risk to both parties exponentially.

The fact that this owner is contacting you to try to rent in such a risky situation is further indication to me that they don't know what they are doing.

 

[Deb & Bill]

When a member must cancel a reservation 30 days or less before the start of the reservation, the points used for that reservation can only be used 60 days out from the start of the reservation and cannot be banked. That is a big penalty for a member. In order to make a reservation close to 30 days out, the member probably would request full payment just to make the reservation just to make sure they don't get burned.

 

[wildernessDad]

I am not saying that there is something wrong with the renter, but the situation as you laid it out does not seem right at all. It doesn't pass my smell test and I think that you are right to skip on this one.

 

[littlestar]

There's a room only discount code out for that time period. If I were you, I'd just book something on cash from Disney since it's so short notice.

 

[Scraper]

When we rented points last year for my family in NY I paid a precentage up front on pay pal and then the rest when she sent me confirmation. I understand the need for me to put some money up front. It went well for us and I would do it again.

 

[Deb & Bill]

When we rented points last year for my family in NY I paid a precentage up front on pay pal and then the rest when she sent me confirmation. I understand the need for me to put some money up front. It went well for us and I would do it again.

But if you are renting a reservation at 60 days or less before the start of the reservation, it would behoove the member to ask for full payment to make the reservation. There are a lot of "shoppers" out there who keep trying to get a lower price even after one member has already secured a reservation for them. And if you get 30 days or less, those points become holding points and cannot be banked or used greater than 60 days out.

 

[lizziepooh]

I am very surprised that there were 6 nights available at that resort on such short notice.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

I'm not so sure it's my spidey senses, more like that robot in Lost in Space saying "Danger Will Robinson Danger!!!"

Thanks for the advice!!!

Hmmm... Generation gap - Spidey Senses vs LIS Robot... I remember all the neighborhood kids going over to one kid's house to watch "Lost In Space" on their BIG B&W Television.

 

[caresy]

There's a room only discount code out for that time period. If I were you, I'd just book something on cash from Disney since it's so short notice.

That's what I did littlestar - got the BWV at the same price I would have paid with the renter.

Thanks for the great advice everyone, let's me know I made the right decision!!!!