Another question from a potential buyer

[stampinshauna]

I talked with a guide last night and got a lot of my questions answered. I'll be getting the info packet in the mail today, but I have a question you experts may be able to answer for me.

I understand if I join in December, I'll have an August use year. I'll get 150 points now and another 150 in August of 2006.

Now when making reservations, do you have to have the points in your account when making the reservation or when actually staying there? Say I made a reservation where I needed 200 points for next September, would I need to bank some of this years points to make it so I had enough in September, or would I borrow next years points so I had those 200 points when making the reservation? Basically, how do the points work when you make a reservation that goes into the next use year?

 

[funcinderella]

I just joined too, and had a similar scenario. Our use year is June, and we bought 210 points. We got 210 now and another 210 in June. I made a reservation for August 06 that costs 285 points. I needed to bank 75 of this year's points before I could make the ressie. I'm not sure how it would work if you wanted to borrow from the following year.

 

[Cinderella]

If I were you - if you're definitely not going to be using your points until then, I would bank the August 2005 points - ask if you can do it as soon as you buy - then you won't have to worry about it. You see - they will most likely bank the points for you when you buy, if you ask. But, because you're use year is August, at least 50% if those points need to be banked by the end of January, or you will lose them.

 

[CarolMN]

To better understand how the system works, make yourself a chart -

2005 points are good for stays between 8/1/2005 and 7/31/2006
2006 points are good for stays between 8/1/2006 and 7/31/2007
2007 points are good for stays between 8/1/2007 and 7/31/2008
2008 points are good for stays between 8/1/2008 and 7/31/2009
etc.

If you do not use (or bank) your points before the end of the use year, they expire and are lost to you.

To make a reservation, you must have points valid for the dates of your stay. If you do not have enough current use year points, you may use borrowed or banked points for the reservation.

You can only bank ahead one use year and you can only borrow from one use year ahead.

A vacation in September of 2006 falls within your 2006 use year. For that vacation, you may use the points that come to you on 8/1/2006, points that you banked into 2006 from 2005 and/or you may borrow from the 2007 use year.

If you are going to bank all 150 of your 2005 points, you must do it by the end of January, 2006. Once banked, the points must be used by 7/31/2007 or they will be forfeited.

HTH.

Best wishes -

 

[stampinshauna]

Thanks so much for your replies. I can't wait to get the info in the mail today. This board is great!!!