Any experience with point rental companies?

[howardk613]

We are thinking about renting our points and are considering a point rental company. Has anyone had experience with this type of company and would you recommend that we use one or should we do it ourselves?Thanks,
Howard

 

[cherylp3]

Note with a point rental company, you'd likely have to make the person an associate. Something which I would not suggest.

 

[Bell30012]

I also found a point rental company. While they do charge $13 per point versus the $11 average that I'm finding they seem to have a whole lot of happy customers.

 

[mickeyc]

I have rented my points numerous times and IMHO it is better to handle the transaction yourself. I rent points only if I know I will not be using them.

What is the rental company going to do that you cannot?

Good luck with renting your points.

 

[Mickeyfan931]

How exactly do you rent your points?

 

[dianeschlicht]

With some of the possible liabilities of renting your points out, I'd want to be the one screening the renter...not someone else. Also, since you will have to actually make the call anyway (unless you are willing to put the rental company on your contract as an associate ), I don't see a point to it. Why would you pay someone to have their name put on your contract and use your points??? Way TOO risky for me! I've never needed to rent points out yet, but if I ever do, I'll be doing it myself!

 

[Bell30012]

I think that people would use a rental company as an owner to not have to deal with screening potential renters, etc. As a renter, I guess I look at it as this is someone that has completed many transactions.

I met someone that used ************* or something like that. They got a beautiful room at $13 a point. I guess it is the security feeling of dealing with someone experienced at it if you are a first time renter or point holder.

 

[Chuck S]

With some of the possible liabilities of renting your points out, I'd want to be the one screening the renter...not someone else. Also, since you will have to actually make the call anyway (unless you are willing to put the rental company on your contract as an associate ), I don't see a point to it. Why would you pay someone to have their name put on your contract and use your points??? Way TOO risky for me! I've never needed to rent points out yet, but if I ever do, I'll be doing it myself!

I totally agree with this. There is no way I woud add a stranger as an associate. Especially if this person does not reside within my home state, in the event of something going wrong, legal action would be next to impoossible.

 

[JimMIA]

I only know of one company actively doing this, but I'm sure there are others. I have not heard of any negative experiences with the company I have heard of, but I see several downsides of using such a company.

The first is what Diane mentioned - the idea of having a third party screen customers we are responsible for. Whenever there is a points reservation on our accounts -- no matter who is in the villa -- the owner of the contract is responsible for any damage, unpaid bills, etc. If I were going to take that risk, I'd want to make that customer selection personally.

The second is the necessity of having the company as an associate on your account. If you do that, you are not only counting on the honesty of the other party, you are assuming they thoroughly understand DVC (which is a little complicated to begin with), and also that they understand your specific account. Even dealing honestly, a broker could mess up your account in a number of ways by causing borrowing situations, getting points in holding account, etc, etc.

And the final problem is that your account could easily be tagged as one which is used for those dreaded "commercial purposes." DVC obviously knows who the commercial brokers are, and to put one of them on your account as an associate is about as clear an indication of using your account for commercial purposes as I can imagine. I would not want my account on some kind of a "naughty list," and then have a problem when I try to make reservations for family members whose names are different from mine. I have not heard of that happening, but it's certainly a possibility if DVC ever decides to crack down on commercial rental brokers.

 

[dianeschlicht]

And the final problem is that your account could easily be tagged as one which is used for those dreaded "commercial purposes." DVC obviously knows who the commercial brokers are, and to put one of them on your account as an associate is about as clear an indication of using your account for commercial purposes as I can imagine. I would not want my account on some kind of a "naughty list," and then have a problem when I try to make reservations for family members whose names are different from mine. I have not heard of that happening, but it's certainly a possibility if DVC ever decides to crack down on commercial rental brokers.

Oh, I forgot about that issue!! Yes, that would be a biggie too!

 

[Caskbill]

I totally agree with this. There is no way I woud add a stranger as an associate. Especially if this person does not reside within my home state, in the event of something going wrong, legal action would be next to impoossible.

The largest one that everyone is probably thinking of isn't even in the US. It's in Canada.