Are all points created equal?

[CarolMN]

CaronMN, thank you so much for explaining this! I will admit I have been a bit confused. Can I ask you a specific question I am having problems with?

I am planning a very big family trip in January 2019 for which we will need to use three years worth of points and I am getting confused as to how I would bank and borrow to do this. My current plan is:

Bank my Dec 2017 points
Use my Dec 2018 points
Borrow my Dec 2019 points

So, if I would like to use 450 points to book a room for January 2019 and make my reservation 7 months in advance, what points do I need to bank and borrow and when? Is my plan above correct? Or would I need to commit to banking and borrowing at certain dates to make sure all points will be available January? I hope that make s sense, lol.

Yes, your plan is good. Here's why:

A January 2019 vacation falls within your 2018 use year (12/1/2018 - 11/30/2019), so you can use your 2018 points. Those points are considered current use year points for that reservation.

If you want to use your 2017 points, you need to bank them into 2018 and your deadline to bank will be July 31, 2018.

When it's time to make the reservation (February 2018 if you want to stay at your home resort), you can borrow your 2019 points. You cannot borrow points until you are actually making the reservation that will use them. Remember that once points are borrowed, they will stay in the use year into which they were borrowed. So if the January 2019 reservation gets cancelled (at least 31 days prior to arrival), the borrowed points will be returned to your account, but they will expire on 11/30/2019 if they are not used before then.

HTH.

 

[Debbie Jean]

Transferring is a very simply procedure and is normally a cash transaction like renting.

You advertise the points, number and use year. We agree to the price and I pay you... always used PayPal for that. I give you my member number and full name and address. You call MS and instruct them to transfer the points. You let me know the transaction is done and I call MS to verify. Then it's done! Easy peasy

Some people will do it as a 3 way call to MS but I never felt the need.

Price is similar to rental points... depends on resort, how many points are involved and use year. Only one transaction in or out is allowed per member account so you need to plan. I have 2 different member accounts so it gives me more flexibility. I don't believe you can transfer banked, borrowed or holding points. Other than that I don't think there are any restrictions. I'm sure someone else can answer that. For me, the points carry over their resort and use year including all guidelines and restrictions that apply. I can use the 11 month booking window and bank them provided I am still in the window for that. The one thing I can't do is borrow from them.

As I said, I would think that is the easier route for you since you "do the deed" and are done. With rentals, you continue to own the reservation.. the renters are merely your "guests".. so all actions related to it must be done by you, e.g. DDP, ME

 

[Disn3yVision]

If you are thinking about your 2015 use year points, those are good for stays between 12/1/2015 and 11/30/2016. You have until July 31, 2016 to bank them into your 2016 use year.

Understanding Use Year

Thanks CarolMN! I read your thread and it was very helpful, I think I am starting to understand now!!! Lol

 

[Disn3yVision]

I don't believe you can transfer banked, borrowed or holding points. Other than that I don't think there are any restrictions. I'm sure someone else can answer that. For me, the points carry over their resort and use year including all guidelines and restrictions that apply. I can use the 11 month booking window and bank them provided I am still in the window for that.

I agree Debbie Jean that this seems to be the best option for me at the moment. But when you say you "can't transfer banked points" does that mean I would have to transfer my 2015 points (90) and my 2016 points (150) separately? My plan was to bank those 90 2015 points and then find somebody to transfer the full 240 points to. Since they will probably go towards booking PVB 11 months out I figured 90 points won't go too far and 240 would be "more valuable" considering the nightly rates there.

 

[Sammie]

Just be aware that DVC does not allow monetary gain for transfers. Do people do it, yes. But then many don't follow the rules.

 

[ziravan]

Just be aware that DVC does not allow monetary gain for transfers. Do people do it, yes. But then many don't follow the rules.

I'm pretty sure DVC couldn't care about financial gain for transferred points, but they have this policy for two reasons:

1. By POS, points are just representations of real estate interests and have no cash value. Banning financial gain for transfer supports this fiction. Even rentals aren't renting "points"; they're renting reservations.

2. If finanicial gain is banned, then DVC can and will ignore any pitfall you might have from such a transaction. By banning it, they relieve themselves from any responsibility from it. Transfers are final actions. Don't whine to DVC about your transfer deal gone bad, they didn't allow it anyway.

That said, I've transfered points in and out. I would never move my points to another account without first being paid in full. It is a final transaction.