Are points easy to rent? Thinking about buying DVC.

[nboicepardee]

Hello everyone! I am new to this site and have a quick question. My husband and I are thinking about buying DVC, but we know we can't use it the first year, and I was wondering how easy it is to rent your points for one year and what people typically get for points. I saw postings for $9 or $10 per point, but I didn't know if people actually are able to get that. Thanks so much for your help!
Natalie

 

[KristiKelly]

The 1st time we stayed on DVC property was through rented points. Loved it so much that we are now DVC owners. Yes, I think $10 per point (for renting) is very easy to get - even $11. $9 would be a steal!!!! Good luck.

 

[arcruiser]

Renting at $10 to $12 should not be a problem.

But I gotta ask....

Why don't you just Bank the points, and get a nicer room or longer stay on your first trip home?

You don't have to use them all. You could just use a portion of 'em, and for several years to come (via banking) you'd be able to enjoy a little "upgrade".

As an example, the Banking method would allow you to add Friday nite to a 5 day stay for 3 years (during most times of the year in a 1BR).....
OR, you could upgrade to a 2BR in lieu of a 1BR for 3 or 4 years.

 

[nboicepardee]

Thank you for your thoughts. For the first year (or 2) we are definitely not going to be able to go on any vacations due to family obligations. Financially, we also will be able to afford this wonderful purchase if we are able to rent out the first year. We don't care about making back every cent we spend, however, we will need to recoup some of it. $10/point seems very fair for both ends.

I would love to hear from some folks how long it usually takes to rent out your points and if people ever have trouble doing it. I would start offering it immediately once we have access.

Natalie

 

[DisNDat]

I've both bought and sold pts from time to time, depending on my needs. I usually bank em but every once in awhile I come up short and need some. So yes, it's easy to do, and Disboards is a great place to make those transactions happen. This board is a valuable resource...kudos to those who admin and mod and keep this site working so well! Happy new year to all!

P.S. Yes, ten bucks/pt is about right!

 

[mikesmom]

Sorry, but I can't agree that it is EASY to do. Depends on whether you haven't got anything else to do (like a JOB) for at least a few days. You can spend a great deal of time doing emails and calling Member Services - it takes time. At poular times of the year or with a complicated arrangement it can take lots of time.

I'm not a big renter because we usually use up our points. However last year due to a large family group backing out and then some unexpected illness, we ended up with points we couldn't get used. I had a couple renters that were just lovely - wonderful people and you know who you are. We emailed, we booked, they paid and they traveled. I had one potential rentee where we couldn't find space available when she could travel. No big deal, it happens.

On the flip side, I had three in a row who basically wanted to play "Let's Make a deal". Everything from one who agreed to $10/point and several sets of arrangement emails later, wanted the price lowered because there were "posts on the Board for $7" and they had the trip booked at a Days Inn and thought I should beat that, to someone who had me making long distance phone calls to them and calls from work to MS for a rather complicated ressie who later left me a phone message that it wasn't going to work out on their end. From their posts on the Boards later, it was obvious that they cut a deal with someone else.

Don't get me wrong, anyone has a right to get the best deal they can. But agreeing to a deal, having you spend time to get their arrangements made and then trying to re-negotiate is just a pain.

So, just like the "Buy where you want to stay" debate, can renting be done smoothly and pleasantly? Absolutely! Should you buy with the thought that easy renting is guaranteed? Absolutely NOT! You can get jerked around.

 

[Alexander]

You could also begin by offering to transfer your points to an existing member. This is usually an easier transaction. If you don't have any luck transferring your points, then rent them. Just make your terms known in advance, that your price is firm, no cancellations, etc. You really need to keep the ball in your court to protect yourself.

We have rented four different times form four wonderful people. We understood the DVC process, cancellation issues, etc, before we looked for points. Be sure you are dealing with people who understand the process. You may even want to look for people who have rented before and can provide references.

 

[nboicepardee]

Thank you so much for all of your thoughts. It is really helping us make our decision. I am more concerned about not being able to rent our points at all than putting in time to arrange someone's vacation. I am a stay-at-home mom (who works a couple of evenings a week), so I will be able to make daytime arrangements. I can certainly appreciate the frustration of putting in all the time to only have people back out. The references idea is a great one!

Another quick question....we are looking to buy SSR. There is currently a $10 off per point deal. Would we be better off buying somewhere else? I am really most interested in buying directly from Disney to avoid hassles. We have stayed on property numerous times, but never in one of the DVC resorts, so I am not that familiar with them. What we saw on tour was great several years ago (Wilderness Lodge and Old Key West rooms) and we have been to the Boardwalk. It seems some are more in demand than others from what I have been reading on the board.

Thanks again to everyone. I love this board and I am quickly becoming a regular!

 

[Cruelladeville]

MikesMom was correct in her evaluation of renting, which I have done often. You have several things working against you: you aren't an experienced member, you have no experience with DVC resorts, and you only have 4 posts. People with only 4 posts who try to rent out points are suspicious, and a possible fraud waiting to happen. Anyone who has spent time on these boards knows that someone so new is someone you want to stay away from when renting points. You retain control of the points right up until your renter checks in, a big problem. You could arrange a transfer to another member, or a trade, where you give them the points BEFORE you get the cash, but please be aware that the renter has no recourse if you are a thief. If you have to rent points to make things add up, I would suggest waiting a couple of years before buying into DVC, and use the time to learn about DVC and save up some money.

 

[Muushka]

Mikesmom:

I was wondering if these "wonderful renters" signed a contract prior to the "let's make a deal" episodes?

I read some of the renter's posts and say to myself "no way would I rent to that person. High maintainence!" Like the ones who want a specific room-they don't know which one, but it has to be a specific room. Or they start out low (asking on the boards for someone to rent to them for "cheap") and slowly go up. AAARRRRGGGGHHHHH

 

[nboicepardee]

We are really thinking about buying in the next few weeks. We go to Disney at least once per year and try out a different resort each time. I have never been disappointed with my Disney experience. We even got several of our friends so into Disney that they became DVC members before we did and love it! If I can't find someone on this board that would be willing to work with me, we can always bank our points or sell to a friend or family member.

I really appreciate the information and assistance that this board provides. I think it is really important to have a lot of information before you make any big decisions. At looking at old posts, I already have a contract in my files for the future. It is so wonderful that folks are willing to share their time and expertise. I hope that I will be able to work with someone on this board in the future because although I am new to DVC I have been to Disney 8 times in the last 6 1/2 years and I am always thorough and professional.

Thanks again for your thoughts.
Natalie

 

[nboicepardee]

Another quick question....why is Old Key West so many fewer points than the other resorts? I especially noticed that the 3 bedroom villa has very low points. Is this because the points there were established before they realized the appeal it would have? Also, is it hard to get a 3 bedroom villa at Old Key West during Adventure Season with only the 7 month window.

Thanks for your help! We are almost positive we are going to buy now. I can just never seem to get enough of Disney!

 

[Cruelladeville]

OKW was first, and it took a long time to sell out. Believe it or not, at the beginning many people thought WDW was trying to rip people off by charging that many points per night!!! Once people got used to DVC's basic concept, the point cost went up, as did the amount of points needed per room. Just look at the difference in a grand villa between OKW and BWV!

I can't answer your question about a grand villa--I go in the summer, at spring break, and Christmas , and at those times you really need the 11 month window. After 4 years of waitlisting for a grand villa in July, and never getting one, I just bought points at OKW, and will have a grand villa this year!

 

[nboicepardee]

Thanks Cruelladeville. I thought that must be it. We are going to buy at SSR and for the same time SSR is 67 points per night. It would be great to do a family trip and get a grand villa for all of us one year, but we wouldn't ever have enough points for SSR.

Congratulations on your grand villa this summer. Let us know how you like it!

Another question.....if SSR is my home resort and I want to add 50 to 100 points at another resort, will that also be my home resort and will I have the option of booking in the 11 month window. Thanks!

Everytime I get one question answered, it makes me think of another!

 

[Terry S]

You would have the home resort priority and 11 month booking window for only those amount of points, 50 or 100 that you bought at the second resort.

 

[nboicepardee]

So this means I wouldn't be able to make a reservation larger than 50 or 100 points?

 

[Terry S]

Well, if you buy 50 points you can bank 2005 points into 2006 and borrow 2007 points into 2006 and you could have 150 points to make a reservation in 2006. Does that make sense?

 

[Greysword]

I have a Point renting question. Do experienced members, such as yourself, act as brokers for a small fee? I mean do some experienced DVCers get the points from someone with a low post count and transfer them to the renter?

Also, what does it cost for me to tranfer points to another DVC member's account?

One last thing, where can we find the point renter's contract and has anyone had to use it in a court of law?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Terry S]

A member can only transfer in or out in a year. I am not sure if that is use year or calander year, but you can only do one or the other. You can do one or the other multiple times, but only one or the other. So I can transfer to 10 different members, but I can not get points transferred in and then transfer points out in the same year.

There is no fee to transfer points.

I do believe that some people use a contract. But there is not one specific one that is posted that you can use. If you post a thread asking does anyone have a renters contract, I am sure a few people will be willing to send you what they use.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

where can we find the point renter's contract and has anyone had to use it in a court of law?

Here is a (Link) to a couple of widely used contracts.

HBC