Banking Guideline Restrictions

[DVC Grandpa]

New Booking and Banking Guidelines for Members: The Rule of Four
In an effort to simplify Membership, new guidelines combine the three current banking windows into one, so that Members are now required to bank any unused Vacation Points and book Member Getaways exchanges at least four months prior to the end of the Use Year.

Is it just me or are there other members who occasionally make vacation plans on the spur of the moment? I feel that the new booking guidelines with its four month banking guidelines to be restrictive. As a member with a February use year I had until November 30th to bank up to 25% of my points and with the new rule I have to make that choice at the end of September and that leaved 1/3 of my year in which I can not spontaneously use those points to visit WDW. In the past I had only two months that those points were “locked up”. With my UY, that locks out the holiday season, something I don’t like to do.

 

[browniemtb]

So let me get this straight.......are you saying that in the last 4 months of the UY we can not book a DVC vacation spur of the moment? With an Aug UY your saying that April, May. June, July.....if I were in those months I could not use my points? Example, on May 1 I decide to go to WDW for a weekend, couldn't be done? Or did I mis-read your post.

Brownie

 

[cocoswife]

You could book a vacation, but, with banked points. See, you would have to bank your points on the 120 day window and borrow them if you decide to use them for a spur of the moment trip. This means that if you have to cancel you would have to rent your points, since, they had to be borrowed from your upcoming use year. I personally hate this new banking guideline and I let my guide know when we did our add on at AKV, she told me they were trying to "simplify" the process

 

[Caskbill]

..... I personally hate this new banking guideline and I let my guide know when we did our add on at AKV, she told me they were trying to "simplify" the process

I agree. They 'simplified' the process for those members who refused to 'learn and follow' the former rules. But for the rest of us, they took away a lot of the versatility of the DVC system.

Basically it means that if you want to use current year points, you must plan and book a minimum of 4 months prior to the end of your use year. With proper point management, it use to be a minimum of 2 months prior to the end of your use year, as pointed out by the OP.

And if you think about, the change hurts those who own a higher number of points than those with lower numbers. Someone who owns 150 points would probably bank earlier anyway as at the 25% window, they'd only have 37 points eligible to be banked, and you can't do much with 37 points. So most likely they've already determined what needs to be banked by the 50% or even at the earlier 100% windows.

But someone who owned 800 points could use 600 and would still have 200 points still eligible to be used or banked at the 25% (2-month window), and was waiting to bank based on any possibility of making more reservations as close as 2-months to the end of their use year.

 

[DVC Grandpa]

But someone who owned 800 points could use 600 and would still have 200 points still eligible to be used or banked at the 25% (2-month window), and was waiting to bank based on any possibility of making more reservations as close as 2-months to the end of their use year.

This is just what I am talking about. I can bank 150 points at the 25% window and that is 5 days during the Premier season.

 

[CapeCodFam]

Maybe I just don't understand.

Even if I bank my points into next UY, I believe I can still borrow from the next UY to book in those last 4 months. In the end, I'll still be able to book and have the same number of points avail year to year. Albeit, a little more banking and borrowing. Is this not the case?

 

[Caskbill]

Maybe I just don't understand.

Even if I bank my points into next UY, I believe I can still borrow from the next UY to book in those last 4 months. In the end, I'll still be able to book and have the same number of points avail year to year. Albeit, a little more banking and borrowing. Is this not the case?

Yes, but you restrict yourself that way.

Example 1, the old way. You have 600 2007UY points. You have 150 points that can be banked during the 25% window but are debating on banking them or making a reservation. At 2 months out you decide to use the points for a vacation. For 2008UY you will receive 600 points, ALL of which can be banked into 2009 if desired.

Example 2, the new rules. You must bank your 150 points by 4-months out. At two months you decide to take that vacation, so you borrow 150 points from UY2008. Now for UY 2008 you will have 600 points again, but 150 of them are banked and 450 are current year. You could bank the 450 into UY 2009, but the 150 that were banked cannot be banked again and must be used during UY2008.

This could be a problem if you don't go to WDW every year. Or if you planned on banking all your 2008 points into 2009 for a Family gathering, etc.

 

[Dean]

New Booking and Banking Guidelines for Members: The Rule of Four
In an effort to simplify Membership, new guidelines combine the three current banking windows into one, so that Members are now required to bank any unused Vacation Points and book Member Getaways exchanges at least four months prior to the end of the Use Year.

Is it just me or are there other members who occasionally make vacation plans on the spur of the moment? I feel that the new booking guidelines with its four month banking guidelines to be restrictive. As a member with a February use year I had until November 30th to bank up to 25% of my points and with the new rule I have to make that choice at the end of September and that leaved 1/3 of my year in which I can not spontaneously use those points to visit WDW. In the past I had only two months that those points were “locked up”. With my UY, that locks out the holiday season, something I don’t like to do.

The new process may be different but it's not more restrictive. Mathematically you actually pick up more time to bank more points. But being different it really depends on how you plan and will alter that planning for some, esp for those that tend to travel late in the use year. It's always been more risky to travel late in the use year, that has not changed much with this minor adjustment.

 

[DVC Grandpa]

Occasionally you see Threads stating that “this, that and the other thing” can’t be changed because of how the time share was presented to the public during the sales presentation. I know banking and barrowing was a part of our presentation. If you can’t change from a queen bed to a king bed or replace a queen with two double beds in the studio, how can you change the banking rules which affect those with larger contracts?

 

[DaveH]

Occasionally you see Threads stating that “this, that and the other thing” can’t be changed because of how the time share was presented to the public during the sales presentation. I know banking and barrowing was a part of our presentation. If you can’t change from a queen bed to a king bed or replace a queen with two double beds in the studio, how can you change the banking rules which affect those with larger contracts?

I suspect FLA law has to do with those questions.

 

[LisaS]

Occasionally you see Threads stating that “this, that and the other thing” can’t be changed because of how the time share was presented to the public during the sales presentation. I know banking and borrowing was a part of our presentation. If you can’t change from a queen bed to a king bed or replace a queen with two double beds in the studio, how can you change the banking rules which affect those with larger contracts?

I think there actually is something in the legal documents that states that banking can be suspended at any time. So if they can eliminate it altogether, there is probably something that states they can change the deadlines as well. I hope Doc or Dean or someone else who really knows the details on these things will comment on this.

 

[Dean]

Occasionally you see Threads stating that “this, that and the other thing” can’t be changed because of how the time share was presented to the public during the sales presentation. I know banking and barrowing was a part of our presentation. If you can’t change from a queen bed to a king bed or replace a queen with two double beds in the studio, how can you change the banking rules which affect those with larger contracts?

The POS does give the right to change or suspend banking/borrowing. While many things require a vote, DVC members have signed over their right to vote back to DVC's "voting representative". The exceptions would be things that are obviously detrimental to the group as a whole. This gives them the ability to even change the POS in many cases. Ultimately it would require legal action if they overstepped their authority.

 

[browniemtb]

I just went to dvcmember.com and read the small summation of the new banking rule. So I hope I understand this correctly...

We have to bank 100% of our points 4 months prior to our UY-Aug UY means by March 31st

You have to book member getaways at least 4 months prior to your UY.

World Passport has there own rules that have not changed.

You can book Dinseyland and WDW trips with-in that 4 months - This was my concern, that if there were points left over for some reason you couldn't book a last minute getaway.

Brownie

 

[dianeschlicht]

I agree. They 'simplified' the process for those members who refused to 'learn and follow' the former rules. But for the rest of us, they took away a lot of the versatility of the DVC system.

Basically it means that if you want to use current year points, you must plan and book a minimum of 4 months prior to the end of your use year. With proper point management, it use to be a minimum of 2 months prior to the end of your use year, as pointed out by the OP.

And if you think about, the change hurts those who own a higher number of points than those with lower numbers. Someone who owns 150 points would probably bank earlier anyway as at the 25% window, they'd only have 37 points eligible to be banked, and you can't do much with 37 points. So most likely they've already determined what needs to be banked by the 50% or even at the earlier 100% windows.

But someone who owned 800 points could use 600 and would still have 200 points still eligible to be used or banked at the 25% (2-month window), and was waiting to bank based on any possibility of making more reservations as close as 2-months to the end of their use year.

I totally agree! I am quite sure I do not like the new system. I liked being able to hold off on banking until the last minute, and now I'll have to bank earlier and borrow from the next use year more often. That, in my estimation, makes it more confusing instead of simpler!

 

[IndianaMouseLover]

Maybe I just don't understand.

Even if I bank my points into next UY, I believe I can still borrow from the next UY to book in those last 4 months. In the end, I'll still be able to book and have the same number of points avail year to year. Albeit, a little more banking and borrowing. Is this not the case?

Now I am getting totally confused. Or maybe I missed a change.

I thought that once you bank points into you next UY you cannot borrow them back into the current year to use no matter what.

For example...let's say I bank my 2007 UY (Sept.) points into the 2008 UY. I decide that I want to vacation later this year 2007. I thought you cannot borrow back those points. I would have to use my 2008 unbanked points.

Or am I not understanding the post?

 

[LisaS]

I thought that once you bank points into you next UY you cannot borrow them back into the current year to use no matter what.

For example...let's say I bank my 2007 UY (Sept.) points into the 2008 UY. I decide that I want to vacation later this year 2007. I thought you cannot borrow back those points. I would have to use my 2008 unbanked points.

You are correct that you cannot unbank the banked 2007 points but you could borrow some of your 2008 UY points into your 2007 UY.