Borrowed Points

[walkerford]

I need to borrow some points from my 2007-8 use year to book a 1 bed villa for a couple of weeks. Now there is just a chance that I may need to change the reservation to one which will require a lot less points ( i won't bore you with the details but it could well happen) I would have enough "regular points" for the lesser vacation but wonder what will happen to the borrowed points? Have thay got to then be used in 2007-8 (ie for me before Apr 2008) or ?? If they have could I in effect use the borrowed points for this vacation and "bank" any remaining regular 2007-8 points?
I hope this makes sense but living in the uk our holidays are pretty much set so that our next possible vacation after aug 2007 will be aug 2008 and I cannot afford to lose the borrowed points if i have to change the reservation.
As always any help greatly appreciated.

 

[RobDoc]

It's hard to tell what points you will be borrowing from the information provided - however, borrowed points cannot be returned to their original Use Year and must be used during the Use Year into which they were moved or they would expire at the end of that Use Year.

If you want to borrow points from your April, 2007 Use Year - they would become 2006 points and musty be used by March 31 or they will expire.

If you combine them with current (bankable) points and later make changes to the reservation, MS may allow you to reallocate the reservatino to use the borrowed points and then bank the freed up current points (based on normal banking deadlines).

If you are talking about borrowing points from your 2008 Use Year for a trip between April 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008 - the same principles would appy, but you would have more time to make use of the points.

I hope this helps!

 

[3DisneyKids]

It's hard to tell what points you will be borrowing from the information provided - however, borrowed points cannot be returned to their original Use Year and must be used during the Use Year into which they were moved or they would expire at the end of that Use Year.

If you want to borrow points from your April, 2007 Use Year - they would become 2006 points and musty be used by March 31 or they will expire.

If you combine them with current (bankable) points and later make changes to the reservation, MS may allow you to reallocate the reservatino to use the borrowed points and then bank the freed up current points (based on normal banking deadlines).

If you are talking about borrowing points from your 2008 Use Year for a trip between April 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008 - the same principles would appy, but you would have more time to make use of the points.

I hope this helps!

I am not the OP, and have read this same type of information several times here (as this question gets asked frequently). My question is this: if a member has to cancel a ressie booked with borrowed points (and I understand that the points do not go back to their original year), will MS automatically help the member out but walking him/her through the idea of "ok, so instead, you go ahead and USE your borrowed points for this year, and then you bank this year's points for next year...and it all works out in the end."

As I said, I understand the basics, but I have never had to do it. So when I encounter this problem (which I undoubtedly will), how good is MS at helping out? Will they (without prodding) help you to maximize your points? Or will they assume that is is up to members as to how to best maximize our points?

 

[Granny]

As I said, I understand the basics, but I have never had to do it. So when I encounter this problem (which I undoubtedly will), how good is MS at helping out? Will they (without prodding) help you to maximize your points? Or will they assume that is is up to members as to how to best maximize our points?

I have found MS to be very helpful in using the "right" points and maintaining as much flexibility as possible to the remaining points.

Having said that, I think it is still incumbent upon the member to know the system and to have a pretty good idea of which points they want to use for what.

One thing I do before any transaction with MS is I write down on a piece of paper what I think my point status will be for the existing and following year (and the one after that if it is affected). Then when I'm finished, I always go over the point status for each year to make absolutely certain that they used the points in the manner I wanted.

I think that MS is very helpful in this situation. But I would expect, at a minimum, for the member to ask if MS can help assign points that gives the member as much flexibility as possible.

I guess what I'm saying is that I think MS does this as a nice service, but not every member wants their points handled in exactly the same way. I would classify it as a service, not a duty.

 

[walkerford]

Ok I think I get it. I am having to borrow 100 points from year 2008-9! to make up the 500 or so points i need. I may after all only need 400 points and if I do this as long as I ask MS to use the 100 "borrowed" points within the 400 then I can bank any remaining current points into 2008-9 in effect replacing the "borrowed" points. Is that it?

 

[RobDoc]

I agree with Granny. As Members, we need to be aware of how best to use our ownership and ask questions if there is any uncertainty.

For example, if you have made a reservation for 7 days at a DVC resort - the first four using current points and the last 3 using borrowed points - and later decide to cancel the last 3 days, MS will probably NOT automatically suggest reallocating those borrowed points and will just return them to your current Use Year. In some cases, they cannot even reallocate without cancelling the first 4 days and rebooking if there is no wait list. ( ... If the borrowed points were from a different resort and originally reserved at 7 months and the first 4 days were reserved at 11 months using Home Resort points.)

Each transaction can be somewhat situational and it's up to the member to instruct MS how they wish to use their points if they have any preference.

Having said that, some CMs at MS are better than others at recognizing issues such as this and making the member aware while on the phone (making one of those *MAGICAL* experiences), but not all will handle the situation in the same fashion.

 

[Caskbill]

Ok I think I get it. I am having to borrow 100 points from year 2008-9! to make up the 500 or so points i need. I may after all only need 400 points and if I do this as long as I ask MS to use the 100 "borrowed" points within the 400 then I can bank any remaining current points into 2008-9 in effect replacing the "borrowed" points. Is that it?

Yes, you've got it. Keep in mind you will still have to observe banking deadlines.

It might be easier to talk about your Use Year (and UY month) rather than saying 'year 2008-9'.

If you give your use year month (say it's June), then everyone here would know that your UY 2006 covers June 1, 2006-May 31, 2007, and UY 2007 covers dates June 1, 2007 - May 31, 2008, and so on.

 

[DMKEDM]

MS is very helpful...pretty much this exact scenario happened to us and the wonderful CM at MS sorted it out so that we have the most flexibility w/our points...I still get confused, but I wound up w/a whole lot more points to use in 2007 than I had before the CM helped me!

Pixie dust to you...

 

[walkerford]

Thank you to everyone who has replied, as always a fund of invaluable information. Off to speak to member services soon. Thanks again!

 

[knothead180]

I'm not sure when , in relation to your check-in day, you may have to change your reservations, but keep the cancellation deadlines in mind. If you cancel or change reservations from 1 to 30 days before scheduled check-in, the unused points wind up in a holding account, which has its own set of rules.