Borrowing Points????

[newt1912]

Need help from a DVC expert on this hypothetical situation.

I have 200 DVC points. I have made a reservation for December 2002 using 120 points. I will be making a reservation at the appropriate time for February 2003 using 130 points. At that time I will only have 80 points left so I will need to borrow 50 points from my August 2003 use year. I take my December 2002 trip and use my 120 points. Something comes up in my life in early January and I decide that we must cancel the February 2003 trip and will not be able to visit WDW again during our current use year. I do this prior to 31 days so I get my 80 points back and I know I have until April to bank them into my 2003 use year. What about the 50 I borrowed to make that Feb. 2003 reservation? My book says "Borrowing vacation points can only occur at the time of confirming a reservation." What exactly does that wording mean? Book also says "Once borrowed, vacation points cannot be returned to their original use year and will expire if not used by the end of the current use year." So, if I cancel the Feb. 2002 reservation, I will get my original 80 points back to bank but will lose the 50 borrowed points if I do not use them by July 31? Is my understanding correct? Is this when people go on the disboard and try to rent out their points?

Please help me to understand how all this works. Thanks.

 

[PamOKW]

If you make a reservation and borrow points to make it and then cancel that reservation then, yes, you must use those points before the end of the Use Year. They cannot be "put back".

You must find some way to use those 50 points. This is when Concierge Collection starts to look good, "gifting" someone with the points or finding someone to rent them.

Another option, which I believe MS can do, is apply the 50 points that you borrowed towards the vacation you take in December. (Or you could even do this when you make your original reservation.) Then you would be able to use all present Use Year points towards the February vacation, cancel the points and bank them into the next year.

 

[makelab]

how can you get extra points applied to your vacation after booking your reservation? can they be used for food, park tickets or other activities?

 

[Dean]

Once borrowed, the 50 points will need to be used by 31 July or they will expire. You cannot re bank them to the 2003 use year. My suggestions is when you make your Feb 2003 reservation to have them change the 50 borrowed points to the December reservation. That way if you had to cancel your Feb reservation you could banke all of the points available. If you cancelled the Dec, 2002 reservation, you could move them to the Feb 2003 and then bank the other points. Always use banked and/or borrowed points first.

 

[DebbieB]

Points are strictly for reserving rooms, it's part of the DVC contract. They cannot be used for food, tickets, etc.

I think they would allow you to reallocate the December reservation to use the borrowed points then if you requested it before your December trip. If you decide in January to cancel your February trip, I don't think they would allow you to go back and change December.

This is one of the risks of borrowing points, if you change your mind or have to cancel you can't move them back to their original use year. If it's a large amount of points there's always your "super secret once in a lifetime banking" option.

 

[newt1912]

Ok, now I am confused.

Dean says "My suggestions is when you make your Feb 2003 reservation to have them change the 50 borrowed points to the December reservation. That way if you had to cancel your Feb reservation you could banke all of the points available."

But Debbie B says " I think they would allow you to reallocate the December reservation to use the borrowed points then if you requested it before your December trip. If you decide in January to cancel your February trip, I don't think they would allow you to go back and change December.


Maybe I am not confused. See if I am understanding what both of you are saying:

When I go to make my Feb. 2003 reservation (which will be made prior to taking the actual Dec. trip) and need to borrow the 50 points, I should tell MS at that time that I want those 50 borrowed points to be put towards my December reservation (since I definitely know that I will be taking that trip). If I just phrased it in the proper way, then I think I understand it. Did I???

Thanks to all for helping me understand.

 

[Dean]

Actually Debbie and I are essentially saying almost the same thing. I'm saying make sure you use the borrowed points first and Debbie is saying that if you have points that are borrowed and won't use them, have them substitute the borrowed points and free up points that can be banked. Either is ok and yes they will normally do that substitution. The only problem with Debbie's way is that if you have a problem after the 30 day cancellation window for the December 2002 reservation or after that reservation has been completed, you may get stuck with the points. My way, if you cancel after the December reservatin but before 30 days out for the Feb, 2003; you can still bank all of the points.