Buyer's Remorse?? Dvc Too Restrictive?

[mommym]

I just gave a down-payment for SSR tomorrow after a whirlwind day online and to get the F&F discount. We only just toured last week and yes, acted kinda quickly but $83.3 just was too attractive. My concern now that I have been on this board and another is around our vacationing habits. We take 2 major vacations a year-summer and winter. Our winter vacation is to a condo in Naples and then a 3 day trip over to Disney. Sometimes we go to Disney only every other year. In the summer we like to go to places other than Disney-for instance, this year we were going either to Mackinac Island in Michigan's Upper Peninsula of the Lake Taho area. We imagine taking our children to Boston and Washington DC in the next few years as well. Did my guide overhype the ability to book at places other that DVC's? From this forum I get the idea that people are trading points to do that which just sounds like a huge headache to me. We also like DCL and I read suggestions to rent/sell points and then pay cash. I have a headache just thinking about it. I also liked the HHI idea because it's one of my DH favorite spots and that REALLY helped sell him. Is it really so hard to get in there? I don't want this to come back to haunt me to find out that we can't go to HHI when the weather is at least semi-warm. Is it really such a bad financial deal to go to places in the World Passport Collection? I really am rethinking this and I haven't signed anything yet-only given a $500 deposit. You're help has been very valuable to this point and I thank you for your input!

 

[rogerram]

As a timeshare DVC is one of the least restricive. You can go as many days as you like, size of the unit you want(studio up to GV), when you want(not a set week) and exchange. We used points for a few nights in Boston (Harbor Hotel)and it was great and no problem to get. All the other exchanges may not be as easy, but the earlier you ask for them, the better chance they will come through. As for DCL, it is more cost effective to rent the points because you can pay cash and get much more. It is not very point friendly. As for HH, I'm not sure, but I would think you should be able to get there sometime around when you want to go.

 

[mommym]

I should say too that another of the reasons we decided to go with DVC is that it forces us to make those trips..."We have the points we better use them..." As the kids get older its getting easier to fill our time with other activities and harder to find the funds to go on these trips. Yes, this is expensive but we pay for it gradually and are not forced to save up a huge chunk of cash for accomodations. We've always camped in the past and could go pretty resonably but camping became too much work and therefore less enjoyable. I want pampering!!!

 

[Pa@okw95]

You should be a WDW nut to buy into DVC. It sounds to me like you are not one. You might want to reconsider your purchase.

 

[Cinderella]

No honestly it is not too bad a deal at all. Some people compare the deals you can get with an II trade to what they would get renting out points. To me, that is too much of a headache. The only time i would rent out my points is for the cruise - but i would only rent to an existing member - less hassle and you can transfer the points and let them make their own ressies.

I, like you used to worry that i had made the wrong decision - but i have traded a lot, and lots of the trades i wanted came thru. The only one which was a poor deal financially was in la manga, spain - it was a nice place, but i could have rented it cheaply. The rest were top notch and great value.

To see if it is worth trading - i always look at reviews on www.tug.net (it's cheap to join) and i check out how much others are renting out the places i am wanting to stay. I compare the price it would cost with the price it is costing me in dues for that particular stay. It is pointless for me to calculate it at $10 per point, as the renting would be so much hassle.

You say you only stay every other year. Would it always be for only three days - how often do you plan to do Hilton Head. Would you use your dvc for at least a week every other year on Disney property - either HH or WDW?

The other thing is - would you stay more because of having DVC? Many people do - but only you can decide if it is right for you.

Also it depends whether you are paying cash or financing.

My first lot of points i financed - 150 wlv. There were many complications - including a divorce after and stuff. I was unable to stay at WLV for a few years - we still got good trades. But, i also bought when the exchange rate was poor - meaning it cost me more, and i had to finance.

My second lot of points - 250 ssr i financed half down and am paying half over a year (although i took the loan over ten years, just incase i meet any financial difficulties). For me personally - i would prefer to not have had the WLV points and be starting from scratch now. Financing the deal isn't the greatest way to do it - but if you can put half down and finance the rest over the year it's pretty good. I will have paid the whole downpayment in a year - and if i am ever short of cash - i could sell some of my points for as much as i'd paid, and my vacations i'd took would have only cost me the dues - which is a bargain.

Do give us more info, so we can help you decide. How often will you stay in a dvc property - how many days, and are you financing etc? I ask this, because if you change your mind - i think you do have so many days to do so. And as much as we love dvc right here on these boards, we appreciate it is not for everyone, and would be happy to help you make the right decision. Sometimes it's not right for now - as it maybe wasn't for me - but it might be right in the future.

 

[Daitcher]

You should be a WDW nut to buy into DVC. It sounds to me like you are not one. You might want to reconsider your purchase.

I tend to agree with this on some level. You did state however that you would visit WDW every other year. That in itself would work out well. You could just bank your points. HH is not that tough to get at 7 months and either is VB (which is way better IMO). Peak summer periods around 4th of July are always tough. Other times will work out for you. May - October are nice and warm there and bookings not too tough at 7 months. Being nervous at first is normal. DVC is the cream of the crop for timeshares. Nothing out there is more flexible. I would suggest staying with the program. Use your DVC points for WDW trips, HH trips and VB trips. Pay cash for the other trips you mentioned. Also an occasional trade or concierge collection booking is always an option. If you are fine with this suggestion, stick with it. You could always sell down the road if you don't like DVC or find it doesn't wor for you. Resale values have held and even increased over time. $83/pp is a deal we will likely never see again. Good luck and it is OK to be nervous. I was even nervous and I love WDW. Nervousness quickly passed with all the memorable trips we've taken.


DAVE

 

[Cruelladeville]

I love my DVC memberships, and can't even think seriously about selling any of them without getting heart palpatations! I have used my points to stay at other hotels, The Grand Hotel, and at a lovely hotel in Chicago.Both were very easy to use. Now, having said that, I have to say that it is a HUGE amount of points compared to using them in a DVC resort. We, too, bought DVC to make sure we schedule vacations, and it has worked well. We live for those vacations now, and have found our adult children want to vacation with us.
We also bought a Marriott week, and DVC is so much cheaper in many ways, although the original cost is much more. It is nearly the only timeshare that increases in value over time, so you have made a good choice. Your nerves are the nerves everyone has when they make large purchases, I think, as long as you feel that you do want to vacation at WDW some of the time.

 

[shantay1008]

Hi,
Now that I've moved from Eagan to Prescott, I'm not technically a Twin Citian anymore, but close enough.

First of all, I'm not a Disney Nut at all, so I don't think that's a requirement for buying into the DVC like the other poster suggested (no offense intended to that person). But for a family who lives in the north and wants to escape every winter to a warm place AND as the parents of small children, we decided that WDW is a great place to hang out with our kids. I made the decision to purchase DVC while I was sitting on the sand at Beach Club, watching my three children playing happily in the pool and I felt relaxed. Let me repeat that: a mother of three (now four) felt truly relaxed on a vacation.

There are lots of other places I'd like to visit, too, but we'll make our trip to WDW every other year for now (and take a cruise, too, I hope) and when the kids are older, we'll plan trips with them and our grandchildren. Or maybe when we've reached financial security we'll give points as gifts to friends and family. For now, in the summers, we'll pack the kids in the minivan and explore other parts of the country as we're able.

One poster recently described great trips to the Mandarin in Washington, D.C. and to the Dorchester in London, for which she used points with no problems. We have our first trip as DVC members next week (yea!), but I transferred my 2006 points to pay for my dues this year and to finish paying off expenses from our adoption trip to China last fall. We'll have enough points to go again for a week in 2008, which we're perfectly content with.

I don't know if this helps or not, but I think you'll be glad you did it. One thing I keep hearing (reading) people say is that they wish they would have done it sooner.

Good luck!
Shannon

 

[nestlejean]

You have people who say it is cheaper to rent out your points and go on a cruise with cash or book a resort with cash but it's all how you look at it. If you bought DVC so you can use it for vacations, will it matter to you if it was a bit cheaper to rent out the points and use the cash or just use your points and not worry about how much it did or didn't cost? I look at it as our vacation points. I just go to wherever we want using the points. If I want to go through the process of renting them out and then paying cash, it's up to me. I just look at the whole point amount as our vacation, however I choose to use them. Part of the cost people aplly to the points is variable. Do you use the going rental rate or the per point cost from dues and the amount you purchased them for divided by the # of years? When we went on a cruise with Disney, I took the per point actual cost the way I figure it and it was a decent price. I could have went though the renting process but chose not to. The trip was paid for either way. I guess what I am trying to say is, it's all how you look at it...

 

[Lisa P.]

While it's true that DVC is less restrictive than most timeshares, that's only true of how you may use it for DVC vacation stays. It's quite limited, as timeshare systems go, in where you may vacation. Larger points systems offer a much bigger variety of destinations at which you may stay for a few nights at a time. Nearly all timeshares offer unlimited access to the external exchange company's inventory (all of II or all of RCI or both).

IMHO, this is NOT the time for you, mommym, to buy DVC. You have not researched it thoroughly enough (as well as other systems) to know that this will suit your family. People here are largely Disney fanatics who love to vacation at WDW at least every other year and stay long enough to use up their points at DVC resorts most of the time.

How large a unit do you plan to use at DVC? If you only need 3 nights every other winter, 150 DVC points would simply NOT be a wise purchase for you, IMHO. That's 300 points to use up every 2 years on a 3 night vacation! Rent points when you want that few! Further, if those 3 nights would be a long weekend, especially during Christmas/New Year's school break, DVC could actually end up being more expensive than paying cash to rent from Disney. Truly, I'd tread lightly!!!

Mackinac Island, Lake Tahoe, Boston, Washington DC... look for something else. If you had planned on staying at the top level, more expensive/upscale places in these destinations and paying cash, you might break even or possibly get a tiny discount by using DVC points. But for a family who usually camps, would like some luxury, and is finding finances a bit tight, I don't think DVC would work well for you. You'd likely end up seeing the poor value and not use the points that way, instead finding better deals at other hotels. And remember, with DVC, these locations will be upscale hotel or upscale B&B stays... not spacious, attractive, family-style condos. It's a different kind of vacation. What are you seeking?

HHI is beautiful. Would you use your points there very often (at least every other summer)? If so, consider buying a resale at that home resort. Otherwise, you'd have to be very flexible in booking prime summer stays at DVC HHI at just 7 months out. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't.

Since you are interested in WDW (area), HHI, Tahoe and Boston, you may consider a resale Marriott week. For WDW (area), other SC beaches, Tahoe and Washington DC, consider Fairfield points, resale. There are others too, of course. Consider a resale with DVC HHI, perhaps for fewer points than 150, to provide for all of your anticipated DVC vacations. Read more about timeshares at TUG - see my sig below for a link.

Timeshares can make comfortable family vacationing easier (if you get the right one for you) or they can create a LOT of hassle and misgivings (if you buy the wrong product for your family's needs). That's why you'll get so many varied answers from different people. But regardless of what I say (or anyone else here), you are the one who'll live with your purchase and decision. So research before you buy and avoid the regret. HTH!

 

[aDVCwannabe]

my dh and i are not wdw/disney nuts, nor do we have have young children or grandchildren to take to disney for the next 40+ yrs; in fact, we are on the brink of retirement and just bought into the dvc because of the f&f deal.

we see our dvc membership as facilitating travel we might never do if we had to reach into our pockets and pay for a trip every time we wanted to go somewhere. outside of our annual maintenance fees, our trips are paid for for years! we will travel to disney world and disneyland and hilton head, maybe even vero beach - but we will also trade out to go to as many of the other destinations as possible.

make your decision based more so on what works for you than what works for others.

 

[rogerram]

well said,aDVCwannabe. I enjoy it because I can stay places when I vacation that I never dreamed of staying before. I was usually a vlaue resort person, and they were o.k. to stay at, but having DVC has brought me to a whole new level of resort and at a fraction of what I would have to pay out of my pocket for a cash reservation. Also, now that you are a DVC member(aDVCwannabe) you might need an update name change

...you are now one of us officially...Welcome Home!

maybe aDVCwannabeNoMore

 

[Dean]

You have people who say it is cheaper to rent out your points and go on a cruise with cash or book a resort with cash but it's all how you look at it. If you bought DVC so you can use it for vacations, will it matter to you if it was a bit cheaper to rent out the points and use the cash or just use your points and not worry about how much it did or didn't cost? I look at it as our vacation points. I just go to wherever we want using the points. If I want to go through the process of renting them out and then paying cash, it's up to me. I just look at the whole point amount as our vacation, however I choose to use them. Part of the cost people aplly to the points is variable. Do you use the going rental rate or the per point cost from dues and the amount you purchased them for divided by the # of years? When we went on a cruise with Disney, I took the per point actual cost the way I figure it and it was a decent price. I could have went though the renting process but chose not to. The trip was paid for either way. I guess what I am trying to say is, it's all how you look at it...

It's much different already owning than buying to use for the other options. IMO, using points is far more risky and restrictive than using cash.

 

[Dean]

I just gave a down-payment for SSR tomorrow after a whirlwind day online and to get the F&F discount. We only just toured last week and yes, acted kinda quickly but $83.3 just was too attractive. My concern now that I have been on this board and another is around our vacationing habits. We take 2 major vacations a year-summer and winter. Our winter vacation is to a condo in Naples and then a 3 day trip over to Disney. Sometimes we go to Disney only every other year. In the summer we like to go to places other than Disney-for instance, this year we were going either to Mackinac Island in Michigan's Upper Peninsula of the Lake Taho area. We imagine taking our children to Boston and Washington DC in the next few years as well. Did my guide overhype the ability to book at places other that DVC's? From this forum I get the idea that people are trading points to do that which just sounds like a huge headache to me. We also like DCL and I read suggestions to rent/sell points and then pay cash. I have a headache just thinking about it. I also liked the HHI idea because it's one of my DH favorite spots and that REALLY helped sell him. Is it really so hard to get in there? I don't want this to come back to haunt me to find out that we can't go to HHI when the weather is at least semi-warm. Is it really such a bad financial deal to go to places in the World Passport Collection? I really am rethinking this and I haven't signed anything yet-only given a $500 deposit. You're help has been very valuable to this point and I thank you for your input!

Looking at your info, I think it depends on when you would go to WDW. If it's weekends,it's nuts to buy. If not, you may want to consider a small amount of points.

 

[Goofy's apprentice]

Our certainly did. We went to WDW in 1996 with the kids and didn't return until 2004. On that trip we bought into DVC (it was always a dream). Since then we went twice in 2005 and have 2 more trips booked to 2006 !! We thought we would use it only every other year or so but clearly when it became ours we can hardly keep ourselves away...

Quite a few longer term members can probably back me up...once you've bought in you may find yourself using it more often than you expected.

 

[CarolA]

OK.. I am going to raise my red flag on HH.

If lkie me you have been spoiled by having villas within the plantations and/or being able to walk to the beach you may not LOVE the DVC HH. I do not love it and do not use the points I own there. If I wanted a HH timeshare I would look at other options (and have)


As for the other places, call your guide and ask for a points chart.. the points don't go as far ANYPLACE else as they do at Disney.

 

[aclov]

My DH and I have no children but bought in 1999 with hopes of one day being blessed with them. Because of DVC we have gone to Hawaii, California (stayed at Grand California Hotel), spent weekends in Chicago, and last month took a Disney Cruise which I booked at Cat. 11 and was upgraded to Cat. 8 all on points. We have visited WDW with my family, his family and friends. We love Orlando and WDW but also love the flexibility of being able to travel to other places. I love not having to find the cheapest room rate and knowing that I will have superb accomodations so when people tell me that they can stay in a cheaper place like Best Western for the night, I tell them that's their choice.

 

[PinkTink63]

I just gave a down-payment for SSR tomorrow after a whirlwind day online and to get the F&F discount. We only just toured last week and yes, acted kinda quickly but $83.3 just was too attractive. My concern now that I have been on this board and another is around our vacationing habits. We take 2 major vacations a year-summer and winter. Our winter vacation is to a condo in Naples and then a 3 day trip over to Disney. Sometimes we go to Disney only every other year. In the summer we like to go to places other than Disney-for instance, this year we were going either to Mackinac Island in Michigan's Upper Peninsula of the Lake Taho area. We imagine taking our children to Boston and Washington DC in the next few years as well. Did my guide overhype the ability to book at places other that DVC's? From this forum I get the idea that people are trading points to do that which just sounds like a huge headache to me. We also like DCL and I read suggestions to rent/sell points and then pay cash. I have a headache just thinking about it. I also liked the HHI idea because it's one of my DH favorite spots and that REALLY helped sell him. Is it really so hard to get in there? I don't want this to come back to haunt me to find out that we can't go to HHI when the weather is at least semi-warm. Is it really such a bad financial deal to go to places in the World Passport Collection? I really am rethinking this and I haven't signed anything yet-only given a $500 deposit. You're help has been very valuable to this point and I thank you for your input!

I just wanted to let you know that we are new members and I just rented out my points, because we were not going to be able to use them this year and it was not hard at all. It did take a few phone calls to DVC, but other than that, painless!
Relax and take a deep breath. That feeling will go away!
Then the excitement to plan your next trip!
Stephanie

 

[zalansky]

My DH and I have no children but bought in 1999 with hopes of one day being blessed with them. Because of DVC we have gone to Hawaii, California (stayed at Grand California Hotel), spent weekends in Chicago, and last month took a Disney Cruise which I booked at Cat. 11 and was upgraded to Cat. 8 all on points. We have visited WDW with my family, his family and friends. We love Orlando and WDW but also love the flexibility of being able to travel to other places. I love not having to find the cheapest room rate and knowing that I will have superb accomodations so when people tell me that they can stay in a cheaper place like Best Western for the night, I tell them that's their choice.

Do you mind telling us how many points you have, to be able to travel like this?

 

[aclov]

I don't own alot like some other folks here - my number is 220. Wish it were higher! I have been a member since 1999 so it's been throughout the course of 7 years that I've had my DVC, but I have banked and borrowed, and when I go to WDW I try not to use weekend points or stay for less than a week. I just try to really use my points to my advantage.

I am glad to hear that renting points is not that hard. I may have to try that one day. I am giving to my sister in law a week in a studio in exchange for some money she had lent me when I was in a financial bind, so I've even used DVC to barter. Not that I'm recommending that to anyone, but she really wants to go with a friend and since I don't have the money right now but I have some extra points that I won't be using, oh well. I'll be sure to let her know what a great deal she's getting.