Cancelled Reservation

[rachel_a18]

Hello!

Hopefully this is the right area to post this question in. I rented 61 points from a DVC member ($610 total) for a Christmas vacation. The confirmation # she gave me worked on the DVC website... I was able to see our vacation info and it was all in my name. Upon confirmation of the existing reservation, I paid the DVC member in full via Paypal. I asked her for confirmation once the funds were cleared and received, but didn't get one... i chalked it up to meaning 'yes, i got the money'. Payment was made at the end of April. I attempted to contact her at the end of May, but did not receive a response. Today, I went back to the confirmation #, entered it on the same website, and got a message that said, "Your reservation has been cancelled. Please contact the original booking agent." I just sent the DVC member yet another email asking for clarification, but I'm panicked that I may have been ripped off. Is this something that happens for a valid reason, or should I be concerned? Should I do something else?

 

[vicki_c]

I wouldn't necessarily panic until you see if the person gets back to you, but my instinct is definitely that you have a problem. I never heard of anyone saying the website said "was cancelled". I've heard of people not being able to view the reservation for one reason or another, but never seeing "cancelled."

Unfortunately, there's nothing you can really do other than deal with the member or if you could file a dispute with Paypal possibly (I have no clue how that would work).

Edited: OK, I lied - I would be panicking. I just didn't want to say that.

 

[lucyem]

If the member does not reply to your emails then I would file a dispute with pay pal.

 

[pamickey]

Contact PayPal immediately . . . I believe that you only have a limited time to file a complaint about a transaction, so you need to get something on the record! Good luck - I hope this will work out ok for you.

Terri

 

[LJM721]

Hopefully your PayPal transaction was tied to a credit card and not a direct withdrawal from a checking/savings account. You can contact your credit card company and tell them you were charged for services not received. They can help.

Larry

 

[CarolAnnC]

I am not sure how paypal works, but we paid in full using Chase Visa for a summer stay in a Dover U.K. hotel. Although the hotel has closed down permanently, the credit card company will not start proceedings to refund us until we have passed the date that we were to check in. They stated that is because they only commence refund procedures when we have passed the date that the services (hotel stay) were promised for.

Not sure if that is the case with paypal but wanted to just relay my own experience here.

 

[rachel_a18]

Thank you all for your replies... I'm definitely in panic mode now. Larry - yes, it was tied to a credit card precisely for the worst case scenario that seems to be happening. Tomorrow morning, I am going to call the phone# I initially contacted her at to see if she can give me a clear answer. Its hard not to be frustrated, because I thought I did everything right: paypal via credit card, talked with DVC member over the phone before booking, got signed contract via email, confirmed reservation# on website before paying... *sigh.

At this point, REGARDLESS of her answer, I think I'm going to cancel the entire booking. If this happened days before our trip, we'd be robbed of more than just the $610 (plane tickets, travel arrangements, etc). Goodbye, Animal Kingdom - Kidani... i shall miss you!

 

[bytheblood]

Oh honey - I hope it all works out. I am saying prayers for you!

 

[JackandSally79]

Like the others said contact Paypal now...good luck.

 

[cseca]

oh dear... I would be panicking too if I were you. Just out of curiosity, did you have a signed contract? Not that it would make everything better, but I wonder you are within the cancellation period agreement.

Good luck, please don't think all members who rent their points are bad people. I've rented my points several times and *knock on wood* generally have a pleasant experience. Most of them ended up renting from me several times.

Keep us posted... I hope it was just a blip in disney's reservation and nothing bad happened.

 

[rachel_a18]

I have a contract that's electronically signed, along with a huge email trail going back and forth between the DVC member and myself. I am definitely within the cancellation period on the agreement... but if the cancellation was done intentionally, I doubt she's willing to keep the contract.

My hubby was just telling me not to give up on renting points from another member, even though I'm a little gun-shy now. Haha, although I could be panicked for nothing and she has a perfectly good explanation! I'll keep you guys posted after I attempt to call her tomorrow... she gets one more chance before the Paypal dispute gets filed. Thanks again, all!

 

[Lost in Neverland]

Yes I would also be panicking but do not give up on renting points. There is a site tthat many of us have used to either rent out our points or rent points that is legit and has a great reputation. Here is the site dvcrequest.com. There is a thread in the DB Planning about this guy. He is very helpful and if Paypal refunds your money or it works out with your credit card I would use him. I hate when people do things like this because it just makes everyone distrust each other. Good Luck. Let the boards know what happens.

 

[disneynutz]

If in fact you were ripped off, your CC company and/or PayPal won't be much help.

The CC company would have to charge back the merchant that processed the CC. PayPal isn't considered that type of merchant.

With PayPal you can only file a claim for physical products, not services. A reservation isn't considered a physical product.

It will be suggested that you file a lawsuit.

The above is what we were told when a similar problem happened to us.

Bill

 

[Rivewin]

I think a legitimate question for all of us is who was this member so we can all avoid them in the future if it turns out to be a ripoff.

Is it a board member? What's their name?

I think things like this are important for people to know.

 

[Dean]

I think a legitimate question for all of us is who was this member so we can all avoid them in the future if it turns out to be a ripoff.

Is it a board member? What's their name?

I think things like this are important for people to know.

While I can't speak for Disboards, I believe it is their policy not to allow such campaigns on this site.

 

[Crystal_27]

I think a legitimate question for all of us is who was this member so we can all avoid them in the future if it turns out to be a ripoff.

Is it a board member? What's their name?

I think things like this are important for people to know.

If the renter does find that this was a fraudulent transaction, I believe that The DIS (if it is a DIS member) will terminate the user's account, but I suppose that doesn't prevent them from signing up using another email account and doing it again.

To the OP, I hope for you that this is all one big misunderstanding. Sending well wishes your way.

 

[ibela]

Were you waitlisted anywhere by any chance? I rent out my excess points too and had a renter call me frantic because when she checked online the reservation suddenly showed up as cancelled. I knew I hadn't initiated it so I logged into DVC online and saw that her waitlist had come through, when that happens the original reservation is cancelled and the new room has an entirely new reservation number.

If you weren't waitlisted anywhere, definitely raise the issue with PayPal. I believe it's 60 days since the payment was made and the e-mail trail should be enough "proof".

Hopefully it works out for you.

 

[JimMIA]

You certainly have reason to be nervous, but I wouldn't be in panic mode yet.

The steps you went through - extensive email exchange, personal telephone contact, written contract - do not sound like steps a ripoff artist would go through. Nor is using Paypal. A ripoff artist would pressure you to pay quickly in a manner that is difficult to trace, and if you insisted on going through the good procedure you used, they'd just move on to another victim.

Also, just to put things in perspective, actual ripoffs in DVC rentals are EXTREMELY rare.

I would continue your attempts to contact the owner and find out what happened. They may just be on vacation themselves.

One thing I am confused about is you say you saw the reservation cancelled on the "DVC site." To me, that means the DVC Member site, and I'm wondering how you got access to that. Whatever site you used, Disney website info is often incorrect or inaccessible, and I would not panic based on that alone.

On another note - I believe Dean is correct. Do NOT post the owner's real or screen name on the DIS. If you have any doubt, check with a moderator, but I'm sure that's the answer.

Whatever your outcome is, be sure to come back here and update everyone.

 

[JimMIA]

Were you waitlisted anywhere by any chance? I rent out my excess points too and had a renter call me frantic because when she checked online the reservation suddenly showed up as cancelled. I knew I hadn't initiated it so I logged into DVC online and saw that her waitlist had come through, when that happens the original reservation is cancelled and the new room has an entirely new reservation number.

This sounds like a much more plausible explanation to me. Much more likely than a ripoff, IMHO.

Good luck.

 

[rachel_a18]

I will definitely honor the DVC member's privacy until there is some sort of proof that ill will was intended. Ibela - I was not waitlisted from what I know... the DVC member did state that there was a lot of open time available for my requested room. However, its comforting to know that there is a possibility that Disney could be wrong. The website I I used was: MyDisneyReservation.com/DVC. When i checked the confirmation number on this site back in April, it showed me my vacation details... now it just gives me the 'cancelled' message.

I filed a Paypal dispute today... it had to be done by 45 calendar days from payment, and TODAY was the deadline! I feel bad, knowing that there may be a logical explanation, but i have to at least try to protect my $$$. I will definitely keep you all posted!