confused and disappointed (kinda long)

[magicaldisney]

Is it typical for MS to hand out conflicting information?

We purchased 250 points, were given 160 developer points. We were not told by our guide that we could only use them at the 7 month window (I found that out here and that's a whole other gripe). I make my reservations for a Nov 27 - Dec 6 for a 1 bedroom savannah view using points and was told at seven months call back and 160 developer points would be applied to the reservation and used to cover the days up to November 30(when we had to use them by) and "regular points" would be put back into our account.

Got it so far?

The three nights of Nov 27, 28, and 29 in a one bedroom savannah view did not use all of the 160 ponts so she said we had some options....Add an additional night on Wednesday, book a 2 bedroom standard and then switch to the 1 bedroom on the fourth night or loose the difference in the points.

Decided to stay in a 2 bedroom for the first three nights and then switch to the 1 bedroom. Called to do this and was NOW told that the original gal I talked to gave me incorrect information. NOW I'm told that when/if I call at the 7 month window to use the 160 points it doesn't just get applied to the reservation. In order to use these points the reservation has to be cancelled and I have to start all over and the rooms I have will be given to waitlist people immediately. The 160 points can only be used on available rooms, which I lose, because they cancel the reservation in order to use the 160 points.

What's the word DVC veterans. Who is correct? First person I talked to or second one? If it's the first one, I'm calling back. We went from having a 1 bedroom savannah view, to thinking we would split between a 2 bedroom standard and the 1 bedroom savannah and now we only have a 1 bedroom standard view.

Help Please!!!!

 

[CarolMN]

I'm sorry to hear you have received conflicting and incorrect information.

The second person at MS was correct. You can use the developer's points for your reservation only if there is still availability for what you want when the 7 month window opens.

Members are not allowed to just "substitute" points when the 7 month window opens - and that rule isn't just for developer points. If you wanted to "substitute" any other resort's points for the reservation you made at AKV before the 7 month window opened, the answer would be the same. The original reservation must be canceled (and if there is a waitlist, the unit would go there so the reservation could be lost) and a new one made.

P.S. I see we live in the same place - Shoreview, MN. Nice to know there are other DVC members nearby.

 

[JimMIA]

Is it typical for MS to hand out conflicting information?

Typical? No.

Is it unusual? No. As a matter of fact, one of the watchwords is: "If you don't like what you're told, call back until you get the answer you want!"

Carol is right; the second CM you spoke to was correct.

 

[granmaz]

Actually we weren't told about the 7 month window for using the developer points, just that they had to be used within a year of signing. I only found our reading on here and emailing MS for clarification. We are having a big problem using them for the same reason. I have just booked our trip for 30th November, but will have to wait till April/May to see if I can either add on at the beginning of the vacation or cancel and book a few days of the existing reservation. This is hardly likely as it is Thanksgiving time.

We can't take another vacation. I have managed to book 3 nights at the GCH DL for after our PC cruise in May, but 73 points are going to be wasted I think.

 

[magicaldisney]

"If you don't like what you're told, call back until you get the answer you want!"

I will remember this, AND, even if I do get an answer I like, I should double check, because my first answer I got from MS I liked.

 

[magicaldisney]

I'm sorry to hear you have received conflicting and incorrect information.

The second person at MS was correct. You can use the developer's points for your reservation only if there is still availability for what you want when the 7 month window opens.

Members are not allowed to just "substitute" points when the 7 month window opens - and that rule isn't just for developer points. If you wanted to "substitute" any other resort's points for the reservation you made at AKV before the 7 month window opened, the answer would be the same. The original reservation must be canceled (and if there is a waitlist, the unit would go there so the reservation could be lost) and a new one made.

P.S. I see we live in the same place - Shoreview, MN. Nice to know there are other DVC members nearby.

Carol, wonderful to meet you!!! So cool to know a neighbor that loves WDW!

Thanks for the info. I knew I'd get the right answer here on the DIS.

 

[magicaldisney]

Actually we weren't told about the 7 month window for using the developer points, just that they had to be used within a year of signing. I only found our reading on here and emailing MS for clarification. We are having a big problem using them for the same reason. I have just booked our trip for 30th November, but will have to wait till April/May to see if I can either add on at the beginning of the vacation or cancel and book a few days of the existing reservation. This is hardly likely as it is Thanksgiving time.

We can't take another vacation. I have managed to book 3 nights at the GCH DL for after our PC cruise in May, but 73 points are going to be wasted I think.

Looks like we have almost identical stories. I know that the 160 points were a bonus for us and that we didn't pay for them, but.......

 

[granmaz]

Can you rent out developer points?

 

[CarolMN]

Can you rent out developer points?

You can't transfer them to another DVC member, but you can make a reservation with them and rent the reservation.

 

[RobDoc]

I would contact your guide and relate your experience trying to use the Developer Points.
We have had reports on this board about some being able to do EXACTLY what MS#1 told you - swithcing out the DPs at 7 months. Others have even reported being able to use DPs at 7 months for the entire stay without calling day-by-day.
IMO, both advisors were correct- depending on the circumstances at the time. Usually MS will not allow members to substitute points into reservations at 7 months - but it seems they have made an exception with the DP incentive.
The problem here is that you won't know which CM you will get at 7 months and what policy will be honored at that time. Have your guide check on the actual policy and hold him to it at 7 months.
Good luck!

 

[TisBit]

Just out of curiousity, wouldn't the developer points come out of a seperate inventory of rooms (ie CRO). Only the inventory that has been sold is available for DVC points reservation....so I would think that Developer points would be easier to book at 7 months at resorts such as AKV and SSR where they have that have a larger inventory of unsold units. Obviously if you tried to book a resort that normally fills fast, it would still be difficult even for CRO.

Just curious if this is the way it works, esp since they have to book developer points seperately by hand.

 

[disneynutz]

Just out of curiousity, wouldn't the developer points come out of a seperate inventory of rooms (ie CRO). Only the inventory that has been sold is available for DVC points reservation....so I would think that Developer points would be easier to book at 7 months at resorts such as AKV and SSR where they have that have a larger inventory of unsold units. Obviously if you tried to book a resort that normally fills fast, it would still be difficult even for CRO.

Just curious if this is the way it works, esp since they have to book developer points seperately by hand.

That's what I was told. That's also why they no longer just add the developer points to your regular point pot. The developer points are scheduled and processed outside the regular system because Disney owns them.

 

[RobDoc]

Just out of curiousity, wouldn't the developer points come out of a seperate inventory of rooms (ie CRO). Only the inventory that has been sold is available for DVC points reservation....so I would think that Developer points would be easier to book at 7 months at resorts such as AKV and SSR where they have that have a larger inventory of unsold units. Obviously if you tried to book a resort that normally fills fast, it would still be difficult even for CRO.

Just curious if this is the way it works, esp since they have to book developer points seperately by hand.

Yes, the Developer Points are all owned by DVD and are not a direct part of Member Inventory - however, at least some of these points are from resorts other than SSR and AKV since DVD does own contracts gained thru ROFR and foreclosure in addition to their original 2-4% held ownership.. As such, they don't really have any Home Resort status (thus the reason they can't be used until 7 months) and are not part of the indvidual member's contract (thus the reason they are manually tracked).

It also appears that this incentive will at least temporarily stop in a few weeks, so the "inventory" of these DPs will end in just over a year.

 

[starbox]

You can't transfer them to another DVC member, but you can make a reservation with them and rent the reservation.

I too found the developer points to be an enormous pain in the behind - and this is just what I did with them. In order to use them, I had to make a reservation at a time I would/could never visit and rented it - then used the $$ to pay for DDP for the trip we made with our regular points.

I'd never be a point renter because I my points and want to use them all myself - but the restrictions with the developer points were making me crazy.

 

[granmaz]

Thank you for the replies. We might just rent them out then as the time scale for us to use the last 73 points is just the final 2-4 nights of our allowed year of use, so we would just lose them if there were no rooms, which is not likely given the fact that it will be Thanksgiving weekend.

 

[magicaldisney]

I too found the developer points to be an enormous pain in the behind - and this is just what I did with them. In order to use them, I had to make a reservation at a time I would/could never visit and rented it - then used the $$ to pay for DDP for the trip we made with our regular points.

I'd never be a point renter because I my points and want to use them all myself - but the restrictions with the developer points were making me crazy.

As we seem to be having the same frustrations, this option sounds good!!!

 

[Merilyn]

This is a little off the original subject, but here goes. I have a new addon that just closed. I have banked, transferred, and borrowed points in this contract. I had already booked May 2008 for our trip with my own points. I called and ask if when the points were available could I replace my original points with the ones that I just got that have to be used this year. They told me yes. Is this right? I need to call next week to check on the new contract and change my points. I think I read on this thread that to do this they have to cancel and start over again. I sure hope not. I know I have to use the banked and borrowed points this year. What about the transferred. I am not sure which use year they are in. I guess Disney can tell me this. My use year is Sept and I started the addon in Oct. I know I can bank my points and the new contract points that I got in Sept now. So it is just the banked, borrowed and transferred I am not sure about. Thanks

 

[TisBit]

This is a little off the original subject, but here goes. I have a new addon that just closed. I have banked, transferred, and borrowed points in this contract. I had already booked May 2008 for our trip with my own points. I called and ask if when the points were available could I replace my original points with the ones that I just got that have to be used this year. They told me yes. Is this right? I need to call next week to check on the new contract and change my points. I think I read on this thread that to do this they have to cancel and start over again. I sure hope not. I know I have to use the banked and borrowed points this year. What about the transferred. I am not sure which use year they are in. I guess Disney can tell me this. My use year is Sept and I started the addon in Oct. I know I can bank my points and the new contract points that I got in Sept now. So it is just the banked, borrowed and transferred I am not sure about. Thanks

You should be ok, because they are all DVC owner points, not developer points. It sounds like the issue is going from contract points to developer points.

 

[RobDoc]

This is a little off the original subject, but here goes. I have a new addon that just closed. I have banked, transferred, and borrowed points in this contract. I had already booked May 2008 for our trip with my own points. I called and ask if when the points were available could I replace my original points with the ones that I just got that have to be used this year. They told me yes. Is this right? I need to call next week to check on the new contract and change my points. I think I read on this thread that to do this they have to cancel and start over again. I sure hope not. I know I have to use the banked and borrowed points this year. What about the transferred. I am not sure which use year they are in. I guess Disney can tell me this. My use year is Sept and I started the addon in Oct. I know I can bank my points and the new contract points that I got in Sept now. So it is just the banked, borrowed and transferred I am not sure about. Thanks

If the points you wish to "change" are from the same Home Resort, you should be fine. If the reservation was made at 7 months, you should be fine ... BUT ... if the original reservation was made using Home Resort points at 11 months and you are wanting to "change" to points from another resort MS may have to cancel the reservation and rebook using the "change" points. If there is no waitlist, you should be fine - if there IS a waitlist your existing reservation may not be available for your "change" as it may go to the first member on the waitlist. I'd verify this when you call.

At any rate, any borrowed points will remain in the Use Year into which they were moved. You should verify into which Use Year you had points transferred - since transferred points cannot be borrowed which could affect what you are trying to do. (Transferred points may be banked if that helps you though.)

Whether you will be able to use the transferred points may depend on when the reservation was originally made, the Home Resort of the transferred points, and the Use Year (month) of the transferred points.

Good luck!

 

[DVC Mike]

If the points you wish to "change" are from the same Home Resort, you should be fine. If the reservation was made at 7 months, you should be fine ... BUT ... if the original reservation was made using Home Resort points at 11 months and you are wanting to "change" to points from another resort MS may have to cancel the reservation and rebook using the "change" points.

Yes, WebmasterDoc is right. The DVC rules state:

If, at a later date, you wish to use Vacation Points from another DVC resort, you cannot “switch out” the vacation points.