Different Use Years Pros and Cons

[Dopey13]

I currently have a use year of February. I am thinking of purchasing a resale with a different use year/month. Can someone tell what the problems are with owning different use years.

 

[ILuvDVC]

I don't own different use years, but one of the things you might want to check are the Transferring of points. I don't know if DVC has a different set of rules for someone that owns both contracts, but I think for anyone else, there is this new rule of only being able to transfer points once.

This would only be a problem, if you needed points from once use year to finish a reservation in the other use year.

Other than the book keeping problems (just keeping points straight), that is all I can think of.

 

[RobDoc]

There shouldn't really be any problems. Just make sure to keep good records to keep track of banking deadlines.

We have 4 different use years and have yet to transfer any points between them. We just book whole days from the different contracts and MS links the whole thing together under one reservation number.

I ask for an accounting from MS annually and go over the points in each account with every call to MS.

Enjoy!

 

[Sharper]

If you have a BWV contract and an OKW contract, can you transfer points from OKW and take advantage of the 11-month reservation window for the total points? Or can you only make reservations 11-months out on the points which are originally from your home resort, in this instance BWV?

 

[EROS]

Originally posted by Sharper
you can only make reservations 11-months out on the points which are originally from your home resort, in this instance BWV?

CORRECT!!!!!!!

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by ILuvDVC
I don't own different use years, but one of the things you might want to check are the Transferring of points. I don't know if DVC has a different set of rules for someone that owns both contracts, but I think for anyone else, there is this new rule of only being able to transfer points once.

Disney has a set policy on transfers, it's the interpretation that's the issue. The new policy as it's been posted on this board in several configurations is less stringent than the previous policy which was one in or one out per use year per contract period. I can tell you that MS will say the rules are the same for all contracts. I can also tell you that MS has "significant flexibiltiy" when working with multiple contracts of a single owner but this will be handled on a case by case basis. That means they will transfer points that are banked or borrowed or multiple times in a year if they need arises. When would the need arise, I can only think of 2 reasons to transfer points. One is for something you can only book from one contract, like cruise exchanges. The other is the combine points to have enough for that last night but the 11/7 month rules would apply if they were different resorts. MS will not hang you out to dry for something that should happen just because of the way the rules are written. They will not however, let you do an end run with the transfers either.

Like Doc, I own 3 use years. It's not a problem for me but would be for someone who isn't somewhat organized and compulsive. I do most issues with email and always give them the starting and ending points for each contract to double check. Since I usually do it by email, I have the proof. That way if they mess up, I can have them correct it with minimal hassle.

Sharper, no you cannot bypass the 11 month window by trasnfering points. Nice try though, LOL.

One other issue we've seen reported here a couple of times related to transfers is that apparently DVC has a problem with their computers being able to track the transferred points. A couple have lost a couple of months of use due to this. Here's an example, say you transfer 2003 points from a Feb to an April use year. MS can apparently recognize and work with only April-March and if you wanted to use say the transferred Feb 2003 points and combine them with say 2002 April points, you wouldn't be allowed to do so. My contention is that you should be and MS should find a way to make it happen. We've seen this posted a couple of times but have not had anyone that I recall say they had this problem and were able to work around it. Since the points would then expire in Jan of 2004, you only got a 10 month window to use them rather than a 12 month window. Apparently you can also transfer the Feb points to the 2002 April use year thus being able to use in that 2 month window but the points would expire in March, 2003 just like they were borrowed points.

 

[Sharper]

Originally posted by Dean

Sharper, no you cannot bypass the 11 month window by trasnfering points. Nice try though, LOL.

I was most definitely not trying to do this. If I thought I had a clever way to do something I certainly wouldn't post a question about it! I saw a potential hole which I wanted to get information regarding, to be sure that it was not an option which owners of multiple contracts were using regularly. Otherwise I could forsee a real problem with getting legit reservations at the 11 month window.

I hope that MS does keep these separate for all owners' points.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by Sharper
I was most definitely not trying to do this. If I thought I had a clever way to do something I certainly wouldn't post a question about it! I saw a potential hole which I wanted to get information regarding, to be sure that it was not an option which owners of multiple contracts were using regularly. Otherwise I could forsee a real problem with getting legit reservations at the 11 month window.

I hope that MS does keep these separate for all owners' points.

We all know you weren't trying to pull a fast one, only figureing out the system.

 

[luckytso]

Dean,

I can certainly vouch for the fact about the trasfer in reality. Theoretically, the points transfered in should remain in their own use year. However, I have a December use year and someone transfered in March use year's points into my account. Even though they are for 3/03's use year (DVC did her a favor to transfer in future points), I have to bank them based on my banking rules and they say that the system cannot track them separately as far as the expiration and baking concerns.

Also, to address this thread, I have 2 use years and I really like it. It gives me flexibility in terms of which use year's points I want to use based on when I want to travel. Also, I can have one use year for transfer in and the other one for transfer out. The con is that you have to keep tract of your own points better.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by luckytso
Dean,

I can certainly vouch for the fact about the trasfer in reality. Theoretically, the points transfered in should remain in their own use year. However, I have a December use year and someone transfered in March use year's points into my account. Even though they are for 3/03's use year (DVC did her a favor to transfer in future points), I have to bank them based on my banking rules and they say that the system cannot track them separately as far as the expiration and baking concerns.

Also, to address this thread, I have 2 use years and I really like it. It gives me flexibility in terms of which use year's points I want to use based on when I want to travel. Also, I can have one use year for transfer in and the other one for transfer out. The con is that you have to keep tract of your own points better.

I know there were some issues and I hadn't really thought much about the banking option of transferresd points. This makes it more complicated still. I have 3 use years, 2 at one resort. I usually chose which use year I'll use based on the points available and how much time I'll have to use the points if something happens and I cancel. For example, I have April and August OKW. I'd use April for May to July reservations and the August use year for later in the year. That way if I'm working with current use year points, I have more of a chance to bank them if I cancel. If I'm working with banked or borrowed points, I have more time to use them for something else improving my overall chances if I cancel.

 

[EROS]

Different USE years............toooooooooooooo much hassle for me . Good luck

 

[Sharper]

I am a brand-new owner, but already I can say with certainty that I am extremely glad to have two different use years. I didn't know enough at the time of purchase to have planned it, but having two use years gives me the flexibility to accommodate vacation plans for anytime during the year, with much less worry over losing points as you would with one use year.