Direct Starting Points.

[MBTigger]

Some people have mentioned that when they bought DVC direct they were given double starting points for their first year. Is this a standard policy, or just something that happens as an occasional promotion?

Having double points makes a direct purchase slightly more cost effective than I was originally thinking. Probably not enough to make me consider it (unless DRR really wows me enough to say I need to stay there), but it IS another consideration.

Thanks in advance
MB

 

[Matty B13]

They aren't really getting double points, they are just getting points in their Use Year (UY) which means the month that you get your points loaded into your account.

Say if you bought in March of 2019, if you bought a February UY you would only get 2019 points, but if you bought a June UY you would get 2018 and 2019 points. The nice thing is dues are prorated for the year.

 

[anomamatt]

As @Matty B13 said, you get the points for the UY you are currently in. But if you work things correctly, in a sense, they could approximate double points.

For example: If you had a December UY and bought direct November 1, 2019, you would get 2018-UY points (that they will let you bank even though past the deadline). You'll pay prorated MFs (here only 2 months) for those points. And come December 1, 2019, you'll get the 2019-UY points. That scenario leaves you with 2x points (for 2 extra months of MFs).

But not all scenarios work out as well. And it's also worth noting that sold-out resorts this doesn't work for lately, because DVC winds up with no current UY points and doesn't have point to sell until the next UY. People trying to buy OKW before the new blue card minimum are experiencing this now, for example.

 

[Yinn]

They aren't really getting double points, they are just getting points in their Use Year (UY) which means the month that you get your points loaded into your account.

Say if you bought in March of 2019, if you bought a February UY you would only get 2019 points, but if you bought a June UY you would get 2018 and 2019 points. The nice thing is dues are prorated for the year.

I think RR is giving out double points or what seems like double points. My guide has stated that a purchase now would give 2018 points; with DVD paying the dues for '18. With Dec UY, come Dec buyer pays annual dues and 2019 points are allocated.

Since the resort isn't open yet and DVD covering the dues, it comes across as getting double points the 1st year since you'll have 2x the points come Dec with the ability to borrow from 2020 at that point.

It's also important to note that occasionally, DVD will have a contract with points remaining from a prior year in addition to the current UY.

 

[MBTigger]

Thanks for the clarifications. Considering most (not all) resale contracts I look at seemed to be stripped of points for the current and past UY (sometimes even of borrowed points), a direct purchase COULD have twice as many points available (Depending on UY choice). That's worth (potentially) about $30 per point if everything works out. As you mentioned this will probably not work out as well for the sold out resorts, because returned contracts have often used their points. Getting effective double points from buying, say, SSR direct is not likely to happen.

 

[Bing Showei]

I think RR is giving out double points or what seems like double points. My guide has stated that a purchase now would give 2018 points; with DVD paying the dues for '18. With Dec UY, come Dec buyer pays annual dues and 2019 points are allocated.

Since the resort isn't open yet and DVD covering the dues, it comes across as getting double points the 1st year since you'll have 2x the points come Dec with the ability to borrow from 2020 at that point.

It's also important to note that occasionally, DVD will have a contract with points remaining from a prior year in addition to the current UY.

Your guide either lied or you may have misunderstood what they said.

You are not getting previous year points with a Riviera purchase today. The resort is not open until December 2019. As such there are no 2018 points for any UY. On December 16, 2019, all owners will get their 2019 UY points (except February as the resort did not go on sale prior to March). If you buy a March UY, you will get 2019 points because you are within your 2019 UY. If you buy a December UY, you will get 2019 points because you will be, by then, be within your 2019 UY. No one will pay dues for anything beyond prorated 2019 dues (that run by calendar year), from December 16-December 31.

If DVD sells you an Oct or December UY at another resort not called Riviera, you will get the 2018 points there as that is the current UY. In that case, you pay $0 on 2018 points and get prorated rate for 2019 points. But you are not getting anything outside of what you are contractually owed.

There are no double points at Riviera. Suggesting otherwise would be a sales gimmick from a misleading guide and you should find a new, more honest one.

 

[bwvBound]

I certainly agree with the comments above clarifying "double points" as being the current UY, as owed. However, there have been special promotions over the years offering an extra set of points as incentive.

We have an Oct UY. On Sept 30, 2007, we purchased an add-on direct. The incentives included a full set of bonus points (one time use). On signing the contract, we received our 2007 points, an equal number of bonus points (were able to bank both!) and received a brand new set of points the next morning due to the new UY. Pretty thrilling.

FWIW, this purchase was conducted through the West Coast sales team at Disneyland Resort.

 

[ELMC]

Your guide either lied or you may have misunderstood what they said.

You are not getting previous year points with a Riviera purchase today. The resort is not open until December 2019. As such there are no 2018 points for any UY. On December 16, 2019, all owners will get their 2019 UY points (except February as the resort did not go on sale prior to March). If you buy a March UY, you will get 2019 points because you are within your 2019 UY. If you buy a December UY, you will get 2019 points because you will be, by then, be within your 2019 UY. No one will pay dues for anything beyond prorated 2019 dues (that run by calendar year), from December 16-December 31.

If DVD sells you an Oct or December UY at another resort not called Riviera, you will get the 2018 points there as that is the current UY. In that case, you pay $0 on 2018 points and get prorated rate for 2019 points. But you are not getting anything outside of what you are contractually owed.

There are no double points at Riviera. Suggesting otherwise would be a sales gimmick from a misleading guide and you should find a new, more honest one.

I think where it seems like double points is in contracts with earlier UYs. If you buy a March UY today you will get 2019 points this December as well as another set of points in March of 2020. Given that there will be minimal dues on the 2019 points and the fact that you will be getting two years worth of points in a four-month time span it "feels" like you are getting double points. Guides should be very clear about that but my guess is that no matter how clear they are about it there will still be confusion - because it's confusing.