Does this sound reasonable & fair?

[DisneyWhirled]

We have decided to vacation from 5/1 to 5/7, 2006. We booked a 1br for our family. My friend stated that they would like to come along for the trip and they want to check SSR b/c they might buy in as well.

In order to accom. all of us, I need to get a 2 bdrm which requires me to borrow 54 pts from by '06 use year. They are willing to pay for their fair share. I was thinking of the following. Please tell me if you think this sounds reasonable.

54pts x $13 /pt ($13 comes from 10/pt plus $3 per pt for dues)= $702.

I don't want to over charge her and I don't want to pay the bill, either.

Please don't flame me... I really am looking to be fair to both of us.

Thanks!!!

 

[tamu91]

This is a very subjective question so here is my two cents.
The going rate is $10/pt, maint fees included, so that's the maximum I'd charge. Of course, there is nothing wrong with getting more but if you're looking to be fair to your friend, $10/pt would be the max. I often rent our points to our very close friends for $6-$7/pt. Just enough to cover our maintenance fee plus 'cost of money'.

 

[ClarabelleCow]

Instead of borrowing points, why not have them pay for a few nights cash? That way you arn't short on points, and they feel like they are contributing, say have them pay for the weekends?

 

[rocketriter]

Fair is whatever both parties are comfortable with. However, your calculation is one reasonable way to come up with a number. To help the other family get some perspective you might do two things: First go on the WDW website and price out a deluxe room for your dates. Then price out a studio at SSR for non-members on the same dates. Both numbers will be much, much higher than $702--which is a huge bargain for deluxe accomodations at WDW. (I don't personally feel that you need to pass on to them all the savings you get as a member. After all, you're also the one taking the financial hit for the cost of membership.)

Don't forget to also discuss in advance who pays for park tickets, food and so forth. It sounds like these folks intend to carry their weight, but it helps to gently make sure.

 

[wtpclc]

If you want to be fair, I'd charge $6 to $7 per point. The $10 going rate includes maintenance and a small profit.

Points cost ~$2 plus $4 for maintenance.

They are still getting a bargain your way, though.

 

[CarolMN]

If it were me, I would rent the points (have them transferred into my account). I'd charge the difference between a 1 bedroom and a 2 bedroom.

For example if you are going for a whole week, the difference for your dates would be 60 points. If you had to pay $10 to $12/point, that would be $600 to $720 - about the same amount you were thinking of. The difference is that you wouldn't have to give up any of your points.

Best wishes-

P.S. Rack rate for a 2 bedroom at SSR in May, 2006 is $657.85 per night (including the 11.5% tsax).

 

[lllovell]

P.S. Rack rate for a 2 bedroom at SSR in May, 2006 is $657.85 per night (including the 11.5% tsax).

I am sitting here thinking about a similar thing even as we speak. We have some very good friends that might want to go along with us (as they did last spring break) on our Spring Break trip. Now, mind you, we both stayed in studios last time, so I simply charged them basing it on what I could have rented them for ($550) and then lowering it to what I considered a "good bargain" because I really wanted them to accompany us - so they paid $300 for the room for 5 nights. I made sure they understood that the going RENTAL rate would have been $550. (they knew the rack rates having looked earlier for a trip for themselves).


Now, fast forward to 2006 spring break and we will have a 7 month old with us and will want a one bedroom. We could charge them the $300 again (which is about the same increase as the price of a studio) or I could ask them for a 1/2 split on the room - showing them that the full "rental" price would be $1100 (and I give rack rates too usually) and their share would be $550. Either way could be considered "fair" in my book and I need to figure out what makes ME feel the best about doing this.

I also have to make sure we are not setting ourselves up for "tag along" travelers every year.

Renting to loved ones is complicated. If you are trying to recover your cost, I would say $5-6 is reasonable. If you would have used those points for yourself and will charge them in the $10 range, why don't you find a "transfer" rental on the rental board and let them get their points that way (paying the cost themselves and you still have your 2006 points).

Only you can decide what would make you feel good about this.

Laura

 

[cruise-o-matic]

If it were me, I would rent the points (have them transferred into my account). I'd charge the difference between a 1 bedroom and a 2 bedroom.

For example if you are going for a whole week, the difference for your dates would be 60 points. If you had to pay $10 to $12/point, that would be $600 to $720 - about the same amount you were thinking of. The difference is that you wouldn't have to give up any of your points.

Best wishes-

P.S. Rack rate for a 2 bedroom at SSR in May, 2006 is $657.85 per night (including the 11.5% tsax).

Ditto.

Since your friends are coming along, that means additional points that you would not have normally "spent", so it seems fair to charge them for the additional points you'll need to use.

Funny how it basically comes out to your calculations.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

The answer really depends on how good these friends are??

Something in the range of 50% +/- off the rack rate of the studio price is fair and much less than if they secure their own room. The going rate on the rent trade board is $10-11 and that is with some insecurity of renting from a stranger. You are not a stranger.

Why give up future vacation plans because you'll be point poor. Read some of the horror threads posted here about inviting family and friends. I'd hate to foot the bill for some of those trips.

 

[Viki]

Read some of the horror threads posted here about inviting family and friends. I'd hate to foot the bill for some of those trips.

Of course, in the nature of things, I'll probably have to eat these words some day - AND I AM DEFINATELY NOT FLAMING, just adding a different point of view - but we have always enjoyed hosting friends and family. In fact, it's one of the big ways we justify being DVC members. The ability to help dear friends and family members take a trip they will never forget and to make it much more affordable for them (they still always pay for everything other than the 2nd bedroom - we foot the "bill" for that) is one of the great joys of our life. This December we'll be hosting dear friends from OK who've never been before and I am having much more fun planning the trip for the six of us than I would for just the four.

If I had friends who were DVC members and I were in your situation I would consider a vacation swap. You host them one year, they host you another. But, as I said, this is just us. Families and friends come in ALL sizes.

 

[lllovell]

Viki - that wasn't flaming at all! May we all one day find ourselves in a position to have enough points for our family as well as our loved ones so that we can take everyone we want to with us! It sounds GREAT to me! (also, we did finance - I like the flexibility of deciding where my extra monthly money goes, so I am just paying it off quickly - so I bet once I dont have a mortgage, I won't want to charge my guests)

I am very seriously considering asking my friends to pay for a points transfer. Its not the money that I want, its not losing my points. We will have 5 after October and a one bedroom beats the heck out of a studio, but at twice the points, we have to plan more carefully.

 

[Viki]

Thanks lllovelll, we financed twice and have since paid off one and half of the other, with very accelerated payments.

Also, I remembered after I posted, that something of what I mentioned above has happened to us. A couple of years ago we hosted my DP's sister and brother-in-law at BCV and next summer they're hosting us at the timeshare in the mountains of VA that they bought after our trip. I'm sure it will very nice but it won't be the Land of the Sacred Mouse .

I can't imagine what went wrong with our vacation that they didn't run right home and buy into DVC!

 

[Beachangel]

Of course, in the nature of things, I'll probably have to eat these words some day - AND I AM DEFINATELY NOT FLAMING, just adding a different point of view - but we have always enjoyed hosting friends and family. In fact, it's one of the big ways we justify being DVC members. The ability to help dear friends and family members take a trip they will never forget and to make it much more affordable for them (they still always pay for everything other than the 2nd bedroom - we foot the "bill" for that) is one of the great joys of our life. This December we'll be hosting dear friends from OK who've never been before and I am having much more fun planning the trip for the six of us than I would for just the four.

If I had friends who were DVC members and I were in your situation I would consider a vacation swap. You host them one year, they host you another. But, as I said, this is just us. Families and friends come in ALL sizes.

I also enjoy hosting friends and family, but I'm single and don't travel solo anyway. I just hosted ten family members in May and will host two in August and two more in October. I love being able to do it.

 

[Rpsemont]

I will admit to not reading all the threads, but as someone who has rented and "read" here and now own DVC, I would tell them you can hook them up with a great website to rent their points and have them negotiate their own deal. Maybe only the negatives get posted here, but I've read more than one post of people who get a bigger unit, or use their points for friends who later cancel and really don't think anything of it. Unless you're willing to end up with the 2BR and possibly no money (if they cancel) let them do their own thing.

 

[LAWalz23]

I would either look to transfer the 54 extra points from someone else or rent them and charge your friends for what that cost is. That way you don't lose your points and they have some idea of the cost. The one other thing that comes to mind is that if you borrow, transfer or rent additional points and your friends back out at the last minute, it might cause some headaches. May is one of my favorite times of year at WDW, low crowds and not too hot!

 

[problemchild718]

I would help your friend find points to rent and let them handle it-as $$$ and friendship don't often mix well. It should still be cheaper than rack rate and you don't get caught in the middle.

 

[ColoradoBelle1]

If I understood the post correctly, the two couples would share a 2 bedroom....so letting them rent their own points would mean the friends would be renting their own unit...a studio perhaps. Sometimes, people really enjoy sharing a place together....so if that is the case, I think it is fair to rent to them based on the extra points needed at the going rate of $11 per point. Then, next year, if you run short of points, you won't feel bad getting some transferred into your account for that same $11 per point. And as long as everyone enjoys sharing the 2 bedroom, everyone wins!

Definitely talk about costs of park entry, sharing meals etc, so that you are all on the same page about costs.

 

[JimC]

I would charge them the difference in points between a one and two bedroom. Price the points somewhere between $6 (likely what the points cost you) and $10 to 12 (the range I believe most are renting for). I might split the difference.

Alternatively -- keep the one bedroom and let them rent points for their own villa -- studio or one bedroom as they desire.