DVC Renting

[lovethesun12]

Tried renting with Davids and they didn't have what I want so I was going to try DVC rental store.

I'm a little reluctant because I haven't seen them mentioned here much and I'm a first time renter.

If the reservation is linked to your MDE account, wouldn't you be "safe" in that case? I'm a little worried about getting scammed somehow, mostly because I'm a newbie with the process.

I checked with BBB and they have an A+ rating, not sure if that even means anything! Lol.

Anyone want to ease my worries? TIA!

 

[kymom99]

I've never rented but have considered it. I've seen them mentioned a lot and with positive comments.

 

[LadyD]

I've used DVC Rental Store multiple times and my friends have used it too. I have nothing but great things to say about my experiences with them. Their contract is great, and seems really robust for protecting you should things go wrong (which nothing ever has for me, not even close). After you've agreed to a rental option, you get sent an email confirming the reservation was booked with a confirmation number you're able to check on the DVC page to make sure the reservation was done and is accurate before paying your deposit. Everything is so easy with them, and the customer service is great too.

Your reservations will show up on MDE once you link them, so you can view it that way as well as continually confirming it on the DVC page.

 

[Debbie Jean]

Technically as a renter your reservation is never "safe". You do not own it, the DVC owner does. There are any number or reasons it could be cancelled... the owner doesn't pay their dues, they die, they file for bankruptcy or in the worst case scenario, they just pocket your money and scam you. Because yours is considered a private arrangement with a DVC owner, Disney will not get involved in any way.

A reputable rental company acts as a go between for owners and renters... you are still renting points from a DVC owner's allotment and the owner is still the one who actually controls the reservation. That's why if you want to make changes such as adding a dining plan, etc. the company has to contact the owner... they are the ones who actually call Disney. The better companies do have contracts that will help protect your interests as well as the owners so that if the worst happens you can at least recover your money.

Even when you see it in MDE, however, you do not own it and you do not have ultimate control over it. The owner does.

 

[LadyD]

Technically as a renter your reservation is never "safe". You do not own it, the DVC owner does. There are any number or reasons it could be cancelled... the owner doesn't pay their dues, they die, they file for bankruptcy or in the worst case scenario, they just pocket your money and scam you. Because yours is considered a private arrangement with a DVC owner, Disney will not get involved in any way.

A reputable rental company acts as a go between for owners and renters... you are still renting points from a DVC owner's allotment and the owner is still the one who actually controls the reservation. That's why if you want to make changes such as adding a dining plan, etc. the company has to contact the owner... they are the ones who actually call Disney. The better companies do have contracts that will help protect your interests as well as the owners so that if the worst happens you can at least recover your money.

Even when you see it in MDE, however, you do not own it and you do not have ultimate control over it. The owner does.

The safety is definitely in the contract from the rental company and not being able to see the reservation itself. The DVC Rental store has a sample contract on their website I believe to review the terms and what happens for you, the renter, if something goes sideways.

 

[Marionnette]

Tried renting with Davids and they didn't have what I want so I was going to try DVC rental store.

I'm a little reluctant because I haven't seen them mentioned here much and I'm a first time renter.

If the reservation is linked to your MDE account, wouldn't you be "safe" in that case? I'm a little worried about getting scammed somehow, mostly because I'm a newbie with the process.

I checked with BBB and they have an A+ rating, not sure if that even means anything! Lol.

Anyone want to ease my worries? TIA!

You don't hear much about them on the disboards because this is what happens when you post a link to their website: dvcrentalstore.com . They're a banned website, most likely because the disboards is sponsored in part by one of their competitors.

As an owner, I've dealt with both David's and the other website. Both are reputable. Both withhold a portion of the payment to the owner until the renter checks in. This ensures that the owner doesn't take the money and run.

In all honesty, I very well could take the initial payment, change the reservation back to my name (or cancel and re-use the points for myself some other time), but then the agency I dealt with would:

1. Blacklist me from ever dealing with them again (and might even blacklist me with other agencies as well). If I ever wanted to rent my points again, I would have a very tough time.
   
2. Come after me not only for the money they paid me but also for the $$ that they would have made from the reservation that they had to refund the renter.

I believe that the risk is much higher for the owner than the renter. The renter gets their money back if the owner flakes on them. The owner is on the hook for damages if the renter trashes the villa.

 

[supersnoop]

Tried renting with Davids and they didn't have what I want so I was going to try DVC rental store.

What do you mean when you say that Davids didn't have what you wanted? With 7 months or fewer until the reservation, you need the room to be available. That's not something a different broker would be able to affect. With more time, you need a DVC owner who owns at the resort you want.

 

[cvjw]

The rental agencies don't "have" reservations, unless they have a few confirmed reservations on their website. They are just the middleman between you, the renter and a DVC owner who wants to rent out their points. For you to get your desired reservation, the rental agency has to have an owner with points at the resort you want to stay at AND there has to be availability for the dates and room type you want. You may be trying for a reservation that is already booked by other DVC owners.

 

[lovethesun12]

What do you mean when you say that Davids didn't have what you wanted? With 7 months or fewer until the reservation, you need the room to be available. That's not something a different broker would be able to affect. With more time, you need a DVC owner who owns at the resort you want.

That's true! I requested a value studio at AKV and they were unavailable, but then also noticed that other brokers did not require the fee up front, which was what I wanted. I just basically summed up the situation of why I was opting for another rental rather than specifically list all the reasons But yes I do realize now that another broker would not help with getting an unavailable resort.

 

[Pkltm]

That's true! I requested a value studio at AKV and they were unavailable, but then also noticed that other brokers did not require the fee up front, which was what I wanted. I just basically summed up the situation of why I was opting for another rental rather than specifically list all the reasons But yes I do realize now that another broker would not help with getting an unavailable resort.

Value Studios at AKV are very hard to get, these you would need to attempt to rent at 11 months, so the odds of a broker having and owner at 11 months that can get that room for you is slim. Not impossible at 11 months but highly unlikely.

 

[lovethesun12]

Thanks! I have learned for next year Happy with the availability in other rooms as well at least!

 

[starry_solo]

Even at 11 months, value studios (and club level studios) at AKV are hard to get. I had a standard studio booked and my owner friend (whom I rented points from) waitlisted both club level (as #1) and value (as #2) for me (since at that point in the vacation, it would only be two of us). The club level waitlist came through a week or two later!

 

[Marionnette]

Even at 11 months, value studios (and club level studios) at AKV are hard to get. I had a standard studio booked and my owner friend (whom I rented points from) waitlisted both club level (as #1) and value (as #2) for me (since at that point in the vacation, it would only be two of us). The club level waitlist came through a week or two later!

Getting one thru a personal friend who owns DVC is one thing. I wouldn't count on an AKV Value Studio thru an agency. They don't do waitlists. Even a private rental thru someone that you find on the disboards is not likely to waitlist for one because the next renter in line for the owner's points probably won't need one. I know that I would not commit my points to a potential renter when a waitlist may not come thru. I also would not want to tie up one of my two available waitlist slots on a renter when I may want to be able to use it.

My advice to the OP is to budget for a higher number of points, such as AKV Standard View or a studio at OKW. You could still try for the Value Studio, but it is such a long shot that even looking 11 months in advance is not likely to be successful.

 

[lovethesun12]

Getting one thru a personal friend who owns DVC is one thing. I wouldn't count on an AKV Value Studio thru an agency. They don't do waitlists. Even a private rental thru someone that you find on the disboards is not likely to waitlist for one because the next renter in line for the owner's points probably won't need one. I know that I would not commit my points to a potential renter when a waitlist may not come thru. I also would not want to tie up one of my two available waitlist slots on a renter when I may want to be able to use it.

My advice to the OP is to budget for a higher number of points, such as AKV Standard View or a studio at OKW. You could still try for the Value Studio, but it is such a long shot that even looking 11 months in advance is not likely to be successful.

Thanks! I did go for a standard =)

 

[mjonis]

You can also try redweek.com, although there is a fee for signing up (it's small). I rent out my timeshare there all the time (but it's not DVC, sorry).
I'm sure there's other places, but it never hurts to have more options.

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

I have used David's before and everything went as planned.

For my next trip, while DVC has availability, David's doesn't have an owner with enough points for the villas I want. I hadn't thought about looking for another broker. Maybe it's worth looking into.

 

[kristenrice]

One important thing to remember with rentals through brokers.....even if something goes wrong and you lose your reservation, yes, you will probably get your money back, but you could be standing at the front desk of the resort with no reservation. Or at the airport, trying to board DME only to find out your reservation was cancelled. The worst part of it all is that Disney will not intervene. They may try to get you a room, but you might be stuck in a club level suite at the Poly at full rack rate.

It's true that MDE offers a certain level of "protection" in that you could find out ahead of time of your reservation still exists, but it's still a possibility.

That being said, 99.5% of all rental transactions are flawless and generally satisfy the owner and renter.

 

[pershing]

I have always rented from the disboards, and now I rent from someone who is Gold DVC.

Renting has changed. It's not about what you want anymore. It's about what's available. 11 months out find someone who's home resort is what you want and pay them what they ask. That's the only way to get what you want. Otherwise, wait until you get the point price you want and take what's left. If you're looking for a studio, waiting is an iffy proposition nowadays.

 

[Marionnette]

I have always rented from the disboards, and now I rent from someone who is Gold DVC.

Renting has changed. It's not about what you want anymore. It's about what's available. 11 months out find someone who's home resort is what you want and pay them what they ask. That's the only way to get what you want. Otherwise, wait until you get the point price you want and take what's left. If you're looking for a studio, waiting is an iffy proposition nowadays.

FWIW, being "DVC Gold" only means that they paid the disboards a fee in order to be able to post their available points for rentals. They tend to be individuals who have not been posting very long, or not very frequently. They haven't been vetted, nor are they any more "safe" to rent from than any other member of the boards who doesn't have that banner under their name. I'm not disparaging the person that you rent from, just pointing out that "DVC Gold" isn't anything special.

ALL NEW THREADS MUST BE APPROVED!! - **How to use this Board** - PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacation-club/dvcforumplan.htm

 

[pershing]

FWIW, being "DVC Gold" only means that they paid the disboards a fee in order to be able to post their available points for rentals. They tend to be individuals who have not been posting very long, or not very frequently. They haven't been vetted, nor are they any more "safe" to rent from than any other member of the boards who doesn't have that banner under their name. I'm not disparaging the person that you rent from, just pointing out that "DVC Gold" isn't anything special.

ALL NEW THREADS MUST BE APPROVED!! - **How to use this Board** - PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacation-club/dvcforumplan.htm

Fair point, but I feel handing over money to rent points shows a commitment. I don't rent from people who have low post counts or low joined years. I also don't rent from someone who owns mega amounts of points either. Maybe it's just me, but I get a bad feeling from those mega owners who are renting points as a businees, not just to payoff their homeowner fees. I like to rent from those who come on to post their extra unused points each year. There's a pattern that you can see in the post search history.

Yes, there's always a risk when renting points from someone. I've never had an issue though in all the years. I've already rented for next April. Also, now that your reservation is tied to your My Disney Experience account. Wouldn't you know sooner, if your reservation was cancelled underneath you or not made at all?