Freaking out about DVC rental

[hellerjw]

If you pay by credit card...

There is something called a "chargeback." It basically means that you did not get the service/product you requested, and have tried to resolve the issue with the seller. Credit card companies are very consumer friendly, and almost always side with the buyer.

So, if you can pay with your credit card through Paypal, you will have the ability to file a chargeback. The credit card company will make you fill out some paperwork, and will credit your money back to you in a timely manner.

Best of luck! I'm sure things will work out just fine!

I don't think chargebacks apply when the transaction is consumer-to-consumer. The chargeback would normally be against a retailer's merchant account (the account that allows the retailer to process credit card transactions) and in this case there really is no retailer to go after. The PayPal transaction is just a proxy between the 2 parties and I don't think PayPal could provide much protection to the buyer other than going after any remaining PayPal account balance the seller may have (assuming they haven't cashed it out immediately following the transaction). I wouldn't rely on the ability to get a chargeback when the transaction is between 2 private parties

 

[Nennie]

I rented points a few years ago. I has such a great experience that by the end of the trip I was a DVC member!

Have a wonderful vacation!!!

 

[JimMIA]

Hi I just had this happen to me.

I booked a savannah studio through a member back in October 2008. Last week they e-mailed to tell me they deeded property back to disney and my reservation was cancelled.

so now of course this close there is no availability and reservation went back into system and someone else got it

I am very sick...

More than likely, the former owner was trying to put the best face on a foreclosure. I'm glad they were ethical and notified you and refunded your money.

Just FYI for anyone who's reading this, situations like this can be prevented by doing a little research.

If you get the owner's true name (and you should not rent from someone who won't give you their true name!), you can research their ownership through the Orange County Comptroller's office website -- provided they own at one of the WDW resorts. If you do it right, a search there will tell you everything that's ever happened with their DVC ownership.

If you see liens, don't rent from them! If there's a lien, it's usually because they haven't paid their dues and that could cause your ressie to be canceled.

If you see a foreclosure action being filed, don't rent from them. If they "deed the property back to DVC," (meaning the court took it from them ), you will lose your ressie...and in most cases, your money as well.

If they say they own one of the WDW resorts and you can't find them listed, don't rent from them unless you can get the correct ownership info and verify it.

If they tell you they are authorized to rent from someone else's account, don't rent from them. Period.

This is not rocket science, folks!

 

[luvdisney2006]

Great information thanks!

 

[phyllisnnj]

Hi I just had this happen to me.
I booked a savannah studio through a member back in October 2008. Last week they e-mailed to tell me they deeded property back to disney and my reservation was cancelled.
so now of course this close there is no availability and reservation went back into system and someone else got it
I am very sick...

Yes but still....I wish they told me earlier so I could arrange something else - now everything is sold out The kids have been dreaming since october about styaing there and have flights booked. I heard the whole deedig process takes quite awhile before it is actually finalized so she could of let me know sooner!

It was March 29-april 3rd at AKV I am praying someone will have a last minute cancellation!!

Thanks

I don't understand. I just checked the Disney website and there is availability for your dates. If you can't afford the standard room hotel rate at AKL, the Disney value and moderate resorts still have availability. Your kids will still have a wonderful time at any resort in Disney.

 

[phyllisnnj]

You might even be able to do a split stay. Maybe grab some days at Animal Kingdom and the rest somewhere else.

luvdisney2006,

Looking at the DVC Resort Availability listing there might be some availability to do a split stay as suggested above.

See http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=168

Good Luck

From the "READ ME" STICKY on the DVC - RESORT RESERVATION AVAILABILITY FORUM

How to read the board?
There are 12 rolling months for this board, each with it's own thread. All the monthly threads are identical in format and represent dates for that particular month where members have reported no resort availability. Open any thread for the month you are interested in for your DVC reservations to see what others have reported.

If a date for that month has been reported as not having any availability, it is printed in RED. Only dates with no availability are being displayed at this time. If a date is not shown then no one has reported it yet. If no one has reported any dates at all for a specific resort/room/view then there is a comment in GREEN saying "No Reports"

Any posts which follow the Month's Data posting are new submissions by DISboard members that have not yet been processed and added to the chart. When processed, the new reported dates are added and then the posts themselves are removed. The data itself is saved in a special database which is used to generate the reports.

Is this information accurate?
The information displayed is only what has been reported by DISboard members. It is totally UNOFFICIAL. It does not reflect any cancellations that may have occurred, or DVC members experiences using waitlists. Use these reports as a general guideline only. Feel free to post in the dedicated discussion thread information about waitlists. It's best to think of these lists as showing which villas most likely do not have availability. Do not assume that if a date is not listed, that the converse is true and the resort does have availability.

 

[luvdisney2006]

Hi I am told from member there isn't even one day at AKV in a savannah or concierge studio or 1 bedroom!!

children have been dreaming about sitting on balcony watching animals since October and telling all their friends and now I have to tell them 3 weeks before we go they can't stay there??? They are crying and don't want to go! Its $430 a night for Savannah view plus 12.% resort tax and taxes! Even if I got one night it would bring my cost down

thanks

 

[DVCGeek]

If you see liens, don't rent from them! If there's a lien, it's usually because they haven't paid their dues and that could cause your ressie to be canceled.

Wouldn't financing the purchase (through Disney or otherwise), cause a mortgage lien?

If so, I'm not sure that is necessarily a good reason not to rent from somebody...

Would there be any way for the public to tell what the reason for the lien is?

 

[Nikisha421]

Hi I am told from member there isn't even one day at AKV in a savannah or concierge studio or 1 bedroom!!

children have been dreaming about sitting on balcony watching animals since October and telling all their friends and now I have to tell them 3 weeks before we go they can't stay there??? They are crying and don't want to go! Its $430 a night for Savannah view plus 12.% resort tax and taxes! Even if I got one night it would bring my cost down

thanks

I did realize a room was expense @ AK but then to add on the tax then to add on the tax can only make it worse...renting points do seem to come at a bargin price...N E WAYZ hopefully you will get something and I hope your kids have a great time GOOD LUCK...

 

[jlewisinsyr]

I don't think chargebacks apply when the transaction is consumer-to-consumer. The chargeback would normally be against a retailer's merchant account (the account that allows the retailer to process credit card transactions) and in this case there really is no retailer to go after. The PayPal transaction is just a proxy between the 2 parties and I don't think PayPal could provide much protection to the buyer other than going after any remaining PayPal account balance the seller may have (assuming they haven't cashed it out immediately following the transaction). I wouldn't rely on the ability to get a chargeback when the transaction is between 2 private parties

I was going to post something similar, but this is correct. The chargeback only applies between consumer and merchant, Paypal is just a pass through agency.

The only time PayPal will accept a chargeback request (and all other options must be exhausted) is in regards to purchases made through eBay and merchant accounts. But even before this can be done, a loss has to be made with Paypal and all attempts to resolve must be made between the eBay seller (or merchant) and the buyer.

If the sale was person to person outside of eBay there are virtually no protections offered outside true legal efforts like small claims court, but again, PayPal will not take responsibility. Most credit card companies are well aware of PayPal's stance and are in agreement with their policies and procedures and will not even attempt a chargeback.

In the end it comes down to the contract you agreed to.

 

[LisaS]

Wouldn't financing the purchase (through Disney or otherwise), cause a mortgage lien?

If so, I'm not sure that is necessarily a good reason not to rent from somebody...

Would there be any way for the public to tell what the reason for the lien is?

The filings with Orange County are quite different in the two cases. You can easily tell the difference between someone who has a mortgage on their DVC contract and someone who has a lien due to not paying their mortgage or their dues and at risk of having their contract taken back by Disney.

ETA: I just took a look on the Orange County Comptroller's site. They refer to a mortgage as a mortgage. So if there is a lien listed, it is due to not paying the annual dues. If you see a "Lis Pendens" ("suit pending") then the mortgage is in default and Disney has started legal proceedings.

Also, if Disney files a Lis Pendens, there may be many people listed as "Grantees". (Disney batches up several mortgage defaults involving multiple owners and contracts into one document.) So if one of those turns up in your search results but you don't see the name of the person you searched for in the "Grantee" list, open the document anyway because not all of the Grantees will be visible on the summary page.

 

[Deb & Bill]

A really good scam artist would just find a good name with a contract showing up on the Orange County website and say they are that person.

 

[Disney grandma]

I've rented points from a member. Our trip is in October. I've read all the advice, and the renter seems like a decent and friendly person. But I am still freaking out with worry

I rushed into this in the excitement, and didn't realise that the renter would be able to cancel the reservation at any time, until after I had paid in full (thru Paypal....). Now I am *seriously* freaked out! The fact I cannot call and check-up on the reservation every so often just makes things worse. It would be devastating if we arrived and they told us we didn't have a room We bought Universal Hollywood tickets from eBay before and they were cancelled and didn't work when we turned up at the gate. You'd have thought that would have taught me.

I know it's my own fault. I know I shouldn't have went down this route if I wasn't comfortable with it. I was just caught up in the $$ savings, and the renter DOES seem like a nice person - but who knows for sure? We're talking $4k here for a grand villa....$4k we simply cannot afford to lose!

Does anyone have any reassurance? Is there anything I can do to try and make myself feel better? Thanks for any comments...

I went through the same thing last year, first time renting and taking our children and grandchildren. I was almost sick with worry but I did check out their ownership and felt somewhat better. The owner should send you a confirmation from the resort with all the information on it regarding nights staying and number of people staying. I didn't have to pay until I received this confirmation. I'm sure your villa will be available when you get there but I do know how you feel.

 

[wdwiala]

I rented through a member a couple of years ago. No problem. I followed all of the suggested procedures and it went wonderfully.

DH and I are going back this fall. I emailed the same DVC owner and he has agreed to let us buy points through him again.

If you can bite the bullet of stress the first time, it was nice to build a relationship with someone in order to possibly rent points from them for other trips.

I hope all goes well for you. I know how you feel!

 

[mikeandkarla]

get all the sellers contact info (email, home phone and cell phone #) and continously stay in touch, ask questions, etc. Unless given a reason to worry, don't! The trade off for great savings is not having control of the reservation. Very few people on these boards complain of getting duked by a DVC member.

 

[JimMIA]

Wouldn't financing the purchase (through Disney or otherwise), cause a mortgage lien?

No. A mortgage would be recorded, but a lien would only be recorded if they were in default, usually for dues.

Would there be any way for the public to tell what the reason for the lien is?

Possibly. Usually with the Orange County site, you have the option to click on a link to reveal the actual document. If it is for a smaller amount, and is from DVC itself, that would be for dues.

 

[phyllisnnj]

Hi I am told from member there isn't even one day at AKV in a savannah or concierge studio or 1 bedroom!!

children have been dreaming about sitting on balcony watching animals since October and telling all their friends and now I have to tell them 3 weeks before we go they can't stay there??? They are crying and don't want to go! Its $430 a night for Savannah view plus 12.% resort tax and taxes! Even if I got one night it would bring my cost down

thanks

Honestly, I would try for any room at AKV. There are plenty of viewing areas around the resort for free.

The animals don't just hang out in front of your room all day. They are free to roam around the savannah and depending where your room is located, you may/may not have a full view of the savannah.

See this thread titled "AKV Savannah View, really, is this it?" - http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2079338

 

[Tozzie]

I was going to post something similar, but this is correct. The chargeback only applies between consumer and merchant, Paypal is just a pass through agency.

The only time PayPal will accept a chargeback request (and all other options must be exhausted) is in regards to purchases made through eBay and merchant accounts. But even before this can be done, a loss has to be made with Paypal and all attempts to resolve must be made between the eBay seller (or merchant) and the buyer.

If the sale was person to person outside of eBay there are virtually no protections offered outside true legal efforts like small claims court, but again, PayPal will not take responsibility. Most credit card companies are well aware of PayPal's stance and are in agreement with their policies and procedures and will not even attempt a chargeback.



In the end it comes down to the contract you agreed to.

Actually you don't file with paypal you file with your credit card company and the credit card company will, if they find you are in the right charge back a transaction. Credit card companies are not affiliated with paypal and they don't care what there policies are, they may ask you file with paypal first but you are not obligated to. I have had two issues with paypal one with a ebay transaction one that wasn't and both times I filed with my credit card company and got my money back. The only reason you may have a problem is there is a time limit to file a charge dispute for credt cards and if your reservation is months away and you pay with paypal then the time to file the dispute will have already passed when you find out the reservation is gone.

 

[Anal Annie]

Hi I am told from member there isn't even one day at AKV in a savannah or concierge studio or 1 bedroom!!

children have been dreaming about sitting on balcony watching animals since October and telling all their friends and now I have to tell them 3 weeks before we go they can't stay there??? They are crying and don't want to go! Its $430 a night for Savannah view plus 12.% resort tax and taxes! Even if I got one night it would bring my cost down

thanks

I'm sorry this has happened to you and I think you are really lucky to have been given your money back. But IMHO you do not "need" a savannah or concierge villa to have a FANTASTIC time at AKV. There are plenty of public viewing areas and windows and even if you DO have a savannah view unit there is simply no guarantee that you will have like a whole herd of anything out there to see. I honestly think the view is a gamble. Concierge also does not guarantee your view. Way back when, we stayed at AKL (I think the first year it was open) and paid for a "deluxe savannah view" and we had like nothing out there all week. Nothing. One or two animals MAYBE. It was very disappointing that we paid extra for this room. Now that we own DVC I won't waste my points on one now that I know the odds are 50/50. I'll take my chances with a std. or value unit. We don't spend that much time in the room tho - we're either at the parks or at the pool.

Seriously, if you can get a room, any room at this point take it!! I understand you're upset but goodness! Don't quibble over the "view" at this point. Someone else posted that there IS availability. You already have airfare booked. There is no reason to upset your kids and make them cry like this either. They don't need to know the nitty gritty of the "view". They'll never know what they may or may not be missing (like I said, they may not be missing anything.) I would never tell my DS about all of the transaction issues - I would just make the best of it and say "WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY!!" All they need to know is that they will still get to go and it's a wonderful place to be. It is such a beautiful property and has so much character and atmosphere...just get a room so you're not "out" the whole trip and enjoy it!! No tears!!! Have fun!!

 

[jodifla]

OP, sorry you are so nervous about your rental. Odds, are, everything will be FINE!

But frankly, this is why the points are so cheap compared to booking the room straight from Disney. That uncertainty is what drives down the rental price.

That's why I'm always puzzled when people come on saying "Only a dummy would buy DVC when you can rent points from a member for so cheap."