Help, 2 membership numbers - a bit frustrated!

[DizGirl20]

I just checked my account online and I see my resale contract listed... BUT they issued me a totally different membership number! I am so frustrated because I put my membership number on all the documents and we had our names listed the EXACT same way as our other 2 contracts. I just tried to call MS but they are closed. So what I am fretting about is this:

1. Is there any chance when I call in the morning they can fix this (i.e. merge the 2 into 1)?
2. If they can't and I am stuck with 2 different Membership Numbers, what does that involve for the next 50 years? Can I transfer points b/w the 2 memberships?

Thanks for your replies. I know it's not the most important thing in the world, but I am exasperated and annoyed after I went to great lengths to make sure this didn't happen.

PS: I should add they are 2 different UYs. Is that the problem??? And when/if I transfer do I have to transfer all of the points? Sorry so many questions!

 

[Sandisw]

If they are different UY's, then they are two different memberships and will stay that way.

You can only combine contracts under the same # if they are the same UY and titled the same way (which you did).

You will be able to transfer between the two but are limited to one in or out per UY per membership. Now, I have heard that they are pretty flexible in allowing members who own different UY's to do more than one, but I don't think they are required to do that.

The biggest drawback is that you will have to book whole nights from each unless the transfer occurs first.

 

[Presley]

Where did you buy? I am surprised you were sold a different use year contract without that being explained. If you bought from Disney, I'd make them change it. If you bought resale, you can't change it, but that would be very crummy of the salesperson to sell it to you without explaining that the different use year would be a totally different contract.

 

[disneydenisel]

PS: I should add they are 2 different UYs. Is that the problem??? And when/if I transfer do I have to transfer all of the points?

We have two different UYs and two different membership numbers, also. I was so THRILLED to have the recent purchase show up online, and I knew from reading the boards for months before that I would have essentially two different memberships. This has so far not bothered me. I am treating each account as it's very own timeshare. I am not planning on combining points at 7 months out, and if I have to, I will utilize my transfer option.

You can do one transfer in or out per membership account per UY. I have also read that you can do as many as you want to if you own the accounts, but I wouldn't count on that as the rule.

If over the years this bothers you, then you can always sell one and buy another one with the same UY. That is the only way to have them combined automatically with no transfers. I have read that some members have done exactly that.

 

[DizGirl20]

Yes, it was a resale contract and yes I knew going into it I would have 2 different UYs. Just didn't fully understand that I would have 2 different membership numbers. The price ($55/point) was too good to pass up... I just hope it's worth the headache of having 2 different contract numbers! Time will tell.

Thanks everyone. I am clear now on what I will need to do.

 

[Dean]

Yes, it was a resale contract and yes I knew going into it I would have 2 different UYs. Just didn't fully understand that I would have 2 different membership numbers. The price ($55/point) was too good to pass up... I just hope it's worth the headache of having 2 different contract numbers! Time will tell.

Thanks everyone. I am clear now on what I will need to do.

As noted, it's the different UY that's the issue. Having two different numbers won't add any issues that having different UY wouldn't cause as well. Now that they don't use a % for banking it's a lot less important that it once was.

 

[DizGirl20]

Now that they don't use a % for banking it's a lot less important that it once was.

Hi Dean - can you please clarify this? What do you mean by % for banking? Thanks

 

[dis-happy]

The UY definitely explains it. However, I'm a little disappointed. At first I thought you had stumbled across a new "perk difference" between resale and direct benefits!

 

[palaemon]

Hi Dean - can you please clarify this? What do you mean by % for banking? Thanks

DVC used to allow banking current UY points into the next UY over the course of the UY. Like 100% of points could be allowed to be banked if banked within the 1st 3 months, 75% - if 3-6 months, etc.

I don't remember the exact timeframe, but now 100% can be banked at anytime throughout the first 8 months of your UY.

 

[Buckeye Fan]

The only pain is when you're making a reservation and need a few points from one contract or the other to finish the reservation. For example, if you book 4 nights with one UY and 3 nights with the other, that's super easy and MS can link the reservation, and all is well. You don't have to do anything special to make that happen. However, let's say you're booking a week's stay and need 317 points. If you have 300 in one UY and need 17 points to complete the reservation, you would have to transfer 17 points from one UY into the other. You are only allowed one transfer in or out per UY.

What I ended up doing that really helped with this situation is transferring all of my points from one UY into the other when they were deposited each year. When you transfer, your points will retain their home resort and UY (so your banking deadline will not change even though you tranferred), but you'll be able to combine the points at 11 months (if it's the same resort) or combine at 7 months (if two different resorts) without having to think about it. This seemed to work quite well for us.

 

[DizGirl20]

Buckeye Fan - Thanks for your insight. You have answered 2 questions for me now on 2 different threads and I really appreciate it. Although my brain is starting to burn with all this thinking!!!

I am going to see how this all works out. I jumped on a great contract before the March deadline, but now I am wondering if it was such a good idea. I love DVC and I love to plan so I should be able to work it out for the next few decades!

 

[Tinkmom]

Sometimes we book at 11 months but often less than 7. I love having staggered use years, as it allows more flexibility in making reservations.

Instead of banking points by the deadline, then realizing we'd like to take a quick trip towards the end of our use year and trying to decide whether to borrow, we can just use the OTHER account to make the reservation.

It really isn't that complicated, and is worth it when you realize how it opens up options.

 

[tecodis]

Two different UY is definitely the problem. I do know from experience though that this also happens sometimes when the UY and names are exactly the same.

I've purchased three times via resale and clearly noted my member number on all documents. All have been the exact same UY and titled the same. When DVC posted one of the sales, they gave me an all new membership. I didn't know it until a card showed up the the mail. I went back to my agent and they worked with DVC to get it all straightened out. I was advised it happened because there were "multiple people with my name" in the system. Maybe, but I highly doubt they had the same address, email and SSN as me - all of which were supposedly supplied to them! Oh well - it all got fixed.

Multiple UY would be just too complicated. Multiple home resorts is already tough enough to keep track of.

 

[Buckeye Fan]

Buckeye Fan - Thanks for your insight. You have answered 2 questions for me now on 2 different threads and I really appreciate it. Although my brain is starting to burn with all this thinking!!!

I am going to see how this all works out. I jumped on a great contract before the March deadline, but now I am wondering if it was such a good idea. I love DVC and I love to plan so I should be able to work it out for the next few decades!

My pleasure! Honestly, it will be fine. It just takes a little more planning, and as tecodis points out, two UYs can lower your risks of losing points if you ever have to cancel a reservation.

Since I am a planner also, I used to go out to the DVC calculator and figure out exactly what I wanted to do before I called MS. I would figure out a couple of options just in case my first choice wasn't available to me, and then was very specific what I wanted to do. Since you're dealing with two different member ids, it can be confusing to them, so I got pretty good at asking the easy question first..."Do you have availability in a two bedroom at BCV from July 20 - July 30? And if they said yes, I could then say, "I want to book July 20 , 21 and 24 - 30 with contract #...and book July 22 and 23 with contract #...and link the two reservations."

You'll get the hang of it really quickly! Fortunately, Disney makes it pretty easy. Plus, MS has always been really good to explain things to me if I was confused. Lastly, these boards are full of wonderful people that know more about DVC than I could learn in a lifetime! They are very patient with beginners, too, so when in doubt, ask away!

 

[disneynutz]

Take the time to fully understand the UY rules and dates related to each. Banking dead lines are very important and remember that transfers retain their UY and they can be banked but not borrowed. I'm sure that you are going to have issues with MS Advisers who don't understand the UY transfer rules so you need to be on your toes.

Bill

 

[dbs1228]

Take the time to fully understand the UY rules and dates related to each. Banking dead lines are very important and remember that transfers retain their UY and they can be banked but not borrowed. I'm sure that you are going to have issues with MS Advisers who don't understand the UY transfer rules so you need to be on your toes.

Bill

So what you are saying is if I have a bid trip planned and transfer Oct UY points into my Aug UY for 2011 and 2012 (in Oct if necessary) I would not be able to use the 2012 points in the 2011 UY? I thought I read you can transfer 2 years worth of points as long as they were not banked points? Just curious.

 

[palaemon]

So what you are saying is if I have a bid trip planned and transfer Oct UY points into my Aug UY for 2011 and 2012 (in Oct if necessary) I would not be able to use the 2012 points in the 2011 UY? I thought I read you can transfer 2 years worth of points as long as they were not banked points? Just curious.

You can transfer the 2012 points, but can not be used until the UY begins (you can't borrow transferred points, even your own.) They can, however, be banked after they're transferred.

 

[CarolAnnC]

Transferred points retain their original Use Year and resort.

 

[drusba]

There is no parade of horribles when you have two use years. Here are the differences to remember:

1. It is like being two separate members so always view it that way when dealing with reservations.

2. You will have two separate annual statements. If you have automatic withdrawal of dues from your bank account on a monthly basis, you will have two separate withdrawals per month.

3. Points from one contract cannot be joined with points from the other to reserve any single night. Thus, if you want to use both contracts for a trip, you should reserve some nights with one contract, the rest with the other contract, and then link the reservations (the result will be one reservation number for the entire trip).

4. As an alternative to 3 you can instead transfer points from one contract to another and then they can be mixed for any single night. However, you get only one transfer in or out per use year. Since you are two separate members when you have two use years, you can transfer from one contract (using up its one transfer per year) to the other (using up its one transfer per year).

5. You have two different banking deadlines.

Your website account will show both contracts. You will get only one vacation planner per year. There is one potential advantage to different use years particularly if you use only one contract per trip. If the specified use year months are spaced out from one another, you can take a trip any time of year and avoid entirely the cancellation/inability-to-bank problem that can arise for a trip that occurs just before the end of a use year, i.e., you can use for any trip that particular contract that avoids having a trip that is close to the end of the use year.

 

[las3888]

I have 3 separate contracts and really have only had to transfer points once that I can think of. I probably didn't even need to tsf points at that point anyways. If I don't have enough points in an account, I book a few nights and then link the ressie to another one from a separate account. Once or twice it has messed up our mousekeeping as they didn't recognize the link, but it has actually been a few years since that has happened, so maybe they worked out that glitch.

Since I bought resale, this is how we did it and really this is all that I know. I guess I am used to it, and it really hasn't hampered us in any real way.