Help for a newbie please!

[Ann B]

Hi

We are seriously thinking about buying into DVC for the first time. I had assumed that we would just buy the points that we want direct from disney ( SSR). I have been looking at buying points from the timeshare store and wondered about the pros and cons of buying this way. Do any of you have experience of using the timeshare store form the UK and would you use them again? Any advice would be great. We are not looking for finance ( if that makes a difference).

One other question. Can you make a reservation 11 months out using points that you will not receive until closer until you travel date or do you have to have the points in your account before you can make a reservation.
Hope you know what I mean!

Thanks in advance

Ann

 

[Revtel]

Hi, Ann.

Second question is easy.

You have to have the points in your account before you can use them to book.

First question. See my comments elsewhere about working with the Timeshare Store. I have only used them to sell a contract, and found them efficient and courteous.

From my experience, and especially if you are looking to pay cash, check out the price of the contracts for sale on their site and offer $10 BELOW the asking price and see what they come back with. Their job is to negotiate, and you should be able to snap up a bargain. You will have to pay legal fees and closing costs with them, but it will still be a lot cheaper than buying direct with Disney.

Given the present financial situation on both sides of the Atlantic, you should be able to get a good deal!

Terry

 

[Claire L]

The points are always in your account for the current UY and the following one incase you want to borrow into the current UY As long as the points are in the right UY at time you intend to stay you can book whenever the 11 month window appears for home resort or 7 months for anyother resort.

Claire

 

[Boss Hogg]

Like Claire said you'll always have the points available to use from current UY and the next. So, not too sure how you would be making a reservation at 11 mo window and not have the points already (assuming you've not already used 'em of course).

If you mean transferring in from another member, then you need to wait for the transfer to be done before you can use them.

 

[mikki.young]

I have bought through Disney and the Timeshare store. Both were easy. Disney will always charge the full current cost per point but do subsidise the closing costs. When I bought through the Timeshare store the seller agreed to pay all the closing costs.

Do consider the length of the contract, but most importantly where you think you will want to stay. Do not, for example, buy Saratoga Springs with the intention of staying anywhere else. It is getting more and more difficult to get in to non home resorts and as the membership grows this will only get worse.

 

[CustardTart]

I have bought from both The Timeshare Store and direct from Disney.

Personally, I preferred the direct experience. I rang my guide and bought the required number of points over the phone from the UK with Amex - simple! The documents were FedEx'd to us, we duly signed and returned them the same way and we were making our first reservation within days! I have since purchased add-on points in the same manner - TBH it's just so (too?) easy...

The Timeshare Store purchase was a more complex procedure - we made an offer on the points we wished to purchase which was duly accepted by the owner but then we had to wait for Disney to exercise their right to buy back the points if they wished to. Unfortunately, this happened with our first attempt, so we made an offer on another contract which went through - eventually! We then had to wire the funds (they don't accept credit cards) which took some time - all in all, it took 8 weeks (12, if you count our initial fruitless attempt) to buy the points this way plus we had to pay closing costs and fees...

 

[irenep]

I have bought from both The Timeshare Store and direct from Disney.

Personally, I preferred the direct experience. I rang my guide and bought the required number of points over the phone from the UK with Amex - simple! The documents were FedEx'd to us, we duly signed and returned them the same way and we were making our first reservation within days! I have since purchased add-on points in the same manner - TBH it's just so (too?) easy...

The Timeshare Store purchase was a more complex procedure - we made an offer on the points we wished to purchase which was duly accepted by the owner but then we had to wait for Disney to exercise their right to buy back the points if they wished to. Unfortunately, this happened with our first attempt, so we made an offer on another contract which went through - eventually! We then had to wire the funds (they don't accept credit cards) which took some time - all in all, it took 8 weeks (12, if you count our initial fruitless attempt) to buy the points this way plus we had to pay closing costs and fees...

My experience was almost exactly the same - except my ROFR passed first time. TTS were fantastic and it was really smooth - took about 2 months.
I bought add-on with Disney direct. It was incredibly easy and quick but much more expensive.
Maybe you could to work out how much buying direct/indirect costs and compare the two, then decide if the extra cost is worth the earlier booking window.