Help - I want to rent DVC points, but I'm afraid!

[MissMagnolia]

Hi all,
I have been contemplating renting DVC points because I really want to try out a villa and see if DVC is for us. I am afraid of:

1. The "owners" backing out at the last minute and leaving me with transportation and park tickets but no accommodations.

2. Arriving in WDW to find I have no reservation after I have paid for it.

3. Doing the unknown and feeling out of control of the situation (I am a control freak when it comes to planning vacations, especially at WDW).

I need advice, reassurance, etc.



Thanks!

 

[HookdonWDW]

Do you really want my personal opinion?

If so, I think you should just reserve a villa through CRO. Renting of points results in a potential huge cost savings for the renter, but it requires trust on both sides.

If you already know that you won't have the trust, and you are going to panic, you're better off going the traditional route.

The bottom line is that a DVC owner can cancel any reservation they make until shortly before check-in. Therefore, theoretically, they could send you a confirmation, do a verbal confirmation with MS, and then still cancel the reservations.

Does it happen often? No. I know of many more cases where renters have caused issues than owners. As I said, trust is required on both sides, and this just doesn't seem to be something that would work for you.

 

[wdw1972]

I have to echo what HookdonWDW said. Renting points from a member will get you huge savings over Disney's price. But, in return you have to trust the member just as he has to trust you.

You have to be comfortable that the owner won't cancel your reservation - but I've never heard of that happening. You can't possibly think the owner made your reservation if he didn't, because he wouldn't have the confirmation paper to send you. You definitely will NOT be in control. The only person Disney recognizes is the member, so they will not talk to you until you have checked in. If you want to add the dining plan or magical express, you contact the member and then he has to contact Disney to arrange it.

The member has to be comfortable that the renter won't fail to make the payment when asked, that the renter won't trash the villa (the member is responsible, as the renter is his "guest"), and that the renter won't be hounding them calling with changes & crap that could have been handled all at once.

So, it requires trust on both sides, and my personal opinion is if a renter is nervous then save up the money to pay 2-3 times as much in cash through Disney. When I've rented points I've made the reservation, the renter pays me in full once the reservation is made, I send them the paperwork when the payment is received, and then we're done - unless the member needs to give me airline info for magical express. I don't do contracts, and wouldn't rent to someone who wants one. I don't need the hassle - and don't *need* to rent my points to that person, because there's always someone else waiting (and I don't advertise either).

Bottom line - if you're nervous don't do it.

 

[BillPA]

Check with people where you or your S.O. work, at church, in the neighborhood... There are DVC members all over. You may just find a neighbor or co-worker that has DVC and will rent you some points to see if it is for you.
Good luck with you search.

 

[bwvBound]

I second the idea above: look for friends and neighbors in your circles of work, church, community (etc) for a DVC member. I've often rented to friends and family ... makes it easier and more comfortable for both sides.

 

[Blahnde]

I agree with the first posters that if you are not able to trust, then renting is not for you. You will save a ton of money: my most recent rental was about $2,000 for a week and the identical reservation is currently over $5,000 from CRO. But only you can decide if you can trust a stranger to save 25 - 60%.

But I strongly disagree with some of the later poster's suggestions. You know there is a reason people say never do business with friends and family. Do you really want to put a strain on a friendship or your family relationships to save money on a vacation? What if they want to charge more than you want to pay? What if they do not have the points you need at the resort you want? Will you be happy paying more than you budgeted for the villa size or resort choice you do not want? These type of negotiations are so much cleaner in a arms-length business transaction. You tell the owner what you want and they tell you how much it will cost. If either party does not like the terms there is no harm, no foul.

And without meaning any offense to the prior poster, I would not do business with anyone who asks for 100% upfront and refuses to do contracts. I also would not chose to do business with someone who has never rented their points before. I know there is a sticky post on the rent/trade board that gives plenty of ins and outs to renting, but references and contracts are strongly recommended in rental transactions. I recommend you start there if you still want to consider renting.

 

[jpolak]

Hi all,
I have been contemplating renting DVC points because I really want to try out a villa and see if DVC is for us. I am afraid of:

1. The "owners" backing out at the last minute and leaving me with transportation and park tickets but no accommodations.

2. Arriving in WDW to find I have no reservation after I have paid for it.

3. Doing the unknown and feeling out of control of the situation (I am a control freak when it comes to planning vacations, especially at WDW).

I need advice, reassurance, etc.


Thanks!

We did the exact same thing. We rented and then we bought but this was when anyone could call MS to confirm a reservation. I was on the phone with MS before we boarded the plane to make sure we still had our reservation. I couldn't relax until we pulled upto BCV and they welcomed me home. I agree with the other posts and would try to find someone you know who is a member. Even with that make sure that there is some type of written agreement just so there is no confusion. I rented to a frien of mine adn he joked when I asked him to sign a contract, but we did business together and we're still friends.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I have to agree. If you are that distrustful, then do NOT rent. It will only cause you great stress. Just reserve a DVC 1 bedroom from CRO and decide from there. Or...If you are really thinking of DVC, contact a guide and arrange a tour. We were able to get a discount on DVC accommodations from our guide prior to buying. That was years ago, but I think you might find a guide to work on that for you.

 

[WALTSAGOD]

I don't do contracts, and wouldn't rent to someone who wants one. I don't need the hassle - and don't *need* to rent my points to that person, because there's always someone else waiting (and I don't advertise either). /QUOTE]

Why don't you have a contract. They aren't binding, but at the same time do allow both parties to be sure that they other knows and understanbd what they are getting into as far as responsibility.

 

[Muushka]

I agree with the first posters that if you are not able to trust, then renting is not for you. You will save a ton of money: my most recent rental was about $2,000 for a week and the identical reservation is currently over $5,000 from CRO. But only you can decide if you can trust a stranger to save 25 - 60%.

But I strongly disagree with some of the later poster's suggestions. You know there is a reason people say never do business with friends and family. Do you really want to put a strain on a friendship or your family relationships to save money on a vacation? What if they want to charge more than you want to pay? What if they do not have the points you need at the resort you want? Will you be happy paying more than you budgeted for the villa size or resort choice you do not want? These type of negotiations are so much cleaner in a arms-length business transaction. You tell the owner what you want and they tell you how much it will cost. If either party does not like the terms there is no harm, no foul.

And without meaning any offense to the prior poster, I would not do business with anyone who asks for 100% upfront and refuses to do contracts. I also would not chose to do business with someone who has never rented their points before. I know there is a sticky post on the rent/trade board that gives plenty of ins and outs to renting, but references and contracts are strongly recommended in rental transactions. I recommend you start there if you still want to consider renting.

OK. I totally agree with this poster, with everything but the FONT SIZE .
Baby boomer here, had to press 'control +' 3 times!!!

To be honest, I would not want to rent points to someone who was this nervous about it.

My advice: Three letters: C-R-O.

 

[kaffinito]

Hi all,
I have been contemplating renting DVC points because I really want to try out a villa and see if DVC is for us. I am afraid of:

1. The "owners" backing out at the last minute and leaving me with transportation and park tickets but no accommodations.

2. Arriving in WDW to find I have no reservation after I have paid for it.

3. Doing the unknown and feeling out of control of the situation (I am a control freak when it comes to planning vacations, especially at WDW).

I need advice, reassurance, etc.



Thanks!

I'm in the same boat. However, if I want to find out if DVC is for me, then I need to try it first, KWIM? So I'm staying at AKV on rented points starting next Tuesday for two days.

Trust and control is a huge factor for me too, but I keep thinking, what's the worst thing that could happen? I won't get stuck without a hotel, because there are a lot of affordable (cheap) hotels in the area, and I could get a room there for two days. The owner is also probably nervous about me, because she doesn't know if we are total slobs.

My advice is to try it for a short stay, rent from someone with experience in renting, be upfront that you have never rented points before, and follow the guidelines on the sticky about renting points.

If you start freaking out too badly, or if you are hugely nervous about it, then don't do it.

 

[MissMagnolia]

To all, thanks for the advice. I posted without doing the required dis-reading, and now feel more comfortable about the procedure after having done some research.

Actually, I am a bit offended by the sarcasm by some posters. I am CAUTIOUS because it is something I have not done before (renting points). I am not a "needy" person, would not contact the owner repeatedly after the agreement was set, and am a very educated person that can read a legal agreement and follow it without difficulty.

I have used "C-R-O" many times and yes, it is comforting to have control over the reservation, but I am open to trying something new that could potentially result in my own DVC membership in the future. I can see that there are procedures in place to help minimize the risk of renting as well as protecting the renter (i.e. paying through paypal for those that accept it). I have been a disboard member for some time and am very WDW-savvy. I feel comfortable checking references/posts/etc. from owners.

Sorry for the mini-rant, but I am a bit frustrated by some of the responses.

 

[mikesmom]

Please don't feel insulted or even unwelcome here. I believe it probably was your words "control freak" that set some folks off here. I know it gave me a definite "uh, oh" in the pit of my stomach when I read it. There are regularly posts on this Board from folks who have rented from time to time and have been practically tortured by people who wanted ALL the services, reassurances and ability to cancel that they would get directly from Disney and yet, they didn't want to pay Disney prices. We've also seen posts from renters who end up in a total panic because they rented a ressie, have the confirmation letter, but now are looking for the owner for one last reassurance and can't find them (the owner was on vacation!) and MS won't talk to them.

Let's face it, all of the owners have "a day job" so to speak and it isn't as a travel agent. While most who would rent try to be as accomodating as possible, it's can be a real burden to make repeated calls to MS for changes, etc and does take some time to write contracts, communicate, send copies of reservation letters, send new ones if there are changes (and that's if MS does send a new one and doesn't say "just use the old ressie number"). I've rented a couple of times - made repeated calls to MS for info on different accomodation options, paid for long distance calls so the renter would feel comfortable and then had them say "someone offered me the same for $8/point, I'm sure you'll understand".

We understand your caution, but we don't "know" you (or how savvy you are) any nore than you know the person you will rent from. I think previous posters just wanted to help all concerned avoid a potential train wreck here.

 

[Dawn68PA]

I am a new renter. Nervous Nelly and all. I'm renting from someone who has been a member on the DIS for quite some time and seems very reliable. I trust him.

Do I worry? A little. I like to have everything in hand - so to speak. I am the one who researches, organizes and takes care of everything when it comes to our vacations. It's just my personality.

I'm very glad I took the chance and will see a 2BR villa in November for our last big family vacation for a few years. I hope the OP finds comfort with an experienced owner.

 

[MissMagnolia]

Thanks mikesmom -

I was just taken aback at the responses. I can completely understand that using the term control freak would make owners nervous - now that I have done some more reading on the process.

Once I get my reservation set, then I'm done. I won't enter into an agreement until I feel comfortable, but when I do I won't do the double checking some may do. I can see how that would drive someone nuts. On the positive side - knowing WDW as I do, I know what I want!

When I do make the reservation I won't be changing dates as I teach at a university and my dates will need to be set, I know that I want dining added, I don't care about mousekeeping (we usually request that they only come once during a vacation anyway), and I take very good care of the rooms when I am in them (my DH says that the room is cleaner after we have left than before we got there! ). The only possible additional call I may need to make is to get Magical Express added since we do not have our airline set (waiting on a deal). If I can't get a deal, then we are not opposed to driving if we have to (we've done the almost 24 hour trip to FL twice without stopping ).

Thanks again - I was feeling a bit "soured" on the DVC board experience, but your response helped.

On a side note...I just found out that one of the families we may be traveling with just found out that her in-laws are DVC members and will rent all of us points. I don't know any details yet and don't know how many points they have, where their home resort is, etc., but I'll be checking into it!

 

[dianeschlicht]

To all, thanks for the advice. I posted without doing the required dis-reading, and now feel more comfortable about the procedure after having done some research.

Actually, I am a bit offended by the sarcasm by some posters. I am CAUTIOUS because it is something I have not done before (renting points). I am not a "needy" person, would not contact the owner repeatedly after the agreement was set, and am a very educated person that can read a legal agreement and follow it without difficulty.

I have used "C-R-O" many times and yes, it is comforting to have control over the reservation, but I am open to trying something new that could potentially result in my own DVC membership in the future. I can see that there are procedures in place to help minimize the risk of renting as well as protecting the renter (i.e. paying through paypal for those that accept it). I have been a disboard member for some time and am very WDW-savvy. I feel comfortable checking references/posts/etc. from owners.

Sorry for the mini-rant, but I am a bit frustrated by some of the responses.

No need to be offended. IT's a fact that a lot of folks are very nervous about the lack of control when renting, and I just think if it's going to be a stressful situation for that person, then they shouldn't do it. I still think contacting a DVC sales person is a reasonable idea as well. That's actually how we had our first DVC stay. We were able to get a discounted price through the guide. Oh, and there are also risks for the owner who is renting the points, so it does take trust on BOTH sides of the arrangement.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We did the exact same thing. We rented and then we bought but this was when anyone could call MS to confirm a reservation. I was on the phone with MS before we boarded the plane to make sure we still had our reservation. ....

The OP would not be able to be "on the phone with MS" since she is not the member who owns the points used to make the reservation. MS will not talk to anyone who doesn't own the points used for that reservation. If a member has another member make a reservation for them, the first member cannot talk to MS about that reservation either.

When I read the OP first post, I was also in the crowd to think about suggesting making a reservation directly from Disney and not rent from a member. OP, you really appeared to be a "control freak" from your post.

I also saw your other post and think the days you are wanting are going to be very difficult to get. You will probably be able to get DVC accomodations for those dates through CRO, but not through DVC.

 

[Muushka]

Please don't feel insulted or even unwelcome here. I believe it probably was your words "control freak" that set some folks off here. I know it gave me a definite "uh, oh" in the pit of my stomach when I read it. There are regularly posts on this Board from folks who have rented from time to time and have been practically tortured by people who wanted ALL the services, reassurances and ability to cancel that they would get directly from Disney and yet, they didn't want to pay Disney prices. We've also seen posts from renters who end up in a total panic because they rented a ressie, have the confirmation letter, but now are looking for the owner for one last reassurance and can't find them (the owner was on vacation!) and MS won't talk to them.

Let's face it, all of the owners have "a day job" so to speak and it isn't as a travel agent. While most who would rent try to be as accomodating as possible, it's can be a real burden to make repeated calls to MS for changes, etc and does take some time to write contracts, communicate, send copies of reservation letters, send new ones if there are changes (and that's if MS does send a new one and doesn't say "just use the old ressie number"). I've rented a couple of times - made repeated calls to MS for info on different accomodation options, paid for long distance calls so the renter would feel comfortable and then had them say "someone offered me the same for $8/point, I'm sure you'll understand".

We understand your caution, but we don't "know" you (or how savvy you are) any nore than you know the person you will rent from. I think previous posters just wanted to help all concerned avoid a potential train wreck here.

Thanks MikesMom, you expressed my sentiments exactly. Good luck with your DVC rental, OP.
You sound like you know what you are doing and I have a feeling that everything will work out for both you and the renter.

 

[bridgemanva]

I have rented points for family members from another owner and had them transfered into my account so someone they know and trust has control of the reservation but the family member/renter has the financial risk -- if they cancel they aren't my points that go to waste. So it removes the stress between me and family; paticularly those who tend to change plans. I have done this ever since one year there were three of us wandering around a 2 bedroom b/c at the last minute our family of 4 guests changed their plans. Mind you we still take guests with us but not those who don't get the value of the accommodation and limitations of our cancellation policies.

This has also allowed us to rent several rooms for larger gatherings with one large transfer in.

 

[jpolak]

The OP would not be able to be "on the phone with MS" since she is not the member who owns the points used to make the reservation. MS will not talk to anyone who doesn't own the points used for that reservation. If a member has another member make a reservation for them, the first member cannot talk to MS about that reservation either.

I know. That's why I said "but this was when anyone could call MS to confirm a reservation"