Help, never rented points and need feedback good or bad from those who have

[Guzzi]

Never rented points and am currently planning our ** trip to the world. I've been soliciting advice for fellow dis'rs regarding staying 10 days at a mod vs 7 or 8 days at a deluxe and a nice fellow suggested renting points and staying at a deluxe level resort at the price of a mod

The whole idea of renting points from a stranger, even though he or she is a fellow disboarder and disney nut, which suggests certain good qualities, ive never done something even remotely similar to renting points from a "stranger" over the internet.

Thus I am looking for advice and more importantly info on the good and bad of the process. any help would be greatly appreciated cause if I do this im gonna have to do some heavy convincing of my wife

 

[JimMIA]

THE place to start is the "stickies" at the top of the DIS Rent/Trade board. They will explain the process. Be sure to read everything before you post a request for rental, including the linked threads.

Here is another helpful starting point: DVC Point Rental Primer

 

[dgaston]

I rented points 3x from different people. I think the major problem is that you then need to purchase DVC . Since becoming a member, I have transferred additional points in 2x. I try to get a feel for the individual from their posts, and while it can be a little scary, I have had excellent results with renting and transferring in points.

 

[wrighter]

I know exactly where you're coming from. We rented points last year, just prior to purchasing ourselves, and I was so nervous! But I read everything I could possibly read about the process - JimMIA listed the perfect place to start - and it really helped.

If you take the time to find a good "match," I can't imagine it wouldn't work out. And finding a good match involves different things for different people. I knew I wanted a DISer with A LOT of posts - and not just on the Rent/Trade board. And the truth is that you can tell a lot about people by what they write and how they write it. You know if you feel comfortable or not almost right from the start.

When we rented points, I felt a good rapport with the owner right away. I did my homework - even making sure he was listed as a DVC owner in the Orange County files. (They mention this in the primer, I think.) And then after talking with him on the phone I knew we had a good match. He offered his contract, we made a few addendums, faxed and signed, and we were off to the races. He was very helpful through the whole process.

We have also been on the other side - renting our own points to others after we purchased at AKV to help offset the original cost. Each time I have made sure to rent only to people that I feel comfortable with. None actually wanted to speak on the phone, and I was okay with that. A lot of email communication, though. I have perfected a contract - even though I hope to never have to rent out our points ever again!

I think after you do some more homework you might feel more comfortable. Just make sure you don't rush into anything - there are lots of points available out there, with the perfect owner just waiting for you!

Also, feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions about the whole thing. I totally know where you're coming from and would be happy to help in any way possible - with the exception of renting you my points.

Good luck!

 

[ValpoCory]

I know exactly where you're coming from. We rented points last year, just prior to purchasing ourselves, and I was so nervous! But I read everything I could possibly read about the process - JimMIA listed the perfect place to start - and it really helped.

If you take the time to find a good "match," I can't imagine it wouldn't work out. And finding a good match involves different things for different people. I knew I wanted a DISer with A LOT of posts - and not just on the Rent/Trade board. And the truth is that you can tell a lot about people by what they write and how they write it. You know if you feel comfortable or not almost right from the start.

When we rented points, I felt a good rapport with the owner right away. I did my homework - even making sure he was listed as a DVC owner in the Orange County files. (They mention this in the primer, I think.) And then after talking with him on the phone I knew we had a good match. He offered his contract, we made a few addendums, faxed and signed, and we were off to the races. He was very helpful through the whole process.

We have also been on the other side - renting our own points to others after we purchased at AKV to help offset the original cost. Each time I have made sure to rent only to people that I feel comfortable with. None actually wanted to speak on the phone, and I was okay with that. A lot of email communication, though. I have perfected a contract - even though I hope to never have to rent out our points ever again!

I think after you do some more homework you might feel more comfortable. Just make sure you don't rush into anything - there are lots of points available out there, with the perfect owner just waiting for you!

Also, feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions about the whole thing. I totally know where you're coming from and would be happy to help in any way possible - with the exception of renting you my points.

Good luck!

Thanks wrighter. Great info. What price per point should I wait for? What price did you rent your points for?

 

[hockeyprincess]

I agree with everything posted above! I've been both a renter and a "landlord" . Both experiences were wonderful! Rented a few times, rented my points out a few times, happy campers both ways!

Wanted to add that on AVERAGE, price per point is around $10. Could be higher or lower due to many variables: Home resort, giving 11-month reservation advantage could be a higher price per point, soon-to-expire points which equals hard to get reservations generally are a lower price per point, and many variables in between. I would use $10 PP as a starting point. It's also up to the personal owner as well. Some will negotiate, most will not.

Also, know that as the renter, you have no rights or authority to call Member Services to inquire about or change a reservation. Even with the confirmation number, they will not talk to you. This is for your security and the owner's security. Any changes/etc will need to be done directly with the member only. Also adding Magical Express and/or DDP needs to be done by the owner.

 

[Brian Noble]

I've been both a renter and a landlord with vacation properties. I find that you very quickly develop a sense for the person you are dealing with in the initial email messages. It's not hard to tell if a potential renter or landlord is likely to be difficult to work with. I generally follow that up with a phone call, to get an even better sense of the person with whom I'm doing business. I also rely on written contracts to make sure that everyone understands what the risks are, etc.

That said, in both cases, you are ultimately trusting that the person you are dealing with is generally honest---a renter can generate a lot of damage charges or skip out on the incidentals bill, and a landlord can disappear with the cash. The screening process only eliminates the bad liars, not the very good ones.

If you have a contract in place, the "guilty party" is ultimtely responsible, but realistically pursuing enforcement of such a contract---even in small claims court---is generally going to cost more than it is worth, because the person and/or property resides in another state. So, ultimately, there needs to be some trust on both sides. But, in exchange for this placed trust, you're getting a very very good price vs. any competing alternatives, and the owner still gets to make a little money. Because these arrangements almost always work out just fine, it's a win-win for everyone involved.

 

[ValpoCory]

Thanks for the advice guys. Yeah, I understand that getting a reservation 11 months out might mean $12 or $13 per point. I'll try to be patient and wait for a $10 or $11 offer, assuming the vetting process doesn't produce any red flags.

 

[JimMIA]

Thanks for the advice guys. Yeah, I understand that getting a reservation 11 months out might mean $12 or $13 per point. I'll try to be patient and wait for a $10 or $11 offer, assuming the vetting process doesn't produce any red flags.

In your eagerness to get a "deal," I'd try to stay focused on the most important questions.

If you need an 11-month booking because you're going at a very busy time, or need certain accommodations, "being patient" may mean no availability.

Also -- in the context of the overall cost of your Disney vacation -- is saving $1-200 really worth the effort? I'd much rather rent from someone I trusted, who knows what they are doing, and pay a little more. I'd want to do the deal, pay the price, and move on with my vacation.

If I ever need to rent points, I have a little list in my head that I know I'd be comfortable with. Whatever their price was would be fine with me, because I know the transaction would go smoothly.

 

[pjzkent]

My only experience as a renter was great, the transaction went very smoothly.

Just ask lots of questions, the primer is a great resource. You will definitely get a feel for the owner as you look for points, there are some with very structured rental agreements, and they are pretty straightforward about that from the start. There is definitely a lot of trust involved though

On the negative side, staying at a DVC may end up convincing you to buy

We rented one year, and stayed in a Mod the next year, and the difference between the two led us to buy DVC for the third trip

 

[crisi]

Also, know yourself. If you are the type to stay up worrying at night because - despite all the checking you have done and the person you talked to seems like a nice person and their references check out and they have 250,000 DISBoard posts - you might show up and not have a reservation, or you might get sick and be out your non-refundable booking - renting DVC is probably more stress than any savings are worth.

 

[ValpoCory]

In your eagerness to get a "deal," I'd try to stay focused on the most important questions.

If you need an 11-month booking because you're going at a very busy time, or need certain accommodations, "being patient" may mean no availability.

Also -- in the context of the overall cost of your Disney vacation -- is saving $1-200 really worth the effort? I'd much rather rent from someone I trusted, who knows what they are doing, and pay a little more. I'd want to do the deal, pay the price, and move on with my vacation.

If I ever need to rent points, I have a little list in my head that I know I'd be comfortable with. Whatever their price was would be fine with me, because I know the transaction would go smoothly.

Excellent points JimMIA.


On a trust transaction like this, your advice is wise ... the quality of the seller and the piece of mind that comes along with it is worth the extra cost. Thanks!

 

[ValpoCory]

My only experience as a renter was great, the transaction went very smoothly.

Just ask lots of questions, the primer is a great resource. You will definitely get a feel for the owner as you look for points, there are some with very structured rental agreements, and they are pretty straightforward about that from the start. There is definitely a lot of trust involved though

On the negative side, staying at a DVC may end up convincing you to buy

We rented one year, and stayed in a Mod the next year, and the difference between the two led us to buy DVC for the third trip

Thanks pjzkent. We may find ourselves "addicted to renting". We do not have the money to go every year, but renting a deluxe for the full price of a moderate hotel is attractive, especially if the quality is such a huge difference, which I suspect it is.

 

[ValpoCory]

Has anyone dealt with "David's Disney Vacation Club Rental site"? His flat rate is $13 and the website looks official. Is it trustworthy?

 

[CarolAnnC]

Just a reminder - general questions about renting here are fine, but no details are allowed. The DVC Rent/Trade board is the place for those. So dates, resorts, villas, number of points, etc., are edited out so as not to be construed as seeking rental posts.

Thanks all...

 

[Guzzi]

I understand that the "owner" had to make the reservations for the room and also for magical express but what about adrs, can we make our own with the new computerized system or dose the owner have to either call or make the adr ressies over the net?

I appreciate all the great feed back, thanks folks!

 

[JimMIA]

I understand that the "owner" had to make the reservations for the room and also for magical express but what about adrs, can we make our own with the new computerized system or dose the owner have to either call or make the adr ressies over the net?

I appreciate all the great feed back, thanks folks!

The owner has to do things that must be done through Member Services. So they make the reservations, and arrange DDP and DME for you.

You make your own ADRs. You can use the online ADR tool, but you might not be able to get the +10 ADRs. There was a glitch that the ADR system is not recognizing DVC confirmation numbers; it's possible that's been corrected and if it has, you should be able to get 90+10.

 

[dg85]

Helpful info for a new renter trying to get comfortable with all of this