I am not a
DVC owner. I have rented points, both from this site and from Ebay. I'm on my 4th transaction now. I'll start with the easiest questions first. I think everyone will agree there is a large demand to rent points for the obvious savings. For that reason, getting a reservation at the BC or BW is more difficult than the other DVC resorts. (I know, because we love the BW and BC) I'm assuming you're speaking of 9/08, you'll want to post early! If you know your dates and are sure you're going at that time, post as early as possible. This way, a member can make a reservation as soon as they're permitted based on their use year and home resort. You can also scan the boards for a reservation, but with the new posting rules, that's taking a chance. With all of that said, there are considerable risks, on both sides, and you really need to do your homework. Remember, Disney will not get involved in the transaction. You need to know your owner, know that your dates are set in stone and feel confident that the trust issue is as resolved as it can be. Most people will tell you to have a signed contract specifically stating the expectations of both parties.
There's a great thread about renting points that was active sometime in May or so of this year. Maybe someone more internet savy can find it and reference it for you.
I always check the posts from the person offering the points. Really check them. I, personally, would not rent from someone fairly new on the boards, but that's been debated before and that's my opinion. I, do, however, insist on speaking with someone on the phone prior to emailing any information, etc. So far, I have felt confident with each person having had a telephone conversation with them.
I posted a few times for rentals and I rec'd a lot of people responding who had 2 or 3 posts and were new members. I would do reverse look-ups with their phone numbers. Investigate all you can and use all resources available you can think of. Get home phone numbers, and ask for a work email. Personally, I didn't feel I needed them. But those are some suggestions I've seen. I rented for substantial amounts of money over the summer and really needed to feel that trust. And I did. I actually cancelled one transaction through Ebay because I did not. Doesn't mean I was right, it means I needed to feel comfortable.
With that said, you also have to remember that the owner of the points is performing a service at a substantially discounted price. They are not travel agents, they are disboard members giving those of us who have not taken the DVC plunge a great deal. They are taking a risk also. You may cancel, you may not send the deposit, you may call 50 times, etc. Some renters need to have their hand held through the entire transaction, some do not. I have formed a nice friendship with one DVC member and haven't spoken to the others since.
I say all of this because if you go into knowing what's expected of you and what's expected of the owner, you should be able to come out with a win-win situation.
I've taken several vacations last year and saved enough to pay for the dining plan each time. But I did it knowing that I was taking a substantial risk and had to feel comfortable doing so. After I spoke with the owners on the phone, I was confident we would have a smooth transaction.
Good luck, and I really recommend going back in the DVC boards and reading as much as you can regarding renting.
It really helped educated me!