How "safe" is it to rent points?

[FutureBrideOfMike]

Not sure where it is appropriate to post this, so mod please move it if in the wrong place.

How safe is it to rent points at a DVC?
It seems like a great bargain and perfect solution for our disneymoon.
However I don't want to end up with no ressies or problems on this very special trip.

I have found a few DVC members who are willing to rent points to me and they say they have references and have been doing this on this board for several years. How do I go about checking this out?

Any suggestions for making this a pleasant process? It just seems to go to be true to get a deal on a rental and be able to book DDP. Anything I'm missing? $10 or a point sounds great!

 

[CarolMN]

$10 a point is a great deal.

Renting is a private transaction and there is an element of trust required on both sides. DIsney will not intervene if there is a dispute.

The risk is minimal if you do your homework. Check the references the owner provides, read the other posts made by the owner, exchange contact information, and make sure you understand all the terms. A written agreement is very helpful and strongly recommeded.

FWIW, I do not recall any renters posting here that they had a problem with an owner not living up to his/her side of the bargain.

Be sure you understand the owner's terms - especially for changes or cancelations. They vary by owner. Most consider renting to be a non-refundable transaction. You may be able to reschedule, but that will depend on the status of the points the owner uses to make the reservation.

If you haven't already, read all of the "Sticky" threads at the top of the Forum.

Congrats on your upcoming wedding!

Best wishes -

 

[tigger2on]

Hi
We did a Familymoon in May 2004 but DH and I did 2 nights @ BWV on our own and it was great. I have rented from 3 separate individuals from here and never had a problem. I never checked them out either as I just trusted them and had no issues any time. I also rented at BCV and OKW. Now we own @ SSR and are trying to figure out where we want to add on iin the fall....OKW or BCV.
If you aren't sure, ask for previous renters contact info and get in touch with a few. Also pay by Paypal as it is a bit more secure.
Congrats on your upcoming nuptials and enjoy your disneymoon!

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

I think it's very safe on the Dis-Boards. I think the most important thing to do is look at a person's past posts, how long they have been around the Dis-Boards, talk to him/her (get phone numbers, addresses, learn about who you are dealing with) and get a written agreement. I'm one of those who believes that references aren't that important. If I wanted to scam you on a deal, I could give you any number of references that may sound good.

HBC

 

[Tissa]

Not sure where it is appropriate to post this, so mod please move it if in the wrong place.

How safe is it to rent points at a DVC?

I have found a few DVC members who are willing to rent points to me and they say they have references and have been doing this on this board for several years. How do I go about checking this out?
!

You can click on their name then click on the search for more posts from this member. Read over a few it will give you an idea about them and their views about renting points. Also I saved all the e-mail communication between me and the person I rented from. I have proof of the terms we agreed to and also when payment was received just in case there are any problems. You are trusting a complete stranger with your hard earned vacation money but I believe the benefits outweigh the risks.

 

[DrTomorrow]

I'd agree with the sentiment that DIS point-renting is a fairly safe thing to do. However, please keep in mind a few things:

1. This is the Internet. Yes, the DIS boards are home to a great bunch of folks, and there's a lot of pixie dust in the air, but take off your pair of mouse-eared & rose-colored glasses. Just because someone's DIS name is "LUVWDW4EVER" (and apologies if there really is a LUVWDW4EVER, which wouldn't surprise me) doesn't mean that they are nice & friendly.

2. Go into this as a business deal. Get references, have a written contract, make sure that you understand any restrictions that either the point-provider or Disney have in place. This is particularly important the first time you rent from someone.

3. Understand that the reservation belongs to the DVC owner/point provider. No matter how much money you pay and regardless of any contract you sign, the owner could cancel your reservation months, weeks or days before your trip. Yes, you would have legal recourse, but who wants to show up on their honeymoon only to find that the CMs and the ressie system have never heard of them.

There are many, many people who have had great rental experiences - go into with your eyes open and all should be well.

Congrats & have fun!

 

[twister]

What if the person renting out the points has never rented out points before and as a result can't provide references? Does that mean that people shouldn't rent from them?

 

[wink13]

I've rented from E-bay and from the Disney Board. Both were good experiences however a much better deal from the Dis-board. Didn't know about this board the first time I rented. I did go in with some trust but did follow up with MS about the ressie once made. Also, only paid half up front then rest when ressie was verified. Granted it could have been cancelled but at least there was a ressie.

Now I'm in the process of purchasing a small contract myself so hopefully I will not need to rent as often.

Good luck and congrats.

 

[Doctor P]

Personally, if you have ANY hesitancy at all or are concerned at all about your honeymoon being ruined, I would not rent. Though it is generally safe if you do your homework, this is just not something I would want to worry about in planning such a special trip. It is unlikely that anything bad will happen, but this is really a once in a lifetime irreplaceable trip that I would think twice about renting for (unless I could get good travel insurance that would cover any type of problem). JMHO.

 

[MAO]

What if the person renting out the points has never rented out points before and as a result can't provide references? Does that mean that people shouldn't rent from them?

I usually use all of my points, but am considering not doing so next year. Since I won't have any references, what -- if anything -- can I do to "prove" my trustworthiness if I do decide to offer them for rent?

 

[SleepyatDVC]

What if the person renting out the points has never rented out points before and as a result can't provide references? Does that mean that people shouldn't rent from them?

Personally, I would rather rent from someone that had a long posting history that I could read up on than someone with little or no posting history but lots of references.

If I wanted to "pull one over" someone, I could provide 4 numbers for some of my former college buddies who would swear up and down that they had the best renting experience from me even if they never actually rented from me before, KWIM?

Good luck!

 

[byoung]

I rented from the same member on ebay, never had a problem. Then looking at how often we where going and will continue to go in the future, we bough in at BWV thru Disney.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Another thing you can do is get the person's name who is renting to you and run it through the Orange County official records to see if they are truly a DVC owner. Here's a Link to the page. All you need is the deed holder's last and first name.

HBC

 

[greenban]

Another thing you can do is get the person's name who is renting to you and run it through the Orange County official records to see if they are truly a DVC owner. Here's a Link to the page. All you need is the deed holder's last and first name.

HBC

GREAT LINK HBC!!!

Just a reminder (since it affects me ) My name won't show as my contracts are all corporate owned, but they do show under the corp. name!

-Tony

 

[mikesmom]

Purely anecdotal, but if just from reading the Boards, it seems like there are a lot more instances of renters giving owners grief than vice versa. I've been reading the boards off and on for several years. In my memory there was one instance of an owner (who was actually dumping their contracts) cancelling on a renter. There have been myriad reports of would be renters changing their minds after having the owner check on different options, using an owner to check availability and then using the info to negotiate pricing with others, of commitments made and then checks not sent, of price commitments made and then trying to negotiate a lower price before the money is sent, of "shoppers" who waste an owners time chasing after several options and then bailing before the reservation is made. In the end the owner does have the control and shouldn't be out money or points. In reality there is time wasted and "opportunity cost" of points tied up and not available to rent to someone else.

there is risk on both sides.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I'm going to guess that 99% of the time the owner is on the up and up. The reason is, they are trying to get reimbursed for points they are unable to use in a given year. They aren't offering points for rent to stiff someone and jeapordize their standing in DVC. Owners hagve paid a lot for their points, and they are precious to them. I treat my points like money.

There are probably far more risks for the owner than the renter. Points can be lost when a renter doesn't send payment in a timely manner, and then walks off without paying when it's too late for the owner to bank or re-rent points because of banking deadlines etc.

 

[JimMIA]

There have been myriad reports of would be renters changing their minds after having the owner check on different options, using an owner to check availability and then using the info to negotiate pricing with others, of commitments made and then checks not sent, of price commitments made and then trying to negotiate a lower price before the money is sent, of "shoppers" who waste an owners time chasing after several options and then bailing before the reservation is made.

I agree that these issues are annoying, but I doubt if many of them are malicious. I think most renters -- especially new renters -- don't understand the differences between a DVC reservation and a hotel reservation. I think owners have to expect some of the normal give-and-take of a business transaction when they go into the business of renting reservations. Sure, there is an occasional silly plea for dirt-cheap points, but most rental transactions go through without any major hitches.

In the renter's defense, some DVC owners don't know the difference either...as you will see from all the "I forgot to bank points" or "OHMYGOD! My brother-in-law just cancelled his trip to WDW with us!" threads.

The more knowledgeable the renter and the owner are, the better things are likely to go. My worst nightmare would be a clueless DVC owner renting to a newbie renter. Usually, if there is a problem, it will be the owner who suffers...but it is often self-inflicted.

 

[Duckieluckey]

I have rented out a lot of points (to pay for Disney Cruises). My credit checking is simple. How many posts does the renter have? How long have they been on the boards? Will I have at least 60 days to cancel? I then ask for their home address and home phone number which I check on Switchboard. If there is a match, their credit is good. I ask for a personal check. I don't need a contract because the renter signs the front of the check and I sign the back. If the check bounces, it never has, I can cancel the reservation. The renter knows where I live and I know where they live.

Enjoy, have fun. Don't worry, be happy.

 

[tink&cinderella]

I have recently (in january 2006) rented points for a trip in December. I was nervous about the intial transaction. After all you are sending 1/2 the owed amount to someone you do not know and hope that they'll make the reservation for you as promised.

To ease my mind, I looked for someone in my area, I emailed back and forth, and eventually did a reverse search of the person's name and address and obtained a telephone number. I called and have a very positive feeling.

As a result of our ongoing Disney addiction we were also at Disney during the March break and now have bought into SSR. We will be using our points for a week during X-mas and New Years.

Of course I am committed to the rented points and am excited to try out OKW for our first week, then off to the 10 day cruise and then SSR for 7 days.

It made a big difference to me to speak with the owner personally - some of you may want to do that to ease your mind.

Best of Luck

Denise

 

[Maria395712]

I looked myself up on the link and I am there but I realized not HH or VB as you said this is orange county. great link
maria