If a renter has issues with a room during their stay, what options do they have?

[pianomanzano]

Seeing this post on reddit from someone who rented points for a stay in VGF2 (found bugs in bathroom/window, spider eggs in balcony, broken balcony door). Some responses are suggesting that the renter has no options/right to request a new room and that the owner has to make any requests on the renter's behalf. Is that truly the case? I imagine that the renter could go to the front desk to see what options were available to them. I imagine that anything affecting the owner's points would not be up for discussion (refund of points, using extra points towards a different room, etc.), but I would guess/hope that the front desk would look for available rooms on the cash side or at a different resort as an even exchange. Any one with experience that can fill in as to what options renters have? Thanks!

 

[crisi]

They can request a new room at the front desk. There isn't likely to be a different room available as DVC works at full occupancy and moving you to the hotel side is moving you between subsidiaries and balance sheets - it isn't done very often because its a big deal in accounting terms. They aren't likely to move you to a different resort for similar reasons - different resorts have different point costs creating accounting issues, they are all booked to occupancy anyway. Its Florida, bugs in the room are normal, spider eggs on the balcony is normal, and unless the sliding door is a security risk its just broken - so none of those problems are going to mean moving to the resort side. Point refunds are out, moving to a different room size is unlikely. IF there is a room available, they can move you, but having the room available isn't likely.

Room maintenance has been an issue for all 20+ years of my membership - DVC is a great value - and if I were paying $400 a night for the room it wouldn't be acceptable, but my cost on a studio is somewhere around $120 a night. For that, I'll put up with the occasional lizard on the wall or torn curtain.

 

[Mle8308]

Seeing this post on reddit from someone who rented points for a stay in VGF2 (found bugs in bathroom/window, spider eggs in balcony, broken balcony door). Some responses are suggesting that the renter has no options/right to request a new room and that the owner has to make any requests on the renter's behalf. Is that truly the case? I imagine that the renter could go to the front desk to see what options were available to them. I imagine that anything affecting the owner's points would not be up for discussion (refund of points, using extra points towards a different room, etc.), but I would guess/hope that the front desk would look for available rooms on the cash side or at a different resort as an even exchange. Any one with experience that can fill in as to what options renters have? Thanks!

It wouldn't be any different than if an the owner of the points was having issues. They need to talk to the FD and report the issues so they can be fixed. Doesn't sound like it's anything too serious to fix between engineering/maintenance and housekeeping (did not read the reddit post). If they wanted to request a room change, they would also have to talk to the FD to see what would be available to move to. My BF's family was staying in a studio on points at the Poly and his sister went in to take a shower. All of a sudden water started pouring down one of the walls behind a picture (it's all recorded). They moved the picture and the water streamed out like a hose - there was a hole drilled in the wall to hang the picture. When drilling the hole, they accidentally drilled into the water pipe so when the shower was turned on, it sprayed into the room. They called the FD, the manager didn't quite believe them, so they emailed the video while on the phone. The manager was shocked and immediately contacted engineering. They were actually laughing about it because it was like something out of a prank video. They were moved to a bungalow for the remaining 2 nights at no additional points.

 

[CarolynFH]

Seeing this post on reddit from someone who rented points for a stay in VGF2 (found bugs in bathroom/window, spider eggs in balcony, broken balcony door). Some responses are suggesting that the renter has no options/right to request a new room and that the owner has to make any requests on the renter's behalf. Is that truly the case? I imagine that the renter could go to the front desk to see what options were available to them. I imagine that anything affecting the owner's points would not be up for discussion (refund of points, using extra points towards a different room, etc.), but I would guess/hope that the front desk would look for available rooms on the cash side or at a different resort as an even exchange. Any one with experience that can fill in as to what options renters have? Thanks!

Before checkin, the DVC owner has to submit location requests etc. to MS. After checkin, the renter is just like any other guest, and if there’s a problem with the room, they should report it to the front desk.

OTOH, IMHO the only reportable here is the broken door. The other “complaints” are normal for Florida.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Seeing this post on reddit from someone who rented points for a stay in VGF2 (found bugs in bathroom/window, spider eggs in balcony, broken balcony door). Some responses are suggesting that the renter has no options/right to request a new room and that the owner has to make any requests on the renter's behalf. Is that truly the case? I imagine that the renter could go to the front desk to see what options were available to them. I imagine that anything affecting the owner's points would not be up for discussion (refund of points, using extra points towards a different room, etc.), but I would guess/hope that the front desk would look for available rooms on the cash side or at a different resort as an even exchange. Any one with experience that can fill in as to what options renters have? Thanks!

You are correct that they can address it the same as anyone else already there. In this case getting the room recleaned and maintenance to fix the door is all that is really necessary. Zero need to change rooms for those items. Might be even more bugs in the next one. Spider eggs outside? That's reaching.

 

[sndral]

I looked at the Reddit post, saw an interesting looking spider had spun a web on the balcony - which can literally happen in an hours time, a typical balcony w/ debris after rains, & what looked to be someone pulling off the trim by grabbing a door stopper (who does that?)
We had a spa tub w/ issues at AKV last month, we were staying at our home resort on our points, we reported it, they tried to fix it, couldn’t & offered to move us the next day when they had an open villa in our view category, it was a hassle, but we were glad they had an open villa w/out issues to move us to for our remaining 11 nights.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I think renters have bought into the idea of "deluxe stay at moderate pricing!!!" and really don't understand that DVC is not luxury. You aren't getting Grand Floridian, you're getting the building they didn't want in the case of the resort studios.

 

[crisi]

I looked at the Reddit post, saw an interesting looking spider had spun a web on the balcony - which can literally happen in an hours time, a typical balcony w/ debris after rains, & what looked to be someone pulling off the trim by grabbing a door stopper (who does that?)
We had a spa tub w/ issues at AKV last month, we were staying at our home resort on our points, we reported it, they tried to fix it, couldn’t & offered to move us the next day when they had an open villa in our view category, it was a hassle, but we were glad they had an open villa w/out issues to move us to for our remaining 11 nights.

Yeah - spider eggs on the balcony in Florida! Broken trim!

The reddit thread felt to me like "trying to get something out of Disney by finding fault" and THAT isn't likely to happen. I think Disney does a lot more of that then they should - and a LOT less of it than people demand.

 

[crisi]

I think renters have bought into the idea of "deluxe stay at moderate pricing!!!" and really don't understand that DVC is not luxury. You aren't getting Grand Floridian, you're getting the building they didn't want in the case of the resort studios.

Even Disney deluxe hotels aren't luxury - the price is, but there isn't anything about the hotel that is. DVC is a great value, but if you are looking for luxury accommodations, I would suggest not staying on property at all.

 

[Jwaire]

I think renters have bought into the idea of "deluxe stay at moderate pricing!!!" and really don't understand that DVC is not luxury. You aren't getting Grand Floridian, you're getting the building they didn't want in the case of the resort studios.

It's not any better on the hotel side. Trust me. This is the new standard at Disney. They're understaffed across the board, but hey it's good for the bottom line.

 

[nw6675]

Front desk doesn't know or care if you are a renter.

 

[eandt]

Seeing this post on reddit from someone who rented points for a stay in VGF2 (found bugs in bathroom/window, spider eggs in balcony, broken balcony door). Some responses are suggesting that the renter has no options/right to request a new room and that the owner has to make any requests on the renter's behalf. Is that truly the case? I imagine that the renter could go to the front desk to see what options were available to them. I imagine that anything affecting the owner's points would not be up for discussion (refund of points, using extra points towards a different room, etc.), but I would guess/hope that the front desk would look for available rooms on the cash side or at a different resort as an even exchange. Any one with experience that can fill in as to what options renters have? Thanks!

Not true We had room issues as renters, brought them to the attention of management and all were adequately rectified