important question about year use dates, help!

[3kidz4dis]

It's me again. I am the one who has the Marriot Vacation Club for the odd years. You all helped me to decide to buy into DVC. I just put in a bid for 150 Saratoga points use year December coming with 150 points from 2004. Here is the important question: If I want to travel in 2006 as well as future even years(in March-November) will I always have 300 points to use? I am confused because I thought that say if I travel in later 2006 those 2004 points will technically be no good? Also, will I have problems in future years with the whole "banking points" thing. Please help, I have to decide ASAP!

p.s. you all are awesome and such a help!

 

[RobDoc]

With any DVC contract, the number of points owned will be renewed each year at the beginning of your Use Year. In this case, it looks like you own 150 points with a Dec. 1 Use Year.

Right now you have 150 points available from the 12/04 Use Year and will have another 150 on December 1, 2005. If you will not travel until 2006, you will need to bank the 12/04 points. You will then have until 11/30/06 to use those 150 points or they will expire.

With banking and borrowing, it's possible to have up to 450 points for use in 2006 (the 150 points banked from 12/04, the 150 12/05,2005 points and up to 150 points borrowed from your 12/06 Use Year).

You will never have more than 150 points in any year unless you have banked points from the prior Use Year or borrowed points from the following Use Year.

I hope this helps!

 

[Greysword]

Banking points can be tricky, and this is my understanding from the literature.

When I bank one year of points into the next use year, these points are not available until the time frame they were banked into. For example, if your December 2004 points were banked into the December 2005 use year, they will not be available unti December 2005 and will expire December 1, 2006.

If your December 2004 points were banked, then you currently have 300 points available for March 2006 (Dec '04-Nov '05 points + Dec '05-Nov '06 points), but can not be used for the remainder of 2005 (until Dec 1, 2005).

 

[wtpclc]

One more answer. Yes, if you always bank your even UY points (dec 04) , then you will always have 300 points for use Jan - Nov of even years. So, it looks liek you're all set!

 

[tiberius]

It will be important for you to keep track of your points and remember what the banking deadlines are.

Good Luck

 

[Caskbill]

It's often easier to 'see' if you make yourself a use year chart. A December use year chart looks like this:

<b>Use Year.....Vacation Dates</b>
2004.....Dec 1, 2004 through Nov 30, 2005
2005.....Dec 1, 2005 through Nov 30, 2006
2006.....Dec 1, 2006 through Nov 30, 2007
2007.....Dec 1, 2007 through Nov 30, 2008
2008.....Dec 1, 2008 through Nov 30, 2009
and so on.

The chart shows when you would receive your regular allocation of 150 points each year (on Dec 1st.)

You can bank points from any one use year into the next year, but you cannot bank those <u>same</u> points into the year after that. Points can only be banked one year ahead.

You could bank your 2004 points into 2005's use year and then, after receiving your regular 2005 allotment on 12/1/05, you would have 300 points to use during your 2005 use year (which covers most of the calendar year 2006, that is, from Dec 1, 2005 through Nov 30, 2006)

Hope this helps.

 

[ColoradoBelle1]

Is it just me or does the need to use brain power to figure this out give anyone else a headache...I mean you are explaining it really really well...but my brain just doesn't want to go there.

I am putting in a contract on one of two listings tomorrow!!! One has points from 2004...does this mean the owners have already BANKED theM? If the year is December use....then I was thinking that I would have 100 points to use this year, with 100 more coming in December..Right?

My question then is...if I can't use the 2004 points this year, or rent them out...when will they become worthless?

Boy...this buying is a lot more involved than I originally thought...I couldn't do it without you guys!
Colorado Belle

 

[tiberius]

Is it just me or does the need to use brain power to figure this out give anyone else a headache...I mean you are explaining it really really well...but my brain just doesn't want to go there.

Yes, it can be difficult to keep it all straight.

I am putting in a contract on one of two listings tomorrow!!! One has points from 2004...does this mean the owners have already BANKED theM? If the year is December use....then I was thinking that I would have 100 points to use this year, with 100 more coming in December..Right?

If the use year is December, then they just received the 2004 points 2 1/2 months ago. They may or may not have banked them. They will expire November 30, 2005 unless banked or used by the December use year deadlines. On December 1, 2005 the 2005 year points become active.

My question then is...if I can't use the 2004 points this year, or rent them out...when will they become worthless?

They will expire if not used by November 30, 2005, or banked in accordance with the banking schedules.

Boy...this buying is a lot more involved than I originally thought...I couldn't do it without you guys!

Colorado Belle, nothing worth doing is easy. Good luck!

 

[CarolMN]

.....(snip)....I am putting in a contract on one of two listings tomorrow!!! One has points from 2004...does this mean the owners have already BANKED theM? If the year is December use.........

generally, this means that the points are 2004 use year points. As you can see from Caskbill's chart, those points are good for vacations that occur between 12/1/2004 and 11/30/2005. You'd have to ask the broker or seller to be sure of the status - i.e., if they have been banked already (or not).

If the 2004 points have not been banked, you would have until May 31, 2005 to bank all of them to the 2005 use year. After banking those points don't expire until 11/30/2006 and can be used for vacations that occur between 12/1/2005 and 11/30/2006.

Keep at it! You'll soon be an expert at it and wonder why you ever had trouble!

FWIW, December use years are probably the most difficult to understand when you are new - so don't beat yourself up over it.

Best wishes -