Interesting Info in August Vacation Magic email

[btrim]

This really doesn't affect the renters that make the reservation in the renters name does it? It only affects the renters that transfer actual points into another account. I would think this is what DVC might be trying to regulate. Then people won't be trying to transfer points into another account to get that 11-month advantage. I personally have rented once to a friend when we had extra points, but I just make the reservation in their name. I am not really concerned about this for me, because we tend to use our points and they are all at one resort with one use year. I do think the big "renters for profit" might be wondering how this will affect them.

 

[Chuck S]

This really doesn't affect the renters that make the reservation in the renters name does it? It only affects the renters that transfer actual points into another account. I would think this is what DVC might be trying to regulate. Then people won't be trying to transfer points into another account to get that 11-month advantage. I personally have rented once to a friend when we had extra points, but I just make the reservation in their name. I am not really concerned about this for me, because we tend to use our points and they are all at one resort with one use year. I do think the big "renters for profit" might be wondering how this will affect them.

I think it was meant to discourage both people who regularly transfer often and those who habitually make ressies strictly for rental, while seldom (if ever) using the points to stay at DVC for themselves.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I guess I don't understand "legalese". What's a lessee? I thought that was someone who leased accomodations? Is it something different? How's a lessee different from a renter?

 

[dianeschlicht]

So does this mean that members will not have to worry as much about making their reservations a exactly 11 months out for in-demand times? Maybe not so much competition with the renters booking their 'for profit' vacations at popular times.

I can only hope.....

We can hope!

I also think there might be an issue with rentals mostly using studios, and making the balance of unit sizes available out of whack.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I guess I don't understand "legalese". What's a lessee? I thought that was someone who leased accomodations? Is it something different? How's a lessee different from a renter?

"lessee" is a "renter".

 

[halld6479]

you can go ebay and see that there are several that make a living selling reservations, you can contact those persons about the reservation they have posted and they will tell you they can set up any amount and any times you want. these people have several posted at a time either they have a zillion points or they are getting them somehow, either way they are running a bussiness and after talking to one on the phone she made it very clear "this is my job" so I care and am not out to take peoples money. I talked to another one last year and was questioning my protection in renting through them and was told by the poster that her and her husband make a living doing this and there for you should not have to give it a thought and if you go look at the sellers feedback you can see many happy renters but that shows they are running a bussiness. and I think it has came down to hurting the small people that might need another 35 points to complete a family vacation.

 

[paeskie]

I really don't think it is going to hurt most of us. If we need an occasional transfer to arrange a family reunion, we can still do it. If we have extra points one year, we can rent them out. On the other hand, we may find more availability of units when we want to book our own planned vacations. I am choosing to be optimistic that it will be a good change overall (which is how DVC justifies it, of course)

 

[canwegosoon]

Yea, the "For Profit" glares out at me. I think it would be easy to tell what members come themselves, and what members never come.

I wish the transfer rules were different, because you are transfering to another member, not someone who does not have any vested intrest.

I wonder if DVC is considering getting in the rental points business(eg-I can't use 200 points-so I can put them up for rent through disney and they will try to book them-if they do, you will get a portion of rental)-or at least leasing that function out to someone?

 

[hoopsrob]

I wonder if DVC is considering getting in the rental points business(eg-I can't use 200 points-so I can put them up for rent through disney and they will try to book them-if they do, you will get a portion of rental)-or at least leasing that function out to someone?

I doubt it. If your points go to waste, then Disney gets the benefit of the full value. It's called "breakage"...and there's actually a line item in the documents where they estimate annual breakage revenue.

 

[RobDoc]

...
I wonder if DVC is considering getting in the rental points business(eg-I can't use 200 points-so I can put them up for rent through disney and they will try to book them-if they do, you will get a portion of rental)-or at least leasing that function out to someone?

DVC is already in the rental points business because they need to rent the points used by members for non-DVC options ... and they often discount those - or use them to upgrade other resort reservations all accomplished thru CRO. I don't expect DVC to ever assist members with renting.

 

[JandD Mom]

you can go ebay and see that there are several that make a living selling reservations, you can contact those persons about the reservation they have posted and they will tell you they can set up any amount and any times you want.

I see those "point poachers" all the time. I assume you are talking about the people who book Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, 4th of July weeks and rent them out on eBay. I have no beef with the people who advertize they are renting points and then make a reservation on the week of the renter's choice. But I really have a problem with these people booking up the prime weeks as soon as they are released and selling them on ebay. I would love to see DVC crack down on them. They are just like concert ticket scalpers and they keep the bona fide DVC members from getting rooms during those time periods.

 

[Groucho]

I wonder why I don't get these emails? I've emailed in the past to be added to the list, but alas have never been added! Is this the whole email that's been posted?

That's only part of the email. You can read it (and many archived ones) on the dvcmembers site, in the "Just For Members" section. I'm a nut for archiving so I've downloaded every one that I can, along with the PDF copies of the quarterly print magazine. (I also found the URL on Disney's site to get the annual passholder magazines and grabbed all those that are available, despite never having had an annual pass!)

Also, you can go to the My DVC section, then Profile, and change your email address. From there, there is a link to an "update contact preferences" where you can subscribe or unsubscribe to the newsletter.

As for the topic itself... I suspect that DVC was getting a lot of complaints about professional renters and decided to start cracking down. I suspect that the bread-and-butter DVC member rarely or never trades any points and won't be affected by this. Some savvy users may be frustrated, but chances are that no matter what they did, they'd anger somebody.

What I don't understand is - don't many of these professional renters just make reservations for other people using their own points? If someone had a 5,000pt contract (or whatever) and makes ressies with those points, this won't make any difference to them? I guess it could help crack down on those who rent points for $10 then ebays them for $15-20. (Or whatever they end up going for.)

 

[Sammie]

I wonder why I don't get these emails? I've emailed in the past to be added to the list, but alas have never been added! Is this the whole email that's been posted?

To ensure delivery to your inbox folder, add DISNEYVACATIONCLUB@DVC.CHTAH.COM to
your address book.

If that is not the problem, call MS and ask to be added. Then make sure you add the address to your approved emails to recieve and check your spam folder, too.

The first one I got went to Spam.

 

[FinallyBoughtDVC]

Just recently, I tried to book Thanksgiving - I knew my chances were slim - but I was able to get days on either end of the holiday - I couldn't get Wednesday - Thursday - Friday.

I posted on the rent board that I needed those days. I promptly got a PM from a gentleman who had the entire week available - he had another family that was trying to get airfare, if that fell through, would I want it?

I thought - if that fell through - why wouldn't he just cancel it so I could get my waitlist (naive me)? He wanted rack rate for the room. I told him, as a DVC member, I would never pay rack rate for a room and declined his offer.

One of my days came through on waitlist - so I updated my posting. The same gentlemen again PMed me - at this point - I was getting nervous about not getting Weds/Thurs - so I began negotiations - but had to go away for the weekend.

While I was away, my waitlist came through.

In the end, however, I was really left with a bad taste in my mouth that a fellow DVC member would "HOG" up a holiday week denying another DVC member (not necessarily me - I'm sure there are many, many who are waitlisted for Thanksgiving) the opportunity to use their points they already paid for to get a room rather than pay some unknown person.

I was glad to see this message posted. I got my email from member services, but haven't read through the whole thing.

My whole experience really bugged me - I'm glad to see Disney is at least aware of what is going on and is beginning to warn these people that their days may be numbered.

 

[CarolA]

So here's the Million dollar question?

Once you start "negoiating" with a member you probably know their name. Would you turn them in???

(I don't know what I would do, I don't intend to find out as I don't rent either way. This is more "theoretical". I do know I would be tempted)

 

[4mcbjCtr]

I am fairly new to DVC. I would love clarification on all this. This only prevents people from transferring, but not renting out their points? Will the stopping of transferring lower the amount of points that are rented out? Can you explain in newbie terms, what has been happening that needs to be prevented? I read somewhere that people were transferring in gobs of points into a BCV account (just for an example) and were able to book using those points as if they were all BCV. Is this true? I can't believe Disney was even allowing that. Is there a lot of this abuse going on?

I just have to state like a pp said, I am happy they will be cracking down on the rules. I recently wanted to book during holiday time. I know I am way behind on when I should have booked, and I know my chances were really slim, but going over to the rent/trade board, you see non DVC people snatching these high peak vacation times up all the time. In the future, I will try to book much farther ahead, but I am glad that there will be a bit of a cutback on non-DVC members being able to enjoy cheaper than CRO rental prices through DVC members who are "hogging" up all those peak timeframes.

 

[dianeschlicht]

snip...
I just have to state like a pp said, I am happy they will be cracking down on the rules. I recently wanted to book during holiday time. I know I am way behind on when I should have booked, and I know my chances were really slim, but going over to the rent/trade board, you see non DVC people snatching these high peak vacation times up all the time. In the future, I will try to book much farther ahead, but I am glad that there will be a bit of a cutback on non-DVC members being able to enjoy cheaper than CRO rental prices through DVC members who are "hogging" up all those peak timeframes.

And that is what I think the point of the enforcement announcement is. I also think it makes a better mix of unit sizes available. It's a shame that members MUST book at 11 months to get what they want and non-members can book a prime week last minute. On the other hand, there is nothing stopping any of us from doing the same thing and tieing things up even worse.

 

[canwegosoon]

So here's the Million dollar question?

Once you start "negoiating" with a member you probably know their name. Would you turn them in???

(I don't know what I would do, I don't intend to find out as I don't rent either way. This is more "theoretical". I do know I would be tempted)

I am sure Disney will be having someone doing this.

 

[canwegosoon]

Just recently, I tried to book Thanksgiving - I knew my chances were slim - but I was able to get days on either end of the holiday - I couldn't get Wednesday - Thursday - Friday.

I posted on the rent board that I needed those days. I promptly got a PM from a gentleman who had the entire week available - he had another family that was trying to get airfare, if that fell through, would I want it?

I thought - if that fell through - why wouldn't he just cancel it so I could get my waitlist (naive me)? He wanted rack rate for the room. I told him, as a DVC member, I would never pay rack rate for a room and declined his offer.

One of my days came through on waitlist - so I updated my posting. The same gentlemen again PMed me - at this point - I was getting nervous about not getting Weds/Thurs - so I began negotiations - but had to go away for the weekend.

While I was away, my waitlist came through.

In the end, however, I was really left with a bad taste in my mouth that a fellow DVC member would "HOG" up a holiday week denying another DVC member (not necessarily me - I'm sure there are many, many who are waitlisted for Thanksgiving) the opportunity to use their points they already paid for to get a room rather than pay some unknown person.

I was glad to see this message posted. I got my email from member services, but haven't read through the whole thing.

My whole experience really bugged me - I'm glad to see Disney is at least aware of what is going on and is beginning to warn these people that their days may be numbered.

ITA...

 

[fishermouse]

So here's the Million dollar question?

Once you start "negoiating" with a member you probably know their name. Would you turn them in???

(I don't know what I would do, I don't intend to find out as I don't rent either way. This is more "theoretical". I do know I would be tempted)

YES! no questions asked, In fact maybe we all need to start disrupting their rental process. Complain to DVC anytime you see a rental available for time you are unable to book. Some of you won't like this but personally I don't care. I'm not talking about the owner asking a fair price so they don't lose points, or the someone needing points, but when a much wanted date is reserved just to rent at top dollar I say go after them.