Is it horrible to rent out your points/reservations?

[luckytso]

Hi,

I am trying to figure out how people feel about the rental thing. I was going through some old threads on the rent/trade board. One person was trying to rent out a reservation that he had and another DVC member was upset and posted something saying that he should cancel the reservation so someone else on the waiting list can get the reservation, she also made a comment saying that he should not be making $ off other non-DVC members.

This is a little troubling to me. I am a new DVC member and I just closed all my contracts. When I was all set and done, I realized that I have way too many points (for now) than what our vacation time allows. However, along the purchasing process, I always feel it is perfectly OK to rent out the unused points on the Rent/Trade board. I feel this is part of the reason why DVC is so appealing to many people, because of its flexibility in many areas.

Personally, I feel it is too much work to rent out the points and keep checking availability for people. So I figured if I want to rent out my points, I would rather pick a popular time and see who wants to rent the reservation.

Is this something that is frowned upon? I remember reading somewhere that someone said that people would use a different screen name to rent out their points. Is this such a horrible thing that people are emberrassed about?

I hope I won't start a debate. Any of your opinion is appreciated.

 

[erikthewise]

If renting points were truly horrible, in the sense of unethical, this board would certainly not provide a separate forum helping people to make arrangements.

The only thing I find objectionable is if someone buys DVC points for the purpose of renting them as a money-making proposition. There seems to be a certain amount of this going on, in spite of explicit DVC policy against it. (Yes, you would come out ahead, but you wouldn't get rich. This is a "some people will do anything..." situation. )

Some may think it impure to (for example) rent points and pay cash for a cruise rather than using points for the cruise, but this doesn't bother me at all.

 

[zurgswife]

I've rented extra points and I really don't think it would be any extra work over making a ressies and waiting of the right person to want that time frame.....

I've been on both sides of the rental thing and it isn't to bad a deal....

 

[SlyHubby]

Why should it trouble you? You own your membership and can do whatever you like with it. Renting your points is not forbidden and it clearly goes on all the time. If you can't or don't want to use or bank your points, then why shouldn't you get money in return? You coughed up $10,000 or more for it. You pay your dues annually? What is there to be embarrassed about? Using a different screen name to post? Why? You personally know any of the people around here?

Go for it. Get a little money back and enjoy it. Spending money for your next trip home.

Don't get worked up about it, it's not worth it.

 

[luckytso]

Thanks for your replies.

I bought too many points because DVC becomes addictive. I could not decide which resorts I want and I hate not to have the 11-month window for the resort and the time that I want. I ended up with points at four different resorts!!!

However, along the process, I convinced my DH that it is OK for me to rent out our points if we can't use them in the next few years, or we can rent them out if we want to go on the cruise. However, I always have this sense of "guilt" when I put up a ressie on the rent/trade board. So when I read that particular thread, it just hit a nerve.

I love this board and I bought DVC points for my family vacation at Disney. I don't want to feel "wrong" when I am renting out my points/ressies since that is not why I bought these points in the first place.

However, since I am still relatively new to this board, so I figured I want to know what people on this board generally think.

Thanks

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

I rented out points and it didn't bother me a bit because I used the rental money to purchase an add-on at the BCV's. It worked well for me and it was good for the people I rented to.

Regarding screen names; I always suggest to people who are afraid of renting from someone that they read the renters past posts and get an idea of what a person is like. I don't think I would rent from someone with 1 or 2 posts when someone with 300 was renting points at the same price. When it came time for me to rent to people, I agreed to rent to them because I read their past posts and they sounded like the type of people I wanted to do business with. Again, if they had only a couple of posts, I probably wouldn't have rented to them. I have met some very nice people from renting my points.

HBC

 

[Granny]

I haven't rented points yet (can't even imagine it!) but I can't see why you should feel guilty. If you make a reservation for someone, you have to call at the usual time and everyone is on the same footing as if you were going to use the points for yourself.

I agree that those who rent heavy demand times every year for profit are missing the point of the DVC and not keeping in the spirit of DVC. But I wouldn't think less of anyone who rents their points on occassion rather than let them expire.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I was going to answer YYYEEESSS, but do you what you like. How can you not use up your own points? That's a sacrilege to me!! Can't you bank for next year instead?

Just remember, though, if you do rent out points, you are supposed to notify DVC that you have rented points. Renters are NOT supposed to get any of the member perks. That's what is says in your DVC ownership documents. If you give your points away to a family member or friend, they are entitled to the DVC perks. It's just when you rent your points.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

I don't think it is terrible at all to rent out points and use the money for other vacation options. If you are a vacationer that wants good value for your points, it is certainly more economical to rent your points and pay cash for a DCL, DC, and some CC.

This is especially true when you use the cash to pay for other Disney vaction options like the cruise or a stay at one of the WDW resorts. If you rent your points for $10.00+, you get a lot more vacation (30-50% more) than if you pay with points.

You get a better price for points if you are not having a fire sale but instead rent them early in the use year. It is also important to find the right rentee.

The biggest problem with renting is competeing with the low ball renters who IMO don't understand the true value of their points.

Good Luck

 

[mikesmom]

We use up all our points on a usual basis. BUT, last year, I broke my leg about 2 weeks before a planned trip. So, I posted the ressie for rent. It was during the Food & Wine Fest at Boardwalk, and normally a difficult reservation to get if you don't hit it early. Sooo, the renter was happy, I was happy to get some money back and everything turned out well.

Stuff happens.

However, I wouldn't use a fake name. If I had been using a fake name mere days before a reservation, I expect my renter would have been much less likely to make the deal.

 

[luckytso]

For me, this year and next are the 2 years that I have to rent out some of my points because the resales that I just bought have tons of banked points in them, in addition to the current year's pts. Afterwards, who knows? My kids will be a little bigger (4 & 1 now) and we will be a little more mobile, we will have more options, points that I have in HH and VB may come in handy.

Deb&Bill - yes, I do tell MS that the reservation is rented to someone when I change the ressie over to my renters. However, I have not seen they do anything differently versus the member's staying on property.

I also agree with HBC, that I have met some really wonderful people that I otherwise would have never met. Without DVC, our path may never have crossed.

I completely agree with Jonnie Fedora, that I would rather rent out my points and use the cash to go on Disney cruise or anything else outside of DVC properties. It is a better value and also I don't have to worry about changes (each time is a $75 fee) and cancellations (end of having reservation points). Having little kids, I never know when they will be sick that I may have to cancel my trips.

Thanks again.

 

[DVCajun]

Too many points to use, what a nice problem to have! In fact, that's my goal in life now.

I liked SlyHubby's response-- who cares what someone else thinks? You can't please everyone anyway. BUT, renting is something that most of us will probably do at one time or another. I certainly have, and will again, because stuff *does* happen! I have to rent out some of my points this year, but I hope it's the last time. Frankly, as a "money making proposition," it's not exactly a winning ticket for a DVCer. *Especially* if you're renting them on the rent/trade board here. I've seen people renting their points for as low as $7! They might as well stand in an alley with their money hanging out of their pockets as far as I'm concerned. But that's their business too.

 

[Richyams]

Renting is great, I think it actually increases the value of our points.

The only thing that I do have a problem with is the practice only renting Sun-Fri. I think this does us all a dis-service. I think it raises the chances of Disney evening out the days and it also adds to un-even capacity at the resorts.


I think renting should only be permitted in one week blocks, or any stay for more than three days must contain a weekend day.

 

[TnRobin]

I am also an advocate for renting points as I have been on the other side. Last year I was short 8 points for a family vacation. I easily found someone on the Rent/Trade Board who was willing to rent me the needed points.

 

[Doctor P]

Occasional renting of points to smooth out bumps in your point usage is fine and should be encouraged. Regular, systematic renting of large blocks of points and regular monopolizing of high demand reservations for the sole purpose of renting them is deplorable, IMHO. Fortunately, there seems to be very little of that going on.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

With the change in point transer rules that allow unlimited transfer out(s) per year, I think it would also be easier to transfer your points to another/several DVCer(s).

Technically, I don't think transfer transactions are supposed to involve money exchange. Therefore, I would charge the receiver a "vacation consultation fee" instead of a price/point It seems there are always DVCers short a few points of an extended DVC stay .

 

[luckytso]

Jonnie Fedora - transfer is a good idea. However, I always wonder how people get it done. It is a non-reversing event done between 2 members. Most of us don't know each other, it's the chicken or egg thing, who should go first? Should the payment take place first or the transfer? What if the person stalls on payment once he/she receives the points?

Rich- I am not sure if I agree with your statment regarding using the weekend points. Most of the members are trying to avoid the high weekend points. For my own trips, I have the weekends reserved, however, if I see a good discount code offered by Disney later, I may go with another resort and not use the high weekend points. So why should it be different if I rent out the points or ressies? Anyway, this is just my personal opinion

 

[DVCajun]

I'm sure Rich has it all thought out and probably has created a graph to assist with illustration, but I agree. It's not just some folks renting points who avoid weekends. DVC created that situation when they made weekend points so out of proportion to the rest of the week. Seems to me they did that deliberately to keep people from only making weekend trips and never staying Sunday through Thursday. I use my points for the weekend, myself. I figure the point usage as a weekly rate, not a nightly rate, but I can certainly understand and appreciate why others would choose to avoid weekends.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

There will always be that "money dance" between parties. Even if you rent out points, the rentee has to feel comfortable and trust the DVC member. If you are transfering a small number of points I might consider transfering, and then receiving payment. If you are transfering a large number I would want at least 50% payment upfront. Sometimes putting a contract in writing helps to increase the "comfort level" for each party.

 

[robinb]

I see nothing wrong with renting points. I have been both a renter and a rentee .

My In-laws canceled on us on a Friday night 30 days before our reservation was to start. I rented that week here on the DIS boards to a newbie who has not been back. The transaction went fine.

I recently rented from another newbie who was only here for the points . He had some "distressed" points in Disney Resort reservation status and I wanted to go to DLP. I rented them at a discount and was able to go to DLP for less than it would have cost me paying cash. That transaction also went fine.

I think that some people get mad when someone holds a reservation for a busy time like Christmas, NYE, NJ Week or Easter and then rents it out. I can understand their frustration because many times they are on the waitlist for those dates and if the "for sale" reservation is cancelled they have a better shot at coming off the waitlist. OTOH, the person with the reservation was the one who was the "early bird" and tied up their points for months and months in advance. {{shrug}} I think it's a "They're both right!" situation .

FWIW, I am in the same boat you are in. I convinced my DH to buy a 200 point resale at BWV so we could have the 11 month window there for NYE with the understanding that I would rent out points to help defray costs . If you're horrible, then so am I!