Lost Points

[macosx]

I currently have 8 points that will likely expire. They are banked from a prior year and are in holding. I doubt I'll find a way to use them before 9/30 ... but who knows?

If DVC's reservation system allocated "oldest points to first-up reservation" -- this wouldn't have happened. I made the classical mistake of booking my reservations out of chronological order.

No sense in letting 8 points go to waste. Call up MS and reserve a day in Sept at OKW or AKV. I'd go later in the month for more time to find someone to use it, and expect either Sunday or Thursday would be the most popular. I think those are your only options for 8 points. With 6 points, you can get HHI in first couple of weeks in Dec and Jan, but that's too late for you. Those are the lowest points use I see.

Now, just put an ad on the rent board or eBay and wait for the higher bid. Or you could trade it for whatever. It's worth more than a red paper clip and less than a house. http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com

 

[TheGeddings]

I think I've got it. One more question if anyone knows. I currently have a one bedroom booked for Nov 30 - Dec 4 and am on a wait list for a studio for the same time. I plan on replacing the one bedroom w/ the studio if it comes through. Do they use the same points I used to book the original reservation (which were 2007 points that I banked) or will they make a new ressie using 2008 points and I get back my 2007 points or will they take my 2007 points for the new ressie.

Thanks guys for all the help.

I too am interested in the way this works. But I think they use the same points... because.... We booked a studio at our home resort of SSR 8 months out with the intentions, of getting a studio at VWL at the 7 month window (the new ...based on check-in date helped get it faster! but i digress..) We used 2007 banked points for SSR. When I called back at the 7 month window, they canceled SSR and gave me VWL +5 additional points needed, and they were from my same banked points, not new 08 points. This is but my example, but would like to hear a better explanation from the seasoned veterans....

 

[Eventer98]

I too am interested in the way this works. But I think they use the same points... because.... We booked a studio at our home resort of SSR 8 months out with the intentions, of getting a studio at VWL at the 7 month window (the new ...based on check-in date helped get it faster! but i digress..) We used 2007 banked points for SSR. When I called back at the 7 month window, they canceled SSR and gave me VWL +5 additional points needed, and they were from my same banked points, not new 08 points. This is but my example, but would like to hear a better explanation from the seasoned veterans....

Not sure if this will help but I was wait listed for a studio or 1 bedroom at VWL for Xmas while I had my original res. at SSR. When a 1 bedroom came through they booked it with the SSR points from that same night (and what else was needed from my acct) I still wanted a studio though but figured a 1 bedroom was better then nothing. Eventually a studio did come through..the points went to the new studio and the extra from the 1-bed. back into my 2008 use year...since that is when the trip is taking place. Hope that helps a little! It all goes over my head too and not even sure I have my own info correct!!!

 

[disneynutz]

According to MS, the way that points are applied to a reservation and/or returned is up to the Advisor. They are trained on the proper procedure but a few just don't get it.

We brought this to the attention of the Member Satisfaction Team and their suggested fix is for the Members to direct the actions of the Advisor's. Tell them where to take the points from and how to apply them. They told me that if you don't direct the Advisor you run the risk of the points being incorrectly handled.

 

[jamstew]

They told me that if you don't direct the Advisor you run the risk of the points being incorrectly handled.

Wow, that's really scary for a newbie who wouldn't have a clue howto tell them to handle my points.

 

[Ksp]

2007 was the first time we "wasted" points; I missed our banking deadline (silly, stupid thing to do - arggh! ) so we had 60 points that evaporated into nothingness.
I have probably kicked myself enough over this, but losing the points sure did burn!
The only remedy is to make sure that it never happens again!!!

 

[sillykid]

Wow,
Thanks for all the replies. I have been a lurking here for some time and would like to buy in, just fear that my job does not allow me to schedule in that much advance a vacation. For sure not 11 months. I know my guide said that he had lost 20 points years ago w/ his KW purchase and was curious to see how many people this has happen to.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

2007 was the first time we "wasted" points; I missed our banking deadline (silly, stupid thing to do - arggh! ) so we had 60 points that evaporated into nothingness.
I have probably kicked myself enough over this, but losing the points sure did burn!
The only remedy is to make sure that it never happens again!!!

Wow,
Thanks for all the replies. I have been a lurking here for some time and would like to buy in, just fear that my job does not allow me to schedule in that much advance a vacation. For sure not 11 months. I know my guide said that he had lost 20 points years ago w/ his KW purchase and was curious to see how many people this has happen to.

I only let my boo boo happen once. It won't happen again.

Unless you need to go at peak DVC times, and don't mind where you stay, you should be ok with a few months notice. MS had SSR studios available for all of July 4th week in Mid May (I checked), it was then sold out, and then available again in mid-June. (As reported on the DIS)

We decided not to go with Sis on her trip, but could have really almost up to the last minute. (I know we are in a bad economy, but wow!)

I'm guessing but I would say that something is available at the 7 month window 75%-80% of the time. Maybe one of the experts can give a better guess.

 

[DISNEYFOS]

I haven't lost points but I just made a very risky reservation. DH & I decided we needed to make sure we are out of the cold weather for February vacation.

My use year is March. We only had 5 points left in 08 use yr. I had to borrow 95 points from 09 use year for the reservation in Feb 09. If for some reason we can't make trip (weather, sick kids, sick parents ;-) ) then they expire the end of that month (can't bank borrowed points)..POOF 95 points gone.

 

[karrit2000]

I only lost points once. I missed the banking window. I don't intend to let it happen again.
This year when booking my F & W trip at BWV I was very specific with MS about banking & borrowing of my points to make sure I had all the points needed for the booking window. At first they were a little confused with what I was doing but they realized why when they were able to get me all the nights I needed on the first try without having to modify the reservation. And earlier this week I decided to add one more night on to the end with no problem using my OKW points. Darn airfares are ridiculous for the Tuesday we were originally planning to fly home. Unfortunately next year we will have to stay somewhere other that BWV unless a waitlist comes through. I don't have enough BWV points to use the 11 month window for next year.

 

[kelann7]

I'm afraid I might end up losing points next year.

My plan was to go to Hilton Head Island this summer and then a long weekend at Old Key West in September. My husband has to put in for his vacation days the first week of January, so we had to pick the dates then. When I tried calling for HHI - they were all booked, we are fairly new to this, so I didn't realize what a problem it would be to get HHI in the summer time at the 7 month mark. So, we decided to go somewhere else this summer and not use any points.

I changed my OKW reservation from a studio to a 1 bedroom to use more of my points and it will be nice to have more space. I tried moving to Wilderness Lodge or another resort that cost more points, but none were available. But, it still looks like I will have points that were banked from last year that I won't be able to use before they expire. Unless maybe we can work out one of the short stays with Interval, but it's hard to plan on short notice and it has to be a place that is within driving distance or has cheap airline tickets because as much as we would love to go to some of these cities, we can't afford the airfare.

I'm hoping to plan better in the future so as not to lose points. I don't understand how renting points work and I'm not sure if I want to bother with it.

Kelly

 

[BillPA]

We are into our 16th year and have not lost a single point so far.

 

[Benducci]

We lost a ton of points one year because the CM didn't take the banking correctly. This was about 12 years ago - there were not confirm umbers like they have now. It was very agravating.

 

[crisi]

I had one extra point. I could have banked it into the next year, but we didn't travel the next year so it would have been wasted anyway. I could have extended the trip we took that year by a day, but that would have meant borrowing and we were trying to collect three years of points for a family vacation.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

According to MS, the way that points are applied to a reservation and/or returned is up to the Advisor. They are trained on the proper procedure but a few just don't get it.

We brought this to the attention of the Member Satisfaction Team and their suggested fix is for the Members to direct the actions of the Advisor's. Tell them where to take the points from and how to apply them. They told me that if you don't direct the Advisor you run the risk of the points being incorrectly handled.

Wow, that's unbelievable. I always tell them what I want. If this is expected, however, than I think they need to kick back some of the MF's. Nothing like paying them and doing their job for them.

 

[macosx]

I had one extra point. I could have banked it into the next year, but we didn't travel the next year so it would have been wasted anyway. I could have extended the trip we took that year by a day, but that would have meant borrowing and we were trying to collect three years of points for a family vacation.

You could donate that one point to someone who needed just one more point for their reservation. Like the penny tray in some restaurants, grocery and convinience stores. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_a_penny,_leave_a_penny

Unfortunately with the limited transfer rule, it uses up that transfer, so I don't think most folks will bother with it.

 

[macosx]

Wow, that's unbelievable. I always tell them what I want. If this is expected, however, than I think they need to kick back some of the MF's. Nothing like paying them and doing their job for them.

I see both sides of the argument, but ultimately, any costs associated with these errors are borne by the owners (us). MS can use different and less optimal point allocations, but dvcmember.com provides good visibility, and owners can make corrections.

I made some changes to reservations that required juggling points around, and the MS cast member seemed a bit annoyed at having to do so, but correctly fulfilled my requests. With more specific instructions, I would have wound up with the same reservation (arguably their primary job), but with different cancellation/change consequences. Spending a lot of time with these what-ifs isn't reasonable or common, and putting the burden on MS or all owners isn't reasonable to me. Neither is working the system like some folks here have figured out (i.e. buying two resorts and switching at 7 months, etc.). Remember, for ever hard reservation you get, someone else doesn't get it.

 

[macosx]

We lost a ton of points one year because the CM didn't take the banking correctly. This was about 12 years ago - there were not confirm umbers like they have now. It was very agravating.

Did you escalate the issue? It shouldn't have happened, but without proper tracking, there's no way to verify anything. Still, they should have investigated, and looked at the situation. IF it was it an obvious request that was fubbed by MS, they should have fixed it. If there was any record of the calls (ideally recordings) or a track of times/dates, one can try rebuild the owners thinking and see how unreasonable the result wound up.

Right now, the wait list is aggravating because there's no way to track that. You can call in and have another CM read off your wait list, but I think I'm getting different information each time. Getting things in writing (ideally electronically) really goes far in reducing mistakes and misunderstandings.

The transaction tracking with online access is good and should avoid the problem you had.

 

[jodifla]

Let's see, 12 years of membership, no lost points.

Last year, we had about 80 points that we HAD to use, but no trips planned...

We ended up using them concierge at the Whitehall in Chicago. SO worth it!

 

[thepops]

I'm afraid I might end up losing points next year.

My plan was to go to Hilton Head Island this summer and then a long weekend at Old Key West in September. My husband has to put in for his vacation days the first week of January, so we had to pick the dates then. When I tried calling for HHI - they were all booked, we are fairly new to this, so I didn't realize what a problem it would be to get HHI in the summer time at the 7 month mark. So, we decided to go somewhere else this summer and not use any points.

I changed my OKW reservation from a studio to a 1 bedroom to use more of my points and it will be nice to have more space. I tried moving to Wilderness Lodge or another resort that cost more points, but none were available. But, it still looks like I will have points that were banked from last year that I won't be able to use before they expire. Unless maybe we can work out one of the short stays with Interval, but it's hard to plan on short notice and it has to be a place that is within driving distance or has cheap airline tickets because as much as we would love to go to some of these cities, we can't afford the airfare.

I'm hoping to plan better in the future so as not to lose points. I don't understand how renting points work and I'm not sure if I want to bother with it.

Kelly

Other options would be to book a popular week and then post it for rent at work, or use the rent/trade board to use up the points you would potentially lose.