Need Advice - Renting points for Mom's friend

[CharmedLife]

I need some advice from some expert DVCers out there. My mom's friend would like to rent some points for a trip next October at either Wilderness Lodge or SSR. I am perpetually borrowed ahead (I KNEW we should have bought more!) and don't have any to rent to her. So I am going to help her rent some through the DIS boards for her trip.

Questions:
1. Would it be better for me to rent them and have them transferred into my account, and then I can manage the reservations for her, or should she work directly with the "owner" of the points (which makes her nervous)?
2. If the points are transferred to my account, do they maintain their original "home resort" and use year? For example, even though I own SSR points, would I be able to book WLV sooner than 7 months out if those points were transferred to my account (obviously just with those points)?

If anyone can help or has advice for me, please share! We've raved about how great the DVC resorts are and now she wants to try for herself, but doesn't want to pay the rack rate!

Thanks,
Charmed Life

 

[spiceycat]

if something goes wrong - you don't want to be caught in the middle.

find someone you can trust - then get your mom's friend to contact them.

 

[shellbelle1971]

Questions:
1. Would it be better for me to rent them and have them transferred into my account, and then I can manage the reservations for her, or should she work directly with the "owner" of the points (which makes her nervous)?
2. If the points are transferred to my account, do they maintain their original "home resort" and use year? For example, even though I own SSR points, would I be able to book WLV sooner than 7 months out if those points were transferred to my account (obviously just with those points)?

1. "Better" is a personal decision. The dis always seems to be awash in stories of business-between-friends/family gone bad." Proceed at your own peril! Having said that, we have had points transferred into our account to make reservations for our inlaws because they felt like it was much less risky for them if we handled it that way.

2. Yes, although sometimes it's glitchy. (Welcome to the wonderful world of MS' software "upgrades" )

 

[CharmedLife]

if something goes wrong - you don't want to be caught in the middle.

find someone you can trust - then get your mom's friend to contact them.

Problem is I don't know anyone personally with any points for rent, so it would be taking a chance either way. You're right, I don't want to be caught in the middle, but she really knows NOTHING about DVC and points, etc., and I don't think there's any way she could navigate it on her own.

Thanks for the advice! I'll keep perusing the rental boards and maybe I'll find someone good that she can contact.

 

[CarolMN]

Since this is a friend of your Mom's, I'd do it for her - but only after I explained that:

she has to pay up front,
the reservation is non-refundable
date changes are very difficult to do and not always possible (due to availability and the status of the points used to make the reservation).

If she's OK with all of that, then I'd ask for the money and get the points transferred.

 

[CharmedLife]

Since this is a friend of your Mom's, I'd do it for her - but only after I explained that:

she has to pay up front,
the reservation is non-refundable
date changes are very difficult to do and not always possible (due to availability and the status of the points used to make the reservation).

If she's OK with all of that, then I'd ask for the money and get the points transferred.

Thanks much! Her dates are solid as one of her daughters is a teacher and they are going during the state teacher's convention since she's off. She is also ready to pay now for the whole thing, so that shouldn't be a problem. I will have to clarify for her, though, that it is most definitely not refundable, not something covered by trip insurance, etc., so she knows what she's getting into.

Thanks again for all of the advice!
Charmed Life

 

[CarolMN]

Thanks much! Her dates are solid as one of her daughters is a teacher and they are going during the state teacher's convention since she's off. She is also ready to pay now for the whole thing, so that shouldn't be a problem. I will have to clarify for her, though, that it is most definitely not refundable, not something covered by trip insurance, etc., so she knows what she's getting into.

Thanks again for all of the advice!
Charmed Life

Actually, if you give her something in writing that says it is not refundable, trip insurance should cover it - if you do a search, you'll find add'l posts that address trip insurance for those who rent.

 

[CharmedLife]

Thanks so much for your help! I'm going to go over the options with her and let her decide which way to go, then I'll hit the rental board!

Thanks again!
Charmed Life

 

[JimMIA]

Actually, if you give her something in writing that says it is not refundable, trip insurance should cover it - if you do a search, you'll find add'l posts that address trip insurance for those who rent.

Travel Guard (www.travelguard.com ) is the company DVC uses, and they are one of the largest in the industry. I've used them for non-DVC vacations and they are great. We've had to file two claims with them due to illnesses in the family and they were excellent.

You'd actually have two options if you use Travel Guard. One would be to accept the insurance offer that comes with your confirmation. That would pay you $5 per point, I believe. I don't know if, what, or how much it would pay beyond the points themselves.

The other option would be to just buy a regular trip insurance policy covering air, DVC ressie rented from you (at the full rental price), and other deposits. Travel Guard is obviously familiar with DVC, so they would be able to discuss with the renter exactly what their coverage was.

You'd have to do a cost/benefit analysis of both options to see which would be the best.

Generally trip insurance covers most non-refundable deposits/payments for a set of specific covered causes. It's very important for the purchaser to fully understand what the insurance covers and what it doesn't, and also what types of causes are covered and what aren't.