Need help/advice please on a DVC reservation

[iadis58]

We have an existing reservation that we are now unable to follow through with. Problem is I purchased the points from another member and to make matters more complicated, I also involved another member to transfer additional points from their account to hers. Now I need to cancel and hope to fully recoupe all or most of my money. What are my options? Could I sell the reservation on E-bay or something and have her transfer the names on the reservation? Could I just have her cancel the reservation I sell the points to some one else and then have her re book. I am trying to make this as easy as possible on the other member, she has been so great and do not want to inflict anymore pain. Thanks for any and all advice you may be able to offer.

 

[Sandisw]

I am so sorry that you won't be able to use your reservation. Unfortunately, I think that your options will be limited to what the owner of the points is comfortable with at this point.

I think your offer to do all the leg work to find her someone else to take the reservation will be appreciated. Do you have a contract with the member? That might give you some insight into what she is willing to work out with you.

Of course, if this is someone who is a veteran at renting, she may have had situations like this in the past and can work with you to help you recoup some of your money.

Good luck!!!

 

[iadis58]

I do not have a contract with her, I feel so bad to have her do more work, I do not think she has done this often. Do you know, if I were to sell through E-bay or what ever, I am concerned that in order to switch names on the reservation that they will have to first cancel my reservation and re book the new person. The way my luck goes, I fear the dates will not be available when trying to re book. My concern is it's a one bedroom at Kidanni Village and I know they will go fast. I am also more than 30 days out so I can not try to sell here and worry 30 days out may be too late for people to plan. Thanks again for your response.

 

[JimMIA]

As I understand your post, you rented a ressie from another member who had points transferred in from a third member to complete your reservation.

If that's the case, the answer to your question depends on the member you rented from, because the transaction is strictly between the two of you. What are her cancellation policies? That's the starting place to resolve your problem.

If you rented the ressie from that other owner, you can't actually do anything with the ressie. It's the other owner's ressie and only they can make any changes to it.

Since you are an owner, your situation might be better than a rental to a non-owner. You might be able to use your own future points to repay her for any losses, but that would be a matter of negotiation between the two of you. However, that owner took on MUCH more risk by buying points from another owner to accommodate you and that will compound the difficulty of working things out.

As is often said here on the DIS, renting does not work well for people whose plans are subject to change. Unexpected things happen, but when they happen with a rented ressie, the renter is usually the one who loses their money.

 

[JimMIA]

I do not have a contract with her, I feel so bad to have her do more work, I do not think she has done this often. Do you know, if I were to sell through E-bay or what ever, I am concerned that in order to switch names on the reservation that they will have to first cancel my reservation and re book the new person. The way my luck goes, I fear the dates will not be available when trying to re book. My concern is it's a one bedroom at Kidanni Village and I know they will go fast. I am also more than 30 days out so I can not try to sell here and worry 30 days out may be too late for people to plan. Thanks again for your response.

YOU can't re-rent the ressie. You could do the legwork, but then the prospective renter would have to negotiate with someone who can't actually make their reservation.

IF the owner is able to re-rent your exact dates and villa type to someone else, they normally would not have to cancel and re-book. They would just change the names on the existing ressie.

If they have to change the dates, change villa type, resort, etc -- or book multiple ressies to burn up the points you can't use -- they would have to cancel and rebook, with all of the availability issues that raises.

 

[JimMIA]

Again, your options are determined by the owner you rented from. If her policy is no refunds, she has every right to stick to that position. In fact, she should.

These potential issues are exactly the reason why it is so important for both parties to fully understand the policies up front. A contract would have spelled that out. Without a contract, it's whatever your owner says.

 

[JimMIA]

The other suggestion I would make is to contact the owner you rented from immediately. Even if you're not sure you will have to cancel, I'd sure contact her today. The longer you wait, the more negative impact on her ability to help you.

The 30-day rule is not the only consideration which is problematic here.

She has rented you points from two different accounts, and may have two different Use Years to deal with. If the banking deadlines have passed on either account, those points are now "use or lose," and that's a big problem because it really backs her into a corner. (OTOH, she may be very early in her UY and may have much more flexibility. You have no way of knowing and neither do we.)

She has also used up her one-transfer-per-UY, so she's lost that option as a potential contributor to a solution.

 

[iadis58]

I have been in contact with the owner as soon as we were thinmking there would be an issue. I know the use year on her points were last day of Sept 09. I am fully aware this is MY PROBLEM, not hers. I was just hoping I could find someone who was planning a vacation around these days and we could come to a financial aggreement and hope like heck they would want the exact nights and location as my current ressie and then contact the member to make a name change only. I in no way am expecting a refund from the owner, only trying to save my butt with her help.

 

[JimMIA]

I know the use year on her points were last day of Sept 09.

Assuming those points are neither banked nor borrowed, she has until Sunday to cancel the ressie and bank them. That is one avenue to at least a partial solution.

The possibility of agreeing to transfer your future points to her after 10/1 is another avenue. That's a new UY for her, and if you haven't done any transfers, that option is open. If you did that, however, the transferred points would retain your resort and UY...which may or may not be an issue.

I was just hoping I could find someone who was planning a vacation around these days and we could come to a financial aggreement and hope like heck they would want the exact nights and location as my current ressie and then contact the member to make a name change only.

That's a longshot and one that is only available for a few days. You obviously can't post your dates here. I guess other posters could PM you and ask what your dates are, but the other owner has to make a decision pretty quickly.

Good luck. You've got the right attitude and I hope it works out for both of you.