New policy for using or buying a few points??

[Inkmahm]

I think DVC and DVD knew exactly where the reallocation of points was taking them. After the first year of a reallocation alot of members complained that the change left them short a few points for the vacations they normally take (got that straight from my guide). Then, they reallocated a second year in a row. I think they knew where it was going for DVC and I think offering to rent a few points per year for a fee was the plan all along.
I also think they want to "curve" the private rental of points, especially since it's specifically prohibited (for $), and bring themselves into the rental market.

I'm not saying I don't think it's a good idea, it works for both sides. I just don't think this was a new idea for them.

Private rental of points for $ is NOT specifically prohibited. Renting by owners to nonowners is allowed.

 

[supersuperwendy]

I think it's a great idea. A while back I was in need of one stinking point! I wish they were offering it then!!

 

[Dean]

I'm sorry to see this limited to the 7-month window. With the point chart changes, I'm a few points short on a couple of my usual stays. But I would need those points at the 11-month window. If I have to wait until the 7-month window, I can just use points I own at other resorts, provided there is still availability to book the last night I need.

I haven't read through it all yet (though I scanned it) so if I'm repetitive, please forgive me. Given the points offered are likely to be from any number of resorts, I don't see how they could do it otherwise else they'd have to have essentially a number of different programs, one for each home resort since they are also bound by the club rules with their points.

I think DVC and DVD knew exactly where the reallocation of points was taking them. After the first year of a reallocation alot of members complained that the change left them short a few points for the vacations they normally take (got that straight from my guide). Then, they reallocated a second year in a row. I think they knew where it was going for DVC and I think offering to rent a few points per year for a fee was the plan all along.
I also think they want to "curve" the private rental of points, especially since it's specifically prohibited (for $), and bring themselves into the rental market.

I'm not saying I don't think it's a good idea, it works for both sides. I just don't think this was a new idea for them.

I don't subscribe to the conspiracy theory. I'll also point out that rental for $ is specifically allowed in the POS, not prohibited. The only restrictions are transfers for $ and "commercial activity".

 

[Sammie]

I guess if you have borrowed your max and were only a few short to be able to add another day, I might see the advantage. But I doubt since we always need a two bedroom it will work for us, but as Chuck said, you never know.

 

[VLee]

Can see both sides of the 11 month option, but since we typically book most of our reservations at 11 months out, it would be nice to be able to borrow at that point.

I have made my own reservations and have linked it with a night or two made by another member (to keep from borrowing). However, linking is a pain and doesn't always get done properly by MS and I feel the need to check on it a couple of times. The option to borrow a few points would eliminate this need to get points from another member--even though it could probably be done less expensively. The extra money is worth the lack of headaches in having to get another member to set up DDP, Magical Express and then assist in linking.

Also, when obtaining a reservation as above, you cannot split your points with another member's points to reserve just one night. As a result, you may have ended up with a few points, that you could not even bank-- if it fell too late in your use year. This way, you can use your few remaining points and just get what you need to complete the one or two night reservation from DVC.

This just happened to me when I had to modify an existing reservation and was past my banking window. I did not have quite enough points for a night.
I had to get a linked reservation made by another member and ended up losing some points in my membership.

 

[LIFERBABE]

I will add that this is per membership. That means I have 3 memberships with 3 UY's and 3 member numbers so I can use this on each of my 3 memberships. .

Remember there are people out there with trusts etc. that combine alot of memberships to rent.

They make way more than $15 a point on Ebay and other sites. This is the reason transfers were limited in the first place. If they have this option, this could create the loophole they need to book multiple villas for rental that the transfer rule tried to close. One person I know for sure was found to have multiple deeds and memberships in family members name and was using them to buy up cheap points and reservations and then reselling them here and other sites.

Is it really fair to open these points up at 11 months and that would allow people that otherwise would not have the points to book even more spec days? They know they will recoup their money and pass it on to the renter. I shudder to think that as an owner of BCV where the competition is already fierce that I would also have to compete with these points.

If these were 11 month points, I would expect them to cost way more than $15

 

[LisaS]

I haven't read through it all yet (though I scanned it) so if I'm repetitive, please forgive me. Given the points offered are likely to be from any number of resorts, I don't see how they could do it otherwise else they'd have to have essentially a number of different programs, one for each home resort since they are also bound by the club rules with their points.

I agree that there would be a number of issues. The management software would be more complicated and I doubt they could justify the development costs or the wait for the software to be developed. They probably will re-deploy software they have used to manage developer points from prior incentive programs. And I imagine most of the points in the pool will be from resorts that are not sold out so BLT, SSR and AKV owners looking for a few home resort points 11 months out would be more likely to get them than BCV or VWL owners, causing some members to be upset that they didn't have equal access to points at the 11-month window. So restricting this to the 7 month window is understandable but it also eliminates a lot of potential customers for this new program. I think many of us would only find this useful if we could get those last few points we need 11 months out to book that last night of our stay that now costs more points due to the point re-allocations. As I said, it's understandable but it's also disappointing.

 

[LisaS]

Another positive vote for the 7 month restriction!!!

We just added on to make sure we have enough purchased points at 11 months. I think me as a point buyer should still hold some home advantage over the member who short-buys for their trips and needs to rent.

When I added on at VWL, I bought enough points to stay every other year by banking or borrowing. I even bought a few extra points in case we decided to go at a different time of year which required more points. Then the point charts changed and now that cushion isn't quite big enough... I'm 4 points short. So I didn't deliberately "short buy" but now find myself in that situation, along with a lot of other members, due to the point re-allocation. Being able to rent those 4 points I'm going to need would be helpful, but only if I can do it 11 months out.

 

[emlutz23]

We always plan at 11 months out, so the only way I see this working for us is if we want to switch from our home (SSR) to another resort at 7 months and we could buy the extra points for a more "expensive" resort. Then I can be rest assured knowing that I will have enough points for my next trip since I'm not borrowing more. But it doesn't make sense if we were short at the 11 month mark already. It's a step in the right direction, but only a step. Perhaps if it's successful, they will let us take advantage of this at 11 months.

 

[Greatfalls]

I doubt that they would ever convert this to 11 months. With the 24-point max and the 7-month window, it looks like they structured this so it won't compete with add-ons of 25-50 points. If you could use these points like home resort points, then it gets pretty close to the same thing as an add-on.

 

[Sunshine22]

I think many have complained that they are now just a few points short of their original plans, and that it is difficult to find someone to transfer just a few points to their account for a reservation. I'm not worried that this will limit availability. I think this is a nice solution to the point adjustment issue that some have raised.

 

[Jaylin]

I also apologize if this has been asked, I didn't see it anywhere.

Our senerio is that we planned on going every other year. But we want to do the next 3 consectutive years while the kiddos are still little. So that involves some borrowing.

Do you think you are only allowed to rent the 24points if you are out of current UY points and would be forced to borrow to complete your ressie? Could I rent the points if I'm not out of current year points and then bank some current year points for the next year and then rent points that year also?

Hope that made sense!

 

[CruznLexi]

I just did this yesterday. I am getting my niece for 3 nights so I needed some extra points. I have California in Jan yet to book and that will eat my points. It was $360 and that is almost what a 2 nightstay at CBR would run. It was very easy. From calling MS to booking and adding points was like 15 min. I was thinking of adding about 25 points but this is way easier.
Lexi

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Another positive vote for the 7 month restriction!!!

We just added on to make sure we have enough purchased points at 11 months. I think me as a point buyer should still hold some home advantage over the member who short-buys for their trips and needs to rent.

But I would like to be able to purchase a few points to use at my home resort at the 11 month window. I booked a ressie this morning for January where I had to borrow 22 points. It would have been nice to purchase them from Disney and leave my next year's points in tact.

 

[wdrl]

I also apologize if this has been asked, I didn't see it anywhere.

Do you think you are only allowed to rent the 24points if you are out of current UY points and would be forced to borrow to complete your ressie? Could I rent the points if I'm not out of current year points and then bank some current year points for the next year and then rent points that year also?

Hope that made sense!

I think you can rent these points even though you have banked, current, or borrowed points of your own. The only restriction is that your account is in good standing (all dues and mortgage payments are up to date).

 

[Chuck S]

I wonder, though, if this basically negates the effect the recent reallocations had on the majority of owners, does it also basically negate the overall function of the reallocation?

In other words, if balancing occupany needed to be done, and this renting negates the balancing for more members, will it lead to even more severe reallocations in the coming years?

 

[BEASLYBOO]

I wonder, though, if this basically negates the effect the recent reallocations had on the majority of owners, does it also basically negate the overall function of the reallocation?

Chuck, do you think the point reallocation changed the way DVC'rs travel? ie: I was before the 1st re-allocation a Sun-Thu DVC traveler and I remain so even after the 2nd re-allocation. I seldom use week-end points.

 

[Chuck S]

Chuck, do you think the point reallocation changed the way DVC'rs travel? ie: I was before the 1st re-allocation a Sun-Thu DVC traveler and I remain so even after the 2nd re-allocation. I seldom use week-end points.

In theory, the only reason to reallocate is to change the travel patterns (and thus occupancy/demand) of the resorts. We'll never really know now, if it had the desired effect, of if a greater reallocation is deemed necessary, because the 2011 reallocation won't even have ben in full effect for a more than a few months before this rental option came online.

As many people here as were complaining that they couldn't stay the same number of days, yes, without the ability to rent these points, I think it would have made a difference in the way a number DVCers traveled.

 

[Brian Noble]

does it also basically negate the overall function of the reallocation?

I don't think so. There is still a clear economic incentive to use fewer points rather than more. This just makes it logistically easier to use more. Indeed the "rental penalty" appears to me to be higher than the "owning penalty"----in most cases, under most sets of reasonable assumptions, the cost per point-year of owning is less than $15/point.

For example, if you amortize/depreciate at 8% per year, a new "full price" AKV point costs about $14 per year at current dues rates. And, 8% is probably a little high.

 

[wdrl]

I wonder, though, if this basically negates the effect the recent reallocations had on the majority of owners, does it also basically negate the overall function of the reallocation?

In other words, if balancing occupany needed to be done, and this renting negates the balancing for more members, will it lead to even more severe reallocations in the coming years?

I don't think this new program will negate the effects of the reallocation. Or, at the very least, there are so many other intervening variables that come into play that it will be virtually impossible to measure the impact of this program on booking habits. There may be members who will rent points to maintain their accustomed Sun-Thur vacation trips. But there might be an equal number of members who will rent points so they can book a Friday or Saturday night as part of their trip. Thus, one group might offset the impact of the other group.

I can imagine all sorts of ways this program might impact booking habits irrespective of the weekday-weekend issue. With an extra 24 points at their fingertips, members might add an extra night, or they might upgrade to a more expensive view category. For example, during the Choice season a member can upgrade a one-bedroom AKV standard view villa to a savanna view for 6 points a night.