Owning less than 150 points?

[riggins]

Hi Everyone-
Is it possible to own less than 150 points? I know Disney's minimum is 150, but I see resales of less than that. Are these for add-on only or could a non-member buy these also? My DH and I are debating about buying in and exploring all of our options. We typically take short trips (3-4 days per year) and might be able to get away with less than 150, but I'm not sure if this is an option. Anyone know?

Thanks!

 

[nisiemouse]

You can't buy a resale of less than 150 points unless you are already a DVC member.

 

[CRobin]

This was discussed at length in a previous thread and verified with a resale broker.

They can broker the sale of any size contract to anyone, current owner or not.

Disney always can nix the deal with their ROFR if they don't want a new owner picking up a small contract.

 

[nisiemouse]

Sorry I gave you the wrong information. CRobin: Thanks for correcting me.

 

[riggins]

Thanks for the info CRobin . . . do you happen to have the link to the thread or remember how long ago you saw it? I'm looking for it and not seeing much. Thanks again!

 

[CRobin]

Here is the thread...

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=159954

 

[Laurabearz]

Originally posted by CRobin
Here is the thread...

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=159954

Hee hee it was me who opened that can of worms!!! Sorry!

 

[drusba]

As noted, the 150 minimum is one set by Disney for sales by Disney. It does not apply to resale and there is no rule that you must have at least 150 points to be able to use your points. Nevertheless there are two risks to be aware of with a low point resale:

1. Disney could control the situation and prevent you from buying by exercising its right of first refusal on a resale. Whether it would do that probably depends more on the price of the contract (Disney has in the past exercised its right when it perceives the price to be too low) than the fact you are buying less than its standard minimum.

2. The true resale price may be too much. The issue is closing costs. Typically in a resale the buyer pays them unless he can convince the seller to do so. Disney's new sale price includes closing costs. Closing costs are fairly fixed -- $400 to $500 -- regardless of whether you buy 10 points or a 1,000. Thus, when you factor in closing costs, a low point contract can be more than if you buy through Disney. For example, assume you buy 50 points at $66 a point. Add to that $500 in closing costs and you are adding $10 a point to your actual overall price. Net result is that you are paying $76 a point while you could buy through Disney for less. Thus, just do your cost comparison first to determine if you are really getting something cheaper than Disney.

 

[CarolMN]

It should also be noted that anyone who buys less than the minimum will find it virtually impossible to utilize most of the non-DVC options such as the World Passport Collection, the DCL or the Adventurer Collection. IMHO, even the options provided by the Disney Collection would be severely limited. YMMV.