Question about borrowing points and cancelling

[lklasing]

Hi - I sure am glad I have somewhere like this to ask all my DVC newbie questions!

I have a question about points. This summer, we bought 220 points with a December use year. Of course, it came with the 220 points from 2011. We banked that and will get 220 more in December for 2012.

I have already booked 2 trips for the spring, totalling 150 points, leavign 290 points remaining. We hope to go to Aulani in May, so my 7 month window is rapidly approaching. The Aulani trip we are looking at will require 308 points.

To book Aulani, I know I will have to borrow 18 points from 2013. My question is, what if we have to cancel Aulani? Once borrowed, are these points ones that cannot be placed back in 2013? If that is the case, can I somehow change one of my other spring reservations to use those 18 points so they won't go to waste?

I've heard that DVC always uses the oldest points first (trying to help avoid losing points to expiration) but these would actually be the newest points.

If anyone can help me figure this out, I would appreciate it! My brain is hurting trying to get a handle on this particular issue. Thanks!!

ETA: If we cancel Aulani, it would be well in advance of 30 days.

 

[chalee94]

My question is, what if we have to cancel Aulani? Once borrowed, are these points ones that cannot be placed back in 2013?

any time you move pts to another UY by banking or borrowing, the pts will be stuck in the new UY and can never be moved again.

so yes, if you borrow 2013 UY pts into your 2012 UY (a may 2013 trip is in your 2012 UY), those pts will still expire on nov 30, 2013 if you cancel the reservation.

If that is the case, can I somehow change one of my other spring reservations to use those 18 points so they won't go to waste?

i think you'd be able to reallocate pts if you canceled before your spring trip, but others probably have more experience in that.

 

[Sandisw]

Typically, MS has been able to move around the points so that if you have borrowed points, they will re--do the reservation so that it frees up current UY points.

The key is that the Aulani trip would have to be canceled before your spring trip takes place...once you go, then you would not be able to make a swap.

What I have done, when I knew I wanted to book two trips--one that could be one that would get canceled, I booked a dummy reservation first, booked the sure thing trip with some of the borrowed points, and then booked the trip with current UY points that was the iffy one.

This way, if I did cancel, I already had the borrowed points with the right trip. Figured it was much easier to do it this way than have them mess with my reservations switching points around.

 

[k3chantal]

In five years, I have never had to cancel a reservation. Though I know its impossible to be certain at all times, I would try really hard to only book if you are reasonably certain. If the Aulani trip is leaning more towards a 'maybe', I would not tie your points up. Not only are you potentially risking your points, you are tying up the reservation system for other 'legitimate' travelers for that period.