Question about cancelling ressies

[Flyerfan]

Somewhere I read about a cancellation policy that has to do with a 6 month window and your UY. If my UY is August and I make ressies for January but have to cancel, do I get those points back? And what about banked points? For instance if I buy this year and want to go in January '09 and I bank the '07 points and use part of the '08 points, then find out I have to cancel and re-schedule to a later month, will I get all those points back? I'm not clear on that. TIA !

 

[RobDoc]

Cancelling a reservation has nothing to do with your Use Year.

With every cancellation, the points used will be returned to your account. If they were current points, they may be reused for another reservation or banked - based on normal banking deadlines (which is where your Use Year would be involved since that determines the deadline).

If they were points that had already been banked or borrowed, they will be returned to your account - to be reused before the end of the Use Year orthey would expire.

If they were points used for any of the non-DVC options, they can still be used for a non-DVC option, but cannot be used at a DVC resort. These cannot be banked and would also expire at the end of your current Use Year.

If the cancellation occurred within 30 days of arrival, the points (whether current, banked or borrowed) will go into a Holding Account where they can only be used to make another reservation within 60 days of arrival.

If they were points banked into the World Passport Collection, I believe you will have an additional year to reuse the points, but another transaction fee will also apply.

Banked and borrowed points can not be returned to their original Use Year. If you bank points from your 2007 Use Year into your 2008 Use Year, use them to make a reservation and later cancel the reservation, those points will simply be returned to your account to be re-used before the end of that Use Year (in this case, your 2008 UY) or they will expire since they cannot be banked again.

 

[RachelTori]

Doc,

May I ask a question? We have a Dec UY and all our 2007 points are banked. If I make a reservation prior to 12/1 I'm "borrowing" points. Am I borrowing back my 2007 banked points, my 2008 points, or doesn't it matter?!!! TIA! (so much to learn!)

 

[JimMIA]

Doc,

May I ask a question? We have a Dec UY and all our 2007 points are banked. If I make a reservation prior to 12/1 I'm "borrowing" points. Am I borrowing back my 2007 banked points, my 2008 points, or doesn't it matter?!!! TIA! (so much to learn!)

You would be borrowing your 2008 points, and it does make a difference. Once borrowed or banked, points cannot be "unborrowed" or "unbanked."

Therefore, if you borrow and then cancel, you will not be able to put those points back in your 2008 UY. They will have to be used by 11/30/07 or they'll be lost.

Similarly, the 2007 points which are banked may be used between 12/1/2007 and 11/30/2008. If they are not used, they will expire. During your 2008 UY, the banked points should be used first automatically to prevent them from expiring, but be sure to check with MS after each booking to be sure they are using the banked points first.

 

[RobDoc]

Doc,

May I ask a question? We have a Dec UY and all our 2007 points are banked. If I make a reservation prior to 12/1 I'm "borrowing" points. Am I borrowing back my 2007 banked points, my 2008 points, or doesn't it matter?!!! TIA! (so much to learn!)

I expect that you have actually banked your December 2006 Use Year points - not your 2007 points. You are still in your 2006 Use Year until 12/1/07 when your 2007 Use Year begins. Since you do not yet have your 2007 points, they could not have been banked at this time.

The banked points from your 206 Use Year may be used to make a reservation between 12/1/07 and 11/30/08. If you wish to make a reservation for any date prior to 12/1/07 you would need to borrow your December, 2007 points since the 2006 points cannot be returned to their original Use Year.

As Jim pointed out, you should be certain to use your banked 2006 points first for reservations after 12/1/07 - since they cannot be banked again and will expire on 11/30/08.

With a December Use Year, you could not borrow from your 2008 Use Year for dates prior to 12/1/07 since points may only be borrowed from the following Use Year and you are still in your 2006 Use Year now.

Use Year is probably the most confusing and most misunderstood single aspect for most members - especially those with a December Use Year. It's too easy to confuse Use Year with calendar year.

I hope this helps!

 

[RachelTori]

I expect that you have actually banked your December 2006 Use Year points - not your 2007 points. You are still in your 2006 Use Year until 12/1/07 when your 2007 Use Year begins. Since you do not yet have your 2007 points, they could not have been banked at this time.

The banked points from your 206 Use Year may be used to make a reservation between 12/1/07 and 11/30/08. If you wish to make a reservation for any date prior to 12/1/07 you would need to borrow your December, 2007 points since the 2006 points cannot be returned to their original Use Year.

As Jim pointed out, you should be certain to use your banked 2006 points first for reservations after 12/1/07 - since they cannot be banked again and will expire on 11/30/08.

With a December Use Year, you could not borrow from your 2008 Use Year for dates prior to 12/1/07 since points may only be borrowed from the following Use Year and you are still in your b[]2006[/b] Use Year now.

Use Year is probably the most confusing and most misunderstood single aspect for most members - especially those with a December Use Year. It's too easy to confuse Use Year with calendar year.

I hope this helps!

Thanks so much JimMIA and Doc! See? I can't even get my years straight yet!!! I would be so lost without Disboards!

 

[Flyerfan]

If the cancellation occurred within 30 days of arrival, the points (whether current, banked or borrowed) will go into a Holding Account where they can only be used to make another reservation within 60 days of arrival.

So you have 2 months after your cancelled arrival date to use these points or they are gone, right?

 

[RobDoc]

So you have 2 months after your cancelled arrival date to use these points or they are gone, right?

No - if you cancel within 30 days of arrival, the returned points are called "Holding Account" points which places additional restriction on their use. They can only be used to make reservations within 60 days of when you call to make the reservation. They can be used until the end of the Use Year, but not for any dates further out than 60 days.

Their use is not based on the date you cancel, only on a date 60 days from when you call. Sorry for the confusion!

 

[Flyerfan]

No - if you cancel within 30 days of arrival, the returned points are called "Holding Account" points which places additional restriction on their use. They can only be used to make reservations within 60 days of when you call to make the reservation. They can be used until the end of the Use Year, but not for any dates further out than 60 days.

Their use is not based on the date you cancel, only on a date 60 days from when you call. Sorry for the confusion!

Thank you for clearing that up. There is so much to learn about the whole points thing. I'm sure I'll have more questions.