Renting DVC points? Experiences?

[Erica's Mommy]

We are looking into renting some DVC points for October through a broker (not sure if I can mention the site or not, but his name rhymes with Save and is part of the BBB). Does anyone have any experience renting these and how do they work? We are looking at staying at Boardwalk Villas and I really think this is a great deal, but am unsure of the whole process. Can anybody shed some light? Has anyone done this and what was your experience, good or bad? I appreciate any help!

PS-I wasn't sure where to post this so feel free to move it if necessary

 

[OZ 877]

We rented points from 'Save' for out 2009 anniversary trip. We did a split stay at AKL and used him for 4 nights studio on concierge level. It went really smooth. Sent him an email on what we were looking for, he then conferenced call us, him and the reservation center and set it all up. He can even add the dining plan if you want it. I think you can wait up until a week before your trip to add.

 

[chalee94]

Does anyone have any experience renting these and how do they work?

the nice thing about using a broker is that they will walk you through the process.

in general, renting DVC from an owner (on a "points" stay) means that you will not have the option of cancelling and getting a refund, and that you will not get daily housekeeping (more like some form of housekeeping every 4th day.)

 

[tofubeast]

We are renting points through a member, not a broker. Every DVC owner (and broker) will have their own terms about payment, (i.e. do they want a deposit at first and remainder payment later, or payment all up front.) They will also have their own 'rules' about cancellations, some more closely following DVC policy.

I would highly recommend reading the sticky on the DVC rent/trade board. That will give you a great overview. We are excited to be renting for the first time. For the price of a mod, we are getting BCV! It's a pretty darn good deal. And as the person above mentioned, you will not get housekeeping daily. On the 4th day of stay, they clean trashbins and provide fresh towels.

You will also not get all the perks that DVC owners get (i.e. discounted tickets) because with that you often need to show your DVC membership card. The owner/broker has full control of your reservation until you check in. So if you want ME or DDP, you will have to ask them to add it. I think you have up to 48 hr in advance of trip to add DDP, but it all must be paid in advance at the time you add it.

There are a few rules and things to keep in mind when renting, but if you are very solid with your vacation dates and are aware before renting, it can be a very good deal. Just read those stickies that I mentioned.

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

We've rented through members quite a bit and always had great luck. I'd highly suggest getting a contract, and making sure you have contact information for the member in case you want to add something to your reservation.

Personally, I wouldn't use a broker. I don't feel comfortable with their prices and everyone I've talked to came off fairly rude (imo). I would always go with a member before a broker any day...plus, it's usually cheaper! There is another site you can find members to rent from that have great reputation. Feel free to PM if you want the link.

 

[annnewjerz]

Our trip in 29 days (side note: ) is booked on points rented through another DIS member. This will be the second time we have rented through a DISer and I would have no hesitation to do it again. The first time, we rented points for a stay at the Boardwalk Villas in December and ended up getting a standard view studio at the equivalent of $95 per night. Pretty hard to beat! This trip, we booked a boardwalk view studio and the total works out to about $130 per night. Still, reeeeeeally good considering the rates through CRO!!

While I personally would probably not book through a broker only because there are often much better deals, price-per-point wise, through members directly...I can see why it would appeal to some. With renting through a DIS member, there is a level of trust involved. You are turning over your money to a stranger who has the ability to cancel your reservation at any point. When booking through a broker, some people probably feel more secure because it's a legitimate "company" that you are dealing with.

Either way, it's our opinion that renting DVC points is the way to go. You get the best of both worlds...inexpensive accomodations and a location that can't be beat.

Good luck!!

Ann

 

[poohgirl6]

We have rented points twice (from two different owners). Once was BCV and then at BWV. Both transactions were easy and much less expensive than going through WDW (even with a significant discount code). I found both owners through another set of boards where DVC owners post. Only drawback IMHO is the no cancellation/refund policy. There are a few brokers who seem reputable and helpful but their prices are at least $2-$3 higher per point than owners.

 

[chalee94]

When booking through a broker, some people probably feel more secure because it's a legitimate "company" that you are dealing with.

i think the standard practice is for the broker to keep the money until the stay...so if the DVC owner stops paying on their contract and the reservation is cancelled, you might not have a reservation but at least you can get your money back.

the broker is also experienced in walking newbies through the process...owners may assume you know what you are getting into. good communication will prevent misunderstandings that cause a lot more issues than fraud.

but yes, it's cheaper to skip the broker if you are willing to do more of the homework and take more of the risk yourself...

 

[I Run Long]

I concur with everyone above. We are renting again from a DISer for a 1 bedroom villa at BCV for 9 nights. We rented from the same DISer in 2010 but I have to admit I was a bit worried. I had this thought in the back of my mind that when I arrived at BCV I would find my reservation cancelled. I was really paranoid about checking that my reservation was there up until the point I boarded our flight. Of course everything went great and I crossed my fingers that they would have enough points to rent to us for this upcoming trip. For our very first trip to the World, we booked at AKL though Disney directly just because I hadn't heard about renting points. Once I found out about it I decided to try it for our 2010 trip. Now if this is your first experience, you may wish to go through a broker if you're unfamiliar with the process or just aren't comfortable going the route of a DISer. Then once you have one rental experience under your belt, you may want to try renting from a DISer. As others have already mentioned here, renting from a DISer is, at a minimum, $2 per point cheaper. Depending upon the number of points you are renting, that can really add up. I knew that once I had rented points that, that was the only way I would ever go.

 

[babyrich]

I would love to rent points through a DVC memeber but my DH is worried because he likes to get trip insurance. There have been 2 times we thought we would have to cancel our trip, once because I was in the hospital 3 weeks before we were to leave and another because of a sick pet.

Does anyone know if we can still purchase insurance if we rent?

 

[I Run Long]

I would love to rent points through a DVC memeber but my DH is worried because he likes to get trip insurance. There have been 2 times we thought we would have to cancel our trip, once because I was in the hospital 3 weeks before we were to leave and another because of a sick pet.

Does anyone know if we can still purchase insurance if we rent?

You can't get insurance through Disney but we just go through InsureMyTrip.com