renting DVC points

[bayknox]

Does anyone have any info on how you rent DVC points from DVC members?
How do you get in touch with members who are renting their points? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank YOu

 

[bamagirl@hrt]

First, I recommend going to the DVC boards here on the DIS. There, you will find a board titled "DVC Rent/Trade" or something very similar. On that board, there is a sticky to read that gives many details about renting points. I am renting points for the first time for my October trip & this is what I did.

First, I decided when I was going, which DVC resort I wanted, and what villa size I needed. Then, I looked at the DVC point charts to determine how many points I needed for my trip. I have a book, because I'd gotten info on the DVC, but there are also point charts on www.allearsnet.com and maybe here on www.wdwinfo.com. After knowing what I needed, I posted my desired point rental, dates, and resort on the Rent/Trade board. Of the several responses I got, I evaluated each by seeing how long the member had been on these boards & I read several of their other posts, to get a "feel" for their personality. I made my choice and contacted her regarding details. FYI, I am paying $11/point. I did not make a price demand in my post; I just made that part of my evaluation process of the responses I received.

From here, each DVC member is different in how they handle rentals. Some require full payment up front. The person I'm renting from required 1/2 down & 1/2 45 days before arrival. It's non-refundable. The person I'm renting from does give me the option of rescheduling within a certain time period if I have an emergency. Some are not that flexible. Renting points certainly takes trust, on both sides. Your reservation will be in your name, but you cannot change/cancel it yourself. The DVC member retains control of your reservation. That's why it's important to research the person you're renting from. Some people do not like that aspect of renting points. Personally, I don't think it's any different from renting a condo on the beach from an individual, and I've done that many times.

I hope this answers your questions. If you have more, feel free to ask!

 

[brasey]

Your thread is probably going to get moved but Bamagirl summed it up pretty good for you. Post according to the guidelines here and you will get plenty of responses. You can also just wait and see who is selling and send them PM's with your dates and room/resort preferences and see what happens. Go with yuor gut feeling about the renter as it usually is correct. The points vary from 8 to 12 depending who is selling and time frames. Make sure you get some type of rental agreement between both parties so at least you may have some recourse if something happens. Do not pay to heavy up front either and make sure you are OK with the terms.
Mitch

 

[byoung]

I agree bamagirl@hrt did a good job.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Some other tips -

If you really, really want to do this, don't wait until two or three months ahead of time to look for a reservation. Many DVC members make their reservations at their home resort 11 months ahead of time and, if there are still vacancies, 7 months ahead of time at non-home resorts.

Cancellation could be a big problem since the member can't just put the points back and use them some other time. If they can't find another person to take over the reservation that they made for you, you may be out any money that you have already paid them.

You're dealing with an individual and not a company. So each member you talk to may have different rules on how they accept payment, when payment is due, cancellation, etc. Some members won't even put the reservation in your name until you pay in full.

Several members now consider a DVC reservation for a non-member to be similar to a Priceline reservation. You paid, it's yours. Done.