Renting Points?

[Nuchi15697]

If I rent points from someone, how do I Know if it's safe to send a perfect stranger money? Please enlighten me on the process.

 

[Y-ASK]

The easy answer is that you really don't know for sure. But if you follow the rental board for awhile you should have most of your questions answered. And you should also notice that no one is coming back and complaining that they got ripped off. I personally have never seen a thread like that. There are several transactions that take place every day over there. If you've got any specific questions that you would like answered send me a PM. I've rented to several folks over the last couple of months and can help if you need some advice.

Y-ASK

 

[tjkraz]

Ask for references.

See how many posts they have on the DISboards.

Actually speak to the person on the phone rather than relying on email.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Read a person's past posts. If he/she has been on the Dis-Boards for a while, that should ease the worry a little. Also you should have their name, address, telephone #, cell phone # and e-mail address. Contact the person you are renting from and make sure you feel comfortable with him/her. If you aren't, don't rent.

HBC

 

[CarolMN]

The short answer is that you will not know it's safe until after your vacation is taken. Until then, there is a risk that the DVC member will take your money and cancel the reservation, leaving you with nothing.

That said, I only recall one instance of that ever happening to a renter. Every other reported "problem transaction" involved a renter who did not follow through on his/her agreement and left the owner holding the bag. There is trust needed on both sides of a rental transaction.

To minimize you risk, most here will recommend that you have a written agreement - mostly to make sure both sides clearly understand the terms, especially the cancellation policy. Most rental transactions are non-refundable.

After a reservation is made, the owner should send you a written confirmation from Disney showing your name on the reservation. If you like, you can call periodically to make sure the reservaiton is still there.

It is a good idea to talk voice to voice with the owner and to exchange contact information. If you meet the owner here on the DIS, read some of his/her posts and see if they reflect the kind of person you would want to do business with.

Be sure you read all the sticky threads at the top of the Rent/Trade Forum before you agree to anything.

If after all that, you are still not comfortable, you should not rent. It's not for everyone. Those who cannot accept the risk, should book directly through Disney.

Best wishes-

 

[JandD Mom]

Get credentials -- I rented twice and both times, I rented from people who had been on DIS for a while. In both cases, I know where they worked and what they did for a living. One was a buisness owner and one was a professional.

I would be wary of anyone with few posts on DIS, someone whose posts appear argumentative or a little crazy, and someone who gives you a P.O. Box as an address.

Be careful of anyone offering the points too cheaply as well. The more established people may charge a few dollars more (I paid around $12-$13 per point) but I knew I was getting established, reliable people and I was willing to pay a little more for the comfort factor. In the end, a few dollars more is worth the security, and you are still going to do much better than Disney's price. If the deal is too cheap, and the the person's credentials are not apparent, stay away.

 

[Muushka]

Get credentials -- I rented twice and both times, I rented from people who had been on DIS for a while. In both cases, I know where they worked and what they did for a living. One was a buisness owner and one was a professional.
Snip....QUOTE]

Ouch! I really hope renting points out comes to this.

I have rented out points to people and they were comfortable enough with my name, address, email and phone number. No resume.

 

[JandD Mom]

Ouch! I really hope renting points out comes to this.

I have rented out points to people and they were comfortable enough with my name, address, email and phone number. No resume.

Muushka,

You have over 2100 posts on DIS. If I wanted to search your posts I am sure I would find enough information about you to know you are reliable. I am sure I would rent from you!

My point was that you need to know enough about the person to have a comfort level. If you can't know enough to know they are reliable, then you should not rent from them.

Name, and address alone would not do it for me. Does that mean you are unreliable -- no. But without more than simply name and address how would I know?

 

[Muushka]

Muushka,

You have over 2100 posts on DIS. If I wanted to search your posts I am sure I would find enough information about you to know you are reliable. I am sure I would rent from you!

Snip...

Awwwwwww, thanks!

I think your comment about reading the persons posts is a great way to know aproximatly what kind of a person you are dealing with.

 

[Poorman]

Awwwwwww, thanks!

I think your comment about reading the persons posts is a great way to know aproximatly what kind of a person you are dealing with.

And if she can spell

 

[Muushka]

And if she can spell

You know, I suspected I didn't spell approximately correctly!
That's what I get for not putting it into word first!

 

[Nuchi15697]

Thanks for the info. I think I'll give it a try. We are planning on going the 1st. week of Dec. For 8 points per day @ $10. per point at OKW it's hard to pass up.

 

[CarolMN]

Thanks for the info. I think I'll give it a try. We are planning on going the 1st. week of Dec. For 8 points per day @ $10. per point at OKW it's hard to pass up.

Assume you are talking about December 2005. If so, you may have a tough time - availability is already very limited for that time.

Early December is a very popular time for DVC members to visit - many of us call 11 months ahead of time to make sure we get our first choice of room and dates. I'm pretty sure the smaller DVC resorts are sold out or nearly so. OKW & SSR may still be possible - but you need to decide and get going ASAP to have a reasonable chance of getting a room for that time.

Wishing you good luck, but you may want to consider a back up plan for this year and start looking at least 8 -11 months earlier if you want to go the rental route next year.

Best wishes -

 

[dianeschlicht]

I have to agree with Carol. Especially if you are looking at a studio, because there is less availability of studios at OKW, and the popularity of that time of year. ALL DVC resorts are probably pretty booked up for that time period.