Strategy for ressie with point transfer

[mic_KY_mouses]

There are so many DVC experts here it's the hands-down best place to come for advice. Please help me sort through the best way to do this.

We are VWL owners and without touching our points want to negotiate a points transfer in for a stay in **** This if for my parents 50th wedding anniversary and the only way to afford bringing the whole family is to do DVC. I've checked CRO and we can not swing those prices.

Should we check availability now before posting for the points and just hope something is open when the transfer is done? I mean, if we "negotiate" for a points transfer say of BCV points, we can book right away, right? What if we transfer in and there is no availability? Would a rental request be the safer way to go?

We have transfered points out a couple times through DIS, but this would be our first time doing something like this.

Renting scares me a little because I have heard of people canceling ressies. If we did a rental can we deal directly with MS on magical express, dining, etc?, or would the owner have to?

Any ideas are really appreciated. I do fine with our DVC ressies for the three of us but I tend to stress out when making plans for 10 people.

How would the experts do something like this? The dates are pretty firm.

 

[snowbunny]

What if we transfer in and there is no availability? Would a rental request be the safer way to go?

Well...if there is no availability after a transfer, there won't be any availability for a reservation either. If you are worried about spending a large sum on points and then the resorts are completely full before the 7-month window - that is hard to picture especially in this economy.

I transfer points in every year. It's important to me to be in control of the points and the reservation, not wonder for 7 or more months whether everything is okay.

You have to be a bit flexible with a transfer. You may have your heart set on BCV but only find a large block of Resort X points [cough SSR cough], limiting your booking window to 7 months unless you want to stay there. You might have to take a few more points than you want, but that can be okay; extra points can be banked (Less won't work, of course, since you can only do one transfer per use year.) You'll need to pay attention to the use year of the transferred points and when they expire.

Once you get the hang of it transferring is easy. And remember, you can post for what you want but that doesn't mean you have to act. It costs nothing for you to put out some feelers.

 

[RobDoc]

Since you are only 6-7 weeks away from the 7 month reservation window, I'd see if you can get enough points transferred ASAP from an owner of the resort you really want. Otherwise your only option is to find a member to rent a reservation for you at 7 months. You would have no control over that reservation and things like requests DDP and DME would need to be handled by the member you rent from.

You are looking at a popular time of the year where the 11 month priority has been available already for almost 3 months - so there may be limited availabilit already at those resorts.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[mic_KY_mouses]

Thank you...two good replies already! I will post now on the rent-trade board.

Would this be a possible way to handle it?
1) Find someone who could transfer the points first if even possible.
2) Have them make the ressie to insure one is available.
3)The transfer could be made at the time their ressie is canceled, perhaps via a three-way call?

We've used three way calls to transfer point out before.
Possible or dumb idea?

 

[RobDoc]

Thank you...two good replies already! I will post now on the rent-trade board.

Would this be a possible way to handle it?
1) Find someone who could transfer the points first if even possible.
2) Have them make the ressie to insure one is available.
3)The transfer could be made at the time their ressie is canceled, perhaps via a three-way call?

We've used three way calls to transfer point out before.
Possible or dumb idea?

No, that would not likely work. The transfer is done manually and is not an immediate action where you could grab the reservation already made. In addition, to accomplish that (if it were possible) the member would need to have enough points to make the reservation and the transfer.

Even with a 3-way call, there is no way to guarantee that you would be able to get that same reservation due to the time-lag in the points getting manually moved into your account.

I'd just get the transfer and then deal with making the reservation - especially since you do not want to use your own points. Personally, I'd be making the reservations at VWL using your own points just to be sure you have the reservation made. You can always try to get another resort at 7 months, but if the dates are critical, I'd sure want something in place for such a special event.

 

[mic_KY_mouses]

Thanks WebmasterDoc, you know the process so well.

We only have 210 VWL points. 210 are coming 06/01/09 and we could borrow from next year, but at 420 that still would not be enough for 2 two bedrooms. I guess I could do maybe 5 nights at VWL as a back up.

Would the borrow actually take place at ressie time, or would it only happen at the time the points are used? If it is done at ressie time we could borrow next years points and then bank this years if not needed, right?

 

[pjzkent]

The transfer could be made at the time their ressie is canceled, perhaps via a three-way call?

We've used three way calls to transfer point out before.
Possible or dumb idea?

I don't think the ressie could be transferred to you if the owner of the points originally makes the res, I think the res would be released to the next waitlist for the same room type

We just transferred points from another member at 8 mos prior, and rolled the dice and got a 2 BR at BLT by calling at 7 mos on the mark. Some pixie dust for you whatever you decide. What a great way to celebrate a very special date

 

[mic_KY_mouses]

Thanks for your idea pjzkent! We are working out some idea.....thanks for the pixiedust....

 

[RobDoc]

Thanks WebmasterDoc, you know the process so well.

We only have 210 VWL points. 210 are coming 06/01/09 and we could borrow from next year, but at 420 that still would not be enough for 2 two bedrooms. I guess I could do maybe 5 nights at VWL as a back up.

Would the borrow actually take place at ressie time, or would it only happen at the time the points are used? If it is done at ressie time we could borrow next years points and then bank this years if not needed, right?

The points would be borrowed when the reservation is made. If later cancelled, the current Use Year points could still be banked if within the banking deadline but the borrowed points could not be banked and would need to be used by the end of the Use Year into which they were moved. Transferred points can be banked though.

Good luck!

 

[mic_KY_mouses]

Thank you all for your expert advice. We're working on a transfer on the Rent/Trade board now......