Stuck with unused small amounts of points

[iheartglaciers]

I'm considering buying into DVC and had a question about getting stuck with small amounts of points. I know borrowing/banking helps (and you can rent additional points from DVC), but is it common to get stuck with small amounts of points (for example 5 or even 10) that you can't use because you don't have enough for a night? Or are people really good about planning the points they need?

Another example I was thinking of was if you're renting what you don't use and get someone who I looking to rent 30 points and you have 35, for instance.

I'm wondering how much I should factor this into my cost calculations. Thanks!

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

It has never happened to me, because I go every year, and I always use the oldest points first.

This can happen if you have a small number of points and only go every other year, or worse, every third year. If you plan to go every year, I would not worry about it.

If I were going less frequently than once per year, unused points would be a small factor, but the biggest factor is the time value of money.

 

[Cyberc1978]

This is one of the risks with smaller contracts that you might end up with points you can’t use one way or another.

You are more likely to end up like that if you only plan to go every 3rd year and use points which are banked, current and borrowed.

Not saying that it will happen you just need to plan accordingly.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Due to health issues this year, plans changed for us. We were happy that David's enabled us to rent all but 1 of our points that would have been lost.

 

[keishashadow]

Haven't had that issue, only rented out a few times. I've been able to bank or add on one time use points & add a day.

 

[bumbershoot]

From 2009 to 2016 I finally ended up with something like 2 orphaned points I had to just let go. Due to how we:I had traveled and borrowed there was nowhere for the points to go. It was sad. But that's pretty good IMO.

 

[iheartglaciers]

Thanks for everyone's perspectives! I'm doing all this number crunching, but it's nice to hear from real experience (though obviously use is different for everyone).

 

[BillPA]

We have been members for 25 years, and to date have not lost a single point. I think people that 'get stuck' with points just don't understand the system. Learn all you can on banking, borrowing and understand the limitations of the system. Sure thinks come up and plan change, but with a good understanding of the DVC system you and avoid lost points.

 

[bumbershoot]

We have been members for 25 years, and to date have not lost a single point. I think people that 'get stuck' with points just don't understand the system. Learn all you can on banking, borrowing and understand the limitations of the system. Sure thinks come up and plan change, but with a good understanding of the DVC system you and avoid lost points.

I think in my case it was the limitations on OTU points for a January 2014 trip. Used to be that you couldn't buy more once you bought some for the year, and we ran into that for that trip. They lightened up in that restriction later. Would have prevented what happened later, I think. Maybe.

 

[sssteele]

We recently had to cancel reservations for Vero Beach and WOW because of the hurricane. Some points that we used had already been banked, so now we have 35 points that we basically Can't use. No availability (studios) anywhere for months. February use year, so we're in a bind.

 

[Marionnette]

Early in my ownership, I had to let 2 points expire. They were leftover from some banked points and while I could have borrowed from the next UY in order to make a reservation, I had plans for those points and I didn't want to travel to Disney just to keep 2 points from going to waste. I cried a little on the day that that they died.

 

[arminnie]

That happens to me almost every year. I have over 600 points, but usually deal with banked points rather than borrowed points. I almost always lose 4-12 points.

 

[matheke]

Member since 2004 and haven't lost any points yet. Since we are a party of two it is easier for us to adjust our plans and rooms for the points we have available to us. Some years it is a one bedroom others it is a studio. Sometimes it is WDW sometimes D/L and somtimes it is Aulani.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I've owned for 2 years now and both years have had small amounts of points unused that I banked. I banked 32 points in 2016 into 2017 and then planned on using them this year except Irma messed that up. Happily Member Services changed my reservation a bit so those points got used instead of 2017 points and then put the rest of my stay using 2017 points.

That left 32 2017 points unused and it was past my banking time but because the problem with not using them was the Hurricane Member Services banked them into 2018. Which I am thrilled about because I figured I'd just be losing them.

I also banked 3 points that would not be used before the end of my 2017 time when I was still within my banking window.

 

[chalee94]

Member since 2006 and haven't lost any points so far. I typically do try to travel early in my UY and mostly avoid borrowing.

 

[kristenrice]

We have 100 points at AKV and 50 points at HHI. We go every three years to HHI for 5 nights in April over spring break and stay in a 1BR. This only costs us 135 points so we end up with 15 stragglers. I haven't had an issue yet with using them up to add a night or upgrade a view at WDW. I think I would have more of a problem doing it the other way around...trying to use AKV points at 7 months for an April stay at HHI...but we may try, since a 2BR (more availability) is only 155 points.

 

[Wakey]

Can happen, but if you offer them up for transfer on a board like this at say $12 a point they'l likely be snapped up.

 

[chalee94]

Can happen, but if you offer them up for transfer on a board like this at say $12 a point they'l likely be snapped up.

Except that only current UY pts can be transferred - which can also still be banked forward to the next UY. Banked or borrowed pts are the kind that risk being stranded and those cannot be transferred.

 

[Wakey]

Except that only current UY pts can be transferred - which can also still be banked forward to the next UY. Banked or borrowed pts are the kind that risk being stranded and those cannot be transferred.

Very good point.

 

[cel_disney]

We have owned BLT since 2009 - we have never lost a BLT point. In 2013, I transferred in points to get 11 month booking at Grand Californian. I ended up having 3 points from that transaction that couldn't be used but well worth it for our stay!