Switching/trying other DVC guides?

[DHofCrazyMouser]

With all of the crazy madness going on since the news broke of the 75pt requirement, we jump on the waitlist Monday night for BLT and AKL with Oct UY. Then called back tuesday morning and had them add us to OKW, BC, BW, SSR and BR. Our guide is telling us since we have a Oct UY that we have to add on into our current UY? Has anyone ever called and talk to a different guide and set up a second waitlist? Seen other members on here get called back about their points being available and our guide said we would be lucky to hear anything by early next week. What would you do?

 

[Ben E N]

Your guide is correct. Any 25 point add on has to be combined with an old contract, so it has to have the same UY, but not home resort. If you are looking to open up your options, you can start a whole new contract with as little as 50 points anywhere except CCV, which has a current minimum of 75.

 

[zavandor]

If you want to add on, i.e. buy less than the current minimum purchase for new owners, you have to add to the existing membership, this means same UY and contract titled the same. Your guide is right on this. You can buy other UYs, but it would be a new membership so you'd have to buy the minumum for new owners: that is quite confusing at the moment, someone says it's gone up to 100 points.

 

[DHofCrazyMouser]

Ok thanks for the clarification, makes sense. How likely do you think one our waitlists for 25 points Oct UY will come through? Really want BLT or AKL, since we own 100pts at BLT but would be happy to get 25 extra points to throw around at the 7 month mark. And plan on adding more in a few years.

 

[Ben E N]

It's really hard to give any specific odds. There are way too many factors at play right now. It sounds like guides are busy looking for those 25 point contracts all that they can right now, but that also means that other people are hoping for the same ones you are, and it all depends on availability. You have put yourself in the best position possible by asking for many different resorts.

 

[MrsP833]

Ok thanks for the clarification, makes sense. How likely do you think one our waitlists for 25 points Oct UY will come through? Really want BLT or AKL, since we own 100pts at BLT but would be happy to get 25 extra points to throw around at the 7 month mark. And plan on adding more in a few years.

I was on a wait list for Oct, Dec, or Feb UY for BLT and I heard back on both Dec and Feb, but nothing for Oct. I was put on wait lists in early January. I don't think there are many Oct UY contracts for BLT, so that's why there is limited availability. Hope something comes through - good luck!

 

[CarolMN]

Ok thanks for the clarification, makes sense. How likely do you think one our waitlists for 25 points Oct UY will come through? Really want BLT or AKL, since we own 100pts at BLT but would be happy to get 25 extra points to throw around at the 7 month mark. And plan on adding more in a few years.

While you wait, think carefully about a different use year for the add on contract. Are the benefits of direct for your family going to be worth the aggravation of booking with two memberships? Will not having those benefits make your stays less enjoyable?

Different use years can make booking at 7 months more difficult than if the use years were the same (and titled such that they were part of your existing membership). To use the 25 with your other 100, you would have to book separately from each membership (and thus have two reservations with different booking windows) and then call MS to note that they are for a continuing stay. (That could also necessitate checking out and back in again between the reservations). As an alternative (especially if you need to combine points from both memberships to book a night), you could transfer points from the 25 to the 100. You would need to call MS to make the transfer and also to book. You won't see the transferred points online and for those "tough to get at 7 months reservations", calling MS to use transferred points gives the online bookers an hours' advantage (so you could lose out).

Perhaps the benefits of owning direct points outweigh the aggravation of having two memberships. If you are planning to add more later, will it be enough to stay on the waitlist and buy 75 direct at BLT or AKV to qualify for benefits? Maybe waiting to have direct points would be better if you can keep the same use year / membership.

I know you will do what is best for your family. If you decide to go with a different use year, at least you will do so knowing the challenges. Good luck! I'm hoping for your October waitlist to come through!

 

[DHofCrazyMouser]

Do some guides “try harder” to find those measly 25 points or do they all just go by the waitlist and what comes open comes open? Feels like waiting for ROFR all over again. Think the problem is the 7 day rule they give potential buyers that have filled their waitlist, have to wait for them to say yes or no.

 

[Matty B13]

I think some guides do work harder to get you points, we switched guides because I did feel that the one we had originally wasn't try that hard. I did this by simply cold calling DVC and talking to the guide that answered and talking to him about what we were looking for. He emailed us about CCV and have used him for our direct purchase for VGF.

It might be all perception, but the second guide we used got us what we wanted so we will use him in the future if we buy anymore.

 

[DHofCrazyMouser]

Had 25pts come available for BRV but decided to decline based on the expiration date. Now just on waitlist for OKW, BLT, SSR, and AKL Oct UY. If one of them doesn’t come through, think we will just buy Aulani on Wednesday or Thursday, assuming they will still have our Oct UY left.