Transferring points and borrowing them

[bookwormde]

Transferring points and borrowing them.

I was thinking about transferring in some points which were 2009 points, for my current vacation and then borrowing some of them (and to bank the balance for a future 2011 vacation). I have seen a couple of times where non current UY (future points) were offered for transfer, from what a got from MS and QA you cannot borrow transferred in points and should not be able to even be in that position of trying to do this since only current UY points are supposed to be transferred (Dec 08 UY point cannot be transfer until Monday and no 2009 points can be transferred yet). I could not find this in any of the published documents and they could not find a clear statement quickly so they are going to “dig” and find the rule. Both MS and QA were very nice and helpful in trying to figure this out.

Just wondering if I was the only one who did not understand this or if anyone has seen this published anywhere. I have seen 1.19 of BLT and the home rules section but they are far from clear.

bookwormde

 

[RobDoc]

Transferred points may be banked into the following Use Year, but they cannot be borrowed.

This is spelled out in the POS in a couple of places (at least in earlier POS documents). I have no seen a copy of the BLT documents, so it's possible that something could have changed.

In the original POS documents, transferred points could not be banked or borrowed. The policy was changed a number or years later allowing transferred points to be banked.

In the past there heve been a number of reports of MS allowing members to transfer points prior to the Use Year starting as long they were transferring like Use Years (2009 points into a 2009 Use Year or 2008 points into a 2008 Use Year - but NOT 2008 points into a 2009 Use Year).

 

[permavac]

I think I saw this type of discussion a week or two ago and I'll tell you what I posted about it. I have a small contract so I will need a transfer until I do my next add-on. When I called MS, I was told that I COULD transfer in someone else's next use year points into my next use year. The way she put it, we are able to use those points to book during the 11-month window, so they may be transferred in order to take advantage of that. I am hoping that that is true. Hope you get the same answer and would appreciate an update. Thanks!

Terri

 

[bookwormde]

Since even QA could not find a clear definitive written policy the were sending it to compliance, maybe it will have them clear it up in the offering statement, web site and planner so everyone is on the same page.

I will definitely let you know what the outcome is.

bookwormde

 

[Dean]

Normally you can transfer the following UY points points once your current UY has started, for points transferred in, it's likely to be the UY of the one doing the transfer that determines the date the points can be transferred. The only exceptions are likely to be with multiple separate contracts of a single owner. It is something DVC could change on the fly if they wanted, they have at least once in the past. And they could suspect banking and borrowing on a whim if they wanted. Even then, the 2011 trip would have to occur in the 2010 UY to use the banked 2009 points and to use 2009 points from both native and transferred in points, the 2011 trip would have to fall within the UY for BOTH the transferred and native points. Transferred points cannot be borrowed and this is clearly spelled out in the POS. It is not spelled out about which UY can be transferred or not, it's open to DVC's interpretation. The above info has been their interpretation in most cases, when they have given a different answer it has always been MORE restrictive that I posted above from what I've seen.

Both members must be closed on any contracts applicable, one transfer in OR out per UY for any master contract, the transferred points are supposed to retain their UY and home resort and MS has gotten better at this. However, it is not still absolute and it must be done manually do use the home resort priority of the points transferred in. That means it takes a day or two and one is unlikely to get anything you'd have to call at 9 am on day 1 go get.

 

[5forDiz]

I think I saw this type of discussion a week or two ago and I'll tell you what I posted about it. I have a small contract so I will need a transfer until I do my next add-on. When I called MS, I was told that I COULD transfer in someone else's next use year points into my next use year. The way she put it, we are able to use those points to book during the 11-month window, so they may be transferred in order to take advantage of that. I am hoping that that is true. Hope you get the same answer and would appreciate an update. Thanks!

Terri

Like, for example, if in January 2009 you wanted to utilize 11 month booking window for reservation in December 2009 and your Use Year is February and the member transferring the points to you has a Use Year of March then transfer of that member's 2009 Use Year points can be made into your 2009 Use Year NOW (even though you are both still in your 2008 Use Year) in order for you to make reservation with those transferred points at 11 month window ?

I am not an expert on transfers but I would say, as the cm at MS told you, that this can be done. Although transferred points are supposed to be from the current Use Year of the member that is doing the transfer & using the above as an example those points would be from the ~upcoming~ 2009 Use Year allotment at the point this transfer would happen it would seem that MS would allow it because those transferred points will not be utilized until during that 2009 Use Year.

 

[permavac]

Like, for example, if in January 2009 you wanted to utilize 11 month booking window for reservation in December 2009 and your Use Year is February and the member transferring the points to you has a Use Year of March then transfer of that member's 2009 Use Year points can be made into your 2009 Use Year NOW (even though you are both still in your 2008 Use Year) in order for you to make reservation with those transferred points at 11 month window ?

I am not an expert on transfers but I would say, as the cm at MS told you, that this can be done. Although transferred points are supposed to be from the current Use Year of the member that is doing the transfer & using the above as an example those points would be from the ~upcoming~ 2009 Use Year allotment at the point this transfer would happen it would seem that MS would allow it because those transferred points will not be utilized until during that 2009 Use Year.

Yes - that all sounds about right - and is what I'm hoping for anyway. Hope they don't change this before I get my hands on some points!

 

[5forDiz]

Yes - that all sounds about right - and is what I'm hoping for anyway. Hope they don't change this before I get my hands on some points!

Hope it all goes well for you !! post back and let us know.

Best wishes
~ Laura

 

[Dean]

I think I saw this type of discussion a week or two ago and I'll tell you what I posted about it. I have a small contract so I will need a transfer until I do my next add-on. When I called MS, I was told that I COULD transfer in someone else's next use year points into my next use year. The way she put it, we are able to use those points to book during the 11-month window, so they may be transferred in order to take advantage of that. I am hoping that that is true. Hope you get the same answer and would appreciate an update. Thanks!

Terri

As I noted, it depends on the UY of the points being transferred in, not your own. So it's possible that you have points transferred in that start after when you want to travel. And they do have to do it manually so it is almost impossible to use it for those most hard to get reservations.

 

[permavac]

As I noted, it depends on the UY of the points being transferred in, not your own. So it's possible that you have points transferred in that start after when you want to travel. And they do have to do it manually so it is almost impossible to use it for those most hard to get reservations.

That's ok - thankfully, we don't travel in the high seasons. When I said "yes" to 5forDiz scenario I was talking about it as a generic example - not that I was looking to book Christmas week or anything. My DH and I don't have kids so we never need to travel on school holidays and honestly, we would rather stay away at those times. So the "11-month window" that I'm talking about can be a 10-month 3-week window. Good warning though - it may help someone who is hoping to do 11-months exactly know that they might miss out.

Also, I was hoping to get my point transfer done soon (and have been speaking to another member about their points) so I called MS today and was told again that I could do a transfer of 2009 points. New information that I received today though was that that would count towards my one-time-use-year-transfer for 2009. I had hoped it would count as 2008. I see why it counts as 2009 of course, just hoping since I was doing it in 2008 that it would count for that. I will have to wait until next year to do my transfer now I think since I need to get all the points in just one transfer and don't have the cash yet for all of them. C'est la vie.

Terri

 

[permavac]

Hope it all goes well for you !! post back and let us know.

Best wishes
~ Laura

Thanks Laura for my first pixie dust wish! I will post back to let everyone know how my scenario works out.

Terri

 

[Dean]

New information that I received today though was that that would count towards my one-time-use-year-transfer for 2009. I had hoped it would count as 2008. I see why it counts as 2009 of course, just hoping since I was doing it in 2008 that it would count for that. I will have to wait until next year to do my transfer now I think since I need to get all the points in just one transfer and don't have the cash yet for all of them. C'est la vie.

Terri

no, it's per UY for the UY in question. Some have actually encountered the problem that one done a UY ahead actually counted as both so they were only getting one transfer for 2 use years.

 

[permavac]

no, it's per UY for the UY in question. Some have actually encountered the problem that one done a UY ahead actually counted as both so they were only getting one transfer for 2 use years.

Wait - so are you saying I was given wrong information? If I buy points today and my UY is March and someone transfers March 09 points into my account it IS supposed to count for a 2008 transfer? If so, how do I convince MS of that or did I just get a newbie?

 

[VLee]

I received a transfer (last June 2008) from another member's 2009 year (June) into my 2009 use year, which also happens to be June. She had to wait until June 1, 2008 in order to be able to transfer the 2009 points to me.

I will bank some of those points into my 2010 use year.

 

[Dean]

Wait - so are you saying I was given wrong information? If I buy points today and my UY is March and someone transfers March 09 points into my account it IS supposed to count for a 2008 transfer? If so, how do I convince MS of that or did I just get a newbie?

NO, I'm saying that it should count as a 2009 transfer BUT some have been told they couldn't do another for the current UY (2008 UY in this situation) after doing a 2009 transfer. Just another example of misinformation from MS but still aggravating to deal with.

 

[permavac]

NO, I'm saying that it should count as a 2009 transfer BUT some have been told they couldn't do another for the current UY (2008 UY in this situation) after doing a 2009 transfer. Just another example of misinformation from MS but still aggravating to deal with.

Ohhhh... Gotcha. OK - I didn't get that far. Thanks for the heads up.

Terri