Use Year AGAIN??!! Completley CONFUSED!

[square pond]

We just bought DVC on 8/13. We usually travel in August. Our use year is December which gives us until july 31 to bank and June to cancel..correct?? Can someone explain why this would NOT (or maybe it would??) be a good use year for us. We think we get it and then we don't. Is the best case scenario the longest amount of time left to travel after cancelling or the closest amount of time to your trip to still be able to bank?? It doesn't seem like you can have both??

 

[CarolMN]

If you usually travel in August, a December use year will work just fine.

If you have to cancel the vacation, you need to do it at least 31 days prior to arrival. If you do that, you can either bank the points (your deadline is July 31) or use them for another vacation that ends on or before November 30.

Use year matters because of the banking deadline. With a December use year, points used for vacations scheduled for September, October & November are more "at risk". That's because if you have to cancel, you would be past your banking deadline. The points would have to be used by the end of the use year (November 30) or they expire.

Keep in mind that if you ever cancel a vacation 30 days or less prior to arrival, the banking deadline won't matter. Short notice cancellations mean the points go into the holding account. Holding account points cannot be banked and always expire at the end of the use year. In addition, there are restrictions on using holding points to make a reservation.

If you cancel on the day of arrival, the points are forfeited.

Also keep in mind that your travel habits may change over the course of your membership. A use year that starts out "perfect" may end up to be "not" perfect.

 

[delmar411]

If you cancel 5 days or less prior to arrival, the points are forfeited.

I thought this was 2days prior?

 

[square pond]

If you usually travel in August, a December use year will work just fine.

If you have to cancel the vacation, you need to do it at least 31 days prior to arrival. If you do that, you can either bank the points (your deadline is July 31) or use them for another vacation that ends on or before November 30.

Use year matters because of the banking deadline. With a December use year, points used for vacations scheduled for September, October & November are more "at risk". That's because if you have to cancel, you would be past your banking deadline. The points would have to be used by the end of the use year (November 30) or they expire.

Keep in mind that if you ever cancel a vacation 30 days or less prior to arrival, the banking deadline won't matter. Short notice cancellations mean the points go into the holding account. Holding account points cannot be banked and always expire at the end of the use year. In addition, there are restrictions on using holding points to make a reservation.

If you cancel 5 days or less prior to arrival, the points are forfeited.

Also keep in mind that your travel habits may change over the course of your membership. A use year that starts out "perfect" may end up to be "not" perfect.

Thank you so much for your quick response! We are still trying to understand all the ins and outs. Sometimes it seems the more you read the more confused you get!: I know once we have settled down we will be more relaxed about it but right now we are second guessing everything!

 

[chalee94]

Our use year is December which gives us until july 31 to bank

yes.

and June to cancel..correct??

no. UY has no bearing on when you can cancel without penalty or anything like that.

Is the best case scenario the longest amount of time left to travel after cancelling...??

ideally, yes. if you cancel a december reservation a couple of weeks before arrival and wind up stuck with the dreaded "holding pts", you at least have more time to try to use them before they expire at the end of november. if you cancel an august reservation on short notice, you must act within a shorter window.

please scan through other threads on the DVC boards to learn the ins-and-outs of the DVC program (there are several other threads on UY) and learn to use the search function - this place can be a great resource for figuring out how to best use your DVC pts.

 

[square pond]

Our use year is December which gives us until july 31 to bank

yes.

and June to cancel..correct??

no. UY has no bearing on when you can cancel without penalty or anything like that.

Is the best case scenario the longest amount of time left to travel after cancelling...??

ideally, yes. if you cancel a december reservation a couple of weeks before arrival and wind up stuck with the dreaded "holding pts", you at least have more time to try to use them before they expire at the end of november. if you cancel an august reservation on short notice, you must act within a shorter window.

please scan through other threads on the DVC boards to learn the ins-and-outs of the DVC program (there are several other threads on UY) and learn to use the search function - this place can be a great resource for figuring out how to best use your DVC pts.

Thanks

 

[CarolMN]

I thought this was 2days prior?

Good catch - but we are both wrong, LOL. Here's what the Members' Website says:

Cancelling a reservation 31 or more days prior to check-in:
All Vacation Points used to make the reservation will be restored to your account in the Use Year in which the reservation falls.


Cancelling a reservation 30 days-1 day prior to check-in:
All the Vacation Points used to make the reservation will be placed in the Holding Account in the Use Year in which the reservation falls.


Cancelling a reservation on the check-in date:
All the Vacation Points used to make the reservation will be forfeited.

I will correct my original post. Thanks for catching the error.

 

[DVC 1998]

Unless there are real reasons that cancellation may occur repeatedly, year after year, people tend to over think use year. We are 10 year vets of DVC and the issue has never come up.

 

[segpm08060]

I think that it is a matter of peace of mind. I also have a DEC UY and will normally vacation during the latter part of the year. Should some unexpected situation occur after July 31 and I could not reschedule in the same UY, I could not bank the points. Even if it happens once on 10 or 20 years, it is still a lose.

 

[Ford66]

I have a question about cancelling the day of vacation. Say your flight is cancelled. Can you still come the next day. I assume so. Would they then let you add a day on?

 

[CarolMN]

I have a question about cancelling the day of vacation. Say your flight is cancelled. Can you still come the next day. I assume so. Would they then let you add a day on?

If that happens, be sure to call the resort and let them know asap. Otherwise, they will cancel your entire reservation.

You can add a day on subject to availability. You would still lose the points from the first day, even if you add on a day (unless they sprinkle some pixie dust your way).