Wanted to share my not great experience with MS regarding renting points

[jolynne28]

I listed a confirmed reservation with https://dvcrequest.com/ that recently rented. I got all the info from David's and called MS to change the reservation to the renters' info. I've never done this before, so maybe I'm the idiot here, but the moment I said the word "rent" the woman began lecturing me on how renting is not allowed and their calls are recorded and my membership is for personal use only, this went on and on. I'm not even sure I said much while she read me the riot act, and at the end she insisted I say that I was changing the reservation to "family and friends".
I understand that Disney is cracking down on commercial renters and am glad for that, but she made it seem like no renting is allowed at all, as if I was profiting off my vacation club membership. I didn't appreciate being scolded like a child, and was wholly unprepared for it. I let David's know what happened, and offered that maybe they could include some language for owners to use when calling. They were very interested in how the conversation played out and said they were 100% operating within the boundaries of DVC.
Anyway, when some random stranger rents your points and you have to make the call to MS, they are now a part of your family/friend group, so make sure you know how to pronounce their names.

 

[byurick]

It's stories like this that worry me. With all the speculation about commercial renting and hoping they try to limit it on these boards it seems like in the end they will go after the little guy (you and me) instead and call it a "victory" just so they can say they've done something. Then it will be business as usual.

 

[atthebeachclub]

This is the sort of thing that makes me want to decrease my ownership of points rather than buy more directly.

 

[jolynne28]

This is the sort of thing that makes me want to decrease my ownership of points rather than buy more directly.

If was very off-putting and I will admit that I was a little offended, which is stupid. But when you spent as much money as a lot of us on this board do on Disney, it stung to be treated like I was doing something wrong or had bad intentions. She even weirdly mentioned that she had spoken to me before b/c she remembered my name. I have rarely called MS, and all other interactions have been pleasant.

 

[Sandisw]

I would send an email to MS because these CMs are outright lying to owners if telling you you can’t rent.

They need to be trained better but then again, IMO, this is more to make owners think twice so they can say they have done something.

My speculation is that as long as owners simply agree it’s personal use, which does include renters, then they have something for those who may cross the line into commercial.

I have read other reports like yours and people are sending negative feedback to DVC about it.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

What’s so offensive to me about this is that it’s an “enforcement action” that’s causing stress and uncertainty for owner-users who rent once in a blue moon when something comes up, but (as we’ve seen on other threads) the owners who are using their membership and individual rentals to maximize income won’t feel the slightest qualms of guilt about saying it’s actually a friend even as they charge $40/pt or more, certain their 5th rental of the year is personal use.

 

[VGCgroupie]

You were 100% right to be offended. I would have been offended for many reasons. They can lay out the "rules" but to berate someone is not okay. Also, I cant believe she said you should just lie about it being family and friends. I am okay with saying personal use but not family and friends. I would email somebody high up within DVC with time and date of the call and demand an explanation as to why you were treated like a DVC criminal (especially when those type of criminals exist everywhere within DVC renting groups) I am mad for you.

 

[kilik64]

Here comes the FUD.

What if you were not a very informed member such as found here?

 

[intamin]

I guarantee their lecturing to the everyday person who is operating within the confines of the rules of DVC will do nothing to reduce commercial renting. This is just helping guide commercial renters know their way around what to say on the phone while making DVC a less desirable product to own out of fear of not being able to sell unused points. But yeah sorry you went through that OP, ridiculous.

 

[stat]

I'm sorry you went through that, it's so frustrating that the CMs aren't better trained on our rights as owners.

I think DVC needs to change their phone / checkbox question. "Personal use" sure does sounds like "only for me and my family personally" so I get the confusion of owners and CMs alike. I wish they'd use the words "private" or "non-commercial" instead. E.g., they could confirm that a reservation is for "private, non-commercial use as outlined in the TOS."

Related: I can privately rent out my house for up to 14 days per year and pay zero federal income taxes on it. While this is done to make money, the IRS is clear that this is below what would constitute a commercial / business use. So just because money is being made with a DVC rental (even "profit," on a per-point basis) that does not mean it's risen to the level or a commercial activity.

 

[VGCgroupie]

I guarantee their lecturing to the everyday person who is operating within the confines of the rules of DVC will do nothing to reduce commercial renting. This is just helping guide commercial renters know their way around what to say on the phone while making DVC a less desirable product to own out of fear of not being able to sell unused points. But yeah sorry you went through that OP, ridiculous.

I completely agree. Commercial renters have already figured out how they will game the system. When asked they say personal use and dont even bat an eye when doing so, so they wont get lectured. I don't know DVC's plans but as its sits now it appears to becoming a cluster (insert expletive here)

 

[Brian Noble]

I think we are still in the middle of it. The jury is still out, as far as I'm concerned.