What's the Rationale Behind The One Time Only Purchase of Extra Points from DVC?

[DVCLiz]

I ran out of points for an upcoming stay and purchased 6 points from DVC yesterday. Today I wanted to change resorts for one night and I needed another 5 points. I was told the policy was to allow up to 24 points to be purchased, at $15 per point, but that I could only make that transaction once. I was out of luck.

This seems bizarre to me - the personnel was on the phone ready to take my credit card, the villa I wanted to upgrade to was available and being held for me, and I hadn't gone over the 24 points - I had only purchased 6 the day before, and adding 5 more still wouldn't have put me over the total.

It just seems so bizarre to me that I wanted something and was willing to pay for it but DVC did not allow me to proceed with the transaction. Everything else aside, why are they turning down money lol?

Does anyone know the rationale behind this business decision?? Why should DVC care how I want to purchase those extra points?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Just a guess - but essentially they are doing a point transfer. Perhaps it has something to do with the 1 transfer per UY?

 

[DVCLiz]

Just a guess - but essentially they are doing a point transfer. Perhaps it has something to do with the 1 transfer per UY?

I suppose so but it just seems so odd in this circumstance.

 

[PoohsFan1]

You are only allowed to purchase up to 24 points at $15 a point once during your use year, whether you buy 5 points or or the full 24 points, it is just one transaction per year. We have done this ourselves a couple of times in the past and it really works out great for us. I guess the point is that DVC allows you to purchase the extra points that you would need to borrow without having to buy at full point cost.

 

[DVCLiz]

You are only allowed to purchase up to 24 points at $15 a point once during your use year, whether you buy 5 points or or the full 24 points, it is just one transaction per year. We have done this ourselves a couple of times in the past and it really works out great for us. I guess the point is that DVC allows you to purchase the extra points that you would need to borrow without having to buy at full point cost.

Yes, but what's the point of not allowing me to purchase the full 24 even if I do it in more than one transaction? Yesterday I purchased what I thought I would need based on availability, but today a better resort option popped up and I wanted to book it. It's a dumb rule in this case because a)I go away unsatisfied and b)DVC goes away with less money.

I could understand if it required special staff, etc. to be prepared but the guy was on the phone ready to take my credit card info when the DVC rep came back on and explained that I had already had one transaction and couldn't do another.

Again, it just seems like a stupid rule that should be modified in this kind of circumstance.

 

[CarolMN]

I agree that it really doesn't make much sense, unless it was intended to be a help for no more than one reservation per use year.

But my guess is that it's a software limitation of some type.

 

[hakepb]

Supposedly back in the day, there were some owners abusing the points transfer rules...like people transferring distressed points (ie holding points) and after the transfer, the points were "clean" allowing someone to flip a distressed DVC contract into a "fully loaded" one .... So they implemented the one transfer rule...which I'm guessing is now a rule in the computer system.

I agree your situation does not make sense, on the surface..just letting you know that restriction probably exists due to past member abuses of the system.

 

[DVCLiz]

Thanks for the responses. I just wanted someone to share my pain -

And I hope whoever got my 1BR villa at the Beach Club really enjoys it while I am marooned out on the savannah at Jambo House

 

[k3chantal]

Thanks for the responses. I just wanted someone to share my pain -

And I hope whoever got my 1BR villa at the Beach Club really enjoys it while I am marooned out on the savannah at Jambo House

Not a bad place to be marooned. I'll take your savannah view any day!!

(Though I do think the DVC's policy is silly and unproductive).

 

[montrealdisneylovers]

I agree that this is a silly policy. So is the fact that you can only buy them at the 7 month window. What is the logic about not allowing you to buy them at the 11 month window to book at your home resort? I have been trying to figure that one out for a while now too!

 

[tjkraz]

What is the logic about not allowing you to buy them at the 11 month window to book at your home resort? I have been trying to figure that one out for a while now too!

The points being sold as "one time use" points correspond to actual DVC resorts & units just like points owned by members. They are points which are currently unsold, being held by DVC/DVD itself.

These points have a Home resort and the booking rights which accompany that Home. As such, DVC doesn't have the right to expand their use beyond the prescribed booking window.

Right now DVC has millions of unsold points at Animal Kingdom Villas and Aulani. So they could be drawing from either of those inventories in selling the "one time use" points. Or they could be points from a variety of other locations like Vero, Hilton Head or Old Key West which have been reacquired via ROFR, foreclosures or similar activity.

Point being, DVC cannot sell "one time use" points to book BCV, VGC, VWL or others at 11 months if it does not own points which have that right. And rather than muddy the waters and offer to allow some resort bookings at 11 months and others at 7, they simply have a blanket policy of 7 month bookings only.

 

[DVCLiz]

The points being sold as "one time use" points correspond to actual DVC resorts & units just like points owned by members. They are points which are currently unsold, being held by DVC/DVD itself.

These points have a Home resort and the booking rights which accompany that Home. As such, DVC doesn't have the right to expand their use beyond the prescribed booking window.

Right now DVC has millions of unsold points at Animal Kingdom Villas and Aulani. So they could be drawing from either of those inventories in selling the "one time use" points. Or they could be points from a variety of other locations like Vero, Hilton Head or Old Key West which have been reacquired via ROFR, foreclosures or similar activity.

Point being, DVC cannot sell "one time use" points to book BCV, VGC, VWL or others at 11 months if it does not own points which have that right. And rather than muddy the waters and offer to allow some resort bookings at 11 months and others at 7, they simply have a blanket policy of 7 month bookings only.

That does make sense but I'm still puzzled by a blanket policy that doesn't allow a member to give DVC more money for their product 16 days in advance of a stay. It's just dumb not to have exceptions in circumstances like these.

 

[tjkraz]

That does make sense but I'm still puzzled by a blanket policy that doesn't allow a member to give DVC more money for their product 16 days in advance of a stay. It's just dumb not to have exceptions in circumstances like these.

I guess many rules run the risk of alienating folks when viewed in a certain light. There's no functional reason for limiting the purchase to 24 points per year, either.

Safest thing to do is develop a working knowledge of the limitations and adjust accordingly. In your case, you could have considered buying the full 11 points in that first transaction.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Thanks for the responses. I just wanted someone to share my pain -

And I hope whoever got my 1BR villa at the Beach Club really enjoys it while I am marooned out on the savannah at Jambo House

Wow, I wouldn't call it being "marooned" at Jambo house! I'd LOVE it there.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I guess many rules run the risk of alienating folks when viewed in a certain light. There's no functional reason for limiting the purchase to 24 points per year, either.

Safest thing to do is develop a working knowledge of the limitations and adjust accordingly. In your case, you could have considered buying the full 11 points in that first transaction.

Could you buy points without having a need for them? The room became available after she bought some.

 

[tjkraz]

Could you buy points without having a need for them? The room became available after she bought some.

Well, I'm ASSUMING that OP has used all available current and borrowed points.

The rules do not require that you be completely borrowed-out before buying the one time use points. If needing an additional 5 points was a possibility, she could have bought all 11 OTU pts on the first pass and left 5 points un-borrowed for use when/if the alternate accommodations became available.

If the more expensive accommodation had not opened-up, OP would still have paid $15 x 11 points. But those 5 (unborrowed/unused) owned points would remain available for use in the future.

 

[disneynutz]

Does anyone know the rationale behind this business decision?? Why should DVC care how I want to purchase those extra points?

IMO They want to do a add on rather than spending money on one time use points. That's why they restrict their use to 7 months and 24 points.

Remember, one time use points were Disney's PR move after they rebalanced point charts which caused some members to come up short points for their vacations.

Bill

 

[DVCLiz]

I guess many rules run the risk of alienating folks when viewed in a certain light. There's no functional reason for limiting the purchase to 24 points per year, either.

Safest thing to do is develop a working knowledge of the limitations and adjust accordingly. In your case, you could have considered buying the full 11 points in that first transaction.

I didn't know I would need additional points when I bought the extra 6 for the first transaction.

I don't mind that they set a number - 24 is one under the minimum 25 that is or used to be the smallest add on a member could buy, so that number makes sense. I just don't see any reason to say "Sorry, the room you want is now suddenly available and we have the capacity to sell you points easily and you have a credit card in your hand but we're still not going to allow that transaction." It's just a dumb policy.

 

[DVCLiz]

Not a bad place to be marooned. I'll take your savannah view any day!!

(Though I do think the DVC's policy is silly and unproductive).

Wow, I wouldn't call it being "marooned" at Jambo house! I'd LOVE it there.

I was joking - I love Animal Kingdom Lodge and am staying at Kidani the first two nights, although sadly none of my AK villas are in fact savannah views. Standard view is fine, though - I was glad to snag a 1BR at this late date and I love sitting in the rocking chairs overlooking the savannah just off the lobby of Kidani!!

Well, I'm ASSUMING that OP has used all available current and borrowed points.

The rules do not require that you be completely borrowed-out before buying the one time use points. If needing an additional 5 points was a possibility, she could have bought all 11 OTU pts on the first pass and left 5 points un-borrowed for use when/if the alternate accommodations became available.

If the more expensive accommodation had not opened-up, OP would still have paid $15 x 11 points. But those 5 (unborrowed/unused) owned points would remain available for use in the future.

What do you think the chances were of a 1BR villa at the Beach Club opening up in early December less than two weeks out? Are you suggesting I should have just spent $75 randomly in the unlikely event that were to occur?

I have used all my points for 2012 and have borrowed all of 2013. My Use Year is March so I don't have any points to use or borrow. I have another trip planned for February and no possible way to take another trip to use these points you think I should have somehow known to go ahead and purchase.

As I said, I will enjoy staying that night at Jambo House but the Beach Club is fun and I would rather have stayed there for one night. It just seems arbitrary that the one time use rule catches people like me in its eccentricities when a simple override could have gotten us all what we wanted.

 

[dvcterry]

I have to agree that the rule is a bit rigid. We were a couple points shy from booking one category at AKV and it was after hours. We had enough points for OKW or SSR but not all nights were available. Being after hours we had to wait till following day to call ms if we wanted to do one time purchase. It's one of those rules I wish we had an option to do online, and so expressed during the surveys.