who has rented points as a non-DVC member...your experiences please!!!!!

[seashorebride]

I want to rent pts for honeymoon...just give me your advice on the legitimate way to go about it...

 

[Dean]

I'm a member and have rented points to others in the past (no plans to rent for the near future though). You want to decide what resort, days and unit size you want/need. Preferably you'd then know the points required for your desired destination and you can shop by home resort and number of points needed as well as price. Decide how much you're willing to pay and find someone you're comfortable with. If your set on a specific resort and plan on booking more than 7 months out, you must find someone that owns at that resort. I'd recommend booking at 11 months out if you can, your chances of getting exactly what you want are much greater.

Expect to pay around $10 pp unless you're willing to wait and try last minute but at times the price may vary higher or lower. This method does take away most of your other choices though and I don't think the savings are worth the risk unless you're very flexible.

You should know that you are not guaranteed member perks like park passes or pool hopping. There is not daily maid service though you may get one full cleaning and/or a trade and towel day depending on the length of your stay. Many people who rent (myself included) stipulate that it is non refundable. Most require a deposit and the remainder at some specified time though there is a lot of variability. Some take paypal but may ask you to pay the fees, others do not. The risks involved in the rental are simply the chances you must take for the great savings but you can minimize your risks. Remember though the member is taking risks on you as well and I can tell you from a personal experience that this can be aggravating when the renter doesn't uphold their part of the bargain.

If you can avoid or at least minimize Fri and Sat nights, you will get a much better value. I gave my Brother and his wife a trip to OKW, some spending money and a limo to from the resort for their Honeymoon. At the time it included free park passes. I think though that BCV or BWV would be the best bet for your venture due to the location and a studio should be fine though a 1 BR would be great with the large bath and whirlpool tub. If you plan at 11 months out you may be able to get a standard view at BWV which will be less points. All options will be great though so good luck and enjoy.

 

[seashorebride]

Your advice is greatly appreciated!!! Does anyone have any tips as to decipher whether a renter is legit or not? I am still scared about this whole process!!!!!!

 

[kabaird]

I've rented points on two different vacations. Once through a DVC member on ebay and once through the rent and trade board on this site. I have to say working through this site was by far the easiest. The prices were resonable and the member I worked with was very helpful. Just remember to start your quest early and have a few options open (like room type and resort).

While I've never heard of anyone loosing their money due to a 'fakie' DVC owner. Please be aware that some people (somewhere) will just take your money without being an actual DVC member.

I'm curious to hear from DVC members and non-DVC members who have had problems, if that is even possible.

Personally, I've had no problems, ever, and plan on renting from members until I become a member myself!

 

[RobinMarie]

I had an excellent experience renting from a member for a trip this past December. We were both apprehensive about the process and both of us had ideas on how to come up with a contract.

I had asked for a copy of his DVC membership card along with the contract. We both checked each others DIS posts and other things to make ourselves feel best about the whole transaction. I verified the reservation before I sent the deposit, after I sent the final payment and just before leaving.

Everything went well for us!

 

[ktbugsmom]

I have rented points from DVC members on three separate occassions. Each DVC member who rented points to me was wonderful, professional and truly helpful. On my first renting experience, I was nervous too. When the DVC member emailed and told me he had made a reservation, I panicked, because I would have to send a check to someone I never met. However, he graciously calmed my fears. Gave me his personal information (family, job etc) and promised me he was not about to ruin his reputation over a few hundred dollars. He immediately gave me the confirmation # and the 800# for MS, and I called member services to check to make sure the reservation was made. It was, and I rented two more times after that.

I love DVC so much, that I am in the process of buying a resale at BWV! Should close in a couple weeks.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by kabaird
I'm curious to hear from DVC members and non-DVC members who have had problems, if that is even possible.

I'll answer this again from the perspecitive of an owner who's rented out points as there are 2 sides for every story.

The first problem I had was that I entered an agreement with a member of this board (I don't think she was then) who was renting for a friend. I clearly stated this was non refundable and that the points would be borrowed (she's an owner). The friend didn't follow through and so she backed out. I was able to rent the accomodations for about the same with just a small cost in auction fees but it left a bad taste in m mouth.

The other was very recent. Someone contacted me about a rental and we made an agreement. He called so much of the info was by phone. I'm pretty certain I told him on initial contact it was nonrefundable but can't document it. He was thrilled to get the reservation then after I'd made it and he said OK, he sent me an email asking about cancellation policy. I responded that he was free to try to change the reservation using the points. Since I'd told him by phone (or at least am pretty certain I did), I didn't state point blank again it was non refundable. He then sent me a copy of the confirmation with the word cancelled written across it. When I inquired, he said he had sent me 2 additional messages asking about the cancellation but I never got them, else I would have responded. The bottom line is he didn't know what he was getting into and went back on his word when he realized the risks of renting. He had my phone as we'd talked before and I'd attachehed it to the bottow of every message including the one about resheduling. That's why I like email, things are there in black and white.

 

[ktbugsmom]

I agree with Dean that the majority of the burden is on the DVC owner. I treated my renting of points as a "business deal". When I entered into my rental agreements (all over email), I sent payment in full the day the reservations were made and the reservation was confirmed. One trip was booked 8 months in advance! I didn't feel it was fair for the renter to have to deal with me potentially cancelling - so I paid in full.

I will admit, I have become friends with one of the DVC members that I have rented from. One time, I wanted to switch the dates of my trip. She tried to switch reservations, but it did not work. So, I stood by my agreement, and went with the initial arrangement.

So in my opinion, being the rentee is easy. The DVC member has to deal with the potential cancellations etc.

 

[CarolMN]

Most (but not all) of the owners who rent points to strangers have done so before. If you are looking for more reassurance than a personal conversation and reading previous DIS posts, ask the owner for references - i.e., from others who have rented from him/her in the past.

FWIW, I have never read any "bad" reports about owners not following through or cheating the renter from anyone who rented points from an owner through this board. Of course, that is no guarantee, but I also think the owners assume more risk than than the person they rent to. There have been posts about renters who don't keep their end of the bargain.

Be sure that you understand the terms of the deal - as mentioned, it varies, depending on the owner. Pay particular attention to the cancellation policy. If you think there is a chance your plans will not stay firm, rent through Disney!

Good luck and congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

 

[fkj2]

I've seen this in a previous post, about a DVC member willing to copy their membership card and send it to a potential renter. Don't expect all DVC members to do that. I, for one, am unwilling to provide my member ID. References, insist on, if the member has rented before, and a copy of the confirmation or pay in increments until you feel comfortable with the member but don't expect to receive their member ID.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I have rented points from a DVC member, and because of it, we are now owners. I met this person through Ebay, very nice, trustful person. I will admit, at first I was very nervous, because I didn't know how the whole thing worked, but as things happened as he said they would, I relaxed, and by the time we left on our trip, I felt as if I had booked through a travel agent.

I posted on the rent/trade board about trading points, and amazingly, he was the one who responded. I wasn't even aware that he was a DIS member..so we are both thrilled to be in another transaction with each other, because we know we can trust each other.

I would say, renting from a DVC member can be a great experience...you may end up with a new friend. Just do your homework, and be careful, but like other;s have said, most DVCer's are ligit and trustworthy.

 

[mikesmom]

We have rented twice. The first time, we had a trip planned, I broke my leg and put the reservation itself up for rent. Since it was for BWV during the Food & Wine Fest, I got a taker pretty quick. We exchanged a few emails and phone numbers, I switched the name on the ressie, she sent me a certified check, I sent her the actual reservation and all was well. apparently she enjoyed it.

The 2nd time did not go quite as well. Hubby's DS was going to WDW with a couple of her children and all their assorted kids (came to 4 adults, 4 children and a baby). Well obviously, they were looking at OKW at a cash rate going in. DH offered to rent them our points, saving them at least $1000 on the reservation (probably would need the savings to pay for all the car seats - ALL the kids were under 6). We had to borrow points from 2004 to cover the deal. Anyway, the war in Iraq started, they got nervous about traveling and cancelled. Since you can't bank borrowed points, we had a boatload of points to use or reallocate. I got some reallocated to a preplanned trip, and rearranged those points. Ended up having to take a trip, rent or lose about 65 points. I decided we could use an extra little trip. So there's no down side but it was a bit of a pain.

 

[RustyKan]

We have rented points twice-both times from this board. It has worked out great. We know it is nonrefundable but you can buy insurance if you want. Each time, once the owner has confirmed the time and resort are availabe, I have sent half of the total cost. Then when the owner sends me the reservation confirmation, I send the rest of the money. Both times the owners called me before money was sent to confirm all we had decided on. The last owner did a three way phone call when she made the intial reservation--this worked great. I knew the ressie was made and could give the operator all my information directly. If you decide to go this route, check the boards daily because I have found rental points to go fast if you want a specific resort. Good Luck and Happy Honeymoon!

 

[VickiVM]

I rented points from a DVC'er for our trip last fall. The trip was to originally include my family of 5, my mom and my sister's family of 6 (12 total). We started out with three rooms at AllStars to make it economical. Then I started researching a Grand Villa at OKW so we could all stay together in nice digs. I contacted a few owners here and found out that one was available for our dates. We already had $600 into our AllStars reservations thru WDTC. My sister's family backed out, but I already had myself convinced that we wanted a Home-Away-From-Home. (Once you see the photos, you feel compelled.) So I lurked on the Rent/Trade boards and found someone in April who had until November to use or lose his points. We exchanged info and he called MS to see if BCV were available in Sept/Oct. Since it was the first time for both of us, we threw out suggestions for our own contract which resulted in the following:

*25% of reservation upon confirmation
*50% of reservation (my AllStars $600) as soon as that was refunded - which was around 2 weeks later
*25% (or the balance) by 31 days out of the ressie - I had the extra cash by 60 days out and went ahead and sent it in

We did have a cancellation policy which essentially was 75% refund if cancelled before 31 days out. Within 31 days, I told him I would reschedule before his points expired. I didn't anticipate any reason to cancel other than something catastrophic. But I needed a safe "out" spelled out in case something unforseeable occured such as a medical emergency. When you have kids, you have to plan for the unpredictable.

I admit the whole process was daunting. It's not the same as sending your money to CRO or WDTC. The DVC owner gave me his family website's address that documented the reason he had to rent out his points last year (an overseas baby adoption). After reading his journal of the events leading to the adoption, I felt more comfortable - like I knew him and his family. And BTW, his post to rent his points was only his second posting, so I didn't have any "history" to rely on as far as the boards.

We exchanged copies of photo id's (id# blacked out) and once he gave me the confirmation # of reservation, I was able to call MS and verify. He also sent me the original hard copy of the reservation that was in my name with our address and room requests on it. I was able to call anytime MS was open to verify the reservation was still in the system...and I did often.

Overall, a very comfortable process. I felt good about how we spelled everything out in emails and even sent each other signed copies. It was just a spectacular vacation. True, we didn't have daily maid service, but it was not missed. We tidied up ourselves with little effort and about every other day took out our trash - TO THE TRASH RECEPTACLES, SO THAT NO ONE THINKS WE'RE THOSE TRASHY RENTERS THAT ARE SO INCONSIDERATE AND DON'T CARE SINCE IT'S NOT OUR PROPERTY (sorry, sometimes I take things personally...)

Anyway, we plan on doing this again for our stay next June. I'm impatiently waiting for July 6th to get here so I can "hook up" with another renter and begin the process again for next year.

I have to add, we did get an incredible deal of $8/point since the owner was so close to losing his points. That was just a wonderful accident and I'm anticipating paying $10/point. I could wait and see if I can catch another person needing to unload points for less, but I just don't want to take any chances.

Sorry so long...PM me if you have further questions. I say, don't let doubt and hesitation keep you from renting points. Treat it like a business transaction, spell everything out in writing...everything. And enjoy the time of your life.

 

[Tinkrbell]

I disagree that the DVC OWNER assumes all or most of the responsibility and risk. I feel that the Renter takes a lot larger risk in sending money to a complete stranger!! Usually a large sum at an early time, 75% 7-11 months ahead.

This gives the Rentee an awful lot of time to "back- out", "change their mind", or worse "take the money and run". Even though a contract may be signed, if the Rentee were to do this, the Renter would have an awful lot of work on their hands to try and get the money back. Not to mention the trust, disappointment and added expense of rebooking rooms.

I also don't think your going to find many people on this board who have a bad experience. This is a DVC Member board and a WDW loving board. We are very biased.

 

[SmallPointMe]

Dear SeashoreBride,

I just rented points for the first time and was just as green as you are about all this DVC stuff. But once you read these threads and research all your unanswered questions, you really have nothing to fear. Paying via PayPal is too safe if you put it on your credit card. If your reservation is not confirmed at the DVC resort that you made a payment onyou then PayPal or your credit card could easily dispute the charge. A deposit of say $50.00 is due first, then 30 day prior to your vacation departure the remainder of the room payment is due.....by that time, you should have your....got to go talk later.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by SmallPointMe
Dear SeashoreBride,

I just rented points for the first time and was just as green as you are about all this DVC stuff. But once you read these threads and research all your unanswered questions, you really have nothing to fear. Paying via PayPal is too safe if you put it on your credit card. If your reservation is not confirmed at the DVC resort that you made a payment onyou then PayPal or your credit card could easily dispute the charge. A deposit of say $50.00 is due first, then 30 day prior to your vacation departure the remainder of the room payment is due.....by that time, you should have your....got to go talk later.

I don't think you can successfully dispute the CC charges through paypal. Paypal is the destination merchant as far as the CC company is concerned. What they do with the money is beyond the card company's control.

 

[TDC Nala]

I'm a member but I rent points, too. (Since I got my addon I don't think I'll be renting any more points.)

I would never give out my DVC membership number to a renter or anyone else.

I think the best way to confirm the reservation as a renter is to make sure you get the original printed confirmation from DVC. This will show the member's name but not their member number.

 

[minster22]

I have rented points three times thru this board and each transaction was a bit different in terms but all worked perfectly. I would not hesitate to do this again. I was very nervous the first time because there were 6 other people going with me on the trip (a 50th birthday party!) and if there had been a problem it would have been a disaster. I know from my end, as the renter, I take my side of the bargain very seriously and I think most of the people on these boards do also....that why it works most of the time.

 

[Garretts92]

Originally posted by Dean
I don't think you can successfully dispute the CC charges through paypal. Paypal is the destination merchant as far as the CC company is concerned. What they do with the money is beyond the card company's control.

Dean, I have a paypal account and considered using it to as a payment option for potential renters until I read the fine print on their website about disputed charges. Paypal can not stop a disputed charge for an intangible item. This led me to believe that a renter who wanted to back out could dispute the charge w/ their cc company and your paypal account would be charged back. Since renting points would be considered intangible, I decided it would be safer to ask for certified funds or a money order.