# DRI experts-SIL needs help w/DRI expiring Points



## momeason (Nov 17, 2013)

My SIL and BIL own Diamond Points. They bought at Point at Poipu many years ago when it was affiliated with Embassy Suites. We were at the Point with them  in 2007 and they almost converted to Sunterra Points but we talked them into rescinding. A few years later they were talked into converting to diamond Points. We did not find out until too late to save them. ( Slow learners, I guess)

Anyway, we saw them today and SIL begged me to help her try to get something out of their expiring points. They have 2 years of points at least equal to 2 weeks, 2 bedroom oceanfront. They could not even tell me how many. The points are still in DRI and expire 12/31/2013.
I know very little about how the DRI points work and they have not booked anything since they converted to points. They have an II account but they have not created a user name for that yet either. They are supposed to get me all the DRI and II info today so I can handle it for them.
Do they have any good options for these points? Are the points still marketable
when they are about to expire?
I assume it is too late to move the points to II. I hope I am wrong.
SIL and BIL are hoping to go to Hawaii early in 2014. Is there anyway to use these expiring points to book a trip in 2014? Is there a way to pay to extend the points in DRI or to deposit them this late in II and pay II to extend the deposit. 
I do an excellent job managing my TS and II accounts , but I need a DRI points expert to help me to help her. I know nothing about the DRI points system.
She wanted to know if she could book 2 weeks and rent them out. I told her she would get very little for a week between now and 12-31 because of the late notice. So experts..weigh in please!
(As an aside, the business sense of my SIL is non existent. 2 years ago she took her inheritance and opened a wine shop in a very poor location and is now stuck working in her shop 6 days a week for very little money. She now realizes she made a mistake, but if she closes the shop..she loses her investment. No one else would buy the shop since it barely makes any money.)


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Nov 17, 2013)

momeason said:


> My SIL and BIL own Diamond Points. They bought at Point at Poipu many years ago when it was affiliated with Embassy Suites. We were at the Point with them  in 2007 and they almost converted to Sunterra Points but we talked them into rescinding. A few years later they were talked into converting to diamond Points. We did not find out until too late to save them. ( Slow learners, I guess)
> 
> Anyway, we saw them today and SIL begged me to help her try to get something out of their expiring points. They have 2 years of points at least equal to 2 weeks, 2 bedroom oceanfront. They could not even tell me how many. The points are still in DRI and expire 12/31/2013.
> I know very little about how the DRI points work and they have not booked anything since they converted to points. They have an II account but they have not created a user name for that yet either. They are supposed to get me all the DRI and II info today so I can handle it for them.
> ...



At this point they have two options:

1. Use them to book a stay within the Diamond system with check-in no later than Dec. 31.

2. Use them to book something in II anytime within the next two years. They may need to act quickly, as there may be a date after which they can no longer use those points in II.  If they get a reservation made in II they can always cancel it and still have the II credit to make another booking.


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## momeason (Nov 17, 2013)

Is there a thread that explains how to book an II exchange with their Diamond Points? They have never used II, not have they used their Diamond Points. They have only used this ownership to book their week in Hawaii.
They want to go to Hawaii in January-March, 2014 timeframe.

If they can use these expiring points to get that done, then they could bank their new 2014 points. 
What is the deadline for banking their 2014 points so this does not happen next year?


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## csalter2 (Nov 17, 2013)

robcrusoe said:


> My answer that they must book a 2013 II exchange was predicated on
> pg42 of _A Guide to Global Membership_
> 
> it is not clear whether they're talking about the 31Oct deadline to save 25% of your allocated points or if you have until that date to book current year and saved points to the following year......
> ...


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## csalter2 (Nov 17, 2013)

It is unfortunate, but it seems that your SIL will just be out of luck with using two years of points unless she is able to find reservations and stay at a DRI resort by December 31st.  

I don't always like to suggest this to people, but since your SIL seems to delay her reservations, it might be best that she automatically save her points into the next year after she pays her maintenance fees.  She can still use the points in the same year even though she pushed them into the next year.  The only disadvantage to doing this would be if she decided to make a reservation for the year she saved, if she decided to cancel the reservation, if points would be due back to her they would revert back to the year of issue and she would have to use them before that year was out. For example, when she pays her 2014 mf's, she can immediately save 2014 points into 2015. She can use the 2014 points in 2014 or 2015.  If she makes a  reservation later on in 2014 for time in 2014, her 2014 points will be used for that reservation.  However, if she for some reason decided to cancel that reservation, those 2014 points will now stay in the 2014 year and can no longer be used in 2015. So once you bring those saved points back into the year they came from they are stuck in that year and cannot be saved back again into the future year.


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## csalter2 (Nov 17, 2013)

robcrusoe said:


> Details would be of further interest to DRI members here.



For example, I called DRI about a getaway to the Marriott Desert Spring Villas for last summer, the rep gave me an additional discount for the getaway and I did not even ask. 

That's why I say call and ask. I have had other types of services as it pertains to reservations and fees that reps handle well.


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## momeason (Nov 17, 2013)

So the consensus is that I will have to ask DRI to let me use the expiring 2013 points in II at this late date. I will be unable to do it myself online. I will have to pretend to be my SIL to get all the answers I need.
SIL cannot travel in 2013…no vacation available. Using a DRI week now is not an option.


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## csalter2 (Nov 17, 2013)

*Just Happy*



robcrusoe said:


> So it was a cash discount that may have come with your level of DRI membership, or may have been an II promotion that you just didn't know about.



I fully understood what it was supposed to be prior to calling DRI. I was looking for something else at the time which I can't remember right now.  I was surprised when she told me to hold on a second and came back with an additional discount upon the one that I already had.  I was just a happy little camper.


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## csalter2 (Nov 17, 2013)

*Limited Options*



momeason said:


> So the consensus is that I will have to ask DRI to let me use the expiring 2013 points in II at this late date. I will be unable to do it myself online. I will have to pretend to be my SIL to get all the answers I need.
> SIL cannot travel in 2013…no vacation available. Using a DRI week now is not an option.



Well, from what others are saying you may be able to book with II for 2013 and then cancel to get a replacement week for next year.  The other option would be to find places near bowl games or get Polo Towers for New Year's Eve and rent it.


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## csalter2 (Nov 17, 2013)

*2014 points are paid.*



robcrusoe said:


> No, she can, as discussed above, make an II reservation for 2013 and cancel it, receiving a Replacement Cancellation week good for a year from date of cancellation.
> 
> 
> Another disadvantage, when you bring points back, it's really advancing the latter years points and you may well be charged latter year MFs in advance, to do this.



That's not true. If you bring 2014 points back from 2015 to make a 2014 reservation, you don't have to pay any maintenance fees for 2015 because you would have already paid the maintenance fees for the 2014 points.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Nov 17, 2013)

momeason said:


> So the consensus is that I will have to ask DRI to let me use the expiring 2013 points in II at this late date. I will be unable to do it myself online. I will have to pretend to be my SIL to get all the answers I need.



That's what it appears.  According to my Member Guide:



> Members can use points saved from the previous year to make a booking with II for the following year, therefore having a potential three-year term for usage (e.g., if a member saved 2012 points to 2013, he or she could make an II exchange reservation in 2013 for arrival in 2014.  The deadline to to do his is October 31 of every year.



Since it's past October 31,  special dispensation from DRI will be needed to use it in II.

If the points can't be used in II her only option is to try to find a place to stay on short notice.  Then either try to rent, or find someone who might be able to make a trip and gift the accommodations to someone.  

There is another angle to try.  

Point at Poipu is affiliated with both RCI and II as a resort, on behalf of owners who are not part of the DRI Club.  In that capacity, the resort bulk banks weeks. One of the advantages of a bulk banking system is that for someone in SIL's situation the resort simply transfers one of their bulk banked weeks into the owners account.

So, perhaps it may be possible to have one of those resort bulk banked transferred to the account, as a deposited week.  That would have to be worked out through the Club, since Club members cannot interface directly with resort reservations.  I think the chances of success are slim, but it might be worth a try.  To swing it,  you're going to have to get up the chain of command at DRI reservations.


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