# questions if not enough points



## Chowmainia (May 2, 2011)

Hello,
I am currently doing some research around DVC and I just had a simple question.
If I happen to be in a situation where I am just short some points for a vacation. Does DVC provide a way to pay cash to make up the difference (ex. rent points from them?) or would I have to find another owner and rent directly through them or via a third party company?

thanks.


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## tlwmkw (May 2, 2011)

I think all the options you suggest are possible.  DVC would be the most expensive way to go, and you can rent/borrow points from other DVC members.  If they own at a different resort then you would have to wait until 7 months to book with the borrowed points but if they own at same resort you could use the 11 month booking window.

tlwmkw


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## heathpack (May 2, 2011)

Chowmainia said:


> Hello,
> I am currently doing some research around DVC and I just had a simple question.
> If I happen to be in a situation where I am just short some points for a vacation. Does DVC provide a way to pay cash to make up the difference (ex. rent points from them?) or would I have to find another owner and rent directly through them or via a third party company?
> 
> thanks.



You can rent up to 24 points per year from Disney directly at $14/pt.  These points can only be rented from 0-7 months prior to the reservation.

You could also rent points from another DVC owner for about $10/pt or a rental service for something like $12-$13/pt.  You can rent any number of points from these sources.

H


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## chalee94 (May 3, 2011)

Chowmainia said:


> If I happen to be in a situation where I am just short some points for a vacation...



*transfer pts direct from DVC (i think it's $15 per pt, but the other info is accurate - these are only valid inside 7 months.)

*transfer pts from another DVC owner - can be hard to find but if they own at the resort you want, you can then make a reservation up to 11 months out and you would control the reservation.

*rent a whole night or 2 from another DVC owner - you would be like a non-owner renter and could not call DVC to verify or change anything about that part of the reservation.

*call DVC member services and see if they have the last night or 2 available as a cash reservation - if a DVC villa is available, they might even have a 25% discount but it would still be more expensive.


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## dvc_john (May 3, 2011)

The easiest method is to just borrow the points needed from your next use year. No fee involved. (Assuming you haven't already borrowed your entire allotment from the next use year and are still short of points.)


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## Chowmainia (May 5, 2011)

Thank you for all the replies. It has been quite helpful. 
Just out of curiosity, has it been difficult to plan vacations so that all points are used and none are wasted? is it a common situation where people will have a small amount of points left over that just end up being wasted (and hence, becomes like a hidden tax by disney)?


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## Twinkstarr (May 5, 2011)

Chowmainia said:


> Thank you for all the replies. It has been quite helpful.
> Just out of curiosity, has it been difficult to plan vacations so that all points are used and none are wasted? is it a common situation where people will have a small amount of points left over that just end up being wasted (and hence, becomes like a hidden tax by disney)?



You can bank left over points to the next UY. I've been a member for almost 5 yrs and never have lost one of my 650 points(with 2 home resorts)


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## chalee94 (May 6, 2011)

Chowmainia said:


> is it a common situation where people will have a small amount of points left over that just end up being wasted (and hence, becomes like a hidden tax by disney)?



nah.  i haven't lost any so far.  if you are a planner (and don't take a lot of big risks by booking a stay late in your use year - which can really put you in a bind if you have to cancel at the last minute), it's not likely you'll lose any pts.

there is some speculation that in 2041 or so, DVC may suspend banking/borrowing for the older resorts...might lose a few at the end...but by then i probably won't care.


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## glypnirsgirl (May 11, 2011)

Chowmainia said:


> Thank you for all the replies. It has been quite helpful.
> Just out of curiosity, has it been difficult to plan vacations so that all points are used and none are wasted? is it a common situation where people will have a small amount of points left over that just end up being wasted (and hence, becomes like a hidden tax by disney)?



Unlike the others, I have occasionally lost points. I have been a member since 1994, so a really long time, and I would have lost 13 points this year that had been banked to 2010 (my use year is December) and those extra points would have expired December 2011. That was an anomaly caused by the fact that our 3 trips in 2010 were all made using RCI. So we used very few of our points.

I have occasionally lost them at other times as well. Those earlier losses were due to not understanding the DVC system very well and all those earlier losses could have been avoided if I knew then what I know now. I learned how to use my points much more effectively over on mouseowners.com - still a great place to learn about DVC.

elaine


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## blondietink (May 28, 2011)

No, I have never lost any points since becoming a DVC member in 2005.  We have never borrowed, either.  The first year we owned we banked the entire year into the next year, as we were given a free trip through Make A Wish.


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## chriskre (May 28, 2011)

Never lost a single point yet.
I'm always borrowing wayyyyyy ahead.  I've yet to bank any points.
I think I need more points cause this year I even rented points from Disney.  

If you are always borrowing points you'll never lose any.


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## tomandrobin (May 29, 2011)

Piling on....

Never lost a point yet.


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## heathpack (May 29, 2011)

chriskre said:


> If you are always borrowing points you'll never lose any.



Although this sounds tongue-in-cheek, if you own with DVC you come to realize that this makes a lot of sense.  If you always borrow, you never have to worry about banking deadlines or wasted points.  We intentionally borrow points every year and try to keep our current UY as empty as possible.

I totally agree that the easiest plans to execute are those in which you use points either every year or every-other-year.  The every 3rd year strategies are more glitchy.

H


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## glypnirsgirl (Jun 4, 2011)

heathpack said:


> I totally agree that the easiest plans to execute are those in which you use points either every year or every-other-year.  The every 3rd year strategies are more glitchy.
> 
> H



I agree with this. The times that I have lost points, I was using my points every 3 years. 

elaine


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## chunkygal (Jul 4, 2011)

If I am not going to use my points, I either bank them or rent them. I have transferred to other members, but prefer to do this when I have a larger number. From members is cheaper than from DIsney. I have never had a problem with renting either buying or selling.


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