DRI

[chexchy]

Is it true that you can use your points to pay for MF? How do you do that? is it worth it to use points for MF or is it cheaper just to pay MF by cash/credit card.
I am new to dri and want find out more and to take advantage of what I can!
thanks
Chexchy

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Is it true that you can use your points to pay for MF? How do you do that? is it worth it to use points for MF or is it cheaper just to pay MF by cash/credit card.
I am new to dri and want find out more and to take advantage of what I can!
thanks
Chexchy

I believe that option is available only to members who are Gold level. If you do so, you have to do this by a certain date (September 1, maybe?) of the preceding year, and you can only use points for the year for which you will be paying fees.

So let's say that you wanted to pay 2016 fees using points. You would need to let DRI know in 2015 that you intended to pay your 2016 fees using points, and you could not use any 2015 points you might have to pay those 2016 fees.

********

But if I were you I wouldn't worry about the details. It is almost never a good idea to use DRI points for anything other than reservations and exchanges. When you use DRI points for anything else, DRI has to monetize the points to pay for what you are requesting by using the points to reserve inventory which they rent out to the general public. You end up taking a hair cut on the deal. When I looked at travel services one time, I figured I was getting back about $0.35 on the dollar.

It certainly doesn't work on maintenance fees, either. When that was an option for me (before it was restricted to Gold and higher), it only covered about half of the maintenance fees. In other words if I would have given DRI all of my 2016 points to pay my 2016 fees, it would have covered about half of my fees. What's the logic in giving them all of my points, then still having to pay them half again for the privilege of doing so?

The only scenario in which it might makes sense to monetize DRI points in any fashion is if you have points that you simply cannot use and the only shred of value you can get from them is by monetizing them.

 

[gjw007]

It is possible but is only available to platinum members (other tiers had been allowed in the past but changed a couple years ago). Last year dri billed the us collection member 14.58 cents per point plus us collection fee plus club fees but will only give you 4 cents per point to pay for maintenance fees.

So lets say you have 50,000 points and to make the math easier, you pay 15 cents per point or $7500. To use your points to pay for maintenance fees, you pay diamond $100 and get $2000 (5000 × .04) back from diamond leaving you owing diamond $5600 (7500 + 100 - 2000) in maintenance fees. Not much of a benefit, you still owe diamond maintenance fees but you get to use none of the resorts as you have no points left since you used them to pay the maintenance fee

This is true for other "benefits" as well such as travel service. A standard member will get 7 cents back per point. Even platinum, which has the best return, gets only 10 cents per point back. Using points for anything other than room reservations is a money loser to you.

 

[chexchy]

Thanks very much for your advise. The sale rep. Is a big fat liar. He told me to use half of my points to pay mf and use the other half to enjoy. Is there anyway to sue those sale rep. They are R.E agents and they lie and misinformed Byers over and over.
Thanks

 

[artringwald]

Thanks very much for your advise. The sale rep. Is a big fat liar. He told me to use half of my points to pay mf and use the other half to enjoy. Is there anyway to sue those sale rep. They are R.E agents and they lie and misinformed Byers over and over.
Thanks

If it's not in a written contract, there's little chance you can win. Timeshare sales people are famous for their lies. The only ones worse are the companies that promise they'll help you get rid of your timeshare. At least when you buy a timeshare, you get something that you can use. A company that promises to get rid of your timeshare will take your money, and you'll still be stuck with the timeshare.

 

[TUGBrian]

never trust a salesman who relies on you believing what he says to get paid.

 

[friedshrimp]

I believe that option is available only to members who are Gold level. If you do so, you have to do this by a certain date (September 1, maybe?) of the preceding year, and you can only use points for the year for which you will be paying fees.

So let's say that you wanted to pay 2016 fees using points. You would need to let DRI know in 2015 that you intended to pay your 2016 fees using points, and you could not use any 2015 points you might have to pay those 2016 fees.

********

But if I were you I wouldn't worry about the details. It is almost never a good idea to use DRI points for anything other than reservations and exchanges. When you use DRI points for anything else, DRI has to monetize the points to pay for what you are requesting by using the points to reserve inventory which they rent out to the general public. You end up taking a hair cut on the deal. When I looked at travel services one time, I figured I was getting back about $0.35 on the dollar.

It certainly doesn't work on maintenance fees, either. When that was an option for me (before it was restricted to Gold and higher), it only covered about half of the maintenance fees. In other words if I would have given DRI all of my 2016 points to pay my 2016 fees, it would have covered about half of my fees. What's the logic in giving them all of my points, then still having to pay them half again for the privilege of doing so?

The only scenario in which it might makes sense to monetize DRI points in any fashion is if you have points that you simply cannot use and the only shred of value you can get from them is by monetizing them.

Just as an FYI, when using the Loyalty cruise program, you get 30 cents per point (Gold/Plat) or 20 cents a point (Silver) in benefits.