So if they said they didn’t have anything for the dates you wanted, but didn’t ask you to select another resort, then they just don’t have the owner with the right points. It isn’t an availability issue, yet.
But without knowing more, no one can give you more advice. If you tell us your dates and where, and how long ago they responded, we can advise to some extent, what your chances are through the two main brokers.
A broker gives you peace of mind. In extreme circumstances (such as an owner falling behind with dues) leading to DVC cancelling the reservation, you would get your money back. They do the due diligence on an owner for you.
What I find interesting about the DVC Guru website are two major things, and something else which worries me.
First - there is nowhere for owners to contact them if they have points to rent out! So how do they actually get owners onto their books? Secondly, there is no info about DVC. The major brokers have information on the resorts, how renting works etc. DVCGuru only have what’s in the contract.
And now for the worrying thing. In the contract it says the renter can transfer the contract to someone else and the owner will help them change the names etc. But it also says the renter is free to sell the reservation if they can’t use it. That could violate DVC rules. Not necessarily, but given there’s no details about it, as an owner I would be very wary of using a broker that allows that. It may be they have safeguards in place, presumably they would arrange for a new contract etc. But that’s putting an onus on the owner to do a lot of extra work, seemingly without prior consultation.
I know new brokers have to start somewhere, but I see no references from owners or renters, and as I said, no way for owners to contact them, no contract for owners with them etc. I would be very wary, as an owner, for these reasons.
