The math has to be wrong

[LuvtheGoof]

The main risk going through a broker is not a scam as such, but the owner defaulting on the loan or maintenance fees, so DVC cancels their reservations. When that happens the broker will reimburse the renter, but may not be able to get a replacement room.

True, that is a possible drawback, but I would think that when going through David's, that it would be a rare occurrence. Since we already own, we've never rented, but if there ever came a time that we couldn't use our points, we would certainly use an agent like David's to rent them out. Of course, we hope that never happens!

 

[nickys]

True, that is a possible drawback, but I would think that when going through David's, that it would be a rare occurrence. Since we already own, we've never rented, but if there ever came a time that we couldn't use our points, we would certainly use an agent like David's to rent them out. Of course, we hope that never happens!

I think I’ve seen reports of two instances of it happening in about five years?

We rented out points this year through David’s and they were really easy to work with. From answering all my “what if” questions on chat, to talking me through the renter’s address that I couldn’t work out (it was a stupid name for a city anyway lol!).

 

[The_Jobu]

Despite having no plans to go in the near future, I like to put together a package on the Disney website every once in awhile just to see what the prices are. Last time I checked, the hotel would cost anywhere from 2,200 to 3000ish for a five night stay (depending on which resort I would hypotheticaly pick). On another thread I saw someone mention how much they save renting points, so I though, what the heck. It probably won't save me anything because I always do standard rooms, but I'll look.

If the calculator is right, renting points could possibly cut the cost in half. As in, I could get a better room at the Beach Club, my dream resort, for less than a room at POR. That just can't be right. There's no way. There has to be some downside to this I'm not seeing, or the calculator has to be wrong and showing me the price for one night. If through some miracle that calculator is actually right, that would be such a game changer for me.

The only downside is you need a lot of heads up to find a matching booking. I've been trying the last three years to rent points, but I'm never early enough. My family availability only comes together a 4 or 5 months in advance.

 

[Phonedave]

True, that is a possible drawback, but I would think that when going through David's, that it would be a rare occurrence. Since we already own, we've never rented, but if there ever came a time that we couldn't use our points, we would certainly use an agent like David's to rent them out. Of course, we hope that never happens!

I have heard a number (not a lot, 3 or 4 maybe) stories of things going wrong with a David's reservation. Things like the owner changes the reservation at the last minute. In every case I have heard of, David's took care of the person who was not at fault - finding them a room, either a DVC or otherwise, refunding them the difference, and basically doing everything in their power to make it right. THEN they go after the party at fault. It was a not a "oh sorry, something went wrong, here is your money back" leaving a family on vacation with no accommodations. They worked to take care of that family.

 

[FCivish3]

Just so you can compare the Online Points Brokers (many of who do a very fine job - and I often go through them myself) to renting from an owner, I will use myself as an example. (Please do not contact me through this message. I AM NOT trying to rent anything out here, and have actually already rented out everything I need to. I am just teaching about renting from an owner.)

When I rent out points, I generally shoot for the Fall Food and Wine Festival time, through to the end of December, and I usually start about 11 months out from October. Why those times? Because they are very high demand for rentals, which means I can get any excess points rented out quickly and easily, and at a good price for me. If I rent points at other times of the year, it is usually because I have cancelled one of my own reservations or something similar, and I suddenly had points available.

I own at Poly, BLT and Animal Kingdom and my favorite is Animal Kingdom, so I sometimes have BLT and Poly points that I rent out. Since this is a high demand time and I own at popular resorts, I generally have no trouble at all getting $18 a point for these points. So that is what I ask for, and receive. It is very true that there are other people renting out, sometimes, for a dollar or two or three less. Sometimes people contact me and then go with someone cheaper. That is no problem with me. I want people to be happy, and I am confident that i will be able to rent out my points, so I don't worry about it.

So, why would someone go with me, instead of an Online Broker?

* I am willing to let the Renter call me by phone, or send a Text or Email, pretty much ANY TIME. And I do this, not only at the beginning, but any time afterwards. And I am willing to talk to them, answer their questions, hold their hand, and help them in any way I can, so that they can have a good vacation. In other words, I am very willing to provide a 'Personal touch.'

* I am willing to get up and be ready at 6 AM my time (8 AM Eastern) and hit it at the moment the 11 month window opens.

* I am willing to start up to several weeks in advance and walk the reservation to help ensure that people get what they want. I just walked two reservations last month. Both times, I made the reservation at the opening bell of the 11 month window, in addition to walking them afterwards.

* I do not require a down payment in order to try to get what people want. I am willing to give it a shot, just based on their specified request. Of course, if I am going to take the time to walk a reservation, I do presume that they are committed, and I often send them a contract right at the beginning, so they know how much it is going to cost. But then I tell them they don't need to send any money until the reservation is exactly where they want it to be.

* I do charge 100% of the cost of the reservation within 10 days, upon confirmation of a reservation being finalized.

* I DO NOT refund the Renter's money, but I AM always willing to try to MITIGATE things and change the Reservation, if something changes for the Renter. I also make it very clear up front what the Use Year is, and when the points will expire, so they know that they MUST be used by a certain date, or be lost. I also make it clear that they are VERY UNLIKELY to be able to make changes to their reservation at a later date to get exactly what they want, and that it is much better to make any such changes earlier rather than later. I even tell them that ALL OF DVC pretty much books out 100%. so they can't expect to be able to change things. But I am at least willing to try, and if it just isn't possible, then they can try to use the points on a different reservation, right up to their expiration date.

* If worst came to worst, and they Renter had to cancel, and absolutely could not book something to replace it, I am willing to take the reservation and try to rent it out, as is, to someone else. If I am able to do that, I take 25% (typically) but up to 40% of the money for my efforts and I am willing to send the rest to the renter.

If I think of something else I provide, I will come back and modify this.

The point is, I am willing to go to extra trouble to try to help my Renters. However, I realize not everyone is like me.

FOR PEOPLE READING THIS, WHO MIGHT NOT BE VERY EXPERIENCED, HERE IS MY ADVICE:

* The Online Brokers do take almost all the risk out of your rental, or at least the risk of a scam or other serious problem.

* Remember the old adage, 'If something seems too good to be true, it probably is." I would avoid like the plague, any points being rented out where the 'price' is significantly lower than everyone else. I would even avoid renting from people in the lower tier, if possible. If someone is renting in the lower tier, they either are having problems with their points (for instance, the points are about to expire, and availability is low) or they are quite possibly trying to scam you. Remember, the first rule of Con Men is to play upon your greed. And, as they say down home, "The pigs get slaughtered." One possible exception to this rule about very low cost is if someone is renting out a confirmed reservation in the next month or so, and they are panicking because they have to 'sell it' now now now. If this is the case, make sure you verify the reservation through your My Disney Experience Account before you send any money. Also, I said above that I ask for $18, but within the last year and a half, I have rented points out as low as $12 a point, because something happened and they were about to expire. But be very careful with this.

* Be VERY VERY CAREFUL, about who you rent from, if you are doing a private rental. Most owners are trustworthy and honest and will do their best to take care of you, BUT THERE REALLY ARE SCAMMERS OUT THERE, who will just try to defraud you. They are not at all common, but they do exist. So please be aware, and cautious.

* NEVER EVER EVER rent from someone who contacts YOU, because they have seen you talking to someone else on the board, or they see you have posted a request in an existing thread. I don't think any legitimate owner would ever do this, so if someone contacts you YOU MUST BE VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT A POSSIBLE SCAM. Make sure that anyone you deal with is someone YOU have contacted.

* I REALLY do not advise you to rent from someone on EBAY. ONLY from people on these boards, who you can see and verify.

* DO expect that a real Owner who rents out points will have a history of posts on these boards. Go read some of their posts and make sure you know who they are, by what they say and do.

* DO get the full name, phone number, email address and home address of the Owner who is renting. If they are unwilling to give this information, I suggest you run away. They shouldn't have anything to hide. Once you have this information, do look up their address on Google maps. Do make a web search using a standard search engine, to see if you can find their listed phone number and see if they actually do live at the address they gave you. I know this seems invasive, but you are going to hand over thousands of dollars to a complete stranger, and you want to verify them as much as possible.

* Do take their name and go on the Orange County Comptroller's website and make sure they actually have DVC property listed.

* DO NOT send them money until you have a CONFIRMED RESERVATION number with information, and you have plugged it into your My Disney Experience Account at Disneyworld.Disney.Go.Com to make sure that the Reservation shows up.

* I suggest you pay with PayPal. I do believe that if you complain to PayPal and tell them the person you sent money to did NOT fulfill their obligations, then PayPal might be able to refund your money. (I am not sure of this.)

Again, if I can think of anything else, I will come back and try to put that in.

 

[nickys]

* I suggest you pay with PayPal. I do believe that if you complain to PayPal and tell them the person you sent money to did NOT fulfill their obligations, then PayPal might be able to refund your money. (I am not sure of this.)

They won’t. Paying for a timeshare via PayPal is explicitly against their rules, so the6 will not intervene if anything goes wrong.

A lot of people do use it, but just don’t expect PayPal to help if it goes wrong.

 

[Weather_Lady]

To add to @FCivish3's excellent advice: if renting from a third party, in addition to the vetting process they described, I'd suggest only renting from those who are willing to enter into a written contract. (This can include an e-mailed agreement, as long as both parties have explicitly and mutually agreed to all of its terms in their e-mail exchanges.) It needn't be lengthy (there are several templates available online), but it should provide full contact information for both you and the member, as well as spell out both of your obligations (member promises to make the requested reservation at such-and-such resort, for such-and-such room category for the specified dates in the renter's name and not cancel it, and to maintain their membership in good standing with DVC so as not to interfere with the renter's reservation, while the renter promises to pay the member x amount for the reservation, and promises to pay all amounts charged to the room and not to damage the room or otherwise violate Disney rules and regulations), and specify the remedies available if one of you fails to follow through (e.g., if the reservation is canceled due to a breach by the member, renter is entitled to an immediate refund, etc.).

I was fortunate enough to rent from a reputable owner on another board (who we vetted extensively) whose standard contract even included the promise of a one-time modification of the reservation to different dates if we needed it (e.g., if we had a death in the family and couldn't travel during our original booking), subject of course to any change in the points required (e.g., we'd have to pay extra if the change in dates cost the member more points). While I doubt we'll need to rely on it, it's a nice extra layer of flexibility to have in writing.

 

[Shouldigo12]

Just so you can compare the Online Points Brokers (many of who do a very fine job - and I often go through them myself) to renting from an owner, I will use myself as an example. (Please do not contact me through this message. I AM NOT trying to rent anything out here, and have actually already rented out everything I need to. I am just teaching about renting from an owner.)

When I rent out points, I generally shoot for the Fall Food and Wine Festival time, through to the end of December, and I usually start about 11 months out from October. Why those times? Because they are very high demand for rentals, which means I can get any excess points rented out quickly and easily, and at a good price for me. If I rent points at other times of the year, it is usually because I have cancelled one of my own reservations or something similar, and I suddenly had points available.

I own at Poly, BLT and Animal Kingdom and my favorite is Animal Kingdom, so I sometimes have BLT and Poly points that I rent out. Since this is a high demand time and I own at popular resorts, I generally have no trouble at all getting $18 a point for these points. So that is what I ask for, and receive. It is very true that there are other people renting out, sometimes, for a dollar or two or three less. Sometimes people contact me and then go with someone cheaper. That is no problem with me. I want people to be happy, and I am confident that i will be able to rent out my points, so I don't worry about it.

So, why would someone go with me, instead of an Online Broker?

* I am willing to let the Renter call me by phone, or send a Text or Email, pretty much ANY TIME. And I do this, not only at the beginning, but any time afterwards. And I am willing to talk to them, answer their questions, hold their hand, and help them in any way I can, so that they can have a good vacation. In other words, I am very willing to provide a 'Personal touch.'

* I am willing to get up and be ready at 6 AM my time (8 AM Eastern) and hit it at the moment the 11 month window opens.

* I am willing to start up to several weeks in advance and walk the reservation to help ensure that people get what they want. I just walked two reservations last month. Both times, I made the reservation at the opening bell of the 11 month window, in addition to walking them afterwards.

* I do not require a down payment in order to try to get what people want. I am willing to give it a shot, just based on their specified request. Of course, if I am going to take the time to walk a reservation, I do presume that they are committed, and I often send them a contract right at the beginning, so they know how much it is going to cost. But then I tell them they don't need to send any money until the reservation is exactly where they want it to be.

* I do charge 100% of the cost of the reservation within 10 days, upon confirmation of a reservation being finalized.

* I DO NOT refund the Renter's money, but I AM always willing to try to MITIGATE things and change the Reservation, if something changes for the Renter. I also make it very clear up front what the Use Year is, and when the points will expire, so they know that they MUST be used by a certain date, or be lost. I also make it clear that they are VERY UNLIKELY to be able to make changes to their reservation at a later date to get exactly what they want, and that it is much better to make any such changes earlier rather than later. I even tell them that ALL OF DVC pretty much books out 100%. so they can't expect to be able to change things. But I am at least willing to try, and if it just isn't possible, then they can try to use the points on a different reservation, right up to their expiration date.

* If worst came to worst, and they Renter had to cancel, and absolutely could not book something to replace it, I am willing to take the reservation and try to rent it out, as is, to someone else. If I am able to do that, I take 25% (typically) but up to 40% of the money for my efforts and I am willing to send the rest to the renter.

If I think of something else I provide, I will come back and modify this.

The point is, I am willing to go to extra trouble to try to help my Renters. However, I realize not everyone is like me.

FOR PEOPLE READING THIS, WHO MIGHT NOT BE VERY EXPERIENCED, HERE IS MY ADVICE:

* The Online Brokers do take almost all the risk out of your rental, or at least the risk of a scam or other serious problem.

* Remember the old adage, 'If something seems too good to be true, it probably is." I would avoid like the plague, any points being rented out where the 'price' is significantly lower than everyone else. I would even avoid renting from people in the lower tier, if possible. If someone is renting in the lower tier, they either are having problems with their points (for instance, the points are about to expire, and availability is low) or they are quite possibly trying to scam you. Remember, the first rule of Con Men is to play upon your greed. And, as they say down home, "The pigs get slaughtered." One possible exception to this rule about very low cost is if someone is renting out a confirmed reservation in the next month or so, and they are panicking because they have to 'sell it' now now now. If this is the case, make sure you verify the reservation through your My Disney Experience Account before you send any money. Also, I said above that I ask for $18, but within the last year and a half, I have rented points out as low as $12 a point, because something happened and they were about to expire. But be very careful with this.

* Be VERY VERY CAREFUL, about who you rent from, if you are doing a private rental. Most owners are trustworthy and honest and will do their best to take care of you, BUT THERE REALLY ARE SCAMMERS OUT THERE, who will just try to defraud you. They are not at all common, but they do exist. So please be aware, and cautious.

* NEVER EVER EVER rent from someone who contacts YOU, because they have seen you talking to someone else on the board, or they see you have posted a request in an existing thread. I don't think any legitimate owner would ever do this, so if someone contacts you YOU MUST BE VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT A POSSIBLE SCAM. Make sure that anyone you deal with is someone YOU have contacted.

* I REALLY do not advise you to rent from someone on EBAY. ONLY from people on these boards, who you can see and verify.

* DO expect that a real Owner who rents out points will have a history of posts on these boards. Go read some of their posts and make sure you know who they are, by what they say and do.

* DO get the full name, phone number, email address and home address of the Owner who is renting. If they are unwilling to give this information, I suggest you run away. They shouldn't have anything to hide. Once you have this information, do look up their address on Google maps. Do make a web search using a standard search engine, to see if you can find their listed phone number and see if they actually do live at the address they gave you. I know this seems invasive, but you are going to hand over thousands of dollars to a complete stranger, and you want to verify them as much as possible.

* Do take their name and go on the Orange County Comptroller's website and make sure they actually have DVC property listed.

* DO NOT send them money until you have a CONFIRMED RESERVATION number with information, and you have plugged it into your My Disney Experience Account at Disneyworld.Disney.Go.Com to make sure that the Reservation shows up.

* I suggest you pay with PayPal. I do believe that if you complain to PayPal and tell them the person you sent money to did NOT fulfill their obligations, then PayPal might be able to refund your money. (I am not sure of this.)

Again, if I can think of anything else, I will come back and try to put that in.

To add to @FCivish3's excellent advice: if renting from a third party, in addition to the vetting process they described, I'd suggest only renting from those who are willing to enter into a written contract. (This can include an e-mailed agreement, as long as both parties have explicitly and mutually agreed to all of its terms in their e-mail exchanges.) It needn't be lengthy (there are several templates available online), but it should provide full contact information for both you and the member, as well as spell out both of your obligations (member promises to make the requested reservation at such-and-such resort, for such-and-such room category for the specified dates in the renter's name and not cancel it, and to maintain their membership in good standing with DVC so as not to interfere with the renter's reservation, while the renter promises to pay the member x amount for the reservation, and promises to pay all amounts charged to the room and not to damage the room or otherwise violate Disney rules and regulations), and specify the remedies available if one of you fails to follow through (e.g., if the reservation is canceled due to a breach by the member, renter is entitled to an immediate refund, etc.).

I was fortunate enough to rent from a reputable owner on another board (who we vetted extensively) whose standard contract even included the promise of a one-time modification of the reservation to different dates if we needed it (e.g., if we had a death in the family and couldn't travel during our original booking), subject of course to any change in the points required (e.g., we'd have to pay extra if the change in dates cost the member more points). While I doubt we'll need to rely on it, it's a nice extra layer of flexibility to have in writing.

Thanks for the advice you guys! This is why I love the boards so much; the people here always go above and beyond to answer questions. I'll definitely keep all of this in mind.

 

[GauchoDisney]

Despite having no plans to go in the near future, I like to put together a package on the Disney website every once in awhile just to see what the prices are. Last time I checked, the hotel would cost anywhere from 2,200 to 3000ish for a five night stay (depending on which resort I would hypotheticaly pick). On another thread I saw someone mention how much they save renting points, so I though, what the heck. It probably won't save me anything because I always do standard rooms, but I'll look.

If the calculator is right, renting points could possibly cut the cost in half. As in, I could get a better room at the Beach Club, my dream resort, for less than a room at POR. That just can't be right. There's no way. There has to be some downside to this I'm not seeing, or the calculator has to be wrong and showing me the price for one night. If through some miracle that calculator is actually right, that would be such a game changer for me.

DVC makes sense if you use it often and if you compare to making the same reservation at the Disney property you want to stay at. If you are not hung up into staying at a Disney hotel and are ok with staying say at the Swan and Dolphin for example (Marriott Property), then it doesn't make sense to buy into DVC as you would never break even on your investment when comparing lifetime cost.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

DVC Rental Store is who we go through, have used them several times. In September we got a studio at Jambo House with a savannah view for $70 per night more than staying at Pop. Yes, at the time it was non-refundable and non-cancellable, but they have recently added an option to cancel. They just announced it the other day, so its brand new. Right now they have TONS of discounted points. I highly recommend them.

 

[aliceismad]

DVC makes sense if you use it often and if you compare to making the same reservation at the Disney property you want to stay at. If you are not hung up into staying at a Disney hotel and are ok with staying say at the Swan and Dolphin for example (Marriott Property), then it doesn't make sense to buy into DVC as you would never break even on your investment when comparing lifetime cost.

But OP isn't talking about buying into DVC. They're talking about renting DVC points.

We've used David's twice to rent points and will look to rent points again for future trips. We stayed at Kidani and Bay Lake Tower for about the same price as a moderate during those same weeks.

My concern in the near future (i.e., 2022 ish) will be is there going to be availability? It seems there will be a lot of DVC owners all trying to use the points they had banked, so pickings might be slim for a bit.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

But OP isn't talking about buying into DVC. They're talking about renting DVC points.

We've used David's twice to rent points and will look to rent points again for future trips. We stayed at Kidani and Bay Lake Tower for about the same price as a moderate during those same weeks.

My concern in the near future (i.e., 2022 ish) will be is there going to be availability? It seems there will be a lot of DVC owners all trying to use the points they had banked, so pickings might be slim for a bit.

It is doubtful that there will be much availability at the 7 month mark next year, so people will have to plan on trying to get in at 11 months for most resorts. There will still probably be some availability at SSR, OKW, and AKL, as they are the largest DVC resorts, and tend to fill up last.

I'm willing to bet that there will still be a lot of people that will be hesitant to travel, even next year, so they will, for the most part, be trying to rent their points to at least pay for their dues. Time will tell.

 

[nickys]

But OP isn't talking about buying into DVC. They're talking about renting DVC points.

We've used David's twice to rent points and will look to rent points again for future trips. We stayed at Kidani and Bay Lake Tower for about the same price as a moderate during those same weeks.

My concern in the near future (i.e., 2022 ish) will be is there going to be availability? It seems there will be a lot of DVC owners all trying to use the points they had banked, so pickings might be slim for a bit.

Availability at the resorts will be an issue for this year onwards. Any points banked from 2019 into 2020 will need to be used within this year.

The owners can either book for themselves or can rent those points out. If they’re not confident about travelling themselves they will likely try to rent them out. There may well be a glut of points available to rent but a problem with booking a room. There are still hundreds of “confirmed reservations” listed with both main brokers; these will either be bookings owners are trying to offload and renters not wanting to travel and trying to find a new renter to take it over so they get some of their money back (this needs an owner willing to change the names).

If you can travel at relatively short notice, there are some good deals to be had with those confirmed reservations. But the important thing to remember is that renting is final, no cancellation, no date changes, no resort changes. A private rental can give more flexibility but takes a lot more trust.

 

[aliceismad]

If you can travel at relatively short notice, there are some good deals to be had with those confirmed reservations. But the important thing to remember is that renting is final, no cancellation, no date changes, no resort changes. A private rental can give more flexibility but takes a lot more trust.

I saw this on the WDWMagic homepage today: DVC Rental lowers deposit to 25% and adds free cancelation policy. https://dvcrentalstore.com/blog/the-dvc-rental-store-announces-new-policies-and-website/

It's not a 100% reimbursement, depending on how far in advance you cancel, but at least it's something. It tiered similarly to how cruiselines did it pre-covid. Might make renting (or trying to rent) a more attractive option. I wonder if they had to offer something to ease guest weariness just to keep up their business.

 

[nickys]

I saw this on the WDWMagic homepage today: DVC Rental lowers deposit to 25% and adds free cancelation policy. https://dvcrentalstore.com/blog/the-dvc-rental-store-announces-new-policies-and-website/

It's not a 100% reimbursement, depending on how far in advance you cancel, but at least it's something. It tiered similarly to how cruiselines did it pre-covid. Might make renting (or trying to rent) a more attractive option. I wonder if they had to offer something to ease guest weariness just to keep up their business.

That is interesting. I’m actually intrigued as to what happens for the owners. If an owner has already booked a room with their points and then the renter cancels, they could end up with points unused, having already signed a contract with the broker. This is potentially just going to repeat this year’s fiasco with the brokers and I think there will be fewer owners going through brokers to rent points out.

 

[aliceismad]

That is interesting. I’m actually intrigued as to what happens for the owners. If an owner has already booked a room with their points and then the renter cancels, they could end up with points unused, having already signed a contract with the broker. This is potentially just going to repeat this year’s fiasco with the brokers and I think there will be fewer owners going through brokers to rent points out.

I should've clarified that the "refund" is not in cash, but credits. It sounds like you can cancel and then you have 2 years to rebook. I'm not sure how DVC Store's agreement with owners is structured and when they get their money.

 

[nickys]

I should've clarified that the "refund" is not in cash, but credits. It sounds like you can cancel and then you have 2 years to rebook. I'm not sure how DVC Store's agreement with owners is structured and when they get their money.

But that’s my point. The owner will get some money up front and the rest on check-in day. If their renter cancels then, like this year, they will be left with points that could expire before being able to re-rent them. Result - angry owners. Knowing that risk up front, why would an owner go with that broker?

Owners who use a broker used to do so for the ease of it all. Receive a request, book the room, get paid some up front and the est at check-in. Done. They take less per point than they could get privately in return for a no-hassle process.

With any questions over “what happens if”, an owner is far less likely to bother going through a broker in the first place. Result could be the broker is unable to fulfil those credits.

I’d love to find out the policy and details of the owner - broker contract. Unfortunately they won’t deal with international owners, and they don’t seem to post sample contracts on their site. So

 

[Disstevefan1]

I really do suggest that people who sign up for these non-refundable travel plans, should strongly consider Travel Insurance.

Travel Insurance (I suggest going to www.Squaremouth.com to look at multiple possible policies) will often reimburse you for lost fees and payments, IF you cancel for Covered Reasons.

They ONLY might reimburse you for NON-Refundable expenses.

Covered reasons (DO check your own contract) typically include cancellation due to:

1. Hurricanes or other severe major storms in the area of your vacation

2. Car accident on the way to the airport

3. Death in your family, or in the family of someone in your travel party. Family is usually defined as: Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, Children, Grandparents, Grandchildren. Step children. Step grand children.etc. Only 1st and 2nd degree relatives.

4. Serious Injury or Health problem in your family (that occurs AFTER you buy the insurance), or in the family of someone in your travel party. You will need proof from a doctor for this. Some policies will also cover recurrence of pre-existing conditions, if those conditions have not required treatment for at least 6 months.

5. Military Deployment for Natural Disaster (Coverage for War is variable. There is usually NO coverage for being transferred by the military or for being denied leave.)

6. Fire, flood, severe storm damage or or other disaster that leaves your home unfit for habitation.

7. Involuntary loss of your job, if you worked full time and if you have been employed for over 2 1/2 years with that company.

8. Your job requiring you to relocate more than 250 miles from your current home (this is variable, depending on the insurance, and might or might not cover military moving you more than 250 miles away. DO check on that).

9. Bankruptcy of your company, if you are the owner or a partner.

10. Death of your owning partner, if you are an owner or partner.

That is about it. You can also, with SOME insurances, get a policy that allows you to cancel for any reason, but typically such policies are expensive and cost 1/4th to 1/2 of what you are otherwise spending.

Most travel insurance is relatively cheap. How long you travel or where you travel is not usually as important as the ages of the travelers. Older people in your insurance party will increase the cost, but we usually just get a policy for all of us together. Most of the time, the insurance will cost around 10% of your non-refundable expenses. When you get it, and they ask for your expenses, ONLY tell them about your Non-refundable expenses, since that is all they cover. THEY DO NOT USUALLY REIMBURSE FOR THINGS THAT ARE FREE OR DISCOUNTED, such as traveling on Sky Miles, or, as a DVC owner, reserving a unit with your own DVC points.

One advantage of Travel Insurance is that it WILL provide health insurance coverage (primary or secondary, depending on the policy) in case someone becomes injured, to the point that they require treatment, or severely ill while on the trip.

Boy it sounds like renting points in combination with travel insurance is the way to go! Thanks DVC owners

 

[eliza61nyc]

But that’s my point. The owner will get some money up front and the rest on check-in day. If their renter cancels then, like this year, they will be left with points that could expire before being able to re-rent them. Result - angry owners. Knowing that risk up front, why would an owner go with that broker?

Owners who use a broker used to do so for the ease of it all. Receive a request, book the room, get paid some up front and the est at check-in. Done. They take less per point than they could get privately in return for a no-hassle process.

With any questions over “what happens if”, an owner is far less likely to bother going through a broker in the first place. Result could be the broker is unable to fulfil those credits.

I’d love to find out the policy and details of the owner - broker contract. Unfortunately they won’t deal with international owners, and they don’t seem to post sample contracts on their site. So

it maybe one of those things where the broker will eat the loss. I'm thinking the percentage of folks who cancel is low and the increase traffic may make it worth them gambling. If you are looking to rent, you'll be more inclined to go with the business that allows you to cancel.

 

[JWG]

OP:
We are owners but recently rented points for Aulani (not our home resort) for a special two family trip in a Grand Villa. We'll be there 8 nights. The cash rate is $8,000 more than what we paid to rent points (38% savings of the lowest available cash rate). And, that's before parking and some of the other fees.

We are heading to Beach Club Villas (1BR) in March. We're using our actual points but comparing the cost to rent (if we had) vs. the current available cash rate we'd be saving $3,400 for our 10 night stay (32% savings). Again, before parking fees.

To get a comparable cash price (with a 35% discount currently offered) we'd have to do a moderate resort room over a deluxe studio villa. But you're in a considerably different type of room for that comparable price.