Unborrowing Exceptions

[kes601]

I'm just curious if anybody has recently been given an exception and allowed to unborrow points? We did a horrible job banking / borrowing this year (nobody's fault but our own). I'm just wondering how often MS allows exceptions and will "unborrow" points. We have a reservation coming up that is 445 pts (split stay) but there is now availability that would allow us to stay in the same room for 316 but if we switched we'd leave about 120 points on the table.

 

[disney-inspired]

I'm just curious if anybody has recently been given an exception and allowed to unborrow points? We did a horrible job banking / borrowing this year (nobody's fault but our own). I'm just wondering how often MS allows exceptions and will "unborrow" points. We have a reservation coming up that is 445 pts (split stay) but there is now availability that would allow us to stay in the same room for 316 but if we switched we'd leave about 120 points on the table.

Are you still within your banking window?

How long has it been since you borrowed? I have seen some people call and DVC had mercy and let them unbank points but I think it was within 24 hours of it happening.

 

[RoseGold]

They did it for me once for me automatically when I didn't even ask for it, as if it were no big deal.

I would just call and ask.

 

[kes601]

They

Are you still within your banking window?

How long has it been since you borrowed? I have seen some people call and DVC had mercy and let them unbank points but I think it was within 24 hours of it happening.

We can bank until May 31. The borrowing happened several times over the last few months as we are way too indecisive in where we want to stay.

Seems a moot point now though, one of the days is gone......

 

[kes601]

They did it for me once for me automatically when I didn't even ask for it, as if it were no big deal.

I would just call and ask.

If the room comes back as available I will do that.

 

[disney-inspired]

They

We can bank until May 31. The borrowing happened several times over the last few months as we are way too indecisive in where we want to stay.

Seems a moot point now though, one of the days is gone......

Couldn't you bank the excess points from this year's allotment?

 

[kes601]

Couldn't you bank the excess points from this year's allotment?

Everything that would come back was borrowed from the next UY.

 

[disney-inspired]

Everything that would come back was borrowed from the next UY.

Ohhhh!

 

[RoseGold]

If the room comes back as available I will do that.

Next time, hold in the cart to check out. You do this by pausing on the screen where you allocate what points you want to use. This holds the reservation. I got it to work for an hour in the resale borrowing mess.

You release it while you are on the phone and hope MS can grab it.

 

[kes601]

The biggest reason this happened is because we did a change to our Dec. stay from a studio to a 1 BR so the points more than doubled. I should have cancelled our SSR summer booking before doing that so that it would have pulled all the banked and borrowed points rather than current UY points. I couldn't do it after the fact because we were within 30 days and the points would have gone into holding.

 

[Sandisw]

They are usually pretty strict unless there is a specific emergency and want to bend the rules.

 

[kes601]

They are usually pretty strict unless there is a specific emergency and want to bend the rules.

Maybe the poor planning this year will motivate us for future years.

 

[bluecruiser]

MS unborrowed points for me one time (it was my error that caused it). At the time they told me it was a one-time exception, so I don't expect they would do it for me again.

 

[supersnoop]

Everything that would come back was borrowed from the next UY.

Are there any current-year points involved in these reservations? You should be able to reallocate any current year points out and bank them. If everything is banked and borrowed, then, yes, you're out of luck.

 

[KPeterso]

I had them unborrow points (and also remove them from holding) when I had to cancel a trip last minute last year due to a family emergency which led me to cancel less than a week out. But it was a true emergency and I did not expect (or even really ask them) to do that. I was early in my UY so I would have just found a different time to book something last minute if I had to. But was so grateful that they did make that exception.

 

[kes601]

The answer was no, which is what I figured it would be.

 

[com_op_2000]

Our non-trip Hurricane Ian report:
Had three nights booked at VGF, first stay at this resort, booked for Wednesday - Saturday.
On Sunday morning, woke up, saw the reports of Hurricane Ian and decided to cancel our trip, due to my job and the coming storm.
Called MS @9 and explained my job; Disaster Recovery Analyst for Orange County, I would be at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for the duration of the coming hurricane event.
MS placed me on-hold and checked my points used to book the VGF trip, we had borrowed a few points, it is past our banking deadline, and they made extra accommodations for us:
Cancelled the reservation - points did not go into holding.
Put borrowed points back into next UY.
Allowed me to bank the points that were current UY being used for this cancelled trip.
Great job MS!
I went into work at the EOC on Tuesday morning and did not leave the building until Friday night.

Also, received points back from a cruise booked with DVC points for my DD. Her BiL, was KIA in the 1st week of the Iraq war, and the funeral was scheduled the week of the cruise. MS gave us our points back with no hold or reuse requirement; once I provided them with proof.

 

[kes601]

What I am getting is that emergencies = exceptions, which I am 100% fine with. I did not expect them to make an exception for me, but it didn't hurt to ask.

I guess what I don't see though is why exceptions seem to be made quite often when people forget to bank their points on time. Granted they haven't already been involved in a "one time transaction," but it is outside the rules to bank after your deadline.

 

[Sandisw]

What I am getting is that emergencies = exceptions, which I am 100% fine with. I did not expect them to make an exception for me, but it didn't hurt to ask.

I guess what I don't see though is why exceptions seem to be made quite often when people forget to bank their points on time. Granted they haven't already been involved in a "one time transaction," but it is outside the rules to bank after your deadline.

I think we hear about exceptions for banking but don't always here about when people are turned down....but borrowing is different...as an owner you made that decision purposefully...where is forgetting to bank..is, well forgetting.

I will say that when I had my emergency in January, they were very sweet in making some exceptions for our trip...didn't add holding, and did unborrow some of the points...but not all of them...my SSR and VGF that were borrowed were left borrowed, but she did put back some of my restricted RIV for me...because I had banked restricted RIV to use up already.

However, for my SSR and VGF, because I could use them anywhere and had 6 to 9 months to use them, they couldn't make that exception....I was grateful they did any other it to be honest...and would have been fine losing them all.

 

[Anthony1971]

Years ago they would grant a one time exception I am not sure if they still do but maybe calling back and asking... But if they do make sure you use it wisely as it was in fact one time only. I have owned for 21 years and not had to use it but one year I did something I did not want to but I was mostly going twice a year at that time anyway so it was OK in the end.