Considering Renting from a DVC Member?

[DVC Mike]

There are two ways you can stay in a "Disney Deluxe Villa Resort" (Disney Vacation Club Villa):

• Call WDW reservations (aka CRO), just like any other resort, and book a villa at a Disney Deluxe Villa Resort
• Rent points from a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) member

Disney allows the general public to book DVC units at rack rates through its regular resort reservations system, when available. Renting points from a DVC member is a much better deal, as it typically costs much less to rent from a DVC member than to book a DVC resort direct from Disney.

If you do decide to rent points from a DVC member, there are a few things you should be aware of so that your experience is nothing less than magical.

While commonly referred to as “renting points”, you are actually paying a DVC member to make a reservation in your name with some of the points they own as DVC members.

Keep in mind that this is a private transaction between two people, and Disney is not involved in any way. If anything goes wrong, you can’t complain to Disney or expect them to resolve any problem.

Until you physically check-in, the DVC owner controls the reservation, even when it is in your name. It is possible (but not very probable) that an unscrupulous owner would potentially cancel your reservation and steal your money, and Disney will not get involved. Also, someone could pose as a DVC owner just to get your cash. This risk is what gets you the big discount, and renting is not for everyone. Renting points takes some work ahead of time to protect yourself and minimize the potential risk of these types of transactions.

That said, fraud almost never occurs in DVC rentals, as reported instances of fraud occurring are extremely rare. Thousands of successful rental transactions have been completed throughout the history of the DVC program, and the savings are obvious.

We don't often see problematic DVC rentals, and when we do they are usually due to misunderstandings between the DVC owner and the renter. Unfortunately, a lot of those misunderstandings come from lack of knowledge about how DVC works and how that differs from a traditional hotel reservation -- or a DVC reservation made through Disney CRO, for that matter.

You would think that the DVC owners all have perfect understanding of their accounts, and it's the people renting reservations who don't get it. You'd be dead wrong. Too often, neither party really understands the situation well enough to be able to anticipate problem areas. That’s why it’s important to rent points from a DVC member who has either done it before, or has done the necessary research before offering their points for rental. Potential renters should take some time themselves to get educated on how DVC works before looking to “rent points”.

Renting points requires trust on both sides of the agreement, but even with trust there is a need for you to do some due diligence and common sense checking before sending off your money to a total stranger.

• Ask for references from the DVC member who is renting the points, and check their references. Good references show that a DVC member has had successful rentals in the past, and is knowledgeable about the DVC program. You are more likely to have a miscommunication with a DVC member who is renting their points for the first time, or one who hasn't done the upfront preparation themselves before they rent.
• Don't rent from any so-called “member” who has only made a few posts or who just joined the board, as it could be an indicator of a scam. If someone has been a consistent poster on DISBoards, or has been a member for quite some time, that should provide some level of comfort. Review past posts for the person you are working with so you can get an idea what type of person they may be.
• Get the owner's full name, home address and home phone number before sending any payment. To the extent possible, confirm that the information is valid.
• Confirm that the person is, in fact, a DVC owner by running a search at the Florida Comptroller's Office web site (this site only reports owners of WDW DVC resorts).
• There should be a written contract or letter of agreement, signed by both of you, spelling out exactly what the rental will cost, when payment is due, dates of the stay, etc.
• Never pay a total stranger by using a "cash equivalent" such as Western Union or money order.

In summary: never, ever send money to anyone until you have confirmed their true identify and that they are, in fact, a DVC member, and you have a written agreement. If something sounds "off," don't proceed. It's not worth taking the risk. Any DVC deal that seems too good to be true most likely is.

Also, please keep in mind the following important points:

• Be aware that the Disney Vacation Club will not speak with renters or give them any information. They won't take a room request from you; they won't confirm you have a reservation; and they won't make Magical Express arrangements for you. Only DVC owners can speak with DVC about reservations. Any changes and any additions like the Dining Plan or Magical Express will have to be made through Member Services by the owner. You will pay for the Disney Dining Plan during check-in at the resort. You can make your own dining reservations through the Disney dining number. Park tickets cannot be purchased through the DVC member. You can purchase your tickets on your own.
• You can, however, verify your DVC reservation online using this link: www.mydisneyreservation.com/dvc
• DVC reservations are not as “forgiving” as hotel reservations. DVC is a timeshare and not a hotel. A DVC reservation is very different from a regular hotel reservation and the limitations / restrictions / penalties on the owner may make cancellation and rescheduling difficult or impossible. Those problems vary from owner to owner, from rental to rental, and you have no way of knowing what kind of restrictions the owner is under. If you get in a position where you have to cancel a rented reservation, the owner may not be able to help you. Many owners have a “no cancellation/no changes/no refunds” policy. Be sure you fully understand what will happen if your plans change. That is critical, and if you are not comfortable with the answer, a DVC rental is probably not for you. DVC rentals do not work well for people whose plans are not firmly set. You'll have much better cancellation policies when booking through Disney’s CRO than renting points.
• Bear in mind that there is no guarantee that the dates and/or resorts you want will be available. You’ll have to find an owner who is interested in renting points and willing to check your dates.
• You will probably need a much larger deposit and have to pay in full much earlier when renting points than with using Disney CRO. You may need to pay with a cashiers check instead of being able to use your credit card.
• You do not get daily maid service when you rent from a DVC member (while you do get daily maid service if you make the reservation through Disney CRO). You get your trash emptied and new towels on day 4 of a vacation, and if you stay 8 or more nights, on day 4 you get a full cleaning, and day 8 would be the trash & towel service.
• While you will receive all the standard perks of staying onsite (Magical Express, Extra Magic Hours, etc.), please be aware than renters typically do not get to take advantage of DVC member perks such as discounts, free valet parking, etc.
• The DVC system is complex and takes some time to understand, and many rental difficulties or misunderstandings are from good people with good intentions, who misunderstand the subtleties of the system.

I hope the above information is helpful to everyone considering renting points from a DVC member. Don't let this post scare you away from renting. Like I said above, the vast majority of rental transactions are successful, and renters end up saving a lot of money and, in some cases, are so excited with the accommodations they get that they end up becoming DVC members themselves!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Very nice Mike!

 

[ProudMommyof2]

Thanks for the info. Is there any well known renters that someone could feel very comfortable with?

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

Great info & advice. Now if I could just get the courage to try it.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Thanks for the info. Is there any well known renters that someone could feel very comfortable with?

Unfortunately, that would be the commercial renters....

 

[Mamadis]

Thanks for the great summary.

 

[crisi]

Additional point:

Some DVC rooms at some resorts at some times of years book quickly - a very few very quickly. Everything is difficult to get when you start talking sixty days out or so. You will be an easier renter for someone to work with (and have more chance of getting responses) if you have several choices that will make you happy. i.e. your first choice may be BWV Standard View, but if that isn't available (and that is one that often books fast) you may want BCV (which also books fast) and be willing to stay at OKW if nothing in the Epcot area is available.

 

[LewL]

Good write up. I have rented points two times and was very happy with the outcome. It does take a lot of trust though.

 

[jimandami]

That was a great summary with good info! I do have a question if you don't mind. I know as a renter, you cannot call DVC MS and ask questions or confirm the reservation. However, can you call the villas directly and confirm your reservation (Like a week before or so?)? My family and I are leaving in 2 weeks and I would like to confirm our reservation one last time without bothering our DVC member.

Thanks,
Ami

 

[CarolAnnC]

That was a great summary with good info! I do have a question if you don't mind. I know as a renter, you cannot call DVC MS and ask questions or confirm the reservation. However, can you call the villas directly and confirm your reservation (Like a week before or so?)? My family and I are leaving in 2 weeks and I would like to confirm our reservation one last time without bothering our DVC member.

Thanks,
Ami

The ressies are now turned over only a couple of days before arrival date. You can call the resort then to check.

 

[kimberh]

good info. I'm giving this a bump.

 

[shellbelle1971]

Thanks, Mike! I wish this were a sticky on the rent trade board.

 

[lisaviolet]

Never pay a total stranger by using a "cash equivalent" such as Western Union or money order.[/FONT][/LIST]

So renters,

Never rent from me. Because I asked for money orders/bank drafts. and will if I ever do it again.

Lisa
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Sorry, but couldn't keep the sarcasm in. I don't know. I hate to be negative. It's very thoughtful of you DVC Mike to put this together. Honestly. No sarcasm.

However, there have been so many postings about what a renter should or should not do that there is a growing number of renters, a minority of course but growing, who request so many stepping stones for trust and a guarantee of nothing going wrong. Last year, a renter couldn't find a DVCer's name, who by the way had I think at least 1 700 posts (was it 3000?) on the DIS, on the comptroller's site. So the renter then extended their wants to a photocopy of the owner's DVC card with their # blanked out. Their right to ask of course. But really. Thousands of posts on the DIS. And in the end the DVCers name was put in the comptroller's search engine incorrectly. I"m smiling. She, the DVCer, decided to give the points to a relative instead, I believe.

I also know that there are some DVCers who want all the money upfront before or just after they book. And the transactions are smooth. I didn't. But that's none of my business. It's theirs. And of course their right as owners. Yet I've seen other owners post warnings to renters in renting threads to never give all the money upfront. What do these kind of statements say about honest DVCers who have these terms?

So I don't know. I think we all need to be careful in telling renters what they should never accept, money orders and payment timing (not you...DVC Mike) just being two examples, because everyone has different terms for their own reasons. Statements like that often lead to increase in suspicion. Renters need to go in with eyes wide open for sure. Very important. But there needs to be a balance between being alert and trust.

 

[JimMIA]

• Confirm that the person is, in fact, a DVC owner by running a search at the Florida Comptroller's Office web site (this site only reports owners of WDW DVC resorts).

Actually, Florida hasn't had a "Comptrollers Office" for a number of years, and even if we did, they wouldn't be any help. In Florida, property records are kept at the county level.

The correct entity to check with for WDW DVC ownership is the Orange County Comptroller's Office, which can be found by clicking here. This will only cover onsite WDW resorts -- not Vero Beach or Hilton Head.

In using that site, understand that online public records are only as complete, up-to-date, and accurate as the parttime, minimum-wage clerk who made (or failed to make) the entry. They tend to be a very imperfect source of information. Also, if there is the slightest misspelling or a hyphenated name, you may get no response.

You have to also read the documents carefully and be sure you understand what you are reading (this site gives you scans of the actual document).

 

[hockey_chauffeur]

As a relative newbie thinking about renting out some points this is very informative but also makes the process seem a bit daunting. Sort of a catch 22 for first timers given the advice about not renting from or to people with few posts. Thanks for the info.

 

[JimMIA]

As a relative newbie thinking about renting out some points this is very informative but also makes the process seem a bit daunting. Sort of a catch 22 for first timers given the advice about not renting from or to people with few posts. Thanks for the info.

Many times, in trying to make sense of something like renting, we latch onto one concept -- like it's some kind of "happy pill" that is going to eliminate all risk and make everything nice.

I think the low post count issue is one which is easily overdone. It is true that the one scam we've had came from someone with few posts, but that doesn't mean that everyone with a low post count is untrustworthy.

First of all, we all started out with zero posts. Second, there is a huge difference between quantity and quality. And third, many people have been members of the DIS for several years, but simply choose not to post much.

I think the biggest benefit of a larger post count is that it gives you a bank of posts to go look at and try to get a sense of the person behind the posts.

The biggest risk of a low post count, IMHO, is not disreputable character but lack of knowledge. I've always thought that most of the risk in DVC rentals comes not from fraud but from cancellations. That risk is magnified if one or both parties lack a full understanding of what they are doing.

In that sense, someone with a low post count may not be very experienced...and that's a real risk factor to me.

 

[hockey_chauffeur]

Many times, in trying to make sense of something like renting, we latch onto one concept -- like it's some kind of "happy pill" that is going to eliminate all risk and make everything nice.

I think the low post count issue is one which is easily overdone. It is true that the one scam we've had came from someone with few posts, but that doesn't mean that everyone with a low post count is untrustworthy.

First of all, we all started out with zero posts. Second, there is a huge difference between quantity and quality. And third, many people have been members of the DIS for several years, but simply choose not to post much.

I think the biggest benefit of a larger post count is that it gives you a bank of posts to go look at and try to get a sense of the person behind the posts.

The biggest risk of a low post count, IMHO, is not disreputable character but lack of knowledge. I've always thought that most of the risk in DVC rentals comes not from fraud but from cancellations. That risk is magnified if one or both parties lack a full understanding of what they are doing.

In that sense, someone with a low post count may not be very experienced...and that's a real risk factor to me.

Thanks - hopefully 7 years of DVC member experience will count for something!

 

[crisi]

However, there have been so many postings about what a renter should or should not do that there is a growing number of renters, a minority of course but growing, who request so many stepping stones for trust and a guarantee of nothing going wrong. Last year, a renter couldn't find a DVCer's name, who by the way had I think at least 1 700 posts (was it 3000?) on the DIS, on the comptroller's site. So the renter then extended their wants to a photocopy of the owner's DVC card with their # blanked out. Their right to ask of course. But really. Thousands of posts on the DIS. And in the end the DVCers name was put in the comptroller's search engine incorrectly. I"m smiling. She, the DVCer, decided to give the points to a relative instead, I believe.
......

But there needs to be a balance between being alert and trust.

Recently I saw a recommendation that a person renting points "stay in touch" with their member. Now, I don't rent my points - don't have enough to rent, have friends who will use them if I don't, and to me an ordinary rental seems like a lot of bother for very little money. If I did rent points, I'd almost certainly not respond to "stay in touch" emails and phone calls on my answering machine to "stay in touch" would not be returned. $10 or $12 a point is worth maybe three phone calls in total to me - two initially to set up the reservation, one to add ME and/or dining - and no "stay in touch" phone calls - I have too much other stuff happening in my life to hand hold someone through their bargain at the expense of my time. (Maybe my rental contract would need to have a "stay in touch" surcharge.)

 

[DVC Mike]

I think the low post count issue is one which is easily overdone. It is true that the one scam we've had came from someone with few posts, but that doesn't mean that everyone with a low post count is untrustworthy.

First of all, we all started out with zero posts. Second, there is a huge difference between quantity and quality. And third, many people have been members of the DIS for several years, but simply choose not to post much.

I think the biggest benefit of a larger post count is that it gives you a bank of posts to go look at and try to get a sense of the person behind the posts.

The biggest risk of a low post count, IMHO, is not disreputable character but lack of knowledge. I've always thought that most of the risk in DVC rentals comes not from fraud but from cancellations. That risk is magnified if one or both parties lack a full understanding of what they are doing.

In that sense, someone with a low post count may not be very experienced...and that's a real risk factor to me.

If someone has recently joined the DISboards and their first or second post is an offer to rent points, I would steer away from that. That's why I said "Don't rent from any “member” who has only made a few posts on a rental board. It could be an indicator of a scam. Review past posts for the person you are working with so you can get an idea what type of person they may be."

Some DVC members may take exception to my statement that "You are more likely to have a miscommunication with a DVC member who is renting their points for the first time". I'm not saying don't rent from a member that has never done it before; just be aware that the member might not be aware of the issues that might arise regarding cancellations or a change in plan.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

$10 or $12 a point is worth maybe three phone calls in total to me - two initially to set up the reservation, one to add ME and/or dining - and no "stay in touch" phone calls . (Maybe my rental contract would need to have a "stay in touch" surcharge.)