How many lost points are acceptable?

[retlaw_yensid]

Hi everyone,

We haven't bought into DVC yet, but have considered it for awhile and are starting to get serious about it. We're currently in the 'how many points is enough?' stage of our planning, figuring the ability the bank and borrow, probably going every 2-3 years, trying different resorts (including Grand California at DL), etc. So much so, my brain is starting to hurt. LOL

Anyway, one question that has come up is how many points, if we were to lose some for lack of using them, is considered acceptable...and I wondered what current owners' opinions were on the matter? Is there anyone here that has lost points? I'm not talking a whole year's worth of points, but losing like 10 or so points because there just wasn't enough left to book another day (or they just didn't work into your vacation plans), but it was an amount low enough that it wasn't that big of a deal for you. I'm sure there are people who think no amount is acceptable, but I was curious is there were other opinions out there.

Thanks, in advance, for the replies!

-Ken

 

[arminnie]

I’ve let 1-3 points expire in the past. Fees back then were closer to $4.

I once lost 230 banked points the year my father was dying. I had to cancel a September trip and I had an October use year. That was a decade ago.

With what I know now I think Disney might have done something like put them in holding if I’d asked. But that time was extremely stressful and I didn’t even think about doing that.

 

[quandrea]

Zero for me. Always figure out how to use them. Will rent if I’m not using them.

 

[beccasmom]

I would have to say zero too. I try to be diligent about keeping track and I guess so far it’s worked since we’ve never forfeited any points, but I know things happen and other priorities prevail. We came close last year. We had to cancel two trips due to family emergencies - one in April and one in October. One was within the 30-day cancellation period, but just barely. The other trip I canceled literally at the moment we were supposed to be checking in at the resort. My mom was hospitalized with a serious illness. We were prepared to lose the 90 points - and Disney was well within its rights to do so - but I really wasn’t concerned about the issue at that time. However, they put them in holding for us and we’re using them next month. I believe Disney will work with you if a desperate need arises. There are a lot of things we can’t control in life and they’re not insensitive to that. It’s always worth a call to find out.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Zero here. If I was only going every 3 years I probably wouldn't buy. It's a lot of money tied up in something to use so infrequently and too much chance to lose points.

 

[sndral]

I may lose 12 this year, my fault as the points were borrowed and then when I made changes to a trip they went back into this year’s use year, so unless I go between now and 11/30, I’ll lose them.

 

[BillPA]

Zero here too. In 25+ years we have never lost a single point. It's fairly easy to use all of them, actually I could use more, but not at today's prices or with the new 'screwing' they are doing.

 

[BillPA]

I may lose 12 this year, my fault as the points were borrowed and then when I made changes to a trip they went back into this year’s use year, so unless I go between now and 11/30, I’ll lose them.

If at least 12 of those point were current UY points, bank them and use the borrowed points.

 

[sndral]

If at least 12 of those point were current UY points, bank them and use the borrowed points.

They aren’t - our next trip is 1/1-1/12/2020 & those 12 were borrowed into my 2018 use year which runs from 12/1/2018 - 11/30/2019. I’m thinking about just going to WDW for an extra trip this year , classic Disney addict thinking, to not lose those points I’ll book a flight cross country, buy the AP early & viola, those 12 points won’t be lost!

 

[Disneykate605]

They aren’t - our next trip is 1/1-1/12/2020 & those 12 were borrowed into my 2018 use year which runs from 12/1/2018 - 11/30/2019. I’m thinking about just going to WDW for an extra trip this year , classic Disney addict thinking, to not lose those points I’ll book a flight cross country, buy the AP early & viola, those 12 points won’t be lost!

I would do the same thing...all not to lose any points! DVC has made my addiction worse for sure!
I haven't had to worry about losing any points so far...I feel like I'm always in borrowing mode...no matter how many points we have! Someday maybe I will be able to actually bank some points!

 

[Deb & Bill]

In nearly 22 years of ownership, we haven't lost one point. We had 500 at one point, but sold two contracts and now have 325. We never rented any out. We did cancel a trip in March at 32 days out and were able to substitute the points for our Sept trip. We used exactly the same number of points for the March trip as our Sept trip. That doesn't happen often. One time we bought a small resale contract and found out it had like four points that would expire. So we added on a night to an upcoming trip and were able to use them.

If you only plan on going every three years, plan on losing points. And at the price they are selling points for now, both direct and resale, that could be a lot of cash. If you can at least go every 18 months, you might not lose points. And unless you purchase GCV, plan on not getting it most of the time. It's a really small resort and books up before seven months out.

 

[ELMC]

If you are managing it well you should be able to avoid losing points. That said, things happen. I think if you're habitually losing 10+ points a year then it's an issue. I lost four points one year. I wasn't happy about it but it didn't bother me all that much. I don't think that makes me a bad person or a bad DVC owner. I've wasted $60 on way stupider stuff than that in my life.

If you're willing to rent then you really shouldn't be losing any points. If you're only using them then like @sndral said, you could be spending a ton of money just to protect a few points.

 

[DougEMG]

Haven't lost a point yet, hope that continues. I wouldn't lose any sleep if I did lose a few points. Much more annoying to forget to book the room you want at 11 months and then find it is gone! That I just did, so how am missing a night near the end of my trip and am on the waitlist.

 

[Philsfan77]

I'd also say 0 and we just bought in the last year. One thing we didn't know until we bought is that if you're short some points you can buy an additional 24 points each UY as a one time purchase for $19 a point. Not that I'd advocate doing this, but if the option is losing 10 points at your purchase price (if you bought copper creek thats $188 a point for a loss of $1,880) or buying some extra points to get an extra night for peanuts...i'd buy the extra points and stay the extra night rather than take the loss of points.

 

[jodifla]

Over 23 years if owning I have lost 3 points. Pretty good, I would say.

 

[rg35]

Zero lost points since 2013. We don't always use the exact amount, but if we have anything left over (usually a handful) we just bank them and use them the following year. One year I bought OTU points to round us off to an extra day.

 

[AnnaS]

Owner 18 plus years - one time 6 points and this year 2 points.

 

[RamblinWreck]

I'd also say 0 and we just bought in the last year. One thing we didn't know until we bought is that if you're short some points you can buy an additional 24 points each UY as a one time purchase for $19 a point. Not that I'd advocate doing this, but if the option is losing 10 points at your purchase price (if you bought copper creek thats $188 a point for a loss of $1,880) or buying some extra points to get an extra night for peanuts...i'd buy the extra points and stay the extra night rather than take the loss of points.

That $188 per point you spent bought you those points every year for 50 years. Wasting 10 points one year doesn't translate to an $1,880 loss.

 

[kniquy]

probably going every 2-3 years,

If you are going every other year then buying in can make sense, but going every 3 years doesn't make sense - you will likely lose points. So if you are not committed to going at least every other year then you would be better off just renting points. Once you bank points they are stuck in that UY and can not be moved again. Those points would have to be used by then end of your UY.

So for example I have 120 points Feb AK contract. If I banked my 2018 points into 2019 I would have until January 31st 2020 to use the 2018 points. If I booked a trip in say July 2019 using my 2018 banked points and my 2019 current year points, but had to cancel the trip then i would have only until 1/31/2020 to use 120 points. I would not be able to transfer them nor could i bank them again. I could rent them out. The 2019 points would be safe because i could cancel the reservation (as long as it is 31 days out) and then i would be able to bank the 2019 points into my 2020 UY.

Please have a very good understanding of all of this and make sure you will actually use the points and not let them go to waste.

if we were to lose some for lack of using them, is considered acceptable.

No. There really is no amount of points i would be happy with losing. Even if you can not use them you have the option of renting out an already booked reservation or just renting out your points. If they are current year points then you could transfer to another member.

Do your homework so you make sure that this is a purchase that you can use. Also note that if you want to use points at VGC competition is very high and there is often nothing available at 7 months. So this might be a situation where you could rent out your points and then use that cash to help pay for a cash reservation at VGC.

Do your homework on UY, holding points, banking and borrowing restrictions. Once you have an understanding of that then look at how your travel habits have been and how you could you use a contract and not lose any points. You really need to plot it out for a number of years figuring out where you want to stay, how many points it might cost you how you would use the points with banking and borrowing.

 

[cruisin5]

Member since 2001, never lost a point. Long term planning and DVC go hand-in-hand. We've rented to off-set other vacations.