Have any other DVC owners lost their points because of Disney's closures?

[DVCSunDevil]

I am a DVC owner, over 270 points were supposed to be used for a stay in mid March. Disney closed the parks and cancelled the reservations. The parks will reopen after the points will have expired and they now tell me I cannot bank the lost points for a stay next year. This will result in ALL the points being lost!
In the middle of a crisis, this seems unconscionable. Has anyone else experienced this?

Were those points already banked from the previous year? If so, I think you may be out of luck. DVC is moving points that were borrowed back to their original use year, but I don't think there is anything they can do if you banked those points once already. That is how the system could get thrown out of whack.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

I borrowed from 2021. All I ask is if I cant go because of closures they send them back to their original use year.

They will. They are doing that for everyone who had borrowed points and now can't go because of the closures.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

Ms. Moderator,

How you can sit there in your smug little world and basically say "too bad for you if you were unlucky enough to have booked a reservation during this time". How dare you?
We have a 267-point reservation at Hilton Head beginning April 17. I used a combination of banked and current year points when I made it LAST FALL (so don't tell me not to wait until the last minute, I clearly did not). Both are August use years, and as deadlines for banking/cancelling approached we struggled with what to do. The going advice out of Disney at that time---yes, I called to ask---was not to worry, they'd waive the banking deadline of March 31 for at least the current use year points (167). They were not sure what would happened to the banked points (100). We took them at their word. Now this.
I noticed someone borrowed points for a now-cancelled ressie and was permitted to return them to the (borrowed) use year. So I guess if you borrow from the future Disney will make you whole, but if you use your current use year (or heaven help you have the audacity to use points you banked according to Disney's rules last year), you're just out of luck. Explain to me how that's fair.
If we'd paid cash for that reservation I'm quite sure Disney would be refunding our $$. But, we were stupid enough to be very loyal Disney patrons, bought into their "club", and are now getting the short end of the stick (I'd use stronger words but they'd probably get me banned). Reminds me of the legions of folks who worked for a company for 30 years and were forced out in cost-cutting measures, and the the corporate employers wonder why their younger employees have no loyalty.DUH!!

How can DVC return banked points to their original year? That time has come and gone. Allowing members to bank points for multiple years is exactly how the balance of the system could be thrown off. There is only so much inventory. I completely understand putting points borrowed from next year back into that UY...the time has not passed and it DVC has that option. Have you considered renting those points? IF things open in May, you would have 4 months to rent the points and recoup your $$ for yearly maintenance. And, while it's not the best solution, you can still put those points in RCI which I believe gives you another two years to use them. I know it's an unfortunate situation, but if DVC starts allowing people to bank points again it could overload the system with points. Hopefully they will work out a solution, such as giving people in your situation another 3-4 months to use the points.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

If I can't make it to Aulani in June I will lose 50 points that I banked from 2019 (Feb. use year) , if I'm understanding to rules correctly. I'm upset that this might happen, but I also realize that lot can happen in the next two and a half months. So we'll see.

Melissa

You still have time. What about renting them? I know that's not the same as taking the trip, but at least you can recoup (and then some) your yearly maintenance fees.

 

[iheartglaciers]

The only way that DVC is gong to do anything for us is to alert some news media and let them run stories about how the "Disney timeshare owners" are getting hosed the the big corporation.

I think it would be hard to get news media to pick up a story about timeshare owners being treated unfairly, Disney or not. The situation is complicated to people who don’t understand DVC rules, and most people think timeshares are a scam.

I know that it’s a bitter pill to swallow but as some have stated if you book a trip at the very end of you UY this is one of the risks.

Btw does anyone know What DVC course of action was previously for members if there was a hurricane and members used points for a stay that would expire shortly after?

I’ve read a lot of people say that they didn’t pay that much attention to UY before, so this is a big wake up call to think carefully about making reservations at the end of your UY.

Fortunately, thanks to this board, I chose my UY very carefully. Though of course I realize things come up and sometimes it may be unavoidable to book at the end of your UY. But I agree that’s a risk you take owning a timeshare and working under its rules. Yes it’s Disney, and I think they make more accommodations than a normal timeshare, but ultimately we bought a real estate interest that comes with risk.

I know they’ve made exceptions for hurricanes, but you can’t really compare what they did then to this situation, which has a much larger impact, and actually the full impact is unknown right now.

I will also add it’s why i am expecting the suspension of banking and borrowing at the end of this,

While I’m hoping this doesn’t happen, I’ve been anticipating this as well, which is written into the contracts we signed. It’s within their rights to do what they think protects availability for all members.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

I am sorry, I thought I was explaining that is the typical risk and why they expire, which is the way in interpreted your question.

Currenlty, normal rules apply for those points, so those traveling at the end of their UY are stuck. Not their fault, but the reality of the system currently in place.

It was my understanding that if you were past the banking window for your CURRENT UY that DVC was extending the banking window so those points can be moved to next UY. It is those people that already banked points from last year into this year that are going to lose their points, correct?

 

[mrsg00fy]

Dvc is not allowing Current 2019 use year points to be banked past their expiry date when they cancel reservations due to the health emergency.

We are not talking about rebanking 2018 points.

 

[Sandisw]

It was my understanding that if you were past the banking window for your CURRENT UY that DVC was extending the banking window so those points can be moved to next UY. It is those people that already banked points from last year into this year that are going to lose their points, correct?

No, they are not allowing any late banking. They did for about 2 days and it wasn’t a consistent policy...some CMs did it and others did not,

I think they realized that is was a policy that could not be continued until they had a better idea of total loss of inventory.

Its being reviewed, I do think that if they decide to allow it, I am expecting it only to apply to April and June UY who were already beyond banking window when this started.

Those with Aug UY and beyond would likely be excludes because they are on notice and can save those points if they want,

 

[DVCSunDevil]

This doesn’t make sense. Any emergency policy to deal with these extraordinary circumstances needs to apply to the dates of closures and existing reservations. So if it’s closed March- June, anyone 1) with a pending reservation with points 2) that would expire in March, April, May & June have to be accommodated. Not every DVC owner for all of 2020.

I agree. This is the point I made in previous threads. If someone has an August UY, they still have time to cancel and bank those points. DVC shouldn't be making exceptions for those people. It's really only those with April and June UYs.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

Dvc is not allowing Current 2019 use year points to be banked past their expiry date when they cancel reservations due to the health emergency.

We are not talking about rebanking 2018 points.

Interesting. So they changed their stance? I know over the last two weeks DVC had extended the banking window for those with 2019 UY points that were expiring.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

No, they are not allowing any late banking. They did for about 2 days and it wasn’t a consistent policy...some CMs did it and others did not,

I think they realized that is was a policy that could not be continued until they had a better idea of total loss of inventory.

Its being reviewed, I do think that if they decide to allow it, I am expecting it only to apply to April and June UY who were already beyond banking window when this started.

Those with Aug UY and beyond would likely be excludes because they are on notice and can save those points if they want,

Aha...got it. Thank you. I hadn't heard that DVC changed their stance on the banking window being extended. Not doing it for August and beyond makes sense...those people can still cancel and bank. Anyone with Aug and beyond UY that doesn't cancel and bank can't complain later.

 

[Cyberc1978]

just a heads up, it seems that Disney is not accepting any new reservations for resort hotel until 6/1-2020.

if DVC will follow suit that would leave a lot of owners in the jam with expiring points.

 

[chcknctlt]

If DVC/Disney tells people “tough luck” if you booked in April and your points expire in May. Wow. I am not affected by this at all but that would be just insane. This is a PANDEMIC. Nobody thinks, “hey, I am only leaving 20 days of wiggle room before my UY ends, but what if there is a pandemic?”

Why can’t Disney offer the members a credit of $15 per point or something to use at ANY resort as a deal? Doesn’t even have to be a DVC resort. Expires in a year or something. Just an idea.

 

[Cyberc1978]

If DVC/Disney tells people “tough luck” if you booked in April and your points expire in May. Wow. I am not affected by this at all but that would be just insane. This is a PANDEMIC. Nobody thinks, “hey, I am only leaving 20 days of wiggle room before my UY ends, but what if there is a pandemic?”

Why can’t Disney offer the members a credit of $15 per point or something to use at ANY resort as a deal? Doesn’t even have to be a DVC resort. Expires in a year or something. Just an idea.

Have in mind that even if the idea would be nice for owners that Disney and DVC are two different companies. If your thought should materialize who should pay for it?

 

[starry_solo]

If DVC/Disney tells people “tough luck” if you booked in April and your points expire in May. Wow. I am not affected by this at all but that would be just insane. This is a PANDEMIC. Nobody thinks, “hey, I am only leaving 20 days of wiggle room before my UY ends, but what if there is a pandemic?”

Why can’t Disney offer the members a credit of $15 per point or something to use at ANY resort as a deal? Doesn’t even have to be a DVC resort. Expires in a year or something. Just an idea.

Why would Disney or DVC offer a credit worth more than the maintenance fees paid?

 

[chcknctlt]

Why would Disney or DVC offer a credit worth more than the maintenance fees paid?

I just threw a number out there...you got my point.

 

[CarolMN]

Be careful what wish for or suggest. For example, how about a special assessment on all Members to compensate those who lost points due to the pandemic?

 

[Cyberc1978]

Be careful what wish for or suggest. For example, how about a special assessment on all Members to compensate those who lost points due to the pandemic?

Wouldn’t that special assessment be a very small one since it’s divided among all owners at all resorts?

Have in mind even if I’m impacted it does not mean that all of my points in my UY is impacted.

 

[Tony]

I was 95% certain that I wanted to bank my points this year (March UY) so I've done that quickly incase they do enforce the no banking rule. Thanks to everyone here who pointed out DVC could enact that clause.

 

[Cyberc1978]

I was 95% certain that I wanted to bank my points this year (March UY) so I've done that quickly incase they do enforce the no banking rule. Thanks to everyone here who pointed out DVC could enact that clause.

In case they do, it wouldn’t be for 2020 UY as that is already started for some. They would wait for 2021 so it covers all members not just those which UY haven’t started yet.