I feel SICK! Please tell me this is a glitch and our trip is not gone!!

[Dean]

I respectfully disagree with this one statement. If the owner of the points borrows points or does not use their use year properly then he or she has put themself in this postion. They as the owner still have control and did not have to do this. The renter has no idea how owner controls their point usage. The RISK for the renter NEVER changes. And I do agree there is more risk to the owner if they do not manage their point properly... But again the owner created that risk.

And I agree it is more than 1%. I was just trying to show that the bigger risk is always with the renter. I am also an owner and I would never put myself at risk of losing points. If I did so I would advise the renter that the points are non refundable and if this is acceptable we can continue with the transaction.

They do have control over the reservations and they can control their risks to a degree, we agree on that aspect. However, it's still risks that they incur for whatever reason. Their reservation policies will also alter their risk and that of the rentee as well to a degree. If one rents banked/borrowed points, late in the UY, has poor rental policies, etc; the risk can be quite high. There are also things the rentee can do to increase or decrease risk but overall there is less than can do to change risk than the owner.

 

[spiceycat]

For the record:

When I became aware of this situation, I contaced the OP and offered to try to contact the member. She accepted my offer and provided the name of the member. I wrote to that member yesterday asking that they contact their renter to re-confirm the reservation.

Within a few hours I received a nice response from the member explaining that a waitlist had been involved ( as suggested by several on this thread) and that they had just discovered that it had come thru on the DVC site.

Since the OP is now happy with their reservation, I am completely satisfied with the end result. The DVC member is a long-time DIS member in good standing, with many satisfied renters who promptly responded when contacted about the situation.

Thanks to all who expressed their concern and suggestions.

thanks Doc - sorry you had to get involved but better that you did - than thinking what so many of us were thinking.

nice to know although you don't moderate any more if something happens you are there!

 

[bumbershoot]

Did your guests not have a Credit Card on file? How did this happen?

I was reading the official WDW guidebook (the Birnbaum one) last night, and it said that charges that come through *after* checkout won't be charged to the CC, but will be billed to the home.

 

[LIFERBABE]

I was reading the official WDW guidebook (the Birnbaum one) last night, and it said that charges that come through *after* checkout won't be charged to the CC, but will be billed to the home.

Exactly! But with DVC, the charges are attached to the owners account because I was told CRO and Billing cannot contact anyone staying on points. MS has to do it. This must be new because I never had this issue but it has happened to me twice in the last 9 months!

 

[spiceycat]

Exactly! But with DVC, the charges are attached to the owners account because I was told CRO and Billing cannot contact anyone staying on points. MS has to do it. This must be new because I never had this issue but it has happened to me twice in the last 9 months!

that is scarey!

 

[csmommy]

Can you request, at time of booking, that there be no room charging allowed?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Can you request, at time of booking, that there be no room charging allowed?

You can request anything you like, but it's not going to happen. If the guest wants to charge to the room, they will get to charge to the room. Even if you put it in a "contract" with the renter.

 

[disneynutz]

REALLY?? How could you even say that? You do not feel that as a renter...somebody who has handed over $600 to a complete stranger should have ALL of the information? I should not rent from somebody unless I expect to be left in the dark?

I don't mean to be rude but I really disagree! Of course I deserve to have all of the information. It is my vacation. I had no idea I was even on a wait list. I had spoke with this person by phone about getting the view changed since we had not requested the garden view to start with. I was told they would call and get that fixed. One number of our address was wrong too so we had talked about getting that fixed. I was told they would get it fixed and mail me the letter. When the letter came it STILL said Garden View and had the wrong address # on it so I emailed them when it came in just to let them know. I did not hear anything. A couple of weeks later I thought about it and sent a second email. Then about a week ago I sent a 3rd. All were very friendly and just asked about it. Saturday night I just thought maybe I would be able to see according to my online info if it had been fixed so I key in the # only to see SORRY, THIS RESERVATION HAS BEEN CANCELED. Who would NOT be scared to death when they read those words. I have had nothing but total trust for this person the whole time or else I would not have rented points but this really would scare anyone. All I needed to know was that I was on a wait list and I would not have been worried but I did not know that.

You mean to tell me this would not bother you as a renter and b/c I got nervous and came here for advice I should not rent points from anyone? I did not call them that night b/c it was 1am and I had more respect for them that to call and wake them up at that hour.

As far as getting a mod involved. I did not go running to the mods or anything like that. I simply let one of them send them a private message asking that they please get in touch with me. I do not see where the big deal is there. If a member here uses THIS BOARD as a way to rent out their points and then does not go through with their end I will DEFINITELY go to the mods. They do not need to be allowed to do that to anyone else and I would do all I could to make sure they were not able to do that here again. You do not think that is the right thing to do?

Now, in my case this was not the intent of the other party and throughout this thing I never did accuse them of anything...even stated I felt they were trustworthy but was just really worried. I can not imagine anyone thinking that was wrong of me.

Sorry to ramble on. I was just shocked to read that you thought a renter did not deserve to stay informed about their trip.

I'm happy for you that you can put this situation behind you.

To clarify my post, I'm not saying that you didn't deserve to be informed, but I would have tried to contact the owner by phone if they weren't answering my emails. I also would not have jumped to conclusions and posted my situation on a public forum until I talked to the member.

Although well meaning, sometimes the forum responses can add to your panic and cause you to get even more upset.

I have rented our points before and if I sense that the renter doesn't have complete faith in me, I will suggest that they not rent. A Disney vacation should be a fun, magical time, not a vacation that you have to worry about.

Wishing you a wonderful time at Walt Disney World.

Bill

 

[william1375]

What sort of "charges" are coming after check-out? This seems ripe for fraud. Balances due should be paid at check-out. It sounds as if DVC allows this practice to discourage renting of points.

 

[Deb & Bill]

What sort of "charges" are coming after check-out? This seems ripe for fraud. Balances due should be paid at check-out. It sounds as if DVC allows this practice to discourage renting of points.

They will do lots of things to discourage renting points. Just like they limited the number of accounts you can be an associate on. And enforced the transfer rules.

We've gone to the parks after we checked out and wound up charging our meal to the room. Most of the time we don't, but sometimes we have. But those were actually charged to our card after the rest of the charges were put on our credit card.

 

[CarolAnnC]

What sort of "charges" are coming after check-out? This seems ripe for fraud. Balances due should be paid at check-out. It sounds as if DVC allows this practice to discourage renting of points.

The owner would be responsible for excessive damage to the unit. If a room gets trashed, someone has to pay and the owner is the bottom line. According to DVC that is..

 

[disney54us]

What sort of "charges" are coming after check-out? This seems ripe for fraud. Balances due should be paid at check-out. It sounds as if DVC allows this practice to discourage renting of points.

If someone had charges after checking out I don't believe this is DVC's way of discouraging renting points. First, many people allow their friends and or married children (different last names) use their points.
This I would hope is a rare screw up, unacceptable at DVC, WDW or any other hotel. This does not equate to renting pts. except if it happened in this instance it would cause a problem for the member. It equates to bad front desk practice, plain and simple. Any charges made after check out should be placed on the credit card of the person who was staying there.
DVC I'm sure and should come up with better ways to discourage the 'professional renters'.

 

[disney54us]

I'm happy for you that you can put this situation behind you.

To clarify my post, I'm not saying that you didn't deserve to be informed, but I would have tried to contact the owner by phone if they weren't answering my emails. I also would not have jumped to conclusions and posted my situation on a public forum until I talked to the member.

Although well meaning, sometimes the forum responses can add to your panic and cause you to get even more upset.

I have rented our points before and if I sense that the renter doesn't have complete faith in me, I will suggest that they not rent. A Disney vacation should be a fun, magical time, not a vacation that you have to worry about.

Wishing you a wonderful time at Walt Disney World.

Bill

I don't think the OP jump to a conclusion. She stated that she had no response to emails over 3 weeks, not 3 days that could be brushed off to a long weekend away. To add to that, b/c the waitlist came through and her original reservation # was cancelled that is what she saw. I believe her original post was after 12am. She was in a panic as I believe most would be, unless we walk through the world w/rose colored glasses. She needed to vent, and get advice. She did, with people who made sure she was checking the correct site, with those who tried to reassure her that maybe it was a mix up. She stated that she did try phoning the person, but the number was a business cell. She also never gave out the person's name or screen name and from what I read stated everything seemed to be great with the person she was dealing with. So I don't think this is a case of a nervous renter, this is a case of a rentee that until it hit the boards and he/she was contacted by a admin did not bother to get back to their renter for 3 weeks.
So having rented b/f I don't find it acceptable not to contact someone for 3 weeks for either party.
I am very happy this did not turn out to be a scam and she can go and have
a magical time with her family.

 

[Chuck S]

What sort of "charges" are coming after check-out? This seems ripe for fraud. Balances due should be paid at check-out. It sounds as if DVC allows this practice to discourage renting of points.

As others have said, charging can happen after check-out. Even if the renter is perfectly honest, one way the owner can get stuck would be to charge after check-out. The credit card company sees a sizable charge come in from Disney on the morning of check-out, this in itself cues the Credit Card fraud department as an abnormal charge. The bank shuts down the card until they are able to contact the card holder, and verify that it is a legitimate charge. The guest leaves for home on the afternoon, and may be driving and staying overnight somewhere. The next morning, the Disney resort again sends a charge for the charges made the previous day. The credit card company declines the charge, as they have not heard from the card holder, yet.

Seeing the charge as declined, Disney notifies DVC, DVC then charges the owner of the points used for the reservation.

I've had a similar experience. Disney charged out our room charges the morning of check-out. Now, I didn't use the room card again, so there was no bounced charge to Disney, but while driving home, I did try to use the same credit card to purchase gas. It was declined, even though I was no where near the credit limit, because the bank's Fraud Prevention system put a hold on the card. Fortunately, I have other credit cards, and knew it was a possibility, but just grabbed that card out of habit as it is the lowest interest rate/cash back, and I use it the most.

Fraud Prevention also shuts down the card whenever I use it in Mexico, and then try to use it on the way home, as we are close enough to the border to cross over on a day trip. Any "unusual" charge can set off fraud prevention.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Seeing the charge as declined, Disney notifies DVC, DVC then charges the owner of the points used for the reservation.

Yes and this process takes months not days or weeks. My Oct guest, I did not find out until March and my Dec guest I did not find out until June. Both times my membership was flagged without any prior notification or mailing that there was a problem. This happened at 2 different DVC resorts. SSR and BWV. I really dont understand how this happens and why MS is so lax about it. They did not notify my guests either. Just more than happy to shut my account down

Both times I was relieved I was dealing with people I knew, because the bulk of the folio was paid and you could tell it was a front desk error not my guests. The front desk makes mistakes but since they have a contract with DVC, they cant fix it they have to go thru MS.

If I had been strapped with those charges and had to pay them until I tracked someone down, it would not have been pleasant

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I was reading the official WDW guidebook (the Birnbaum one) last night, and it said that charges that come through *after* checkout won't be charged to the CC, but will be billed to the home.

That is not what has happened with us. On two different trips I have gone to the desk as we were leaving to get the bill when it was not delivered to the room for the express check out. The front desk could find no charges for us even though I knew there had been from the previous days. Several days later there the charge would be on my credit card account. There were legitimate charges but were "not there" when we left and they did charge it to the CC I had given them. What I didn't like was that I then had no detail to review to see if everything charged was correct.

 

[LimoFam5]

Wonderful news! This is EXACTLY what happened! They just sent me an email. They had done a wait-list for Boardwalk view and I had no idea. It came through on the 12th and they were not notified so they just checked it and sent me the info.

I can not tell you guys how much better I feel right now. This scared me to death...lol I can not imagine this actually happening to somebody and them really loosing their vacation.

On a not so good note- I guess the renter was quite upset with me for posting on the dis and a webmaster contacting them to ask about it which I feel SO BAD about. I guess I should not jump to conclusions and open my big mouth so fast. I hope they will forgive me for posting. I did not give their name to ANYONE but a webmaster so I do hope they are not too upset with me.

Thank you all so much for giving me options for what may have been going on and helping me feel better today! You are the best!

Whenever I rent out my DVC points I make it my TOP TOP JOB to keep the renter informed of any and ALL changes. In alot of cases this is their once a year ALL out vacation that they have planned and saved for. I am SUPER freaky about planning and staying in the know so I feel it is ONLY right that I keep the renter as up to date as possible. On the other hand EVERYONE that I have ever rented to has had my personal cell and email contact info so there would be no reason for me NOT to address their concern the DAY I get the voicemail or call. I would hate to be in their shoes stressing over money "possibly" lost. Even if this was NOT the case and your reservation was fine ALL kinds of crazy things run through your head when you feel you may have lost out.......
What a relief for you, catch up on some sleep that Im sure you have lost and take some heart health meds because I would have been on the verge of a heart attack had I been in your shoes.
Have FUN!!!!!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

.... On the other hand EVERYONE that I have ever rented to has had my personal cell and email contact info so there would be no reason for me NOT to address their concern the DAY I get the voicemail or call. ...

Their concern of the day??? That's nuts. Unless you happen to be a travel agent.

 

[Sammie]

There is some risk involved for both the person renting and the DVC member. Such is the nature of the situation.

One way a charge could be a problem is as ChuckS stated, that the Front Desk makes a mistake, they did this to us once. We had $200 in room charges when we checked out which would be charged to our CC on file, but there was a mistake and they charged us $2000.

If this happened to a renter and as Chuck stated their CC company declined it, then it gets sent back to the DVC member on file for the reservation.

At this point it would be up to the member to reclaim the money, not Disney, and not DVC.

 

[ToddyLu]

Their concern of the day??? That's nuts. Unless you happen to be a travel agent.

Huh? I just do not understand how that is nuts?