Points Rented, now I am stuck with the bill!

[CarolAnnC]

I don't believe a service provider can attempt to charge on your credit card until there have been charges placed on it.

Disney typically puts through the credit card charges currently at, I believe, $1500. Whatever the limit is, most scammers go ahead and charge up to just under the amount so they can check out prior to the card being run through.

I don't think Disney is doing anything wrong here. It is just fraud which is becoming a serious issue, not just at WDW but nationwide.

 

[yfchen22]

There is always a risk when renting to people you don't know. I've rented 4 times in 10 years and had one renter skipped on their credit card charges which was close to the amount I charged them for the room. My account was on hold until I paid Disney back the charges. Lesson learned, from now on I will only rent to DVC members or people I know.

 

[crisi]

Yes, but why doesn't WDW check to see if the credit card on file is valid before they allow the person free range:

They do, but they only "hit" the card to see if its open, they apparently don't place a hold on the card to charge against. My guess is that an auth hold puts too much risk on Disney - there has been litigation on auth holds. Credit card law on what you can and can't do and can and can't hold is complex - and since Disney tags their charge amount to the room type - a value room will charge the card every $500.....they tie the risk to the room profit for CRO reservations anyway. But for whatever reason, they don't do an authorization hold.

If the card closes between the check and the credit charge - say the card holder calls and reports it stolen, the charge won't go through.

(And I'm not sure that an authorization hold would go through if the card was canceled before the settlement but after the hold anyway. My husband used to be closely connected to an internet fraud department - I know a common trick there was to order your stuff (to a different address than yours), then call 24 hours later - after it shipped, and say your card had been lost sometime the previous day and "oh no, that isn't my charge!").

Credit card fraud isn't difficult to pull off (although eventually, you will get caught), and honestly, my guess is the renter who does is usually believes them to be stealing from a big wealthy corporation. But then stuck with the reality, isn't honest enough to pay you back either.

(Disneynutz says in the other thread on this topic that there is an additional charge to Disney from the credit card company if they pre-authorize rather than just hit it to see if its open).

 

[mmay60046]

It's too bad that as the DVC owner making the reservations, you can't just specify that room charges are not to be allowed for any specific reservation. Let the person renting from you figure out a different way to pay for their expenses, either by carrying a credit card or cash with them.

 

[crisi]

It's too bad that as the DVC owner making the reservations, you can't just specify that room charges are not to be allowed for any specific reservation. Let the person renting from you figure out a different way to pay for their expenses, either by carrying a credit card or cash with them.

Again, what is in that for Disney? Tying a credit card to the room increases the purchase rate in the parks and restaurants - and at no risk to them since we signed a contract that says we are responsible for our guests. And for what purpose - to make it easier for DVC owners to compete with Disney for revenue on its own product? Its too bad, but it also isn't in Disney's self interest to permit it.

 

[Phil Cirrone]

Oh my god that is horrible. I have never even thought of that when I rented my points. I'm so sorry for you. How do people live with themselves.

 

[mikeking48]

There's no way to do that. Besides, while you're checking in, you're asked if you want to put a credit card on your room keys. So...if the renter doesn't know at the time that it's possible, they soon will.

This is another reason that I have never rented my points. We let 50 points expire last year for this very reason.

Won't rent the points but will let that much money in points go to waste..what's the difference?

 

[k3chantal]

Me too I hate to see waste.

I am always borrowing the year ahead, I hate seeing waste!

 

[Jobelly]

I don't yet own but am hoping too in the future and one plus was that we could rent the points out if we couldn't afford the flights some years (coming from uk). If you rented your points out through a rental company (think there is a big one called David's? May be wrong?) would you have any more protection, I wondered if they had some form of insurance or if they took a security deposit.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Wasn't there a happy ending?

 

[ELMC]

People, this thread is two and a half years old (four if you count its start date) and was revived by a first time poster. Let it go back to sleep.

 

[Daddio]

I don't yet own but am hoping too in the future and one plus was that we could rent the points out if we couldn't afford the flights some years (coming from uk). If you rented your points out through a rental company (think there is a big one called David's? May be wrong?) would you have any more protection, I wondered if they had some form of insurance or if they took a security deposit.

Ultimately, the member would be responsible, after I exercised my powers to recoup any monies, using all of my resources. Out of many thousands of rentals, this has only happened once, several years ago and I was successful in recouping from the guest. It was a small amount posted to their account after check out. I have a number of legal resources at hand as well as many hungry collection agencies soliciting my business.

~ David

 

[Jobelly]

Well i didn't expect a reply from the man himself. Thanks for that, its a bit of reassurance for when I (hopefully) have points and want to rent them out.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Gosh what is it with the huge number of revived threads that are many years old. This week alone I have seen 4 or 5

 

[luckyman_apd]

Gosh what is it with the huge number of revived threads that are many years old. This week alone I have seen 4 or 5

Lack of new threads being started?

 

[mikeking48]

People, this thread is two and a half years old (four if you count its start date) and was revived by a first time poster. Let it go back to sleep.

Not first time per Se; because I waited 4 and a 1/2 years between screen names I no longer have the use of my old screen name. I just recently came on this site to rent some DVC points when I inadvertently came across this thread and thought to myself, I need to express my opinion. I mean when someone talks about wasting Disney points on a Disney related chat site it just seems downright preposterous. But hey, thanks for extending this thread even longer then I did. I'll be back in a few years when I need some more points, and see if it is still going.