Wyndham's new "Ovation" program offers exit solutions for their owners... interested?

SCAM !!! NEVER pay anyone money upfront that claims they can get you out of your contract especially some bottom feeding attorneys that troll the forums for victims.

I totally agree, it doesn't cost anything to give it back to Wyndham.

Using this Redweek forum to promote your services is abusive. Redweek should delete your entry.

want to sell timeshare

Carl -

If you wish to sell your timeshare on RedWeek, then please Contact Us and we can provide you with your resale options and all the details. (support@redweek.com)

Thanks, Phyllis

carlw128 wrote:

want to sell timeshare

Just remember to never ever pay anyone a large, upfront fee to sell your unit.

We have a points program with Wyndham (formerly Shell Vacations). Our annual maintenance fees are over $7K and the properties are second rate at best. I had recently traded out through II to a Marriott property in Palm Springs that was above average and discovered that their annual maintenance is less than $2k - there's no comparison and now we feel like idiots for paying such outlandish fees so I contacted wyndham/ shell about the return program and they told me about their Ovations program. They told me that we can grant deed them the properties as long as they are unencumbered (they are) and that it would take up to 2-3 months to get the paperwork prepared because of the volume of people wanting to take advantage of the program. We have to continue paying the maintenance fees in the meantime but we can also use the points we've got available as well. I checked back yesterday which was just at the 6 week mark and was told to give it a couple more weeks.

kyliec wrote:

We have been talking to Wyndham about their new program, Ovation, which was quietly announced to Wyndham owners a few weeks ago. The company isn't offering concrete details, but appears they are ready to customize exit solutions for their owners who no longer use their timeshares.

Jeff Weir has written an informative article for us with much more detail on this topic. Read about the initial introduction of the Ovation program here... and the Ovation update nearly a year later here.

IF YOU ARE A WYNDHAM OWNER, interested in what solutions Wyndham will offer to you, take us along for the ride! We would love to follow several owners as they contact Wyndham for a solution to see whether this program is all they are claiming it to be. If you're interested, please post here and Jeff will follow up with you.

joanm503 wrote:

We have a points program with Wyndham (formerly Shell Vacations). ... I contacted Wyndham/ shell about the return program and they told me about their Ovations program. They told me that we can grant deed them the properties as long as they are unencumbered (they are) and that it would take up to 2-3 months to get the paperwork prepared because of the volume of people wanting to take advantage of the program. We have to continue paying the maintenance fees in the meantime but we can also use the points we've got available as well. I checked back yesterday which was just at the 6 week mark and was told to give it a couple more weeks..

That's a summary of what this entire Discussion Forum is about.

If Wyndham sent you the paperwork, and you executed everything properly and sent it all back, you'll probably -- eventually -- get documentation that they have taken your points back.

You mention there are legal ways to get out of this? Could you possibly explain to me in a personal message? This sounds scammy to me, as this is the only comment on multiple sites I have ever seen...

jeffb563 wrote:

You mention there are legal ways to get out of this? Could you possibly explain to me in a personal message? This sounds scammy to me, as this is the only comment on multiple sites I have ever seen...

There is nothing "scammy" about the Ovation program. It worked for us, and a whole lot of other people who've commented here, at any rate. And it's legal. You just don't get any compensation for your points (but, then, they're worthless on the secondary/resale market anyway).

jeffb563 wrote:

This sounds scammy to me, as this is the only comment on multiple sites I have ever seen...

Well, you certainly haven't looked very hard on "multiple sites". Wyndham's Ovation program has actually been in place and frequently discussed on various timeshare related web sites and discussion forums since 2015 --- and it has now been utilized successfully by at least 30,000 people since its' inception in 2015.

There is no cost to utilize Wyndham's Ovation program, but Wyndham will not take back just any and every Wyndham product. Also, as noted above already, Wyndham offers absolutely no compensation whatsoever for their agreeing to take back their product under "Ovation".

Unfortunately, such "deedback" options and programs are relatively rare elsewhere in the timeshare industry.

I have just requested info from Wyndham on the 'ovation' program,please keep me informed on any replies

Guess you missed the "no purchase required portion"

.20 on the $1 is Pathways, not Ovation.

Greetings, just getting started with this process and am uncomfortable with the 3 years of point use as I'd just like a clean cut but wife wants 3 years of points. Anyone take the 3 years of points and used it. How did your process turn out. Thanks

dougb355 wrote:

Greetings, just getting started with this process and am uncomfortable with the 3 years of point use as I'd just like a clean cut but wife wants 3 years of points. Anyone take the 3 years of points and used it. How did your process turn out. Thanks

We got the three years worth of "free" points -- not really free because we "lost" about 16 months of maintenance in the process, due to having to cancel a reservation and keep paying until the end -- and have found using them to be a breeze. Main changes: You have to book by phone, not on line, and you may make reservations at Wyndham resorts only. Also, there's no carrying them forward as was possible with "pooling." You either use 'em or you lose 'em. Period. Just be careful whe making reservations that you don't get hit with more of Wyndham's $59 fees. They have their hands in your pockets with every breath.

We have been Wyndham owners for 19 years. Have always paid our maintenance fees. Kids are heading to college and our travel needs have changed. We want to dispose of out timeshare quickly without any additional cost. I will be calling and inquiring about the Ovation program this week.

I am going to try to sell my Vegas timeshare. Not much confidence in Wyndham. They are “slippery” and often deceptive in my opinion. I am responding to your request for Wyndham owners to follow.

Have you tried getting rid your Shell timeshare? If so, any pointers? Thanks!

leek50 wrote:

I am a Shell owner which in the last couple of years was purchased by Wyndham. I have know that down the road I will have to exit from ownership due to age or health. Now that Wyndham I see no improvements, they want you to pay more for services. Shell would tell us to sell go to a reseller, but in the same breath they would say now if you go to a reseller and buy points, they would not be treated like Shell sold points, i.e. can not be used to obtain any elite status.

Wyndham, Shell, Hilton and all the rest are leaving a fortune on the table with no satisfactory exit plan cause it encourage the bad taste people get in their mouth when they say the word, timeshare.

I would propose that they have a simple plan that helps both seller, buyer and Timeshare brand. If you want to sell, come up with a set percentage discount off the original purchase price the seller purchased the points or weeks for. They are then turned over to the "Brand", Wyndham/Hilton/whoever to sell. The Brand/Resort is much better equipped to sell them in a quicker period of time then a reseller would be. The seller could still use the points till sold. Once sold the resort will have new cash in it's pocket, a happier seller cause they feel that they were treated well and the new owner would start ownership knowing that they do have a out clause when the time comes.

Example you own $20,000 in points, you know that when you want to sell you'll get 30% back. Maybe that not a great return on dollars,( think of it like a car, it's value will be less when you go to buy another new one, but we still go buy that new one.) but hopefully you had a great many vacations were you've thousands not going to hotels. So the resort now sells the points for the new current price which is $28,000. (Shell always tells me at updates that points cost to add on are always higher then what I purchased them for.) So The timeshare company just made an additional $22,000 and they still get to charge their yearly fees.

TimeShare companies want everything their way, they say sell at resellers, but then they say Don't buy from resellers, they can't have it both ways. If they just give us a fair deal, we'll all be happy and they will get richer faster.

People always say we're fools for buying a timeshare, okay resorts, lets prove them wrong!

The fatal flaw in your proposal, interesting though it may be, is that it matters not one little bit what a buyer may have (over)paid a developer in the original purchase. That purchase could still be nearly worthless a week (or a day) later in the open resale marketplace.

Plenty of people are entirely willing to GIVE BACK their ownerships FOR FREE. For example, over 30,000 people have successfully applied to Wyndham's "Ovation" program since 2015, receiving absolutely nothing in return (except an escape from any future obligations), so why would Wyndham (or any other developer, for that matter) actually have any motivation or interest in helping people to recover any money from their original grossly overpriced purchase? It's a corporation, making business decisions, looking out for (and ONLY for) its' own financial interests, with no particular concern for their "customers". Sad, but true.