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

In fact, Wyndham Old Town Alexandria is in the Limited Edition Directory. It is under "District of Columbia" rather than "Virginia," and I overlooked it before.

You are wise to be skeptical, reachesh . Wyndham's sales force often stretches the truth, or covers it up, -- or holds you hostage until you cave -- to make a sale. At least, that's my experience with those weasels. But somehow things have really improved with the Limited Edition. I guess they were slow to do it, and I was truly skeptical that we'd ever get anything of value for letting them have our deed back. I had recently tried to book a stay at Sapphire Valley, but the availability was zero from now to the end of my 10 month window. I'd never had a problem with booking there if I started far enough ahead. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Thanksgiving week -- the one I was trying to get -- was now available. There were numerous other available days, as well.

If things don't go so well in the future, I'll be posting about it here!!

Great, thanks for checking.

louisw40 wrote:

In fact, Wyndham Old Town Alexandria is in the Limited Edition Directory. It is under "District of Columbia" rather than "Virginia," and I overlooked it before.

I am definitely interested in parting ways with Wyndham, its nice see an option that doesn't involve hiring a lawyer, although for me, at this point a lawyer would be significantly cheaper, assuming the end result gets me out.

davidc1895 wrote:

I am definitely interested in parting ways with Wyndham, its nice see an option that doesn't involve hiring a lawyer, although for me, at this point a lawyer would be significantly cheaper, assuming the end result gets me out.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but it costs absolutely NOTHING to utilize Wyndham's Ovation program, so how could paying a lawyer be "significantly cheaper" than zero cost? Are you behind on maintenance fees that must first be brought current to be eligible for Ovation? Do you have an unpaid loan balance that must first be satisfied? Something doesn't add up here, as there is ZERO cost to use Ovation, if eligible and accepted.

I’m interested in off setting my points, please share.

angelar285 wrote:

No no Roberta don't use points like that! Never ever put in extra holidays. If yall knew the half of what they do to owners and inventory we would have a federal investigation. If you need help on how to offset all your fees email and I'll walk you through the key to do this. Hate seeing owners frustrated bit it is designed to do this. Sure they will not be offering original properties as thru created Wyndham access to get the owners to cover these costs. Won't post publically as Wyndham monitors these sites.

robertaj24 wrote:

I called Wyndham and learned that my resort, National Harbor, is one that is participating. I was told that someone would call me within two weeks. That time has passed and I haven't received a call from anyone identifying him- or herself as a Wyndham Ovation program representative.

I own 721,000 points and have used my 2015 points to book 3 nights at my home resort for a business trip, book two three-night stays in Myrtle beach locations with the Wyndham rental program (my share of the rental income has historically paid for just under 1/3 of my maintenance fees), and deposited the remainder into Wyndham Rewards to use for airline miles.

Since my timeshare portfolio includes other resorts, I would consider divesting the Wyndham points, beginning with 2016. One option to do so would be to sell portions on TUG or other websites to people who might need some.

Just called Wyndham to check on the "Ovation" program, which I learned about on Redweek's site. I can terminate my contract with a signature and a notary. Nothing given or offered from Wyndham. Which tells me after ten years, I am just another bottom feeder enaged in paying endless, ever raising maintenance fees to Wyndham.

That is ok. I will take every opportunity to let the world know .....

Thanks for the voice

susanr940 wrote:

Just called Wyndham to check on the "Ovation" program, which I learned about on Redweek's site. I can terminate my contract with a signature and a notary. Nothing given or offered from Wyndham. Which tells me after ten years, I am just another bottom feeder enaged in paying endless, ever raising maintenance fees to Wyndham.

That is ok. I will take every opportunity to let the world know .....

Thanks for the voice

Wyndham's Ovation program has actually been in effect since around December, 2015, although Wyndham has never gone out of its' way to actually publicize the program.

On one hand, it certainly must sting to give back (for free, receiving nothing in return) something that you paid good money for when you purchased the "product". On the other hand, there really aren't too many timeshares and / or timeshare companies that offer such an easy way "out" of that contractual obligation, at no additional out of pocket cost. Wyndham of course is certainly NOT doing this "out of the goodness of their heart", but as a rather ingenious way to acquire absolutely free "inventory" that they will just turn around and sell all over again, likely next time around in the form of CWA Points contracts.

In fairness, maintenance fees increase (averaging 4--5% annually) at virtually EVERY timeshare, not just with Wyndham. However, if you haven't been getting use and enjoyment and value out of that ownership each and every year, commensurate with the fees you have to pay, then it's probably wise and prudent to just "cut your losses" and move on. That "Ovation" door has been open for nearly two years now, but Wyndham can slam it shut anytime they choose, with no advance notice. Not saying they will, just that they CAN.

What is the number to contact about termination? Let's just say we are less than impressed after five years and are not giving them more money for more points and maintenance.

ken1193 wrote:

Wyndham's Ovation program has actually been in effect since around December, 2015, although Wyndham has never gone out of its' way to actually publicize the program. ...there really aren't too many timeshares and / or timeshare companies that offer such an easy way "out" of that contractual obligation, at no additional out of pocket cost. ... if you haven't been getting use and enjoyment and value out of that ownership each and every year, commensurate with the fees you have to pay, then it's probably wise and prudent to just "cut your losses" and move on.

I can't help but think that the continual advertising on the radio by the likes of Timeshare Exit Team and even Dave Ramsey have a very negative effect on efforts by current owners to sell their timeshares through ads in Redweek, TUG, My Resort Network, TimeSharing Today and the like.

Furthermore, I have to believe those ads help poison the sales process for developers in what my wife and I have come to refer to as their Dreaded Sales Centers.

Why isn't the timeshare industry "fighting back" with advertising playing up the real benefits of timeshares? Many of us are, in fact, getting rid of our timeshares because of age, family changes, health, etc. Nevertheless, many -- maybe most -- of us have truly enjoyed visiting our home resorts and/or trading through RCI, II, GPX, etc., for resorts all over the United States and the world. If they -- developers like Marriott and Wyndham, and the exchange companies -- would defend themselves they might benefit in Dreaded sales Center results, and we, who are anxious to bail out, might benefit, too.

lyndah97 wrote:

What is the number to contact about termination? Let's just say we are less than impressed after five years and are not giving them more money for more points and maintenance.

Read through this thread in its' entirety. ALL of the information you need to contact Wyndham is contained within this thread. Be advised in advance however that there must be no unpaid loan balance and your maintenance fees must be fully paid up to date, otherwise you'd just be wasting your time even making that phone call at all.

markl18 wrote:

I can't help but think that the continual advertising on the radio by the likes of Timeshare Exit Team and even Dave Ramsey have a very negative effect on efforts by current owners to sell their timeshares through ads in Redweek, TUG, My Resort Network, TimeSharing Today and the like.

Furthermore, I have to believe those ads help poison the sales process for developers in what my wife and I have come to refer to as their Dreaded Sales Centers.

Why isn't the timeshare industry "fighting back" with advertising playing up the real benefits of timeshares? Many of us are, in fact, getting rid of our timeshares because of age, family changes, health, etc. Nevertheless, many -- maybe most -- of us have truly enjoyed visiting our home resorts and/or trading through RCI, II, GPX, etc., for resorts all over the United States and the world. If they -- developers like Marriott and Wyndham, and the exchange companies -- would defend themselves they might benefit in Dreaded sales Center results, and we, who are anxious to bail out, might benefit, too.

Interesting thoughts. I personally don't believe that the nationwide bombardment of Timeshare Exit Team ads impacts developer sales, so it's hard to see why developers would "fight back" against an entity not hurting their own bottom line at all. On the other hand, it's hard to know how much impact the "escape artist" advertising has on the secondary (resale) market. I am inclined to believe that it's "not much". In my own selling off (6) separate timeshare weeks (none of them within "corporate chains", all of them at various independent resorts) over the past 7 or 8 years, I've witnessed no perceptible negative influence or effects from the emergence (and proliferation) of all these "escape / relief / exit / release" entities. Admittedly however, none of my weeks were dog weeks in Timbuktu, but neither were any of them "top shelf". I suspect that the "escape artists" appeal more to owners of weeks of no resale value or interest whatsoever, unfortunately having a near-zero chance of attracting a willing new legitimate recipient, even if / when offered for free.

How those alleged "escape artist" parasites manage to thrive without actually producing ANY results is a mystery to me. I guess desperate people will do desperate things, but the indisputable fact and truth is that merely writing a big check to an impotent, obscure "escape artist" operation has absolutely no impact or influence whatsoever upon the legally binding nature of a contractual obligation willingly and voluntarily taken on. There are no magic beans and there is no fairy dust that will somehow achieve a magical escape from such a legal obligation, but it seems clear that desperate people must be ponying up serious money to the alleged "exit artists" anyhow; all that advertising certainly isn't free.

ken1193 wrote:

I personally don't believe that the nationwide bombardment of Timeshare Exit Team ads impacts developer sales, so it's hard to see why developers would "fight back" against an entity not hurting their own bottom line at all. On the other hand, it's hard to know how much impact the "escape artist" advertising has on the secondary (resale) market. I am inclined to believe that it's "not much".

We'll never know whether or not traffic to the Dreaded Sales Center and -- often worse -- The Update -- is up or down and, if down, because of GetOutOfYourTimeShareNow advertising.

But advertising works, and that includes negative advertising. During our twenty years of timeshare ownership we've weathered more than our share of timeshare jokes and withering sneers: "You own timeshares?!" So I'm just suggesting that the GetOutOfYourTimeShareNow advertising might be reinforcing the generally bad image of timeshares, thereby taking a fresh and increased toll on demand for resales.

Recently I read (on TUG) that DRI has been suing exit companies for slander. Someone even suggested that they have seen more ads that focus on things like- "We loved our timeshare but now our life has changed and our travel needs are different and we would like out" vs "Timeshares are scams and we were deceived every step of the way so we need to get out of this terrible mess"

tracey75 wrote:

Recently I read (on TUG) that DRI has been suing exit companies for slander.

There are actually several (three at present, to be numerically precise) different entities that have filed lawsuits against the "exit" parasites, but they do not actually assert "slander" in the legal sense of that word. Instead, the suits essentially claim "interference with their business practices". Ironically, one of those Plaintiffs is Westgate, arguably the sleaziest and slimiest timeshare operation to be found anywhere (.....outside of Mexico, anyhow). How sleazy do you have to be to actually get sued by the slimy likes of Westgate? ;-)

Wyndham Ovations versus Pathway programs. I have taken advantage of the Ovations program for Wyndham contracts I had purchased off sites such as Ebay and other third party sellers. Since I had only paid no more than perhaps $100 for 154,000 or more points I was glad to give it back to Wyndham as I no longer wanted the maintenance fee burden. I asked about the three years of points use and was told that three years was allowed only when all the contracts you hold under your member ID are given back. The catch however is that if any of those contracts were purchased from WVR and the loan is still outstanding than they will not take it back. Now the Pathways program. If you have WVR contracts eligible for Pathwys and the loans have been paid in full Wyndham will take those contracts back and give you 20% of the equity value of the contract. I am not sure of when the Pathways program began (sometime in 2014 I think). It ended at the end of 2016 I think. If you purchased a WVR contract in those years then, if it was eligible for Pathways, you would have a page in the contract papers that says 'Pathway by Club Wyndham' at the top of the page. If you have a Pathway eligible contract then the Pathway equity benefit may apply to older contracts even if there is no Pathway by Club Wyndham page in the contract. Call 866-766-2330 to find out if your contracts include the Pathway option. Any contract that is Pathway eligible has a five year window from the purchase date to payoff the contract loan and exercise Pathway. As far as I know, if you have multiple Pathway eligible contacts, you must surrender all of them to get the 20%. The Wyndham department that handles this can tell you if your contracts are eligible and what your equity value is.

ken1193 wrote:

tracey75 wrote:

Recently I read (on TUG) that DRI has been suing exit companies for slander.

There are actually several (three at present, to be numerically precise) different entities that have filed lawsuits against the "exit" parasites, but they do not actually assert "slander" in the legal sense of that word. Instead, the suits essentially claim "interference with their business practices". Ironically, one of those Plaintiffs is Westgate, arguably the sleaziest and slimiest timeshare operation to be found anywhere (.....outside of Mexico, anyhow). How sleazy do you have to be to actually get sued by the slimy likes of Westgate? ;-)

The Sept/Oct 2017 issue of TimeSharing Today has a story headlined, "Welk Resorts files racketeering lawsuit." The story says Welk filed a federal racketeering lawsuit against Reid Hein & Associates, operating as Timeshare Exit Team (TSET), and against two law firms. The suit was filed July 25, 2017 in the US District Court for the Southern District of California. Welk Resorts alleges that TSET purposely leads customers to break contracts with their timeshare resorts. In a news release Welk Resorts claims that TSET broke multiple California laws, including the California Vacation Ownership and Time-Share Act and teh California False Advertisng Law. The story in TimeSharing Today was written by Kristina Payne.

Okay, so after reading this, I decided to give Wyndham a call. This was fast and easy...so far. They tell you upfront that this is not a buy back deal, it’s a give back. You relinquish your deed back to Wyndham at no cost to you. You have 2 options, the first option is give it back now, as in while you’re on the phone. They cancel your account and you are basically no longer responsible for any fees, dues, HOA maintenance, etc, etc. Any points you have are gone...Done deal. The second option takes up to 3 months to complete. You loose any points you have and effectively end your contract as of today, as with the first option, however, you continue to pay your mx fees, etc. until the deal is done...around 3 months I’m told. But, with this option you get your Annual Points for 3 years...starting the coming year. There are a few restrictions, but no deal killers. This is the option I took. Now they will send me an email with all the paperwork to fill out and return to them and my timeshare nightmare will be over. I do not know what the eligibility requirements are, however I gotta guess that you wouldn’t qualify if you owe anything on your loan...Although that is only my assumption. Anyway, I hope it is what it is.

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.

michaelm2424 wrote:

I do not know what the eligibility requirements are, however I gotta guess that you wouldn’t qualify if you owe anything on your loan...Although that is only my assumption. Anyway, I hope it is what it is.

That is generally correct. You have to be up to date on your maintenance fees and your mortgage has to be paid off.

Also, Wyndham will likely take a unit back only if Wyndham feel that it can easily turn around and sell it again.

Anyway, I am glad for you that you were able to get rid of your unit relatively painlessly and that you did not have to pay big bucks to some entity that claims it can "cancel" your timeshare for you.

Yes, we have found that travelling is becoming more difficult and would like to know more about turning the property back to Wyndham. I know it is a complicated matter and but seems to be the best solution for retirement.