Timeshare Companies

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

Apr 08, 2015

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.


Kylie
RedWeek.com

Last edited by kyliec on Apr 18, 2016 10:34 AM

Apr 15, 2015

I'm differently interested in this information.


Michael H.
Apr 16, 2015

Sure it requires another purchase with zero guarantees and less than 10 prevent of value. Just another sales tactic as always with Wyndham. Smarter work to advantage.


Angela R.
Apr 17, 2015

angelar285: they are saying there is no additional purchase required. This is why we would like to follow real owners who attempt to find a solution with them.


Kylie
RedWeek.com
Apr 21, 2015

Very interested in finding out more on this "new" program and any would appreciate any and all information


Rob A.
Apr 21, 2015

Owners NOT required to pay upfront fee or purchase more points to participate in Ovation. In a letter to Wyndham owners, Franz Hanning, president and CEO, says: "I'm excited about the launch of Ovation by Wyndham --- a new program that offers credible options for owners ready to close their vacation ownership chapter with us." A magazine ad for Ovation states: "Participation in the Ovation by Wyndham program does NOT require any additional purchase or fees." The contact number for Wyndham owners seeking information is: 855-312-9040. Owners can also submit an inquiry by going to myclubwyndham.com/ovation.


Jeffrey W.
Apr 21, 2015

I would love to divest of my Wyndham timeshare - give away, deed-back whatever. Please continue to follow and provide information. I was not contacted by Wyndham with the information so the information here is appreciated.

I am a fixed week owner without points so when I called this morning I was re-directed a couple of times but finally landed with a helpful employee. I am not eligible for the Ovation program but I was able to submit a request for a deed-back. This is just fine with me since getting out from under the maintenance fees for a week I don't use is great. Only drawback is a response is not expected for 12-14 weeks. Why so long Wyndham?


Janet T.

Last edited by janett133 on May 21, 2015 09:38 AM

Apr 21, 2015

Is this 'Ovation' program only available to Club Wyndham owners? We own a 2 bedroom unit at Wyndham at Fairfield Glade, TN and the maintenance fees are getting to be exorbitant and we are seriously thing of getting rid of the unit and this Buyback program looks interesting. Any comments are welcome, I will give them a call shortly and hear directly what is being offered to who and what are the terms but thought some info from others would be useful. Thanks for any assistance.


Brian B.
Apr 21, 2015

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.


Roberta J.
Apr 21, 2015

At least Wyndham is trying to find an exit for the owners who want to "Downsize", unlike Blue Green which is trying to Overprice their weeks owners with double Maintenance Fees...1000. last year and 2000. this year and have already told us to expect the same next year into giving up their weeks for "points".


Kathy H.
Apr 21, 2015

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!


Lee K.

Last edited by leek50 on Apr 21, 2015 06:06 PM

Apr 21, 2015

That's the problem, it's more complex than your example. You have developers, associations(owners), sales and marketing companies(Wyndham). It's so easy for us as owners to point the finger at the big companies when they are the ones providing us with a wide range of travel options. If it were that easy timeshare companies would just recycle points and keep making a profit off of the same product. Example: To simplify this lets just say I own at an association with 100 other owners. And the cost of keeping that association is split between us evenly. And 99 of the other owners just give their property back to the association. That leaves me to foot the bill because no one left to chip in to keep place operating. Well I'm not obligated to pay it all because I own just my share of the property. So the association try's to resale the inventory but is unsuccessful. The assosiation goes under and I lose my property because we let the owners come and go as the please. So to hear Wyndham is the one company willing to spend the time and resources to figure out a win win solution for everyone is wonderful. They have always been the investors of industry and when they figure it out others will follow suit or no longer be in the industry. There will be mistakes made along the way as some say "pathways" but at least they are moving the industry in the right direction. It's just sad that people have begged and begged for solutions for decades. Now that they are listening all we do is complain more. I just hope results from there experiments don't result in a conclusion: "Owners are going to be unhappy either way and it's much easier and we spend less money on resources to just let them figure it out on their own.


Shane A.
Apr 22, 2015

They haven't done so well on their own so far, have they?


Lee K.
Apr 22, 2015

No it really isn't that complex, it's simple real estate. I own a property and I want to sell it, or buy additional units/points/weeks what ever. A mechanism should be inlace for you to do that. Right now owners are trapped and forced to sell to resellers or by personal advertisements or any means they have to sell at for the most part rock bottom rates. That's one of the things that gives time share ownership a very bad name in the public. You don't like a car example, lets try a condo. You own the inside, the association owns the outside and the property. While you still own it, you still pay taxes, upkeep what ever the association charges you. The association only suffers if you fail to pay for some reason. But with a condo association you can select a real estate agent to sell it for you at a fair price, maybe up maybe down depending on the value of the property. We all knew going in (or should of known) that we would never get our full money back out, but we should get something cause we do own something of value. The condo association if smart should have or offer help for you to sell. Real life example, Lawaii Beach Resort on Kauai has a real estate person on site that works with it's owners to help them buy or sell their weeks. That's a great plus for the owners. Now their are many small timeshare operations out there that haven't spent a nickel keeping their places current. If you have used II or RCI or even RedWeek much I', sure you have seen them, they always have weeks open cause their owners never want to go there. I know of people who have purchased weeks from them in the past just to have extra weeks to bank to go to other places. These places will suffer and go out unless they work to improve themselves. The big boys need to come up with a game plan that isn't just for their wallets or people will even more say, TimeShares? I'd never own one of them, they're for fools to throw away their money. I'm one of those fools, but I love good time share resorts and will keep using mine till I can't anymore.


Lee K.
Apr 22, 2015

Some solution sure is needed. Especially with our aging population. To me it seems the big companies and exchange clubs like RCI just keep getting more greedy. RCI now charging $209 for an exchange. I believe they are now owned by Wyndham- right? That is half of some of my annual fees! The industry needs some help and regulation.


Rich C.
Apr 22, 2015

I am also definitely interested in this program. Thanks, Jo Ann


Jo L.
Apr 22, 2015

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.


Angela R.

Last edited by phyl21 on Apr 22, 2015 10:06 PM

Apr 22, 2015

No Wyndham is trying to diffuse the millions they are paying in foreclosure maint fees. Process is so long they would rather bulk sell the deeds they take back add they do this anyways add it takes a year to recycle thru legal for resale. One way they make money. 2. They want udi properties back they can use in rental before bulk selling. They rent privately much of owner inventory which is why you can't use! 3. They settle with owners for misrepresentation to include all fees paid in the multi million dollar range every year and if you accept their offer this will legally prevent you from seeking any reimbursement. There are credible people who do this all day getting owners refunded entirely so if they give you market rate at .008/pt they ate making out through all their income sources.


Angela R.
Apr 23, 2015

I am very interested. Please keep me advised. ritmil130@yahoo.com.


Rita M.
Apr 23, 2015

i AM VERY INTERESTED IN THE EXIT PROGRAM BEING OFFERED PLEASE SEND DETAILS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE


Haydn J.

Note: Please do not post ads in the timeshare forums. If you want to add a timeshare posting, go here.