Original Message:
Re: Wyndham's new "Ovation" program offers exit solutions for their owners... interested? (by Marc B.):
kathyh693 wrote:It is shell West so it includes San Fran Anaheim Napa etc , so it has value but they said they will take it back through ovation sans the three year deal. I will probably just do it and get out from under the fees. I mean the Napa place alone is $350+ a night so with 5500 points I get my fees back every year if I am good about using it. It just seems for $1700 a year in fees plus a $179 interval fee whenever I go outside of shell I could stay somewhere when and where I want for about the same $$ so I am leaning toward giving it back. Sure, I would love to sell it and recoup any part of my $30k+ but that isn’t likely and so many scammers out there...“the woman said she would send me the info to give it back to Shell or a company they use to resell them for you. It was referred by them and she said it was better business bureau verified and you don’t pay anything up front . Anyone exercise that option? ”
Also a Shell member (Hawaii Club: Kauai Beachboy). Contrary to what others that have posted here have claimed, we, as Shell owners can take advantage of the Ovation program. As you note, we are not eligible for the Limited program because that program uses owners’ prior Wyndham ownership points to use for three years. As Shell owners, we have no Wyndham points to carry forward.
I called on April 13. I was told immediately that I was eligible for the program, was given a confirmation #, and told I would be contacted by email in 4 - 6 weeks. On May 2, a little more than 2 weeks later, I received two emails containing the required legal documents to sign via DocuSign. We DocuSigned both of them and immediately received an email that our end of the process was complete and the documents accepted.
I’m not sure what happens next; maybe someone who has gone through these steps to this point can inform as to what Wyndham does next.
Like you, I made use of the points over the past 16 years, but no longer travel to any areas that have Shell properties, rather using them at BlueGreen resorts or the Wyndham in Daytona as we travel to and from our winter Florida Keys 2-month rental. Although this year, we found that even these weren’t fully available. Seems like the more they sell, the greater the demand for stays, making availability tight. Additionally, Interval International searches never turned anything up over several years.
The maintenance fees had risen to $2,200 and I just booked stays at nice Hilton properties for 9 nights on the way down in January and still have enough left for our usual 4 night return trip. As a Hilton Honors member who signed up for their new AMEX card there are also a lot of reward points nights that will be coming our way..... and no $2,200++ fee due in December. Plus, we can now pick the type of room we want in whatever city we want, so we’re happy.