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

I am very interested in ovation

We HAD 726,000 Wyndham Points at LaCasada in San Antonio. Last November Wyndham bought the points back at 20 cents on a dollar. Hated to take such a loss, but at least I did not have to PAY a resale company to take it off my hands. We also have a week in Maui from DIAMOND and they will NOT do anything, so I paid a company $1650 to get my name off the deed and maintenance fees. We started the process in Feb. and they said Diamond is very slow, but the company expects our transfer/buy out to be completed by Aug. 15. It really feels good not to owe $5000 in maintenance fees. We spent a week in Harrisonburg, VA in June for less than $500 at the Massanutten Resort and have made arrangements through VRBO to spend a week in AZ in Sept. over Labor Day for under $500. We usually take 3 weeks of vacation every year but will now have spending money to take more. We are both retired. In November, Wyndham didn't have a name for the "graceful exit" program...

It works!!! We only got 20 cents on the dollar for a buy back, but what the heck, it beat paying a resale company to take it off our hands.

NEVER pay anyone money upfront to get your name off a timeshare.

.20 cents on the retail dollar is about what the fair value of the unit was from the start. Glad it worked out for you..

TO all the rest... When the scammers start reading this forum, and they will, the phone call will start flying so get ready.. Wyndham and non Wyndham owners will get call from scumbags claiming to be from Wyndham Ovation program.

From my understanding Wyndham is PAYING you to take the unit back, NOT the other way around.

Have to tip my hat to Wyndham for this program, but do see it being VERY limited in location they allow..

(Wyndham) The honorable thing to do would be allow ALL properties to participate in the program, NOT a select few.

PS.. Resale companies for the most part will NOT take a timeshare off your hands, The only thing they take of your hands is your MONEY..

I called Wyndham and was told there was no remuneration of any kind for my week at Wyndham Mountain Vista in Branson, Mo. I told the nice lady that several people on this forum said they were paid $.20 on the $1, but she said there was no payment for any of the deeds. Only a transfer of ownership. Wyndham handles the title transfer fees and closing costs, so there is no cost to the owner. I wonder if there is a level system where some properties are considered more valuable and owners get payment, while other less valuable properties simply get the title changed over? She was typing notes while I told her about this forum.

Do you have any idea how I can get a refund of 20 cents per dollar? When I call they tell me that it is strictly a deal with no money exchange. The deed is just handed over. Thanks for any info.

I just requested information about the program so it will be interesting to see what they are offering. Like many of you, I am skeptical fearing that it will be a win-win for them and a lose-lose for me. We'll see....

So they are only looking to relieve you of your monthly maintenance fee? How nice of them! Lol!

Like you said, you might as well keep the timeshare!

I have been trying to get rid of my Membership for over 5 years. I have yet to have a Wyndham vacation without a problem. At Cypress Palms I'm talking moving toilets same unit had a dishwasher that wasn't attached pubic hair in the shower, another trip the ceiling had a crack and leak, next trip they were power washing and got debris on my 2 week old car and water was coming under the door and caused a mini flood . Filthy conditions Rocky mountain Tennessee, stains on sheets gouges in furniture. In Emerald Grande in Destin we were checked into a room with an iron mark burnt into the rug. Bonnet Creek the oven door was broken, the kitchen towels had stains. When we complained about guests drinking beer in glass bottles and smoking in the lazy river we were told they didn't want to embarrass those guests. Star Island 3 months ago our unit had a TV the didn't work mold on the cutting board and on the sink sprayer, stains on the couch an on a previous trip our living room had one cable service and the bedroom had another, I tripped on the rug and when they lifted it there was a whole the size of the a softball that they covered up. I have tried to sell back my timeshare and been told my contract was not eligible and the solution to the problems I was having was to buy more points since I was only a silver member.

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 - look for a link to it in our e-mail newsletter next week (make sure you are subscribed in Your Account).

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.

what are the options that are available to us for completely getting free of my time share.

williamj508 wrote:

What are the options that are available to us for completely getting free of my time share?

Did you read the original post? If you are a Wyndham owner, check out that post.

If it's not a Wyndham (or even if it is), besides contacting the resort's Homeowners' Association and asking if it will take it back, you can try advertising it for "sale" in RedWeek's Bargain Basement. Other reputable sites are E-Bay, Craigslist (just be prepared for a lot of spammers and scam attempts), My Resort Network, or Timeshare Users Group (aka "TUG"; tugbbs.com). If you are really serious about getting rid of your unit, you can offer to pay the closing costs (about $200) and even the following year's maintenance fees.

Whatever you do, never, ever pay anyone a large, upfront fee to sell, rent out, market, or "cancel" your timeshare. That is almost always a scam.

Many Wyndham owners have contacted the company about its new buy-back/give-back program, and that's good. The bad news is that the program only seems to work for people who own timeshares in properties that Wyndham actively wants back so they can reuse and resell the inventory all over again. That means, prime destinations that are always popular for travelers. If you own timeshares in Branson, where there are tons of timeshares for sale, Wyndham may not offer you a dollar for your property, but they will take it back for nothing. Buying MORE points to get out of a timeshare is nonsense. My advice, as an owner, is when you're done with a timeshare, try to sell it on RedWeek or through a realtor of your choice. If that does not work, contact your company and see what they will do. At worst, signing the deed back to Wyndham may be better than paying another dollar for a timeshare you cannot use or do not want to use. People who cling to notions that their timeshares are worth MORE than what they are selling for on RedWeek.com, or through a legit broker, are bound to be disappointed. In any case, keep relaying your stories to RedWeek.com so when we next contact Wyndham about this program, we'll have your inputs.

I have been trying to get a hold of Wyndham Saphire for the past few years. They used to send me my maintence fee and then they quit. Now I get it every year from Meridian Financial Services as a debt collection. I refuse to pay this as I have not been able to use, book or call anyone in regards to my Time Share. I would be interested in anything to get me out of this time share. My time share has been paid up the day I bought it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks you Rebecca Brown

In order to get out of a Wyndham timeshare, is foreclosure an option? I am still making mortgage payments so I don't believe I would qualify for the Ovation program. I don't believe that a foreclosure would cost me any money. Even though a foreclosure would impact my credit rating, I would consider this way out and save myself the mortgage payment and the maintenance fee.

Any comments?

I applied to the Wyndham Ovation program online about 5 weeks ago for our Fairfield Glade timeshare. They responded by email within a few days and advised that our unit was eligible and that they would be contacting us to pursue it further. That was July 29th and here is a portion of their response.

"Thank you for your interest in Ovation by Wyndham. We are pleased to inform you that you are eligible for this program, which will provide you the opportunity to transfer your ownership back to Wyndham and relieve you of future maintenance fees and assessments. Participation in Ovation by Wyndham does not require an additional purchase or fee.

You will be contacted by an Ovation by Wyndham Case Specialist by phone to discuss options available to you as well as answer any other questions you may have. Due to the popularity of this program, please allow up to 14 calendar days for follow up contact."

It is now almost 30 days and I haven't heard from them so I will be calling them this week to see where we go from here.

We bought this unit on eBay at a good price and are willing to deed it back with no money coming our way, only the relief of no more maintenance fees. Our Cdn $ is now at 75 cents US and the FG Maintenance Fees are steep as compared to our other timeshares. They have so many units there that we could still go there for a third the cost of our maintenance fees as we own a 2 bedroom but only require a 1 bedroom.

Hopefully this transaction goes through smoothly. I commend Wyndham for their initiative, hopefully both parties win. I will keep everyone posted.

Sure. Times and family circumstances have changed for a lot of timeshare owners. As of this date, per my phone call to Wyndham a few minutes ago, the Ovation program is open with two options: (1) straight deed-back, and (2) deed-back with travel. Your property/ properties must be participating in this program, and your deed/deeds must be paid in full. Further, when you call to ask to participate, your account must be free of any upcoming reservations. If you have unused points in your account you will simply leave them on the table; there may be no open reservations on your account when you wish to participate. If program requirements are satisfied, Wyndham sends forms for completion and to be notarized. You return them to Wyndham and at the end of 6-8 weeks or so, according to the person with whom I spoke, it's all done. If you are in the deed-back with travel, instructions would be provided at that time for using Club Wyndham properties only -- not RCI, not affiliates, not WorldMark. There are no fees. The program may change or close at any moment. On balance, this seems pretty straightforward and reasonable.

Please unload that timeshare and do not saddle your heirs with the Albatross!! Giving it back to Wyndam is the best option, which they will do as a deed back if the "mortgage" is paid in full and the accounts are up to date. Even getting this done has been a terrible burden for us children who got stuck with it. It costs money, and can require an attorney in the state of the property, to get away from those dreadful dues which won't go away otherwise. If you can finish the job costing you $1000 or less, congratulate yourself on your hard work and consideration for your heirs. Getting into this timeshare was my father's worst financial decision. Don't worry about making money from it...just get away and stay away!

No one can force your heirs to take possession of your contract. That's a SCAM. Don't fall for that line. Getting out of future maintenance fees for $ 1,000 is a bargain. If you decide to go that route make sure you deal directly with Wyndham. Use your head and make sure you do everything correctly.

My dad (first owner) died. My Mom (second owner) got dementia, and I am her legal conservator/guardian. Nobody wanted to take it in transfer which I was willing to GIVE someone for the cost of preparing the new deed, getting the title search done in Orange County, and filing it with Wyndam...the cost looked like $1000-$1200.

If Mom dies before I unload it, it goes to probate court. For me to sign a "deed back" myself, I have to get an attorney in Florida and petition the court to recognize my MInnesota court order for conservatorship. Right now, I am hoping they will accept my mother's notarized signature anyway, since she is ambulatory and does understand completely what is going on with this surrender. We'll see!

That's the short version of a lot of hours of bother.