( 2021 Thread) Shell Vacation Points & Wyndham

[csolyn]

I’ve put off transferring my SVC point since the Wyndham buy out because I didn’t think it was a good fit and I really didn’t want to get into figuring out a new system. Today I received a call from someone about how SVC is going to be a dead resort and I should convert. I of course came here because I haven’t heard a peep from Shell about what’s going on. Anyone know? I feel this has been done in such darkness. It’s so frustrating! If you’re being taken over tell everyone the same darned thing!

 

[bnoble]

Sales office FUD. (Fear, Incertainty, and Doubt). Ignore it.

 

[VacayKat]

The way it was explained to me is that as owners move to Wyndham they take their inventory with them. So say you own at Vino Bello and own enough for a two week rental, when you convert that inventory is deposited into Wyndham‘s inventory and is no longer available to owners who did not convert. Shell is essentially owned by Wyndham, and all the customer service agents when you call shell are wyndham employees. I was really disappointed with the board and their lack of transparency with shell owners. Long story short is that there will be a tipping point when converting will become necessary, but it will depend on the speed at which owners in your ownership type (e.g. West) convert. At that point Wyndham would (or should be) be incentivized to make it easy for you to convert or to give back your ownership. When you talk to them again ask for numbers on how many points are still owned by Shell and how many are owned by Wyndham in your ownership- if they cant give you that info, demand it, it is the only way you can make an informed decision. Also, just remember whatever they are telling you is intended to get them more money, it’s not for your good. If you do decide to convert negotiate, negotiate, negotiate. And don’t do it at Vino Bello.

 

[csolyn]

Thanks for the help VacayKat. That makes more sense. Yeah the dude on the phone was so obv sales aggressive that I was like “LIES” so I just told him no and hung up. But then I was “well there could be a grain of truth so ask here.” If we all have to convert at some point I feel really terrible that SVC isn’t being up front about what’s happening. They just keep saying that we are all fine and that nothing needs to change. Yet Wyndham is saying something VERY different.

As you said, transparency would be nice. It’s like my property was sold to someone else and all the stuff I was told when I bought in 2000 is now a lie.

Would love insight from anyone else who recently converted. I know I’ve turned them down since 2019 because I didn’t want more points and I refused to pay fees to convert.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Wyndham sales we hate, Wyndham properties we like. So if you can get over the conversion, there are good things on the Wyndham side. Are they offering to convert at a reasonable fee?

 

[bnoble]

The way it was explained to me is that as owners move to Wyndham they take their inventory with them. So say you own at Vino Bello and own enough for a two week rental, when you convert that inventory is deposited into Wyndham‘s inventory and is no longer available to owners who did not convert. Shell is essentially owned by Wyndham, and all the customer service agents when you call shell are wyndham employees. I was really disappointed with the board and their lack of transparency with shell owners. Long story short is that there will be a tipping point when converting will become necessary, but it will depend on the speed at which owners in your ownership type (e.g. West) convert.

I don't think this is quite right.

Yes, as owners move they take their inventory with them. But they also take their bookings with them---from then on they will be booking from Wyndham inventory, not SVC inventory. So, while there will be less SVC inventory over time, there will also be fewer people competing for that inventory, and it should stay in balance.

Now, there are some benefits of being in a larger system in terms of finding something you like, but it will take a very long time for those to matter to unconverted folks, if it ever happens at all.

 

[JohnPaul]

I've been told the same thing (decreased availability) but don't believe it. It's just a scare tactic.

 

[TheHolleys87]

Are they offering to convert at a reasonable fee?

When we went to a presentation in Aug. 2019, the process was in early stages. We were clear from the beginning and repeated over and over that we were not going to convert, so we were not shown the cost details. The point conversion would be 17 Wyndham points for each Shell point (which had been posted here on TUG earlier), and we were told that the minimum cost to convert (to buy the required additional Wyndham points) was $17,000. Again, they didn't show us the details, so I have no idea how many Wyndham points that included. I wouldn't be surprised to find the cost to convert is higher now.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Please do not convert your Shell. There is a post by a family that chose to convert and they do not like Wyndham. Do not believe anything Wyndham says. They are liars. Do not believe the hype about their credit card either. It's all bunk.

 

[csolyn]

After some deep internet digging:

https://www.shellvacationsclub.com/pdf/ShellVacationsClub_FAQ.pdf

I figured I should post it here for future searching. May not hold up but it seems where this all started.

ENROLLMENT FAQS. Starting in early 2020, Shell Vacations Club members will have the option to enroll their eligible points into Club Wyndham Plus. This will open the door to more destinations and exciting vacations — but only if it’s right for you. Here are a few FAQs and answers to help address questions you may have about this voluntary opportunity.

OVERVIEW What does this opportunity mean for Shell Vacations Club and its members? Although this is an evolution for Shell Vacations Club, the opportunity to become a Club Wyndham owner is completely voluntary. Shell Vacations Club will remain intact and member benefits are not being reduced or eliminated. Will members who maintain their Shell Vacations Club membership(s) still have access to the same resorts and benefits within Shell Vacations Club? Yes, members will still have access to all of the wonderful benefits and resorts Shell Vacations Club has to offer, even if they do not choose to enroll into Club Wyndham

ELIGIBILITY Which Shell Vacations Club membership(s) are eligible for enrollment? At this time, the following membership(s) are eligible for this opportunity: • Shell Owner Association – Hawaii • Shell Owner Association – West (Includes memberships that were previously part of Shell Owner Association – Americana.) • Various deeded ownerships (Includes deeded contracts from the following resorts: The Legacy Golf Resort, Orange Tree Resort, Paniolo Greens, Starr Pass Golf Suites, Inn at the Opera, Peacock Suites, Suites at Fisherman’s Wharf, and Kona Coast Resort.) Please remember that loans and club dues must be in good financial standing in order to enroll eligible membership(s) into Club Wyndham.

Which Shell Vacations Club locations will offer the ability to join Club Wyndham? The opportunity to enroll a Shell Vacations Club membership(s) into Club Wyndham will only be offered at the following resorts: • Vino Bello Resort® • Waikiki Marina Resort at the Ilikai • The Legacy Golf Resort • Inn at the Park • Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy • Club Wyndham Harbour Lights • Peacock Suites • Club Wyndham Grand Desert • Desert Rose Resort® • Club Wyndham at Waikiki Beach Walk® • Kona Coast Resort • Club Wyndham Canterbury • The Donatello

ENROLLMENT How will members be notified when they can enroll their Shell Vacations Club membership(s) into Club Wyndham? Members will receive formal notifications as well as updates in the Member News section on shellvacationsclub.com. How can members start the enrollment process? At this time, the enrollment opportunity is only available to members who go through a sales tour at one of the resorts listed above. Members who have upgraded with Shell Vacations Club or purchased Club Wyndham Plus on or after Oct. 1, 2018, will be contacted to enroll their eligible memberships once the enrollment process begins in early 2020.

Is there an enrollment fee, or do members have to purchase more points? At this time, members must purchase Club Wyndham Plus points in order to have the option to enroll their eligible Shell Vacations Club points into Club Wyndham Plus. Currently, enrollment fees will be waived for members who purchase Club Wyndham points. However, a $189 processing fee per membership is required at the time of enrollment in early 2020. Members who purchased Shell Vacations Club points within an eligible association on or after Oct. 1, 2018, will be eligible for this enrollment opportunity and will have the enrollment fee waived

How many Club Wyndham Plus points will a member receive if they enroll their membership with Club Wyndham? Members will receive 40 Club Wyndham Plus points for every one Shell Vacations Club point. For example, if a member owns 4,000 points with Shell Vacations Club, then they will own 160,000 points with Club Wyndham in addition to any other Club Wyndham contracts purchased.

How will this impact maintenance fees and club fees for members who choose to enroll? The maintenance fees paid to the underlying Shell Owners Association will not change. The member will no longer pay a club fee for Shell Vacations Club for as long as their timeshare interest is enrolled with Club Wyndham Plus. However, the member will be obligated to pay the Club Wyndham program fee, which is based on the amount of points owned within the Club Wyndham program. Any pre-paid fees will be applied to the new Club Wyndham account.

If a member owns multiple contracts within one club, can they convert some of their contracts over? No, if a member chooses to enroll, they must enroll their whole membership within each club. If they own at more than one home club within Shell Vacations Club (i.e. West and Hawaii memberships), then they may choose which eligible membership(s) to enroll.

JOINING CLUB WYNDHAM What points will be enrolled into a member’s Club Wyndham account? Only allocated annual Use Year points will convert to Club Wyndham points using the 40:1 conversion rate. All other points including, but not limited to, banked, shared, customer satisfaction, Bonus, or Weeks for Deposit points will not convert to Club Wyndham points.

Will a member be able to keep any future Shell Vacations Club reservations if they choose to enroll in Club Wyndham? No, any existing reservation on the member’s Shell Vacations Club account will be canceled once the membership is enrolled in Club Wyndham.

If a member chooses to enroll in Club Wyndham, will they lose access to their priority booking into their home club resorts? After members enroll in Club Wyndham Plus, they will still be able to book their home club through their Advanced Reservation Period, which is 13-10 months prior to the arrival date.

What will happen to member’s Signature status? The Club Wyndham VIP program offers many similar benefits to the Signature program, plus much more! After the conversion, if the total amount of points a member owns falls into one of the categories below, the member will qualify for the Club Wyndham VIP program. • VIP Silver: 400,000 – 699,999 points • VIP Gold: 700,000 – 999,999 points • VIP Platinum: 1 million+ points

Will resale contracts count toward the Club Wyndham VIP status? Resale contracts are eligible for enrollment, however, they do not count toward the member’s Club Wyndham VIP program status.

What will happen to any points that have already been deposited with RCI? Like Shell Vacations Club, Club Wyndham is affiliated with RCI. Any unused RCI points will be converted and transferred to the member’s new Club Wyndham RCI account using the 40:1 conversion rate. If an enrolled member maintains a membership within Shell Vacations Club, the points deposited will remain in the RCI account connected with Shell Vacations Club.

For more information and additional resources about Club Wyndham, visit clubwyndham.com/be-in-the-club, or visit an eligible sales location.

 

[VacayKat]

I don't think this is quite right.

Yes, as owners move they take their inventory with them. But they also take their bookings with them---from then on they will be booking from Wyndham inventory, not SVC inventory. So, while there will be less SVC inventory over time, there will also be fewer people competing for that inventory, and it should stay in balance.

Now, there are some benefits of being in a larger system in terms of finding something you like, but it will take a very long time for those to matter to unconverted folks, if it ever happens at all.

So we converted and had access to both sites in the interim, resorts in Shell booking area had availability but was not available in Wyndham. I literally had both sites up side by side and could see the discrepancies. It would seem that they have split the inventory somehow. So yes, theoretically less people competing for inventory would mean availability but it may not be enough to be available when you want it. At this point in time that has not been reached.

 

[rickandcindy23]

So we converted and had access to both sites in the interim, resorts in Shell booking area had availability but was not available in Wyndham. I literally had both sites up side by side and could see the discrepancies. It would seem that they have split the inventory somehow. So yes,What theoretically less people competing for inventory would mean availability but it may not be enough to be available when you want it. At this point in time that has not been reached.

That didn't really make sense. What are you trying to say?

I am advising the OP to keep Shell as Shell and don't convert because Wyndham is not worth anything resale. Neither is Shell. They are both basically free to buy, so converting is a huge mistake.

Do not believe Wyndham. Liars.

 

[Eric B]

So we converted and had access to both sites in the interim, resorts in Shell booking area had availability but was not available in Wyndham. I literally had both sites up side by side and could see the discrepancies. It would seem that they have split the inventory somehow. So yes, theoretically less people competing for inventory would mean availability but it may not be enough to be available when you want it. At this point in time that has not been reached.

That didn't really make sense. What are you trying to say?
....

I would interpret it as saying there is a greater likelihood of being able to book a particular week (say July 4th) if the pool of available weeks and owners looking for weeks is larger because some of those owners would be less likely to want that week. Once it gets down to a certain point, for example if there are X owners looking for that week and only X-3 units available at that resort for that week, it won't be possible to get it for everyone. The same problem actually existed in the larger pool of inventory and owners, but might not have been as problematic as it could be in the reduced pool - it could work the other way, though, if you are one of the owners that doesn't want the same week as everyone else.

I am advising the OP to keep Shell as Shell and don't convert because Wyndham is not worth anything resale. Neither is Shell. They are both basically free to buy, so converting is a huge mistake.

Do not believe Wyndham. Liars.

YMMV. There are Club Wyndham ownerships that you can get for free and there are others that have some value because of the lower relative costs, so it's not a good apples-to-apples comparison. I would compare the continued Shell West ownership option with the option of converting to Wyndham's Club Wyndham Prefer West option. The MFs I've seen quoted for Club Wyndham Prefer West didn't strike me as being all that great as compared to the more efficient ownerships in Club Wyndham (e.g., Canterbury, Bali Hai, or Grand Desert), though I don't recall right now what they were. I would suggest that OP think about the available options and their pros and cons and make the decision that best suits there preferences and values, including the possibility of getting a resale Wyndham ownership for access to the Wyndham resorts if that's what they want. There would also be the need to divest their Shell ownership if they went that way, while, on the other hand, converting the Shell ownership would address that need and get them the access if that's what they want. Whether or not Wyndham lies doesn't make much of a difference; that's why OP is here.

 

[VacayKat]

That didn't really make sense. What are you trying to say?

I am advising the OP to keep Shell as Shell and don't convert because Wyndham is not worth anything resale. Neither is Shell. They are both basically free to buy, so converting is a huge mistake.

Do not believe Wyndham. Liars.

I don't disagree with you that Shell owners should not have converted. And Shell board should have been way more transparent. However, we are where we are and we can only look at it from that angle.
What I was saying is that the inventory for shell properties is now split and even if there is open availability in one system you can not access it in the other (they split by rooms). As shell owners continue to convert the inventory in shell will decrease and your ability to book certain time periods will decrease as well because that's when everyone wants to go. I can imagine there will be a time where the inventory at any single resort gets down to 1-2 rooms in Shell and your access will be reduced to just that over the course of the year. If it were weeks instead of points you’d never get to that point.

 

[VacayKat]

I would interpret it as saying there is a greater likelihood of being able to book a particular week (say July 4th) if the pool of available weeks and owners looking for weeks is larger because some of those owners would be less likely to want that week. Once it gets down to a certain point, for example if there are X owners looking for that week and only X-3 units available at that resort for that week, it won't be possible to get it for everyone. The same problem actually existed in the larger pool of inventory and owners, but might not have been as problematic as it could be in the reduced pool - it could work the other way, though, if you are one of the owners that doesn't want the same week as everyone else.


yeah- basically, it is my understanding that the way they split is by allocating rooms so once ownership in Shell reduces to just enough points for one room for a year that's all the access there will be. Clearly we are not close to that point and I would wager most of the inventory still is in Shell.

 

[roy817]

So, there seems to be an update on enrollment into Club Wyndham Plus:

Is there an enrollment fee, or do members have to purchase more points?

There is a $2,395 enrollment fee, which will be waived with the member’s purchase of Club Wyndham Plus points. A $189
processing fee per membership is required at the time of enrollment. Members who purchased Shell Vacations Club points within
an eligible association on or after Oct. 1, 2018, will be eligible for this enrollment opportunity and will have the enrollment fee
waived.

Does this mean that now, we can just pay $2395 to do the conversion without purchasing any additional points? Is a 40 to 1 conversion rate fair? Does it make sense to bite the bullet and migrate to Club Wyndham Plus or is it still better to stick with a dying Shell?

 

[rickandcindy23]

So, there seems to be an update on enrollment into Club Wyndham Plus:

Is there an enrollment fee, or do members have to purchase more points?

There is a $2,395 enrollment fee, which will be waived with the member’s purchase of Club Wyndham Plus points. A $189
processing fee per membership is required at the time of enrollment. Members who purchased Shell Vacations Club points within
an eligible association on or after Oct. 1, 2018, will be eligible for this enrollment opportunity and will have the enrollment fee
waived.

Does this mean that now, we can just pay $2395 to do the conversion without purchasing any additional points? Is a 40 to 1 conversion rate fair? Does it make sense to bite the bullet and migrate to Club Wyndham Plus or is it still better to stick with a dying Shell?

What are your goals for travel? How many points do you own? If they are developer purchases you made from Shell way back when, then perhaps it would be worth it to you. What conversion rate are we talking about here? What would the MF's be per 1,000 points?

We own only resale points in the Shell West Club. No such offer will come to us, not that I would get more Wyndham points, even if they did make that offer, but we already own more than we can possibly use. I admit to being happy that Wyndham took over management of Shell because the fees have been very stable under Wyndham. Wyndham is very good at controlling the maintenance fees.

I have been disappointed at how very expensive it is to book resorts through RCI. There are very few "deals" and now that Disney is leaving RCI, there are even fewer options. At .28 per point, an off-season week at Val Chatelle in Frisco, CO, is 4,000 Shell points + exchange fee. That makes a week there over $1,300. That is way too high to stay in the Colorado mountains during mud season. I have searched many resorts and many times of the year, and RCI is not great for Shell. But Wyndham is great for RCI exchanges. I have done extremely well through Wyndham.

I am going to deed back my Shell points as soon as I use next year's allotment. I sure hope they will take those back with my fees paid in full for 2022. I rent at my cost. We own 25,300 points. That's almost enough to book 10 weeks at Peacock Suites during the busy times of year. More weeks when they are 2,000 points, when we go.

 

[Laura G]

Hi. I am new here. I just went on an owner update with Wyndham. They said to convert it would be $17k which included more points and $1000 increase in maintenance fees. Now I am seeing to convert without buying more points and increasing my fees it is I only $2395. That option was not offered. On top of that I too got The Who knows how long shell will be around and 85% of the shell that have come to see them have converted. So struggling with the truth and what to do. I do not need more points. Does anyone know how many Wyndham points for a two bedroom at Kona Coast resort for a week? Wondering if there is a conversion loss. And I have been getting to use my home resort last minute more than ever with the points and play option. Convert or Not? How do we find out the truth on how many have converted? Thank you in advance!

 

[Pat and Marie]

Hi. I am new here. I just went on an owner update with Wyndham. They said to convert it would be $17k which included more points and $1000 increase in maintenance fees. Now I am seeing to convert without buying more points and increasing my fees it is I only $2395. That option was not offered. On top of that I too got The Who knows how long shell will be around and 85% of the shell that have come to see them have converted. So struggling with the truth and what to do. I do not need more points. Does anyone know how many Wyndham points for a two bedroom at Kona Coast resort for a week? Wondering if there is a conversion loss. And I have been getting to use my home resort last minute more than ever with the points and play option. Convert or Not? How do we find out the truth on how many have converted? Thank you in advance!

Hi Laura - Looks like you never got an answer to this. I'm wondering the same thing, and generally curious what everyone thinks now that it's the summer of 2023. We are actually open to expanding acquiring more points as we convert from Shell to Wyndham - as I'm retiring soon and we hope to travel more. But what's a "reasonable" fee for - say - 85K points in the Wyndham Club system?

 

[Bill4728]

IMHO Do not convert! If you want Wyndham ( or Worldmark) buy them resale for pennies on the dollar.

As far as the need to convert: If 100 owners share 100 weeks and 50% convert There will still be 50 weeks shared by 50 owners. We have owned at a Shell resort for about 25 years and are able to reserve the weeks we want easily.

 

[bnoble]

If they will do a straight conversion for $2500ish (or less), that might be worth doing--especially if you end up with a decent maintenance fee/point ratio and/or would have VIP-eligible points.

I would not buy more points from Wyndham to convert a Shell deed. I think @Bill4728 is right about that--it would be much better to dump the Shell deed and buy the Wyndham points you want resale.

I would not worry about Shell availability until/unless you can no longer reserve what you want, for the same reasons as Bill mentions.

 

[Pat and Marie]

If they will do a straight conversion for $2500ish (or less), that might be worth doing--especially if you end up with a decent maintenance fee/point ratio and/or would have VIP-eligible points.

I would not buy more points from Wyndham to convert a Shell deed. I think @Bill4728 is right about that--it would be much better to dump the Shell deed and buy the Wyndham points you want resale.

I would not worry about Shell availability until/unless you can no longer reserve what you want, for the same reasons as Bill mentions.

Yeah - the straight conversion isn't being offered. Big dollar for more points. As I mentioned, we're actually interested in expanding our ownership - just not liking the high price tag. How easy is it to navigate the timeshare marketplace (on here or elsewhere)? Risk of being swindled there as well, I suppose?

 

[rickandcindy23]

Hi Laura - Looks like you never got an answer to this. I'm wondering the same thing, and generally curious what everyone thinks now that it's the summer of 2023. We are actually open to expanding acquiring more points as we convert from Shell to Wyndham - as I'm retiring soon and we hope to travel more. But what's a "reasonable" fee for - say - 85K points in the Wyndham Club system?

85,000 points doesn't get much in Wyndham, just FYI. If that's all Wyndham is offering, you need to deedback Shell, which should be free, and buy Wyndham points on the resale market. 85,000 isn't enough to get any benefits of VIP. 85,000 points isn't enough to get a full week anywhere.

What do you own with Shell, just a few thousand points?

 

[Pat and Marie]

85,000 points doesn't get much in Wyndham, just FYI. If that's all Wyndham is offering, you need to deedback Shell, which should be free, and buy Wyndham points on the resale market. 85,000 isn't enough to get any benefits of VIP. 85,000 points isn't enough to get a full week anywhere.

What do you own with Shell, just a few thousand points?

Understood. That was the amount they were pushing in addition to the converted Shell points - in our case, those came to another 215,000. So we're being told we have to buy 85K more in order to convert the 5375 Shell points.

 

[Pat and Marie]

A big part of the pitch here (Beachboy, Kauai) was that we'd be able to use our points at all these hotels and vacation rentals - greater flexibility when traveling around. This actually is appealing to us. What does the group think about that aspect of the pitch? The claim was that only by buying through Wyndham would we get those "developer perks" - not by buying on the resale market.