• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Wyndham/Smugglers' Notch buy-back

chemteach

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
1,385
Reaction score
417
Points
444
Location
Los Angeles, CA
I received an email today from Smugglers' Notch that Wyndham will be taking back some weeks from owners if owners no longer wish to keep their timeshares. They did an owner survey, and today's email stated:

"Based upon the survey results and a recent agreement with Wyndham, Smugglers' has decided we will offer a Farewell Smuggs program. We are grateful for Wyndham's help with this program. This program will in no way affect any other ownership or Smugglers' operations. Smugglers' will be paying all attorney and other fees, costs, and taxes associated with the transactions.

This offer will be an opportunity to relinquish your ownership deed and discontinue the maintenance fee obligation.

There will be specific limitations for this program and in order to meet them, we will make the offer in this order:
  1. First, to those Owners that have no outstanding Smugglers' loan balances or overdue maintenance fees.
  2. Next, to Owners who have no outstanding loan balances and are unable to bring their maintenance fees current. These ownerships will be accepted with the smallest amounts owed considered first.

We expect to reach the 2017 limit with the above two categories.

We will also require the cancellation of any resale listings for those accepted into the Farewell Smuggs program. However, any owner preferring not to participate in the Farewell Smuggs program and would rather sell their Ownership through a broker or on their own may continue to do so"

I've been thinking about getting rid of my week at Smuggs, but just wondering if it would be worth putting up a for sale ad rather than just giving it back to Wyndham. Any idea what a week 27 2 bedroom might be worth? (This is not an offer for sale! I'm just deciding whether to try to sell the week, or to just give it back to Wyndham at no cost under their "Farewell Smuggs" program.

Thanks in advance for any feedback!
 

WinniWoman

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2010
Messages
10,762
Reaction score
7,057
Points
749
Location
The Weirs, New Hampshire
Resorts Owned
Innseason Pollard Brook
You might want to read the responses to my post in the Wyndham forum. I have already posted about this there to ask for input. As for myself- and I own a 2 bedroom week 30- I would consider just giving it to Wyndham- the easiest path-but it will depend on the actual terns of what is involved in the take back offer-of which we do not know yet. There could be fees, etc. We should be hearing soon.

On the other hand if you are thinking you want to get some money out of it, then why not just try that first? Some Smuggs weeks have sold through Vermont Timeshare Brokerage and through TUG.Check out the TUG Marketplace. But, of course, there are a ton for sale all over the internet. I prefer a sure thing myself. I don't want the hassle and expense of trying to sell if I can just hand back.

I am not ready to relinquish our ownership yet, so I am torn. But- if there is a "deal" where we can use it for one or two more years and then it is theirs', I would do it. If we have to relinquish it right away, I would still consider it, though I am not sure how they will handle it with people who have already exchanged or deposited future weeks. Especially someone like me who does not use RCI but uses other exchange companies. I just exchanged my week 2018 with Trading Places and I am concerned that will be an issue with giving our ownership back right now. (Something told me I should have held off doing that).

Anyway-we have owned since 1999 and have gotten our money's worth. I would have no problem just handing it over to Wyndham.

Of course, once people start doing this it will mean more and more inventory held by Wyndham at Smuggs and therefore less and less available for exchange for RCI weeks and points owners.

Maybe just wait to see what the offer is and the decide from there.
 
Last edited:

theo

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2007
Messages
9,032
Reaction score
2,268
Points
648
Location
New England Coast
Wyndham quietly introduced their "Ovation" deedback program in 2015 and since then has accepted over 20,000 "deedbacks", system-wide.

I don't know if it really matters, but I find myself wondering if "Farewell Smuggs" is actually just the Wyndham-wide "Ovation" program with a different label attached, or whether "Farewell Smuggs" is something entirely different and unique to Smuggler's Notch?

"Ovation" costs an accepted "donor" absolutely nothing out of pocket (not even the $299 transfer fee that Wyndham customarily imposes), but Wyndham "picks and chooses" what they will accept back via Ovation. It will be interesting to see if "Farewell Smuggs" is perhaps a new variation on Ovation, maybe now attempting to extract a fee from "donors". I for one certainly dunno. :shrug:
 
Last edited:

uscav8r

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2013
Messages
1,961
Reaction score
266
Points
294
Location
Virginia
It doesn't sound like a pay-to-deedback scheme, considering they are willing to forgive past due maintenance fees.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

WinniWoman

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2010
Messages
10,762
Reaction score
7,057
Points
749
Location
The Weirs, New Hampshire
Resorts Owned
Innseason Pollard Brook
Wyndham quietly introduced their "Ovation" deedback program in 2015 and since then has accepted over 20,000 "deedbacks", system-wide.

I don't know if it really matters, but I find myself wondering if "Farewell Smuggs" is actually just the Wyndham-wide "Ovation" program with a different label attached, or whether "Farewell Smuggs" is something entirely different and unique to Smuggler's Notch?

"Ovation" costs an accepted "donor" absolutely nothing out of pocket (not even the $299 transfer fee that Wyndham customarily imposes), but Wyndham "picks and chooses" what they will accept back via Ovation. It will be interesting to see if "Farewell Smuggs" is perhaps a new variation on Ovation, maybe now attempting to extract a fee from "donors". I certainly dunno. :shrug:

Wyndham certainly has been working with Smugss on this, so I imagine it to be very similar to Ovation. But as Smuggs is privately owned and has some unique aspects to it, I supposed there will be some differences.

If it's anything like the new rental and benefits usage programs they have just implemented over the past couple of years, I am not holding my breath for anything without a fee, but I hope there isn't. Doesn't sound like it.They are saying they will pay all the transfer costs so if the offer has a fee attached it would be a bit disingenuous. But- we shall see.
 

tschwa2

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2008
Messages
16,002
Reaction score
4,676
Points
748
Location
Maryland
Resorts Owned
A few in S and VA, a single resort in NC, MD, PA, and UT, plus Jamaica and the Bahamas
It doesn't sound like there would be a fee (to the specific owner) to turn the weeks in but it did say that the costs would be paid by Smuggs which I interpret to mean the HOA. That means that MF will have to account for those fees -probably why there is a limit per year. That means that all of the owners (including CWA) will be covering the fees associated with the deed backs. With every deed they take back in put into CWA the more Wyndham has control of the resort.

I've seen various prime week on ebay and not sell for very much. Now that Wyndham owners can get their hands on just about any week and accommodation they want at Smugg's it makes a fixed week with an off season floater too expensive vs the alternative of getting wyndham points and not having to pay for the water parks and typical smuggs pass activities.
 
Last edited:

chemteach

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
1,385
Reaction score
417
Points
444
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Thanks for all the responses! I will probably just give it back. Easiest way to go...
 

chemteach

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
1,385
Reaction score
417
Points
444
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Going to try ebay. Has anyone else had luck selling on ebay? I've never tried that before. I have sold a few units over the years via Redweek. Usually took about 6 months. I figure if it sells on ebay, it's a quicker way to sell. But probably will have a much lower price...
 
Joined
Mar 31, 2017
Messages
16
Reaction score
7
Points
3
Resorts Owned
Smugglers Notch Vt
as a owner at smudges for 15 years, I would consider purchasing or just taking it off your hands. If I was in your place, I would rather give it to a family and let them make memories for years, as opposed giving it to a corporate juggernaut like wyndham. Just my 2 cents.
 

md8287

TUG Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2017
Messages
449
Reaction score
112
Points
153
Resorts Owned
Marriott Aruba, Harborside Atlantis & Westin Lagunamar
Identical post to what is on Wyndham Forum with different title.

Smuggs owners have until 9am TOMORROW (4/6) to join farewell program per email this morning. Owners must be current on fees, have no mortgage and Smuggs is only taking a "limited" number back, based on first come first serve and what you are giving back. If you own fixed and float you need to give both back.

If you own week 7, 51, or 52 in a 2BR+ ski-in/out of course Smuggs Farewell will accept you but you could also sell for a little bit (I know many buyers for those so check out marketplace wanted ads).
 
Top