Shell Vacations Club

There are several ways to get rid of a Shell Vacation Club timeshare membership, but the best way is to sell your Shell timeshare and get some money back for your ownership.

You can sell either by yourself through your own means or by using a third-party company to help. Otherwise, you can contact Shell directly to see if they can help.

If you decide to sell it yourself, you can try using social media such as Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest. Try contacting your friends and family to see if they would be interested or try more conventional ways such as magazines or newspapers. The main drawback is that buyers are overwhelmingly searching online to buy timeshares, so the odds are not in your favor if you try these methods.

Third party companies that specialize in selling timeshares on the online resale market are your best option since they invest marketing dollars to attract buyers to their websites. These companies usually fall into one of two categories – advertising companies and licensed brokerage firms.

Timeshare resale advertising companies will let you buy advertising so you can promote your timeshare for sale on their online platform. They use search engine marketing to bring buyers to their websites, where you would handle the negotiation yourself. These companies operate through advertising fees paid in advance.

Licensed brokerage firms are real estate companies which specialize in timeshares and primarily operate on a commission-only basis, meaning they only get paid after the sale is closed. Agents handle all of the negotiation and paperwork, so sellers just need to hire the agent and let them do the work.

For owners just looking to hand back their timeshare, they can contact Shell Vacation Club directly to see if they are willing to take back the timeshare. Because Shell is owned by Wyndham, owners would be referred to the Wyndham Cares program to discuss their options. Usually, the timeshare needs to be paid in full with no mortgages and all annual fees paid and up to date. The ultimate decision is up to Shell whether to approve the request, and these requests are usually in the cases of health or financial hardships. While there is no guarantee they will take it back, you can always try but be aware that there is no compensation for your ownership.

One option you may have heard of is the use of a timeshare exit company. These companies claim to be able to get rid of timeshare ownership but they charge extremely high upfront fees as high as $10,000 for the process. Keep in mind that they use the same tactics as an owner would – contact Shell to request the Shell takes back the timeshare. Owners can do this themselves and save thousands of dollars in the process. Plus, Shell/Wyndham is the only one who can authorize the transfer, not an exit company, and many of these companies have come under legal and attorney general scrutiny.

Yes, Wyndham Vacation Ownership acquired the Shell Vacation Club in 2012 for a reported $102million in cash. At the time, the deal added 19 resorts and 115,000 Shell members under the Wyndham corporate umbrella but has allowed Shell Vacation Club to retain its brand and presence in the timeshare marketplace.

The costs vary depending on how many points are purchased and whether you buy directly from Shell or on the timeshare resale market.

Because a Shell Vacation Club membership operates as a points-based club, your number of points determine where you can vacation and the time or season you can travel. For example, a week in a two-bedroom unit at the Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy in Hawaii would require 6250 points during Platinum season or 5800 points during Gold Season. But a two-bedroom unit at the Desert Rose Resort in Las Vegas would use 5050 points in Silver season or 4350 in Bronze season. Depending on where you want to go and the time of year, you can estimate the amount of points you need and, therefore, the cost.

Buying directly from Shell, the costs reportedly vary anywhere from $3.50 a point to $7.50 a point depending on the sales rep and the buyer’s understanding of the sales process. Remember, they are salespeople and if you are willing to pay more than necessary they will gladly accept it. Sales prices fluctuate at the resorts because the sales team have different techniques they use during the negotiation process.

On the other hand, prices for a Shell Vacation Club membership on the timeshare resale market are significantly discounted as much as 60 percent because buyers are purchasing directly from an owner. Points can go for a little as $2.00/point at resorts such as The Kona Coast Resort in Hawaii.

Remember that points can be split up and used to take shorter stay, long weekend trips as well as book trips at different resorts within the Shell Vacation Club network. They can also be used with exchange provider RCI to choose from the 4,200 resorts within the RCI network.

They are worth the money if you plan to take a vacation every year and want the flexibility of staying in large, condo-style vacation accommodation at different resorts each year.

One of the big advantages of Shell Vacation Club is the ability to choose a different resort. Unlike fixed week timeshare ownership, the club lets you select from among 24 resorts in the Shell club network with destinations such as Honolulu, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Scottsdale as well as the mountains of North Carolina and New Hampshire. You will even have international choices such as the ski slopes of Whistler and the beaches of Puerto Vallarta.

But is it really worth the money? Let’s look at the value compared to a regular hotel stay in a place such as Hawaii. Realistically you would need at least a package of 5000 points to give you multiple options at Shell Hawaii resorts. At $2 per point on the resale market, that’s $10,000 for the package. Add in the average annual maintenance fee of about $1,000 for a week’s worth of points and prorate your total over a 20-year ownership period. That’s about $1,500 a year for a week of accommodation in a multi-room, condo-style unit with a kitchen, living room and amenities which far exceed the standard hotel stay. The nightly rate breaks down to about $215/night which is great value compared to $270+ a night charged by hotels in Honolulu.

Remember that factoring value for money with timeshares usually comes down to how the timeshare was purchased. Bought directly from Shell, you’ll pay a lot more than buying from an existing owner on the timeshare resale market. That adds up to thousands of dollars in savings.

There can be if you don’t plan to take annual vacations or are unable to for health or financial reasons. A timeshare is a use product, meaning the value of owning a timeshare is in using the timeshare rather than viewing it as an asset.

Its similar to buying a car. You wouldn’t buy a car just to leave it in the garage and never use it (with the extreme exceptions of classic cars) so you should only buy a timeshare if you want a great way to take a vacation every year.

Timeshares should not be considered an asset or an investment, but as a method of prepaying for annual vacations. Even factoring in the annual maintenance fees, if you buy a discounted timeshare resale you will get larger, multi-room vacation accommodation for rates that are just as good, if not better, than standard hotel rooms.

The longer you own it, the better the deal in the long term. Not using it or getting to the point where you are unable to use it means it is time to sell your timeshare. That is where our licensed agents can help.