| There are thousands upon thousands of legal complaints filed… … and dozens of lawsuits that document horrific practices exist. And the consequences of deceptive timeshare sales practices… …well, they are borne by real, everyday people. No matter the lies you are told in a timeshare sales meeting…owners are essentially on the financial hook FOR LIFE! Even if your financial circumstances change. This is not a real estate loan. It’s not a property that is easily sold, rented or returned. Deceptive sales practices can be especially devastating for members of the military or for veterans, who have no recourse when their financial circumstances change. A timeshare loan default or a missed maintenance fee payment – either can lead to involuntary separation from military service or can put a security clearance in jeopardy. This website highlights an Army veteran who is 100% disabled. He served for 24 years. The site says: “Despite an incurable lung condition, Westgate Resorts will not allow him a hardship release.” This vet says: “My wife and I bought a fixed week/float Westgate Resorts Vacation Villas timeshare unit in Orlando on November 13, 2021, for $20,000. Our down payment was $2,000. We financed $19,305. Since our purchase, my incurable, combat-related medical condition has worsened. My lung capacity is at 73%. I have idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a fatal lung disease where the additional presence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) reduces survival. In particular, the presence of coexistent pulmonary vascular disease in patients with advanced lung parenchymal disease results in worse outcomes than either diagnosis alone. My only option is a lung transplant, but in order to be moved up on the wait list, I have to be on a ventilator. This means I must be bedridden before I would be eligible for a transplant. It has become increasingly difficult to travel. I also have been diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. Our Westgate agents promised us that if we did not want to continue with the property, we could request to get out of the timeshare loan with no penalty and Westgate would retain the property without further financial charges. Our agents also said we could offset the cost of the property by renting the timeshare out and that Westgate would assist us with the rental process. The promised 90-minute presentation turned into six hours. I suffer from PTSD and TBI. We reached out to Westgate to seek release. They were of no help. On April 1, 2022, we filed a complaint with the Florida Attorney General through the Military and Veterans Assistance Program. Westgate answered the Attorney General on April 4, acknowledging the complaint. After their review, they responded by stating that there was no misrepresentation. After two payments, in March of 2022, we stopped making loan payments. I served in Iraq and Afghanistan. I worked in Military Intelligence. I have not lived in the US for 24 years. Since my return, I have experienced more stress being home in the US than being in war.” Westgate should be ashamed. Let’s all send the Westgate CEO an email saying shame on your for treating veterans unfairly. His name is David Siegel and his email address is: david_siegel@wgresorts.com To be fair, Westgate isn’t the only timeshare company that puts service members and veterans at risk. The American Resort Development Association (ARDA) represents timeshare companies in Washington, DC. Jason Gamel is the President and CEO of ARDA. Maybe he should hear how these sales tactics impact the lives of real people, not just the bottom line of timeshare companies. Let’s email him at jgamel@arda.org. Or… here is a list ARDA published of its VIPs across all its member companies. Maybe you can find your timeshare company executive and share your story with them too! Tell us your timeshare horror story, too. Send it to us at info@timesharefacts.com. PS: Follow us on social media. Twitter Facebook Instagram |
