| It’s difficult to say exactly… …just what is the most common form of abuse at Westgate Resorts? After inspecting the 4,256 pages of complaints against Westgate we found in the Florida Attorney General’s office, we think the top three would be: …lengthy sales presentations that bully customers into buying a timeshare… …constantly escalating maintenance fees that make timeshare a lifelong burden… …and bait-and-switch schemes that confuse owners about what they’re buying. Unfortunately, Trina in Kansas City, Missouri didn’t get to choose which type of Westgate abuse she received – she got all three! She described her trifecta of abuse at the hands of Westgate for the Florida Attorney General. Called it appropriately, “Timeshare Fraud.” Trina purchased a vacation sampler from Westgate which enabled her to visit Westgate Villas in Florida. “I was in a very expensive nice Villa condo on the main Westgate Villas property.” Of course, a sales presentation was involved. “When, I went on the presentation in Florida, the salesman told me I don’t have to take a tour of the property because I was in the Villas condo that I will always be in each time I came back on vacation to Westgate in Florida.” Remember that promise… “No one told me I was going to be in 90 minute presentation that would END after 6:00 p.m. It took me over 90 minutes to do the closing of timeshare.” “I was tired, wore out and wore down mentally. The salesman never taking NO as an answer.” “Looking back, I felt as I was being interrogated by the police and they wouldn’t release me until I said guilty by saying yes.” There’s the bullying sales pitch! “The salesman told me that my maintenance fees would be $776.00 and won’t go up in his sales pitch…My first maintenance fee was $912.96.” And there they are, the skyrocketing maintenance fees! But the worst was yet to come. “When, I came back for vacation, I went to the Westgate Villas on the main property to check in where I stayed on last visit. Westgate told me I was in the wrong place.” Whaaat? “They had to give me directions to the Westgate Towers around the corner from the main Westgate Villas property…The Westgate Towers was outdated and not on the same level as the main Westgate Villas Resort with the condos.” “I would have never purchased the Westgate Towers had I did a tour of the property.” Ah, yes, the old bait-andswitch! And that’s the Westgate trifecta – a prize no one wants to win! Someone who could end the trifecta of abuse is David Siegel, the President and CEO of Westgate. Let’s email him at david_siegel@wgresorts.com and ask him to do more to keep his employees from bullying and misleading owners. And Jason Gamel, the President and CEO of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), the trade association for timeshare companies, should pitch in too. Westgate is a valued member of ARDA. Let’s email Jason at jgamel@arda.org and see if he can help. What do your timeshare leaders think of the Westgate trifecta? Use this list of ARDA VIPs to find out. Feeling roughed up by your own timeshare company? Share the pain with us at info@timesharefacts.com PS: Follow us on social media. Twitter Facebook Instagram |
