Westgate Resorts Timeshare Complaints

I initially set up a page in April 1998 on GeoCities, describing the problems I had on a timeshare tour at Westgate Resorts, Orlando, Florida. My trip with them had been on April 3, 1998. As a result of my one-page posting, I was flooded with similar stories and posted them as well. This was in the early days of the internet, and there were not many other places for people with issues to post their views and be heard.

Now, over ten years later, GeoCities is no more and there are numerous websites and boards which present the stories of people who had issues with a timeshare. I realize the notes below are "old" - but I present them for historical reasons. These readers entrusted me to post what they sent me, and I continue to honor and respect that trust.

Background Information on Florida Timeshares
Cancellation Laws regarding Florida Timeshares - Chapter 721 of the Florida statutes
The Finances of Florida Timeshares - base prices, interest rates, yearly payments
Sales Pitches of Florida Timeshares - what the salesmen will push on you, and responses
Preparing to Tour a Florida Timeshare - what to bring, what to do

My Experience with Westgate Resorts
4/3/1998 - LS Lisa's Account of the Westgate Resorts Sales Pitch
My Florida Better Business Bureau Complaint
Westgate Resort's Better Business Bureau Complaint Response

Featured Stories about Westgate Resorts
1/6/2003 - ES had her kids stranded at the hotel room
3/30/2003 - MK was told to 'leave the kids' in a nursery, then was abandoned
2/26/2005 - FW Salesman Boasts of Selling to Mentally Handicapped

User Submitted Experiences with Westgate Resorts
Note: Submissions dropped off after 2005, as other larger "timeshare complaint sites" came on the web and people focused their energies in those locations. I am still happy to post stories, if people have any to share.

10/16/2005 - MDI Westgate Finance People are Incompetent
8/26/2005 - MCC Website Saved Him a Visit
8/23/2005 - JFF Everything Negative is True
8/19/2005 - CSY Abusive Behavior
8/2/2005 - JLO No Bank Takes their Documents
7/19/2005 - JEF Questions for Tour
6/11/2005 - DTK Trying to Cancel on the Last Day
6/6/2005 - JJC Really Awful Conditions
6/1/2005 - KM Looking for Class Action Lawsuit
5/8/2005 - CWK I Bought then Ran Into Problems
4/25/2005 - JOS Wasted 3 Hours - Ended with Hostility
4/5/2005 - SCH Need to Cancel
4/3/2005 - CAS Two Hours of Insults
3/29/2005 - TLP I Want to Sell!
3/14/2005 - HOD Dream Vacation for Sick Daughter was Ruined
2/26/2005 - FW Salesman Boasts of Selling to Mentally Handicapped
2/25/2005 - HM Money Down an Endless Hole
1/5/2005 - CKS We've Hired a Lawyer

11/6/2004 - SWB Need Wheelchair Room - They Changed It On Us
9/20/2004 - CAF We Already Owned - They Still Pressured Us
8/29/2004 - MA They Lied about Extra Charges
8/2/2004 - SK Many Hours of Saying No
7/18/2004 - SUS We'll Never Go Again
7/8/2004 - KA The Salesperson Lied Continuously
7/8/2004 - ABL I Wanted to Scream
6/17/2004 - JUH Florida Law Regarding Cancellation
5/31/2004 - JH We Want to Void the Contract
5/25/2004 - MEB They Lied and Scammed Me
5/11/2004 - LAF I Was Never Told I Could Cancel
4/29/2004 - LN Friend is Owner - is Threatened with a Suit
4/22/2004 - MMO Room was a Big Disappointment
3/27/2004 - SD Don't Buy a Timeshare
3/16/2004 - SCD Constant Lies Made Us Furious
3/10/2004 - CHA 3-4 Hour Nightmare
3/8/2004 - TES Numerous Problems from the Beginning
3/1/2004 - LB We Bought and had Huge Problems
2/26/2004 - RLF If You'll Buy Here - I Have a Bridge For You
2/8/2004 - DG Unethical Business
1/24/2004 - GD I Cancelled My Check - They Went After my Bank Account
1/23/2004 - DW Deceptive Business Practices
1/16/2004 - NK I Was in Tears
1/15/2004 - MR They were Downright Rude
1/6/2004 - MM I Bought - Their Screwups were Continuous


12/31/2003 - CAM $713 in Maintenance Fees
12/29/2003 - HJS We're Owners - It's Not Worth the Money
12/16/2003 - TOT They Wouldn't Book my Floating Week
12/10/2003 - VDA It Costs $1000 or More to Get a Sales Listing
12/8/2003 - PHO They Screwed Up our Reservations Completely
11/21/2003 - OW Sheets had Blood Stains
11/17/2003 - MW Internet has Much Better Offers
11/16/2003 - PH Solution - Just Walk Out
11/13/2003 - MIJ We Bought - Now They Want More
11/1/2003 - TSH From a Previous Westgate Employee - It's a Scam
10/23/2003 - NE Agents Charge $1000 to Sell Our Unit
10/11/2003 - VD Angry Owner is Fed Up
10/11/2003 - BFT Salesman Yelled at Daughter - Then Realizes Mistake
10/6/2003 - LSR We Had to Fight to Cancel
10/4/2003 - TR Son's Leukemia Wish Trip Ruined
9/28/2003 - MIT I Need to Cancel
9/26/2003 - NKA We're Furious Owners and will Just Stop Paying
9/21/2003 - JRC They Finally Cancelled - But Charged Us Anyway
9/19/2003 - SA I Bought the Vacation Package
9/15/2003 - TC Westgate Employees are Ambulance Chasers
9/2/2003 - WD We're Owners - They Misled Us
8/28/2003 - CHR They Refuse to Return My Money
8/26/2003 - TRT An Owner was Mistreated
8/22/2003 - JS Math Proves this is a Bad Deal
8/22/2003 - AF Tried to Cancel by Email - Got Success!!
8/20/2003 - CHT Owner is Lied To Continuously
8/17/2003 - LR Treated Rudely Even Though I'm an Owner
8/17/2003 - JEJ Never Buy a Timeshare at a Direct Sale
8/16/2003 - BR Never Fixed Maint Problems
8/11/2003 - VAM They Kept Screwing Up Payments
8/8/2003 - ACM They Pressured Us for More Meetings
8/7/2003 - TED The Buyback Program was a Lie
7/28/2003 - SSM Four Hours of High Pressure
7/28/2003 - RK Would Not Recommend to Anyone
7/28/2003 - SLG Had to Fight for our Refund
7/22/2003 - KMF We Were Suckers and Now are Screwed
7/11/2003 - JHN 2+ Hours of Saying No
7/11/2003 - NIK They Pressure Owners Just as Badly
7/8/2003 - MAA Unethical Business Practices to Rip Me Off
7/5/2003 - PBH Waste of Time, Money and Energy
7/5/2003 - YCH We Got Revenge on Westgate
6/27/2003 - RHG Very Expensive Weeks
6/12/2003 - BPH They Nearly Refused to Let Us Cancel
6/10/2003 - RAN I've Lost Money Trying to Sell
6/6/2003 - WP Over 3 1/2 Hours of Torture
6/5/2003 - RSL Who would Spend $10k+ Without Legal Advice??
6/3/2003 - SKS It was a Bad Investment
5/28/2003 - HC Questions are Never Answered
5/20/2003 - KS Never Again!
5/17/2003 - COL They Insisted on Repeated Tours
5/15/2003 - TTB Very Unprofessional
5/14/2003 - YD We Want to Get Out of our Contract
5/13/2003 - MCH 90 Minutes Turned Into 3 Hours
5/13/2003 - BE Tour or Sales Pitch?
4/29/2003 - PLB It was Pure Manipulation
4/29/2003 - LG Westgate Claimed 17% was Good Deal
4/27/2003 - IP Said he was Govt to Escape
4/23/2003 - MJ says his experience was a repeat of those listed here
4/18/2003 - SC had his deeded timeshare rented out to someone else
4/16/2003 - PW Timeshare Resellers are Scammers Too
4/13/2003 - GB had his direct questions on resale value dodged
3/31/2003 - LL was quoted $19k a week ... then they dropped it to $5.6k ...
3/30/2003 - MK was told to 'leave the kids' in a nursery, then was abandoned
3/26/2003 - KD Exchanges Seem Impossible
3/19/2003 - CR went through several hours, then waited another 1.5 for her friend
3/18/2003 - WH "Sales people will tell you anything to get a sale."
3/14/2003 - CS stayed there and was very disappointed
3/7/2003 - JB bought on resale from someone else, paid 1/4th the cost
2/26/2003 - MD never got her payment book and had trouble reaching them
2/22/2003 - PD Saved for Two Years for One Visit
2/16/2003 - CD was there for 3 hours, not the 90 minutes promised
2/15/2003 - AS is an owner whose 30th anniversary was full of harassment
2/11/2003 - SL has been trying to cancel/sell since purchase in Jan 01
2/10/2003 - AL discovered she could rent her villa for only $350/4 days
2/7/2003 - GW bought and still spends 1/2 day per visit in sales meetings
2/4/2003 - AB is contemplating bankruptcy because her credit card is wrung dry
2/2/2003 - BM explains how to cancel cleanly
2/1/2003 - AE had the same good cop / bad cop routine for 3 hours
1/26/2003 - BO referred friends for a wedding night - they were sent to a motel
1/21/2003 - JM gets charged late fees even when sending payments early
1/20/2003 - NS spent almost 5 hours on her honeymoon, losing a full day
1/17/2003 - DR is told Westgate will rent their units out for them for income
1/13/2003 - LW had her credit rating harmed due to Westgate's mistake
1/10/2003 - GL went through this with her husband and child
1/10/2003 - LF was told 1 1/2 hrs, was there for 4 hours
1/10/2003 - MC was told to put up flyers to earn money back
1/9/2003 - EL buys her timeshares on eBay much more cheaply
1/6/2003 - ES had her kids stranded at the hotel room
1/5/2003 - MF was there for 3 1/2 hrs, caved in and is stuck


12/30/2002 - WM had trouble getting his tickets
12/17/2002 - RL says this technique is common and dishonest
12/17/2002 - CT is trying to cancel after giving in to pressure
12/16/2002 - TM was pitched at while renting from an owner
12/5/2002 - CF says they bought and are stuck
11/24/2002 - TT bought just to get out of the room
11/22/2002 - JF is still paying for Westgate
10/19/2002 - KJ was sold a unit that someone else already owned
10/17/2002 - KT can't find any way to sell their unit
9/15/2002 - SB wants to report to the BBB
8/20/2002 - SM had a three hour tour
7/8/2002 - KP bought and regrets it
6/17/2002 - TE is stuck with a unit they can't sell
5/30/2002 - JC a timeshare lover, Westgate was the only one this rude
5/20/2002 - CT says she felt like a "hostage"
4/4/2002 - SS tries to cancel and is threatened with a suit
2/18/2002 - HW ends up buying and running into trouble
1/7/2002 - LY has 2 hours end in rudeness


9/30/2001 - BT went through four hours


2/24/2000 - SO bought under pressure and then couldn't sell


11/17/1999 - WB was sworn at on the phone
5/25/1999 - CG was told 'unlimited people' and lost 9 months
5/21/1999 - KB sat for six hours, no food, no bathroom break
4/29/1999 - BD went as an exchange and was pitched at anyway
3/17/1999 - BM says they were "extremely rude"
1/4/1999 - TT is stuck with a unit she cannot get rid of


12/2/1998 - JR warns the industry is often like this and worse
9/24/1998 - SW tried to get a refund on his deposit
9/7/1998 - PB explains how the economics just don't work
6/18/1998 - BA says they were "belligerent and haughty"
5/19/1998 - JJ used a friend's timeshare and was pitched at
4/3/1998 - LS Lisa's Account of the Westgate Resorts Sales Pitch


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