PH Solution - Just Walk Out
Westgate Timeshare Resort Issues



Date of Incident: 11/16/2003

Wow; your experience at Westgate was not pleasant.

I'm an owner at Westgate Lakes Orlando and my experience was exactly
the opposite. No high pressure, but the interest rates they offered you
were as high as they offered me; so I signed and just paid off the loan
with a home equity line of credit when I got home. The salesperson said
that many owners did the same thing.

Your experience at Westgate was exactly the same as my experience in
Cocoa Beach at an RCI resort on Friday, 11/14. Started out with "124
units available 51 weeks each year, total of 6324 weeks available. Some
ocean front, some ocean view, some penthouse."

We looked at these units. Despite their more recent construction, none
was as large or as nice as our Westgate Lakes unit in Orlando.

Then the price: "No ocean front or ocean view available on floors 2
through 7 -- they're all sold out; only "penthouse" on floor 8
available. 1 week for $26,900." We said we weren't interested.

"Okay; well many units are in the sale process, and sometimes some of
the units come back cuz financing falls through... Let me see if my
boss has any of those available."

Suddenly an OCEAN FRONT unit available, not a penthouse, not at the
$22,600 prices for a non-penthouse oceanfront unit, not even the
$19,600 for an ocean view, but only $16,900! And instead of 20% down
and 30 year financing at 19.25%, how about 10% down now, another 40% in
three weeks, and the remaining 50% over 2 years at 0% (yes, zero
percent) interest?"

I had the same reaction as you after that: I said we weren't interested
(thinking that if they had this to begin with, why not start with
this?), they used the high pressure, I said again we weren't
interested, they used again the high pressure, and finally I said,
"Look: I'm a Christian, and I'm led by the Holy Spirit. I don't feel
peace within my heart about buying."

They immediately withdrew and said, "You've said the one thing we can't
respond to. Let me get our exit interviewer -- she's not a salesperson
-- so you can leave." The 'non-salesperson'' walked over and proceeded
to offer us a lease with an option to buy for $8500, about half the
price. We said we weren't interested. She completed our form, walked us
to the door and showed us where to go for our $50 cash. We walked down
the hall, collected, and departed. Like your experience, it took longer
than the promised 90 minutes, about 2 hours and 15 minutes, not
counting the 15 minutes after arriving that we waited in the lobby for
a salesperson to escort us into "the pen."

Other timeshare presentations I've attended have been the same way, so
here's what I'll do the next time: When the salesperson calls our name,
I'll open with this statement: "We do not have any compelling reason to
purchase a timeshare here; you have offered us a 90 minutes sales
presentation to give us a compelling reason. I will not hold the 15
minute wait in your lobby against you; your 90 minutes starts now." And
at the end of the 90 minutes, I'll say, "You've reached the end of your
90 minutes and we do not yet have a compelling reason to buy. Where do
we collect our lovely parting gifts?"

If they try to stall, I'll get up and walk out. I walked in with
nothing; I can leave with nothing (except a bad experience and more
knowledge for next time). Sorry your experience was so negative; I
wrote to tell you that of all the time-share sales presentations I've
attended in my life, Westgate's was actually the best.

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