AL discovered she could rent her villa for only $350/4 days
Westgate Timeshare Resort Issues
Date of Incident: 2/10/2003
I just came home from a trip to Orlando's great Westgate Lakes Resort. My parents bought a time-share there about 2 yrs ago. This year I decided to take the trip with them to see what a wonderful place they always speak of is about. While on this trip their intention was to sell their time-share because they finally realized that it was a bit too costly for them.
As everyone else on your website wrote, we were invited to their free breakfast and meeting to see "how things are" and discuss the sale. When the saleswoman showed up I made a bet with my sister that they would put so much pressure on my parents that they would end up buying more instead of selling. And sure enough, I made five bucks on that bet.
My mom left there very content to get a "bigger" more "beatiful" villa and an extra week for, what I thought, was a lot more money every month. Then she was trying to sell me into this to get the $500 bonus. and telling me what a great deal they'll give me for only $129 I could return with my husband and two kids. But I still wasn't biting..... I thought there must be a catch. Now, I'm 26 yrs old, married, with two kids and make a moderate amount of money. But I calculate my actual usage. This is the first vacation I've been on in 10 yrs. and at over $400 a month to buy, a figured it would be much cheaper for me to rent a room whenever I do go somewhere. Granted, this is a very nice place. You still have to walk for miles to get to food and civilization. And not very good food within the resort anyway. So I told my mom I'll look into it.
Sure enough I go on the net tonight to research a room price for a 4 day trip there in October. Turns out I could rent a villa there, just like the one I stayed in with my parents for under $350 total! This is after they'd assured my dad that he was doing the smart thing buying since a room there goes for around $350 per NIGHT! And now I read all these complaints and recognize the same salespitch they gave my parents about being on valuable Disney property and getting the extra week and larger villa due to foreclosure on the previous owner. And enjoying the free breakfast of stale croissants, scrambled eggs and burnt sausages.
I'm glad I read your letter and everyone else's. Now I have sent a link to your website to my parents to show them how they've been duped. And me, I think The Holiday Inn will do just fine for my future trip with my kids. (And we'll probably get better food there too). Thank You.
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