Westgate Property Owners

I just returned from another fantastic vacation in Florida. I stayed at my home resort, Westgate Town Center, in a 4 bedroom unit in building 6000. I got the story that they will be breaking ground on a new building and the waterpark before the end of the year. We will see if this is true or not, but I believe that it will happen. And the former sales center has now become a great breakfast and lunch buffet, ice cream parlor, sports bar, arcade, and soon, a new supermarket. They did a great job updating this space.

Westgate is a nice place to go. I would be very surprised if they break ground on the new water park since they claimed they would about 4 years ago and like everything else they have claimed to do, they dont. It is a nice resort that should be a great resort, but they dont put our money back into it. I will see what they tell me when I go there this June, probably the same old thing as all the other years. Too bad you can't sell their timeshare.

Nice surprises are the best kind. Only time will tell. The waterpark - shoppping centre complex was planned as long ago as 2000. Four years ago, 2009, was a world of hurt for the economy worlwide. I am not surprised that any expansion plans were put on hold at that time. As well as the 5000 Westgate employees that were laid off. I am not a Westgate shill, just a very satisfied owner who knows that I have read about several timeshare companies that over promise and under deliver. It is the nature of the industry at this point. Only Disney Vacation Club seems to be able to continue growing at an amazing pace! And able to command a fair price on resale.

Despite the high pressure sales pitch that we fell for and the many broken promises they told us, the vanishing perks, we do enjoy going there every year. We have only been to about 2 other places. The only thing I would change would be the week we go, I wish it was in March or April instead of June(if anyone knows of a permanet exchange please let me know). We prefer the older Villas to the new uints. Counting down till June now.

W

Hello, I am a recent purchaser of Westgate and I was wondering what you meant aboit "vanishing perks". That kind of throws up a red flag to me and I was wondering if it was something I should worry about. Please let me know.

When we first bought, they use to have a Friday night bash (like a block party), then it turned into Chicken dinner. Now nothing. Used to have a better breakfast Monday thru Thursday, Now a cheap one Tuesday and Thursday. Waterpark that was promised for years(still not there), they put up a waterslide that works sometimes and it was supposed to be free for owners, but isn't. Check previous messages, many broken promises. One thing for sure, all the new buildings are 6-9 floors so they can bring in more people which makes the pools and activities overcrowded(but makes them more money). I hope you didn't buy from them like I did. It is a lot cheaper online, many for only $1.00.

The economic crash of 2007-2008 caused many resorts to abandon promised plans,

Spouse & I just purchased a EOY ODD 1 BR deluxe villa at WG Branson Woods thru the developer. Price was $7800, financed thru WG at high rate (14.99%) with little down. Now I am concerned this was not a prudent decision--spouse is ok with it. The purchase was a platinum season week (27?) available in 2015. I am considering rescind for fear we could do something more affordable.

km133 wrote:

I am considering rescind for fear we could do something more affordable.

You can do something more affordable. It's called buying resale.

Rescind and then do a lot more research before buying anything. Realize the ins and outs, ups and downs of owning a timeshare.

km133 wrote:

Spouse & I just purchased a EOY ODD 1 BR deluxe villa at WG Branson Woods thru the developer. Price was $7800, financed thru WG at high rate (14.99%) with little down. Now I am concerned this was not a prudent decision--spouse is ok with it. The purchase was a platinum season week (27?) available in 2015. I am considering rescind for fear we could do something more affordable.

Rescind immediately .... It would seem to me that $7800 for a EOY (every other year) for a one bedroom in Branson's vastly overbuilt timeshare resort community is extremely high in cost.

There's a 2 bed/2 bath EOY (odd) for sale at that Westgate resort in Branson MO on Redweek for $500 .... that's more in line cost wise.

I would get out of it while you still can. You can save a lot of money on the resale market. Most times you can vacation on just what you pay in the yearly fees they charge.

Most people don't take the time to post positive comments. Owners that have had an issue are the ones always to post negative comments. And it seems most of these negative postings are about the original timeshare presentation and where people feel trapped into buying a timeshare. What happened to the idea that I am responsible for my own decisions and if I want to tell the sales people no that I have the right to say no. It is hard to tell how good Westgate is compared to other timeshare companies because these comments are a minority compared to all the owners of Westgate timeshares.

Heirs do not have to accept a timeshare after the owner dies if they don't want it.

larry84 wrote:

It is hard to tell how good Westgate is compared to other timeshare companies because these comments are a minority compared to all the owners of Westgate timeshares.

The irrefutable fact and fundamental problem with Westgate (unlike ANY "other timeshare companies") is that Westgate knowingly, willfully and deliberately devalues resale ownerships by employing onerous and severe restictions on resale owners attempting to make reservations. I have had a few decades of timeshare experience at this point and I know of NO other timeshare company that penalizes resale owners in this particular (and very punitive) manner. That's a fact. It’s not an opinion and it’s not based upon (and not offered in response to) anyone’s subjective “comments” in these forums or anywhere else. A fact is a fact.

Westgate is certainly not unique in having hungry and deceitful sales weasels aggressively "peddling their product" --- and most Westgate properties are certainly nice enough. I also agree 100% with your observation that people need to take responsibility for their own decisions and actions. That aside, it is other post-sale Westgate practices that place Westgate at the "bottom of the barrel" (in my opinion) among all timeshare companies.

Westgate owners who overpaid to buy developer-direct and who actually use and enjoy what they own may very well be satified with their ownership --- good for them! However, when / if the day comes for those same people to sell that product, they may promptly discover (to their shock and dismay) that what they own may be almost worthless and impossible to sell in the resale market, due to the severe reservation restrictions Westgate has contrived to impose upon all resale ownerships. It would seem that there may be some basis for Westgate having acquired the nickname "Wastegate" in some timeshare forums. There is apparently also some reason why people often have to PAY Westgate (over a thousand dollars) to take the product back! (I am referring here to Westgate's deedback program which they call "Legacy"). Even with "Legacy" Westgate actually selectively picks and chooses the ownerships that they will even let people PAY WESTGATE to take back! That's a special kind of greedy, in my opinion.

P.S. I have no affiliation with any timeshare company anywhere --- and I never did. I do own and use several (resale) timeshare weeks at independent, non-"chain" properties, but certainly have never owned (and would never consider owning) within Westgate. I am merely offering some objective observations, since you seem to be waving the Westgate flag a bit here without any mention or acknowledgement of the unique and glaring shortcomings of owning within Westgate, as described in paragraph 3 above.

I am not waving the Westgate flag and I am not a Westgate owner. However I am friends with two Westgate owners that are very satisfied. I agree with you that Westgate has made it almost impossible for an owner to resale their timeshare with the ridiculous restrictions placed on timeshare resale owners regarding reservations. Enjoy.

Do you know - Is there a way to actually resell Westgate (Gatlinburg) property and get back out (at least most) of what you've paid in?

sonjap34 wrote:

Do you know - Is there a way to actually resell Westgate (Gatlinburg) property and get back out (at least most) of what you've paid in?

Chances are very slim of that happening. And it's not just Westgate. That applies to almost every timeshare brand. If you paid developer prices, then chances are very slim you're going to find a buyer who will pay you anything near what you originally paid.

With most Westgate resorts, their value on the resale market is right around zero. So please discard any fantasies you might have about recouping a large chunk of what you originally paid, otherwise you're setting yourself up to be scammed by the many scam artists there are out there in the timeshare world.

Your best bet is to try to find someone to take it from you without costing you thousands. I was able to find someone to give mine to on one of Westgate's Facebook pages for the cost of closing fees. The Legacy program will costs thousands to give it to them and if you don't act fast enough you have to wait a few months to try again at a higher cost. Good luck trying to get rid of it.