Westgate Resorts Contract Fraud (30% increase) Orlando Florida
I purchased a time share from Westgate in 2004. In my contract, it states that the maintenance fee will be estimated at $499.However,my maintenance fee for 2008 was billed at $648.00. I called and talked to Julia @ 1-800-925-9999 for an explanation for the increase in fees.She stated that my contract said that it was an "estimate" and I should have known that it would go up in price every year. I informed her that it does not state anywhere in the contract that maintenance fees could ever go up in price. In fact, last year my maintenance fees were approximately $560.00. At this time, my maintenance fees have increase almost 30% in the last three years. I have never been late on a payment and have always paid my maintenance fees. However, the contract clearly states that the maintenance fees would be estimated at $499.00. I emphasized to Julia that this was a breach in contract since fees can apparently increase to an unknown amount without explanation and against contract agreement. There appears to be a disagreement as to how "estimate" is defined. Per Westgate, the sky is the limit.
Jesse
raymore, Missouri
U.S.A.
13 Updates & Rebuttals
Westgate Employee
Orlando,Florida,
U.S.A.
reading you contract
#14UPDATE Employee
Fri, February 01, 2008
Thats why it is very important you do read the westgate contract the amount is an estimated amount but estimated does not mean thats the way it will stay forever... again it is true taxes are going up on everything.gas prices are going up life is getting more expensive including timeshares.
Westgate Employee
Orlando,Florida,
U.S.A.
reading you contract
#14UPDATE Employee
Fri, February 01, 2008
Thats why it is very important you do read the westgate contract the amount is an estimated amount but estimated does not mean thats the way it will stay forever... again it is true taxes are going up on everything.gas prices are going up life is getting more expensive including timeshares.
Westgate Employee
Orlando,Florida,
U.S.A.
reading you contract
#14UPDATE Employee
Fri, February 01, 2008
Thats why it is very important you do read the westgate contract the amount is an estimated amount but estimated does not mean thats the way it will stay forever... again it is true taxes are going up on everything.gas prices are going up life is getting more expensive including timeshares.
Westgate Employee
Orlando,Florida,
U.S.A.
reading you contract
#14UPDATE Employee
Fri, February 01, 2008
Thats why it is very important you do read the westgate contract the amount is an estimated amount but estimated does not mean thats the way it will stay forever... again it is true taxes are going up on everything.gas prices are going up life is getting more expensive including timeshares.
Lil2coupe
Jenkins,Kentucky,
U.S.A.
I own property at Westgate Gatlinburg and want to GIVE IT TO ANYONE TO TAKE OVER PAYMENTS...PAID 59 months
#14Consumer Comment
Sat, November 24, 2007
The maintenance fee was one of the selling points that I heard in Gatlinburg. It would be cheaper...you would be locked in for the rest of our lives...and just think of the savings...well that was what was told...and again, not what is being done.
These people need to be investigated for their shady practices. I have paid for 59 months. It comes out of my checking account automatically. No worries on being late. BUT, I have called on several different occasions trying to get a reservation at "my property"...only to be told "sorry, no availabilities. We stay in this area often, we live only 2.5 hours away, and still book those same hotels that we were told were expensive and just too cost prohibitive (another reason we should buy timeshare).
Are they really always "booked"? That must be some serious booking going on...because everything else is slow during the times i have asked to stay.
Signed,
Screwed Over by Westgate
Lil2coupe
Jenkins,Kentucky,
U.S.A.
I own property at Westgate Gatlinburg and want to GIVE IT TO ANYONE TO TAKE OVER PAYMENTS...PAID 59 months
#14Consumer Comment
Sat, November 24, 2007
The maintenance fee was one of the selling points that I heard in Gatlinburg. It would be cheaper...you would be locked in for the rest of our lives...and just think of the savings...well that was what was told...and again, not what is being done.
These people need to be investigated for their shady practices. I have paid for 59 months. It comes out of my checking account automatically. No worries on being late. BUT, I have called on several different occasions trying to get a reservation at "my property"...only to be told "sorry, no availabilities. We stay in this area often, we live only 2.5 hours away, and still book those same hotels that we were told were expensive and just too cost prohibitive (another reason we should buy timeshare).
Are they really always "booked"? That must be some serious booking going on...because everything else is slow during the times i have asked to stay.
Signed,
Screwed Over by Westgate
Lil2coupe
Jenkins,Kentucky,
U.S.A.
I own property at Westgate Gatlinburg and want to GIVE IT TO ANYONE TO TAKE OVER PAYMENTS...PAID 59 months
#14Consumer Comment
Sat, November 24, 2007
The maintenance fee was one of the selling points that I heard in Gatlinburg. It would be cheaper...you would be locked in for the rest of our lives...and just think of the savings...well that was what was told...and again, not what is being done.
These people need to be investigated for their shady practices. I have paid for 59 months. It comes out of my checking account automatically. No worries on being late. BUT, I have called on several different occasions trying to get a reservation at "my property"...only to be told "sorry, no availabilities. We stay in this area often, we live only 2.5 hours away, and still book those same hotels that we were told were expensive and just too cost prohibitive (another reason we should buy timeshare).
Are they really always "booked"? That must be some serious booking going on...because everything else is slow during the times i have asked to stay.
Signed,
Screwed Over by Westgate
Jesse
Raymore,Missouri,
U.S.A.
Sorry it was in Gatlinburg Tn, not FL
#14Author of original report
Sat, November 03, 2007
My time share is in Gatlinburg TN not Fl as I missed typed. And as for gas going up 30% how cares! My compliant was not gas going up it was that there is no real limit on what Westgate can charge you. Who is to say that next year it will not go up to $1,500 because they added a new swimming pool? I did not ask for new items to be added I only asked that my payment stays the same. Trying to compare gas prices to what my contact is was totally unrealistic. And as for property taxes, taxes are billed separately.
Jesse
Raymore,Missouri,
U.S.A.
Sorry it was in Gatlinburg Tn, not FL
#14Author of original report
Sat, November 03, 2007
My time share is in Gatlinburg TN not Fl as I missed typed. And as for gas going up 30% how cares! My compliant was not gas going up it was that there is no real limit on what Westgate can charge you. Who is to say that next year it will not go up to $1,500 because they added a new swimming pool? I did not ask for new items to be added I only asked that my payment stays the same. Trying to compare gas prices to what my contact is was totally unrealistic. And as for property taxes, taxes are billed separately.
Jesse
Raymore,Missouri,
U.S.A.
Sorry it was in Gatlinburg Tn, not FL
#14Author of original report
Sat, November 03, 2007
My time share is in Gatlinburg TN not Fl as I missed typed. And as for gas going up 30% how cares! My compliant was not gas going up it was that there is no real limit on what Westgate can charge you. Who is to say that next year it will not go up to $1,500 because they added a new swimming pool? I did not ask for new items to be added I only asked that my payment stays the same. Trying to compare gas prices to what my contact is was totally unrealistic. And as for property taxes, taxes are billed separately.
Jesse
Raymore,Missouri,
U.S.A.
Sorry it was in Gatlinburg Tn, not FL
#14Author of original report
Sat, November 03, 2007
My time share is in Gatlinburg TN not Fl as I missed typed. And as for gas going up 30% how cares! My compliant was not gas going up it was that there is no real limit on what Westgate can charge you. Who is to say that next year it will not go up to $1,500 because they added a new swimming pool? I did not ask for new items to be added I only asked that my payment stays the same. Trying to compare gas prices to what my contact is was totally unrealistic. And as for property taxes, taxes are billed separately.
Nikki
Coconut Creek,Florida,
U.S.A.
Florida real estate went up 30%
#14Consumer Comment
Sat, October 27, 2007
Real estate in Florida and land values went up a lot in the last 2-3 years. Because of that, the taxes on the land have gone up. If you are an owner at Westgate, you supposedly own a share of the land that Westgate sits on and are subject to the taxes. The taxes are paid by the timeshare owners out of the maintenance fees. Everyone's maintenance went up because the assessed value on the land went up.
Also, insurance went up a lot in the last 2-3 years because of the hurricanes. Who pays for this? The owners of the timeshares.
Bart
Springfield,Missouri,
U.S.A.
You do realize.....
#14Consumer Comment
Fri, October 26, 2007
that just the price of fuel alone has risen nearly 30% since that contract was signed don't you?
This causes other things to increase in price. Thus, fuel to run maintenance machines (eg: lawnmowers etc.) cost more right off the bat.
And if the contract does indeed say "estimated" as you have repeatedly posted, then it is pretty much estimated and not too bad of a job considering that the estimate was for 3 YEARS AGO.
It's certainly not an estimate for every year and not a ripoff.