Complaint Review: Westgate Resorts - Gatlinburg Tennessee

I am a former owner of WestGate Vacation Villas and use to enjoy going there with my children and foster kids. I paid for my unit with cash and I knew that I would be using it yearly with up to 8 biological/foster kids. Well one of my children was molested by an unknown sexual perpretrator while visiting her biological father. To make a long story short I had to pay the attorney fees of my childs father because the judge decided that my child was born with her hymen torn. I was ordered to pay his attorney fees and I quit Claim deeded my westgate villa as payment for the judgment. The property was purchased June 1995 for $13,700 and paid for in full in 6 months. I checked with the sales department and found the FMV to 19,500 - 21,000, by pretending to be interested purchase a unit or something comprable. WestGate attorneys and WestGate Sales, refuse to give me the FMV for the time share, they refused to put anything in writting so therefore I have turned over the property to my childs father back in May 2003. WestGate gave him about $28,000 towards an upgrade, which he applied to his new unit with multiple weeks. Westgate accomodated him but refuse to acommodate me. He has vacationed at westgate for the last 4 summers but not in the unit I turned over. They allowed him to upgrade but the unit he upgraded to is not listed at the recorders office. On books it looks like he owns unit uuu-06 week 26, but he realy owns another unit with a mortgage payable to Colonial Bank. I am now back in court because the value of timeshare I turned over to them was not applied to the judgment, and his attorney placed a lien on my primary resident. This man has used the summer villa for the last 4 years and the court is asking that I pay him another $15,000.00 because he says the property was only worth $14,900. The sad thing is because Westgate and their attorney's are so cut throat I may have to pay him. Floriday does not have produce the bill of sales to us in Illinois. Stay away from Westgate. If you own, beware !

Interestingly I received an email today that tells me some of these "satisfied owners" might have been Westgate employees. I guess this will all come out once Attorney generals have reviewed file and we decide to sue. In the meantime, be prepared to back up your stories with facts. I am.

Bottom line is this many people would not be complaining if this company did not do anything wrong. They lied, they misrepresented the terms and conditions,they did not forward entire documents until past rescision date - on purpose -to avoid giving individuals the change to rescind. They will be held accountable, just as all liars and crooks are. If I WERE a SATISFIED owner at this resort and I read all the complaints that are out there on this compnay, I am pretty sure I would ditch my condo immediately. My guess is it is only a matter of time before this issue hits one of the major investigative news agencies - I know because I have been in contact with them.

We have been owners for 4 years and upgraded last year. What few problems that have occurred have been speedily resolved. I think these people were not paying attention to what they were signing. Why would you think you don't owe the money if you signed a contract? Yes, there was a little high pressure used and we wondered if we had done the right thing by purchasing. We have enjoyed it very much and now are taking grandchildren with us. They said "It was the best vacation ever.". I am sorry for your problems, but you should be able to get in contact with the salesperson and talk with him/her.

We have been owners for 4 years and upgraded last year. What few problems that have occurred have been speedily resolved. I think these people were not paying attention to what they were signing. Why would you think you don't owe the money if you signed a contract? Yes, there was a little high pressure used and we wondered if we had done the right thing by purchasing. We have enjoyed it very much and now are taking grandchildren with us. They said "It was the best vacation ever.". I am sorry for your problems, but you should be able to get in contact with the salesperson and talk with him/her.

We have been owners for 4 years and upgraded last year. What few problems that have occurred have been speedily resolved. I think these people were not paying attention to what they were signing. Why would you think you don't owe the money if you signed a contract? Yes, there was a little high pressure used and we wondered if we had done the right thing by purchasing. We have enjoyed it very much and now are taking grandchildren with us. They said "It was the best vacation ever.". I am sorry for your problems, but you should be able to get in contact with the salesperson and talk with him/her.

my family resently went to las vegas nv.we where ask if we would like free show tickets.we said maybe whats the catch?the sales lady said we would need to attend a 90 min sales presentation, we were thinkin, well we are not going to buy anything and we had some time so lets get the tickets and have some fun. we went to the presentation the place was just great.the peoplr were very much buisness but they were laid-back and told us several times "we know this kind of vacation time share isnt for everyone"they were very good to us it was a sale situation.we thought that it would work for us so we did buy a share.my wife and i are very happy with the resort and the sales representaion we recieved. we figured it out we will spend less money and get to stay in the areas of the country and mexico that we like the best anyway. you dont get anything that is worth anything for free.if you dont want the product some one offers you then put your foot down and tell them.dont just sign the deal and hope it goes away later.

i am sorry for the individuals that filed the rip off report about westgate. I have been a westgate owner for four years and i have found no problems with resolving any issues with them. i have also been offered the fifty or even the one hundred dollar offers. our first was with westgate.

we politely refused and told the salesman it was not in our budget to purchase a discounted vacation for one year. which is what they offered these individuals and you pay it on a monthly installment. i still got the one hundred dollars and a free breakfast for my entire family. i dont care how pushy a salesman is, if it is something i don't want i don't have to accept it.

i think we have to be careful to know that if someone offers you something there is something they expect in return. it is up to you the consumer to be informed about the different policies for timeshare, and you want fill ripped off. If you send or gave money and signed a contract you are bound to that contract. i can't seem to see the scam in this. maybe a high pressured salesman, but not a scam.

we need to be careful and take responsibility for what we do. you do have 10 days to come out of your contract if you send it to the company in writing by certified letter. if that was not done you probably didnt read your contract. i am sorry this happened, and i hope it does not turn people away from timeshare. i have found it to be the most affordable way for me and my family to vacation. you have to be able to afford it. you also have to be more careful to ask questions if you are not informed.

being nice is one thing getting caught up in a binding contract is another. i have found that if you tell the company the salesman name and what he did/said is not what was in your contract or what you agreed, making those corrections are not a problem, but you have to know the part you play whether leading them on or just being nice, as well as doing it in a timely manner as stated in the contracts.