NEWBIE HELP! Long story....would greatly appreciate some help!

[cusitin]

My husband and I were given a Westgate timeshare by my mother in law. She had two weeks and gave us one week and although I am very grateful, it has been the biggest headache ever for the reasons below:

1. She gave it to us with just a deed - no instructions, no timeshare owners manual...I had no clue on how timeshares work. All we did was sign the deed transfer.

2. At first, I tried to learn but it was very time consuming and I couldn't dedicate the time. We kept on depositing our weeks with no clue on when we can use them. Again....because I had no time and lots of other personal issues to deal with.

3. When I learned that I had value season, it was even more difficult to use my weeks because of my career and my children's school. I cannot go on vacation during their so-called value season. Weeks 1 through 4, Weeks 16 - 20, Weeks 35 - 46, Weeks 48-50. In other words, we are only allowed to use our timeshare from January 1st through the 31st, April 16th through May 16th, August 27th through November 14th, and November 26th through December 12th.

4. I had no choice but to deposit my weeks and figure out when I can use them. In May, I lost my 2008 week ($750!). I tried to rent it and paid an advertising company (I didn't know that was the worst thing I could do) and lost an additional $99.00. Since no offers came in, we lost all that money.

5. Currently, I have 2009 week deposited and 2010 week deposited. I have to rent these two weeks so I can at least get some money back for the maintenance fees we have paid.

6. I finally became a member of Interval International so I can exchange my weeks. However, I can't start using them until 2011 because my previous weeks have already been deposited with Westgate.

7. I am going on a California vacation and, surprisingly, Westgate has no resorts in California and Interval has no resorts where I can use split weeks. Since I won't be staying full weeks and just some days here and there, I cannot exchange the weeks I already have. So double whammy!

I feel that the timeshare has not worked for me at all. It has been too confusing and too many rules to go by.

Basically my main question now is that I would like to use TUG to rent my two weeks but when I try to place an ad, it asks me for a particular fixed week. I have two weeks to rent that can be used at separate intervals as listed above in #3. How can I list all these weeks that can be rented in one ad?

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I know it's overwhelming but I need help!

 

[teepeeca]

I'm going to send you an e-mail after I finish this post. I don't think that "you" can rent your weeks, if you've given them to Wastegate to rent. And, from what I've heard, they won't try very hard to rent "your" weeks---they have too many of their own. So, I think that you might be "shafted".

Tony

 

[Patri]

I suggest you either give the week back to your mother in law, explaining that it just doesn't work for your family at this time (if she thought she was doing you a favor). If she was happy to get rid of it, give it away yourself. We have a forum to do that, or you can advertise it yourself somewhere, but DO NOT pay anyone to sell it for you. If you are willing to pay closing costs, and there are some reputable escrow companies listed on TUG, the week may get taken.
It really appears the week will be more of a headache than it is worth for you.

 

[cusitin]

Thank you Patri. It has been more of a headache, however, I think that once we start using II next year, I might actually enjoy it. I want to at least give it a try. Right now, I just need to rent out those two weeks. How can I place an ad for the value season weeks, since it is more than 1?

 

[Passepartout]

In order to rent those weeks, you have to first reserve the weeks. You can't just rent out the promise of weeks to occupy. Another thing you can do after you reserve the weeks is to deposit it (them) and II is not the only exchange company out there. Perhaps you can exchange for more usable weeks?

Good luck and best wishes.

It's too bad you weren't given at least the basics of timesharing before the maintenance fees became due. The good news is you've found TUG now and you're among friends. More good news- you didn't pay thousand$ for something you don't understand. Read up on timesharing and figure out how to make it work out for you. Either that or deed it back to your MIL as Patri said.

Jim Ricks

 

[LLW]

My husband and I were given a Westgate timeshare by my mother in law. She had two weeks and gave us one week and although I am very grateful, it has been the biggest headache ever for the reasons below:

1. She gave it to us with just a deed - no instructions, no timeshare owners manual...I had no clue on how timeshares work. All we did was sign the deed transfer.

2. At first, I tried to learn but it was very time consuming and I couldn't dedicate the time. We kept on depositing our weeks with no clue on when we can use them. Again....because I had no time and lots of other personal issues to deal with.

3. When I learned that I had value season, it was even more difficult to use my weeks because of my career and my children's school. I cannot go on vacation during their so-called value season. Weeks 1 through 4, Weeks 16 - 20, Weeks 35 - 46, Weeks 48-50. In other words, we are only allowed to use our timeshare from January 1st through the 31st, April 16th through May 16th, August 27th through November 14th, and November 26th through December 12th.

4. I had no choice but to deposit my weeks and figure out when I can use them. In May, I lost my 2008 week ($750!). I tried to rent it and paid an advertising company (I didn't know that was the worst thing I could do) and lost an additional $99.00. Since no offers came in, we lost all that money.

5. Currently, I have 2009 week deposited and 2010 week deposited. I have to rent these two weeks so I can at least get some money back for the maintenance fees we have paid.

6. I finally became a member of Interval International so I can exchange my weeks. However, I can't start using them until 2011 because my previous weeks have already been deposited with Westgate.

7. I am going on a California vacation and, surprisingly, Westgate has no resorts in California and Interval has no resorts where I can use split weeks. Since I won't be staying full weeks and just some days here and there, I cannot exchange the weeks I already have. So double whammy!

I feel that the timeshare has not worked for me at all. It has been too confusing and too many rules to go by.

Basically my main question now is that I would like to use TUG to rent my two weeks but when I try to place an ad, it asks me for a particular fixed week. I have two weeks to rent that can be used at separate intervals as listed above in #3. How can I list all these weeks that can be rented in one ad?

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I know it's overwhelming but I need help!

Thank you Patri. It has been more of a headache, however, I think that once we start using II next year, I might actually enjoy it. I want to at least give it a try. Right now, I just need to rent out those two weeks. How can I place an ad for the value season weeks, since it is more than 1?

Questions, since I am not familiar with Westgate:

Since these 2 weeks were your 2009 and 2010 weeks, did you reserve some weeks in the Float season to deposit? When you rent, you have to tell the renter what weeks you are renting out. Do 2 ads if you have to - they are free. And why would anybody pay to rent a 2009 week from you, which they can't use since 2009 has already passed?

If you have deposited them with Westgate, did Westgate rent them out for you already, and you can in turn reserve another week? Are the future options to reserve what you are trying to rent? Or are you trying to rent the original booked weeks? Can you rent something that Westgate has taken in as a deposit?

Maybe if we understand what you are trying to do, we can better help you.

And by the way, II would let you use your 2011 week to exchange for a current vacation, if Westgate rules would let you deposit it with II. Find out more from Westgate.