Westgate offer, refreshing my memory on value of owning

[hotwired]

Good Morning All,

I've yet to own a TS but every few years like to review what I know, and see if owning would be a good idea. Resale of course!

We just got back from Orlando (our final trip there for a few years, most likely) and got a cut rate at Westgate Lakes Resort in exchange for a 90 minute spiel. I wanted to ask you folks if the deal we were offered actually sounded good?

After a couple higher deals, she offered us for 7K a "foreclosure" (or a buy back for 9K). It included a week there, but if we redposited it into II, we got two weeks (I didn't ask why our one week turned into two). We also would receive unlimited "getaways" for $200-$500, and a "business" where we could put a link on FB or put up flyers and sell discounted weeks in exchange for THEM doing a 90 minute spiel and we could conceivably make a profit. Of course the way she presented it, you'd think we'd get a free timeshare and make an extra 50K per year by the time we were done!

So does this price range sound decent, given the perks, etc. or is there not enough information to give feedback?

Thank you.

 

[jwalk03]

NO. Don't buy Westgate ever. They are known as Wastegate around here. They strip all of the benefits of owning out of resale contracts making them completely worthless.

You won't make any profit on that nonsense either. Unlimited getaways is available to anyone with an II Membership. They are basically just leftover weeks (think off season, undesirable resorts, etc.) that are for sale to anyone. Its not a wastgate perk like they sell it to be.

 

[LannyPC]

Have you purchased already or did you escape the presentation without buying? Whatever the case, do not purchase anything from a sales presentation. And before you purchase anything or even acquire anything for free, take time to do a lot of research.

And yes, you did give "enough information to give feedback". Do not purchase this.

 

[hotwired]

Have you purchased already or did you escape the presentation without buying? Whatever the case, do not purchase anything from a sales presentation. And before you purchase anything or even acquire anything for free, take time to do a lot of research.

And yes, you did give "enough information to give feedback". Do not purchase this.

Thanks SO MUCH. No, my fast rule is "never say "yes" at ANY sales presentation, no matter what". When I gave the lady my rule, she glibly spouted some philosophical nonsense about decisions vs. choices, it was funny, but this is my 4th spiel so I'm sort of "seasoned" in that I know full well I'm not smart enough to outwit them so I just have to have a "circuit breaker" which is my "rule".

I still keep coming back around to the probability that renting weeks from others is the way to go.

 

[LannyPC]

I still keep coming back around to the probability that renting weeks from others is the way to go.

I agree with that hunch.

 

[kathiecee]

My husband and I bought our timeshare eight or nine years ago on eBay. We paid $1 for a two-bedroom, two-bath lockout in Branson, and the resort even covered the title transfer and closing fees. It didn't matter to us where it was as long as 1) the maintenance fees were reasonable, 2) it was gold rated on Interval International (which is who we use), and 3) it wasn't limited to a specific week. We've never actually been to the home resort. Why pay thousands in maintenance fees for a beach unit when you can trade into one. Note: I just looked and there are 934 timeshare listings right now, and 478 of them are between $1 and $25.

The maintenance fees have gone up, as they do, and we currently pay $650 a year. But...we can break up the unit into two one-bedroom units (which actually gives us two weeks at $325 MF per year each), and anywhere we have ever stayed costs about that much PER DAY to get it online from a travel consolidator or website. We often trade for Marriott or Westin, which are great places to stay. We've been to New Orleans, Cancun, Aruba (twice), St Maarten, California, Florida, and this year we're going to Costa Del Sol (Southern Spain).

Do your research. Check them on the Timeshare User Group, Interval International or RCI, and Tripadvisor before selecting anything. We do that even if we are trading. Good luck!

 

[bluehende]

Run as fast as you can from the Wastegate albatross.