There is an active thread elsewhere on the Board called "Why aren’t Maui Westin owners happy?". While many resorts, even some of the very best by any measure, have pockets of dissatisfied owners for one reason or another, usually you'll find the majority like what they own, are relatively protective of their resort(s) (look at some of the old OLCC threads for proof of that) and feel they get a fair value out of what they own.
But there is at least one glaring exception to that generalized statement. The infamous Wastegate group. And why would that be? Maybe it's:
- Some of the most aggressive and borderline illegal sales pressure found in the already pressure filled timeshare sales world.
- The seemingly never ending heavy hand of absolute control over resorts supposedly (and legally) sold to individual owners who then take on seemingly invisible status until the annual billing time rolls around
- The seemingly never ending "great new" resorts that devalue the "older not so new" ones just sold a few years earlier and the glut of inventory that kills any possible demand and thus trading value.
- The pressure on owners to buy more. Stupid things like requiring cart rides to the units (used to set up "maintenance meetings" that are barely disguised sales pitches. Don't try to actually talk about the poor maintenance of the units as they don't want to hear that.
- Speaking of maintenance maybe its the poor job done on far too many units as the high fees aren't spent well but, like everything else, get used for sales support.
- No owner control. Critical to any resort is the ability of the owners to have control of the Board that runs the place. Of course Wastegate has never turned over control despite state law that says they must. But who has the time/money to challenge them? As always living on the very edge of the law and ignoring those they don't like.
- Control games. Wastegate is famous for unilaterally imposing new rules, regulations, operational procedures, anything they feel like regardless of what the Sales Disclosure may state. They feel the resorts are their private toys and play them as they like.
The list can go on and on but the bottom line is Wastegate isn't a good place to buy even at resale and most definitely never at retail prices. If you can trade in (easy to do as there is WAY too much inventory as mentioned above) just avoid the sales and you can find the resorts an OK if not great place to stay. There are plenty better but not many with the massive inventory you'll find at the Wastegates.
Why aren't Wastegate owners happy? Because it's not a good operation and the problems start at the very top. It is unique for such a large resort system to be so nearly universally despised yet still be successful. Testimony to the gullibility of the general public and the value of high pressure sales to uninformed buyers. By the time they discover the ugly truth they are in the system with very very expensive lessons learned the only way out.
But there is at least one glaring exception to that generalized statement. The infamous Wastegate group. And why would that be? Maybe it's:
- Some of the most aggressive and borderline illegal sales pressure found in the already pressure filled timeshare sales world.
- The seemingly never ending heavy hand of absolute control over resorts supposedly (and legally) sold to individual owners who then take on seemingly invisible status until the annual billing time rolls around
- The seemingly never ending "great new" resorts that devalue the "older not so new" ones just sold a few years earlier and the glut of inventory that kills any possible demand and thus trading value.
- The pressure on owners to buy more. Stupid things like requiring cart rides to the units (used to set up "maintenance meetings" that are barely disguised sales pitches. Don't try to actually talk about the poor maintenance of the units as they don't want to hear that.
- Speaking of maintenance maybe its the poor job done on far too many units as the high fees aren't spent well but, like everything else, get used for sales support.
- No owner control. Critical to any resort is the ability of the owners to have control of the Board that runs the place. Of course Wastegate has never turned over control despite state law that says they must. But who has the time/money to challenge them? As always living on the very edge of the law and ignoring those they don't like.
- Control games. Wastegate is famous for unilaterally imposing new rules, regulations, operational procedures, anything they feel like regardless of what the Sales Disclosure may state. They feel the resorts are their private toys and play them as they like.
The list can go on and on but the bottom line is Wastegate isn't a good place to buy even at resale and most definitely never at retail prices. If you can trade in (easy to do as there is WAY too much inventory as mentioned above) just avoid the sales and you can find the resorts an OK if not great place to stay. There are plenty better but not many with the massive inventory you'll find at the Wastegates.
Why aren't Wastegate owners happy? Because it's not a good operation and the problems start at the very top. It is unique for such a large resort system to be so nearly universally despised yet still be successful. Testimony to the gullibility of the general public and the value of high pressure sales to uninformed buyers. By the time they discover the ugly truth they are in the system with very very expensive lessons learned the only way out.
