# Just wanted to say "Thank You!"



## LAinDallas (Jul 20, 2012)

A couple of weeks ago, my family and I decided to visit Branson, MO for the first time.  Like most travelers, I went on Expedia and looked for a family-friendly hotel.  We decided on Welk Resort Branson Hotel.  It was a great place and with the adjoining Splash-A-Torium, it sounded like a great place, especially with two young boys.  

On our last full day there, the 6th of July, we spent 5 hours of our life on what I thought would be simple 2 hour tour and presentation of their Timeshare lodges.  I must admit I fell in love with the place.  Beautiful appointments, amazing floorplans, brand new furniture and appliances, etc.  I could actually see us vacationing there every year.  Even if we didn't, we could also go to one of their sister resorts in Cabo, Palm Springs, or San Diego.  We were getting 240,000 points (which was good enough for a 2 bedroom lock-off unit in the RED season) which equated to 4 vacations per year and could be traded for double with II.  Plus we got 2 "free" bonus vacations each year to any resort in II's catalog (which would cost between $199 and $599, depending on where we went).  All for the low price of $39,000 or a down payment of $3900 and monthly payments of $544 over the course of 10 years.  And, a yearly maintenance fee of $1135.  

In all my 35 years, I have never been to a timeshare, excuse me, "Vacation Ownership" presentation.  We stated we couldn't afford that and after meeting the sales manager we did what most people do when they can't afford something... we bought.  Well, I did.  My wife was against it the whole time.  Eventually we settled on (or at least I thought we settled on) an odd year deed for the 2 bedroom lock-off.  Instead of 6 weeks of vacation a year, we were getting 2 every other year, or one a year, plus we still could exchange for double and we got the bonus vacations.  All it would cost was $9500 with 15% down with payments of $130 for ten years.  I thought I had worn them down and got a terrific deal.

Thankfully, I found this place.  I read post after post.  I went to ebay, and various resale sites.  While I couldn't find Welk's Branson Resort anywhere, I could see the writing on the wall.  I had to rescind.  I had five days to do it, and it being a Friday night, the soonest chance I would have was Monday when I got home.

I read the contract backward and forward and realized I didn't get the 2 bedroom lock-off unit.  I had actually only signed up for 90,000 which was good enough for the small one bedroom unit every other year.  If I wanted to go on vacation each year, I'd have to go during the spring or only spend a few days each year.  To make matters worse, they didn't even provide me with any information in regards to the points I would need to visit the sister resorts.  The more I thought about it, the more "had" I felt.  I'm in sales, and I do my best to make sure my client knows exactly what they are getting.  That's the only way to having a satisfied customer.  At the end of it, I realized it felt more like a car deal then a real estate transaction.

On July 9th, I faxed AND sent a certified letter to rescind my contract with a template I found on TUG.  I was called by the resort manager (ignored the call per the advice I read) and he left a message stating that the only way I could get my refund was if I sent the Welcome Package back to them.  On the 11th, I priority mailed it back to them.  Today, July 19th, my bank confirmed my $1385 down payment was back in my account! 

Thank you TUGgers for all the wonderful advice you share with absolute strangers.  I'm sure we'll get to know each other soon.  Hopefully, it will be when I'm a time share owner (I know DeniseM, wait 6 months... ).  Anyway, thanks again to you all.  I'm sure you've saved countless people thousands of dollars and sleepless nights!


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## justmeinflorida (Jul 20, 2012)

So glad you could rescind your contract, we were in the same boat. We found tug 2 days before our deadline. The wealth of knowledge here is invaluable.


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## LAinDallas (Jul 20, 2012)

justmeinflorida said:


> So glad you could rescind your contract, we were in the same boat. We found tug 2 days before our deadline. The wealth of knowledge here is invaluable.



Ditto.  Glad you got out of it too.  Even after dealing with that, I am REALLY excited about timeshares now.  But now I can sit at home and study my options before I do.


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## Egret1986 (Jul 20, 2012)

*Congratulations to both of you!*



justmeinflorida said:


> So glad you could rescind your contract, we were in the same boat. We found tug 2 days before our deadline. The wealth of knowledge here is invaluable.





LAinDallas said:


> Ditto.  Glad you got out of it too.  Even after dealing with that, I am REALLY excited about timeshares now.  But now I can sit at home and study my options before I do.



I love to hear these stories.  I'm so glad you found TUG in time.


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## channimal (Jul 20, 2012)

the value of TUG hard at work!  Congrats!


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## csxjohn (Jul 20, 2012)

Thanks for posting this, it's nice to hear that Tuggers are doing good things for people.


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## Flyguy1950 (Jul 20, 2012)

*Thanks*

Yes finding TUG helped me cancel my resale contract at Westgate. Tug is like the gift that keeps on giving. Everytime I come here I learn something. Thanks TUG!

Bruce


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## rickandcindy23 (Jul 20, 2012)

You are very wise.  Welcome to TUG and congratulations on a smart decision to rescind on a very bad timeshare deal.


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## Passepartout (Jul 20, 2012)

Notes like these are SOOOO gratifying. Is TUG a great site, or what?

Jim


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## timeos2 (Jul 20, 2012)

Flyguy1950 said:


> Yes finding TUG helped me cancel my resale contract at Westgate. Tug is like the gift that keeps on giving. Everytime I come here I learn something. Thanks TUG!
> 
> Bruce



Congratulations & a big you're welcome to the OP as well as this poster who came close to the clutches of a Wastegate ownership nightmare!  It is refreshing to hear that would be suckers find TUG and are able to rescind what would have been a horribly negative financial decision made at a time of weakness and incomplete information (by design).  Thanks also due to the many legislators who have implemented the rescind periods to at least make the opportunity to undo these rash decisions.  That is a very important part of the total picture and sadly goes unused by far too many.  

Hopefully more and more are becoming aware of their opportunity to back out without harm from TUG and other sources. It is so sad to hear of those who hang on to grossly overpriced ownerships that they didn't need or really want and that could have been obtained for pennies because they didn't know they could get out.  It's great to hear when TUG helps at least a few discover the out before it's too late. Again congratulations to you both.


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## DaveNV (Jul 20, 2012)

Let me add my congrats to your rescinding that "deal."  Do your research, and eventually you'll own the right t/s for you and your family.

I was lucky - I found TUG before I bought, but not until after my brother was ripped off by a similar "deal" in Mexico.  I stayed with him during his first usage week, liked the idea of timesharing (but not those developer "deal$") and a simple Google search after I got home brought me to TUG.  Six years and a number of t/s purchases and sales later, (all purchased from ebay sellers for pennies on the dollar), and I'm at a point where I feel pretty good about the whole experience.  TUG membership is the best vacation money I've ever spent.

Dave


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## ampaholic (Jul 20, 2012)

I'm so glad you got your refund! I hope others see your story and realize they can rescind as well.

After all - we need all the *happy* timeshare owners we can get.


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## LAinDallas (Jul 20, 2012)

Pretty addicting though.  Before I signed up on the 11th, I had spend the hours a day reading the posts even after I rescinded.  Overall, everyone on here is helpful and shares some great insights.  Glad to have the chance to run into this place and I'm enjoying the stories, the wisdom, and the experiences (good and bad) that others share with everyone.  Hopefully I'll be able to share some of my own insights in the years to come.


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## VacationForever (Jul 20, 2012)

I want to say thanks to TUG too!  It has made me buy more timeshares!


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## mjm1 (Jul 20, 2012)

LAinDallas said:


> Pretty addicting though.  Before I signed up on the 11th, I had spend the hours a day reading the posts even after I rescinded.  Overall, everyone on here is helpful and shares some great insights.  Glad to have the chance to run into this place and I'm enjoying the stories, the wisdom, and the experiences (good and bad) that others share with everyone.  Hopefully I'll be able to share some of my own insights in the years to come.



Congratulations on your decision.  You can learn a great deal on TUG. Do a lot of research on the various systems and resorts before you buy resale.  Many of us here bought from the developer to start and have since learned the value/savings of buying resale.

There are a number of good systems to choose from.  It sounds like you almost bought in the Welk Resorts Platinum Program.  We own points in that system and like it.  We also own Marriott and Starwood.  If you decide you like Welk, the resorts they have are very nice, although we don't care for the resort in Cathedral City (next to Palm Springs).  Branson, Escondido and Cabo are all very nice.  You can buy into their points program resale as I have seen some packages being offered on Redweek.  And you save a lot of money.

Good luck and have fun doing your research.


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## carl2591 (Jul 20, 2012)

*WestGate Resorts, Timeshare*

Another soul saved from the clutches of wastegate... TUG rules.. 

now read and learn and at some point in the future you will buy for a 1/10 of what you were going to pay.. 

Welcome to the flock ..... brother..  


I swear we are not a cult.. well maybe just a little obsessed with timeshare..


edit
sorry my bad,, not a wastegate er... westgate property..


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## LAinDallas (Jul 20, 2012)

mjm1 said:


> Congratulations on your decision.  You can learn a great deal on TUG. Do a lot of research on the various systems and resorts before you buy resale.  Many of us here bought from the developer to start and have since learned the value/savings of buying resale.
> 
> There are a number of good systems to choose from.  It sounds like you almost bought in the Welk Resorts Platinum Program.  We own points in that system and like it.  We also own Marriott and Starwood.  If you decide you like Welk, the resorts they have are very nice, although we don't care for the resort in Cathedral City (next to Palm Springs).  Branson, Escondido and Cabo are all very nice.  You can buy into their points program resale as I have seen some packages being offered on Redweek.  And you save a lot of money.
> 
> Good luck and have fun doing your research.


 Thanks for the welcome.  It was their platinum program. Is there a list of points for their resorts. I know it takes 240,000 for the 2L in Branson but have no idea what it takes for the other resorts. Do you have a list. I loved the Branson resort and the cabo resort looks amazing.


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## ampaholic (Jul 21, 2012)

Branson is pretty easy to get into. You might look at the Platinum Interchange rental page, or the equivalent on DAE and SFX for a last minute rental vacation into Branson or Mexico.


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## csxjohn (Jul 21, 2012)

LAinDallas said:


> Thanks for the welcome.  It was their platinum program. Is there a list of points for their resorts. I know it takes 240,000 for the 2L in Branson but have no idea what it takes for the other resorts. Do you have a list. I loved the Branson resort and the cabo resort looks amazing.



For Wyndham resorts go here, not sure if that's what you're looking for though.

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/wyndham/memberdirectory11-12/#/132

Click on the table of contents and choose your resort.


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## HudsHut (Jul 22, 2012)

LAinDallas said:


> Thanks for the welcome.  It was their platinum program. Is there a list of points for their resorts. I know it takes 240,000 for the 2L in Branson but have no idea what it takes for the other resorts. Do you have a list. I loved the Branson resort and the cabo resort looks amazing.




Welcome to TUG! I'm thrilled that you found us in time.

This thread mentions the number of points required in the Welk Platinum program.
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170398


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## Rent_Share (Jul 22, 2012)

Can't imagine a worse mini system to buy into from Texas than Welk


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## marty77 (Jul 24, 2012)

One option you may want to research now that you are addicted to timeshare research is renting from an owner wherever you want to go.  Check TUG, Redweek, craigslist, and other google searched sites.

Most can be had for half the hotel price or less, you can use (or suggest) escrow, you can check people out ahead of time and/or call the resort to verify they have the right to rent it, etc.  Like anything else, do your research and you will find a safe way to transact.  Plenty of threads on TUG discuss the rental side of the business.

This beats the he** out of ownership hassles and accounting for points, at least until you are ready to pull the ownership trigger.  And, rent prices are negotiable.


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## Jaybee (Jul 24, 2012)

I just found this, and so I add my congratulations to you for your diligence, and being able to extricate yourself from this trap.  
We were Welk villa owners for quite a few years, and loved it. We still love the resort, but even after all the experiences we'd had with ts salespeople, we allowed ourselves to be "upgraded" to the points system, upon which our maintenance fees rose to almost double, and we've never used the points, except for one trip to Sirena del Mar. That is a gorgeous resort.

I'm disappointed in Welk if the salesperson led you to believe that 240,000 pts. would get you into any of their lockoffs. Not true. Villas on the Green, or Mtn. Villas would cost 300,000, and Sirena del Mar is 420,000.  So, your 90,000 pts. wouldn't have been worth much.  

I wish we'd been as smart as you are when we first got into timesharing.


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## pedro47 (Jul 24, 2012)

LAinDallas said:


> Ditto.  Glad you got out of it too.  Even after dealing with that, I am REALLY excited about timeshares now.  But now I can sit at home and study my options before I do.



I am so happy you found this web site.


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## Magic1962 (Jul 24, 2012)

LAinDallas said:


> Pretty addicting though.  Before I signed up on the 11th, I had spend the hours a day reading the posts even after I rescinded.  Overall, everyone on here is helpful and shares some great insights.  Glad to have the chance to run into this place and I'm enjoying the stories, the wisdom, and the experiences (good and bad) that others share with everyone.  Hopefully I'll be able to share some of my own insights in the years to come.



Yea, I am on this site a couple times a day... I am addicted and love the info! I am in the midst of trying to buy my second timeshare on eBay and could not have done it without this fantastic group of people!


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