# Westgate charges $450 for exhange



## patti9600 (Jan 16, 2014)

I bought my unit 13 years ago resale at Westgate Vacation Villas.  We have enjoyed many vacations there.  I have a fixed week that doesn't coincide with a school vacation so we can't go that week anymore.  I just found out they increased the exchange fee WITHIN Westgate from $150 to $450.  So I will always have to pay $850 maintenance and $450 exchange.  ARG!


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## natasha5687 (Jan 16, 2014)

patti9600 said:


> I bought my unit 13 years ago resale at Westgate Vacation Villas.  We have enjoyed many vacations there.  I have a fixed week that doesn't coincide with a school vacation so we can't go that week anymore.  I just found out they increased the exchange fee WITHIN Westgate from $150 to $450.  So I will always have to pay $850 maintenance and $450 exchange.  ARG!



I dont know much about Westgate but is it possible to deposit your week with an exchange company instead.  Likely will come out cheaper if you can and possibly with more than 1 week of vacation.  Just a thought.


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## Passepartout (Jan 16, 2014)

AND if you actually find a (sucker), oops, buyer of it, they will only be able to book a week within like 60 or 90 days of move in (subject to availability). And if you default on the MF of it- even paid for- they'll happily threaten to ruin your credit if you don't continue paying their usury.

See why we call them Wastegate, and consider them to be lower than whale poop?

Jim


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## csxjohn (Jan 16, 2014)

natasha5687 said:


> I dont know much about Westgate but is it possible to deposit your week with an exchange company instead.  Likely will come out cheaper if you can and possibly with more than 1 week of vacation.  Just a thought.



I would check with the independent exchange companies as well.  I wouldn't put it past Westgate to deny exchanges with other companies though.  You could start by calling DAE to see what they say.

http://www.daelive.com/helpdesk/contactus.aspx

Their US office is open 11 to 8 eastern time.


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## RuralEngineer (Jan 16, 2014)

*broke business model*

ouch.  how can they continue to sell to anyone?

stephen


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## durrod (Jan 16, 2014)

*Use an exchange company*

No reason to pay . No reason to pay Westgate outrageous fees just join II or another exchange company. Plenty of other westgates available in I.I.


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## Saintsfanfl (Jan 16, 2014)

Doesn't the $450 fee apply to any form of exchange even external? 

When you buy or have previously bought a Westgate resale it's basically worthless with the new ridiculous restrictions.


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## massvacationer (Jan 16, 2014)

In the case of Wetsgate, I support the use of Viking Ships by owners


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## tschwa2 (Jan 16, 2014)

Saintsfanfl said:


> Doesn't the $450 fee apply to any form of exchange even external?
> 
> When you buy or have previously bought a Westgate resale it's basically worthless with the new ridiculous restrictions.



The $450 only applies to using Westgates internal exchange system.  They charge owners who bought direct $150 to use their internal exchange system.  They also have all kinds of seasonal and size upgrade fees in their internal system which does not apply to using II.


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## presley (Jan 16, 2014)

massvacationer said:


> In the case of Wetsgate, I support the use of Viking Ships by owners



Same, if Westgate won't help out their owners by taking the deeds back.


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## sjsharkie (Jan 16, 2014)

Passepartout said:


> See why we call them Wastegate, and consider them to be lower than whale poop?
> 
> Jim



Definitely whale poop - whale poop has potential to have some value.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambergris


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## SunSand (Jan 16, 2014)

For the $185.00 a night your paying, anyone can stay at a mighty fine hotel/condo without a lifetime contract.  What is Westgate thinking?


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## fiat1bmw (Jan 17, 2014)

*Largest house in the U.S.*

Maybe this is why the owner of Westgate was reported to have been building the largest house in the United States? (in Florida, I believe) 

My wife and I have exchanged into Westgate properties in the Orlando area several times and loved them - large, clean and well maintained.


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## ride2slide (Jan 17, 2014)

I'm so glad I watched the west gate documentary "Queen of Versailles" BEFORE I bought my first timeshare! It's still available on Netflix for those that haven't seen it. It has inside footage from the sales floor.

Mindy


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## dgebhart (Jan 17, 2014)

*Westgate CFI restrictions on resale purchases*



Passepartout said:


> AND if you actually find a (sucker), oops, buyer of it, they will only be able to book a week within like 60 or 90 days of move in (subject to availability). And if you default on the MF of it- even paid for- they'll happily threaten to ruin your credit if you don't continue paying their usury.
> 
> See why we call them Wastegate, and consider them to be lower than whale poop?
> 
> Jim


If you purchase a resale unit from an owner who purchased their unit prior to Nov 2008 the 60 day out booking (CFI) does not come into play. Any unit that was purchased from Westgate after Nov 2008 has a restriction in the sales paperwork that if you sell your unit the new owner will have severe restrictions. They don't spell out what the restrictions are on that paper, but the 60 day out reservation restriction is one of them. The $450 internal exchange fee is another one. There are some other minor restrictions.
TUG member: Don....


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## Saintsfanfl (Jan 17, 2014)

dgebhart said:


> If you purchase a resale unit from an owner who purchased their unit prior to Nov 2008 the 60 day out booking (CFI) does not come into play. Any unit that was purchased from Westgate after Nov 2008 has a restriction in the sales paperwork that if you sell your unit the new owner will have severe restrictions. They don't spell out what the restrictions are on that paper, but the 60 day out reservation restriction is one of them. The $450 internal exchange fee is another one. There are some other minor restrictions.
> TUG member: Don....



Are you sure about that? As they OP pointed out they purchased 13 years ago and they are being hit with the restriction. I have heard similar reports as well. I was told the restrictions apply to all resale accounts. Also, it isn't necessarily the same rules at every resort. Westgate even has a resale department that just manage the "resale" accounts. They don't actually resell any units.


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## planzfortomorrow (Jan 18, 2014)

*OMG!  Outrageous...*

I feel sorry for anyone who got suckered into buying wastegate.  It sounds like such a terrible company, and no doubt the sales staff never mention all this stuff.  I think the $150 fee to exchange within the system is too high, let alone the $450.

Maybe you should just consider taking your kids out of school for that week


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## twinmommy19 (Jan 18, 2014)

Just curious though - why would anyone EVER consider trading internally within the Westgate system anyway unless it was to trade into a Park City unit during prime winter season (which I'm sure is rarely available)?  Admittedly I don't know much about their properties but aren't most in Orlando where II has dozens of gorgeous places that are equally if not nicer than the Westgate Properties?  They no longer own the Planet Hollywood property in Vegas, right?  I would think an owner would do better trading with Interval anyway.


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## swditz (Jan 18, 2014)

[
. They don't actually resell any units.[/QUOTE]

actually they do. We bought a 2bd wk 52 foreclosure from Westgate. If id found tug earlier I would not have bought, but at 1/3 the price I at least have a ts we love and no Westgate restrictions. We really like their resorts and locations and have no problem exchanging into their other properties. I don't understand their very restrictive policies. They make it almost impossible to resell so why wouldn't owners just walk away, which of course keeps an upward pressure on yearly fees!


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## tschwa2 (Jan 18, 2014)

bonk2boy said:


> Just curious though - why would anyone EVER consider trading internally within the Westgate system anyway unless it was to trade into a Park City unit during prime winter season (which I'm sure is rarely available)?  Admittedly I don't know much about their properties but aren't most in Orlando where II has dozens of gorgeous places that are equally if not nicer than the Westgate Properties?  They no longer own the Planet Hollywood property in Vegas, right?  I would think an owner would do better trading with Interval anyway.



Believe it or not a lot of Westgate owners really like their resorts. Besides Park City the internal system gets more Myrtle Beach 2 br units that aren't way out of season like those deposited in II and the better Gatlinburg units also go to the internal system.  Like certain other developers only fixed weeks owners decide what goes into II.  All the float resorts get Westgates choice for II deposits.  Also owners who don't own elsewhere save on the II fee.  So if they only trade every couple of years and don't mind travelling to other Westgate properties then spending $150 vs the $164 plus II fee is a savings.  There are still a bunch of Elara/PH towers Westgate owners.  If they bought retail they get a double credit for depositing in the internal system so there is still availability both in II and in the internal system.


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## twinmommy19 (Jan 19, 2014)

Wow - that is really shocking to me.  Admittedly I'm not jumping to go to Tennessee - too far a drive and not worth the flight, but I woulda thought an advance request should come through there via II in the summer.  Myrtle probably not but still - that's one resort and I'm sure prime summer isn't an easy trade anyway internally.  II has to offer more value.


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## Saintsfanfl (Jan 19, 2014)

Westgate is a bunch of trailer trash living in high dollar homes due to theft on so many levels. Take the Gatlinburg property for example. The water park is included for an owner but if you exchange the new occupier has to pay like $20 per day per person for the water park. They steal your tickets that are part of your ownership. The guy built a scam empire with skills developed selling worthless swamp land as Disney real estate. 100% true story.


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## twinmommy19 (Jan 20, 2014)

I don't know - I still don't get how they pulled off that empire with the selection of resorts they have.  Of all the brand name resort lines, theirs just seem to be the least appealing with Park City prime winter being an obvious blatant exception.  But most of those owners either use their week or rent it.  Trading in is unlikely.  I'm sure the Westgate Myrtle property is okay, but not nicer than all the Wyndham beach properties over there.   Also - i bet it's easier as a Wyndham owner to confirm summer in MB.  Gatinburg I'm sure is a cute town, but not a place of national appeal - not close to it.  With all the choices in timeshares out there I just don't understand how this brand made it as long as they have.


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## tschwa2 (Jan 20, 2014)

> Gatinburg I'm sure is a cute town, but not a place of national appeal - not close to it.



Except for the 9 million annual visitors who come to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is the Most Visited National Park in the US with the Grand Canyon at #2 with 5 million annual visitors.


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