[Accepting a free] Westgate timeshare question

[eeyoreali]

Hello!

My friend’s husband owns at Westgate in Fl and wants to get rid of it. They have offered to give it to my husband and I. They will pay the transfer fee and then we just have to pay the yearly fees.

What can anyone tell me about this resort? We stayed here once in 2006, but I don’t know how it is now.

Can you trade weeks for a different one? Can you add additional weeks? If so, can it be any week?

Thank you!

 

[DeniseM]

Westgate is the most despised timeshare company in the universe - DON'T TAKE IT!

There are many, many free timeshares available if you want one - you don't want this one!

Free timeshares on TUG: https://www.tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?forums/bargain-deals.55/

 

[Passepartout]

This is hard. Westgate is not well thought of here on TUG. Oh, their resorts are very nice, but their business practices are abominable. Their sales weasels lie and do anything they can to chisel more wealth from their members. It is our understanding that if you attempt to transfer this ownership into your name, you will be treated as a pariah by Wastegate, and won't be able to book well ahead of use. If there are points involved, it will revert to it's use being restricted to just it's deeded week. You cannot exchange within the Wastegate system, and must deposit your week into an exchange company (RCI or II) and select from the available units and pay exchange fees as well as the membership fees PLUS your Wastegate annual maintenance.

I'm afraid that this is one of those cases where even for free, the cost is too high. Steer clear and wish your friends well in unloading this dawg. Oh, Wastgate will accept the deed back if your friends want out, but there is a fairly significant cost involved.

We're glad you came here and asked! Welcome to TUG! Take a look in the Bargain Deals and Marketplace. There are LOTS of basically free timeshares that don't come with Wastegate's baggage.

Jim

 

[Iggyearl]

If your friends find themselves without options, Westgate has whats called the Legacy Program. https://www.westgateresorts.com/legacy/ Basically, they want to talk to an owner before the owner goes to an "Exit Company" and pays money to get out. They also want to discourage owners from defaulting. I think that a hard luck story will make them take some notice. They don't want owners saying, "I don't like it anymore."

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

Hello!

My friend’s husband owns at Westgate in Fl and wants to get rid of it. ....
Can you trade weeks for a different one? Can you add additional weeks? If so, can it be any week?

Thank you!

I believe Westgate limits or significantly upcharges resale owners ( compared to original owners ) on these kind of options . ( trade for a different week etc.)
I have also read on TUG - that if it is a float week contract / resale owners can only book 60 days before use .
If it is a fixed week - and you will use that specific week and unit every year - then Westgate has less ability to affect a resale owner .

Fixed weeks of higher demand - Christmas Week , New Years Week , Presidents Week
MIGHT be worth taking for free - IF you already go to Florida then anyway.

That said - there are still probably better / more flexible options . for example:
Vacation Villages at Parkway ( Kissamee ) or Weston Florida has fixed weeks / that are often (not always) in RCI points / and the 2 bedrooms can be split (use half - deposit half - or - stay 2 weeks / one week in each side.)
A VV resale week 52 ( New Years ) / 92,000 points - MF around $1000 - would be my choice over anything from Westgate .

PS - We have never stayed. at any Westgate or VV - Parkway
so my knowledge is primarily from reading TUG .

And we own Vidanta- Mayan Palace -so I (now) probably have an immunity to hard sell sales presentations that “bend the truth “.

 

[eeyoreali]

Thank you all for the input. We didn't want to be "stuck" with it if for some reason it didn't work out for us or there were any downfalls. We decided to not take it over from them.

 

[Egret1986]

Thank you all for the input. We didn't want to be "stuck" with it if for some reason it didn't work out for us or there were any downfalls. We decided to not take it over from them.

Congratulations on doing your due diligence, finding TUG, and realizing that "free" doesn't necessarily mean a "good" deal/opportunity.