Westgate Lakes-Orlando

[mbeach89]

I have been offered a Westgate Lakes (Orlando) fixed week 18, even years...for free (just assuming maintenance fees.

I would likely use it.

Decent trader?

Any advice would be helpful...Thanks!

 

[dioxide45]

No, you simply couldn't pay me enough to take a Westgate week. Too many restrictions on resales and the companies sales practices are horrible and the barrage of calls and other methods to get you to sign up for a sales presentation aren't worth the stress. I always see lots of Orlando Westgate weeks in II getaways for super cheap.

 

[maddog497]

I have been offered a Westgate Lakes (Orlando) fixed week 18, even years...for free (just assuming maintenance fees.

I would likely use it.

Decent trader?

Any advice would be helpful...Thanks!

Westgate as a resort is awesome. As a company they are bottom feeders.

The restrictions they place on resale units make them almost unusable.

I believe but could be wrong, you can only book 60 days out. I'm pretty positive this is illegal but they do what they want and most don't have deep enough pockets to challenge them.

My advice is to continue to look in the bargain forum. You can get free units there as well.

Sumday Vacations have units with this year's usage as well in the price. Some under 100 bucks.

Not sure about trading power. We used a 3 bedroom lockout unit to get 2 weeks in Cancun, studio suite, low season through II.

We no longer have our Westgate unit.

Good luck.

Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk

 

[mbeach89]

Westgate as a resort is awesome. As a company they are bottom feeders.

The restrictions they place on resale units make them almost unusable.

I believe but could be wrong, you can only book 60 days out. I'm pretty positive this is illegal but they do what they want and most don't have deep enough pockets to challenge them.

My advice is to continue to look in the bargain forum. You can get free units there as well.

Sumday Vacations have units with this year's usage as well in the price. Some under 100 bucks.

Not sure about trading power. We used a 3 bedroom lockout unit to get 2 weeks in Cancun, studio suite, low season through II.

We no longer have our Westgate unit.

Good luck.

Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk

What kind of restrictions on resales should I be aware of?

 

[maddog497]

https://vacatia.com/timeshare-vacation-clubs/westgate-resorts/timeshare-details#buying-resale

"Buying Resale
Restrictions
Westgate places several restrictions on timeshares purchased on the resale market. Resales are not guaranteed an 11-month reservation window and may instead be limited to a 60-day reservation window for certain stays. Westgate does not allow resale owners to divide lock-off units into two separate residences. Resale owners may not be able to split their weeks into three- and four-day stays or upgrade to another season or residence type. Resale owners do not have access to the developer exchange and must instead make all exchanges and deposits through II. Owners must purchase a separate membership with II and are not automatically given Interval Gold status, as they normally would under Westgate’s contract. Additionally, resale owners do not have access to the Westgate Cruise & Travel Collection, discounts and promotions."

Also, they have been using the ROFR on these deals. We had someone interested in our 3 bedroom lockoff unit that we were giving them. Westgate refused the deal using Right Of First Refusal. We then had to pay to have it deeded back to them. We used LTT so the cost wasn't much and I just wanted to get out and move on."

Again, I will state. We have stayed at the Town Center, twice, the Villas twice and in Vegas once and have enjoyed our stays there very much. We liked the resort but the people are the very bottom of the bottom.

And if you do try and use there system to try and change a week they soak you in the $3-500 mark to change so using II is the only real option.

 

[dioxide45]

Also, they have been using the ROFR on these deals. We had someone interested in our 3 bedroom lockoff unit that we were giving them. Westgate refused the deal using Right Of First Refusal. We then had to pay to have it deeded back to them. We used LTT so the cost wasn't much and I just wanted to get out and move on

I have heard that Westgate often plays the ROFR game. Exercising ROFR or saying they have ROFR rights when they have none at all. I don't know if they even have a ROFR provision at the Westgate Lakes property.

 

[maddog497]

I have heard that Westgate often plays the ROFR game. Exercising ROFR or saying they have ROFR rights when they have none at all. I don't know if they even have a ROFR provision at the Westgate Lakes property.

The 3 bedroom at the Lakes given to us had no ROFR as the original owners when they purchased it did their research and seemed very knowledgeable on this. We didn't know anything about the ROFR but they made a note to state no such option was in the original contract and we wouldn't need to worry about this.

When we went to give it away a few years later Westgate "invoked" the ROFR. I inquired about this as I couldn't find any language in the contract on this. They stated it was an automatic inclusion on every contract now and was "legally" added when deeded to us.

We all know they can't do this as the contract never changed just the names on it. We were disappointed as the new owner was looking specifically for a 3 bedroom lockoff but we didn't want to fight over it and we were paying the closing costs already for the new owner so we just rolled over and let them take it.

 

[mbeach89]

Update: I have found on Interval International that I can rent a 2 BDRM at Westgate Lakes during that same week #18 for $379 for a week. The owner of the week trying to gift it to me stated her maintenance fees are $900/year of use. No thanks...I actually feel kinda bad for her.

 

[theo]

Update: I have found on Interval International that I can rent a 2 BDRM at Westgate Lakes during that same week #18 for $379 for a week. The owner of the week trying to gift it to me stated her maintenance fees are $900/year of use. No thanks...I actually feel kinda bad for her.

... as well you should, as one might feel bad for any Westgate owner looking to sell (or even give away) a product which Westgate has knowingly and quite deliberately devalued so as to now be at (or below) zero in resale market value. Their resorts are certainly decent enough, but everything else about the company is just about enough to make a person feel nauseous, IMnsHO.