the Westgate Lakes timeshare demo

[copper rules]

my wife and I have a trip to Disney World February 2nd to February 6th we are actually staying till the 10th but could not find anything at the All-Stars do to the cheerleading Nationals starting that 7th we found a room at Westgate Lake for $120 for 4 nights 5 days if we do the timeshare one of those days we have heard some horror stories and just wondering how long the 90-minute presentation actually will be they had an offer for Universal tickets as well for a little bit more money but after reading a lot of reviews we think just the discounted room would be better if they try the high pressure has anyone done this

 

[Hopefully]

I think you will get more responses on the Orlando Resort Forum

 

[Lynne M]

I’ll move this to the Orlando Hotels and Attractions board.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We sat through their misery in 2012 with a very similar offer. It was 4 hours of high pressure nastiness. They started the session on one end of the resort, then whisked us off for the "tour" portion in a golf cart, and ended the interrogation at the complete opposite end of the resort.....leaving us marooned a mile from our vehicle and having to walk in blazing 100 degree August heat to retrieve it. They harass and harass and harass......and the "90 minutes" turns into a half day. Never again....not even for a deeply discounted stay. Their sales team is well known as the "Westgate Snakes" for good reason, and they are not-so-affectionately known as "Wastegate" on the resale market. The resort is quite nice, but the sales pitch is as bad as you have heard.

 

[SinCityMMAFan]

We sat through their misery in 2012 with a very similar offer. It was 4 hours of high pressure nastiness. They started the session on one end of the resort, then whisked us off for the "tour" portion in a golf cart, and ended the interrogation at the complete opposite end of the resort.....leaving us marooned a mile from our vehicle and having to walk in blazing 100 degree August heat to retrieve it. They harass and harass and harass......and the "90 minutes" turns into a half day. Never again....not even for a deeply discounted stay. Their sales team is well known as the "Westgate Snakes" for good reason, and they are not-so-affectionately known as "Wastegate" on the resale market. The resort is quite nice, but the sales pitch is as bad as you have heard.

Agreed 100%. I wouldn't do another timeshare presentation from Westgate or Diamond resorts even if the had an incredible offer. The 90 minutes surely does turn into a half-day event.

Don't get fooled by the 90 minute presentation pitch you hear that's just to get you into the their presentation and then they'll do everything and anything to keep you there and keep harassing you until they have had enough and know for a fact there is nothing they can do to make you buy their timeshare.

Westgate and Diamond have some fairly nice properties and I usually stay at a Diamond resort when I visit Orlando to go to WDW but I always turn down their timeshare presentation offers because I am able to get such a good deal on a 7 night stay which costs me less than half of what a year of payments would cost if I were to buy a timeshare through them.

 

[CarolynFH]

We sat through their misery in 2012 with a very similar offer. It was 4 hours of high pressure nastiness. They started the session on one end of the resort, then whisked us off for the "tour" portion in a golf cart, and ended the interrogation at the complete opposite end of the resort.....leaving us marooned a mile from our vehicle and having to walk in blazing 100 degree August heat to retrieve it. They harass and harass and harass......and the "90 minutes" turns into a half day. Never again....not even for a deeply discounted stay. Their sales team is well known as the "Westgate Snakes" for good reason, and they are not-so-affectionately known as "Wastegate" on the resale market. The resort is quite nice, but the sales pitch is as bad as you have heard.

Agreed 100%. I wouldn't do another timeshare presentation from Westgate or Diamond resorts even if the had an incredible offer. The 90 minutes surely does turn into a half-day event.

Don't get fooled by the 90 minute presentation pitch you hear that's just to get you into the their presentation and then they'll do everything and anything to keep you there and keep harassing you until they have had enough and know for a fact there is nothing they can do to make you buy their timeshare.

Westgate and Diamond have some fairly nice properties and I usually stay at a Diamond resort when I visit Orlando to go to WDW but I always turn down their timeshare presentation offers because I am able to get such a good deal on a 7 night stay which costs me less than half of what a year of payments would cost if I were to buy a timeshare through them.

I concur! You will lose a day of your vacation in the most miserable manner possible. No matter what their offer is of discounted room or tickets or whatever, stay away.

The Timeshare User Group forums (https://www.tugbbs.com/) are full of posts from people who attended a session and were worn down by the relentless pressure and actually bought a timeshare for thousands of dollars - then realized later they couldn't afford it, didn't want it, and wanted to get out of it. Not to mention that what they bought for thousands is worth $1 or less on the resale market.

Don't go!

 

[copper rules]

I concur! You will lose a day of your vacation in the most miserable manner possible. No matter what their offer is of discounted room or tickets or whatever, stay away.

The Timeshare User Group forums (https://www.tugbbs.com/) are full of posts from people who attended a session and were worn down by the relentless pressure and actually bought a timeshare for thousands of dollars - then realized later they couldn't afford it, didn't want it, and wanted to get out of it. Not to mention that what they bought for thousands is worth $1 or less on the resale market.

Don't go!

We are a childless couple on a ten day trip. My wife was a loan officer and bank manager for 20 years before becoming a fraud investigator I totally would never buy a timeshare as soon as they get pushy with me I let her go off the chain on their math and loan terms.I fig two hours before the get fed up with us.

 

[CarolynFH]

We are a childless couple on a ten day trip. My wife was a loan officer and bank manager for 20 years before becoming a fraud investigator I totally would never buy a timeshare as soon as they get pushy with me I let her go off the chain on their math and loan terms.I fig two hours before the get fed up with us.

Oh, good, sounds like you’re prepared! (Many people aren’t.)

A technique I’ve heard others use to ensure they’re not kept beyond the required time is to set the timer on their cellphone for that amount of time (90 minutes in your case) at the start of the session and politely let the salesperson know it. When time’s up you can get up and leave and enjoy your remaining vacation.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Oh, good, sounds like you’re prepared! (Many people aren’t.)

A technique I’ve heard others use to ensure they’re not kept beyond the required time is to set the timer on their cellphone for that amount of time (90 minutes in your case) at the start of the session and politely let the salesperson know it. When time’s up you can get up and leave and enjoy your remaining vacation.

It has been our experience that you cant just get up and leave. You normally have to be "signed out" and provided with your confirmation that you fulfilled the minimum commitment. This has been the procedure with both the Westgate and Sheraton timeshare presentations that we have attended.

 

[CarolynFH]

It has been our experience that you cant just get up and leave. You normally have to be "signed out" and provided with your confirmation that you fulfilled the minimum commitment. This has been the procedure with both the Westgate and Sheraton timeshare presentations that we have attended.

Yes, but you can stand up and make it very clear (firmly but politely, of course) that the “conversation” is at an end!

 

[bearzabout]

Wyndham had a new scam for our last timeshare shakedown. As soon as we sat down they put a credit application in front of us and told us we had to fill it out. We argued for an hour and told them no over and over. They were relentless. We finally got the free week we showed up for but it was a battle. We are now banned from attending any other shakedowns with Wyndham since we would not fall for their fraudulent scam. I have read elsewhere they target older people so not everyone is treated the same way.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Yes, but you can stand up and make it very clear (firmly but politely, of course) that the “conversation” is at an end!

Of course you can be firm in your attempt to end the session. But you are generally still at their mercy until someone signs you out, and gives you your confirmation of attendance. And I'd be mighty surprised if they jump into action to release you just because you advise them your 90 minutes is up.

 

[CarolynFH]

Of course you can be firm in your attempt to end the session. But you are generally still at their mercy until someone signs you out, and gives you your confirmation of attendance. And I'd be mighty surprised if they jump into action to release you just because you advise them your 90 minutes is up.

I'm only reporting what I've read in other people's posts - it seemed to work for them. The last presentation we went to was at a Hyatt several years ago, and we told the salesman immediately that we were not going to buy, that we owned several timeshares and had access to others (my parents'), and that we just wanted to know about Hyatt's program in general. We actually had a very nice conversation with him, learned what we wanted to know about the Hyatt timeshare program, and were out of there in 30 minutes with our gift. Other people were waiting in the reception area, so I'm sure he was hoping he'd make a sale...!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I'm only reporting what I've read in other people's posts - it seemed to work for them. The last presentation we went to was at a Hyatt several years ago, and we told the salesman immediately that we were not going to buy, that we owned several timeshares and had access to others (my parents'), and that we just wanted to know about Hyatt's program in general. We actually had a very nice conversation with him, learned what we wanted to know about the Hyatt timeshare program, and were out of there in 30 minutes with our gift. Other people were waiting in the reception area, so I'm sure he was hoping he'd make a sale...!

And that's a very important distinction to make. We've been out of a Sheraton presentation in under an hour, start to finish (56 minutes, right on the dot). But Westgate? That's a whole different level of pressure (and sleeze). The OP should be prepared for an intensity beyond the Hilton/Marriott/Sheraton sales pitch.

 

[CarolynFH]

And that's a very important distinction to make. We've been out of a Sheraton presentation in under an hour, start to finish (56 minutes, right on the dot). But Westgate? That's a whole different level of pressure (and sleeze). The OP should be prepared for an intensity beyond the Hilton/Marriott/Sheraton sales pitch.

Definitely!!

 

[Sparkly]

And that's a very important distinction to make. We've been out of a Sheraton presentation in under an hour, start to finish (56 minutes, right on the dot). But Westgate? That's a whole different level of pressure (and sleeze). The OP should be prepared for an intensity beyond the Hilton/Marriott/Sheraton sales pitch.

I remember my parents attending a Westgate timeshare back 15 years ago and it was terrible. Because I was only a child, I got dumped in the playroom whilst they were subjected to 3 hours of misery. All that for discounted Seaworld tickets. Disney's DVC on the other hand was very light on pressure in comparison.

 

[SinCityMMAFan]

I remember my parents attending a Westgate timeshare back 15 years ago and it was terrible. Because I was only a child, I got dumped in the playroom whilst they were subjected to 3 hours of misery. All that for discounted Seaworld tickets. Disney's DVC on the other hand was very light on pressure in comparison.

They don't pressure you at all. We did one of their tours just the other year. They were very polite and asked what were our needs and went over if their product would work for us which it really didn't. We were given a Disney gift card and fast passes for attending. Very hassle free and even picked us up and dropped us off wherever we wanted to go on property. Other timeshare companies should take note of how Disney does things maybe they would be more successful at selling their product.