Veiwed Westgate and we love DVC!(long)

[Wislodgers]

Went on an unexpected trip to Florida and got back home last week. Only had time to stay one night at Disney and got a great rate at AKL. We were talked into going to a time share presentation for Westgate before going to AKL. Figured we had a few hours to spend before checking in at AKL and it included free breakfast and $65 disney dollars, why not! Big mistake! We have been thrilled with our decision to purchase DVC, but viewing Westgate only reinforced it. The presentation started out alright, and went downhill from there. After finally viewing the 2br unit and getting back to the big conference room, with the salesman bashing DVC at every turn knowing that we were DVC members, over 2 hours had passed. So much for the 90 minute presentation! He showed us the prices. 26,000+ for a 2 br unit! We bought into DVC for much less. He kept telling us it is the best to be on Disney's back porch. Personally, were very happy being inside Disney. We politely told him we were not interested and that the price seemed very high. He said he had to get a manager to talk to us before he could release us. We waited over 10 minutes just sitting there. I think they like to waste your time once they know you are not interested. The salesman was gone, not in sight, until my husband had enough and got up to find a manager. The salesman appeared when my husband started talking to a manager telling him how we were left sitting after stating we were not interested. He told my husband he was going to call security if he did not go sit back down!?! The manager told the salesman no, and to release our papers so we could go! We ended spending 2 1/2 hours there. What a waste of time. On our way out another couple had an even worse experience than us with their salesman swearing at them and throwing there release paper at them!!! DVC approach to selling is fabulous as is there product!! There was no comparing Westgate to DVC. Our guide at Disney still checks in once and a while, and is always so polite!
WE LOVE DVC!!!!!

 

[Niagara2]

WHOOOOOO.......If someone tried to call security on me I would of been on the cell phone with the attorney generals office in FL. We stayed at Westgate once and managed to avoid a presentation. It is a OK place but the staff left alot to be desired. I agree - DVC is KING!

 

[Disney Adventurer]

There are a lot of other timeshares that give the industry a bad name. We have owned a timeshare (not DVC) for many years. It may not have been the wisest decision but we have gotten much use out of it. During many of our stays we went to the "presentation". None of which were as bad as just described but always high pressure. After a few of these you just get so put off you don't want to go on anymore. Subsequently we visited Disney many times but were always hesitant to take the DVC tour thinking it might be much like the others, what a mistake, hate to think how many years we could have been enjoying the benefits of DVC. On our last trip in January we had some free time when we were walking around the Boardwalk so I got brave and stopped at the tour desk, ended up scheduling a tour the next day. Absolutely no pressure, we weren't ready to buy and really didn't want VWL, were content to wait for BCV. No questions asked, our guide graciously accepted our answer and said she would be in touch when BCV were up for sale. Oops, we bought a BWV resale. I guess the moral of the story is, if you are afraid to take the DVC tour, don't be.

 

[robinb]

Only 2.5 hours? You got off lucky . We were at Westgate for over 3 hours when we did our "tour". It's amazing that we even looked at DVC after the way Westgate treated us. But we did and we bought. I think we were just so darn happy to be treated humanely .

FWIW, I've done timeshare presetations since buying DVC and I always tell the salespeople upfront that (1) I own DVC, (2) I'm only there for the special offer and (3) we are not interested in buying another timeshare. I also tell them that they have 90 minutes of my time and the clock starts ticking now!. It works everytime. I give them 90 minutes and they give me stuff.

 

[Regina]

We took advantage of a Marriott deal that included Universal Passes and a 2 night's stay in one of their timeshares.

We told them that we were DVC, and they were very nice about it. They realized that we weren't going to buy, and we had a pleasant discussion about the differences between the two systems.

It's unfortunate that Westgate treats you this way. Their sales staff is probably poorly trained and under tremendous pressure.

Thanks for the warning!

 

[Peggy Sue]

We had a horrible experience at a timeshare presentation in Newport, RI. After we said no, the sales person became so angry, he followed us out to our car cursing at us the entire way! That was the last presentation we went to until we stumbled upon DVC during a WDW vacation several years later. What a difference!

We did talk with the folks at Marriott when we were on vacation in Hawaii. We didn't find them to be too high pressure either. In fact, they told us DVC was a wonderful program.

If we every decide to purchase a time share other than DVC, we will look for a resale and avoid the high pressure sales and overpriced buy-ins.

I agree, DVC is great!

 

[Disnydad]

I'd of called 911 from my cell and requested an officer to report an unlawful imprisonment. Can not release you, give me a break. The nerve of those folks.

 

[Wislodgers]

Well, we were told that we could leave, but we would not get our $20 deposit back or the $65 disney dollars. I know there are timeshare out there other than Disney, but I guess they are not for us. The Westgate complex seemed nice, but it did lack the "Disney Magic" touches that we love. It comes down to the on/off property arguments that people have. We go down to Florida to see and do Disney, so we love to stay at Disney. Disney's sales approach cannot be beat. They may not offer the incentives the other timeshares do to get you to tour, but I think that is a good thing. People that are interested tour, not being paid or bribed to tour. It was definitely an interesting morning at Westgate!!!

 

[Disney Adventurer]

I think the Disney incentive was just as good as anything else I've received. When we signed up for the tour they told us lunch would be provided so we were expecting a buffet or something of the sort. As our tour/presentation was ending we still were not offered lunch so we were starting to get a little disappointed, not that the lunch mattered that much, we were just expecting more from Disney. As we were filling out our survey we were handed, with no mention from us, a certificate for all four of us (2 kids) for a free lunch at any of the Boardwalk restaurants. As we walked over to Spoodles we discussed how we figured it would be a special meal for the freebie or a scaled down menu, boy were we surprised to find out that each person got an appetizer, main course and desert. Anything we wanted. Is this standard for Disney?

 

[normr]

That alot of us put off checking out DVC sooner due to being traumatized from other timeshare presentations. I'm sure we would have bought in much sooner and knew that Disney had a timeshare program from the beginning, but we always avoided going near a DVC kiosk due to the fear put into us previously. We had the day to kill since we were leaving in the early evening and they offered us lunch at Olivia's, so we went basically for the free lunch and to kill some time, never thinking it would be anything for us or something we could afford. Well we had lunch first cause the guide was busy when we arrived.

Then the no pressure presentation and the rest of history.

 

[fkj2]

If I were you, I'd contact this Westgate place about the $20 deposit and $65 Dis dollars. If you don't get equal value, I'd contact the Florida Attorney General's office. They defrauded you by not fulfilling a verbal (at the very least) contract.

 

[fkj2]

If I were you, I'd contact this Westgate place about the $20 deposit and $65 Dis dollars. If you don't get equal value, I'd contact the Florida Attorney General's office. They defrauded you by not fulfilling a verbal (at the very least) contract and that should be a violation of their ability to operate and sell in the state.

 

[KCritter]

We had a pretty hideous experience at The Palms. We just went for the free Universal tickets, and actually were somewhat interested in what they had to say, but their high pressure sales tactics turned us off so much that I just ended up getting angry. We took the DVC tour later that week and signed right up.

 

[Wislodgers]

fkj2-
We did get our deposit and the 65 disney dollars. Finally the manager made the salesman "release" us. I did not even know Disney gave out lunches with their tour. With Disney we toured early evening and I am sure that some people stayed past closing until all our papers were signed. We did notice at least 2 other couples also finishing their paperwork after us. I am sure it is common for them to stay late. Since it was late, if we wanted to stay at the Boardwalk we would have to find our own ride back to SOG. Our guide was fabulous. We really had not gone on the tour planning to buy, but we had been doing some checking into DVC. When we saw the VWL rooms we were sold! We bought right then!

 

[Cruelladeville]

Several years ago we took the tour at Saravilla, which is on the way toward Kissimmee, and they put my kids into daycare in some obscure spot under a set of stairs in one of their many buildings. After the presentation, when we refused to buy in, they refused to give us back our kids! I became hysterical, and my husband grabbed the rep's phone and dialed the police. Only when my husband began talking to the police did they agree to give us our kids, and they weren't polite about it, either. I can't believe that after that experience we bought two DVC contracts and Marriott timeshare. The difference was in how we were treated. At disney we told them we had to go home to think it over, and they said "good, you'll be happier with DVC if you do." That convinced us right then that we had finally found the timeshare we were looking for.

 

[robinb]

Oh my goodness! They tried to keep your kids ! Of course, that might backfire on them with some parents.

There were many differences between our Westgate presentation and our DVC presentation. The biggest difference was that Westgate would not allow us to take any numbers home with us (cost, financing, etc) and we had to buy on the spot or we would miss out on something important. At DVC, we could bring everything home with us including point sheets, costs, financing. The only catch was that if we wanted the special DVC financing we had to buy within 30 days. There might have been some Magical Beginings promotion too, but I don't remember. We ended up buying a resale with free park passes for cash.

Speaking of financing ... I also had to press the salesperson at Westgate to tell me the exact rate for financing. He kept on telling me my monthly payments. When I finally got it out of him, it was around 18%! That's the same as credit card debt! In comparison, I think DVC's was 10%-12% depending on how much you put down.

 

[lawgs]

wislodgers....

did you get your 20$ and 65 $ disney bucks....


they are regulated and cannot hold that back if i am not mistaken

otherwise it is false advertising....


you were probably told by the "booth" person ....you would be under no "obligation"..and that you would get your 20$ back....

the 20$ deposit is the company's way of paying the "booth" person

westgate is famous for their "exit" programs too trying to sell to you even as you are leaving....

i like robinb's approach...=))

 

[dvcdudes]

<P><FONT color=royalblue><STRONG><EM>I had almost the same exact experience as <FONT color=red>Disney Adventurer</FONT>.<BR>My son got sick and we stayed out of the parks for a few days so we took the opportunity to take the tour.<BR>They gave us our <FONT color=red>meal certificate </FONT>and told us to talk it over in private while we dined.<BR>As far as our kids.  They didn't want to leave the kiddie area DVC has for them.  As for keeping them, they (DVC CM's) said if we wanted to leave them while we went to lunch, they would give them a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and milk and watch them while we ate in peace.  <BR>We passed on this but after lunch and our decission to join, my kids were thrilled to get back into the kiddie room they have while we filled out the papers.<BR>This was the first  and only time share presentation I've ever done so I have nothing to compare it to but after hearing about your problems <FONT color=red>I'm very happy </FONT>I didn't do another<FONT color=forestgreen>.  All in all, a very pleasant experience.</FONT></EM></STRONG></FONT></P>
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[mrsdon]

We also had Westgate experience years ago.
We debated between Westgate and DVC(can you believe it??)
I'm so happy that we chose the DVC.

 

[thepoohbear]

We looked at Embassy Vacation Resorts on Maui. They have one if Florida too. They actually told us they follow the DVC no pressure sales method. Ha! We wasted half a day and my mood was ruined for hours after that. And we checked the internet after we got back to our hotel and found used weeks much cheaper. DVC is the best, all the way around. I didn't want to look at DVC because I had been through this before and I will never EVER go to another presentation unless it's DVC.