Westgate Lakes...am in panic mode!!

[disney5]

So I booked Westgate Lakes Resort and Spa (Turkey Lake Rd) not through sky auction or trade but on my own. Got a rate of $530 for 7 nights and did this to save $$ as could not afford to stay on site. Plus, I figure with 2 bedrooms/kitchen will be more comfortable and can eat bfast in.
I am now in a panic as I have read several threads here NOT to book at Westgate as they are high pressure. I am not easily convinced so can handle that but do not want to be hassled all week (just want to go to the t/share presentation that I committed to). Any thoughts/ideas on how to survive the week? I know there are several Westgate properties..is this the one to avoid?
Are the accomadations/pools OK?
Unfortunately, I can not change to stay onsite. Are there any other options that are still convenient to the parks?

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Just stick to your "No" & when the 90 minutes are up, excuse yourself & tell them that you have another appointment that you need to go to. Or..... If you have older children & a cell phone (mine are), leave them in the room & have them call you if you aren't back by a certian time. Once they call you, you excuse yourself & tell the agent that you need to attend to one of the children...this has worked for me

 

[Motherfletcher]

I stayed at Westgate Lakes and got the room for $59/night through Hotwire. After you check in they want you to go to another desk for your packet and that is where they try to entice the timeshare meeting. We grabbed the packet and left them talking. It sounds like your rate doesn't require the 90 minute presentation? If so suicide is your only answer! No, like Sharon said, you keep saying no. I hate Timeshare salesmen!

 

[spiceycat]

tell them upfront that you have to go somewhere in 2 hours - make a reservation some place so you won't be lieing.

of course if lieing doesn't bother you make it for your finally day there and tell them you have to catch a plane.

now if you need those tickets for this trip. Use the first one.

if you go for breakfast don't eat it. First it is horrible, secondly the time doesn't start until you stop eating.

try to get them to get to the point. They want to tell you their life story or want to heard about your life story. You don't want this sales person to a friend for life. Tell them you aren't interested. (they aren't either really - but if that can feel a connection to you then they can put you on the guilty trip if you don't buy)

go over on
www.tug2.net
and ask for more tips. You don't have to join to be able to post and ask questions.

 

[Golter]

If the 90min tour is required, ask them when the tour starts and tell them in 90mins Im walking away, whether your in mid sentence or finished with your speil. Tell them there is not any chance of you buying, and tell them it has nothing to do with their price. Tell them you could pay what they are asking, so lowering their offer wont help. Also, dont talk too much and dont act interested just to be polite. Lastly, tell them if they give you any hassle at the end of 90mins your call the police and have the number available.

 

[tweetylori]

I stayed at Westgate Lakes and got the room for $59/night through Hotwire. After you check in they want you to go to another desk for your packet and that is where they try to entice the timeshare meeting. We grabbed the packet and left them talking. It sounds like your rate doesn't require the 90 minute presentation? If so suicide is your only answer! No, like Sharon said, you keep saying no. I hate Timeshare salesmen!

I got this same thing booking through hotwire. We're going at the end of September. So is the place as bad as everyone says? Hotwire has never let me down before! And what is the packet that you have to pick up? Do we even need it? I just wanted a regular hotel!

 

[RadioFanatic]

I got it through jetblue for $57/night and went in December 2003 - we absolutely loved it and no one bothered us one bit the entire week we were there.

 

[DreadpiratK]

We stayed there in '01, and it is nice, we loved it. We had rented a week from an owner, so we just told them that we were owners already. Even after you buy they still bug you to buy more weeks. Reason enough to never buy there. It was a little annoying with the constant tours going through all the time.

As a salesperson (not timeshares) I would advocate for honesty. These folks are not evil, just trying to make a living in a very tough field. Just politely say you're not interested at any price, and be firm. They have to make the effort, or thier boss will be all over them, so just stick to you're guns. It' better for the sales person to know up front that there is no possibility of a sale, so they can move on to the next person.

 

[disney5]

Thank you all for your thoughts and insights. They require you to go to presentation the day before you leave and I booked the 1st one so I could go right to parks afterwards..and I do have an PS for a late breakfast so that excuse will get me out of there in 90 min.
Thanks Spicycat for letting me know the 90 min starts after you eat(since I want to get in and out, will skip the breakfast!)..will I have to wait for others to eat or are the presentations individual??
Also, what did you mean by if " you need the tickets for this trip, use the 1st one?"

 

[disney5]

Spicycat
If you read this can you clarify the ? I had for you in previous post? Thanks!
Am trying to open your link to Westgatesucks.com but so far unsuccessful..will try again later!

 

[spiceycat]

one day I will learn english.

if you need the free or discount tickets for this trip. then you need to go as soon as possible - you can't wait until the end of your trip to do this.

there was problems with this site early. I will post over on the tug site and see if he can fix it again.

I couldn't see it early either.

 

[spiceycat]

see if this works better for you.

http://www.westgatesucks.com/exp_wots.asp

 

[disney5]

Yes..I was able to read it this time. I hope my stay is much better than theirs!

Thanks for answering my other question. I presume you thought they were giving me free tickets to parks. All I am getting is the cheap rate...no free tickets. I actually just purchased my parkhopper at Ticketmania yesterday and got the 8day hopper which was less $$ then the 7 days I needed.

 

[spiceycat]

DreadpiratK - I don't think anyone descriptives Westgate as evil.

they just lie alot.

they mislead, misdirect and try to sell you something that you don't really want for a very, very overpriced amount.

westgate sells in the open market for $3,000 and under. they try to start with a price of $30,000 and go down, down, down....Different people get different prices.

if they were honest they would offer you the best price upfront.

Westgate and Fairfield both did this to me. But after Westgate I have no problem saying no to Fairfield.

Marriott and DVC don't. When I say I wasn't interested in the current building at Marriott. This wonderful salesman brought out the resale book. (marriott also does resales). If I could afford a Marriott believe me I would have brought one. They have an excellent program and even better reputation.

 

[RichNKatHolly]

I'm sure your vacation will be fine. Sounds like you don't even need to speak with the salesperson until the day before you leave so you should be fine. I doubt they will be knocking on your door during the rest of your visit to annoy you.

We did a timeshare presentation in January. We declined breakfast and got right into the presentation. The 90 mins ended up being 2 hours, but we did not know of the Dis before that and acted interested (we try to be kind much to our disadvantage). We were commenting on how nice, etc. the place was. And it was, but from now on we will point out what we DONT like about the place this way we have a reason to back out of a purchase. I guess when we acted so interested, the salesperson thought she had us for sure.

Please post back and let us know how you made out. Remember also, most people who had a pleasant experience will not be posting on a site called Westgatesucks.com.

 

[DreadpiratK]

DreadpiratK - I don't think anyone descriptives Westgate as evil.

they just lie alot.

they mislead, misdirect and try to sell you something that you don't really want for a very, very overpriced amount.

westgate sells in the open market for $3,000 and under. they try to start with a price of $30,000 and go down, down, down....Different people get different prices.

if they were honest they would offer you the best price upfront.

Westgate and Fairfield both did this to me. But after Westgate I have no problem saying no to Fairfield.

Marriott and DVC don't. When I say I wasn't interested in the current building at Marriott. This wonderful salesman brought out the resale book. (marriott also does resales). If I could afford a Marriott believe me I would have brought one. They have an excellent program and even better reputation.

I'm sure you're right, but the sales methods are set by the resort, not the individual salesmen. It's endemic to the field of sales, and Westgate didn't invent it. It's why 70% of salesment last less than a year- most people can't stand lieing, and feel very guilty about it. Truly professional sales people don't ever lie, and never need to, but it's hard to find a company that will allow you to operate that way. Westgate seems to be one of the worst.

The thing to remember is that a salespersons responsibility is to his employer, and himself, not to the customer. So offering a high price first in good faith is just good buisiness, just like it's good business for an informed consumer to know that's it's not the best price, and not go for it. That's just how the game is played, and how companies make money. Not evil in itself. Now lieing to get that high price, that's someting else altogether. I also happen to feel that a profesional salesmen has an additional responsibility to be honest as well, but that doesn't mean cutting his own throat financially and always selling at that lowest price.

Probably OT and irrelevant, sorry. Just don't take it out on the poor sales guy is all, unless he really is a sleeze!

 

[disney5]

Than you all for advice/comments. I am not going to let this get the best of me so will plan to...
If they try to get me to go to anything else (ex maintenance meetings) .I will let them know I am only going to the 90min presentation I committed to.
Will skip the free bfast as that will delay presentation.

I have tons of friends and do need to be friendly w/salesperson and be chatty..will go to presentation and if they try to make it longer I have late ADR"S for bfast at MK.

I will not be rude (unless they are 1st)..will just tell them at the end I am not interested!

And if they then are pushy/rude maybe I'll tell them I would never buy from a place that a military person stayed in and were treated like %$#@..!!!

As anyone who has ressies returns(I know one diser said they were going in Sept) please post your experience and any problems/hitches that occurred. I will do the same in October.
Thanks again!!

 

[Ridge]

Years before we moved to Florida we too fell for the Westgate pitch.All I can say it was 90 minutes of hell for what we were told were half price Disney tickets. Two young children in tow we wondered how bad could it be? My children were promised 90 minutes of day care fun while we inspected villas and enjoyed a breakfast. Two hours in to the tour my wife was very worried about our 3 and 5 year old boys. We demanded to be returned to the day care location only to discover the three year old in hysterics and the five year messed up by a large bowl of ice cream. Their explanation why they didn't contact us ? Many children suffer seperation anxiety.....Infuriated we were ready to call the police but the agent had the nerve to say we had not completed the full tour. Not a ticket in hand we drove off but not before I went in to the lounge and yelled out to at least 25 unsuspecting clients to watch out for these kidnappers....

My neighbors son worked as a greeter for Westgate for two years. He openly admitted to us the 90 minute tour is virtually impossible.They will work on you for up to 3 hours on average. Does it work ? You bet. The Orlando Sentinel did an expose last year on the tactics of typical timeshare salestaff.Westgate gets an astounding 40 % of people who tour putting down a deposit of some sort.Most everyone is led to believe they have a cooling off period but that is not the case in Florida.

In conclusion, if you are going to do the timeshare route be focused and tell them 90 minutes and that's it. Ask them what happens if the tour goes beyond that time period ?

Tips on getting out of the tour :

Tell them you are about to be unemployed and are celebrating your last days of working by one last trip to Disney World.

After 60 minutes ask them if they have anything better to look at. You are very upset the rooms are so average or mediocre compared to what you are used to. That you heard Westgate was five star but wouldn't give them a 3 star. They can't counter that arguement.

 

[fac]

We went to Westgate Town Center this past April, I had the vacation time and liked to take a trip real cheap I booked through Skyauction, timeshare presentation and 2 adult tickets were part of the package. We stayed there for one week during Spring Break.

They scheduled us to the presentation the day before we left, but gave us the tickets on the first day. No one bothered us during the week. We ate the breakfast, but the salesman (he corrected us that he is a real estate agent not a salesman) didn't bother us during our breakfast. We finished in exactly 90 minutes without us reminding him. In fact, I felt sorry that I didn't buy from him because he did try to do his work.

The following were what we had or had not done.
a. They put our kids in the children's center, they loved it. (I think they like the fact that they could spend time with other kids and not because the center was great)
b. We truley interested in what timeshare or Westgate has to offer, hence we asked questions.
c. We always had a question on whatever he presented , we didn't do it on purpose, betwen the two of us, we always debate our decisions.
d. We didn't try to put him down. Say when he told us the price of the timeshare, DH would ask me what I would get if I were to get it from the internet. I told DH the approximate price, then DH would ask curiously why anyone would buy from the westgate directly. (DH was sincere and he is clueless on the price) The real estate agent would told us that if we were to buy it from a third party, then no one would explain to us the benefits of buying a Westgate timeshare. (Look at this point, all of us stop talking, probably we all realized that he was educating us while preparing us to buy from a third party )
e. After he knew we won't be buying, in fact, we never explicitly said no but he knew he couldn't talk us into believing that buy from him gave us a better deal, he sent in another person basically he said I got someone to sign you out. The second person stayed on our table in less than 3 minutes.
f. The presentation was on Saturday 7:30 am, I belived there was another presentation around 10:00 am, I think when he realized that he could not convince us, he would move on to another client.

On other hand, I did not have special opinion on Westgate Town Center, partly because we went out most of the time, partly because it gave me the impression of a hotel. I also did not like the lack of maid service in a studio. I didn't mind if it were a 2 bedroom.

For the tickets, we could choose between Universal or WDW, we picked Universal, they gave us 2 2-day tickets, we decided to buy 2 more tickets for the kids from Westgate, I think they charged me more than what I would have got from Universal. Buying the tickets from them was my only bad experience from them.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

You know, I know some people might have a good experince at Westgate or any other resort posted on these boards despite the fact that they get very poor reviews. BUT I also sometimes wonder if the GOOD reports are actually posted by the resort itself under an " assumed" identity.

I have never been to Westgate but when there is actually a website that says westgatesucks.com ...well that says it all.

I can say I have been to Liki Tiki and cannot understand how some people could post the glowing reports that they do. I know different people have different expectations but still sometimes I have this nagging feeling that it may not be "genuine" Dis'ers who post good things about bad places.
These boards reach a huge amount of subscribers and what better way to get free advertising to target users?

Anyone else ever wonder this?