Complaint Review: Westgate - Kissimmee Florida

My name is Russ and was given a tour of your Lakes property in May of 2015. After the tour we were given several options of time shares. None fit what we were looking for. As we were departing, our sales agent # 31485, Carlos stopped us short and said he had a deal for us that we could not pass up. We stopped and listen to him explain to us, Carlos was able to give us Five Weeks for 995.00. My wife and I walked back to his table. He pulled out a sheet that had several resorts listed, and he started circling what resorts were available to us. He told us the only issue was that it had to be used within 30 months. My wife did not think that we could get all five in within 30 months, but Carlos said with 2 weeks per year, it could be done easily. Carlos started going over the contract that was on a small tablet having me initial here and there with my finger. About half way thru we stopped and said this sounds to go to be true. That each week would only be 200.00, and we asked Carlos how that would be possible? Carlos said that Westgate wanted us to try out several Westgate properties to find one that would be a good fit, and this would give Westgate the ability to make the final sale after we found out how well run the resorts were. The sales floor supervisor Nilson approached and welcomed us to the family. Carlos had me finish with the tablet and sign the credit card receipt. Carlos came back with a packet that included our contract, and vacation traveler welcome information. He showed us the 800 number to call when we were ready to start with our first week and then walked us to the elevator, and we both left with a smile on our face.

We booked our first reservation at the Town Center, ready to do Universal! A few weeks later we decided to book our second week in South Beach in October, this is when the bombshell dropped. The operator asked if I wanted to cancel the week in Orlando and book the week in South Beach? I explained the I wanted to use my second week in South Beach! Silence on the other end of the phone for a moment. The operator than said, Ohhh, your other four weeks are with Leisure Time Passports, I will give you a code, and you can log on, then you can book your other weeks at a discounted rate. I expanded that Carlos sold us 5 weeks, not one week. I took the code and looked up South Beach properties as well as the Key West area. With the discount each week was about a thousand dollars for the week.

I arrived at the Town Center this week, and have meet with several Westgate employees. Each very nice and wanting to help. Please talk with this person, Ect… Tatiana from the town center told us to call corporate, that they would be able to help, but ask for a manger and don’t let them hang up until you had a chance to give the manager detail of the events. The operator told me that the manager was not at her desk and that I could leave a voice mail. I demanded that I talk with a manager and not to hang up the call. I was placed on hold and after 20 minutes I person from the Lakes answered and explained that our sales agent Carlos was on vacation this week and should be back next week, that for an issue of this nature we should call corporate, I explained that I was on hold with corporate, and that I was transferred to her. Eventual, a manager from another property, after another 20-minute hold, came on the line and explained that the contract was for 7 nights, and that this is what Westgate will stick to. I let her know that I do have some liability in this matter, but having a sales agent lie to you to just make a sale is a bad business practice. She again said, sorry you feel that way, but the contract states… I told her that if she has the last word on this, then I was going tell my experience to everyone that I run into this week while at Westgate. She then said, she was going to report this up her chain! I said good, that is what I want her to do. Someone at Westgate can make this right. If not just for me, but to ensure that someone else is not blatantly lied to, just so Carlos can make a sale. I hope this letter finds it’s into the right hands of someone that can do something about this. I know it is easy after the sale to just give up on the customer, and why not, you already have our money in your pocket. Just know that I want to work with Westgate to come to a reasonable resolution, and that I will make this experience (good or bad) know to everyone that will listen.