Sources: The Park Record; Deseret News

The tightening of the credit market combined with the declining economy has already forced Westgate timeshares to lay off workers and to scale-back sales efforts. And just when they did not need more bad news, a Utah County Court has ordered Westgate timeshare to pay $1 million in punitive damages in a consumer related court case. The timeshare company is being held accountable for having attempted to attract prospective timeshare buyers to their Westgate Park City Resort, by using problem-ridden travel vouchers as bait.

An attorney representing the Consumer Protection Group says that the timeshare company defrauded consumers. “They weren’t telling them they were getting a voucher; they were telling them they were getting an Anaheim trip,” explained attorney Scott Boyd, who qualified that the trip was supposed to include air travel and lodging and have a value of approximately $500. Boyd explained, “For all timeshares, they have to get bodies through the door so they can do the sales. Now how different companies choose to get people through the door may tell you who’s reputable and who’s not so reputable in the industry.”

Here’s How the Westgate Timeshare Problem Started

People who toured Westgate timeshares in late 2000 and in 2001, received letters advising them that they may have been defrauded. More than 900 individuals responded to the Consumer Protection Group’s letter. In the end, 30 Utah residents (or 15 parties) made up the case against Westgate Resorts.

As is too often the case in such timeshare problems, people who toured at Westgate timeshare believed they were receiving a product (a gift) that in the end, turned out to be too problematic to use. Voucher holders were restricted from redeeming their trip during any weeks before or following 10 different holidays and they were required to depart only on a Tuesday, and return only on a Thursday.

Adding to the confusion and complexity of the ‘deal’ was the fact that the voucher holder had to kick in $135 upfront, and redeem the voucher within 21 days. While many people looked at the extensive restrictions and simply tossed out the vouchers, others complied with all the stipulations only to be told that the dates requested were not available.

After a three-week jury trial, the case was decided in favor of the plaintiffs. Attorney Boyd admitted that the individuals involved, “did not stand to make a lot of money,” but said that, “This is to make a point to the timeshare industry, to Westgate, that you cannot have a fraudulent scheme.”

Westgate reportedly has plans to appeal a final civil judgment. The timeshare company’s attorneys claim that it was an independent telemarketing firm that scheduled the timeshare tours, and that they (the telemarketers) had failed to warn callers of the travel restrictions.

The Timeshare Authority is not defending or condemning Westgate timeshares, as there are always two sides to every story. But the question does arise … if there were only 30 plaintiffs, which was defined as 15 couples, and they do, “not stand to make a lot of money,” then who do you think is receiving the lion’s share of the million dollar settlement?

Other recent posts on The Timeshare Authority involving Westgate timeshare:

• Bluegreen Timeshares and Westgate Timeshare Mogul Settle Pending Lawsuit
• Hotels, Timeshares, and the Bailout

17,000 people in the US will be diagnosed with primary brain cancer this year and another 100,000 will receive the diagnosis of secondary brain cancer. Dover, NH resident Christine Skidds is a brain cancer patient, just recently completing her radiation treatments. Christine is also a much loved mother, wife, sister, as well as friend to many in the Dover area … to her community she is not one more statistic … she is a reason to rally.

Last Saturday evening, Christine’s Crusade held a fundraising auction with dinner, entertainment, and dancing. One hundred and forty items were auctioned … everything listed was sold either at the live auction or through silent bidding. Nearly 300 people attended and organizers of the event say they were thrilled with the turnout and the results.

Items for the auction ranged from jewelry to tandem skydives, to piano lessons, Celtics tickets, car washes, Red Sox tickets, autographed sports memorabilia, and yes, a week of timeshare.

Sell My Timeshare NOW donated the use of a Wyndham timeshare in Florida, at the bidder’s choice of available Florida timeshare destinations. The donation enabled someone to enjoy a great vacation at a luxury destination for a very good price. Most importantly, it raised $700 for Christine’s Crusade.

We were grateful to be able to help Christine and her family, but this husband and wife, with two young sons, still have many challenges ahead. I urge you to go to Christine’s website, read her story, and to do whatever you can to help.

Christine’s online journal is available at:www.caringbridge.org/visit/christineskidds

Click here to read more about the fundraiser.

ILX Resorts Inc., a developer and operator of timeshares in the Western part of the US, has released their corporate financial report showing a net loss for the third quarter. Currently ILX timeshares include locations in Arizona, Indiana, Colorado, and San Carlos, Mexico. The company also owns land in Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point), Mexico and Sedona, Arizona, which are in the final planning stages for timeshare development. ILX has acquired, and continues to acquire, inventory at the Carriage House in Las Vegas and at the Scottsdale Camelback Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona through Premiere Vacation Club.

According to the ILX Resorts report, “Third quarter results include the write off of consumer notes receivable in excess of 90 days delinquent and the increase in the allowance for doubtful accounts as a percentage of performing notes receivable and performing notes sold with recourse to reflect a reduction in expectations of collectability of delinquent and performing loans based on recent economic, financial and credit conditions … Revenue from operations exclusive of the increased allowance and write off for the three months ended September 30, 2008 was $10.4 million as compared to $12.1 million for the comparable period in 2007.”

It’s Still a Good Time to Sell Timeshare

This is just one more timeshare developer story in a downturn economy. Surprisingly, some of today’s worst economic news may be the fact that the price of consumer goods have dropped. Decline in the core index (goods other than fuel and food) signals a deflationary economy. While a downturn in the price of goods seems, on the surface, to be positive, deflation can actually make matters worse, because it counters the impact of Federal cuts of the interest rate and it can make debts harder to pay off.

If you want to sell timeshare or rent timeshare, remember that despite the tough US market, you can advertise your timeshare resale or timeshare rental in an active and interested global marketplace by going to www.sellmytimesharenow.com

Marriott’s Grande Ocean timeshares at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina is a beautiful beachside timeshare resort with 289 two-bedroom, two-bath timeshare units. So much in demand, Marriott’s Grande Ocean timeshares was hot timeshare number 46 on Sell My Timeshare NOW’s HOT 100 list, ranked by the offers to buy or rent timeshare at this popular resort.

Your Marriott Grande Ocean Timeshare Awaits

Each timeshare villa at Marriott’s Grande Ocean spaciously accommodates up to six people. Master bedroom suites include a king bed, a soaking or oversized bath tub, living and dining area, breakfast bar, furnished kitchen, TVs, DVDs, washer and dryer, and a private balcony or private patio.

Most units include cable television with HBO and high-speed internet service. On property, you will find fax and copy service, a concierge, daily housekeeping and a laundry. The resort also includes a gift shop and newsstand, a Pizza Hut Express, a marketplace deli, (open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner service), and a season poolside bar.

These amenities are an excellent combination of luxury plus all the comforts of home, but how will you spend your rest and relaxation hours during your Grande Ocean timeshare vacation?

How about at the pool or on the beach, enjoying a range of water sports; playing tennis; playing golf (Hilton Head is almost wall-to-wall with great places to golf); or sightseeing in charming nearby Beaufort or Savannah?

Marriott’s Grande Ocean timeshare resort offers:

• 4 outdoor pools (one is heated) and one indoor heated pool
• A freshwater lagoon system with lush tropical gardens and fountains
• 9 whirlpool spas
• Outdoor hot tubs
• A fully equipped exercise room and steam room
• Optional golf memberships
• The Grande Ocean Resort Tennis Center with professional instruction through the Van Der Meer Tennis University
• Biking trails
• Activities for adults
• Activities for children through the Compass Kids Club
• And on-site bike rentals.

Sell My Timeshare NOW offers excellent options in Marriott timeshare resales and Marriott timeshare rentals. Our current inventory also includes over 600 Hilton Head timeshare units, representing many different brands and hoteliers. That great vacation you want and deserve is waiting for you when you take advantage of the affordable opportunities in timeshare resales and timeshare rentals.

The Hilton Grand Vacations Club at SeaWorld International Center is a lush oasis in the heart of Orlando, Florida’s fun and attractions. The resort’s 33 landscaped acres include a lake, jogging paths, three swimming pools, two children’s wading pools, five whirlpool spas, a waterfall feature, and tennis courts. The popularity of Orlando timeshares, the convenient location of the Hilton Grand Vacations Club at SeaWorld International Center, and the opportunities in value-priced timeshare resales and timeshare rentals, combine to make this Sell My Timeshare NOW’s HOT 100 List property number 47.

Comfort and Luxury at Your Hilton Grand Vacations Club Timeshare

If your family is small, a Hilton Grand Vacations Club Orlando timeshare studio unit could be just right for you. Studio timeshares offer 400 square feet of comfort, with one queen bed, (some have a sleeper sofa), a wet bar and a private screened balcony. In addition to the wet bar, these studio timeshare units include a microwave oven, refrigerator, and coffee maker.

One-bedroom timeshare units at the Hilton Grand Vacation Club at SeaWorld International Center are 878 square feet and include one king bed, a full-size sleeper sofa, living and dining areas, a complete kitchen, and a private screened balcony.

Two-bedroom timeshare units at the SeaWorld International Center let you spread out even more. They provide 1,225 square feet of accommodations with one king bed, one queen bed, a full sleeper sofa, a complete kitchen, living and dining areas, and a screened balcony.

All units at this family-friendly Orlando timeshare resort include a DVD player and free high-speed wireless Internet access. Timeshare suites include a whirlpool tub in the master bath and a washer and dryer in the unit.

On property, you will find a poolside bar and grille, a deli and gift shop, Starbucks® coffee, Pizza Hut® Express, and a fitness center that is available to timeshare owners, renters and their guests at no additional charge. The Hilton Grand Vacation Club at SeaWorld International Center also offers supervised recreation programs for adults, teens, and children, a concierge, pool tables, a wide-screen TV, a self-service business center, shuttle service to the theme parks, and meeting rooms to accommodate up to 50 people. With this many features and benefits, any question of, “What’s missing?” could only be answered by saying: “You!”

Even in Tough Times, Timeshare Resales and Timeshare Rentals Make Sense

The stressful news about the economy, and the measures being taken to restore it, isn’t likely to let up in the near future. Which is more unpleasant these days, turning on the TV news, opening the daily paper, or going to your mailbox? An escape for you and your family from the pressures of the current world has never been more important than it is right now. You need time to relax, time to laugh, and time to think about something besides jobs, the stock market, bailouts, and foreclosures.

Timeshare resales and timeshare rentals are one of the few truly good options still out there to help you and your family enjoy some much needed vacation time at a price that won’t break the bank.

… A little Killer Whale splash time with Shamu at SeaWorld Orlando from YouTube.

While it sounds drastic to say, cutting out your timeshare vacation could be hazardous to your health. According to an article that appeared on Womens-Finance.com one study shows that, “… women who vacation at least twice a year have 50 percent less chance of dying of heart disease compared with those who don’t take vacations. Likewise, men who take more-frequent vacations reduce their risk of dying of heart disease by almost 30 percent.”

The article goes on to quote Dr. Mel Borins, (author of Go Away: Just for the Health of It), an authority on the medical benefits of vacationing, a proponent of the health advantages of timesharing, and a timeshare owner himself. Dr. Borins says, “To ensure I use my vacation time, I became a timeshare owner and joined RCI’s timeshare exchange program to help create a structure for vacationing in my life. It ensures that I take at least one seven-day vacation every year.”

Dr. Borins points out that because timeshares represent a pre-paid vacation, we are more likely to take them rather than work through our vacation time. He calls timeshare vacations a ‘no surprises’ solution to vacationing, meaning that with very little preplanning, you can enjoy a relaxing and luxurious timeshare vacation, knowing before you go that the resort will meet your standards for safety and on-site amenities. Lastly, Dr. Borins points out that timeshare units essentially represent a home away from home, allowing you the features you are accustomed to, including the opportunity to prepare your own meals, avoiding restaurant foods that may not be well suited to your health and dietary needs.

These days, when everyone is cutting corners, perhaps cutting out your vacation time, is not the healthiest choice. Instead, look at the values available to you in timeshare resales and timeshare rentals so that you enjoy the health benefits of a vacation, without breaking the bank in the process.

The beautiful Grandview at Las Vegas timeshare resort is no gamble if your money is on a great vacation destination. So it’s no surprise that the Grandview at Las Vegas timeshare made the Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 list as favorite resort number 48.

This Las Vegas timeshare offers you both a convenient location to all the attractions of the Las Vegas strip, plus on-site amenities including an exercise room, swimming pool and whirlpool hot tub, tennis courts, playground, basketball courts, arcade and game room, and barbeque grills. Located about a fifteen-minute drive (or ride the shuttles) from the Vegas Strip, the Grandview at Las Vegas timeshare is in a quiet area, allowing you to unwind and relax from your time in the casinos, clubs and shows. For convenience, there are several nearby grocery stores, restaurants, and delis. And when you feel the call of the casinos once again, you can simply go next door to the South Point Casino where the stakes are just as high but the lines are not nearly as long as they are on the Strip.

Your Grandview at Las Vegas Timeshare Resale or Timeshare Rental

A 2-bedroom, 2-bath Grandview at Las Vegas timeshare sleeps up to eight people comfortably, with king-size beds in each bedroom, both a shower and a jetted tub in the master bath, televisions, queen-size sofa beds, a complete kitchen, and a washer and dryer. One-bedroom units offer the same amenities except they have one bedroom and one queen-size sleeper sofa instead of two, and some do not offer in-suite laundry facilities.

When you buy timeshare or rent timeshare as resale properties, at high-demand resorts such as the Grandview at Las Vegas, you take advantage of the great values available in timeshare resales, while at the same time, you get to enjoy the amenities others paid full price to own.

After a dry summer, a few days of rain and cooler weather have brought beautiful autumn colors to much of the Smoky Mountain vacation area. Although fall’s color showed a little late this year in this part of the US, reports say it is making up for its late arrival with a spectacular show of red, orange, gold, and yellow.

Westgate Smoky Mountain timeshare resort is a great location for enjoying this glorious burst of seasonal color, or for taking to the ski slopes in winter months, or spending a lazy summer vacation horseback riding, trout fishing, and hiking the nearby mountain trails. With lots of causal comfort and some amazing on-site amenities, it is easy to understand why the Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort is a high-demand destination and ranks as number 49 on Sell My Timeshare NOW’s HOT 100 Timeshare List.

About Your Westgate Smoky Mountain Timeshare Vacation

The Westgate Smoky Mountain timeshare resort is adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, which offers over 800 square miles of forest and wildlife preservation area and recreational-use land. The main highway through the park is US 441, Newfound Gap Road, which winds scenically through the mountains between two favorite tourist spots, Cherokee, North Carolina, and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Most Westgate Smoky Mountain timeshare villas have a fully equipped kitchen with microwave and dishwasher, a stone fireplace in the living area, and a garden spa tub in the master bathroom. Each log cabin-style timeshare villa offers either a mountain view or a creek-side view. This family vacation destination resort features two arcades, an activities program, a fitness center, multiple heated swimming pools, hiking trails, stables, the Serenity Day Spa, a lounge, snack bar, 24-hr. marketplace, the Smokehouse Grill, and the resort’s newest feature, a spectacular 60,000 square foot, climate controlled, indoor, water park.

Wild Bear Falls at the Westgate Smoky Mountain Timeshare

While the nearby mountain streams and waterfalls rarely get warmer than 60 degrees F, the temperature is always just right at the Wild Bear Falls Water Park. Covered by a retractable roof, this is the largest water park in the southern US and includes a 900 foot lazy river, a 360 foot body slide, a 300 foot tube slide, a zero depth entry pool and toddler play area, and a tree house play feature that dumps gallons of water (periodically) on the guests below.

You and your family can enjoy water fun recreation any time of the year, when you take advantage of the opportunities in Westgate Smoky Mountain timeshare resales and Westgate Smoky Mountain timeshare rentals available through Sell My Timeshare NOW.

Timeshare resort number 50 on the Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 Timeshare List is Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club, located on the beautiful island of Kauai.

Kauai is one of Hawaii’s most desirable settings. It is the northernmost of the Hawaiian Islands, and is about a 20-minute flight from Honolulu. Known as the Garden Isle, Kauai is lush with tropical vegetation, boasts pristine beaches, and is rich with cultural history. And of all the fabulous timeshare resorts in the Polynesian Islands, there is no more idyllic spot for a Hawaii timeshare vacation than at Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club timeshares.

What to Expect from Your Marriott Waiohai Beach Club Timeshare

Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club offers two-bedroom, two-bath timeshare villas, each with a fully equipped kitchen, spacious living and dining areas, three color televisions, a soaking tub in the master suite, private balcony, and a washer and dryer.

Amenities on-site include a beautiful beach and beachfront water sports, a large freeform courtyard pool with whirlpools, the all-new Kiawe Grill, a cocktail lounge, live entertainment, a playground and a children’s activity center, a convenience store and deli, and a fitness center.

With Hawaii tourism feeling the crunch of the economy and many people curtailing their Hawaii timeshare vacations because of the cost of airfares, this could possibly be the best time ever for you to enjoy that incredible vacation you have always promised yourself. Buy Hawaii timeshare resales or book a Hawaii timeshare rental and then shop competitively for the deals in air travel, car rentals, and dining that are bound to surface as the Hawaii tourism industry reaches out to attract more visitors.

On the Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 List, Hawaii timeshares definitely dominated, (as did Marriott timeshare properties in general), and the Waiohai Beach Club timeshare is one of the reasons why.

A Magical Island to Explore During Your Waiohai Beach Club Timeshare Vacation

This small island is packed with geographic diversity offering mountains to climb, caves to explore, and beaches to wander. As the oldest of the Hawaiian Islands, Kauai is alive with colorful legends and narratives to enchant you. Visit Waimea, and see the memorial to Captain Cook, the first explorer to set foot on the island. Plan to spend some time in Lihue-Kalapaki, touring the museums, viewing Wailua Falls (the waterfall shown in the opening scenes of the 1970’s TV hit, “Fantasy Island”), and visiting the Menehune (Alekoko) Fishpond.

The Menehune - which means Little Folk - were a legendary race of mysterious small people said to have great strength to accomplish amazing tasks. The famous Lihue-Kalapaki fish-breeding pond, now used as an oyster bed, has stone edging that is up to 10 feet tall and is over 30 inches thick. The stones used in its construction were transported more than 25 miles, reportedly carried fire brigade-style by the Menehune, an amazing feat for people reported to be only 2 feet tall.

Legend says that the Menehune, who only worked at night, did not allow their work time to be viewed by others. When a prince and princess climbed the mountainside to watch the building of the fishpond, the Menehune changed them into pillars of rock. Today you can view the twin stone pillars on the south side of the pond. As late as the eighteenth century, islanders were still accounting for sightings of the little folk, including King Kaumualii of Kauai who reported that 65 Menehune still lived in the Wainiha Valley on the north coast of Kauai.

Clearly there is magic on the island of Kauai. And a Marriott timeshare resale or Marriott timeshare rental offers you one of the most luxurious and affordable ways to experience it firsthand.

We have a new division at Sell My Timeshare NOW - it’s called Vacation Property Solutions. This is a revolutionary new business-to-business resale solution for timeshare resorts and timeshare developers. Vacation Property Solutions is a one-stop solution for the types of timeshare resale needs facing developers and resorts and it will utilize the services of both our brokerage arm: Timeshare Broker Services, and our closing company: Transfer My Timeshare.

Vacation Property Solutions expands our services at Sell My Timeshare NOW, to include brokers, resorts, travel clubs, and wholesalers, helping them solve the timeshare inventory problems of their customers. Working directly with timeshare developers and with resorts, we can offer them discounted rates for bulk business.

Vacation Property Solutions lets us take the same types of great services and expansive internet visibility that we already offer consumers, and offer them to timeshare developers and timeshare resorts. Developers looking to rent out timeshare weeks or Home Owners Associations needing to liquidate their delinquent inventory, have access to the more than 2 million monthly visitors to the Sell My Timeshare NOW website. Vacation Property Solutions offers a way for developers to buy back inventory, helping to stabilize prices on the resale market, and to solve the ownership dilemmas of buyers who already own intervals but are looking to buy into a new timeshare resort.

Vacation Property Solutions, an Important Part of Sell My Timeshare NOW

Freda Stemick, at Vacation Property Solutions, is the timeshare industry’s point of contact. Freda says, “Vacation Property Solutions is both developer-friendly and resort-friendly, building a bridge between the retail and secondary markets of the timeshare industry.”

Freda brings over 20 years of experience in timeshare sales, starting with her first timeshare industry job at Virginia’s Massanutten Resort.

Click here to read the press release for Vacation Property Solutions.