Westgate Timeshare

Central Florida Investments, Inc, the corporate owners of Westgate timeshares, has closed its Westgate Houston Preview Gallery and laid off all of the 106 workers employed there.

The property was located at 5177 Richmond Avenue and included a full-size model timeshare complete with living room and fully equipped kitchen. It originally opened in 2004 and was the first offsite timeshare sales center outside Orlando.

Reportedly, CFI filed documents with the Texas Workforce Commission saying that the company had, “experienced an unforeseen business emergency brought on by the collapse of the credit markets. Westgate has been unable to access its regular and customary borrowing sources and, as a result, does not presently have the cash flow to support its operations in their current form without these staff reductions.”

The layoffs in Houston follow previous announcements of employee layoffs at other Westgate timeshare locations. The blog posts listed below provide further information about cutbacks and financial concerns at Westgate timeshare.

• The Other Side to the Westgate Timeshare Lawsuit Story
• More Bad News for Westgate Timeshares, Hit with $1 Million Judgment
• Bluegreen Timeshares and Westgate Timeshare Mogul Settle Pending Lawsuit
• Hotels, Timeshares, and the Bailout

In Saturday’s The Timeshare Authority blog, we told you about the Utah lawsuit that ruled in favor of a small group of consumers and against Westgate timeshare. The consumers, represented by Consumer Protection Group, had received gift vouchers to be used for airfare and lodging in Anaheim, California. According to the attorney representing Consumer Protection Group, the vouchers were simply too difficult to redeem, and they left the voucher holders with something that was of little to no value. The judge apparently agreed, ruling in favor of the consumer group and handing down a verdict of $1 million in punitive damages against Westgate timeshare.

As expected, Westgate will appeal this verdict. According to ParkRecord.com, Michael Marder, an attorney for Westgate based in Orlando, Florida, explained, “A number of them (the people who received the vouchers in exchange for attending the timeshare tour) had made a habit of visiting other timeshare resorts and receiving gifts, and based upon the testimony, they had no intention to buy anything; they were coming solely to get a gift. Some of these people came three or four times to other places.”

Westgate Timeshares Respond

The Timeshare Authority mentioned on Saturday that, “there are always two sides to every story,” and it is no surprise that the other side of this story is now coming out …

One thing is certain, you can bet that we have not heard the last of this situation. So here’s our hope: let’s get this resolved fairly, and let’s get this resolved quickly, because if ever we all need to be working together in this country instead of fighting among ourselves, the time is now. There are many highly satisfied Westgate timeshare owners who would be quick to tell you that they are pleased with their vacation ownership through Westgate resorts.

(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

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.