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This profile includes reviews for Central Florida Investments, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Central Florida Investments, Inc.

  2801 Old Winter Garden Road Ocoee, FL 34761-2965

• 

  Westgate Resorts, LTD

  915 Westgate Resort Road Gatlinburg, TN 37738

• 

  Westgate Myrtle Beach, LLC

  415 S Ocean Blvd Myrtle Beach, SC 29577-4053

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  Westgate Branson Woods

  750 Emerald Pointe Dr Hollister, MO 65672

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  Westgate Resorts LTD

  3534 E Sunshine STE K Springfield, MO 65807

Review Details

• Review fromJarrett H

  Date: 07/17/2022

  1 star

  Jarrett H

  Date: 07/17/2022

  Westgate Resorts Smokey Mountain in Gatlinburg TN completely took advantage of us by luring us into a timeshare sales presentation with free gifts & breakfast. Little did we know they were going to trap us there for several hours, with high pressure sales, and manipulate us into a timeshare that we could not afford. We literally told them "NO" over 5 times and every time they magically lowered the purchase price. We were tired and our kids were hungry. We tried to leave several times, but they keep insisting we stay and consider their offer. They lied to us about all the benefits of buying the timeshare and prepaying for all our family vacations. They promised our children could enjoy this timeshare for years to come but failed to inform us they would be responsible for paying fees for the rest of their lives. They never explained the reoccurring and increasing annual maintenance fees. They promised access to hotels all over the country, access to Disney hotels/resorts, tax deductions for our TS, and the ability to trade our week with other members. All of this was false!! When we returned home, we realized what a huge mistake we made. They never disclosed the rescission period we had to cancel the contract which we only found out about after the fact. Our experience with Westgate Resorts has been a nightmare. We do not recommend anyone to visit their resorts. It is nothing more than a complex web of phony, misleading and dishonest sales practices!!!

  Central Florida Investments, Inc.

  Date: 08/02/2022

  August 2, 2022
  
  
  RE: Jarrett ****
  ************************************************************
  
  Dear Mr. ****,
  
  Westgate Resorts is in receipt of your correspondence, and we appreciate the opportunity to respond.
  
  Mr. ****, first and foremost, we are saddened to read that you no longer wish to be an owner with Westgate Resorts and how you have not been able to use your timeshare ownership as it was intended. We deeply value your relationship with Westgate Resorts and are committed to providing you with the highest level of service.
  
  We apologize if you felt uncomfortable or pressured in any way while attending our sales presentation. Since there may have been offers presented on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on the available inventory, the representative may have expressed some urgency regarding the offer. However, you were never obligated to remain past the agreed-upon time to receive your incentive or to purchase a timeshare. Please allow us to confirm that participation in any acceptance of incentives in exchange for touring is 100% voluntary. Ultimately, you have the right to inform the sales staff or closing officer of any discomfort to ensure proper action is taken, or refrain from purchasing if your concerns are not addressed to your satisfaction. Further, please know the Closing Officer was there to answer any questions you may have had, including the cancellation policy. The right to cancel is disclosed in the Contract for Purchase and Sale (Contract) document; however, Westgate is not obligated to verbally disclose the statutory rescission period.
  
  Please allow us at this time to briefly explain your ownership and some benefits you have as an owner. On April 19, 2022, you purchased an ALL-Season week in a 1-Bedroom Deluxe Villa for use every Odd-numbered year with the first occupancy in 2023 at the Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Water Park. Keep in mind that you purchased under the Floating Use Plan for reservations, wherein you do not own the use of a specific unit, but a certain unit type, based on availability. Therefore, you have the right to occupy your villa at your home resort during your current year and season of ownership without being charged additional fees. To improve the likelihood of securing desired travel dates, Westgate allows owners to book reservations up to eleven (11) months in advance of their travel dates. Any reservations outside of your contracted usage rights both internal and external are considered owner benefits (e.g., exchanges, split weeks, etc.), which are also based on availability, not contractual in nature, and subject to the Westgate Resorts Internal Exchange terms and conditions.
  
  While we certainly appreciate your concerns with any increase in your Maintenance dues and Taxes (M&T), it is important to understand that the Maintenance dues represent the only source of revenue available to pay the cost of maintaining your resort. The Owners' Association is responsible for calculating the resort's annual Budget and dividing it equitably among all the owners so that each one pays a fair share of the costs needed to preserve the integrity of the resort's services while keeping the costs as low as possible. Upon further review of the Acknowledgment of Representations document, your signature confirmed that you were advised that the maintenance fees were estimated. This information is also disclosed in the Contract document.
  
  As for a tax write-off, we can confirm that at the beginning of each year, Westgate does send out a 1098 form for any interest paid during the previous year. Westgate denies any promise of a tax write-off as this may differ depending on an owner's individual tax circumstances. We recommend that you consult with an accountant or tax professional.
  
  Mr. ****, Westgate's position is that your contract is valid and legally enforceable. As we remain in a position of wanting to help, we encourage you to contact Westgate's Owner Benefits Department at 1-800-372-0216 for assistance to avoid default per the terms of your contract.
  
  If we may be of any additional service, our email address is listed below for your convenience.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Joely *********, Executive Team
  Owner Relations Correspondence
  [email protected] (Attn: Joely *********)
  
  Jr/gsc
  

• Review fromLori F

  Date: 07/17/2022

  1 star

  Lori F

  Date: 07/17/2022

  **WARNING** Stay away from Westgate Resorts. They lured us into a sales presentation, while we visited Las Vegas in 2019, with free show tickets and breakfast. For over 3 hours they hammered us with all these BOGUS benefits to timeshare ownership! We weren't interested in purchasing a timeshare and wanted to leave but they just insisted we stay longer. It was SO stressful, but they offered us a new iPad mini to stay! After hours of exhausting and aggressive sales we picked the cheapest package. What a bad decision. They promised 5-star accommodations at their resorts, but they were only 3-star rated by ******. So now we are paying monthly payments to these crooks for rooms we never use and cannot afford! If you try to contact them, they just want to upsell you even more. Westgate resorts preys on people who are trying to have a relaxing vacation. They force you through these long and dishonest presentations until you are so tired you would sign anything just to leave. The free iPad was junk, and the free show we attended was bad too. Don't be a victim like us, and just stay away from Westgate Resorts.

  Central Florida Investments, Inc.

  Date: 07/26/2022

  July 26, 2022
  
  
  RE: Lori ********
  ************************************************************
  
  Dear Ms. ********,
  
  We thank you for your patience while we reviewed your concerns. Please accept the following as Westgate's response.
  
  First and foremost, we ask you to understand that your attendance at the sales presentation was fully voluntary; nevertheless, we appreciate your feedback regarding the presentation and apologize if you felt uncomfortable or pressured in any way. We ask you to keep in mind that the only requirement to receive your agreed-upon incentive was to complete the 90-minute presentation. You could have stopped the presentation at any time as you were under no obligation to purchase. Please understand that Westgate cannot control whether you chose to exercise that right, as hundreds of consumers do on a daily basis. It would have been at your discretion to inform the sales staff of any discomfort to ensure proper action was taken or refrain from purchasing if your concerns were not addressed to your satisfaction.
  
  We understand you may have some concerns regarding affordability; however, please keep in mind that your initials on Acknowledgment #6 of the Acknowledgment of Representations document confirm that you agreed you had the financial capacity to enter into the transaction. Moreover, per the executed Contract for Purchase and Sale and Closing Disclosure, you were provided the information needed to make an informed financial decision. You received copies of these documents on the day of sale. It would have been up to you to ensure that the purchase fits into your vacation wants and financial means.
  
  Regarding negative comments on the Internet, please understand there are also many positive reviews. Westgate has hundreds of thousands of satisfied, active owners, and those who are unhappy are a very small percentage. In addition, while we appreciate your feedback regarding the show you attended, we ask you to understand that it was not governed by Westgate.
  
  Lastly, we were sorry to read that you may have had some issues with your tablet. We encourage you to contact Teknikos directly at 484-813-7010 for technical support
  
  Ms. ********, our review has concluded that your contract is valid and enforceable. We thank you for your feedback; it is through detailed feedback such as yours that we are able to identify areas that require our immediate attention. For further assistance, we encourage you to contact our Account Services Department directly at 1-888-999-0101.
  
  We thank you for the opportunity to be of service. Please know that Westgate's commitment is to continue to provide quality vacations that are unrivaled within the timeshare industry. We value all of our owners and strive to exceed their expectations, and it is our hope that you will allow us to do that.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Amy *****, Executive Team
  Owner Relations Correspondence
  [email protected] (Attn: Amy *****)
  
  Ap/gsc

• Review fromMarlon F

  Date: 07/15/2022

  1 star

  Marlon F

  Date: 07/15/2022

  our family of 4 spent a 6 days of vacation at Westgate Lakes Resort Florida from Dec 21-26, 2021 to destress and warm up from winter cold. When booking a pre qualification check has made to attend the presentation and tour to avoid $300 fine. With no intention to purchase. we did our best to be qualified to avoid any fee. Even though we have no enough funds to get any timeshare due to our current financial situation. Still the sales agent keep going and sell as investment opportunity. We end up getting 4bedroom so we have an opportunity to split and could rent more weeks to cover the cost. Only later we found our past the recession period its impossible to rent and sell. The recession period and to waive our right to file a complain and any claim in the court when bad happens were not disclosed. All of these lies and deceiving tactics the consumer able realize anomalies after they start using and booking there weeks past the recession period. The Legacy program where suppose to help the owner for any option could only offer renting and resell opportunity which is absolutely impossible. I wrote another complain last May and until now they are still investigating. We have no choice but to default without an opportunity they told us to easily rent out to cover the cost. The $150 swap free for other westgate resort has so many hidden free while maintenace free of a 1 week use every other year doesnt help the owner to save and definitely cannot cover the cost. Using the contact with undisclosed fine prints to their (developer) advantage leaving the consumers unprotected and financially drained that begins from their Sales agents lies.

  Central Florida Investments, Inc.

  Date: 08/02/2022

  August 2, 2022
  
  
  RE: Marlon *********
  ************************************************************
  
  Dear Mr. *********,
  
  Westgate Resorts is in receipt of your correspondence, and we appreciate the opportunity to respond. Please know that we have sent additional copies of the documents mentioned herein to you directly.
  
  Mr. *********, first and foremost, we truly regret to read about the financial hardships that you are currently facing. We are aware that such events can result in challenges in our lives and strive to be of assistance when our owners are confronted by them. We hope that you can enjoy your Westgate vacation experiences soon; however, we understand life changes happen.
  
  Regarding the rescission period, please be advised that once the State-mandated rescission period has ended, Westgate is not required to offer cancellation at an owner's request. If you prefer to sell your property, please understand that you may do so on your own. However, Westgate does not have a rental, resale, or buyback program to assist you with the resale or rental process for your timeshare. Further, it becomes part of the assets you can sell, transfer, or will to whomever you choose.
  
  As it is not possible to validate verbal statements, the Developer requires all owners to complete the Acknowledgment of Representations (AOR) document. With this document, the Developer strives to eliminate the possibility of any misunderstandings concerning what may have been presented to you, which may have influenced your decision to purchase. Acknowledgments #3 and #5 show that you purchased this property for personal use, that there were no representations made regarding investment or resale potential, and that the Developer does not have a rental or resale program to assist you.
  
  Concerning affordability, please see your signed AOR, wherein you acknowledged that you had the financial capacity to enter into this transaction. Further, you were provided with the information needed to make a financial decision. Please understand that it was your responsibility to review the financial obligations associated with the purchase to ensure that it would fit into your financial wants and needs.
  
  Please allow us to briefly explain your ownership and some benefits you have as owners. On December 24, 2021, you purchased an ALL-Season week in a 4-Bedroom Lock off Villa for use during the Even-numbered years with the first occupancy in 2022 at the Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa. Keep in mind that you purchased under the Floating Use Plan for reservations, wherein you do not own the use of a specific unit, but a certain unit type, based on availability. Therefore, you have the right to occupy your villa at your home resort during your current year and season of ownership without being charged additional fees. To improve the likelihood of securing desired travel dates, Westgate allows owners to book reservations up to eleven (11) months in advance of their travel dates. Any reservations outside of your contracted usage rights are considered owner benefits (e.g., exchanges, split weeks, etc.), which are also based on availability and subject to the Westgate Resorts Internal Exchange terms and conditions. We can confirm that as an owner benefit you can lock-off your unit to have more time, subject to applicable fees.
  
  Ultimately, full and fair disclosure was provided on the day of sale, including the Arbitration Addendum. As the consumer, it was your responsibility to review the terms of the purchase to ensure that what you acknowledged and were in agreement with matched the information relayed in the documents. Absent supporting documentation of what you allege you were told in the meeting, your contract is valid, and the foreclosure process will not be expedited at your request.
  
  Mr. *********, as we remain in a position of wanting to help, we encourage you to contact Westgate's Owner Benefits Department directly at 1-800-372-0216 for assistance with bringing your account current to avoid continuing collections activity up to and including foreclosure. If we may be of any additional service, our email address is listed below.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Joely *********, Executive Team
  Owner Relations Correspondence
  [email protected] (Attn: Joely *********)
  
  Jr/am
  

  Marlon F

  Date: 08/29/2022

  Sorry for my late response as this is not yet resolved- there no interaction with this consumer to date.
  
  Response: A FOIA request produced 500 Westgate complaints that have been filed with the Florida AG within the last three years and over 4,000 pages of documents. Other states would have launched an investigation by now considering the volume of complaints and the pattern of complaints. A common theme is being promised to rent. A Westgate Timeshare Hostages ******** Group was launched late December and has grown already to over 750 members flooded with complaints about sales agents promising the ability to rent to cover costs (not a true investment). It appears this is a widespread bait and switch and the Westgate's denial department works like a hand to a glove to protect deceptive agents from harmed consumers. Knowing that renting is unfeasible cannot be determined by reading the contract.
  
  1. Dear Mr. *********, Westgate Resorts is in receipt of your correspondence, and we appreciate the opportunity to respond. Please know that we have sent additional copies of the documents mentioned herein to you directly. Mr. *********, first and foremost, we truly regret to read about the financial hardships that you are currently facing.
  
  Response: No, we did not receive any response nor the said documents from westgate, This is not about financial hardship. This is about Westgate sales agents that prey on the fact that reading the contract won't help and the rescission period doesn't help when sales agents explain that it is easy to rent out a Westgate timeshare to cover the cost of ownership. Since the contract states you can rent, reading the contract doesn't help and the rescission period does not help because no one would attempt to rent out a newly purchased timeshare while on a short vacation.
  
  2. We are aware that such events can result in challenges in our lives and strive to be of assistance when our owners are confronted by them. We hope that you can enjoy your Westgate vacation experiences soon; however, we understand life changes happen.
  
  Response: No, I cannot enjoy the Westgate timeshare because we were lied to buy by your sales agent, and apparently your
  role is to protect deceptive sales and not the consumer.
  
  
  3. Regarding the rescission period, please be advised that once the State-mandated rescission period ....
  
  Response: As explained above the rescission period is of no help nor is reading the contract.
  
  4. If you prefer to sell your property, please understand that you may do so on your own.
  
  Response: Honest sales agents will not accept a listing for Westgate Resorts because of the obstacles they place to impede resales. Several resale agents have explained this. One agent said Westgate demands 50% of the broker's commission and no other resort does that.
  
  5. However, Westgate does not have a rental, resale, or buyback program to assist you with the resale or rental process for your timeshare.......
  
  Response: Westgate has crafted the business so that the timeshare is a liability with little to no resale value.
  
  6. As it is not possible to validate verbal statements, the Developer requires all owners to complete the Acknowledgment of Representations (AOR) document. With this document, the Developer strives to eliminate the possibility ...
  
  Response: Westgate promotes deliberate misunderstandings by allowing sales agent to pitch renting the unit out, showing the consumer listings of Westgate weeks. While we acknowledge we did not buy as an investment, merely renting to cover maintenance fees does not meet the definition of a typical investment. Its not acceptable to not possible validate the verbal statement when your not allowing to record your agent sales pitch that mainly influenced our decision to purchase who played a major role in the buying force. Who will sit in the presentation for 6hours just to tbe lied ?!! The 500 complain from FLAG to westgate for the last 3 years show proof a pattern of same complain against your agent sales pitch tactics.
  
  7. Acknowledgments #3 and #5 show that you purchased this property for personal use,,,,,,,,,,,
  
  Response: Your agents say that you don't need a resale or rental agent because it is easy to rent. We understood it was for personal use and the renting was simply to cover fees and loan payments.
  
  8. Concerning affordability, please see your signed AOR, wherein you acknowledged that you had the financial capacity
  
  Response: We had the ability to make the payments if renting were viable as your sales agent assured us.
  
  9. Please understand that it was your responsibility to review the financial obligations associated with the purchase ...
  
  Response: That would not have helped because your contract stated that we can rent.
  I don't need the membership explained because we were deliberately set up to default. Trusting to buy a TS from this company is a shame.

  Central Florida Investments, Inc.

  Date: 09/21/2022

  September 21, 2022
  
  
  RE: Marlon *********
  *************************************************************
  
  Dear Mr. *********,
  
  We thank you for your patience while we reviewed your additional correspondence. Please accept the following as Westgate's response.
  
  Mr. *********, we ask you to understand that our position remains as previously set forth. We have forwarded copies of our previous responses to the email address we have on file.
  
  Should you require further assistance, we once again encourage you to contact our Owner Benefits Department at 1-800-372-0216. While they do not provide contract cancellation services, they are committed to helping you. You may also contact us at the email address below, but please be advised that any future correspondence of the same nature will be met with a similar response.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Amy *****, Executive Team
  Owner Relations Correspondence
  [email protected] (Attn: Amy *****)
  
  Ap/am

  Marlon F

  Date: 10/07/2022

  Recieved a letter through email and smail after Westagate responded to my BBB complain- WG never responded to my complain in FLAG nor to our letter in WG correspondent except for the note that they are still investigating. This is what i got after responding to thier BBB first response. We are very consistent of our complain to assists us to release due to their deceitful practice through high pressure sales tactics. So from these letter they claimed they are attempting to contact us many times. Just for a record just how Westgate continue pretending they care.
  
  My response to Westgate letter i:
  1. We did not recieved ample notification other than through BBB. WG stopped sending mail since they learned we are defaulting last April 2022. And only got this letter of options recently.
  2. If we fail to respond it will potentially affect our credit, Well They already reported late payment since May and already affecting our credit last July.
  3. By Loosing the property vacation weeks - We are no longer had the previledged to use our weeks since april.
  4. We asked help for a release but options provided are to continue.
  
  

  Central Florida Investments, Inc.

  Date: 10/24/2022

  October 24, 2022
  
  
  RE: Marlon *********
  *************************************************************
  
  Dear Mr. *********,
  
  We thank you for your patience while we reviewed your additional correspondence. Please accept the following as Westgate's response.
  
  Please first be advised that we have responded to your direct correspondence later than April 2022, and you acknowledged receipt of this correspondence in your review. In addition, a response was sent to the Florida Attorney General's Office on September 15, 2022. If you have not yet received the resolution to this case, you must contact them directly for further information.
  
  In regard to your claim that you lost the usage of your weeks, be advised that this is unsubstantiated. A review of your account indicates that your occupancy began this year; however if your account is not up to date, you are not able to utilize your contracted occupancy. Our review also found that you were able to successfully book a reservation in May 2022, which you have since cancelled.
  
  Mr. *********, as you have previously been advised, there are no release options we can offer you at this time. Therefore, your contract remains valid and enforceable. We thank you for the opportunity to be of service. For further assistance, we again encourage you to contact our Owner Benefits Department at 1-800-372-0216.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Amy *****, Executive Team
  Owner Relations Correspondence
  [email protected] (Attn: Amy *****)
  
  Ap/am
  

• Review fromMargaret D

  Date: 07/14/2022

  1 star

  Margaret D

  Date: 07/14/2022

  Buyer Beware regarding Westgate Lakes Resort in Orlando, Florida. We purchased a 2-bedroom unit back in 2006. It has been nothing but pressure from the beginning to upgrade our timeshare. Since 2006 we have maybe used the TS half a dozen times. Every single time we stayed at their properties we were forced to attend these ridiculous high-pressure sales meetings. They are relentless, always trying to get us to upgrade our package. We lost a lot of our vacation time being dragged into these meetings that lasted over 3 hours each time. All our stays at the various Westgate Resorts were always met with some difficulty. They never had a two-bedroom available, and we always had to accept one-bedroom units. Often the rooms were filthy, and the beds were not comfortable or broken. We paid thousands of dollars for our timeshare, but never saw any value in it. We discovered many times the TS was much more expensive than hotel rooms. In fact, they were more expensive and far more difficult to make reservations than booking a hotel. Due to health, we are not traveling anymore. We have no use for this timeshare and our children are very worried they are being forced to take over our contract. Please reconsider wasting your time and money with a Westgate Lake Resort timeshare.

  Central Florida Investments, Inc.

  Date: 07/25/2022

  July 25, 2022
  
  
  RE: Margaret *****
  ***********************************************************
  
  Dear Ms. *****,
  
  Westgate Resorts is in receipt of your correspondence, and we appreciate the opportunity to respond. Please be advised that your sales allegations are time-barred. Notwithstanding, we will still address them as a customer service courtesy.
  
  We apologize if you felt uncomfortable or pressured in any way while attending our sales presentation. Since there may have been offers presented on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on the available inventory, the representative may have expressed some urgency regarding the offer. However, you were never obligated to remain past the agreed-upon time to receive your incentive or to purchase a timeshare. Ultimately, you have the right to inform the sales staff or closing officer of any discomfort to ensure proper action is taken, or refrain from purchasing if your concerns are not addressed to your satisfaction. Regarding the Owners' Update Meetings, although we encourage our owners to attend, please know that these meetings are strictly voluntary, and you are not obligated to attend or to upgrade your ownership. Ultimately, the final decision to attend a meeting or to purchase is always yours as the consumer.
  
  Regarding your resort stays, please understand that our review of your past reservations does not show anything that would support your claims. Please know that if you ever experience any issues during your stay, we encourage you to alert the Front Desk staff immediately. Their function is to intercept any potential problems and work toward providing a solution in a timely manner. Additionally, Resort Management is always present to speak with you regarding any concerns you may have while on property. Additionally, please understand that booking units is based on availability.
  
  Ms. *****, we also appreciate your concern about leaving your heirs with the cost of ownership of your timeshare. As each owner's situation is unique, we encourage you to consult with a professional legal advisor regarding the inheritance process.
  
  Further, it is important to keep in mind that the real value in vacation ownership is not the monetary value; it is in the time spent with your loved ones and the memories that you are able to create together as a family.
  
  Ms. *****, Westgate's position is that full and fair disclosure of the purchase terms, including the cost of travel, was provided on the day of sale; therefore, your contract is valid and legally enforceable regardless of use. Please know that Westgate's Owner Relations Team is set up to assist you with your ownership needs, including booking your reservations. You may reach them by calling 1-800-925-9999, option 4. You may also book reservations through your online portal at westgateowners.com.
  
  If we may be of any additional service, our email address is listed below.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Joely *********, Executive Team
  Owner Relations Correspondence
  [email protected] (Attn: Joely *********)
  
  Jr/gsc