On 11 Aug 08 me and my wife checked in to Planet Hollywood for our honeymoon. When we checked in we were offered a free show and free dinner in exchange for a two hour tour of Planet Hollywood all we had to do was leave a $20.00 deposit which would be given back upon return. We signed up to show up at 1:00 pm the next day for the tour. When we showed up we sat in a small lobby for about twenty minutes where we were greeted by a West gate representative who escorted us into a huge lobby with lots of signs of properties on the wall (Suspicious). We sat down with representative who asked us did we know why we were there. I stated that we a here for a tour Planet Hollywood, dinner, and a free show. He said no this is for timeshare and that someone referred us to him (person unknown) and that we knew this person, at which time I explained to him that I am military on travel from one duty station to another and we are here for our honeymoon and know no one here. Then he said again so you don't know why you are here. At this point people were clapping and being congratulated on their time shares sells, so after seeing that I was curious and was interested in home buying and asked exactly what is a timeshare? He told me it was about vacations and that if time share is not something I like to get into that I could walk away and stop the paper work at any time during the process. So that is when I sat through a two to three hour discussion about time share and went on a tour to look at a building that was under construction across from Planet Hollywood that is being built by West Gate Resorts.
During this process the representative told me nothing about any complaints or the bad publicity about West Gate Resorts - that I later research online too late to cancel after I had flown out the next morning to my new duty station and was too busy too read the full contract especially the part about how we only have five calendar days from the date of signing the contract to cancel, and it would have to be mailed in to West Gate Head Quarters, this is that part that closing agent failed to disclose also when she was explaining the contract for about another two hours after were convinced this was a good idea. My reason for canceling is that when I went online to research West Gate I came across all kinds of complaints via usacomplaints.com and many other websites that anyone can actually Google by simply entering 'West Gate Scams ' in any browser.
We felt so deceived by them that I sent an email right away to the closing agent and told her I was canceling the contract which she replied back saying that I can not and that I should read the contract. I was contacted again by the closing agent and told that the money I owe will be forwarded for to a collection agency as a debt so I now in the process of filing complaints in regards to West Gate salesman and there practices on the the sale of timeshares. I want to warn others out there who don't have all the information about timeshare to beware that the representative mentions nothing about the numerous complaints against West Gate and about their cancellation policy and why not because where there is smoke there is fire, if a potential buyer knows this information they would never go through with the presentation. I don't how anyone with true integrity and honor would risk involving their friends or family members in such a scandalous business after knowing and hearing about there irreparable reputation. First, we were baited with a free dinner and show in exchange for a tour at the entrance of the hotel by an unknown man.
Second, the tour was after a long personal presentation, which was required for the free show and free meal tickets and switched into talking about timeshare which was undisclosed at by the man who solicited us at the entrance and when deposited our $20.00 for the free show and dinner at the front desk counter of Planet Hollywood. Finally, the whole process is a bait and switch scheme / scam and is a bad business tactic on the behalf of West Gate Resorts that prey on ignorance of tourists and needs to stop or be COMPLETELY honest up front.
Philosophy187
FPO AP, Hawaii
U.S.A.
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