Westgate Resorts Ripoff, constant harrassment Gatlinburg Tennessee

I WAS HIRED AS A DEBT COLLECTOR FOR WESTGATE'S 3RD PARTY COLLECTION DEPARTMENT -- THEY CALL THEMSELVES "ICA" WHICH STANDS FOR INTERNATIONAL COLLECTION AGENCY. THEY ARE A SUBSIDIARY OF WESTGATE. WHILE I WAS EMPLOYED THERE I HEARD AND WITNESSED SEVERAL FDCPA VIOLATIONS BEING MADE BY VARIOUS COLLECTORS. ICA, WHO CLAIMED THEY WERE 3RD PARTY COLLECTORS, FAILED TO ABIDE BY 3RD PARTY COLLECTION LAWS AND STATE SPECIFIC LAWS THAT APPLY TO 3RD PARTY COLLECTIONS SUCH AS ASKING FOR POST DATED CHECKS IN CERTAIN STATES, REPEATEDLY HAVING DEBTOR CONTACT UP TO 3 TIMES IN THE SAME DAY WITHOUT REASON OR PERMISSION FROM THE DEBTOR.

THIS WAS DUE TO ICA'S MANAGEMENT'S DELIBERATE INTENT TO COLLECT AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLE EVEN AFTER THE TIMESHARE OWNER HAD MADE SOLID ARRANGEMENTS VIA CHECK BY PHONE TO PAY THEIR DELINQUENT BALANCES -- OF COURSE THE TIMESHARE OWNERS CONSIDERED THIS TO BE HARASSMENT ON ICA'S PART. WHEN I BROUGHT THIS TO ICA'S MANAGEMENT'S ATTENTION, I WAS TOLD I WAS BEING "NEGATIVE TOWARDS THE COMPANY AND MANAGEMENT" AND THAT MY JOB WAS TO COLLECT THE TIMESHARE OWNER'S DELINQUENT DEBTS NOT SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS. PROBLEM SOLVING WAS UP TO THE TIMESHARE OWNER, THE FORMER SALESPERSON WHO SOLD THE TIMESHARE OR "SOME OTHER" DEPARTMENT TO HANDLE.

ICA'S MANAGEMENT STAFF CONSISTS OF A 22 YEAR OLD "TEAM LEADER" WHO ALWAYS HAD A BAD ATTITUDE AND ACTED LIKE SHE WAS BEING BOTHERED EVERYTIME SHE WAS ASKED A QUESTION, A FORMER NURSE TURNED "COLLECTIONS MANAGER" WHO ISNT AWARE OF THE FDCPA LAWS AND STATE SPECIFIC RULES WHEN IT APPLYS TO 3RD PARTY COLLECTIONS, AND SOME GUY NAMED "DAVE" WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE HEAD OF THE ICA DEPARTMENT BUT WHO ALL THE ICA COLLECTORS AND MANAGERS MADE FUN OF AND TALKED ABOUT BEHIND HIS BACK SAYING THAT HE ACTED GOOFY LIKE HE WAS ALWAYS DRUNK OR ON DRUGS AND SHOULD BE FIRED BECAUSE HE DOESNT DO ANYTHING ALL DAY BUT PACE BACK AND FORTH. BUT I GUESS, THAT'S NOT CONSIDERED BEING NEGATIVE.

ICA IS ALL BASED ON A PERSONALITY CONTEST MADE UP OF LACKEYS AND FOLLOWERS. AS LONG AS YOU WENT WITH THE FLOW AND KEPT YOUR MOUTH SHUT YOU REMAINED EMPLOYED BUT IF YOU WERE AN ADVOCATE OF DOING WHAT WAS RIGHT IN THE EYES OF THE LAW AND FOR THE GOOD OF THE CUSTOMERS, YOU WERE CONSIDERED TO BE A TROUBLE MAKER, AN OUTCAST AND FIRED FOR BEING "NEGATIVE AGAINST MANAGEMENT".

I AM PROFESSIONAL DEBT COLLECTOR WITH 6 YEARS OF PROVEN EXPERIENCE AND I AM ONE OF THE TOP IN MY FIELD. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO COLLECT A DEBT BY BEING DECEPTIVE OR DISHONEST. I WAS ONCE A DEBTOR AND KNOW FULL WELL HOW SOMEONE IN THAT POSITION WISHES TO BE TREATED.....RESPECTFULLY!

WESTGATE CLAIMS TO PRIDE ITSELF ON DAVID SIEGEL'S MOTTO "GOOD ENOUGH IS NEVER GOOD ENOUGH" WHICH REMAINS TO BE SEEN. I TOOK THAT MOTTO TO HEART AND ACTUALLY TRIED TO HELP THE TIMESHARE OWNERS RESOLVE THEIR DISPUTES RATHER THAN ASKING THEM TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THEY WERE NOT HAPPY WITH. WHAT WAS MY RESULT? I WAS DRAGGED INTO THE OFFICE BY THE "COLLECTIONS MANAGER" AND "DAVE" AND TOLD I WAS NOT LIKED BY ANY OF THE COLLECTORS IN THE OFFICE BECAUSE I WAS SEEN AS BEING "NEGATIVE TOWARDS THE COMPANY AND MANAGEMENT". ME NEGATIVE? FOR ACTUALLY TRYING TO HELP THE TIMESHARE OWNER BE HAPPY WITH WHAT THEY WERE PROMISED BUT NEVER HAD DELIVERED?! WHAT HAPPENED TO THEIR MOTTO "GOOD ENOUGH IS NEVER GOOD ENOUGH"? THAT MOTTO WAS NEVER APPLIED AT ICA THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS THERE. MY JOB WAS TO COLLECT THE DELINQUENT TIMESHARE DEBT AND IF THE TIMESHARE OWNER WASNT HAPPY....TOUGH LUCK FOR THEM!!! EITHER THEY PAID IT OR THEY WERE FORECLOSED ON AND THEIR CREDIT FURTHER DAMAGED. 99% OF THE TIMESHARE OWNERS HAD A CREDIT SCORE SOMEWHERE IN THE LOW 500'S. THAT'S WHY NO ONE WAS EVER REFUSED THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE A TIMESHARE AT WESTGATE. WESTGATE HAS THEIR OWN "IN HOUSE FINANCING" AT THE WHOOPING RATE OF 17.99% INTEREST.

ICA COLLECTORS ARE SET UP ON A DIRECT DIALER SYSTEM WHICH CALLS THE TIMESHARE OWNER AUTOMATICALLY AT THEIR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT OR RESIDENCE, BUT BY MANAGEMENT'S OWN IMPOSED RULES, ICA COLLECTORS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO RETURN PHONE CALLS TO A TIMESHARE OWNER SHOULD THE TIMESHARE OWNER REQUEST A RETURNED PHONE CALL AT A BETTER MORE SUITABLE TIME EITHER TO PAY THEIR BILL OR IF THEY HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING THEIR ACCOUNT. UNLESS THE TIMESHARE OWNERS CALLED IN, THEY WOULD NOT RECEIVE A RETURNED PHONE CALL EVEN IF THEY REQUESTED ONE. WHY? IT WAS ALL ABOUT MONEY! ICA GETS A FEE FOR COLLECTING THE TIMESHARE OWNER'S DELINQUENT DEBTS AND THE MORE FEES THAT ARE COLLECTED, THE MORE THE COLLECTORS AND MANAGERS GET TO SPLIT THOSE FEES AS A COMMISSION TO THEM.

ICA WAS MORE CONCERNED WITH LOWERING THEIR DELINQUENT NUMBERS AND GETTING A FAT COMMISSION CHECK THAN ACTUALLY HELPING AND ASSISTING CUSTOMERS AND RESLOVING THEIR COMPLAINTS AND ISSUES.

I ATTEMPTED TO HELP A CUSTOMER FROM TENNESSEE WHO TOLD ME SHE AND HER HUSBAND HAD PURCHASED A TIMESHARE IN TENNESSEE WHICH WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING BUILT. WHEN SHE AND HER HUSBAND WENT TO SEE WHAT THEY HAD PURCHASED THEY WERE SHOCKED TO FIND OUT IT WAS A BREAK ROOM AND NOT EVEN A STARDARD TIMESHARE UNIT! I ASKED THE WOMAN IF SHE HAD SPOKEN TO THE SALESPERSON WHO SOLD HER AND HER HUSBAND THEIR TIMESHARE. SHE ADVISED ME THAT ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD SHE AND HER HUSBAND HAS TRIED TO GET THE MATTER RESOLVED BUT NO ONE WOULD EVER RETURN THEIR PHONE CALLS. I BELIEVED HER! AT THAT POINT I ENCOURAGED HER TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE OWNER OF WESTGATE, DAVID SIEGLE, TO GET THE MATTER RESOLVED. I ADVISED HER THAT I WAS SURE IF THE OWNER WAS AWARE OF HER PROBLEM HE WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO HELP HER OR PUT HER IN TOUCH WITH SOMEONE WHO WOULD MAKE THINGS RIGHT. I ALSO ADVISED HER THAT THE OWNER OF WESTGATE HAS A MOTTO THAT I BELIEVED HE BELIEVED IN. I FURTHER ADVISED THE TIMESHARE OWNER THAT DAVID SIEGLE BUILT THOSE TIMESHARES WITH PEOPLE IN MIND. THAT HE TREATS EVERYONE AT WESTGATE AS "FAMILY" AND THAT HE WOULD WANT TO SEE HER AND HER HUSBAND HAPPY AND USING THEIR TIMESHARE WITH THEIR CHILDREN. AFTER ALL, THAT IS WHY HE BUILT THE TIMESHARES FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE FUN AND ENJOY WHAT THEY HAD PURCHASED. IF THE LETTER SHE WAS GOING TO WRITE TO DAVID SEIGLE DIDNT RESOLVE HER PROBLEM THEN I SUGGESTED SHE SEEK LEGAL ADVICE, BRING ALL OF HER CONTRACTS AND PAPERWORK FOR REVIEW AND SEE WHAT SHE ACTUALLY PURCHASED. THE TIMESHARE OWNER THANKED ME.

I BELIEVED THIS: IF THE TIMESHARE OWNER REALLY WAS SOLD A BREAK ROOM RATHER THAN A STANDARD TIME SHARE UNIT, THAT NEEDED TO BE RESOLVED IMMEDIATELY WITH WESTGATE AND HER PROBLEM WOULD BE SOLVED. HOWEVER, IF AFTER SHE WENT TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE, SHOWED AN ATTORNEY ALL OF HER PAPERWORK, CONTRACTS, ETC., AND IT TURNED OUT THAT SHE WAS INCORRECT ABOUT WHAT SHE BOUGHT, THEN SHE WOULD PAY HER BILL AND REALIZE THAT SHE IN FACT HADNT BEEN RIPPED OFF. PROBLEM SOLVED AGAIN.

ON ANOTHER OCCASSION, I WAS DECLINED PAYMENT FROM A TIMESHARE OWNER WHO COULD HEAR ALL THE LOUD CHATTER AND LAUGHTER IN THE BACKGROUND BY COLLECTORS AND MANAGERS WHO WERE SHOUTING AND TALKING LOUDLY HAVING PERSONAL CONVERSATIONS NOT RELATED TO WORK. IT WAS SO LOUD IN THE OFFICE I COULD NOT HEAR MYSELF OR THE TIMESHARE OWNER.

SHE ASKED ME WHAT WAS GOING ON "OVER THERE" (IN THE ICA OFFICE) BEING SO LOUD AND UNPROFESSIONAL SOUNDING. SHE STATED SHE WOULD PAY WHEN OUR OFFICE WAS READY TO CONDUCT BUSINESS ON A PROFESSIONAL LEVEL WITHOUT ALL OF THE LAUGHING AND LOUD TALKING IN THE BACKGROUND. I APOLOGIZED FOR THE BACKGROUND NOISE AND AT THAT POINT TURNED TO MY MANAGER WHO WAS STANDING OVER MY CUBICLE TALKING LOUDLY WITH OTHER COLLECTORS AND ASKED HER TO "PLEASE KEEP IT DOWN". SHE BECAME OFFENDED AND CONTINUED TO TALK. AT THAT POINT, THE TIMESHARE OWNER DENIED PAYMENT AND STATED THAT WE COULD CALL HER BACK WHEN (ICA) WAS READY TO DO BUSINESS AND CONDUCT THEMSELVES IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER. THAT WASNT GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE ICA MANAGEMENT DOESNT ALLOW COLLECTOR'S TO CALL BACK TIMESHARE OWNERS! WHEN I ADVISED MY MANAGER WHAT THE TIMESHARE OWNER HAD STATED, HER RESPONSE WAS "OH WELL, SHE WASNT GOING TO PAY HER BILL ANYWAY!" I NOTATED THE TIMESHARE OWNER'S ACCOUNT EXACTLY AS IT HAPPENED AND ONCE AGAIN I WAS DRAGGED INTO MANAGEMENT'S OFFICE. I WAS BEING REPRIMANDED FOR DOCUMENTING THE ACCOUNT TRUTHFULLY. I WAS TOLD I SHOULD NOT HAVE MADE MENTION OF WHY THE TIMESHARE OWNER REFUSED TO PAY AS IT SHED A BAD LIGHT ON THE OFFICE.

THIS ALSO HAPPENED ANOTHER TIME WITH ANOTHER TIMESHARE OWNER WHO HAD CALLED IN TO PAY HIS BILL. AGAIN THE OFFICE WAS SO NOISEY WITH LOUD CHATTER AND LAUGHTER THAT THE MAN HAD DECLINED TO PAY HIS BILL.

IT WAS THIS TYPE OF SITUATION AND BASICALLY I HEARD THE SAME COMPLAINTS TIME AFTER TIME THAT THE TIMESHARE OWNER WAS PROMISED BY THEIR SALESPERSON CERTAIN THINGS THAT WERE NEVER DELIVERED SUCH AS BEING ABLE TO SELL THE TIMESHARE BACK TO WESTGATE IF THE TIMESHARE OWNER DECIDED THEY DIDNT WANT IT OR COULDNT AFFORD IT ANY LONGER BUT WHEN A TIMESHARE OWNER ACTUALLY TRIED TO DO SO THEY WERE TOLD BY WESTGATE "WE ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF SELLING TIMESHARES NOT BUYING THEM BACK".

Kim in Tennessee - Consumers have the legal right to request they not be contacted for collection purposes again. If Westgate then chooses to start collection proceedings then that is within their right. However, Westgate personnel is very good at trying to intimidate the consumer into believing Westgate is within their "legal" rights.

There are those of us who DO know when we have been scammed and we do not take it lightly and will continue to fight. I would suggest to all those who feel they have been scammed by Westgate, request copies of all complaints from your state's attorney general, department of regulation overseeing the real estate division with that state, and any and all governmental agencies dealing with consumer fraud.

Another suggestion would be to go to the court's websites to see how many times Westgate has been sued. Keep track of the exact date, time, and individual's name you spoke with - follow it up with a letter to that individual and a copy to the department head. All information is helpful.

I understand that it can be hard to endure the phone calls, Westgate Resorts collections department by no means has to follow FDCPA, due to the fact that they are 1st party (3-29 days delinquent) collections....but our staff and managment, not excluding David Siegel, has our company policy to follow those guidlines which protects not only us as a company but mainly you as a consumer.
We do not start calling unitl at LEAST 3 days after your due date, the reason we call that soon is to help you to avoid paying the late fee that is assesed 10 days after your due date.
Is that so bad?
The previous poster is correct in saying that the Do Not Call list is for telemarketing only. We as a "creditor" have the right to contact you the "debtor" at any given time after the due date if monies are not recived.
You even signed a paper at the time of closing on your unit that advised you we can legally act as our own collection agency.
So as you can see we are by no means out of any law or rule for collections. We are only doing what we need to do.
I will admit there are exceptions to the rule, but those are far and inbetween and your situation does not sound like it would be a exception.

K
Tennessee

First of all.. The Do Not Call List is for telmarketing only. I used to work for this company and you must realize that when you have a due date your payment must be made BY that date not within 30 days. If someone owes you money, do you let them pay when you want?