Non-stop telemarketing calls from Welk Resort: I get daily calls from Welk Resort asking to attend time share presentation. They never give up calling me daily from 213-284-3909.
Consumer Complaints & Reviews
I have been calling since December 2011 regarding my membership. Most of the time, I am told I will get a call back later or call back. I do not appreciate being ignored especially since I truly need assistance in this matter. It is very important. I am about to try and get legal assistance, be it civilian or military or both.
Inconsistent and unfair credit reporting practices by Welk Resort Group located at 8860 Lawrence Welk Drive in Escondido, CA 92026 - They have a very inconsistent way of reporting credit. I've been doing business with them since 2006. At the early stages of my loan, they were not reporting any information to the credit bureaus and one day without notification they started doing so. I was also informed they only report delinquencies to credit bureaus at the beginning of every month (not based on due date) meaning as in my case my payments are due the 20th every month, and as long as I made my payment before the end of the following month I would be reported 30+ days delinquent although I really was about 35 days behind by the time I made my payments on or about the 25th of the month due to my current pay periods of the 10th and 25th.
So based on this information, I was paying my payments accordingly. But in February 2012, they reported me 30 days delinquent to Experian for my 12/2011 payment which they processed on 1/6/12 so about 36 days behind but nevertheless within the month of January as I've been doing for months now and had never been a problem because that was exactly how they told me they report their credit to credit bureaus. Once again, they never have sent anything in writing disclosing any changes in their credit reporting practices to advise me this would be happening. They are claiming they never said such a thing to me on how and when they disclosed their credit reporting information to the credit reporting agencies. However, my previous payment history and the way they have been reporting my credit history to these agencies clearly reflects that I am the one telling the truth.
I filed a consumer complaint with the BBB on 2/15/12 and they closed their file as unresolved on 3/2/112 due to the lack of cooperation from the Welk Resort to resolve this matter amicably. I truly believe the Welk Resort Group or his agents are acting in bad faith only because I'm stating the facts. I do not feel they have a consistent and fair way of reporting payment histories to the credit reporting agencies as I can only say that based on my personal experience with them since 2006 and when disputes are in fact made. They aren't willing to resolve the matter at hand. I would like for the FTC to look further into my complaint and claims against the Welk Resort Group. I pay all my bills on time. This has been the only creditor I've had issues with in many years. I also feel they are discriminating and acting in bad faith towards me because I have a Hispanic accent and because I've addressed their lack of consistency in their credit reporting practices.
I have worked in the finance industry for many years now and I personally found they credit reporting practices to be out of the ordinary as the many mortgage companies I've worked for always report based on the due dates and not end of month but again I do value my credit history very much and work hard at maintaining a good credit score as well as a good payment history with all my creditors. Reason for which is I feel that their business practices are deceiving and unfair especially when they aren't providing ample written notification whenever their reporting practices are about to change. If I had been notified ahead of time, I would have known what to do immediately thereafter in order to avoid my credit being affected by their changes. I would no longer recommend any of my friends or family members to do any type of business with them. Stay away!
This was a scam. I was the owner for two years and when I first joined, they told me my points will never expire. Now they tell me they do expire and I have to use them by end of the year. If I roll them over, I can only roll them over half and they again expire next year! Scam!
The salesperson outright lied and misrepresented facts about the Welk Timeshare. Although I am an 'owner', I am unable to schedule any vacations through Welk or Interval International for at least the next two years. I was promised this would not happen because my 'level of membership' affords me certain rights. Now I'm paying for something I'm unable to use.
This happened outside of Angel Stadium. On 7/24/11, we were told we were going to a 90-minute presentation to see the Welk Resort Hotel, just in case we ever wanted to stay in the San Diego area. We asked if this was a timeshare and we were told that no, it's not. This took place in front of Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA. We were promised a three-night stay in Las Vegas just for listening to the presentation and touring the resort. Absolutely no selling was going to take place - its purpose was just to generate "word of mouth" for their resort, and for doing that, they would give us the trip to Vegas.
On February 27, 2011, we attended a 90-minute sales presentation for the timeshare and vacation packages at Welk Resorts. Then, through Gateway Travel, they offered a dream vacation that was too good to be true. They provided instructions to contact Gateway Travel for the travel package. We were led to believe that we were going to receive a two-night hotel stay in Las Vegas, including round-trip airline tickets for two.
When we contacted Gateway Travel at (866) 670-5050 on the telephone number listed on the mailings to claim the gifts, Cynthia, the lady from itineraries, informed me that she was going to send the itinerary that we discussed two weeks before the travel days as leaving from San Diego Airport in the morning on July 12, 2011 and returning from Las Vegas airport in the afternoon on July 15. I agreed to pay the extra night. No itinerary was sent, and Cynthia started to avoid my phone calls.
We believe that Gateway Travel had no intention of providing the advertised travel services. Welk Resorts and Gateway Travel make consumers believe in promises of free gifts, then misrepresentations about their hotel accommodations and airfare that, probably, was not available. They mislead people for the purpose of defrauding and enriching themselves.
On February 27, 2011, I went to visit the Welk Resorts and received the vacation package instructions to contact Gateway Travel.
On May 24, 2011, I spoke to Regina at Gateway Travel. She was very nice. She finally confirmed our option 1 for travel days on July 12 to July 15, 2011. She told me that we were staying at the Flamingo Hotel and I agreed to pay the extra night at the Flamingo Hotel. She advised me to wait for the confirmation letter in the mail and return it back with a $79 money order.
On May 25, 2011, I sent Regina's supervisor, Steve, a thank you letter via email at **.
On May 30, 2011, I contacted Regina because I did not receive the confirmation letter. She told me that it was already sent and to give it a couple of days. And if not received, just send the money order to her attention.
On June 4, 2011, I received the confirmation letter giving me until June 1 to send it. But Regina said it was okay because the confirmation letter was received late. On June 6, 2011, the $79 money order was sent.
On June 13, 2011, I called Gateway to confirm that the money order was received. I was advised to wait for my itinerary two weeks before my travel day.
On June 30, 2011, I spoke to Cynthia from the itinerary section at Gateway Travel. She asked me if we wanted to leave from San Diego Airport in the morning and come back from Las Vegas in the afternoon. I told her yes. She also told me that we were going to stay at the Palace Station because there was no more availability in the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. I agreed. Cynthia then told me that everything is okay. Then at this time, she asked me if I wanted to cancel everything and receive $200. I did not accept and she told me that she was going to send me the itinerary via email as soon as possible by close of business on June 30 or the next day.
I checked my email every day. Gateway Travel closes on weekends and then July 4 was a holiday. I did not receive any emails and we started to worry.
On July 5, 2011, I called Cynthia from itineraries and she tried to avoid me. I told her that I was worried and just wanted to make sure that my travel was okay. She responded that everything was okay as she told me before and just needed concurrence from a supervisor and that she was going to call me or send me an email within 72 hours.
On July 7, 2011 at about 3:30 PM, I contacted Gateway Travel and asked for a supervisor. I was transferred to Cynthia again. She was very rude and told me that availability to travel from San Diego was no longer an option for us. She told me that we will be traveling from Los Angeles instead. I explained to her that this was not what she told me before and explained to her that my husband is a truck driver and I was not going to make him drive on his vacation. She did not appear to care about our situation. She just told me I have two options, take it or cancel it.
I started crying and begging her not to do this to us, that she just ruined our vacation. I also explained to her that we get two weeks of vacation a year and that our second week was already scheduled for September 2, 2011 for our cruise. She did not care. I asked her when she was going to tell me the bad news and she told me that she usually calls a couple of days before the travel, which I think it is not customer friendly to tell travelers that the planned itinerary is no longer the option.
On July 7, 2011 at around 4:30 PM, she finally transferred me to her supervisor, Steve **. He already knew about the problem and just confirmed the information that Cynthia had already told me. I also begged to Steve to change the time or the day for the week of travel, in which he told me, "You know you can only leave on a Tuesday and come back on a Thursday," as the agreement says. He then told me that he was willing to give me another option which was $200 cash and take care of the trip myself.
I did not accept it because with $200, there is no way I could find last minute airline tickets for this price. I got home and asked Steve to speak to my husband. My husband did not want the $200 either. He told Steve that we wanted our trip to Las Vegas, as previously agreed. They started arguing and raising their voices and Steve hung up on my husband. They never called us back.
On July 8, 2011, I called Welks Resort at 1-800-652-0056, to explain the situation and I was referred to speak to Jason **, a supervisor. I left two messages but he did not return my call.
The week of July 12 to July 15 was a waste of vacation time. We spent the week at home. It was very hard for my husband to take time off from work because his schedule is very strict. They have to make sure that another truck driver covers his schedule. Vacation time for us is very important and we always plan ahead very carefully. We were home so sad and depressed. I had migraine headaches all week just remembering the nightmare that we went through with people from Gateway Travel. It was a very frustrating and stressful situation. We took a lot of emotional abuse!
On July 18, 2011, we decided to file a complaint with BBB via email. Complain ID **. I asked for $1,000 to cover for a trip to Las Vegas on our own schedule and arrangements, probably until next year. And we also want to make sure that Gateway Travel and Welk Resorts do not mislead any more customers, resulting on a waste of earned vacation time that we eagerly wait for.
On July 21, 2011, Steve from Gateway Travel called me to tell me that he was very sorry about cancelling our vacation. He tried to offer me a trip to Las Vegas for three nights instead of two nights and leaving from San Diego at any time any day. I just needed to tell him when and he would schedule it. I asked him why he did not give me this option the week of July 7, when I begged him for it. He told me that I did not ask him for it. This is a big lie. I then told him that it is a nightmare dealing with him.
Now, he is trying to make it look like he is very concerned about us. I told him that I was going to ask my husband. Steve told me to tell my husband that the $1,000 we asked for is not going to work.
On July 21, 2011, I asked my husband, but his only day off is Sundays so there is no possible way to take any time off again, even on a weekend.
On July 22, 2011, I sent an email to Steve to tell him that we cannot accept his new option.
On July 24, 2011, I went to Sports Arena Swat meet and spoke to Marc **, event supervisor from Welk Resorts. We told him about the problem. He appeared to be very concerned and he said that he was going to refer the problem to Sterling **, his Supervisor at 1-800-652-0056. They don't want Gateway Travel to treat customers the way they treated us.
On July 25, 2011, an email received from Steve said, "As I said, I want to resolve. When can we talk?" I responded via email, "Please see the BBB correspondence with our proposal."
On July 26, 2011, Steve from Gateway Travel called me again to tell me that the $1,000 is not going to work and that he is going to send his response to BBB. No response was submitted to BBB.
Someone needs to stop these people from ruining vacation time that is so hard to earn. And we counted the days for July 12 to come and what a disappointment! All he said is "Sorry".
On July 26, 2011, I found information about Seagull Vacations. It has the same address, phone number, same employee names and Steve Steer was the President. These two companies appear to be the same, yet the name was changed to Gateway Travel.
Seagull Vacations have about 115 complaints with Better Business Bureau (BBB) in Phoenix, Arizona. Welk Resorts have been using both companies, Seagull Vacations and Gateway Travel, knowing that this is a scam.
We were asked to come visit the Welk Resort in San Diego, and see if we would be interested in a timeshare. We declined the offer, not only because of cost, also because of income requirements. After the presentation, they had us talk to another sales person to see if we could reconsider at an even lower price. However, we were not interested still. They offered us a "free" trip to Cabo San Lucas to see their new hotel (and another presentation). My husband was trying to surprise me with that as a birthday present, and booked it with a $50 deposit on our debit card.
Months went by, and we came into some serious financial debt. So, there was no way that we could make this trip. And honestly, we completely forgot about it because we never received a confirmation. Apparently, in the "small print", they state that if you do not cancel the reservation two weeks before the reservation date, they will charge you $250.00. So, the other day, we noticed that our bank account had been depleted, because they took the money out. As I mentioned, we were never given confirmation for the resort (other than the charge to our account for the deposit), so we completely forgot about it.
When I called to speak to Tammy (our "travel specialist"), she was rude and not helpful at all. She stated that the $250.00 charge was in the contract. I gave a rebuttal to her that it also stated in the contract that they did not accept debit cards (which they did from us) and you had to make $75,0000 a year (which we do not), be creditworthy (with which we are filing bankruptcy), and that we should have gotten a confirmation letter via email no later than 72 hours after booking the vacation. I called Tammy again when I did not receive a response for my rebuttal. And my wife also called her. She will not credit the money back to the account.
I went to Branson and was talked into buying a time share by Welk Resort. When I got home, I cancelled the contract because I had a minimum time to cancel. So, I called Mr. ** and I also made an email to him. He replied back stating he was going to refund my money of $200.00. I saved all emails and have copies and certified letters etc. Is this how they do business, by stealing and lying to consumers to get their hard earned money? I want my refund of $200.00 back. They have not replied back to me as of 08/16/2010.
Please beware. My husband and I went to a timeshare presentation at Welks Resort with the promise of a "4 Free Nights in London." Once we said no to the timeshare, we were given a certificate through Seagull Vacations Inc. to redeem our vacation. This company is a scam. They send you a travel itinerary and request $79 to pay for taxes and fees then you never receive a confirmation. We called every day leading up to our "trip" and finally got a confirmation for our hotel. When we showed up at the hotel, the reservation was not paid for and the credit card on file was declined.
I purchased a timeshare from the Welk Resort group, everything went fine until one month they did not take out the monthly mortgage payment. They never sent me any type of bill or correspondence stating that there was any problem with the account. I have never been notified that there was any problems with the account until I was contacted by a collection agency. I immediately phoned Welk resort's customer service department and was treated very rudely by a manager who would only identify herself as Fey. They would not help me in any way, shape or form and I now have a negative mark on my credit history because of their mistake. Thank you for your time.
They have reported the account as delinquent and have sent it to a collections agency. I have never been in collection before so this has very negatively impacted my credit report and rating.
Bill D. from Welks Resort did a salespitch for us, showing us how we could essentially rent our weeks every year through Welks and pay off 10 year annual mortgage. Once the mortgage was paid for we would have 4 weeks of our own to vacation. When we tried to start the rental process, the rates were less than half what Bill had said, the commission rates were more than double, and the number of weeks we were allowed to rent was half.
Over the next 10 year, we owe $6,000/year to pay off the timeshare. At Welk's new rules we will earn $1,800/year from renting. A loss of about $45,000 to us.
