Welk Resort Group

In life, there are 2 types of decisions a person can make. A good decision and a bad one. I made a bad decision by giving my business and putting my trust into Welk Resorts. They have lied and have just committed complete fraud. It is so unfortunate that they have shown their true colors and it is not what I had hoped for. I was told they had access to Disney which was a big lie. How bad does a product and service must be for someone to blatantly lie about everything to get a sale. I really feel bad for Welk because they just seem like they cannot get it together. I have an idea, maybe instead of lying to your customers, you tell the truth. Then, more people can trust you and will have better things to say.

You’re on vacation but I’m the middle of nowhere and all their “attractions” are out of order. Your room is in disrepair, there is one roll of toilet paper and the toilet paper holder falls off the wall upon touching it. The folding hairdryer won’t stay open and there’s no shampoo, soap, etc. You “get to” cook all your own food and do your own laundry too! No one’s gonna come make your bed or tidy up! Just like home! There’s no Wi-Fi in the bedroom so forget reading the news in bed next to your sleeping spouse. Just like a crap motel! But that’s okay because the walls are paper thin and you can hear everyone on all sides of you at all times. Just like an apartment. And all this could have been ours for $16,000 upfront and then no less than $600 a year to start for the rest of our lives and our kid’s lives and our kid’s kid’s lives. Apparently timeshares become a genetic disorder that stays in your lineage FOREVER.

I have always heard about the horror stories about timeshares from other people, but I never quite believed the horrible things timeshare salespeople do to others. Because of Welk, I have now experienced these horrors firsthand. I was told I would have the ability to book amazing resorts across the world (including Disney), my timeshare could be inherited by my children, and I’d pay upfront cost for full suites rather than a hotel room, etc. They even went as far as telling me I was able to book using points through RCI to Disney’s Animal Kingdom (A MAJOR REASON WHY I PURCHASED). All these lies showed their true colors very soon after. Unacceptable. Everything I was told was a lie. I am disgusted with the way that Welk does business and I plan on letting the Attorney General know my firsthand experience with their deceptive sales practices. I’ve already researched, and I implore everyone who was deceived by Welk to do the same!

Thanks to these reviews here, we were able to escape a major modern-day calamity of having to pay 54k for the timeshare plus $1500 + a year in maintenance fees for the rest of our lives! They don’t let you keep any papers so you don’t get to keep the evidence of their lies. The rep wrote all these promises like No blackout dates, anytime, anywhere in the world. Every time I said I wanted to look at the paper he had to go get it from another room. Every time I hung on to it to refer to, like during the tour, I eventually end up setting it down on the table, he took it away. In the end he wouldn’t let me keep it or even take a photo of it.

I made a reservation online a month in advance for a two bedroom suite thru their third party site Vacation Club Rentals. Entered my credit card info and selected to pay in full, the payment wasn’t taken at the time but I got a confirmation it was booked. Two weeks later I misplaced that credit card and had to order a new one. I called Vacation Club Rentals to update the cc info since they hadn’t charged my card yet. The guy informed me that I can’t “modify” my reservation but I can pay for it when I check in. He swore my reservation was secure and would not be canceled. Two days later I receive an email from them stating my card on file was declined (due to being lost) and if I didn’t call to update it within 48 hrs it would be canceled.

Welk Resorts fed me lies to get into my wallet! I am very passionate about traveling but it is something I can rarely afford. Welk promised to make this easier for me, but instead made it more expensive and difficult! They reeled me in by offering me a free flight for my attendance at the presentation, but when I went to redeem the voucher, it was no longer valid. The two-hour presentation turned into four hours of pressure, where eventually I signed just to be able to leave. They have ripped me off and lied to me about this entire purchase.

Welk Resorts is horrible and discriminatory!!! DO NOT do business with this corrupt company. How the government allows them to continue to operate is beyond me! These bullies deceived and fed us lies to get me and my wife locked into one of their timeshares. Their sales employees are disgustingly persistent. Contrary to what they tell you in the sales pitch meetings, THEY ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH DISNEY!!! They can’t offer you any perks and access to Disney parks or resorts! They told us we were eligible for a trip to Japan with airfare included but it was all LIES to get us buy, you can’t use their timeshare in Japan! Their “owner update meetings” are nothing more than just a ruse to sucker owners into buying more points!

We are owners for this timeshare. There are what is called maintenance fees due yearly. They give you an option to pay quarterly or annually. The fees are over 3600$ for what we have. We paid our first quarter, and then when I went to pay the 2nd quarter weeks before it was due I realized they had sent me to collections. I have been unable to access our account for over a month, they have taken payment and neglect to verify or update my account that it has been paid. I have been unable to make reservations and NO ONE will help me within this company. I ask them to please call Meridian who took our payment of over 2000$ and they won't. It feels like we have been robbed. This company needs to be held accountable for their actions. HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE/HORRIBLE COMPANY!

My experience with Welk Resorts has been atrocious and I fully regret the day I got involved with their timeshares. I was initially introduced to Welk Resorts after I received a call from them saying I had won a contest. When I went to claim my prize, it was a bait and switch; I found myself in a day’s long sales pitch. Their sales agents are masters of manipulation who not only exaggerate the benefits owning a Welk timeshare but also purposely leave out the details that would make any reasonable person walk right out. It’s shameful to realize what they do to you after you’ve already signed with them. Welk's sales agents led me to believe I was getting a once in a lifetime deal and that they had never seen deals for such a low price… All lies.

I feel for you if you have ever had to deal with Welk. If you haven’t had the displeasure, take this as a warning: My husband and I traded our week with Vistana to stay at a Welk resort. We were roped into a presentation where we made it clear that we had no intention of buying another timeshare. Our salesman gave us information about how Welk’s system worked and how the HOA fees would be every- other- year. He stated the trading power in FL vs. CA was different and we’d be better off owning in CA.