Florida District Judge Rules Westgate Unable to Prove Claims Against Timeshare Exit Team

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In a substantial defeat for a major developer in the $10 billion timeshare industry, a Florida district judge has ruled that timeshare developer Westgate Resorts failed to show that advertisements from Reed Hein & Associates (doing business as Timeshare Exit Team) caused the damages to consumers that developers had claimed, and dismissed both federal and Florida State claims related to false advertising and unfair business practices.

On February 11, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Presnell entered an order dismissing Westgate's claims of false advertising under the federal Lanham Act and Florida State law claim for deceptive and unfair trade practices. The judge said that Westgate could not prove its accusations and that consumers are not harmed by Timeshare Exit Team. The Judge then granted Reed Hein's request for "Summary Judgment" on those claims, which the company feels is a significant win and a clear sign that Westgate doesn't have the facts to back up its allegations.

This ruling comes on the heels of Timeshare Exit Team successfully negotiating a path out of timeshare contracts for over 1,000 customers of Orange Lake Country Club in Orlando. These frustrated Orange Lake customers had reached out to Timeshare Exit Team for assistance, often after other companies, including so-called "resale" companies, had failed to deliver on promises. Just before trial, Federal Judge Wendy W. Berger issued an order advising Orange Lake that she had "serious doubts about Plaintiffs' ability to prove causation and damages" at trial, and tossed the developer's federal Lanham Act claims for false advertising/unfair business practices. So to avoid what was shaping up to be an embarrassing public loss, Orange Lake decide to settle on the eve of trial.

"While fed-up consumers continue to pay the price with absurd maintenance fees and contracts designed to keep them trapped, major timeshare developers like Westgate are trying to fool the public by lobbing these frivolous complaints intended to distract," said Brandon Reed, CEO of Timeshare Exit Team and a founding member of the Coalition to Reform Timeshare. "But between this judge's decision and Orange Lake's recent decision to settle, it should be clear to everyone what has been clear to us all along: these accusations are totally unwarranted, and with each win we're going to come back even stronger so timeshare owners can get the help they so desperately need. Timeshare companies should turn their focus and resources on doing good for their customers by helping owners out of their timeshares when necessary, because no one should be stuck in a timeshare forever."

Timeshare Exit Team, the leading timeshare exit company in the U.S., has successfully assisted more than 20,000 people get out of their timeshares since its founding in 2012, despite intense pushback from the industry.

About Timeshare Exit Team
Timeshare Exit Team is the industry leader in helping people exit their unwanted timeshares. Understanding this hardship, Timeshare Exit Team started in 2012 with one goal in mind: help consumers find financial and emotional freedom from their timeshare situation. To date, it has helped more than 20,000 timeshare owners exit their timeshare contracts. For more information, visit the company online at https://timeshareexitteam.com.

SOURCE Timeshare Exit Team