How to cancel a Westgate timeshare: your real options

Last updated 2026-07-25

Can you actually cancel a Westgate timeshare?

Yes, but only in two real ways. The first is rescission: a short legal window, set by state law, during which you can cancel a brand-new timeshare purchase for any reason and get your money back. The second is an exit after that window closes, which means a deed-back, a resale, or a negotiated release, none of which Westgate or anyone else can promise you in advance. There's no federal law that lets you cancel a timeshare at any time. Timeshare rescission rights come from state law, not federal law, and the specific window and requirements vary by state. That means your actual cancellation right depends entirely on which state your Westgate contract was signed in, not on Westgate's internal policies. If you're past rescission, cancellation isn't really the right word anymore. You're looking at getting out of an ownership you already legally hold, and that's a slower, more deliberate process. Both paths are covered below, and it matters which one you're in before you spend a dollar on help.

How to get out of a timeshare during the rescission window

If you signed your Westgate contract recently, check your state's rescission period first. This is the single fastest, cheapest, and most reliable way to get out, and it costs nothing but a stamp and some attention to detail. Rescission periods differ by state and are usually short. Florida gives buyers 10 calendar days to cancel a timeshare purchase, running from the date of signing or the date the buyer received the last document required to be given, whichever is later ^[1]. Nevada's timeshare rescission period is 5 calendar days from execution of the contract ^[2]. Some states extend the window if the seller violated disclosure rules. Because Westgate operates resorts across Florida, Nevada, Missouri, Tennessee, South Carolina, and other states, the rule that applies to you depends on where you signed, not where Westgate is headquartered. Confirm your state's rescission window before you assume you've missed it. To cancel inside the window: write a dated cancellation letter, reference your contract number, state plainly that you are rescinding under your state's timeshare cancellation statute, and send it by certified mail with return receipt to the exact address listed in your contract's cancellation clause. Florida's statute specifically allows cancellation notice to be given by mail, and it treats the notice as given when properly addressed and postmarked, which is why using the method spelled out in the contract protects you if there's ever a dispute ^[1]. Keep copies of everything: the letter, the receipt, the green card that comes back. Don't rely on a phone call or a verbal promise from a sales rep. If Westgate offers you an incentive to "just wait a bit" or talks you into a shorter meeting to "process the cancellation," that's a stall tactic, not a favor. For a fuller walkthrough of drafting and sending that letter correctly, see how to get out of a timeshare.

What if you're already past the rescission deadline?

Then you're asking a different question: not how do you get out of a timeshare in the legal-cancellation sense, but how do you exit an ownership you're contractually bound to. This is where most Westgate owners actually are, especially those dealing with rising fees or an inherited deed nobody wants. Your realistic paths, in rough order of cost and reliability: 1. Deed-back or surrender program through Westgate itself. Some developers accept a deed back if the loan is paid off, fees are current, and the unit meets their criteria. Westgate has offered such programs at points, though acceptance isn't guaranteed and terms shift. Ask Westgate directly, in writing, whether a deed-back or "Ovation"-style surrender program is currently available for your specific resort and contract. 2. Resale. Timeshares resell for a small fraction of retail price, often close to zero on the open market once you account for closing costs and transfer fees, because the resale supply badly outstrips demand. Timeshare purchase agreements are for a vacation product, not an investment, and resale value is never guaranteed ^[3]. 3. Give it away, sometimes for $1 plus transfer fees, through a licensed closing or title company, only if the buyer or grantee genuinely wants it and understands the ongoing maintenance fee obligation they're accepting. 4. A verified exit process: reviewing your deed, contract, and state's specific consumer protection rules, then pursuing whichever legitimate exit lane fits (developer program, resale, or in rare cases dispute over misrepresentation). No legitimate service can guarantee a specific outcome or timeline, and you should be skeptical of anyone who says otherwise. What you should not do is stop paying your maintenance fees or loan on the theory that nonpayment forces a cancellation. It doesn't. It damages your credit and can lead to foreclosure on the timeshare interest, plus collections on any remaining balance depending on your state and contract terms.

How to sell a Westgate timeshare (and what it's really worth)

You can sell a Westgate timeshare, but go in with real expectations about price. The resale market for points-based and deeded timeshares is thin, and most listings sit for a long time or sell for a few hundred dollars, sometimes less than the cost of one year's maintenance fee. To actually sell: - List through a licensed timeshare resale broker or a reputable marketplace, not an unsolicited caller who says they have "a buyer already lined up." That's a classic setup for an upfront-fee scam.

• Price realistically. Look at completed sales for the same resort and unit type, not asking prices, since asking prices on timeshare resale sites are frequently unrealistic and don't reflect what buyers actually pay.
• Expect to pay standard closing and transfer costs even at a low sale price, and confirm who is responsible for the current year's maintenance fees during the transfer.
• Never wire an upfront "transfer fee" or "tax" to a stranger who cold-called you about buying your timeshare. That is one of the most common resale scam patterns regulators warn about. If your realistic goal is just to stop paying fees rather than recoup money, a deed-back or a $1 transfer to a willing party who understands the obligation is usually faster and cheaper than a formal sale.

How much do Westgate timeshares cost, and why does that matter for your exit?

Timeshare purchase prices vary enormously by resort, unit size, season, and points allotment, but industry data gives a useful baseline. The average price paid for a timeshare interval, across the industry, was approximately $22,942 in ARDA's 2023 State of the Vacation Ownership Industry data, with average annual maintenance fees around $1,205. Westgate contracts specifically often run higher for larger units or bulk-points packages, and it's common for owners to have financed the purchase at a high interest rate through the developer, sometimes in the mid-teens percentage range, which compounds the sunk cost. That original price tag matters for your exit decision in one specific way: it does not translate into resale value. A $20,000 purchase price does not mean a $20,000 (or even $2,000) resale price. Treat the purchase price as gone; your decision now is about ongoing costs (maintenance fees, special assessments, loan payments if still owed) versus the cost and hassle of exiting. If rising annual fees are the real trigger for wanting out, it helps to separate "I want to stop this specific fee increase" from "I want out of the ownership entirely." They're different problems with different fixes, and conflating them leads owners into paying exit companies for solutions they didn't need.

Are timeshares scams, or is it the exit industry you need to worry about?

The timeshare product itself is a legal, regulated real estate or right-to-use product, not a scam in the legal sense, though plenty of owners feel misled by high-pressure sales tactics, and state regulators have taken action over specific practices. The bigger, better-documented scam risk today is actually in the exit industry, not the original purchase. The FTC has brought and settled multiple enforcement actions against timeshare exit companies for taking large upfront fees, sometimes thousands of dollars, and failing to deliver promised cancellations. In one action, the FTC and the State of Missouri obtained a settlement against a timeshare exit operation, Resort Release, alleging the company took upfront fees ranging from about $2,995 to $8,000 while failing to get consumers out of their contracts as promised. The agency has also warned about a related scam where callers claiming to be able to sell or rent out your timeshare demand upfront fees and then disappear. Red flags for an exit scam: demands for full payment before any work starts, pressure to sign within 24 or 48 hours, promises that your contract will be canceled no matter what it says, refusal to put fee structures in writing, and unsolicited cold calls claiming they already have a buyer for your unit. A legitimate resale broker or exit-support service explains your actual legal options, doesn't promise a specific outcome, and is transparent about who does the work and when you pay for it. For a rundown of legitimate versus predatory exit companies, see timeshare exit companies, and for a scam-specific checklist, timeshare call list covers the calls and letters worth ignoring.

What does a Westgate deed-back or surrender program actually involve?

A deed-back (sometimes called a surrender or, in Westgate's marketing at various points, an exit or transfer program) means the developer takes the deed back voluntarily, releasing you from future maintenance fees and assessments. It is the cleanest legitimate exit when it's available, because Westgate's own title department handles the transfer and there's no third party fee involved. Typical conditions developers apply to deed-back acceptance: - The mortgage, if any, must be paid in full. Developers generally will not take back a deed with a loan balance still owed.

• Maintenance fees and any special assessments need to be current, not delinquent.
• The unit or points package needs to be something the developer is willing to re-absorb into inventory; some older or less desirable weeks are declined.
• There may be a processing or administrative fee, though it should be disclosed clearly and should be far smaller than what upfront-fee exit companies charge. Because availability and terms change, the only reliable way to find out if this applies to you is to ask Westgate's owner services or title department directly, in writing, and get any offer in writing before paying anything or signing a release. Don't assume a program that existed two years ago is still running on the same terms today.

How do you know which rescission rule applies if you signed at more than one Westgate resort?

Your rescission right is tied to the state where you executed the contract, not where the resort's home office sits or where you live. If you bought at Westgate Lakes Resort in Orlando, Florida's rule applies, generally a 10-day window from signing or from receipt of the last required disclosure document ^[1]. If you signed at Westgate Las Vegas Resort, Nevada's 5-day rule applies ^[2]. If you upgraded or added points at a different property in a different state, that new contract may carry its own separate rescission clock, distinct from your original purchase. This is a genuinely common point of confusion for owners who bought a base package and later attended an "owner update" presentation that resulted in a new contract, sometimes in a different state. Each signed contract is generally its own rescindable event under the law of the state where it was executed. If you're not sure which state's law applies to a specific document, pull the actual signature page, check the state named in the contract's governing law and rescission clauses, and count from the date on that document, not from memory.

What should your cancellation letter actually say?

Keep it short, factual, and unambiguous. A rescission letter isn't a place to explain your financial hardship or your feelings about the sales presentation; it's a formal legal notice, and courts and companies look for specific elements. Include: your full name(s) as they appear on the contract, the contract or account number, the resort name and address, the date you signed, a clear statement that you are canceling/rescinding the contract under [your state]'s timeshare rescission statute, and your signature and date. Send it to the exact address specified in the contract's cancellation section, by certified mail with return receipt requested, and keep a copy of everything you send along with the mailing receipt and the returned green card. Do not rely on email or a phone call alone unless your contract specifically allows it; some state statutes and most contracts require written notice sent to a designated address. If your state law allows email or fax as an alternative, use it as a backup, not a replacement, for the certified mail copy. For a full sample structure and mailing checklist, timeshare cancellation walks through the letter format in more detail, and how to get out of timeshare covers what to do if the company doesn't respond within a reasonable time.

What if Westgate ignores your cancellation or disputes it?

First, don't panic and don't re-sign anything new in response to a call pressuring you to "handle it differently." If you sent a timely, properly addressed rescission notice within your state's window, the contract is legally canceled at that point regardless of whether the company acknowledges it right away. If Westgate doesn't process a refund or confirm cancellation within a reasonable period (many state statutes specify a refund timeline, often 20 to 45 days depending on the state, so check yours), you have real options. File a complaint with your state Attorney General's consumer protection division; most have an online consumer complaint form specifically for unresolved business disputes. File a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, which feeds into the FTC's law enforcement database even though the FTC doesn't resolve individual disputes directly ^[4]. Consider a complaint to the state real estate or timeshare regulatory body if the state has one (Florida's Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes handles timeshare-specific complaints, for example) . Keep every piece of paper. If it eventually needs a consumer protection attorney's attention, a complete written record of the timely, correctly addressed rescission notice is the single most useful thing you can hand them.

What does a legitimate exit path actually cost versus a scam?

Rescission (in-window)	Cost of certified mail, under $10	Refund per state statute, often 20 to 45 days	Legally your right if done correctly and timely
Developer deed-back program	Often free to a modest processing fee	Weeks to a few months	Not guaranteed; developer discretion
Resale through licensed broker	Broker commission or flat fee, paid at closing	Months, market dependent	No guarantee of a sale or price
$1 transfer via title company	Transfer and recording fees, a few hundred dollars	Weeks	Not guaranteed; needs a willing recipient
Upfront-fee exit company (red flag pattern)	$2,000 to $8,000+ paid before work starts	Often stalls for years	No legitimate service can promise this	The pattern the FTC and state AGs consistently flag is full payment demanded before any actual filing, deed transfer, or legal work happens, the same pattern alleged in the FTC and Missouri action against Resort Release. A $149 flat-fee self-help resource, like ExitHonest's Timeshare Exit Kit, is built specifically to avoid that pattern: it gives you the letter templates, state-specific rescission information, and step-by-step process to pursue rescission or a deed-back yourself, without a company charging thousands to "handle it" and without ever promising an outcome it can't control. You can start building your packet at /exit-kit-builder.

This is the comparison that trips up the most owners, because scam companies deliberately price themselves to look like a bargain next to the sunk cost of the original purchase. | Path | Typical cost | Timeline | Guarantee of outcome |

What about an inherited Westgate timeshare?

If you inherited a Westgate ownership through a will or as an heir and never wanted it, you generally are not obligated to keep it, but you do need to handle the estate process correctly to avoid personal liability for fees. An executor or heir can typically disclaim (formally refuse) an inherited timeshare interest before accepting any benefit of it, which, if done properly under your state's probate law, treats you as if you never inherited it at all. Once you've accepted the deed or started paying fees, disclaiming becomes harder, and you're generally in the same position as any other owner: deed-back, resale, or, if truly nothing else works, allowing the estate or the developer to pursue whatever remedy applies for an unwanted, fee-delinquent interest. Talk to the estate's probate attorney before paying any maintenance fee bill that arrives addressed to a deceased owner's estate; paying it can be read as accepting the inheritance.

Frequently asked questions

How to get out of a timeshare with Westgate specifically?

If you're still inside your state's rescission window (often 5 to 10 days depending on the state), send a written cancellation notice by certified mail to the address in your contract. Past that window, ask Westgate about a deed-back or surrender program in writing, consider resale through a licensed broker, or explore a $1 transfer to a willing recipient. Never stop paying fees hoping it forces a cancellation.

How do you get out of a timeshare after the rescission period ends?

You generally need the developer's cooperation (a deed-back program), a buyer (resale, often for very little money), or a willing recipient for a low-cost or $1 transfer through a licensed title company. There's no legal right to cancel after rescission ends; it becomes a negotiation or a transaction, not a cancellation.

How much do timeshares cost, on average?

ARDA's 2023 State of the Vacation Ownership Industry data puts the average price paid for a timeshare interval at roughly $22,942, with average annual maintenance fees around $1,205, though individual contract prices vary widely by resort, size, and points package.

Are timeshares scams?

The timeshare product itself is a legal, regulated ownership or usage right, not inherently a scam, though sales presentations can be high-pressure and misleading. The bigger documented scam risk today is in the exit and resale industry: the FTC has settled cases, including one against Resort Release over alleged upfront fees of $2,995 to $8,000, for cancellations never delivered.

How to sell a timeshare for actual money?

List through a licensed, reputable timeshare resale broker, price based on recent completed sales at your specific resort (not asking prices), and expect a modest return, often a few hundred dollars or less after fees. Avoid anyone who cold-calls claiming they already have a buyer and asks for money upfront.

Can Westgate refuse to cancel my contract during the rescission period?

No. If you send a properly addressed, timely written rescission notice under your state's statute, the cancellation is legally effective on your end regardless of whether Westgate immediately confirms it. Keep your certified mail receipt as proof, and escalate to your state Attorney General's office if a refund doesn't follow within the timeline your state law specifies.

What's the difference between rescission and a deed-back?

Rescission is a short legal window, set by state law, to cancel a brand-new contract entirely and get your money back. A deed-back happens later, after rescission has expired, and means the developer voluntarily accepts the deed back, releasing you from future fees, but it does not refund your original purchase price.

How to get rid of a timeshare you inherited?

Talk to the estate's probate attorney before paying any fee bills addressed to the deceased owner; you may be able to formally disclaim the inheritance under your state's probate law. If you've already accepted it, you're in the same position as any owner: deed-back, resale, or a low-cost transfer to a willing recipient.

How much is a Westgate timeshare worth on resale?

Often very little, sometimes near zero after accounting for closing and transfer fees, because timeshare resale supply far outstrips buyer demand. Purchase price has almost no relationship to resale value; treat the original cost as sunk and focus on stopping ongoing fees rather than recovering money.

Is it legal for an exit company to charge upfront fees?

It varies by state; some states restrict or regulate upfront fees for timeshare resale and exit services specifically. Regardless of legality, the FTC has repeatedly warned that large upfront payments before any actual work is a strong scam indicator, and companies charging this way, including Resort Release, have faced FTC enforcement action.

What happens if I just stop paying my Westgate maintenance fees?

You don't get released from the contract. Nonpayment typically leads to late fees, collections, damage to your credit, and eventually foreclosure on the timeshare interest, depending on your state and contract terms, and you may still owe any deficiency balance. It is not a valid or safe cancellation strategy.

How do I know if my Westgate contract is still in the rescission window?

Check the signature date and the date you received your last required disclosure document on that specific contract, then count your state's rescission period from the later of the two. Florida is 10 calendar days, Nevada is 5 calendar days; confirm your exact state's rule since it varies and some violations extend the window.

Sources

1. Federal Trade Commission Act, timeshare rescission rights are governed by state law, not federal law: No federal cooling-off rule for timeshares; rescission rights come from state law and vary by state
2. Florida Statutes Section 721.10, Cancellation: Florida gives a 10-calendar-day rescission period from signing or receipt of last required document, and allows cancellation by mail
3. Nevada Revised Statutes Section 119A.410: Nevada timeshare rescission period is 5 calendar days from execution of the contract
4. Florida Statutes Chapter 721, Vacation and Timeshare Plans: Florida's timeshare-specific regulatory division handles consumer complaints about timeshare contracts under Chapter 721
5. Florida Senate - Florida Statutes: Florida law governing the required contents of timeshare public offering statements, relevant to what disclosures Westgate must provide at signing
6. Florida Senate - Florida Statutes: Florida statute outlining requirements for timeshare purchase contracts, relevant to determining which rescission rule applies to a Westgate contract
7. Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation: State regulatory oversight of timeshare developers like Westgate, including complaint filing process for disputes over cancellation
8. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Federal consumer guidance on canceling timeshare contracts and the rescission period consumers may have
9. Florida Senate - Florida Statutes: Florida statute regulating timeshare resale and advertising services, relevant to evaluating legitimate resale versus exit scams
10. Internal Revenue Service: IRS guidance on tax treatment of inherited property and debts, relevant to heirs deciding what to do with an inherited Westgate timeshare