Give me the dope on the timeshare hard-sell presentations

Factual Questions
21

My parents bought one years ago that they actually use frequently. They love it, I hate it. Works for them – steady job, can plan way in advance. For me, I freelance and need more flexibility. I’ve tried using theirs and it’s just not suited for my lifestyle and work.

However I bought one with my wife recently, very different rules. We’ve had it 3 years now and love it. Huge variety and very flexible for our plans so far, and it’s through one of the major hotel chains so every other year, instead of using one of their resorts, we have the option to convert to hotel points that we can then use at any of their hotels anywhere in the world. Depending on how nice the hotel, we can stay anywhere from a few days to a month on points alone.

Used it to stay at one of the nicest hotels in Rome for a solid week. $600+/night room.

Now, from what I can tell, they’re awful investments as far as investments go. Only worth buying one if you want to keep it and use it long term. Based on what we paid for the vacation where we bought the timeshare, we’d need to keep it for 10 years to break even for the cost of purchasing the unit. After that, it’s money saved while vacationing.

3 years into the 10 years, we’re still thrilled we bought the timeshare. But really, we went with an extremely well respected major hotel chain that got into the timeshare business later than most, and wanted to keep their image in great shape. So far, so good. I hope it lasts another 7+ years.

Just make sure the options of where you buy are what you need…

22

My wife and I used to go to these thing alot - not so much in the last couple of years though. We’ve gotten several 3 days trips to San Fransisco, Orlando, Vancouver BC and a couple other places. We’ve also gotten our share of cheap swag like “luggage” (read cheap nylon duffel bags in various sizes) a digital camera (kind of worked as a cheap webcam and later sold on ebay for $10 USD) a few B/W TV’s (make great gifts) and various other crap.

If you plan on going to just get the gifts I have the one line they have no answer to. When they ask how you normally take vacations tell them you go camping (it doesn’t matter if you do or not). Then tell them you have three large St. Bernards that go with you EVERYWHERE (it doesn’t matter if they don’t happen to be with you at the time).

All timeshares I’ve been to do not allow large dogs unless they are working dogs. Some allow small dogs with an extra deposit which is why you tell them you have three LARGE dogs. :slight_smile:

They will sometimes try the “what if you want to just get away from it all and leave the dogs at home” angle. Just look at them sideways and say “KENNEL OUR BABIES???”

After I started using the dog excuse, I was walking out with my free gifts in no time.

Almost all the timeshares I’ve been to will tag team you. If the sales person fails they call the “manager” over to drill you harder. Sometimes these guys are right bastards. But I’ve come up with a way to handle these guys as well.

At the start of the sales pitch they almost always ask if you’ve been to a presentation like this before. I say “yes and it was the single worse thing I had to deal with. They hard sold me on a product I wasn’t interested in and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Then the sales guy had THE NERVE to tag team sales pitch me. He said he needed to get a manager to ‘sign off’ on my prize but that was a code word for ‘send another sales person to repeat the pitch to me again’. At that time I swore I would never buy anything from a company that tag team sales like that. I hated it. You guys don’t do that do you?”

Of course they always say no.

Then, when they send the manager over repeat the story to them. The minute he starts the sales pitch you can simply say “I just told you I would never buy from a company that tag teams sales on me. I’m sorry, I just can’t buy anything from a company that says they won’t do something and then do it. That is a horrible way to start a relationship. I think I need my prize/gift and we should part ways”

There isn’t much they can say at that point.

The few times I’ve been honest up front and told them I was not interested in the product and was only here to collect the prize/gift were the worse hard sell sessions. I ended up resorting to just telling them lies to get my stuff.

Always figure these sales sessions will start late and run a little long. Most places have 20-30 people show up at once. They play everyone a 15-20 minute movie on what a groovy product they have. Then everyone breaks into groups for the hard sale. The sales person will talk about how much money you will save, how the company has seen tons of growth, how you are not buying a timeshare but buying a deed to property you own, and then break down how easy it is to afford. Then they tag team you to the manager, he goes through the entire thing again. At the end the manager signs the papers to claim your prize/gift. You go to the “claim office” and a rude person (Its always a rude person for some reason. I think it must be where sales people end up if they don’t make quota as punishment) will hand over your stuff.

Sometimes these can be kind of fun. A couple hours of time for some plane tickets and a few nights in an average hotel. Never bother for just a gift (hold out for vacations) and ALWAYS have them mail you what you will receive in writing before you attend.

23

Sales techniques are constantly evolving and adapting; I feel confident that right now someone, somewhere, will be working on a ‘best response’ to this very scenario.

24

Seven, you are my new hero!

Hubby and I actually have been on four or five free vacations courtesy of timeshare companies. We never buy, and only once did we go to a presentation just for a prize. We were already at Colonial Williamsburg, and a rep approached us in a parking lot and promised us a voucher for dinner at a nice seafood restaurant in exchange for listening to the pitch. When we waffled, he offered us tickets to Busch Gardens for the following day. We told him if he’d come through with the dinner and the tickets (about $120.00 value, total), we’d come listen. We got the dinner and the tickets.

When they call us to offer us a free vacation, I don’t hesitate in asking for something better than they’re offering. For instance, the last one, we went to Virginia Beach. They called offering us a free weekend (two nights accomodations) for us and the kids, one night’s dinner for two, and one mornings breakfast for two. I told them that we needed two mornings of breakfast, and it had to be for all five of us. The telemarketer started in with what a great deal it already was, and how they’re actually starting to charge $50.00 for the package they’re offering me for free. I told her that if other people are stupid enough to pay money for the opportunity to listen to a sales pitch, that’s not my problem. Then I told her that the breakfast thing was a deal breaker, and started to say goodbye. She asked me to hold on while she talked to her manager, and came back and said they’d do breakfast for the five of us for one morning, and I said nope, gotta be both mornings. Finally she caved.

We also insist on the pitch being on the first day we’re there, not right in the middle of the only full day we have. They will balk at this, but stand firm. Then we go on ebay, find timeshares in that area, and take the ads with us. At the end of the pitch, we ask them if the timeshare can be sold (of course they say yes), and if all benefits of ownership transfer (yes again). Then we tell them we’re not interested but if we were, we’d buy one of these lovely places off of ebay for a fraction of the cost. At one presentation we went to, the cost for the condo (for one week a year) was $15,000.00. Hubby said “So, we buy a week, and fifty one other couples buy a week at the same price. That’s like, three-quarters of a million dollars; I didn’t see anything here worth that much money”. The salesman tried to guilt us by saying that cost covers the cost of promotions, like the one we were currently enjoying. Hubby replied that their marketing costs are not, and should not be, our problem. He didn’t have any comeback for that. We walked, like always.

Bottom line: go in for the reward, maximize the reward ahead of time. Never pay for the privilege of being pitched (a timeshare in Branson tried this on us, “giving” us this vacation package for the low cost of $69.00 a person). If you don’t think it’s worth your time, don’t go. But they’ve enabled us to take family vacations in years we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford them.

25

You guys are lucky - getting invited somewhere nice to be subjected to the hard sell; I’ve never heard of anything like that here; it’s always seedy little rented offices or packed hotel function rooms.

26

My parents used to go to the kinds of pitches you’re talking about, just because they were retired, enjoyed the day trip, and sometimes got a free meal out of it (along with crappy prizes). But I don’t think us 'Murkins will settle for that too much these days. Now they have to give good stuff to make us sit still for so long. Once I got two nights in Colonial Williamsburg (one of our fave vacation spots), dinner for two, a discount book for the local outlet malls, and $50.00 in cash! That’s the best deal we’ve ever gotten.

27

To be honest, I’ve never even been offered a free meal; it’s just a ‘presentation’ on the pretense that there’s some worthwhile prize at the end of it.

28

My boss goes to all the “presentations” and just takes the free hotel stays or ritzy restaurant meals ands buys nothing. He thinks it’s great. I also know a couple of people who own timeshares who have convincing arguments that they are a terrific bargain. I guess you just have to do your homework.

29

You also have to know what will work for you. If what the timeshare is offering seems appealing to you, and that’s the way you want to vacation, then by all means, it might be a good way to spend your money. The people who really get burned are the ones who buy into the bull about how it’s a “good investment”. If you want a timeshare, buy a timeshare. If you want an investment, buy a CD.

30

What do they say to the fact that in the secondary market, it’s common that timeshares sell for a 60-70% discount over the original price (when they sell at all)?

31

Both couples I know have had them for many years, both bought them in the states and neither of them actually ever vacation at their timeshare. From what I gather the trick is to acquire desirable timeshares that you then swap with other people. Apparently this is all done by third party organisations.

If these people have been conned, bad luck. All I know is that they have no complaints, have better family holidays than I do and seem to do it cheaply. If I am being lied to…well I don’t know any better.

32

Whilst I’m sure it’s possible for these to be genuine (I even know one such family myself), I think we should also consider the possibility of psychological denial - i.e. if they’re also trying to convince themselves it was a terrific bargain.

33

For me it was a timeshare presentation for an evening for 2 hours at an Office about 1.5 hours away from my home. For this I was offered my choice of 3 vacation spots Hilton Head, Atlantic City and another - maybe North Carolina? - for 5 days.

I> We started in a goup - there were 10-15 of us- soft infomercial style sell, with videos and an overly energized presenter for about 30 minutes. Coffee and light refreshments were served (it was about 7:30 PM).

II>We then each met privately with a sales associate much harder sell, much worse more uncomfortable almost all of **Mangetout’**s sales tactics were used.

Ah-Nope, Ah-nope I’m a not going at do it I said over and over trying to look hillbilly-ish and bucktoothed.

III> After about 45 mins of this I was ushered in top the **Manager ** Who simply couldn’t believe I wasn’t going to take advantage of this once in lifetime limited opportunity – Don’t I like vacations? Don’t I see what a great deal this is?

Ah-Nope, Ah-nope I’m a not going at do it I said over and over trying to look hillbilly-ish and bucktoothed.

He tried to look ashamed of me, surprised by me, couldn’t understand it/confused by me, mildly ticked at me and …

Finaly witha practiced shake of his head like I was his stupid brother who was drunk at Christmas again : I was released after circa 1.45 mins and I got 5 days at a Hilton Head Condo. I think I came out ahead.
I was pushed and it was uncomfortable but with travel time I “worked” less than 5 hours for the trip – worth it to me – same thing again I’d do it - for 5 days at a cool place - not for a camera etc.

34

Another one of the “hard sell” tactics is in the large group itself. Don’t be surprised if they break out Champaign and start toasting with all of the new “owners” (ringers). Of course, wouldn’t you like to be in this group drinking Champaign as well?

It’s like in the war movies, when the interrogator offers the prisoner a cigarette. The minute the prisoner takes the cigarette, you know the marbles are going to spill.

35

Interval International is the big (only?) one. Certain places (and certain times of year) are more tradeable than others. If you check with them, they might be able to tell you the trading value of whatever resort you have an invite to.

My parents enjoy theirs - You have to organize everything well in advance, but since their timeshare is fairly desirable, they’ve sometimes traded in had some great trips to Florida, Hawaii, Arizona, etc. I don’t know how ‘cheap’ it really is, as your booking is kind of a use-it-or-lose-it type thing, but they never seem to have regretted it.

36

I’m not sure if this is ‘urban legend’ material, but I seem to recall hearing that one of the sleazy tricks is to offer a ‘valuable prize’ that must be claimed the same day. Then the prize turns out to be physically too large to take home in the average vehicle. I think one was a Grandfather Clock. I also recall something about a ticked off ‘customer’ who had some rope in their car and demanded to be given the clock anyhow - they’d tie the clock to their car bumper and drag it away just for spite.

Nowadays with all the big vehicles around, SUV’s and the like, perhaps that ‘big prize’ trick doesn’t work so well.