Author Topic: Does anyone here have experience going on timeshare presentation getaways?  (Read 1624 times)

hipposrock

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I'm considering doing one to save money on a vacation, but obviously don't want the timeshare. It seems like a good way to get out of it easily is by coming with resale values from the package they are trying to sell you. But I'm wondering if anyone here has much experience with them?

Specifically I'm looking at Tahiti Resort in Las Vegas because flights there are super cheap, but experience with other places is helpful, too!

Rdy2Fire

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Re: Does anyone here have experience going on timeshare presentation getaways?
« Reply #1 on: September 25, 2019, 01:49:20 PM »
I haven't done the Tahiti Village or resort thing in Vegas but have done others.. The only criteria on the two I have done were that I had to sit through the 90 minute presentation which was a breakfast on one and a lunch on another.

In both cases I made it very clear I wasn't going to be purchasing a time share, one of them made me sit through the whole thing and the other was much better I sat for about 30 minutes of their whole program and after the second time telling them I really wasn't interested but would stay since I agreed to they told me there was no need to waste each others time.

I have done two others when I was younger, not for vacations but just presentations with 'free gifts' I did buy a very inexpensive, limited number of weeks/years, timeshare at the 1st one I ever went to. Second one I sat one hour, said no a lot and took The $100 and free bottle of tequila that I was reluctantly given, as I walked out

hipposrock

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Re: Does anyone here have experience going on timeshare presentation getaways?
« Reply #2 on: September 25, 2019, 02:37:02 PM »
Phew that makes me feel better honestly, some people online made it sound like it was way extra hours and really a scam.

secondcor521

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Re: Does anyone here have experience going on timeshare presentation getaways?
« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2019, 02:46:27 PM »
I sat through one once.  It was local instead of in Las Vegas, so maybe that's the difference, but it was a pretty hard pressure sell.  I went in convinced I would say no and could say no repeatedly long enough for them to let me go, and eventually they did.  But since I also was polite and honest they ended up in a dialogue with me and managed to make a lot of really good points that were very persuasive.

They are very good at what they do, and they are very very persistent, and they are prepared to do sales battles with people like us.  Also, at least one of the time share companies and their sales people are liars and engage in various slimy sales practices; I can vouch for that based on personal experience helping my Dad get out of his purchase of (and later regret over) one last year.

Be aware that if the sales call is in Las Vegas, the laws there could apply, and the laws are pretty favorable towards the timeshare companies.  If you do sign, there is a short (3-day?) absolute period of recision.

ETA:  I expect they've had people come in with the resale values (which are literally $1 sometimes) as a defense against a sale.  I'm not sure what their comeback will be, but they will have one and it will be persuasive, and they will probably act like they know more about it than you do, which they probably do.
« Last Edit: September 25, 2019, 02:48:07 PM by secondcor521 »

Patrick584

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Re: Does anyone here have experience going on timeshare presentation getaways?
« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2019, 07:14:51 PM »
I’m not a fan of these time share offers. I went to one in Orlando, it was kind of stressful and put a damper on our trip. I would have rather paid for a hotel. I was really surprised that my wife was considering until I said no way when the sales person walked away. These pitches are not fun, and they put you at risk of buying a really bad product. Some call this travel hacking, but I would recommend against it.

hipposrock

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Re: Does anyone here have experience going on timeshare presentation getaways?
« Reply #5 on: September 26, 2019, 09:34:38 AM »
Thanks for the opposing views. I will be sure to give it a lot more thought before committing to do one of these vacations. With a 4 day vacation though, even if the presentation lasts too long I would still have time to relax and enjoy. I guess I really need to think about would I be able to say no in that high pressure situation.

Tom Bri

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Re: Does anyone here have experience going on timeshare presentation getaways?
« Reply #6 on: September 26, 2019, 10:15:31 AM »
Once. Never again. They put us up in a cheap hotel. My daughter got an ear infection from the pool. The sales pitch was extremely high pressure, and when I kept asking for more info the salesman got very, very insulting about my own business experience.

doggyfizzle

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Re: Does anyone here have experience going on timeshare presentation getaways?
« Reply #7 on: September 26, 2019, 12:32:45 PM »
Depends on where you're looking to go and what company you're staying with (Vistana, Hilton Grand Vacations, etc).  I have personally found value from Marriott Timeshare presentations that have shown up for me due to being Marriott (formerly Starwood) Platinum, and I always just start out the meeting by saying I'd like to keep it short since I can earn enough points from CC spend and work travel each year for a Timeshare to never make sense financially for my family.  In Beaver Creek I brought in resale prices for the salesperson to check, and he just got up and sent the closer in and we were on our way in less than an hour.  For Vegas, no way I'd consider a timeshare just for a trip there, given how inexpensive hotel rooms are anyways and how unappealing a place Vegas is to me, personally, as anything other stopover point on the way to Zion, etc.

GoCubsGo

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Re: Does anyone here have experience going on timeshare presentation getaways?
« Reply #8 on: September 26, 2019, 01:13:45 PM »
I've done a couple.  One in Phoenix (JW Marriot) and one in Manhattan (Hilton).  The salesperson at the NYC one was very skilled and persuasive.  I can see how people buy in.  He got very aggressive at the end and if I wasn't enjoying the back and forth it would have been miserable.  At least he was very good at what he did which I respected in a weird way (I have a feeling that guy made quite a bit of money). 

The Phoenix one wasn't all that high pressure but very long and they wanted to wear you down.  Worth it in my younger days, wouldn't consider it now.

Car Jack

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Re: Does anyone here have experience going on timeshare presentation getaways?
« Reply #9 on: September 26, 2019, 01:43:00 PM »
Understand that the 90 minute presentation along with a tour of the place can easily turn into 3 hours.

My wife and I used to do lots of these.  Sometimes more than one during a vacation.  2 come to mind as good contrasts.  We went on one in St Thomas and got all the way to the end and when the sales person sat down with us, he started with the questions that all had "obvious" yes answers.  He go to the "If I could show you a way to save money on vacations every year, would you consider buying?".  I used the non-obvious answer of no.  After a few confirming questions, he understood that we were there for only the prize they offered for sitting through this.  He grudgingly got us the prize...I think vouchers for some good restaurants and told us "you know, we do this for a living....if you had no intention of considering buying, you should have told us that up front".

So the next year, on the way through the airport, again in St. Thomas, someone handed us a flier for a time share and said "get a free prize by simply going to this".  The prize was good and they offered taxi fare.  We had a rental car, so decided to go.  The sales guy got us set to start and was walking us from the greeting booth in towards the sales building and asked the question, just like we got at the end last year: "If I could show you a way to save on vacations every year, you'd consider buying, right?".  I said "no, we're just here for the prize".  He got very angry and said "stay here".  He came back with vouchers and taxi fare ($10 all in coins).  I forget what he said, but I started to respond that the airport person and the flier touted the prizes, not the time share and we wouldn't have come to this for no prizes.  He heard probably none of it as he walked away.  We took our $10 in coins and vouchers and had a great week.  Instead of 90 minutes, we were out in less than 20.

We've gone all over the world.  Vermont, Massachusetts, St. Thomas, Aruba, Hawaii.  The absolute soft ball out of all of them were the ones in Aruba.  I could stare those guys into submission where everywhere else, I'd think they'd pull out a switchblade.

kaypinkHH

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Re: Does anyone here have experience going on timeshare presentation getaways?
« Reply #10 on: September 27, 2019, 12:59:00 PM »
Oooo me! I did one last March with Hilton.  Our baby was napping during the presentation so it was a good way to kill that time haha. Politely said we weren't interested at the beginning, lady said she would change our mind...she didn't. I didn't feel pressured and once they realized they weren't making a sale they backed way off, and rushed us out. Got to tour their new fancy condo, and I love looking at real estate for fun, so that was fine. MrHH and I spent the 1 hr after discussing what a dumb idea it was...best part of the tour my husband told her he could take the downpayment amount, and the yearly fees, and invest it and have XXX amount. Lady couldn't believe him and said he had his math wrong/"who are you investing with because those are some serious returns." After the meeting, we legit ran the numbers....and were right :D.

Our package was a 4 night stay at a Hilton, once you book through the program call the hotel and see if you are getting best possible room/resort. I had to move our booking and got kind of a crappy stay.  Because we sat through the presentation we now have a cruise we need to redeem. I probably won't sign up for one again (it is expensive to travel from the far north to the US right now), and using up the trips stresses me out...but wouldn't rule it out with another company.

Editted to add: I never once felt that the sales lady was rude or aggressive. She tried to make us feel dumb at points for missing out on such a good deal (rolls eyes). I would say it is the same level of sales pushyness as a carsales person trying to get you to buy the big huge SUV you don't want or need. Or a realtor trying to convince you to buy a big fancy home "You deserve this!! You work hard!! You are foolish to miss out!" if you can say no in those situations, you can say no here.
« Last Edit: September 27, 2019, 01:12:19 PM by kaypinkHH »

 

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