for lack of a better phrase is this a bait and switch or considered unethical

[Dznypal]

we are leaving for Hawaii in a few months for our 45th anniversary
I contacted the concierge of the resort for what tours thats offered
she said that since were staying at the resort that they have deals for the luau
just for staying at he resort
great I thought she also gave me other tours and things to do
I wanted to talked it over with DH so we could book everything at once and figure out which days

so I emailed her back in 2 days later and thats when she let me know that in order
to receive the discount you have to do a 2 hr timeshare tour
which was not brought up the first time I contacted her

Neither of us are interested in spending vacation time in a time share tour
although we do have the DVC which we did a tour once when we were there
but we were planning on buying which we did after the tour
This we have no interest in other then for this trip

Just for the fact that first they get you all hepped up about the discount and then when your set to book
they lower the boom and throw a time share at you
I was really planning on booking with her but now I have doubts
mainly I didnt like the tactics
I would have felt different about it if she would have been more upfront and told me about the timeshare from the beginning

just curious about how others would do and what you thought about this
I can book this on my own without doing a timeshare but then no discounts

 

[CarolynFH]

What resort are you staying at? This is basically standard timeshare resort procedure, unfortunately, except for DVC resorts. There may be other ways to get discounted tickets to luaus and other attractions, wish I could help with suggestions but it’s been way too long since I’ve been in Hawaii!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Ahh, welcome to The Club. Now you know if they’re offering a discount to directly inquire in the initial convo about what you need to do to get the discount. Be blunt, do not beat around the bush. This is just how it is done and how it has been done for years.

 

[happily single]

It’s both a bait and switch AND unethical. There are plenty of other luaus.

 

[Dznypal]

interesting and yes now I know
in answer to a PP were staying at the Hilton Wakioloa Village on the big island
Its funny cause she was so helpful that I really liked working with her--she thought of things
that I never thought of since my DH has a bit of knee issues
now after this I thinking of just booking it on my own--
we like the idea of going to the luau at the resort since were staying there and were not renting a car
I was suppose to call her today to book the luau but I didnt acatually I got called into work and with the time difference its hard to call
thanks for the thoughts

 

[gottalovepluto]

interesting and yes now I know
in answer to a PP were staying at the Hilton Wakioloa Village on the big island
Its funny cause she was so helpful that I really liked working with her--she thought of things
that I never thought of since my DH has a bit of knee issues
now after this I thinking of just booking it on my own--
we like the idea of going to the luau at the resort since were staying there and were not renting a car
I was suppose to call her today to book the luau but I didnt acatually I got called into work and with the time difference its hard to call
thanks for the thoughts

Just don’t feel guilt tripped into anything because she was “helpful” that’s just her bait. Feel free to book it through wherever you find the best deal, that’s how it works!

 

[Dznypal]

just thought now she didnt say how much the discount was at first I suppose they want to make sure your hooked first--
I just wish she would have been more upfront from the beginning
now Id almost not want to deal with her
she did answer my questions about the luau so I have that info

 

[Dznypal]

oh I wont feel guilted into anything
Like I mentioned just as your post came through Id almost rather not work with her
thanks

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We have stayed at many timeshare resorts before when we owned a timeshare, as trades through RCI. (We bought as a resale from home for thousands less and can't stand the sales tactics onsite.)
Anyway, my point is to be sure to unplug the phones when you get to your room. They will call you many times to lure you into taking a tour.

 

[SleepyDeb]

The Hilton Waikoloa is awesome!

I've done the time share there for the discounts which were, at least when we went, quite significant. They are kind of aggressive, but not to the point where you feel like they aren't going to let you leave. We experienced that in Mexico, leading to the famous family saying coming from my husband "Roberto, the presentation is over." I think we'd still be there if this mild mannered man hadn't gotten fed up.

It would put me off too, to not be told that the discounts came with a presentation. There are places all over Kona offering discounts for time share presentations. Just assume any discount advertised there comes with a presentation.

 

[TCRAIG]

I think it’s S.O.P. (standard operating procedure) for all Timeshare Resorts except DVC.

 

[Dznypal]

SleepyDeb
Glad you you liked the Wakioloa so much
Coukd you please fill me in and advice on staying there
We have an OV at the palace tower
Thanks

 

[LAS2AMS]

This is my favorite resort in the world. It is one of many fantasy resorts built in the late 80s/ early 90s under the Hyatt umbrella — but the only one that’s still mostly in tact (the other properties removed most of the canals, lagoons, etc. in favor of facility expansion).

As you’re probably aware, food and beverage in the hotel is extremely expensive and there’s little relief nearby. We last visited several years ago, and the breakfast buffet was over $50 pp and a take out pizza over $40. I HIGHLY recommend the “inclusive” package. It’s about a $400 per night upgrade — including taxes and gratuities — but you can dine at the luau every night it’s offered, and that’s over $200pp. The package also includes parking which is around $50.

https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/koahwhh-hilton-waikoloa-village/offers/inclusive-sale/

Enjoy your stay! This is one of the few properties actually owned by Hilton. When private equity bought the whole company out some years back, they butchered this property, closing most of the restaurants and pools, making the canal boats seasonal with minimal hours, etc. That said, it’s still a wonderful place to visit.

 

[_19disnA]

We have stayed at many timeshare resorts before when we owned a timeshare, as trades through RCI. (We bought as a resale from home for thousands less and can't stand the sales tactics onsite.)
Anyway, my point is to be sure to unplug the phones when you get to your room. They will call you many times to lure you into taking a tour.

I agree, my parents used to own a non-Disney timeshare and got to the point we would NEVER answer the room phone due to the constant attempts to get you to attend yet another timeshare sales pitch. While Disney seems far more reputable, there is a reason most other timeshares have a sleazy reputation and something to avoid. Once they got up in their years and no longer able to travel, they found that disposing of their timeshare was virtually impossible and were left pay fees on something that was basically worthless. Would NEVER recommend anyone get involved with buying a timeshare (or whatever else some now call them).

 

[Lewisc]

You were naive in not realizing the "deal" was part of a time share promotion.

Time share promotions are SLEAZY more then fraud or bait and switch

 

[DanceDisney23]

There are whole law offices dedicated to helping clients cancel timeshare contracts. Timeshares don’t pride themselves on being ethical.

 

[Dznypal]

its funny cause in the beginning I was so happy with this person-until she pulled the fast one
now I dont want to deal with her and Ill book things on my own
I was supposed to call her yesterday to finalize the luau but I have no interest in calling her back
shes off now till wed but if/when she calls me asking why I havent gotten back to her
I will tell her that she said first that the discount was for staying at the resort but then when I was ready to book first then she told me about the timeshare
if she would have been upfront from the get go I would have told her were not interested in a tour
but she wanted to play this game Ill do it myself

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I agree, my parents used to own a non-Disney timeshare and got to the point we would NEVER answer the room phone due to the constant attempts to get you to attend yet another timeshare sales pitch. While Disney seems far more reputable, there is a reason most other timeshares have a sleazy reputation and something to avoid. Once they got up in their years and no longer able to travel, they found that disposing of their timeshare was virtually impossible and were left pay fees on something that was basically worthless. Would NEVER recommend anyone get involved with buying a timeshare (or whatever else some now call them).

Ours was not sleazy and we don’t regret having owned it. It was a 3BR unit at Summer Bay, in Clermont, FL. It was on Rt 192 just past Kissimmee. It was a further drive than DVC but waaaay less expensive too.
They are very clear (including DVC) that there are annual maintenance fees.
It’s similar to the way condos charge a monthly fee. You either accept those terms or decline to buy. Our fees weren’t outrageous and we enjoyed trading through RCI to stay in Williamsburg, VA and Sedona, AZ in addition to many visits at our home resort.
The only reason we decided to sell was that once we tried a Disney cruise, we enjoyed the cruise so much more than the parks. We rarely ever go to the parks anymore. They’re more work than going to work.
We sold through a website called timesharestogo.com which is who we bought through, IIRC. It took about 1 year to sell it.

Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous timeshares salespeople that give the entire industry a bad name. DVC made a point to distance their product from the rest of the timeshare industry.

I think a lot of people end up buying while on vacation as an impulse purchase which is not the way to make any large purchase. Many people don't fully understand what they’re buying when they buy.

 

[SleepyDeb]

SleepyDeb
Glad you you liked the Wakioloa so much
Coukd you please fill me in and advice on staying there
We have an OV at the palace tower
Thanks

Oh, very nice. We usually stay in the condos, but we've done the OV too. I loved sleeping with the balcony doors open to hear the waves.

The breakfast buffet is great, but expensive. Sometimes, if you buy it in advance, you can get it for <$20 pp. If you buy it there its like $60 pp. I don't think any breakfast is worth $60 unless they put a diamond on your plate, but I do have to admit its excellent with lots of variety.

Our favorite things to do on the Big Island are

• snorkeling at Captain Cook's monument. The water is crystal clear, it's in a bay, so minimal waves, and so many brightly colored fish! We're completely spoiled now and have given up trying to snorkel any place else because we are so disappointed. Unless we ever get to the Great Barrier Reef, it's here or no place for snorkeling.
• Horse back riding. I forget the name of the ranch, but it's on the other side of the island.
• Zip lining. We like Umauma Zipline the best. We tried another one, but it wasn't as pretty.
• Last time we went on Mauna Kea Summit and Stars Small-Group Adventure Tour and it was just specular! Love love loved it!

Another fun thing we did was the Manta Ray Night Time Snorkel, which was REALLY cool, but I won't be doing it again because of the cold and the need for athleticism that I just don't have in my mid sixties any more. You hang on to a bar until the Manta Rays show up. They glow under the lights under the boat. It's quite beautiful.

 

[wiscbugs]

we are leaving for Hawaii in a few months for our 45th anniversary
I contacted the concierge of the resort for what tours thats offered
she said that since were staying at the resort that they have deals for the luau
just for staying at he resort
great I thought she also gave me other tours and things to do
I wanted to talked it over with DH so we could book everything at once and figure out which days

so I emailed her back in 2 days later and thats when she let me know that in order
to receive the discount you have to do a 2 hr timeshare tour
which was not brought up the first time I contacted her

Neither of us are interested in spending vacation time in a time share tour
although we do have the DVC which we did a tour once when we were there
but we were planning on buying which we did after the tour
This we have no interest in other then for this trip

Just for the fact that first they get you all hepped up about the discount and then when your set to book
they lower the boom and throw a time share at you
I was really planning on booking with her but now I have doubts
mainly I didnt like the tactics
I would have felt different about it if she would have been more upfront and told me about the timeshare from the beginning

just curious about how others would do and what you thought about this
I can book this on my own without doing a timeshare but then no discounts

No its not bait and switch or unethical...its just the way things are done at resorts