Is Marriott more pushy when it comes to selling its timeshare.

[sgtpet]

Just curious.

I got one of those offers to go visit the Marriott Grande Vista for a sweet price but I have to listen to the presentation. I just wanted to know how difficult the presentation was as to whether we should even entertain it or not.

 

[vernon]

Yes it will be more pushy, but if you keep firm, don't waver and make it 100% clear the salesman is wasting his time, you shouldn't get too inconvenienced. It's when you start to wobble they put the pressure on you big time.

 

[joepoe]

You MUST sit through the 90 minute presentation otherwise you don't get your deals. Also it's one-on one with a saleperson for 90 minutes. WIth Disney, you can walk away anytime.

 

[Cruelladeville]

Your presentation will likely be over 90 minutes. And they say they aren't like the bad guys out there, but they are, although not quite as bad. Now, if you tell them up front that you are a DVC member, and you aren't interested in buying, you're just there for the goodies, that may work. My sister also told them she was buying off the internet where the prices for a two-bedroom were $12, 500, and they left her alone, too. Grand Vista is a lovely place, but every time I have been there I've seen large groups of drunken teens carrying on, and there is no one there who's in charge to stop that kind of thing, like there is at Disney. Just an observation (and I do own there).

 

[KNWVIKING]

We did the presentation and it pretty much was a clone of a couple other recent timeshare presentations. The salesman spend the first 30 minutes or so chit-chatting,becoming your new best friend because,after all,how could you not purchase this wonderful TS from your friend. Then he starts laying out the plan,then he makes the pitch.We said no to the first plan,no to the 2nd plan, and finally no to the 3rd plan,(each plan decreasing in price and options). After the 3rd no, he didn't seem like he wanted to be our new best friend anymore. go figure !

 

[sgtpet]

Has anybody specifically told them that they own at DVC?

I have enough DVC points that I will not be buying there. I know I can be firm and will be firm. I am just doing it for the cheap deal.

 

[Scott H]

While at DLP last week they were selling Marriot at the Disnyland Hotel. Gave them a firm No and advised we were DVC members. They had no clue as to what DVC is all about in Paris. I told them were were staying at DLP on Points only to receive that confused look.

 

[Regina]

We took advantage of one of those irresistible offers a few years ago.

We were upfront about being DVC, and the salesman was great about it. We politely discussed the differences in the programs while taking the tour. He didn't seem annoyed in the least.

I hope that you get someone as agreeable as we did.

 

[KNWVIKING]

As soon as he went into the sales portion,we explained that we were DVC and didn't have enough vacation time to enjoy another TS. His comment was that Marriotts system was a perfect marriage with DVC most DVC'ers own both. Somehow- don't remember the details- DVC'ers were using thier Marriott points for airline flights.

 

[alisbarc]

Depends how much will power and patience you have. Did a Marriot deal at HH several years back. They were very pushy and not very nice once they saw we weren't going to buy. However, the vacation we got for putting up with about 2 hours of uncomfortableness (is that a word) was worth it in my opinion. Of course, that was when we had a lot less $$$ and a lot more time. Wouldn't do it again now that I'm a DVC member.

ttfn

 

[sgtpet]

My wife and I are pretty strong minded individuals so if they want to play games I am looking forward to the challenge. If it goes over 90 minutes I will make their lives a living hell.

 

[Dean]

I've been through a number of Marriott sales presentations over the years. They are about as low key as it gets in the real timeshare world. Sure there are pushy individuals but nothing like others I've seen and heard about. Just don't buy while you're there, even if you're tempted.

 

[Richyams]

We did the Grand Vista stay and presentation. We told him we were dvc. He was as pleasent as could be. It was less than 90 minutes. It is also a very attractive program.

I think the biggest downside is the resale value. There are many things you don't get buying resole. This brings the resale value way down.

Our experience was as pleasent as could be. Informative, really good....I would have done the presentation with no benefit, just to learn of their program.

With Disney getting so cheap, no new stuff, it is getting old, the kid getting older, we may just end up buying Marriot at some point.

 

[Dean]

We were in HI for 2 weeks this past summer. We ended up doing 3 presentations (Embassy Maui, Embassy Kauai and Hanalei Bay Kauai) but had only intended on doing the Embassy on Maui. They all started out by asking us if we owned other timeshare - Yes. What are they - we gave them 9 weeks at 6 resorts. They then asked if we intended to buy from them - No. Why are you here? - the answers varied at each resort but the core issue was to find out more about their systems and at HB to see the resort and units (we stayed in units at the other 2). Length of presentations were 20 min, 54 min and 90 min. I also stopped by and looked around at some 15 or so other resorts, it's something I enjoy. 2 others had an open house unit which I dropped by.

 

[Nana Sue]

We have done seven or eight Marriott t/s presentations at numerous locations mostly for the Marriott points and because we were curious about the resorts. I'm with Dean. Next to Disney the Marriott presentations are about as low key as you can get. If people think the Marriott salespeople are pushy and hard sell they haven't been in the real t/s world. Mariott t/s mostly sell themselves like Disney does.

 

[sgtpet]

Well that sounds more like it. I will go in with a more positive attitude thanks to your feedback. Trust me if I didn't invest so much into DVC and if I didn't have a young family (2 year old son and baby due in May 03) I would probably have considered purchasing through Marriott. Of course I won't let them know that.

 

[joepoe]

Originally posted by sgtpet
Has anybody specifically told them that they own at DVC?

I have enough DVC points that I will not be buying there. I know I can be firm and will be firm. I am just doing it for the cheap deal.

I attended a presentation at the Marriott on Hilton Head and mentioned that I owned at DVC. The salesperson was very dismissive of DVC. He claimed it was a "40 year lease" and therefor inferior to Marriott which was deeded in perpetuity. I knew that before I bought at DVC, and I was quite put-off by his attitude, so naturally nothing he was going to say would convince me to buy.

My in-laws own three Marriott timeshares, and DSIL owns one as well, but I still like our DVC better. It's all a matter of personal tastes and desires.

 

[Nana Sue]

Because this thread has become a debate on the merits of the two companies I feel compelled to add another two cents worth.
I own 548 DVC points and two weeks at the Marriott in Aruba so I feel fairly impartial between the two. I bought them for different reasons though. I love Disney and wanted to take our grandchildren down to WDW every year. For the amount I spend on DVC points I could have bought several prime Marriott weeks. I bought Aruba because my husband and I want to spend two weeks in the sun every winter. I would not buy Disney if I wanted a regular timeshare. It's impractical as a regular timeshare and expensive. As a regular timeshare you can't do better than Marriott! There may be some pushy Marriott sales people out there but we have NEVER encountered them in our numerous presentations. As a matter of fact we ran into a Disney sales person at Disney Hilton Head who was pushier than most any salesperson we had ever met! Also, we have never met a sales person who didn't understand the value of DVC. Many of the times they were eager to know more how the points worked. Our Aruba Marriott purchase was not made at the time of our presentation but almost a year later and the saleman wasn't pushy and didn't hound us about it.
To sum it all up, there may be some pushy Marriott sales people out there but they are few and far between. For the most part the Marriott timeshares sell themselves. As far as comparing the two companies as timeshares, its like comparing apples and oranges. They are both tasty but not at all the same.