Marriott Grande Vista rude presentation

[Magical-Memories]

Hi guys,

We are currently staying at the Grande Vista. We took the Time share presentation yesterday. Our experience was that it was pretty low key. One of the points our sales rep made was Marriott's "No pressure". He did get us interested. But we really don't have a lot of info on timeshares and would need to do our research first. He had some type of 'incentive' (other than the $100 you get for doing the tour) if we signed right than. DH told him that we would definitely not sign right now though..so he never told us what it was. (I thought that was kind of strange as maybe the incentive could convince someone..he acted as though it was pretty good.)

At the end the sales rep seemed a tiny, teensy bit abrupt with us. I thought we were going to have to ask for the $100 in Disney Dollars..but he came through and wished us well.

Oh as for points...they do have the Marriott points where you can trade in your week every other year for points towards hotel stays or airfare packages. I know not the same as Disney..but it seemed pretty cool.

We have not gone on the Disney time share tour. Although now I am curious. I'll keep reading through these posts to see what I can find out.

Anyway..I just thought I'd share my experience. I would have been livid if I had been treated like the original poster.

 

[JandD Mom]

Hi guys,

Oh as for points...they do have the Marriott points where you can trade in your week every other year for points towards hotel stays or airfare packages. I know not the same as Disney..but it seemed pretty cool.

FWIW, I don't own MVC, but I have never been convinced that trading in your week for points really gets you all that much. I think the guide told us you would get 110,000 points to trade in a 2br platinum week every other year. Then he tried to push the combo point package where for around 220K-230K points you get airfare + a resort stay. However, it would take you 4 years to get there. Plus you miss 1 year of vacation to get what amount to 1/2 a vacation. For that you pay an extra $12K from the developer. Now what Dean is doing in buying 1 week, and converting previously purchased weeks into the point option -- that is brilliant.

I am also not sure if you have to pay a fee to convert your year into points. Anyone know?

Maybe Dean can comment here, but I don't see the value in buying MVC from the developer for the point option. It would seem to me a better use to trade that year or maybe rent your year if you own at a good resort.

 

[JimC]

...I am also not sure if you have to pay a fee to convert your year into points. Anyone know?

Maybe Dean can comment here, but I don't see the value in buying MVC from the developer for the point option. It would seem to me a better use to trade that year or maybe rent your year if you own at a good resort.

You pay the maintenance fee for the resort plus $104 to trade your week for MR points.

Many don't and many do see the value of buying direct from the developer. The only reasons to do so IMO are the points option, the ability to buy into a resort when it is first announced and the incentives if they are sufficient.

The point option is valuable when you have other means of adding points -- such as a Marriott VISA and business travel. The packages that include air travel are usually the best deal, particularly if you will fly first class on the points.

 

[Dean]

Maybe Dean can comment here, but I don't see the value in buying MVC from the developer for the point option. It would seem to me a better use to trade that year or maybe rent your year if you own at a good resort.

The point options using timeshare weeks is not a good value. Think of it like the CC. It's good to have choices but it's generally not a reasonable choice to give up your week to do so. I know some say that it's more valuable when you can combine with other point generating opportunities like the Credit Card. But even then I think that is generally not true. But it depends on the price difference, just like when comparing DVC resale to retail, you've got to look at the whole package.

 

[eva]

Diane, we took a BlueGreen tour at Big Cedar Lodge and found it very low key also. We were very interested in buying a timeshare closer to home and just love Big Cedar. They allowed us to walk around the trails while we thought about the deal they were offering. And when we returned from our walk we said that we just could not make a decision in one day, the guide allowed us to return the next morning and still offered us the same deal. We did turn it down though. The main reason is that Blue Green has no home resort assigned to a buyer. You just buy points and have the same reservation power at all resorts. When we looked at the other resorts in the system, we just were not all that impressed. We just wanted to buy to stay at Big Cedar. They were very impressed that we were DVC members and were surprised at the knowledge that we have about the timeshare industry. I definitely have to give credit for that one to this board.

 

[genealle]

And to be clear, I think DVC is TOO low key.

Not me!

Now if you would say some Sales Hosts lack "sparkle" I would agree.

A few need more energy and could be better communicators, but I feel the no pressure atmosphere creates a more friendly relationship that relaxes the customer and makes them more receptive. I've visited all the DVC resorts during sales and pre-sales times, and have seen a wide variation of sales skills. IMO, at least half are superb. (Pretty amazing)The other half lacked product knowledge, presentation skills, and just plain old warmth.

I'm quickly turned off by high-pressure salesmen and will abruptly end the conversation if I dislike them or sence BS and lies. I don't believe a salesman can influence you to buy if you aren't ready and willing. You get them ready and willing by making them feel comfortable and creating a desire for the product. If the customer is nervouse, agitated, or even fearful in some cases, they won't buy. If they do, they will cancel later.


I'll try and post this link for complaints again.
http://www.myflorida.com/dbpr/lsc/index.shtml
Apparently the board blocked the last one I truncated in Tiny URL
Scroll down to the complaint forms.

"The Florida Vacation Plan and Timesharing Act, Ch. 721, F.S., relating to the development, sale, ownership, operation, and management of timeshare plans."

 

[Dean]

genealle, there really are two components. And my main point is that Disney was not aggressive enough in getting people in to the sale pitch at those off site resort. But there's a difference in being hard sale vs somewhat firm. I remember a couple that didn't buy because they though DVC didn't want them. They were never even asked if they were going to buy. No one likes a pushing, over bearing sales person if you are sitting across the table. But a certain amount of aggressiveness can produce sales and DVC has under performed in that area.

 

[pmcpmc]

We had a very enjoyable low key presentation at Disneyland Paris Last Year

 

[genealle]

I remember a couple that didn't buy because they though DVC didn't want them. They were never even asked if they were going to buy. No one likes a pushing, over bearing sales person if you are sitting across the table. But a certain amount of aggressiveness can produce sales and DVC has under performed in that area.

Yep, that salesman would have been in the lower performing half that I mentioned. Chances are, if you don't ask for the sale, you may not get one.

I've been in sales for quite a while and I learned long ago-keep asking for the sale. Obviously there are subtle ways to do that without appearing aggressive. Questions like “When would you like your Use-Year to start?” might be a good start. Or, “Will you be visiting more in the summer or winter?” They also failed to bond with the customer and create a comfortable atmosphere.

I still think that Disney has done well from the word-of-mouth spreading that Disney won't hold you hostage until you buy. If a sales consultant gives a good presentation, answers all questions satisfactorily, and presents a fine value proposition—and they still won’t buy, they just aren’t ready or interested.

That’s the mistake Marriott and others make. They think that by removing all purchase objections during a conversation, they can force someone to purchase a contract. Few buy, but those that do buy in that situation often cancel later. They just signed the contract knowing they could blow it off later. You can bet they will tell everyone they meet what jerks they are at xxxx Timeshares. That’s why they have those little booths at Denney’s parking lot, trying to lure the clueless.

How many people do you know that refuse to visit a time share because of their reputation. The ones that do go are often there just for the freebee and have no intention of buying, they’re just willing to play the game. (My cousin! ) I’d hate to be a TS salesman and wake up every day knowing I had to face that. (No wonder they’re jerks )

I think Disney’s real benefit from the low-key approach is a flood of visitors who are curious about DVC, and they KNOW they won’t be pressured, ridiculed, or held captive. If I was the Sales Manager at DVC, I would make sure all CM’s are well trained in the product and sales strategies. But I would shed the first one that showed traits of Marriott or any of the others. They remind me of the sales force at “Glengarry Glen Ross”.

 

[lark]

That’s the mistake Marriott and others make. They think that by removing all purchase objections during a conversation, they can force someone to purchase a contract. Few buy, but those that do buy in that situation often cancel later. They just signed the contract knowing they could blow it off later. You can bet they will tell everyone they meet what jerks they are at xxxx Timeshares. That’s why they have those little booths at Denney’s parking lot, trying to lure the clueless.

Well, there's a huge diffence here. It's irrational virtually almost always to buy a timeshare from the developer -- even Marriott. If the only thing that most timeshare developers were doing was trying to let the merits of the timeshare make the sale, rather than pressure, they'd almost never sell. I also think you're way underestimating how often the pressure approach works. It does work -- that's why they give you free stuff to sit through it. And the right to cancel doesn't bother them at all. You know those $100 rebates and stuff you see at circuit city? Fewer than 10 percent are completed properly and returned. Same prinicple with cancelations.

Disney is different. It's a good product, and ROFR keeps the resale market from overtaking the developer sales. It's still somewhat cheaper to buy resale, but not so much so as to make buying from Disney irrational. When you're in that position, like Disney is, you can let the product do the talking. Unlike most timeshare presentations, where they need a bull answer to feed you for your questions, disney has answers to the questions. At the end of the day, you either think it's worth the money or not, but that's just not a luxury the other TS developers have.

 

[FayeW]

I know nothing about Bluegreen, but I am intrigued! Where can I get more info?

ETA: Never mind, I found it. The power of Google!