Marriott VC Presentations....

[mbb]

...have any of you gone? How do they compare to the DVC presentation? I ask because we're considering going while we're there this winter. Can we call before hand to arrange a tour? Will they come and get us (how awful would that be - a Marriott van pulling up in front of the BCV! and people getting in!!) How long will the tour take - is there childcare for the kids? Any special incentives (hehe) for taking the tour?

As always, any and all suggestions welcome ! Thanks!

 

[Lew]

We stayed at Marriott Grande Vista last year on a special deal which required that we attend the presentation. I think we arrived on a Thursday or Friday, stayed a few days, then moved to OKW.

We found the presentation to be extremely low key and very informative. Although we had no interest in buying, it seemed their program is quite good. There were refreshments...can't comment on child care or pickup.

 

[Yzma and Kronk]

We also stayed at the Marriott Grand Vista.
Presentation was low key, no pressure to purchase.
They have child care available, with staff. If I can remember, the room had a TV, video games, arts and crafts, etc to keep kids occupied.
Ours stayed in the room for a while, but once we were ready to take the tour of the facility, they wanted to come with us. It was no problem to have them along. (DS got a kick out of riding in the golf cart)
As far as pickup, sorry we don't know. We stayed on site at MGV and just drove our car to the presentation center.

 

[dvc_john]

I've taken several Marriott presentations. They are generally low-key enough, and I usually get MarriottRewards points for the tour. If you are actually thinking of buying, the only thing I dislike about Marriott is the first day incentives. They are quite valuable, but supposedly you only get them if you buy the day of the tour. I always like a few days to think about a purchase like that.

 

[Cora]

We did the presentation in Williamsburg at Ford's Colony...pretty high pressure but not the worst by far. But light year's more difficult than DVC
Cora

 

[joepoe]

Compared to the DVC guides, the Marriott presentation I sat through at Hilton Head was definitely high pressure.

 

[sgtpet]

I just got back from a deal to stay at the Marriot Grand Vista. The sales pitch is harder than the DVC one that is not saying much. I informed them that I was a DVC member and that I had no reason to purchase another timeshare in Florida. They questioned twice and then gave up. I don't think that is a hard sales pitch. They were courteous and the presentation was informative.

 

[Cora]

The presentation we had in Williamsburg went on for 2 1/2 hours. No matter what we said the gentleman (and I'm using that loosely) persisted. Our poor son was in the kids play room for that time. We just wanted out and couldn't get out. Part of the problem was after being in the nice presentation rooms they took us to a not so nice office and it was in an area that had a lot of twists and turns...very disconcerting! But we did like Ford's Colony and we are going back June 2004 but we are using points!
Cora

 

[SteveS]

We took the MVC club tour while I was at the Marriott World Center for a business convention. I thought the sales pitch was a bit over the top. It lasted alot longer than we were expecting and they wouldn't take "NO" for an anwser. Certainly more pressure than DVC.

I told my wife that it was the last tour she was ever dragging me onto.

 

[mbb]

LOL SteveS...my husband said the same thing after we left Westgate...THAT was a nightmare!

Are the Sheraton/Starwood ones any better or worse? I guess it all depends on the guide you get that day...like most things in life
Timesharing wasn't something we ever thought would be valuable to us in determining our family vacations, funny how kids and different family situations can change that. We want to include our family, immediate and extended, and after realizing that deluxe vacation prices are always on the increase - and let's face it, I just ain't a camping girl - the "security" of it made sense...am I making sense?

Thanks all!

 

[adamandallie]

We did a tour at Grande Vista last fall when we were undecided about whether we wanted DVC or Marriott timeshare (we just bought at SSR in Aug.). It was very low key with no pressure. Interestingly though the Marriott guy that did our tour used to work for DVC as a guide. I think he said he switched because Marriott paid more although he still worked for Disney in some capacity to get the discounts and free entry to parks. He got us a one day park hopper pass for going through the tour.

We have another presentation to sit through sometime in the next year at Ocean Point in West Palm Beach. They called and offered a pretty good deal to stay at the resort for four days five nights if you sit through the presentation at the end of your stay. We were supposed to go last February but my husband was mobilized to active duty in the Persian Gulf and I had to postpone the trip since they wouldn't return my deposit. They do have child care for the presentations since both spouses have to be present.

 

[Dean]

I've done a number of Marriott presentations. They are usually more preasure than DVC but not dramatically so. It will vary significantly with the rep though.

 

[tixx]

next time ask them if they finance people who have recently declared chapter 11 ... that should cool the sales pitch

 

[Lisa P.]

mbb, your two posts, taken together, suggest to me that you would do well to visit TUG - Timeshare Users Group before buying anything. If you are interested in a possible timeshare purchase (like Marriott) at some time in the future, learn all you can now. There are so many great options out there. By reading TUG, you'll become an educated consumer and save thousands of dollar$ on a good resale if you choose to buy. More importantly, you'll get a better sense of what a timeshare can and can't provide and whether it would suit your family rather than relying on a glossy sales pitch.

Over time, our vacation ideas, wants and needs have shifted pretty significantly. So what appealed to us the most 6 years ago (when we bought our first timeshare - DVC) is not the same today. We have since sold DVC, bought & sold Marriott & two other timeshares, have bought & kept another points timeshare. We expect our wants and needs to change pretty dramatically over the next 6 years as our kids mature but our remaining timeshare ownership is flexible enough to change with us.

If you learn enough, plan well, buy right (for you) and pay the lowest price possible (probably resale), you are not likely to lose anything for trying a timeshare. We didn't lose money on any of ours. HTH!

 

[Richyams]

While I am sire the pressure varies from rep to rep, it seems that with Marriot is varies radicaly by resort. Each person that has reported about a presentation at Marriott Grand Vista has reported the same thing. I agree completely, we stayed there for a $99 for three nights in a two bedroom just listen to the pitch offer. I would have to put the pressure on a par with DVC.

There was no pressure at all. It was a pleasent and informative tour.

 

[RLAlden]

We have attended a few timeshares for Marriott. Although the resorts were quite nice, we definitely felt more pressure than we did with DVC, which was none. They are definitely not bad to attend for the perks, and we've been very successful shortening the debate / pressure at the end by saying that we have DVC, love it and if we had additional dollars available to invest in long term vacation planning, that it makes far better sense to add to DVC than to start another one. With DVC's point system and flexibility, adding points gives you the option of not only doing more get-aways, but also some adventure type trips.

Our recommendation would be to go to Marriott for the perks and when you are ready to buy, go to DVC.

 

[nezy]

RLAlden-
I find your response very interesting. We have been considering a second timeshare option, and have a tour scheduled with Marriott in Feb. when we go to FLa. It does make sense to me to just add on to DVC. If I am planning on spending another $10,000 on Marriott why not just up my points with something I already know and love.

It just came to me why-DH wants a "deeded" timeshare investment. I don't know why or if there are any financial benefits to deeded rather than fixed time. Sounds like another thread starter to me.

 

[mbb]

Lisa P....thanks for your informative and very open post...I appreciate that! I think that one of the most important "pros" for us in purchasing DVC was that our use of it could(and most likely will) change over time, and the program is flexible enough to change (and grow!) with us.

Adding on is definitely a possiblity for us, although we always feel an educated consumer is a happier consumer...so we want to know "what else is out there"...although, other tours we've attended have given us the distinct impression that we've started with ownership in something that stands pretty high above the rest...but we would also like to go to Hawaii, back to the Caribbean, and Europe too...DVC point use, we feel, just isn't geared toward those things, JMHO. Family vacations, 3.5 hour flight, relax or go-go-go, DVC gives us all of that.

Thanks to all of you - for your reccommendations and advice...so glad these Boards are here!

Looking for that thread nezy..

 

[goofy1223]

We attended a presentation at a new resort opening in
Palm Beach, Florida. Marriott was VERY HIGH PRESSURE!!!

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by goofy1223
We attended a presentation at a new resort opening in
Palm Beach, Florida. Marriott was VERY HIGH PRESSURE!!!

I find it hard to believe that Marriott is VERY HIGH PRESSURE. Have you attended other non DVC timeshare sales. To me very high pressure is where they insult you, threaten you, spend like 3-4 hours or MORE, won't show you where the kids are, refuse to give you your gifts, or refuse to provide you transportation back to where you were picked up. Just refusing to take no for an answer is not necessarily high pressure to me.

I remember a Toyota salesman that I had to threaten to punch in the nose to get my keys back and get out of there. My next step was to call the police department and tell them I was being held prisoner.