Tell me about timeshare presentations - not DVC

[stitchfan18]

Are all timeshare presentations high pressure, or does it depend on the company? We're planning a long weekend trip to Branson sometime this summer. Since we already have season passes to Silver Dollar City, we are only budgeting for a decent hotel and a few cheap meals. I know there are tons of time shares in that area that offer a variety of perks for attending like discounted rates at their properties, show tickets, and dining gc's. I don't mind sacrificing a couple hours of our trip if we can get some of these perks. We aren't interested in buying a timeshare right now, so how persistent are these type of sales people after we tell them no?

Also, if anyone has done any of these timeshare presentations in Branson, I'd love to hear your input on which properties offer the best perks and are the most low key.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I don't know specifically about Branson, but Most timeshares will state a 90 minute requirement to get whatever they are offering

However... When you get there you will be invited to go into a lounge for snacks, coffee, etc.

When you are finally taken to the salesperson is when the clock starts. You will be invited, after a movie or something, to tour the property. Ths will be in a golf cart. You will be far from the sales office when the 90 minutes is up.

Once you get back you will still have more to go through, possibly a "manager" coming in to offer a better deal than the original salesperson.

Actual total time from arrival to departure will be closer to 2.5 hours rather than 90 minutes. Add in travel time both ways and how much time will you be spending?

Calculate your vacation time and hourly cost.

Take the total number of hours from the time you leave home until the time you return. Then subtract out the time sleeping or otherwise spent in your room. This gives you actual vacation time in hours.

Then take the total cost of your trip, transportation, tickets, lodging, meals, etc. Divide this by the number of hours. This gives you a cost per hour for your actual vacation time.

Now look at what you are getting, and consider how much it is really costing you.

BTW, almost any Disney ticket you get from a timeshare promotion (especially if you get a voucher) cannot be upgraded or modified in any way.

 

[seasheller]

Whenever you sign up for a timeshare presentation, take the first one in the morning. They have a time limit so chances are you will be out sooner so they can get ready for their next "guest". However, they are always longer than 90 minutes. Twice we have been offered the "sample" package when we seemed hesitant. It's a possible two weeks at a reasonable price to use within a year. DVC presentations are never pushy, but some others can get nasty.

 

[cjnix29]

we did a bluegreen presentation in Branson at Big Cedar. It was Ok. Moderate pressure, I would say. We ended up buying, but I think we were inclined to do so anyway.

 

[csharpwv]

OK, here is the skinny on timeshare sales presentations.

They lure you in with some sort of incentive - free show tickets, restaurant gift card, I've even seen a free week's stay at the resort.

That's the bait - and you think you taking your time out of your vacation to get the bait is the joke on them, you don't want to buy... Guess what, no amateur salesperson will make it a month in the timeshare industry. It is high pressure, and cut throat. You took the bait, you are on their time - they are paying you to be there, and you are allowing them to pay your hourly wage to be there... remember... the incentive was sweet enough to grab your attention, so your patience is thick enough to hang in till the end to reap your reward!

Once again, joke is on you - the longer you say no, the more they are going to come back to an offer, again and again.
Here are their offers:
Two weeks a year in a 3 BR Tricked out Unit - $45,000 - You say no, that's too much.
One week a year in a 3 br Tricked out Unit - $30,000 - you say no, that's too much.
Same goes for the following:
2 br 2X a year
2 BR 1X a year
2BR every other year - or lock off into 1 br every year.
Then:
1 BR two weeks a year
1 BR one week a year
1 BR every other year
Then
Studio two weeks a year
Studio one week a year
Studio every other year

Timeshare trade point purchase - incentive week, special offers, refer a friend -

Literally the list goes on and on, and the longer you say no, the less they are 'paying' you to be there.

90 minute presentation turns in to 1/2 the day wasted on something you KNEW you weren't going to buy - and in reality, for the time you wasted it would have been more economical to just pay cash for the tickets at the box office and be done with it!!!!

Plus, you have to flip that coin and look at the other side, if you know you aren't going to buy - you are lying to the salesperson, and to yourself because every objection and NO you give them is a lie - you might as well have said from the very beginning.... WE have no intent to buy, give us the quick tour, and we'll be out of your hair. IF it only worked that way!

You are not only wasting your vacation time, but you are wasting the sales person's time when the individual COULD be touring folks with a valid interest in purchasing.

SO, do yourself a favor and DO NOT do it, and do the sales person a favor and DO NOT do it.

BTW, the industry lingo for the people they put out on the streets and in booths to distribute 'free brochures' are called body snatchers - yes, rather morbid. That's the industry, cut throat.

On the last day of our honeymoon in 2006, after seeing DVC all over the property we stopped at one of the many.... many.... DVC kiosks (the one at Downtown Disney by Guest Relations) to ask what this 'DVC' was all about - we were floored to find out what the cost was.
We had officially been married for 6 days at that point, and there was no way we could ever afford something like that - well, we didn't understand all the benefits either.

SO after doing A LOT of research before out 2008 trip, we had decided to take a DVC tour. We knew about resales, we knew about the program, how it worked, what the cost was, and how it was different from 'timeshare'.

We purchased at Animal Kingdom Villas (before it was even open).

DVC is not high pressure, the club guides are friendly, and the tour is actually fun and informative. You can ask to see a 3BR Grand Villa at Saratoga and I think BLT now, but they may have stopped touring at BLT.

Anyway - that's our experience.

Don't stir the hornet's nest unless you are willing to pay the consequences!

 

[torinsmom]

I did it in less than 90 minutes a few years ago and got free tickets to see Blue Man Group. I just ate before I went and so didn't waste that time. And I drove as well. One thing that did get me is I had to take a shuttle back to where I had parked and they kept saying it would be there soon. Took 20 minutes, so if I had it to do over, I would get directions to walk through the property.
I was also very clear that I couldn't afford a timeshare and was just there to hear them out to get my tickets. They did keep lowering the offer, but finally let me go. It was funny, because at time time I was staying at the Hyatt Place Universal for $30/night(priceline) They use your hotel rate to show how much you would save over 30 years of trips, but that kind of threw the guy

 

[mom2rose&john]

If you do go to the presentation just mention TUG. It is a Timeshare users group website that has a forum that provides a wealth of information and a ton of resales for the fraction of the price from the developer. I suggested you get on before the presentation to educate yourself on timeshares if you do not know anything about them. Timeshare developers and salesman will expedite your presentation immediately, though they may not be overly friendly after mentioning TUG

 

[stitchfan18]

Thanks for the info! I did some more research of my own and found out that most (if not all) have an age requirement to go on the tour of 28. I would think the salary requirement would be more important to them than age, but I guess we'll have to wait a couple more years until we meet the age requirement as well. We might actually be in the market for a timeshare at that point, so I'll definitely have to be doing a lot of research before then.

 

[HM]

I've been to a couple Marriott presentations, they were just fine. No purchase, though we were interested and ended up purchasing several years later.

We did one with a group in Williamsburg (I wish I remembered who they were) and it was AWFUL. We were there over 3 hours and had to practically beg to leave and get validated for our perks. Whatever you do, don't express any interest or ask any questions. They take that for real interest in buying (we were just trying to figure out how a points system worked since we weren't familiar). I was crying by the time left and our children and my sister were really worried about where we were. We did have nice perks- great room and two meals for two nights and something else I can't remember.

 

[swilshire]

We do this once in a while if we have a vacation with free mornings in our plans. We hold out for a better premium. $100 is DH's "breaking" point, but sometimes he'll go for a little less.

I always listen politely and usually have a few questions, but I also make it clear that I'm not interested in buying. That's really all it takes to make a fairly timely exit in most cases. They're going to go on to the next couple where they have a better chance at a sell. Since I already own 10 weeks and have only 5 weeks of vacation time every year, it's pretty easy to convince them. All were bought resale and some are very nice properties that I bought at a good price. Sometimes I'll tell them one of the prices if I want to reinforce the point that I'm not going to buy anything from the developer.

I felt badly at one resort at Christmas. We followed another couple at the prize awards desk. They ask if we were driving to the Disney area as they had gotten a ride from the resort to the presentation and had to wait to be returned to their resort. We weren't, since we were staying there on property. About 30 minutes later, we WERE heading to the parks, so I ask DH just to pass by the office area to make sure they were gone. They were STILL waiting and very frustrated. We had them hop into the van and we delivered them ourselves.

I suggest you always drive yourself so you can leave when the time comes.

Sheila

 

[MichaelColey]

Every timeshare presentation I've been to (other than DVC) has been VERY high pressure, and chocked full of lies.

When you go, just keep four things in mind:

1) If the salesman's lips are moving, he's probably lying.

2) It's almost ALWAYS better to buy resale rather than from the developer. Some (mainly DVC), you'll save 50% buying resale ($50/pt vs. $100+/pt). For most, you'll save 80-99% buying resale ($1-$1000 vs. $5k-50k). The few perks you get for buying from the developer are almost never worth the extra expense (and the salesman will drastically overstate those perks).

3) If you succumb to the pressure, keep in mind that you have about a week (varies from state to state) to rescind (cancel) the contract and get your money back. Research. Read how to rescind. Follow the directions exactly.

4) If you're convinced that timesharing is for you, research further at TUGBBS.com (a great forum for timesharers). Don't buy until you've read and learned for a while. Even buying resale, there are pitfalls to avoid. (I just just renting from other owners for a while, so you can learn without making expensive mistakes.)

 

[msmayor]

We did a timeshare presentation to get free Busch Gardens tickets years ago. High pressure? Pretty much...but as soon as we started asking for legal documents (we wanted to see a copy of the sales contract as well as their official offering statement, and wanted a full copy of the book of available RCI resorts to trade into to review) they handed us the tickets and we were out of the office.

Two hours tops...it was a rainy morning so we had nothing planned anyway.

 

[Pipkin]

We recently did a Marriott time share presentation. They work on the point system now. We made it clear that we would never buy on the spot, without extensive research but we were willing to spend 90 minutes on a Sunday morning at 8:30 for the $300 room credit. The sales person was nice, the closer (manager) was annoyed and we left. We will never see them again but we were happy with our $300.
Upon returning home we got a call from Marriott Vacation Club offering a 5 night stay in a one bedroom suite (Florida ocean location) for $199. We will go to Fl in the next year so I bought it. Our obligation? another 90 minutes. I can do that, and I can also not buy.

 

[cookingqueen123]

I had a friend who would do these. She would go in and buy it right off the bat. No questions and sign everything. Be done in like 30 minutes tops. No fighting, no pressure, nothing, Get her gift and drop the recision papers off at the post office, certified, on the way home.

 

[sookie]

I'm from the Ozarks, and why anyone would buy a timeshare to the area, I have no friggin clue.
I love it, but you can do it so cheaply that it makes no sense whatsoever.
And my time is more valuable than any perk they might give me.

 

[capegirl]

We tried a presentation once at the Parc Soleil by Hilton Grand Vacations in Orlando. The accommodations were beautiful, the sales pitch, not so beautiful. Very high pressure ! When the first salesman failed to sell us the timeshare, they actually brought in a guy who looked, and dressed like some kind of muscle beach body builder who kicked the sale pitch up a notch. DH and I had to bite our tongues to keep from laughing ....I mean REALLY??? We lost three hours of our time, and all interest in time shares. Definitely an experience that I would never care to repeat.

 

[davmill]

Been to a few in Key West, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Florida. Worst one was New Orleans, Went over the 90 minutes, went through three sales people before we made our escape. Easiest was Las Vegas. That one was over fairly quick, within an hour. Beware though, they offer you money to play at a casino, but it isn't real money, which they don't mention, and you only get to play a couple of certain machines which don't pay anything. Total waste of our time.

 

[djm99]

My DH and I did one in Branson (Westgate - The Woods) maybe in the Spring of 2006 or so. It was VERY low pressured. Enjoyable - really. We considered buying. Their maintenance fees are extremely low - like under $200 a year low. A friend of mine bought there (in Branson) but uses it in Florida every year. She pays a small fee to transfer (which is smarter than Florida's $800 fee) - at Westgate.

 

[djm99]

12 ways of getting in & out of a timeshare presentation within the 90 - 120 min.

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Since its been much talk of staying in timeshare this upcoming summer, I thought I'd re-do this list I created for friends a while back. I believe I posted it here too. Feel free to add/alter this list.

I have traveled to many destinations by way of Timeshare -Branson, MO, Florida, Cancun, and Hawaii - just to name a few. But it’s Florida that has some really hard salespeople. They are trained to "seek blood". I have put together 12 sure ways of getting in and out of a timeshare presentation within the 90 - 120 minutes asked.

1. NEVER EAT THEIR BREAKFAST/LUNCH/DINNER!!!! Almost always they offer SOME KIND of meal. Your presentation time does not begin until AFTER you finish your meal/coffee, etc.

2. If you already know what resort your touring, do some research on it!!!! Find out how much "resale" prices are off of different websites. And most importantly BRING IT WITH YOU!!! Nothing gets under their skin more than an "educated" buyer. Some will say not to buy from other resellers because you loose the resort "star" treatment!!! I simple say, "I wouldn't want to buy from a company who does not treat all owners with the FULL respect they deserve"!!!!! Just because some are smart enough not to end up paying 17% in interest -they should be punished!!!

3. DON'T BE AFRAID OF BEING RUDE!!!!! Some people are afraid to be rude to people who have no problems being RUDE to them!!! I have gone so far as to bring materials to read!!! A friend of mine laid her head down and went to sleep (AFTER A FEW HOURS OF BEGGING from the Salesman)!!!!!! Our first presentation lasted well over 4 hours!!! TRUST ME BE RUDE – after their 90-120 minutes are up!!!!!

4. If you know for sure that you’re not interested in buying (absolutely sure) and you didn't eat their food - make it CLEAR from the beginning that you have to pick up your family or friend at the airport within 2 hours!!!!

5. If you have been thru a presentation before tell them you have!!! That way you don't have to go thru that speech of how good of an investment the timeshare is, and how much money you'll be saving. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!!!

6. If you have ANY complaints about the property (particularly if you are staying on that site). Bring a list of every reason why you would not buy from that property.)

7. Show your disinterest in your face. These people are trained to "pick up" on those interested. Let me give you an example. My first tour was at an Orlando property (VERY HARD SELL - if you can survive a WG presentation you can survive any of them), anyway, A friend of mine (who had their presentation before ours) bought a Timeshare there (a 2-bedroom) for around $13,000. The next day, when we had our presentation, the same 2 bedroom lock out was offered to us at $7500. Because we really were not interested, the price kept getting lower. During August 03 we were offered a 2 bedroom at Westgate Palace for $5000 (we were almost tempted!!!) If you look on ebay right now I'm sure someone is selling a 2 bedroom (at Westgate Lakes) for every bit of $3000-$5,000. You do the math!!!!

8. If you are doing a timeshare at a world wide chain like Marriott, Fairfield or Starwood, they are usually low pressured but still do your research!!!! These are the most expensive.

9. Let them know that you are maxxed out financially (including credit cards) and have NO means for a down payment!!! NO ONE will let you leave without some kind of down payment. Say my favorite line, “I will buy if I don’t have to put down any money – no, I will not leave a post dated check either”!!! Works every time!

10. If they get you to buy and you immediately realize (after leaving the parking lot) that you don't want it or can't afford it. Immediately send your letter to the resort within I believe 3-4 days (it could be more or less) to cancel because after that grace period - ITS GOING ON YOUR CREDIT REPORT!!!!

11. If you don't own a home yet you have to perfect excuse, Why would I buy vacation property before a home? Say, “I must prioritize and right now, it’s not even an option!!!”

12. If you have children, BRING them!!!! Children especially impatient ones (that includes about 99.9% of them)!!!! Let them cry, encourage temper tantrums, and most importantly let the toddler future track star (you know the one that keeps running away from you) Let them do their thing!!!!

Sounds like a lot, I know but still it can be worth it, if the stay is nice (or you are getting a great "gift"). I have a friend and her husband who get a kick out of getting something for "nothing" (if time is nothing). While in Orlando last year they bragged about their $200 cash in 3 hours ($66.66 an hour doesn't sound so bad now does it!!) Their presentations NEVER went over 90 minutes. They did Tip #4 and said they had to pick up her mother at the Airport. Each time leaving with $100 bills. Another friend of mine did a presentation recently for (4) 4 day Disney hoppers for $135 a piece (exit 101 in Georgia - right outside of Florida)!!!! Hope this helps! Their presentaton was at Orange Lake and they said the presentation was not a hard sell! They actually enjoyed themselves.

 

[MrsPete]

My parents discovered time-share presentations when we were teens, and they hit up all the different name brands -- if the price was right, that is. The big thing we used to get was tickets, and with a large family that was a good money saver.

As teens, we enjoyed this because at that time "the nursery" where we kids'd be dropped included no-coin video games -- I mean the big, stand-up machines like you'd see in an aracade. Since we didn't have good video games at home yet, we genuinely liked our parents leaving us for an hour or so!

Over the years my husband and I have done a couple of these, and there's a pattern:

Let's chat time: They sit you down to have a nice snack, and during this time the agent asks where you live, what jobs you hold, ages of your children, your vacation habits. No harm in telling this information, but know that they will use your details in a moment.

Why should I buy a timeshare speel: They'll bring out charts and sales brochures to show you why a timeshare is a smart financial decision. They'll use terms like "anyway dollars" to explain how you're going to spend X amount on hotel rooms anyway, so buying makes sense. They'll show you that you're going to get a whole condo rather than just a hotel room, so buying makes sense. They'll talk about how you can trade your timeshare for something somewhere else. They'll talk about how a timeshare is a commitment to yourself, a promise that you'll always make time for your family vacation every year. A saavy consumer, of course, will find that they tend to use fuzzy math to make their product very attractive, but who can blame them for that? You signed up to be sold on a product. It'd be foolish to be surprised when you're subjected to a sales pitch.

See the condo: They'll take you -- possibly with 1-2 other couples, probably in a golf cart -- to see the decorated condo. You may be escorted by your own agent, or you may be passed off to another agent.

Close the deal: When you return to the sales office, this is where they use the hard sale. Here they'll hit some of your concerns: Will the company still exist in 10, 20, 30 years?, etc., etc., etc. They are CERTAIN to tell you that you've come in at the perfect time because Phase 1 of the property will be "finishing construction" in only a week, and Phase 2 will cost X amount more -- but you can still squeeze in at Phase 1 prices, if you buy right now. They are very ready to talk about financing.

Warning: These folks are pros, and every step of the process is designed to make you want, want, want. Even if you go in with no intention to buy, even if you know that you simply cannot afford it, some part of you will be tempted to say, "Thow temptation to the wind -- agree! finance! buy!" Discuss with your spouse that you must steel yourselves against that instinct. Even if this time share IS a great spot for you, you should never, never, never buy right after the presentation. Not unless you just have money to burn.

I said all that because knowing what to expect is power.

Even if you're just touring for the free tickets, you should never be rude to the salesperson. You signed up to do this tour, and behaving in a civil manner should be the minimum in good behavior. However, here are a couple things that'll shut down any reasonable sales person without insult:

- I enjoyed the tour, but before I can take the plunge and spend this much money on Marriott, I absolutely have to check out Hilton and at least two more competitors. It's just good business to compare before I spend this much money. No, I won't be visiting them on this vacation; y'all wanted me to schedule this presentation on the last full day of my trip, and I have no time left for comparison shopping. I'm sure you understand, and I'll keep your business card. This has the benefit of being 100% true. You wouldn't go out and buy the very first car you saw on the lot, would you?

- I understand that prices will be going up in two weeks; however, I will not make a spur-of-the-moment decision for a purchase this large. If I pay more, I pay more. You've emphasized that this is a lifetime purchase, is that couple thousand dollars all that much more over the course of a lifetime? Again, this has the benefit of being absolutely true. This is a luxury purchase, and you shouldn't jump into it.

- I like the property very much, but I've pulled some resale prices and I see that they're a fraction of the new sale cost -- you could pull out a computer print-out at this point. Why should I buy new? The salesperson will point out that when you buy new you're going to get some nice perks (perhaps four free airline tickets, perhaps a free week). Do not be dismayed: Those perks are nice, but they don't add up to all the extra money you'd pay to be a first-owner. This is probably the question that the agents like least. They don't want you to know that you have any options other than buying from them.

- I love the property, but after seeing it I'm not sure about the location. I might want a property on the ocean /on a golf course /within driving distance of my house /in Vegas because it has such good trade potential. Okay, honestly, this is the kind of thing you should think about before you sign up for a tour, but I personally don't want to own a timeshare anywhere except on the ocean; you probably have similar "gotta haves".

- It's okay to tell your salesperson that you're meeting friends three hours from the time you arrive -- less than three hours isn't reasonable: Time to get in, get the kids settled, you've promised them 90 minutes, then time to get back to your car and reach your lunch destination. Tell them that you absolutely don't want to hurry seeing the codo, so let's hurry through the first part and get right to that.

- Finally, the BEST WAY to speed up a timeshare presentation is to tell them upfront that you are already sold on the concept of time shares, that you're absolutely ready to buy; it's just a matter of whether you're going to buy Marriot, Hilton, or whatever . . . so you don't want to bother with the speel about value /trades /etc. . . . but you're very anxious to jump right to the condo viewing portion. This'll fast-forward you through the first half of the presentation. You shouldn't do this on your FIRST EVER presentation, but really they're all the same -- you can do it for your future presentations.


If you really are interested in buying a time share, definitely buy the book TimeShares for Dummies. It is an unbiased source that explains the pros and cons of week-shares vs. point-based plans, the ins-and-outs of trading, and how to pick a good timeshare vs. one that'll be a pain.


Speaking only for myself, I think the best deal includes:

- Marriott; a major player in the hotel business, they're still going to exist for the rest of my life.
- A two bedroom lock-out (or three-bedroom lock-out). This allows you to split your two-bedroom condo into two weeks in a one-bedroom; however, if you choose wisely and choose a resort with no one-bedrooms, you get two weeks in a two bedroom . . . for the same cost.
- A resort to which you can drive. This just makes it so much more affordable.
- Amenities that you really like. A golf course is lost on us, but for our "home resort" we wanted to be on the ocean and with a great pool.
- Prime season. Those $100 deals on ebay are all for off-season. Do you really want a week at the beach every winter? And realistically, you can't trade unless you have a prime season.
- Resale. Always resale. The price difference is astounding. Try Redweek.com for information.