When you buy a house or car, you have access to four invaluable resources: personal experience, third-party counsel, competitive bids, and time. From childhood you’ve grown up among home and car owners. As you enter the market you glean wisdom from family and friends, from real estate agents or consumer magazines. Competing offers lend you a sense of fair pricing and how the market works. You take time to make a reasoned decision.
Timeshares are similar to homes because they’re real estate (albeit an unusual type), and similar to cars in terms of cost. But when people buy timeshares, they generally do so during a sales presentation in which they enjoy none of the resources above. They lack personal experience with timeshare ownership, they’re unable to consult third parties for advice, they have no competitive bids on the table to compare, and they’re expected to sign a contract on the spot.
Considering the amount of money involved and its potential long-term impact on personal finances, a more rational decision-making process is in order.
Over years of listening to timeshare presentations in exchange for free or reduced lodging, gift cards and other rewards, my wife and I have enjoyed picking apart the following common threads. RCI, Bluegreen, Fairfield — the sales methods are the same:
Vacation vs. lodging
The salesperson discusses vacations and refers to the timeshare as a vacation because “vacation” conveys a wealth of positive associations. But a timeshare isn’t a vacation – it’s lodging. And while lodging ranks high among vacation costs, the total bill for any vacation includes travel, food, and activities that together may rival, if not exceed, the cost of lodging. The salesperson acknowledges this, but only briefly – then continues referring to the timeshare as a vacation.
Obligation
You’re matched with one salesperson for a presentation scheduled to take ninety minutes, and that ends up taking between two and three hours (at our latest timeshare visit, Williamsburg RCI, 2 hours became 3:45). The salesperson spends the majority of this time cultivating a friendly rapport with you over free snacks, lively conversation and a tour, withholding the actual sales pitch until the end. This amount of individualized attention builds a personal connection, a sense of trust … and a consequent feeling of obligation. By the time the pitch finally arrives, it’s harder to reject an offer from someone who’s spent so much time being nice to you.
Scribbling
The salesperson gives you nothing published – no terms, no prices. Everything is scribbled on a blank sheet of paper. This conveys a sense of price fluidity, an impression of a deal being cut, of figures being negotiated downward. In reality, each timeshare has a bottom figure necessary for recouping costs, so the fluidity is an indicator of price inflation. Moreover, factors integral to the deal (maintenance fees, closing costs, taxes, insurance, financing interest rate) are left off the scribbling paper.
Urgency
The deal is take-it-or-leave-it, and will never again be offered. You must decide then and there to accept, or forever lose the opportunity to buy at the same price. This adds a sense of urgency, making it more likely you’ll neglect to ask crucial questions or request details in print. It also separates you from third-party advice and competitive offers.
The actual deal closing is handled through a clever approach – but before analyzing it, a look at timeshare mathematics gives us valuable perspective.
Since timeshares are sold by the week, the math is simple: multiply the sale price by 50 weeks for an approximation of how much the company is poised to make on the unit. One week ownership at $15,000 may sound low in real estate terms, especially compared to typical one-week rentals of $1,000 or more – it would pay for itself (seemingly, ignoring ongoing maintenance fees and the financing interest rate) in a mere 15 years! But multiply that $15,000 figure by 50 weeks and you discover the whole unit is selling for over $750,000. Is this fair market value? Not by a longshot. In fact the company obtains fair market value upon selling 10 or 20 weeks, leaving the remaining 30 to 40 weeks as pure profit. In this way timeshare companies pump up real estate profits up to five times.
If you think the padded price covers the cost of property management, think again: one-time sales can’t cover perpetual costs without bankrupting a business. This is why timeshares charge annual maintenance fees that typically run $500. Again, a little multiplication: $500 times 50 weeks = $25,000 … to maintain one unit for one year? Plus, there’s no guarantee that maintenance fee won’t increase over time.
Now, with the price in perspective, consider how the deal unfolds. The sales pitch ain’t over until it’s over – and that’s not until you walk out the door. First to bat:
The Salesperson
The whole time you’re with the salesperson, you’re dreading the eventual sales pitch … which is ironic because his or her job is not to close the deal. Instead it’s to butter you up for the real deal closer, who comes later. The salesperson simply obtains your trust and sympathy, then presents two prices. The first is a high “anytime” price meant to scare you: it’s not a real price, no one ever pays it, and in fact some salespersons cross it out immediately after writing it down. (At a recent timeshare visit, Massanutten, the anytime offer for one week of a condo with two bedrooms, two baths was $22,500.)
On its heels comes the “first time visitor offer” which, contrary to appearances, is not meant to hook you (unless you’re gullible). Instead this deal ($18,000 at Massanutten) is meant to draw your rejection – so the salesperson can quickly back off, to your huge relief. This is a brilliant sales maneuver; in fact everything has been orchestrated to bring you to this exact point, because immediately you think, “Ahh, it’s over! Here I was expecting all this pressure, but it wasn’t so bad. This sales operation must really be on the up-and-up.” By moving beyond the sales pitch, the salesperson withdraws the threat and fear of pressure, thus doing exactly what he’s paid to do – laying down the emotional groundwork for batter number two:
The Boss
The boss stops by to touch base on why you’re rejecting the deal. This is presented as a check on the salesperson’s performance, but the boss does intend to close the deal, and she (or he) is authorized to offer a smaller unit for a remarkably discounted price ($9,900 at Massanutten) – about half the previous deal. Because you don’t have a relationship with the boss, her pitch relies on a combination of reduced numbers and extra amenities, and it’s delivered with the faint suggestion that your salesperson is a learner who should have performed better. Note his demeanor: once gregarious, now he sits quietly, seemingly chastened. He may have accepted your rejection with a smile, but to his boss he feels apologetic for his failure. You like your salesperson; you’re grateful to him for not pressuring you; you may feel like helping him out by accepting the new low offer.
If you’re particularly stubborn you turn this one down as well. The boss and salesperson shake your hand and invite you through a doorway to receive your parting gift (typically a $100 gift card). It’s all over until …
The Boss’s Boss
In the next room an older boss sits down to interview you about your free stay, your tour, and your salesperson’s professionalism. Was he polite? Did he show you both swimming pools? Did he explain the pricing? This is safe territory – you’ve eluded two sales pitches, you’re close to the exit, and you’re reviewing all that occurred, assuring the older boss that even though the sales rep didn’t make a sale, he was great. Suddenly an alternative is mentioned: a pricing plan ($5,400 at Massanutten) half the previous deal, for every other year or a split unit, plus one or two new amenities. The tables have turned – you’re in the thick of a third sales pitch, this one a quarter of the original price. What would have happened had you accepted earlier deals? How clever of you to have turned them down. How many buyers reach this point? Will you now pass up this secret offer?
Thanks to the psychological power of repetition, the longer the sales pitch continues, the more likely you are to succumb. Time is on their side – hence the promised $100 gift card, meant to keep you in your seat until the end. None of this is wrong, per se, it’s only carefully honed psychic and economic conditioning meant to steer you into a hasty and ill-considered decision.
Clearly, in light of the process above, whoever accepts the first or second deal is a sucker. In fact you never can be sure just how low the deal may descend until you’ve exited to the parking lot. As a potential buyer you’re a prime opportunity: the sales team will use better and better bait in an attempt to hook you because they know that once you’re gone, you’re gone for good. Simple strategy dictates that they go first for the jackpot (their jackpot, not yours), and save the best bait for last.
Some people feel guilty about declining deals, but you’re valuable practice for a salesperson, a veritable research subject. Testing how to “crack” you and seeing what fails will help him determine how to secure the next sale. Rest assured he’ll replay every interchange, tone and expression, both yours and his, in order to hone his craft. If you still feel bad about declining, use this line: “This isn’t the way I feel comfortable buying real estate.” The gift card is proof enough the company isn’t losing money on you – $100 is a researched probabilistic calculation, their bet that you’ll buy. Considering the obscene profits involved, a salesperson needs only one sale out of five (or ten? or twenty?) pitches to make those gift cards worth the gamble.
Why Buy Something People Are Giving Away Free?
Depending on personal finances and lifestyles, and if maintenance fees and other costs are reasonable, timeshares may make sense for some people – as long as the decision to buy one is well informed. Your best bet is to skip the sales pitches altogether and find someone reselling a timeshare. In fact many owners, fed up with costs but unable to find buyers, look to give their timeshares away for free to anyone who will assume the maintenance fees.
“You could start a business matching up timeshare donors with recipients,” claims one of my close friends. After accepting two free Williamsburg RCI units from a family friend pestered by annual fees, he and his wife have since been seeking to offload the units for free – without takers.
Before accepting one of these desperation pleas, talk to timeshare owners you know. Find out the real bottom-dollar costs, especially annual fees and exchange/rollover costs. Analyze your family budget and travel habits, and calculate whether a timeshare – even a “free” one – really will save you money on lodging.
If you do buy a timeshare during a sales pitch and believe it was a bad decision, research your state’s rescission laws. Many states provide a rescission period of a few days (often five) in which you can cancel a purchase. The laws that protect you are from your state of residence, not the state of the timeshare.
My wife and I don’t own any timeshares, but we’ve been fascinated by the psychological and financial machinations used to sell them. We’ve entered every presentation determined to decline, yet found ourselves swaying. Only sheer stubbornness enabled us to see how low the prices can drop.
The next time you stay at a timeshare, look around at the other lodgers. You can be sure of one thing: no one paid the same price to be there.
August 13, 2007 at 2:04 pm |
[...] fellow blogger deconstructs timeshare presentations and offers tips for those who are evaluating a [...]
September 13, 2007 at 2:39 pm |
I once worked in customer service for a timeshare company (Not sales) and here are some other useful tips:
One important question to ask the salesperson, particularly when taking the lowest price: What color season is my week? Lower prices often mean lower color season (green or white) with less trading power and less travel time available. If you want to travel to a resort during the holiday/busy/high/”supreme red” season, the purchase price of your week will be more. They will often start off with a supreme red price (4th of July week at the beach for example) and will knock the price down, but you will only get a green week (january or february) for the low price and won’t have as many travel options available. Some people can live with this, but it’s usually not the best for families with children in school (or adults who are teachers).
And most importantly, if you do buy and the salesperson “promises” you something, GET IT IN WRITING.
November 26, 2007 at 1:29 pm |
I love this piece. Very information. I am a young traveler who is interested in going a discounted vacation. I’m happy to trade in 3 hours to withstand the pitch. However, I haven’t gotten these calls. Is there any way to find these offers online?
November 27, 2007 at 6:20 am |
Hi Di,
I’m sure if you contacted timeshares directly (RCI, Fairfield, Blue Green) and asked to visit, they’d be happy to oblige. Check out their websites for contact information and give ‘em a call! They spend so much effort trying to rope people in that I’m sure they’d be tickled by a volunteer like yourself.
Best of luck!
November 28, 2007 at 8:12 pm |
This article is very helpful!! I’m about to go through one of these presentations this week, and I’m very nervous about it cuz I definitely have to say NO! Thanks for the info!!
November 29, 2007 at 6:27 am |
Then you, Shannon, are exactly who I wrote it for! So glad to hear you found it helpful.
I’m not a big blogger; I don’t get many hits. But if this post helps even a few people escape a hasty and unwise financial decision, it was worth the time to write.
November 30, 2007 at 3:49 am |
You can go to ebay and check the secondary market for any timeshare or travel memberships. You will allways find that same or similar membership costs just a fraction of any price that is offered on the presentation.
If you need to say “No” and receive your gift – just print the secondary market offers from ebay, show them during any part of the pitch and ask why you need to pay more.
If you are interesting in the membership (timeshare or travel club – does not matter) itself, not just in a promotional gift for visiting presentation(which is not always free, by the way), do not waste your time for the presentation, just buy from secondary market (ebay, craigslist, etc.)
May 26, 2009 at 1:07 pm |
BAD advise. Never buy a timeshare from a third party! If you don’t believe me look on BBB website about purchasing timeshares.
December 17, 2007 at 8:45 pm |
Let me help you and some of your readers. The general public must first understand that timeshare are not created equally. Prime example, if you buy one in mexico instead of the U.S., what’s the difference? In Mexico you don’t own it. So if there was a major hurricane that destroyed your property, you are not protected by the United State’s insurance laws. Now you ask a friend that owns a fixed week in Williamsburg,Virginia how is their timeshare, they may hate it. Now asked a friend who owns a floating summer week in Atlantic City, and they love it. Now who’s judgement do you go by. The bottom line is you go by your own. You have to see it and hear it for yourself. You are correct about red, yellow, and green weeks and pricing. You are incorrect about actual value. I live and sell timeshare for 10 years in Atlantic City. I live in a 30 story condominium highrise. My two bedroom condo that i own outright, was just appraised for $1.2 million dollars. My monthly maintenance fee is $825. Now that’s in addition to a mortgage, and not including electric, cable, phone and anything else. I don’t know about where you live or are reffering to, but in this town, timeshares are rather inexpensive compared to what one would pay to purchase the unit outright. The maintenance fees here are the taxes, insurance, utilities, and phone, security, and maintenance of your unit and all the common areas. I am a licensed real estate agent and in this town you could buy a home for $300,000 or $3.8 million dollars on the ocean. Nothing here is cheap. Now, compare the cost of purchasing a unit in a building outright in your town, and divide by 52 week, and that unit in your town may not be worth it, but in this town and most expensive towns to live, you got a steal. And about those resales on ebay and craigslist: you need to find out why people are selling them. Is it because they are going through a divorce and need to liquidate, or did they buy a green week because they wanted the best price in the house and realized and buying it, that season didn’t work for them. In addition to that, most resorts offer incentives to earn your business that day, that cannot be offer on a return visit, nor can it be transferred through the sale of your timeshare. Bottom line, a lot of resales are minus that additional incentive becaused it can only be offer through the developers. So make sure you do your homework.
P.S. I can only speak for the companies that i am familiar with, these incentives will and cannot be offered on a return visit. As a licensed real estate agent, we as timeshare sale reps in New Jersey,(which has the strictest real estate laws in this country) are not going to jeopardize our license and livlihood nor will the Millionare developers for a $10,000-$20,000 sale. Thank you.
December 17, 2007 at 8:52 pm |
I forgot one thing, anyone that doesn’t understand why a timeshare make more sense than renting a hotel room and lack of privacy with guests, please feel free to email me at jclemens609@aol.com
January 10, 2008 at 3:10 am |
Wow, Jules, you do pretty well at selling timeshares!
I can’t even IMAGINE throwing away 825$ a month in something that did not build equity for ME.
June 17, 2009 at 2:53 pm |
What a [expletive] you are!! The 825 that was talked about was the maint. fee for his home that IS building equity! [Expletive]!
January 10, 2008 at 6:08 am |
Yes, Penelope, I was thinking/hoping that was a typo. It certainly doesn’t sound normal — I doubt most timeshares have maintenance fees anywhere near that high.
February 27, 2008 at 2:05 pm |
That “we’ll never offe this to you again” stuff is nonsense. Every year we take a free trip on Fairfiled (Wyndham) and every year they say they are going to out us on their do not call list because we never buy. Sure enough a few months later we get a call from either them or a marketing company working for them. We always print out ebay prices for the places we’re going and take them with them. The sales guys will get mad when you ask why it owuld make sense to buy from them rathere than the deep discount resale price but they usually let you out of there quickly (or quicker than they would have). If they still try to keep you prisoner, show them copies of the complaints you found on them at ripoffreport.com. If they still persist,, make sure you talk loudly so others can hear you. They hustle you out so you don’t bust another sale. Few things are more pleasurable than playing people who’s goal it is to play you.
February 27, 2008 at 3:12 pm |
Ha! Great suggestions, Presentation Veteran — thank you! I love the one about talking loudly. Every timeshare sales pitch I’ve sat through has used crowd control to create a general atmosphere of acceptance. In fact, I’ve always wondered if the first few “We have a buyer!” announcements are plants, other salespeople roleplaying as customers to set an example for others. So your suggestion turns that dynamic on its head, dispelling their illusion. Nice.
February 29, 2008 at 11:07 am |
Guys, guys, guys and Penelope. The reason people buy timeshare is because they do not listen, timeshare salespeople do. Number one the people they are selling to are already there for something free. (Deal getters that they are). If they get there and there is a better deal, why would they not consider it? The most dangerous and usually most succesful TS salesperson is the one who asks one question and just lets you talk.
If you read Jules comment it was that he owns a 1.2 million dollar condo and his maintenance fees are $825 per month that includes his insurance and his common area maintenance. That is his house he lives there all year round. We all pay these fees to maintain our homes and or condos, and here in Florida condo fees run $400-$1000 per month and do not include the property taxes. Any good salesperson in TS goes over these realistically. I sell vacation homes here and have sold TS. The TS is actually a much better deal unless you are a millionaire. Also Presentation Veteran change your title to Stroker that is what your name would be in the TS biz. Think about what it connotes and you will understand. And yes good TS people recpgnize you immediately.
March 8, 2008 at 11:26 pm |
forester, i feel for you especially when you retire. once you go to a fixed income and beautiful 5 star hotels are charging $600 to $700/night. you’ll be enjoying your retirement years in a wonderful motel. good job for being so closed minded. hahaha!
March 23, 2008 at 10:41 pm |
Wow! You’ve got it down to a science. I survived two presentations, so anyone can do it. I decided against purchasing a timeshare simply because of the high pressure. If it’s such a good deal, why the hard sell? At any rate, I love the timeshare resort properties, just not timeshare ownership.
April 11, 2008 at 4:47 am |
My Wife and I bought the best timeshare ever. It’s at WorldMark by Wyndham. We are from Lautoka, Fiji. WorldMark and the holiday lifestyle it encourages is everything we wanted for our lives and that for our two little girls. You know, we value our family time together and to be able to do it for only $17 a week on maintenance fees is something we actually look forward to.
Before WorldMark we took so many chances and there were so many unknown factors wherever we went on holidays. Holidays were so emotional for me and Eve. Positive and negative feelings. Happy and excited for the travel and time together. Frustration at the budget we were confined to. Our arguments on holidays was only about money and how best to spend. Bargains and deals was the way it was going. We would be just like the author of this blog and his wife. But they are much smarter than us in that they go for the nicer gifts from Timeshare marketing companies. If we only had known.
There were times before the girls came along where we actually ran out of money/travellers chqs while on holiday. So out came the credit card. One way or the other we paid dearly for times in our lives where we were supposed to not have to worry about payments or whatever! Holidays are supposed to be relaxing while on holiday as well as after when you get home. To some of us credit card is normal but not to us. We have one for emergencies only.
We had 2 more holidays after that one and and one thing that concerned us was the amount of money we actually saved, our hard earned money being saved for spending. We know we deserved it and all but…
Anyway our holiday with the girls to Disney seven years ago made Eve and I realise that we may have to save alot more and NOT go as often as we liked. We were ready for that sacrifice cause we had the house, the car, the fuel, the school fees, our extended families & province obligations, the food, the dog, etc.
We put aside about $600 USD for accommodation in the USA for about 5 days. Last time we spent it at the Travelodge just alittle south of the LA airport on Sepulveda for $89, you know those two bed basic yet comfortable motel/hotel rooms. We had a blast. Disney was unbelievable. We were the last guests to leave Disney on our last night there at 1:07am in the morning. We went again the following year. I mean can you see all of disney in only 2 days. So off we went again and this time we had to spent $129 a night at the Renaissaince on Airport Blvd. So our holidays had to be cut a little short because for some reason that whole area had some political meeting or something. Still, Disney transported us out of this world.
Our whole outlook on holidays changed in May 2002 when we went to this Trendwest presentation. We were told about the anytime and the today’s package. We made that decision in that 2.5 hour presentation. We even lay buy the 10% deposit for 3 months. But yes we bought. They sold us. We were sucked in like 26000 families before us. We became the beneficieries of 8 resorts (at that time) in the South Pacific. We made the sales staff give our presenter a hand shake for a job well done. We ended up owning 6000 premier holiday credits and committed ourselves to $11700 AUD for 7 years fixed at 11.99% with no prepayment penalties. We paid it off in 4.5 yrs.
We even bought more holiday credits last year. We now own outright 10′000 holiday credits and are the beneficieries of 17 resort locations plus access to 67 more in the USA WorldMark club. We pay approx $74 FJD amonth for maintenance fees. Now this club run with a good mix between the owners input as well the managers. Its titles are held in trust with Permanent Trustee of Australia, cannot be mortgaged and debt free and cannot be touched by the developer. The maintenance fee has a 5% cap per annum. Last year it went up by 2.8%. Its also cannot go up beyond Aus CPI. And most importantly availability for both Clubs, the South Pacific and North USA club is live online with 13months & 11 months booking window. They also pay life membership to RCI & ICE. And the list goes on.
Now we holiday quite differently. We now stay in apartments with individual bedrooms every year. We know the quality and almost what to expect out of our accommodation and even the surrounding areas. Its almost as if we are going home or our own holiday apartment. In 2005 we took Eves Dad and our girls to the Gold Coast and Sunshine coast in Australia with only our spending money. Guess what, those awesome holiday credits took care of our gold crown 4 star accommodation apartment on Kirra beach as well as Golden beach Caloundra, Car hire from avis for the whole 7 days and all four theme park tickets for 3 adults and 2 kids. And no bills. Ha ha ahaha no bills. My family will be enjoying many more holidays with all our other families more often. We love holidays.
I just joined Wyndham here in Fiji to offer this same opportunity to anyone who takes that gift. Come see me now blogger and family and I will bring you home. Love you all.
July 9, 2008 at 6:19 pm |
Great article; but it’s too late for me; I ended up buying one, now can’t afford it. Do you have any advice for me on how to sell it without getting soaked? buyers remorse.
July 15, 2008 at 6:38 pm |
I could not describe my own experience better than in this article.
I purchased my timeshare from Point To Point Destinations (PTP Destinations, West Coast Timeshare( in Vancouver, BC and it was my mistake to say the least.
I’ve learned a lot of facts after i bought it and i posted my experience along with the facts i’ve learned on this web site:
http://www.TimeshareRevealed.com
July 18, 2008 at 1:41 am |
Just like any product, vacation ownership is not for everyone but for those who travel a bit it’s cheaper and you stay in luxury suites instead of a Motel 6. There are more perks and benefits and it upgrades your travel from just OK to being treated like a special guest. Sure, there are a whole range of time share units but you usually get what you pay for. If your intention is to go first class for the rest of your life that most likely won’t happen if you shop for the lowest price. Like they say, it only costs a nickle more to go first class. Some people pay hundreds of thousand to join just one country club. For a fraction of that you get a lifetime of worldwide first class treatment and accomodations with vacation ownership. Some people just like to beat up on sales people and, to them, everybody is out to get them. Too bad for them, oh well, next. Sales people get paid for what they do and they earn their money. With out them and a good product like vacation ownership millions of people wouldn’t have such good vacations. These places know how to cater to what people want. I’ve stayed at regular Hotels and Motels and the Vacation Ownership program has them beat by a mile. If you own one week you can get great deals in 100 countries as many times as you want throughout the year. Wyndham is the largest and one of the best but their are many. The reason they are popular is because the programs create a win, win situation and people, for the most part, are very happy.
August 8, 2008 at 10:58 am |
This is EXCELLENT!
September 8, 2008 at 3:10 pm |
I just went through exactly the same speech by Wyndham (the descendant of Fairfield). I got a GPS unit for dealing with the BS. What other gifts have people gotten?
October 12, 2008 at 9:08 pm |
Nice information to share….and yes a lot of Sales reps will do anything for those sales, but we can’t generalize and one thing is true….someone that knows how to buy timeshare does have a great experience with it just like I have had it so far.
The way they promote the resorts is exactly by offering you free $, discounts and so on….but something that I’ve always hated is people that take advantge of this….this is not meant for families to repeat over and over again, families that do this are nor really giving any type of value to their vacation time, wasting 3 hours of your vacation for a discount, or a gift card its not right to me. Plus this is the way that those sales reps make their living and just like a lot of you they have children, homes and bills….their job is based on numbers…is not about practicing with the families that are there abusing the system, most of the time you might be their last chance to sell before they loose their job. Imagine someone being in your office for 3 hours making you work your best and then doing no business with u and just walking away….PEOPLE PLEASE GO TO ONE PRESENTATION and if you know that is not for u then don’t abuse the system, and don’t make people waste their time and energy with u….is not fair just because you can’t afford paying full price for something….I still have family and friends that do it…..the system is in place to get a fair chance in a table….if u see the benefit or not, but not for u being laughing in the Representatives face without them knowing…. ITS NOT FAIR to them and their families…..
October 12, 2008 at 9:11 pm |
Wyndham doesn’t suck….Do you truly believe that they should do more for you when u where there just for your gift knowing that you were not ging to purchsed? is that a smart business decission???investing more in people like you?….I don’t think so…..that is exactly why a lot of people get the experiences that they get when they go to a presentation….YOU GOT PEOPLE LYING just to qulify for $70 or $100….is not a charity home
December 9, 2008 at 10:18 pm |
Forester you are acomplete [expletive] and you know nothing about timeshare i work in the industry and work for a very reputible company .Thanks to comments from people like you the industry has a bad name.If you know a better way of spending money than with your loved ones on a beautiful trip please let me know.
I own timeshare and it has always worked for me,and i can guarantee you think you know what you are talking about and you probably don´t even own , what i think you need to do is stay in a timeshare resort enjoy it and make your own decision not ust take presentations for THE FREE GIFT don´t be cheap.
And don´t influence peoples decisions let people make there own decisions ,Timeshare may not be for you ,but i tell you it helps parents spend quality time with their kids, forces people to take time off and helps couple strengthen relationships.
Just a recommendation dont ever think you have the right to judge anything or anyone or infoce your beliefs to influence others decisions you check it out and if you dont have anything good to say dont say it .
your words could affect someone who may need a membership and you dont have aright to take that away from anyone ,
December 10, 2008 at 10:07 pm |
Joe your a snake oil salesman. I am one of the people who goes on many vacations and sits through these pitches. I guess I am a freeloading deadbeat!! I don’t feel guilty, its a numbers game. I can’t count the number of times I have been lied to. The more I go the less I feel guilty if at all.
February 5, 2009 at 2:39 pm |
independent reports show timeshare growing at an average of 16% annually since 1994….85% good to extremely satisfied rating (GO TO ARDA.COM and check for yourself) with only 4% dis-satisfaction rate for owners. Most people today know friends or family who are happy with ts, but it is not for people who do not care about the accomodation quality benefits resorts offer.
if you are looking for great way to afford great accomodations, go and give a listen you will find most sales operations are no longer functioning in the 1980s fashion. If they are bad, get up and leave.
If u are NOT interested in ts, do not go TO LIE AND HAMMER SOMEONE for your jollies. Remember, what if people CAME AFTER YOU WITH THE PREMEDITATED MALICE that some of these posters support. Ask yourself how DO YOU MAKE MONEY, someone SELLS YOUR PRODUCT RIGHT, even if you just make it or service it…i could on and on but i am sure if you are honest with yourself you understand. Ask yourself, ARE ALL salespeople, car mechanics, lawyers, etc, REALLY EVIL and the ONLY GOOD PERSON IS YOU. IF you really believe that, then PLEASE STAY HOME, no one wants to talk you anyway.
April 12, 2009 at 7:13 pm |
Your a [misspelled expletive] leach that’s what you are..
Your the idiot that spends all day long taking tours instead of enjoying your vacation.. You loser.. Do you not make enough money with your own [misspelled expletive] job? That you have to waist people’s time and take food and money from honest sales reps families? And by the way not all timeshares are like what you describe. The prices get lower yes they do, but you also get less vacation time aswell. Don’t make it sound like you get the same program for less money.. you should know what the [expletive] your talking about before you start talking [expletive] loser. I’ve had my timeshare for ten years now and I love it.. I’ve been to Hawaii, Europe, Colorado, Bahamas, Out West, Myrtle Beach, New york, Florida, Disney many times and my wife and kids love it..
I bought one for ten thousand dollars. My Hawaii trip only only cost me 2,300 dollars for me and my wife with air, car and lodging. Are resort in Maui was the embassy in a two bedroom that was $529.00 a night. I stayed two weeks for only $139.00 for a week. So that’s $139.00 X 2 = $278.00. Now compare that with $529.00 x 14 Days= $7,406 for lodging only. Not counting air plane tickets (For two adults) and my car rental (Which I had a mustang conv.) That trip alone saved me over ten thousand dollars.. My timeshare is the best thing I’ve ever done. If you want to buy a timeshare email me at [email address removed]
Don’t listen to people like that [expletive] that doesn’t know [expletive]. All he does is mouch off people that make a living in a straight commission business. He abuses people that might lose their jobs for not selling the client just for his trills and because he can’t afford tickets with his poor [expletive]. Next time your offered to take a tour think about who’s job your going to take and also whose kids will not eat because of you [expletive].
Jason
P.S. If you have a question about your timeshare email me and I’ll give you an answer.
April 13, 2009 at 5:53 am |
Mr. Sarmiento, I found one sentence in my original post that did, in fact, suggest this error. Originally it read: “Suddenly an alternative is mentioned: a pricing plan ($5,400 at Massanutten) half the previous deal, for even more amenities.” This sentence gives a false impression; you’re right to protest.
I’ve clarified it to read: “Suddenly an alternative is mentioned: a pricing plan ($5,400 at Massanutten) half the previous price, for every other year or a split unit, plus one or two new amenities.” I’m sorry about the incorrect impression my original sentence contained. Thank you for pointing it out.
I took the opportunity of editing this post to rework the conclusion. My new recommendation should allay your concern about people sitting through sales pitches determined not to buy:
April 17, 2009 at 4:28 pm |
First, let me say I read this the end of last year before I went on a presentation and before you updated your post. My sister let me use her week as a wedding present. And I would have to say that you are mostly correct. I didn’t have to take the tour but since I read this and many others about timeshare before, I went. I felt that I should see for myself.
I was upfront and told the salesperson that we were definitely not going to make a decision today so please don’t give us the “this price is only good for a limited time” spiel. As I figure, we got the express tour. He told us that he was required to put us through the whole tour. So he took us around and we spoke about the place for less than 30 minutes. He gave us his card and told me to let him know when I’m ready. Hence, it really wasn’t high pressure, and I didn’t take too much of his time.
After coming back home I worked out the numbers and I asked my sister what she thinks. She told me if she had it to do over again she would still own it, but she wouldn’t have paid the resort’s price.
Now armed with the information this and many other sites, I started my search. I tried different sites like Redweeks, T.U.G. and many others but I didn’t find anyone giving (the one I wanted) away. Finally, instead of waiting around to find a \”free\” one I decided to call the resort to see if they had any foreclosures. Well it turned out that the person must have misunderstood me because he gave me a number to a resale company call Global Resort Service.
I called them and the person I spoke with was really nice. She explained that they were not the resort but that they could help me find what I wanted. She faxed me the information and had a broker follow up with me. Even though the prices where comparable to what I found on some other sites (which all were much better than what I was offered at the resort), I still wanted to see if I could find an even better price. The broker told me he’ll keep looking and will let me know when something comes up.
I was glad that I didn’t have to do all the hunting, because there are just so many websites and I really was not in a rush. He called me two or three times in the following couple of months to let me know he was still looking and to update me on the current prices. Finally after 2 months he found me someone that was about to go into foreclosure and just wanted the this years maintenance fees back.
In short, getting a broker to do all the searching for you once you know what you want can also save you time and money. I’m now a proud new timeshare owner for under $900 total out the door.
May 12, 2009 at 9:22 pm |
first off timeshares are HUGE ripoffs. I have sat through several presentations. The numbers they use to justify buying one of the worst lies i have ever heard. where they get you is when they try to put inflation numbers into equation. at one we went to, the lady said ok if you pay 1000/week right now for a condo and vacation for 30 more years then you will have paid out in lodging $155,000. I about fell out of my chair. are you kidding me i asked. she said well you have to factor in inflation. so i took out her calculator and showed her that what she was proposing was that in 30 years a condo would be 20,000/week. and my house would be worth 3 million and i would be making over 1 million/year. its silly to calculate inflation like a interest rate!
just ridiculous numbers. i will be lucky if my wages and house doubles. to top it all off is the maintance fees. they act like its no big deal. 125/month. thats more than i am paying for my vacations now, and that doesnt include the price of teh condo for a week. their response is always well you have to maintain real estate property, but my own house doesnt cost that much! think about the numbers……
you have a 1200 sqft unit, say they get a average of 10,000 a week, thats 520,000 or $433 a square foot, you can build a house anywhere just about for under $125 a square foot, and i havent even added in the maintance fees which brings in another 78,000/year to maintain a 1200 sq/ft apartment.
to me anybody who buys one of these is a SUCKER, biggest ripoff i have ever seen, we are leaving for florida next week, staying in a resort condo and paying $800/week, i have been traveling for 10 years now and prices have hardly increased. 10 years ago i paid 700 for a week, last year i paid 900, this year 800. and we stay in nicest places around. so why would i pay 1500 a year plus 20,000 for the unit. insanity
May 23, 2009 at 10:50 am |
You don’t know what you are talking about. You are what is called a “mooch”. I have always been amused by people like you who spend lots of money to go on their trip only to spend hours to get something free. What do you and your wife make per hour? Most of the time people like you will spend hours in a presentation for a $25 dinner coupon. Anybody who would take your financial advise would have to be an idiot.
By the way is their a new timeshare beat around anyone?
May 25, 2009 at 5:22 pm |
It has been my experence that time share sales are high pressure, and deceiving. While I’m sure some sales people in the industry are honest individuals, most are not and will tell you anything to make the sale. I avoid them like the plauge, i dont care if they are giving away the moon! they can have it.
On that note there are alternitive to timeshares these two websites are helpfull 299aweek.com and 399aweek.com
June 24, 2009 at 10:49 pm |
I taught in private school Vail Colorado for 15 years and all of my students families were multi millionaires and none of them owned timeshares. if it is a bad deal for millionares it is a bad deal for you, beacause $1000 dollars to a millionare is still $1000 dollars and they did not get there money by accumulating financial liabilaties. Buy items that generate cash flow – put money in your pocket not something that takes cash away from you.