Looking for honest opinions on Timeshare presentations...

[lockets]

Nah - the intensives are to get you in there an listen to their schpeal. Not to actually buy what they're offering. It's exactly how the game is played.

Yes, I agree the incentives are to get people in the door. However, the presentation IS made to actually get people to buy what they are offering. They aren't using the crowd to hone their presentation skills for fun like an open mic night. They are there to sell. That's what they get paid for. Do they expect to close every sale? Of course not. But, why opt in to waste their time? Why go there with zero interest to manipulate the situation to one's favor? Remember, we are talking about a person who says upfront they will never purchase what's being presented.

I do hear what you're saying about "that's how the game is played" and I understand the spirit of what you're saying 100%... Just wouldn't have an interest in playing that kind of game.

At any rate, I knew someone that did this. They boasted about scoring free hotel nights at a luxury hotel knowing full well they were never going to purchase. I didn't high five them. I lost respect for them. I don't think it's something to be particularly proud of.

Nor do I agree the sales people should be manipulative, decieving, or high pressure either - but I guess they have a job to do and people think the fact that incentives are built into their sales budget makes it's fine to "scam them right back." To each their own!

 

[Marionnette]

Yes, I agree the incentives are to get people in the door. However, the presentation IS made to actually get people to buy what they are offering. They aren't using the crowd to hone their presentation skills for fun like an open mic night. They are there to sell. That's what they get paid for. Do they expect to close every sale? Of course not. But, why opt in to waste their time? Why go there with zero interest to manipulate the situation to one's favor? Remember, we are talking about a person who says upfront they will never purchase what's being presented.

I do hear what you're saying about "that's how the game is played" and I understand the spirit of what you're saying 100%... Just wouldn't have an interest in playing that kind of game.

At any rate, I knew someone that did this. They boasted about scoring free hotel nights at a luxury hotel knowing full well they were never going to purchase. I didn't high five them. I lost respect for them. I don't think it's something to be particularly proud of.

Nor do I agree the sales people should be manipulative, decieving, or high pressure either - but I guess they have a job to do and people think the fact that incentives are built into their sales budget makes it's fine to "scam them right back." To each their own!

Yes. To each their own. How's the view from your high horse?

 

[lockets]

Listen. Everyone always says there is ZERO chance they will sign up. But the people they put in these things are GOOD. They are charismatic and they know how to get you to sign even if you don't want to. EVERYONE walks into these things thinking they just want a free insert whatever here and an hour of their time is worth that.

They would not still do these presentations and incentives if no one ever signed. So be aware!

I do think that there are people who don't realize how curious they actually are about what the rooms will look like or what will be presented. They tell themselves they are only there for the perks. The mind is a tricky thing!

I've seen a lot of charasmatic sales people too. They know how to sell to curiosity. They win the sale.

On the flip side there are people that I think enjoy the aspect of attending, not being scammed by timeshare sales, and walking out the door. They win the perks.

I do get the "mental sparring" aspect of it all for both the sales person and the attendee. Maybe there's some fun in that for both sides - psychologically.

 

[lockets]

Yes. To each their own. How's the view from your high horse?

Not on a high horse. Just stating my opinion, suggesting that the OP might consider a different way to achieve their goals, and flagging that they are asking for honesty but they are admitting there's "ZERO chance" they'll purchase. I just thought that should provoke some inner thought on their part. On the flip side, I do applaud the honesty with which they asked their question! They were pretty clear about their intentions. And I'm not being sarcastic. At least they didn't try to BS. I'll opt out of the discussion at this point. I'm happy to be overruled on this which I can see that I am. It's all good.

 

[busy mom]

I don’t want to be offensive, but some of the presentations are slimy and signing up for one knowing that you’re doing it just for the perks and not to buy also sounds slimy to me.

Please do anything else to save money on your vacation. Or, just “suck it up” that vacations sometimes cost more than what you’d like and you might have to work extra hours to attain what you want.

that’s my 2 cents.

PS - You’re asking for “honest opinions” about something that you’re going into without having honest intentions because you’re worried you might feel put upon? Ummmm. Just no.

Yikes

 

[_19disnA]

I wouldn't recommend anyone buy a timeshare regardless of who is selling it. I wouldn't attend any timeshare presentation if you have no interest in buying. There is a reason most of the timeshare industry has a sleazy reputation and now calls themselves by something else (i.e. fractional ownership/vacation club, etc.) to try to obscure what they are. Disney is probably more reputable then many but basically all you are doing is paying a pre-paid vacation expense. You have ZERO idea if the same amenities will continue to be offered in the future or how much the annual fees will increase. Invest the money you planned to use to buy a timeshare and use that in the future to vacation when/where you want with no strings attached. Timeshare pitches tend to be full of high pressure sales tactics and misleading statements.

Parents owned a non-Disney timeshare in the past and was a nightmare to get rid of when they got up in their years and could no longer travel. You are basically stuck with an ongoing debt (annual maintenance fee) for a worthless asset. Timeshares are NOT real estate investments and basically their value is -0- if you hold them long enough. There was no active resale markets for their timeshares and the salespeople kept making promises but could never deliver. If you notice on TV there is also a whole other scam industry that has started to: 1) help dispose of your timeshare for an upfront fee or 2) they will provide some kind of legal mumbo jumbo paperwork that supposedly lets you get out of owning it. The upfront fee people simply pocket the fee and then a few months later tell you they couldn't find any buyers.

If Disney ever decides to get out of the timeshare business, good luck with whatever company takes it over from them.

 

[Jml813]

Agree with the others, if you don't mind giving up half of the day or more of vacation time and you feel the incentives are worth it, go for it.

I also agree with the others that my vacation time is precious and I'm not going to waste it for 125 or $150 in gift cards and a discounted hotel.

Have I done these before, yes. Even when you absolutely trim it down, you're still there at least two and a half hours.

 

[DisneyTexan]

We are considering signing up for a Timeshare offer to make our travel more affordable.

Are they are bad as I have heard?

There is ZERO chance that we would sign up.

It depends. I go on these deals once or twice a year, but I have thick skin, and I know what to expect. My attitude is that "business is business," and I'm not bothered by high pressure sales tactics. When the allotted time is up, I clearly tell the sales person that the time is up. I have never walked out of a presentation without my promised incentive. For me and my husband, its worth it. For others, it might not be.

I already own two timeshares -- one with Disney, and one with Hilton Grand Vacations. Timeshares can be worth purchasing on the resale market, but you have to understand exactly what your are buying, and then commit to working within the program every year.

 

[MillauFr]

they are asking for honesty but they are admitting there's "ZERO chance" they'll purchase.

Exactly. What the OP is thinking about doing is just as slimy as the timeshare sales people. They are basically admitting they are going to waste the salespeople's time. Not cool in my opinion.

 

[kathy884]

I would personally recommend not doing the presentation and finding other ways to save money / lower costs for the trip. If you read reviews of some of these great timeshare properties (I like to rent timeshares from owners and stay at them), you will see glowing reviews from those who did not sit thru a presentation and negative reviews from those who did. The high pressure, long presentation for most people seems to put a damper on their whole vacation and vacation experience. These high pressure talks really put a bad taste in many people's mouths.

I'd personally rather have a root canal than attend one of these talks.

If you are planning to stay a whole week and doing a Friday to Friday, Saturday to Saturday, or Sunday to Sunday stay, renting a timeshare in Orlando from an owner is a great way to go to stay in a lovely property for a very reasonable price. Sites I use to rent timeshares are TUG2.net classifed ads section and redweek.com. I have never used this next site, but on the forums I have seen many people talk about great deals for timeshare stays using Sky Auction. They just say be sure to read the fine print. With any of these methods you can stay at one of these lovely places and are under no obligation whatsoever to attend a presentation (often disguised as a resort tour).

Other ways to cut costs in Orlando are to do fewer parks, stay for a shorter period of time, stay offsite, etc. Or if Orlando is too expensive pick another place that is less expensive. Just getting away anywhere and having a change of pace and fun with your family for me is what vacation is all about.

 

[_19disnA]

Should ask yourself what sort of reputable product has to ever resort to high pressure sales tactics to sell their product?.......none that I am aware of.

 

[JLong06]

Seems like the OP is trying to take advantage of the timeshare salespeople and manipulate them.

Compared to the manipulation and general outright lies I’ve heard from some timeshare presentations, I don’t think the OP should lose any sleep

 

[JLong06]

We are considering signing up for a Timeshare offer to make our travel more affordable.

Are they are bad as I have heard?

There is ZERO chance that we would sign up.

Each timeshare company is different, but you’re generally going to be looking at a terrible experience. Presenters and sales can go from charismatic to downright nasty in literal seconds. If you search through different Facebook groups specific to different timeshare companies, it’s like (at least) 1/2 the posts are complaints about the presentations or regret for signing a contract they didn’t want. I’d avoid

 

[hsmamato2]

meh....we've done a few in the past.....I don't personally feel it was worth our time and hassle to bother..... like others have said, I'd rather make the extra $ another way to pay for vacation stuff than a presentation...I don't like the negative vibes etc from those things. And I truly dislike the whole timeshare industry anyway so I stay away.

 

[Eastern]

If there is zero chance you would sign up, I would not waste my time. It's a serious time drain and then hard to extricate yourself at the end. Also, you say there is 'zero chance' but don't discount the sales pitch. I had to drag DH out of an Aruba one. It was me against the room at that one.

 

[georgina]

We did one once at Sheraton Vistana when we were staying there and had some time to kill. Not all presentations are high pressure or nasty; they tried hard to make a sale though. I was slightly interested in finding out what they were offering, and we ended up with a $200 or $250 gift card out of it (took most of a morning).

 

[MrsPete]

I already own two timeshares -- one with Disney, and one with Hilton Grand Vacations. Timeshares can be worth purchasing on the resale market, but you have to understand exactly what your are buying, and then commit to working within the program every year.

Agree. Timeshares have a horrible reputation, but they can be a decent deal -- for the right person who knows exactly what he or she is getting into. That person has to fully understand how the process works.

- I think the ones like Marriott, which have resorts all over the world and offer "trades" are the best deal.
- To "win" you must be very intentional in all your choices: first you need to buy into a 2-bedroom unit in prime season.
- Each year you "divide" your timeshare into two bedrooms into two separate vacations (this takes a few minutes and something like a $150 fee).
- If you need two bedrooms, you reserve condos in resorts that don't have 1-bedroom units or lockouts -- that means they have to give you a two-bedroom unit.
- Arranging all that takes effort, but if you play your cards just right, you can get two one-week vacations every year for your initial investment + the dividing fee + your yearly maintenance fee.
- If you really want to "win" this timeshare game, you've gotta buy on the used market -- try RedWeek.com -- seriously, time shares sell for like 80-90% of their original cost, so buying "second hand" is the only way to go.
- At some point you're going to want to visit a resort that doesn't fit that specific criteria, and you're going to give up the second week of vacation to get that one place you want to visit -- so that year you "lose" the timeshare game.

The big negative is that once you buy, you're "in" for life /must pay those maintenance fees for life. You can always rent out the vacations, but buying a timeshare creates a must-do /must-pay for the rest of your life.

If you're really serious, you should do LOTS of homework BEFORE you sit through a presentation. We did, and we figured out that it COULD become a good (not great) deal, but if you're willing to do all that work to "max out" your benefits, you are probably willing to put in the effort to find a low-priced vacation rental through other venues.

Each timeshare company is different, but you’re generally going to be looking at a terrible experience.

It's a serious time drain and then hard to extricate yourself at the end.

It's only a horrible experience if you have a hard time saying "No". Me, I'm an expert with that word. Ask my kids.

It's kinda like buying a car. You have to go in ready for a bit of conflict and ready to speak up for yourself.

 

[MillauFr]

Agree. Timeshares have a horrible reputation, but they can be a decent deal -- for the right person who knows exactly what he or she is getting into. That person has to fully understand how the process works.

What I can't understand is why you wouldn't just rent timeshares on RedWeek? No ownership hassles.

 

[MrsPete]

What I can't understand is why you wouldn't just rent timeshares on RedWeek? No ownership hassles.

Technically renting would cost more than owning under absolutely perfect circumstances, but -- for most of us -- renting is a considerably easier choice because few of us would be able to create those absolutely perfect circumstances year after year after year.

On the other hand, as you imply, renting once is easy. That's a very good reason not to buy.