how to survive timeshare presentation

How to Survive a Timeshare Presentation: Tips you Need to Know

• Post author: Scott Fix
• Post published:
• Post category: Couple Travel / Travel Tips

You are here because you want to know how to survive a timeshare presentation. How do I end the sales pitch? How do I resist timeshare sales tricks and just say “no”? After going through the process ourselves and chatting with a sales insider, we are here to share what we have learned. Read on for all you need to know to escape the formidable high-pressure timeshare pitch.

What’s the Deal with Timeshare Presentations? 

Everybody knows the classic “high-pressure timeshare sales pitch”.  You get offered 3 days and 2 nights at a fabulous resort for free, no obligations – you just have to attend a sales presentation.  They promise the pitch will be pretty short and that there’s no obligation to buy.  Sounds great, right?  But we all know the catch – it’s infamous.  The timeshare presentation is excruciatingly long.  Every time you think you’ve said “no” for the last time, they bring in a new salesperson or take you to a new room to start pitching you all over again.  It’s a high-pressure sales marathon.  To top it all off, if you don’t meet your obligated time at the presentation, you’re on the hook to pay for your accommodations.  So why do people still go to these things?  Well, because a free “3 days and 2 nights” at a resort is just too good of a deal to pass up sometimes! In fact, many travelers are trying to find out “How can I attend a timeshare presentation just for the free vacation?”   Well, we wanted to see what all the hype was about. When we got a call saying we’d “won” a vacation package, we shrugged and signed up.  Worst case scenario, we walk out and have to pay for the hotel stay.  

When we started asking around, so many of our close friends had either fallen for the timeshare pitch themselves, or knew a family member that had. We heard story, after story, of high-pressure pitches, salesmen that were insulting or rude, being led between rooms for hours upon hours, etc.  Hearing stories of people so close to us motivated us to write up everything we learned from our experience. 

The Initial Screening 

Cecilia signed up for a “contest” on Facebook that would enter you into a “drawing” for a free stay of 3 days and 2 nights at a resort and a $150 gift card.  We got a phone call saying we’d “won” while we were driving.  

We were asked some basic “info” questions (i.e., name, phone, address), followed by some “survey” questions.  The survey questions were things like:

When was the last vacation you took?

How much did you spend on accommodations?

How often do you travel?   

They also asked us if we only needed a reservation for 2, or if we’d like to bring anyone else up to 4 total.  Of course, we opted to take the 4-person reservation because the more the merrier, right?  

After all the identity information, survey questions, accommodation arrangements, and a spiel about our vacation/gift-card winnings, then came the hook – we’ll have to attend a timeshare presentation.  We were assured that we were only obligated for 90 minutes to 2 hours of the presentation; and with that, my wife and I looked at each other with a “do we believe that?” stare.  

But sure – in for a penny, in for a pound.  

Two things caught both of us off-guard towards the end of the phone call: 

One, we had to book the dates for our stay immediately.  We had to pull over from driving to frantically look at our calendars and figure out a weekend that worked in both of our schedules. The caller would just suggest a block of days from their availability, and we had to tell him if the range worked out for us.  

Two, we had to pay a $99 “refundable deposit” using a credit card.  When he asked for our credit card information, a giant alarm started going off in my head, yelling at me “this sounds like a scam!!”  I almost put the phone on hold to have a conversation with my wife about backing out of the whole thing.  I took a deep breath and reminded myself that our credit cards have fraud protection on them; and we’d just have to keep a closer eye on our credit card statements for awhile.  

Although we haven’t completely confirmed this, our strong-suspicions are that the initial phone call is really a screening. They want to see how susceptible you’re going to be to the timeshare sales pitch. It felt like a test to see if we were people that would make a fast decision, without much information, and commit money instantly for a “too good to be true” deal.  

Well, whatever we did “worked,” because as we later learned, they put us in the “prime candidate” group for the presentation.  More on that later.  

Arriving at Our Destination 

Because of the Covid-19 policy, only one person from our party was allowed into the lobby to check in to our room; our timeshare presentation was scheduled for the second day of our stay at 8 am. Only the person who checked-in signed any paperwork at all; and the other 3 members of our party didn’t sign anything or give any names. 

8am, bright and early, we drove over to the location for the timeshare talk and waited in a small line for a teller.  The person in front of us was having an unfriendly banter with the teller.  The only thing I picked up from my eavesdropping was that all the members of his party weren’t there so he wasn’t able to get signed in. We got called next and checking in only took a few seconds.  She asked if all members of our party were there, we said yes, and she said to wait in a corner for our “agent” to come and get us.

After a few minutes, our salesperson came out of a room, introduced himself, and walked us outside.  He said because of covid restrictions, he wouldn’t give us a tour of the entire facilities and grounds. Instead, we would drive separately over to a condo where he would give us a talk.  

We loaded up into our vehicle and were on our way without ever signing any official paperwork.  Also, we had been told over the phone, and on our “terms and conditions”, that we needed IDs and a credit card, but we didn’t need anything. I’m not sure if that is normal, or just because we showed up during covid restrictions.  

The TimeShare Pitch

We followed our salesperson’s car to a condo. On the ground floor, they had free continental breakfast and drinks set out on a table behind a rope, and someone with gloves handed us whatever we asked for.  We took an elevator up a few floors and our salesperson took the stairs to meet us at the top, then he showed us to a room and left so we could eat our breakfasts without our masks. We thought the room was stuffy, because we were all in our winter jackets, so we opened all the windows.  It was ~30 degrees outside.  When he came back, he sat in a chair across from our sofa.  I imagine he thought we were trying to freeze him out, but we were just hot.  

For the first 20 minutes, there was some minor small talk about nothing. It might have been to put us at ease?  Either way, we were pretty guarded with personal info.  He probably expected us to talk more about ourselves, and we were expecting him to ask us more direct, pointed questions.  

When he started to transition, I asked for an outline of what to expect for the meeting. How was our time going to be broken down?  What is our obligation?  How many people will we talk to?  Are we going on a tour? What is our time frame?  

He said we were there for a timeshare presentation – “yes, it’s a sales pitch.”  We had to be there for “an hour and a half, or 2 hours – whatever they told you.” Then when it was over, he’d take us back to the main building where we’d get our $150 gift certificate and a voucher that waived the cost of our stay.  

And then our “presentation” began.

He flew through a lot of “numbers” and acronyms. He talked so fast, to the point where none of us absorbed anything. To this day, I have no idea what he was even saying. Either way, as fast as he spat out numbers, the topic would always change.  I’m not sure if it was him, or us, or both; but we talked about movies, Pokemon, shoes, horses … just about everything except timeshares. 

After 40 minutes of struggling to sell us, he took us to a luxury apartment in the same complex. I think the intention was to give us a tour and really sell us, but other families walked in on us. Because of covid, only one group was allowed in at a time, so we left and let them see the rooms; but then we just kind of wandered off, back towards the door of the building.  I feel kind of bad for the salesperson, because trying to keep track of the four of us was like trying to wrangle cats.  He’d try to show us to a room, or tell us to wait for another family to get done, and we’d just wander back towards the exit.  He’d run to cut us off, and we’d just all meander around him, chatting about something else.  

We weren’t intending to be rude or purposefully being space-cadets or anything. There was just random downtime, so we’d do what any group of friends would do – we’d chat amongst ourselves. We also were never given any real clear instructions on what to do, so we’d just assume we were done and start walking back.  It wasn’t until we looked back on our experience that we realized we were probably sabotaging his sales pitch without meaning to.  

We went back to the “pitch room” and by now it’s about 1 hour and 10 minutes in.  Cecilia leaves the room to go to the restroom. (She was 3 months pregnant at the time, so bathroom breaks happened ALOT.) The salesperson looks at the 3 of us and says, “Okay, just be honest with me here. Why in the world are you guys at a timeshare talk?” There’s a pause while we all just stare at him, wondering what we should say and he fills the void with, “if you’re all so scared of covid that you’re even opening the window when it’s 30 degrees outside to get fresh air, why did you come here in the first place?”  I reply,

“… well, you want honesty?  My wife clicked a link on a Facebook contest that said we could win 3 days and 2 nights at a resort.  They called us while we were driving to say we’d won.  My wife was excited, and I wanted her to be happy, so I said sure, I’d go along with it.  The guy on the phone asked if we had 2 friends that would want to go, too, and we said we weren’t sure; so he said he’d put us down for 4, just in case. We asked our friends, they said they wanted to come, and here we all are.”  

He nodded along; looked at the 3 of us; pulled out his phone; and started playing Pokemon Go.  

Once Cecilia got out of the bathroom, he ran through his pitch at lightning speed.  He showed us a piece of paper with numbers on it that had a large down-payment. He rambled on and said, “but you don’t have that much in the bank, do you?”  After a pause, Scott said “no comment” – because the entire morning, none of us gave away any information about our financial situations.  He instantly flipped the paper over and showed us another price, the “only for today” offer with a lower price with financing; and asked if we wanted to buy at that price.  I said “no.” He said “alright then,” and texted his boss, then went back to playing Pokemon Go.  

Related Content: Traveling Alone or With a Companion: Which is Better?

Leisure Suit Larry 

After a few minutes of the party chatting about nothing again, in walks the boss – we’ll call him Larry.  Larry looks the part.  He’s wearing an olive-green suit that has the kind of texture that looks expensive; and a very high-maintenance hairstyle with a lot of gray speckles.  Larry’s entire presence is summed up by the uncertainty of whether his hair was naturally gray, or if it was purposefully dyed to look older.  

Larry has a calm, methodical delivery any time he speaks, like someone reciting a script that’s been rehearsed to perfection but then delivered so many times until it’s lost its meaning. He speaks without pauses, taking a big breath before each section of his ramble. He would emphasize words by deliberately stretching out the word, not by raising his voice.  Every point he made was framed as if the decision has already been made for you – you will lose money if you don’t make this choice because you are already spending money on vacations. 

Larry is what a used car salesman would be if used cars sold for more money.  

Larry ended his spiel with a piece of paper, which had a unit available for “today only.”  They’re always “only today.” 

He passed the piece of paper over to us, and the age of the paper suggested it wasn’t the first time he’s handed it to someone.  

The number on the paper was drastically less than any of the previous offers – it was less than half of the previous lowest offer.  I looked at the paper, folded it back in half, handed it back, and said no.  Larry was reluctant to take the paper, and asked “why?” 

We knew this moment was coming and prepared for it.  We reminded ourselves that we don’t have to justify any of our answers.  Socially, it’s polite to justify yourself; but you’re never under any obligation to justify yourself.  

We answered, “we don’t make large financial decisions that quickly. We talk through financial decisions together.”  Larry gave another ramble – this one I honestly didn’t listen to.  I just zoned out for a moment.  Then Cecilia answered him, “and we have a kid on the way, which makes it more important to spend time on big financial decisions, so the answer is still no.”  

Larry asked, “so … is there anything I can do or say that’s going to change that decision for you today?”  I said “no,” expecting to have to say that a lot at this point.  But then Larry abruptly said, “Okay, thank you for your time,” stood up, and walked out without a second look at us.  It was just an immediate withdrawal.  

The first salesperson, who had been sitting there quietly during Larry’s entire spiel, slapped his thighs, said “okay, I’ll take you back to the main center to claim your prizes” and visibly ripped up the piece of paper he’d shown us earlier.  He started to make some comments about wasting his time, but we were already walking out the door and didn’t really catch them.  

The Final Boss

We drove back to the main center and through a conference room that, in non-covid times, would have been the first room.  He took us close to a receptionist’s desk and asked us to stay put while he went to talk to someone.  We wandered up closer to them, trying to look out of a window to see a pool, which was just close enough to eavesdrop on the salesperson’s conversation.  He was giving her details about the conversation we’d had with him and Larry – that we “don’t make large financial decisions that quickly.”  He was giving her everything she needed so she would know the right angle to close the deal!  

It turns out, the woman he handed us off to was the Final Boss.  She asked us to go into another room, and Cecilia wandered off to the bathroom.   The three of us walked into the room, realized Cecilia wasn’t there, and wandered back out.  When she got out of the restroom, the four of us went in together to see the Final Boss.  She was sitting behind a small table with two chairs set up in front of it.  She said we could sit down, but we remained standing.  There were four of us and only two chairs.  You could tell that having 4 people there instead of 2 really threw their usual gameplans off.  

She asked us what the final price Larry quoted us was, and I told her; then she said “What if I could offer you that same unit at this price?”  She wrote a number on a piece of paper that was, again, exactly half of what Larry had offered.  

We repeated our line, “We don’t make large financial dec–” She interrupted, “Okay, take this slip into the next room and we’ll settle you up.”  

We hadn’t noticed, but there was a slip of paper already sitting on the desk in front of her.  With the paper in hand, we headed into the next room and handed it to an old man who was polite, friendly, jovial and looked like he was having the time of his life at work.  He slapped a stamp down on the paper, handed us a voucher, and we were out in no time.  We managed to survive the timeshare presentation.

Total time: 1 hour and 39 minutes.  

The Aftermath

After we left, we spent a lot of time talking with one another, trying to understand why we’d been let off so easily.  All of us had heard the nightmare stories about high-pressure timeshares – that people spent an entire day being shuffled from room-to-room, the aggressive salespeople, the insults, the good-cop bad-cop routines, etc.  We got none of that.  We were practically shoved out the door at one point.  

One theory we had was that we were a group of 4 that weren’t related to one another.  We were 2 couples, so they couldn’t pin one of us against the other.  They also couldn’t sell to all 4 of us, because we would never buy something together.  

Another theory was that we were just too chaotic for them.  We constantly changed the conversation – but not really on purpose.  We just filled the silent pauses with jokes or comments that became side-conversations.  

Timeshare Presentation Basics: Insight From an Industry Insider

We had to know why our experience was so different from the ones we’d heard about, so we called up a friend that used to be in the industry as a timeshare salesperson.  

Here’s what we found out:  

The reason some salespeople are pushier than others is because if they don’t sell for awhile, they’re suddenly given “one last chance” to sell, and if they don’t sell on that day, they’re fired.   If someone wants to keep their job, they have to sell; and that can lead to a very high-pressure sale.  

Sometimes they’ll get mad if you’re rude or just blatantly not interested from the start of the talk. They’ll toy with you and keep you longer on purpose out of spite. This can happen when you tell the salesperson from the start: “look, we’re just not interested in buying, we’re only here for the free stay.” 

Often, the salesperson lies about their background to identify with the “prospect”, like saying they have kids too; or they will lie about how long they have been selling; or that they have a dog, are also divorced, etc.  When our insider told us that, we all blinked. Had our salesperson lied about everything he told us the entire time?  At one point, he gave us his kids’ names – and now I’m not sure he even had kids.  

If a salesperson makes a sale on the previous day, then they get “first pick” in the morning; and the 8am timeslot is reserved for people they think are absolutely going to buy.  We were the 8am timeslot.  I have no idea why they put us in that group.  

If enough people are lined up that day for talks and they don’t have enough salespeople, they go on rotation.  As soon as a salesperson finishes their talk, they can go back and get another prospect.  The earlier they can pick a prospect, the higher the chances of getting a sell.  That’s why there’s more incentive for them to end a tour earlier if they know you aren’t going to buy and your tour is in the morning.  Tours in the afternoon aren’t so lucky.  

What if someone owns a timeshare and gets someone else to sign up for the timeshare talk? The timeshare owner gets a kickback – usually waived fees. 

But ultimately, why did our salesperson let go of us so fast?  Because Cecilia was pregnant.  At one point, our salesperson asked why Cecilia was going to the bathroom so much.  We told him she was pregnant, and when she came back in the room, he commented, “I didn’t even notice you were pregnant until you said that.”  That’s when he started flying through his presentation.  That was the change.  Apparently, people who are expecting a child don’t make sudden or “big” financial decisions. They’re too focused on what’s good for the baby.  

Tips on How to Survive a Timeshare Presentation

So here we are, everything we’ve learned boiled down to our top tips for surviving a timeshare talk.  

1. Go in prepared .

There is no reason to be mean or rude.  Just know your stance, be assertive, and remember that you don’t owe anyone anything.  It’s not impolite to say “no” without an excuse.  “No” is a complete answer that doesn’t need to be justified.  

2. Remember that you’re in a sales pitch .

For salespeople, ‘being nice’ is part of the sale. Similarly, ‘being relatable to you’ is more important than them telling you the truth. They butter you up in order to get information out of you, and they rely on the information you’ve volunteered for their pitch.  Things like your job, hobbies, or even your last vacation are used to determine your personal wealth and spending habits.  

3. Silence is your strength.

It’s really, really tempting to argue, or to call the salespeople out when you catch them in a ‘blunder’ or ‘ah-HA’ moment.  But just remember: if you argue, you just feed into their pitch and you’ll end up staying even longer.  They want you to argue so they can sell you harder.  Don’t get into a back-and-forth. 

4. Be on guard for the angle.

The salesperson is always fishing for an angle. If they don’t know what is important to you they cant sell you. They’ll try to get you emotionally invested.  They might try to insult you, or dig at your ego, with things like “you can’t afford this, right? This is too much for you.” Don’t defend yourself. Don’t justify yourself. Just say “no” and leave it at that.  

5. Decide on a secret reason against buying and never disclose it .

If they don’t know why you won’t buy, then they can’t give you a pitch or argue against it.  For us, we knew that a timeshare is just a bad financial decision.  The financing is really expensive, and you don’t “save money” in the end.  That was our secret reason; and when the numbers were explained to us, and we saw the paper showing that it was a bad decision, we didn’t go “ah-HA!”  We just nodded along and kept it inside.  They can’t sweet-talk their way around your roadblock if they don’t know it’s there.  

6. If you really want a timeshare, don’t buy at the pitch.

7. and, of course, if all else fails – be pregnant..

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This post has 15 comments.

I like the idea of timeshares—in fact, my inlaws own several—but I hate the high-pressure sales tactics they employ. It’s such a turn off.

That is such a good point. The concept of a timeshare isn’t all that bad, but the high-pressure talk and the difficulty of selling a timeshare should you ever change your mind are huge turn offs.

I love that the title includes SURVIVE, because that’s totally how it feels! We had to say “no” to like 10 different people before they would let us go!

We have heard so many horror stories like this. So glad we survived our first timeshare experience and came out on the other end with some bits of wisdom. Hoping this article can help out a few others so they do not have to endure a situation like yours!

I always wondered about timeshares. I like the concept but the sales tactic is highly annoying . It makes me wonder if it’s worth it .

You definitely have a point. High-pressure timeshare presentations are exactly that, high-pressure. They aren’t necessarily meant to be enjoyable, but I do think the experience depends on the salesperson. If you are assigned to a pleasant and respectful salesperson, then the experience really isn’t all that bad! It’s just playing roulette to see what kind of salesperson you wind up with.

Loved this. Your title caught me and made me laugh. Your last line made me laugh. My in-laws have had a time share for years and have dumped so much into the “maintenance fees”. It is a nightmare now for them to try to get out of it! Moral of the story: Whatever you might spend on the time share, you could simply put toward a nice hotel for your vacations and probably still come out ahead. Don’t fall for the pitch!

That’s such a good point. We haven’t heard of too many people who have been happy with their choice to purchase a time share. I think personally we will stick to the hotels and Airbnb’s as you mentioned!

Ive stayed at friend’s time shares a few times, and they can be really nice, but those pitches are such a turn off! Now I know, mention that I’m pregnant and if we do want to buy, don’t buy it at the pitch!

It’s a pretty good deal for a free holiday for you. :)

Great article with good suggestions. I do these as a travel hack to get free stays and freebies in Vegas. The key is to have an ironclad will and not be afraid to keep saying “no.” No matter what the reps try yo say or do, YOU are in control. They are obligated to give you the gifts and you are under no obligation to be polite or give reasons. The worst thing that can happen is you’ll get berated or insulted. There are worse things to endure and you basically get a free hotel stay. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor.

I like the Hunger Games reference. Thanks for sharing your personal experience with surviving timeshare presentations. It takes a strong will to make it through without buying anything, but like you said YOU are in control and have the right to say no.

Well they get you drunk in Mexico I bought a timeshare in Cabo and they kept serving me and my friend drinks to loosen me up. I fell in love with my salesman and finally gave in he was so nice and now I am one of the happiest timeshare owners on the planet. Going to Cancun booked a 1700 square foot 2 bedroom 2 bath bringing 3 friends with me. Hotels are soo soo expensive and with a timeshare I am saving a ton of money and it is making me travel more which I love. Life is short live it to the fullest and don’t look back. I was all ways jealous of friends that owned Timshares but now I get to enjoy all the benefits and I am saving a ton of money.

I LOVED your article and learned a great deal! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge. We definitely will do the things you have suggested. I might even buy a pregnancy belly to wear. Lol

Hahaha good luck, let us know how it goes!

Love your angle and how you shared your experience along with your post realization analysis. We’ve done a few many many years ago and found the perks of going to a high-stress 2 hour meeting somewhat worth it, but then again agonizing.

We are about to go to another in the next month and this was helpful to get us mentally prepared.

Thank you for taking the time to share.

Comments are closed.

LUXURY under BUDGET

How to Get Out of A Timeshare Presentation Fast & Enjoy Free Vacation!

Timeshare presentation deals are attractive because they can get you a free vacation or an incredible discount, but they can also be a huge pain if not done right. Whether you just got a timeshare presentation invite and are considering signing up or you already booked your vacation and wanted to learn how to get out of a timeshare presentation fast, this is the guide for you!

My husband and I have been to a fair share of timeshare presentations in the past few years, and some of them were truly nightmares. We were once stuck at a timeshare presentation in Cancun from early morning till almost 7 PM. The pressure to buy into a timeshare was just too much, and we were not equipped with enough knowledge about the industry to deal with the high-pressure sales tactics.

But not to worry, because you’re here, and you will learn all that I wish I knew before signing up for a timeshare presentation deal. Follow these simple steps and you’ll be on your way to freedom!

1. Understand Timeshare Deals and Vacation Club Ownership Promotions

If you want to survive a timeshare presentation, the first step is to do your research ahead of time and know what you’re getting into before you go to the presentation.

🏠 What is a timeshare?

A timeshare is a vacation property, usually a vacation home or condo, that is shared by a group of people. Each person has the right to use the property for a certain amount of time each year. Timeshares are typically owned by companies, and they will sell or rent out the units to timeshare owners. There are many different types of timeshares, and they can be used for vacation homes, rental properties, or even primary residences.

Though it is certainly not for everyone, timeshare has become an increasingly popular vacation option, especially for families because it offers the opportunity to own a piece of prime real estate that can be used for vacationing year after year. Many big hotel brands have their own affiliated timeshare division, such as Marriott Vacation Club, Hilton Grand Vacations, Holiday Inn Vacation, Club, Hyatt Residence Club, and Disney Vacation Club, etc.

There are many different types of timeshare ownership plans available, but the two most common ones are points-based and deeded-week.

• A points-based program is a system in which each year, you have a number of points that can be redeemed against nights at your timeshare. For example, if you have 2,000 points, you could redeem them for two nights at a studio for two people or one night at a one-bedroom suite for four people. Points can be accumulated over time, and there is no limit to the number of points that you can have.
• A deeded-week program, on the other hand, is a system in which you have a “week” of the year that you can use your timeshare. For example, if you own the 26th week at a timeshare, you would have that same week every year to use for your vacation.

I’ve met a lot of people who were timeshare owners and they seemed to truly enjoy the ownership, but one thing I have learned is that timeshare is certainly not for everyone. There are annual maintenance fees that must be paid in order to keep the property in good condition. Timeshare properties can be swapped for other properties, but the process can be complicated. If you decide to sell your timeshare later, it’s important to know that it doesn’t hold much value in the reseller’s market. All of this is to say that if you’re considering a timeshare, be sure to do your research and understand all of the pros and cons before making a decision.

🏠 What is a timeshare presentation?

A timeshare presentation is a high-pressure sales pitch for vacation ownership in which a company tries to convince you to buy a timeshare. The company typically offers incentives such as free tours, free event or show tickets, free transportation, or an incredible hotel discount to lure you to attend a timeshare presentation with the hope that you will make a purchase.

The promoter usually promises that the pitch would only last 90 minutes or two hours, but the time varies depending on how long you take to tour the property. It will also take much longer if you haven’t had much experience dealing with the high pressure of their timeshare sales tactics.

During the timeshare presentation, the presenter will try to convince you that owning a timeshare is a great investment. They will likely talk about how much money you can save by vacationing at their resort, and they may even offer some sort of incentive, like a free stay or a discount on future purchases.

🏠 What really happens at a timeshare presentation?

At check-in, you will be asked to present your ID and credit card for verification purposes. If you attend timeshare presentations in Mexico , you will be asked to sign a paper which basically states that you can’t come back for another presentation at the property. Our sales representatives explained to us that it’s part of Mexican law to protect customers from being pestered again and again. However, they would later use that as part of their high-pressure sales tactic that if you don’t make a purchase then, you won’t ever be able to buy from them!

After check-in, you may be presented with snacks, drinks, breakfast, or lunch while you wait for the sales representative. It usually starts with a casual conversation where the sales presentative tries to understand your finances and travel patterns, before explaining to you how vacation ownership at a timeshare property can help you travel for a fraction of the cost.

They will make you the first offer, which is usually very expensive, but it comes with several perks like an extra free stay at the current property or another property owned by the company. They will position the timeshare deal as a golden ticket to luxury travel for cheap!

If you hesitate, the representative will throw in more offers, of course, at lower prices and fewer perks, making the first offer look like it has better value. If you don’t commit to buying, another presentative will be sent to convince you. You will most likely see several rounds of sales representatives, each pushier than the last. Some of them will try to convince you to buy a timeshare by making false promises about the benefits of ownership.

They use very high-pressure tactics to ask you to commit right then and there, as the offer is no longer available when you leave the property.

2. If you’re interested in buying a timeshare, negotiate for the best deal

While timeshare is not for everyone, it can be a good way to save money on vacations for certain people who enjoy coming back to a favorite destination every year. Timeshare owners have familiar accommodations to return to each time without the hassle of having to manage a fully owned property. 

If you have the intention of buying a timeshare, it’s important to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible. One way to do this is to pressure the timeshare company for the best deals during a presentation.

Never accept the first offer and keep asking for more for discounts, freebies, and other incentives. If the salesperson isn’t willing to budge (which usually doesn’t happen), show that you’re ready to walk away and look for a better deal elsewhere.

When you push hard enough, the sales representative may have to check with the manager/director, but they will usually be able to accommodate a better deal. With a little bit of pressure, you can get the timeshare presentation you want at a price that’s right for you and get extra benefits.

We have successfully negotiated several timeshare deals, some from around $30,000 down to $10,000 and with even more points and perks. The sales reps will make it sound like every offer they throw at you is the best, but if you turn back the pressure on them, you will be surprised at what kind of a deal you can walk away with!

Book a one-on-one coaching session on timeshare negotiation for $399!

3. If you don’t have the intention of buying, be upfront and firm

If your sole intention is to get free gifts and discounts during vacation, it’s understandable that you will want to get out of the timeshare presentation as soon as possible. In that case, it’s important to be upfront and firm with the sales representative from the very beginning.

Let them know that you’re not interested in buying a timeshare and that you’re only there for the free gifts. If they try to pressure you into making a purchase, politely decline and excuse yourself from the presentation. By being honest and assertive, you can avoid wasted time and unwanted pressure.

The salespeople are trained to pressure you into staying, so you have to be stronger than they are. Tell them that you’re not interested and that you want to leave. Be polite, but don’t give them any room to negotiate.

If they sense that you’re even remotely interested, they will try to hard sell you on the timeshare. Some of them will try to guilt-trip you into buying because of the free gifts you’re getting, but remember that you’re not obligated to buy anything. The free gifts or discounts are purely incentives to get you to attend the presentation.

If you follow the above steps, you should be able to survive a timeshare presentation without too much trouble. Want more? Grab my free timeshare survival kit with things you could say to get out of the timeshare presentation fast!

Key Takeaways: How to Survive a Timeshare Presentation

Timeshares can be a great way to save money on vacations, but they are certainly not for everyone and can become a major financial burden.

A timeshare presentation is a way that companies use to woo you into buying a timeshare. For some people, it’s not worth it to have to endure hours of pitches and high-pressure sales tactics just to save a few extra bucks on vacation. For others, timeshare presentations are the golden tickets to luxury travel on a budget.

The trade-off is that timeshare presentations are often long and tedious, and can be very difficult to get out of. Only you can decide if it’s worth it for you or not. But after all, I hope this post has equipped you with the important knowledge and tips to help make your escape from the timeshare presentation easier!

How to Survive a Timeshare Presentation

Ibrahim Zaghw is a freelance content writer who helps finance and business-related websites and blogs to both educate and engage their readers.

Timeshare presentations offer attractive perks, but there are serious risks as well. Knowing how to survive a timeshare presentation can help alleviate those risks.

Presentations are the timeshare industry’s primary marketing tool: up to 78% of timeshare owners attended at least one presentation at the resort where they eventually purchased a timeshare. 58% bought after just one presentation[1].

Timeshares are widely seen as a trap. Fees are high, vacation habits change, and one-sided contracts tie owners to their units for life. Still, people attend these presentations and often make decisions they later regret.

This raises some questions:

• What happens during these timeshare presentations? What tactics do they use?
• How can you avoid falling for these tricks and keep your checkbook safe?
• If you end up buying a timeshare, can you rescind your purchase?

Let’s answer all these questions, and show you how to survive a timeshare presentation. Starting with the most obvious one:

Why Would Anyone Attend a Timeshare Presentation in the First Place?

No one wants to sit through a 2-hour presentation, listening to a salesperson drone on about timeshares. Or do they?

Timeshare companies are smart. They lure you in with perks and offers that might make the presentation well worth your time. Here are some offers that others have received:

• A prepaid debit card comes with a substantial sum on it.
• Free tickets to a show.
• Discounts on hotel and resort stays that could reach up to 60%. 

In return for these perks, the timeshare company or resort will ask you and your significant other to attend a 90-minute to 2-hour sales presentation.

Many people show up to these presentations just for the perks. These people are rarely prepared for the barrage of sophisticated sales tactics about to be slung their way, and many end up capitulating under all the pressure. Hence, this is why learning how to survive a timeshare presentation can be crucial.

How to Survive a Timeshare Presentation: What Exactly Happens at the Presentation?

Usually, timeshare presentations follow a specific routine with little deviation from one case to the next. These sales techniques have been developed over years of practice, and they are very effective.

The broad strokes look as follows:

1. The Introductions

Once the resort or company has checked you in, they will send a representative your way, and for the next 2-3 hours, they will be your best friend. They will have a ton in common with you (Wait, you have a German Shepherd waiting for you at home? Well, they have two named Debbie and Laika). 

If you haven’t noticed the sarcasm, what I am really trying to say is that not only is this representative a salesman who will do their best to get you to buy, but they will also try to build rapport with you by being nice and personable and by finding things in common with you, many of which could be invented on the spot.

You might choose to reciprocate the representative’s friendliness, but be careful about what information you share with them. When it’s time to sell, your new best friend will use every morsel of information at their disposal to close the deal.

If anything, it might be in your best interest to be clear from the get-go: If you have no interest in buying a timeshare, then let your representative know that upfront. Otherwise, you risk making the whole sales process harder for yourself, especially if your politeness is interpreted as genuine interest.

2. Refreshments

The timeshare company wants you to be in the best state of mind possible (for them), and alcohol is their friend. They will offer you refreshments before the presentation, including food and drinks. Some companies might present you with complimentary snacks, and others might go the distance and give you a full meal.

You shouldn’t let this excess hospitality get to your head and cause you to lower your defenses, especially if you already know that your answer is no.

3. The Presentation Begins

Now that you have been wined and dined, it is time for the sales process to start, beginning with a group presentation that will include you and other potential buyers. This presentation will be provided by an eloquent individual, someone who has done this hundreds of times before. They are going to wax lyrical, and you might be moved.

Although the presentation may vary from one company to another, the broad strokes are usually the same. Here are some of the main points that you will most likely encounter:

• The presenter will try to stir the audience’s emotions by talking about their dream trips while asking them what’s stopping them from taking those trips.
• Then they give you an answer: a timeshare could be the gateway to your dream trip, and it will cost you only a fraction of what you would have normally paid. (Of course, your presenter will forget to account for miscellaneous costs associated with a timeshare vacation, such as airfare and dining)
• Once they have you hooked and excited about how timeshares can lead you to the good life, the presenter will start discussing how their timeshare system works. This explanation will include vivid examples that will have you imagining all the possibilities.
• After all this, they might end things by offering you an incentive to sign with them on the spot.

Although the above represents what most timeshare presentations will look like, there will always be differences from one company to another. For example, rather than asking you about your dream vacation, the presenter might opt to tell you that you “should be kinder to yourself and treat yourself to more vacations and more luxurious trips.”

4. Giving You the Pitch

Once the presentation is over, your representative, i.e., your new yet temporary best friend, will lead you to a table where they will start laying out your options.

During this portion of the process, the representative is still trying to stoke your desire. They will show you different resorts in their company’s portfolio, they will break down how you can redeem your points if they are selling you a points-based timeshare system, and they will show you pictures of each resort, trying to get you all the more hyped up.

The one thing that your representative will not talk about at this stage is the program’s price. They don’t want to scare you off yet, so they will give you every reason to buy before discussing costs.

5. Taking You on a Tour of the Resort

As if everything up till now hasn’t been enough, the representative will give you a tour of the resort and its amenities. You will get to see the different types of rooms available, all the while imagining what it would be like to own a timeshare over there.

On this tour, you will see the best rooms the resort has to offer. The timeshare company will make sure to dial the luxury knob all the way up to 11. However, what you see will most likely not be what you get if you sign on.

6. Time to Talk About the Benjamins

Let’s recap what’s happened so far: You’ve been wined and dined. You’ve been told that it’s time to take your dream trip, and then you were shown what that trip can look like. You’ve even taken a tour of a resort, taking you one step closer to imagining yourself living a life of luxury .

By now, you should be in the perfect mental state to talk to your representative about how much all of this is going to cost you.

Just to be clear, the average cost of a timeshare is around $24,140. But you might hear numbers far higher than that [2] .

While talking about the costs, the representative will try to push you to make a decision on the spot. And how hard they push you will depend on how interested you have seemed throughout the process thus far. So, for instance, if you seemed eager during the presentation or kept ooohing and aaahing during the tour, the representative will feel that with the right pressure, you might buckle and buy from them.

If you were clear from the get-go and told the representative that you have no intention of buying a timeshare, they are more likely to back off quickly.

7. Bringing in the Closer

If you stick to your guns and refuse to buy, the representative will bring in the heavy artillery: the closer.

Closers will be well-dressed and look the part. They will ask you about your reasons for refusing to purchase and try to “work with you” to overcome these objections.

And, if you still remain intransigent, the closer will start bringing out incentives, hoping to change your mind and get you to sign with them. The closer may offer you a special, one-time deal where you can buy the timeshare for half the price presented to you by the representative. Other possible incentives include loyalty points and free trips. You’ll be offered what sounds like an affordable financing package.

8. Losing a Friend

What happens if you still refuse to purchase, even after the Closer has offered you the best deal the resort can possibly muster?

Remember that representative who was your best friend just a minute ago? Well, yeah, they’re about to give you the cold shoulder. Why should they be your friend if you aren’t going to buy what they’re selling?

You shouldn’t be surprised if the representative suddenly loses all their warmth and friendliness. They work on commission, and their livelihoods are based on you making a purchase. So, part of this sudden reverse in attitude is a genuine disappointment, and the rest is just another sales tactic.

9. Giving You One Last Chance

As you are being shown your way out of the resort, the timeshare company will give you one last offer.

Usually, the representative checking you out, who might be different from your former best friend and now sworn enemy, will also be the one to offer you a deal even better than the one presented by the closer. They will try to pressure you into taking this deal.

If they also fail, they will just show you the door while providing you with all of the promised incentives for attending the timeshare presentation in the first place.

How to Survive a Timeshare Presentation: Say “No” and Do It Often

So what should you do to survive a timeshare presentation? The simple answer is that you should be saying “no” throughout the whole thing. Whether you want to buy a timeshare or not , you should not be buying from a timeshare company, especially when your emotions are running high.

Here’s why “no” is the sensible answer:

Timeshares Cost Way More Than Their Sticker Price Might Suggest

Even though your representative will quote you a steep price to own a timeshare, that’s barely scratching the surface.

For starters, you have to factor in annual fees, including rising maintenance fees, special one-time assessment fees, and taxes . And this is assuming that you have paid for the timeshare out of your own money . But if you have financed the purchase through the timeshare company, you also have to factor in the heavy interest rates the company will levy.

Additionally, just because you have a timeshare doesn’t mean your next vacation is done and paid for. You need to think about airfare, food, and other activities and events you want to participate in. All these things are going to cost you.

Over and above, you should take into consideration the opportunity cost of your timeshare. Your signature on the dotted line will preclude you from exploring other resorts and vacation spots that aren’t covered by your timeshare agreement. This will not only limit your ability to travel but will also likely cause you to feel trapped at some point in the future. After all, you might not be able to afford any more Airbnbs, no more hotels in European countries, and no more cross-country RV trips.

To top it all off, you need to be aware that the minute you buy a timeshare, its value plummets on the spot and is no longer worth the tens of thousands you just put into it. The secondhand market is flooded with people trying to get rid of their timeshares. The other, and bigger problem, is that a timeshare is not an investment , no matter how hard the salesman tries to convince you otherwise.

How to Survive a Timeshare Presentation: Even If You Want to Buy a Timeshare, Don’t Do It at the Presentation

Even if you have your heart set on buying a timeshare, don’t buy it directly from the timeshare company.

Go to the secondhand market, where you can almost always buy the same exact timeshare for a discount of 95% and up to 99%. There are countless individuals out there who feel strapped with their timeshare agreements and want to get rid of them but have a hard time doing so. So, they end up selling at an insane discount – or even giving the timeshare away – just to spare themselves the annual fees.

How Do You Say No and Commit to It?

You may plan to refuse every offer the timeshare company will throw your way, but you are up against professional manipulators. It doesn’t hurt to have a bag of tips and tricks to better help you resist the sales tactics you’ll face.

Use a Ulysses Contract

A Ulysses Contract is a clever but simple way to force yourself to stick to your goals. For instance, to lose weight, you can lock the cabinet filled with sweets and give the key to your significant other. This act of self-restriction is a form of a Ulysses contract.

Similarly, when attending a timeshare presentation, you can restrict yourself by not taking your checkbook with you. And even though most presentations will require that you have a credit card on hand, you can choose to attend with a card that has a limit far below the price of the timeshares you are about to see.

That way, you are limiting the options available to you and ensuring that no matter how emotionally excited you get, you cannot and, therefore, will not commit to something that you will regret later on.

💳 Learn more: For those using credit cards, this post offers 11 rules to ensure you’re using them wisely .

Be Distant Yet Upfront

We talked about the representative being your best friend. Well, the best thing you can do is be distant and boring.

Any information you provide can and will be used against you. So, if you mention that your kids are about to enter middle school, the representative might talk about how the vacation is for them and not for you. To sell you on the timeshare, the representative will highlight the importance of making memories before the kids are off to college and how you will regret not making the most of this time you have with them.

Alternatively, if you come across as distant and disinterested, the representative will figure out that they probably have no shot with you. So, they will quickly go through the motions and get you out of the door that much faster so they can move on to a better prospect.

Share as little personal information as possible. Don’t discuss your income or assets. You’re just giving the representative more ammunition for their sales pitch.

If you are upfront with the representative and let them know that you have no plans on buying a timeshare and are only there for the free gifts, they will be even less pushy with you.

Remember, the sales representative’s end goal is to make a sale. And if it is clear to them that you are a lost cause, they will try to move on to other prospects who seem more promising.

Don’t Argue

Arguing with a timeshare salesman is a futile effort that helps no one and keeps you at the sales pitch longer than necessary.

If your representative claims that a timeshare is an investment, just nod and smile. On second thought, just nod and don’t even smile.

Don’t bring up the secondhand market or anything else that could drag you into an unnecessary conversation. Unless absolutely necessary, don’t even ask questions.

The only thing you should do is to hold them to their own time limits. So, if they tell you that the entire sales pitch will last 90 minutes, then you should start your stopwatch the second they check you in. You can even stop your representative in the middle of their pitch and remind them that they have 25 minutes left on the clock.

Salespeople will try to wear you down by making the process much longer than the agreed time. Don’t let them get away with it.

Have a Game Plan

You don’t need to give the representative a reason when saying “no,” you should have a host of reasons prepared in the back of your mind. These reasons will strengthen your resolve and protect you when the representative starts tugging at your emotional strings.

Don’t share these reasons, as this would give the representative reason to believe that they could make the sale if they could just overcome your objections.

Another idea you can include in your game plan is to show up for the presentation when they are at their busiest. The busier they are, the more likely they are to finish your entire sales pitch faster so that they can move on to other, more likely buyers. They also won’t pressure you as much because they want to preserve their energy for other people walking into the resort.

I Bought a Timeshare, Now What?

Although you might be on your guard, you still might end up signing a contract. Perhaps you were a little tipsy and couldn’t keep your guard up.

Whatever the reason, you will most likely feel buyer’s remorse. After all, almost 85% of timeshare purchasers end up regretting their decision [3] .

So, what can you do?

Canceling Your Timeshare

The good news is that the consumer protection laws are in your favor as they provide you with a “cooling off” period during which you can rescind your timeshare purchase. This “rescission period” ranges from 3 days to 15 days, depending on your state.

To rescind your timeshare purchase, you will need to carefully read the paperwork you signed, as it will contain the information you need. The process can be a bit complicated. That’s intentional: timeshare companies don’t want you to cancel on them. But if you follow the instructions and don’t give up, you will get your deposit back.

If the rescission period has expired, you face a much greater challenge, and you will have to do some serious research on how to avoid timeshare exit scams and how to get rid of an unwanted timeshare .

👉 Learn more: For those in the timeshare loop, here’s a post outlining some of the best exit companies in the market .

How to Survive a Timeshare Presentation: Putting It All Together

There might be benefits and perks to attending a timeshare presentation. It still doesn’t make any fiscal sense to sign a purchase agreement, especially as the secondhand market is much cheaper.

If you want to attend one of these presentations, then the secret to how to survive a timeshare presentation is you need to have no problem with saying “no” over and over again. You need to be comfortable with not sharing personal information or giving reasons for your refusal. And you need to know how to avoid letting your emotions drag you into a long-term financial commitment.

If all of this applies to you, then enjoy the free tickets, the discounted hotel rooms, and the other juicy incentives. But if none of this applies to you, then spare yourself the hassle and don’t attend the presentation in the first place.

By Ibrahim Zaghw

Contributing writer.

Ibrahim Zaghw is a freelance content writer who helps finance and business-related websites and blogs to both educate and engage their readers. Before being a writer, Ibrahim was a business analyst at a boutique consulting firm. His job was to assess the viability of different business decisions as well as to write detailed business plans for them. Ibrahim graduated from Cairo University as a civil engineer.

To support the facts within our articles FinMasters editorial team uses only high quality primary sources. Read our editorial policy to learn more about how we make sure our content is unbiased, accurate and up-to-date.

[1] https://www.arda.org/number-timeshare-presentations-attended-purchase

[2] https://www.explore.com/1205101/what-is-the-average-cost-of-buying-a-timeshare/

[3] https://finnlawgroup.com/statistics-about-timeshare-rescission/

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Surviving a Timeshare Presentation: Crucial Points for Possible Cancellation

Learn essential tips to survive a timeshare presentation and understand your rights for possible cancellation. Equip yourself with strategies today!

Disclaimer:  Before you talk to any attorney or exit company regarding a timeshare exit, your first step is to contact your resort directly to see if they have an exit program that fits your needs.

Attending a timeshare presentation can be an overwhelming experience, characterized by high-pressure sales pitches and tempting offers that seem too good to refuse. However, being prepared and understanding the underlying sales strategies can greatly enhance your ability to navigate through these presentations effectively. "Surviving a Timeshare Presentation: Crucial Points for Possible Cancellation" offers an in-depth look at the critical aspects of these meetings and what you can do to emerge unscathed—with your finances and rights intact.

Whether you're currently considering a timeshare purchase or reevaluating your ongoing commitment, this article equips you with essential knowledge and strategies from the experts at XTimeshares. You'll learn how to spot common tactics used by sales representatives, understand your contractual rights, and identify key points that can be leveraged for possible cancellation. Prepare to empower yourself with the information necessary to make informed decisions during and after a timeshare presentation.

Recognize High-Pressure Sales Tactics

Timeshare presentations are infamous for their high-pressure sales tactics, and understanding these can be your first line of defense. Sales representatives often create a sense of urgency, suggesting that the deal is a one-time offer that's too good to pass up. They may also place undue pressure by invoking scarcity, suggesting that units are limited or that prices will drastically increase soon. Recognizing these tactics can help you remain calm and collected, enabling you to think critically rather than making an impulsive decision.

Know Your Rights as a Consumer

It's crucial to be aware of your consumer rights prior to attending a timeshare presentation. Many countries and states have specific laws designed to protect consumers in timeshare transactions. These may include a cooling-off period, during which you can cancel a timeshare purchase without penalty after signing. Being informed about these rights can give you the confidence to resist pressure during a presentation and the knowledge to act swiftly if you decide to cancel.

For example, in the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides guidelines under which consumers can cancel timeshares within a set period, typically around three days. This cooling-off period ensures that consumers have sufficient time to reassess their decisions and opt out if they feel it’s not right for them.

Document the Presentation Process

When you attend a timeshare presentation, taking detailed notes can be incredibly beneficial. Write down key points mentioned by the salesperson, especially promises about benefits, maintenance fee structures, and details about the cancellation process. This information can be crucial if discrepancies arise between what was promised during the presentation and what your contract actually states.

Additionally, if you feel that the sales tactics employed were unfair or deceptive, having a detailed record can support any claims you might pursue through consumer protection agencies. Remember, any misrepresentation can potentially be a valid legal reason to challenge a timeshare contract.

Understand the Contract Thoroughly

If the presentation leads you to consider signing a timeshare contract, it is paramount to read and understand every detail of the agreement. Look out for:

• Duration of the Timeshare: Ensure you know whether it’s a perpetual contract or if it has a set end date.
• Fees: Be clear about the initial cost, annual maintenance fees, and any other associated charges. Understand how these fees can increase over time.
• Cancellation Clause: Pay particularly close attention to the cancellation or rescission terms, as these will dictate under what circumstances you can exit the timeshare.
• Exchange Systems: If part of the allure is the ability to exchange times and locations, verify the specifics and any fees involved.

It is often beneficial to have a lawyer review the contract before you sign it. They can help clarify any complex legal language and ensure that your rights are protected.

Consider Long-Term Implications

Owning a timeshare is a long-term commitment that can impact your finances and lifestyle for many years. As such, think beyond the presentation and consider whether this timeshare will fit your future vacation needs and financial situation. Will you be able to travel to the same destination every year? Are you prepared for potentially rising maintenance fees? How might this purchase affect your overall financial goals?

Moreover, think about the resale market for the timeshare, should you wish to sell it in the future. Timeshares are notoriously difficult to resell, often depreciating in value quickly. Understanding this aspect can prevent future regrets and financial headaches.

Explore Alternatives to Timeshare Ownership

Before making a commitment to a timeshare, explore alternative vacation ownership options. Vacation clubs, travel subscriptions, or simply saving for trips may offer more flexibility without the binding commitment of a timeshare. These alternatives could provide a better fit for your lifestyle and financial plans, with less risk and more straightforward terms.

Educate Yourself on Possible Exit Strategies

Even with diligent preparation and understanding, you might find yourself in need of exiting a timeshare. Familiarizing yourself with timeshare cancellation services, like those provided by XTimeshares, can prepare you for such scenarios. Knowledge of these services offers peace of mind that there are legitimate pathways to extricate yourself from a timeshare if it no longer suits your needs.

Being well-prepared for a timeshare presentation not only helps you navigate the immediate event but also arms you with the insights needed to make decisions that are in your best long-term interest. Thorough preparation, awareness of your rights, and an understanding of all contractual commitments are essential steps in managing, and if necessary, terminating a timeshare arrangement responsibly.

It's important to choose a company with a good Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating for getting out of a timeshare, as Xtimeshares shows with their focus on being honest and keeping customers happy. This top rating shows that the company is trustworthy, ethical, and good at solving problems. Because timeshare contracts can be complicated and sometimes involve pushy sales tactics, choosing Xtimeshares means that timeshare owners get honest and custom solutions from a trusted provider. This kind of service is crucial for those who want a simple way to cancel their timeshare, giving them reassurance and confidence in resolving their issue.

Secure Your Financial Freedom with Expert Guidance

Navigating a timeshare presentation can be challenging, but with the right knowledge and strategies, you can protect your interests and make informed decisions. If you ever find yourself reconsidering your timeshare commitment, remember that it's not just about surviving the sales pitch—it's about securing your long-term financial and vacation freedom. At XTimeshares, we specialize in providing expert advice and robust solutions for those looking to confidently navigate through or exit their timeshare agreements.

Take the first step towards safeguarding your financial future today. Visit XTimeshares for comprehensive support and guidance tailored to your unique timeshare presentation . Don’t let complexity hold you back—empower yourself with the right help and reclaim your peace of mind.

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Learn about the risks and consequences of not paying timeshare maintenance fees and explore alternative solutions to manage these costs.

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5 Timeshare Presentation Tips to Be Empowered, Not Pressured

Who doesn’t love a travel deal? In your search have you seen promotions that seem too good to be true? For example, how can a hotel offer 3 nights accommodation plus water park tickets and a $100 restaurant gift card for $129? That’s because these promotions are from timeshare companies looking to introduce their resort, and timeshare ownership , to new people via a timeshare presentation. It’s totally true – Two hours of your time can “fund” vacations to resorts across the country!

I’m a happy timeshare owner of 15 years, sharing tips and advice for timeshare vacations whether you own one or not! If you’re not a timeshare owner and thought about taking advantage of these travel offers, I’m here to give you the ins and outs of attending a timeshare presentation so you’ll feel confident and empowered and never talked into buying something you don’t want or can’t afford.

It’s important to know that timeshares are more complicated to sell than a home or vacation condo, and it’s overwhelmingly a buyer’s, not a seller’s, market. So never let yourself be talked into buying a timeshare or any other serious, large purchase!

Wait, What is a Timeshare?

If you’re thinking to yourself “What is a Timeshare Exactly?!?” Timeshares are partial vacation ownerships of condo-like units in resort developments. They are owned, operated, and maintained by independent resorts, small chains, and large timeshare companies like Hilton Grand Vacations Club, Club Wyndham, Marriott Vacation Club, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Hyatt Residence Club and Disney. You might have stayed in a timeshare rental before without realizing it! 

Timeshare sales is big business! In 2019, there was $10.2 billion (yes billions!) in timeshare purchases in America. That’s almost twice as much as Sephora’s sales. The global vacation ownership market is expected to reach $40 billion in 2023. In order to grow their business, they need to sell timeshares to……. You! Remember, just like Facebook, if something is free, YOU are the product being sold.

As with any large commitment, it is important to consider the legally binding financial relationship that you are entering when purchasing a timeshare. This is not the type of decision to make on a whim, three margaritas deep while on vacation at the resort.  Can your budget (and your emergency fund) comfortably cover all of the costs? Even the annual maintenance fees during job loss, retirement, or a pandemic? 

Where are these Timeshare Presentation Promotions?

These timeshare presentation promotions can be found both online and in person. While I’ve personally never seen them in person, fellow timeshare owners have reported timeshare promotion kiosks in destinations with tons of timeshare resorts like Las Vegas, Orlando, and Branson offering a free vacation in exchange for attending a timeshare presentation. If you’re looking to build an entire “free” vacation, you can credit card hack your way to free flights, too!

If you’re looking online these cheap vacation packages can be found via a simple Google search. For example, the website Timeshare Orlando (at the time of this publication) had 12 different resort promotions listed. Here’s a flavor of the type of promotions that are offered. They often come with a gift card covering most or all of the price of the booking cost.

Last year Karee Blunt from our Woven Journey took advantage of one of these timeshare presentation travel deals at Tahiti Village in Las Vegas. In her experience , it was worth it to sit through a presentation to score free vacation accommodations.

“We took a chance on a free timeshare presentation deal and are happy to say it worked out just fine. For 90 minutes of our time, we enjoyed three free nights at a family-friendly resort in Las Vegas with a lazy river and beautiful pool! Even though we knew we weren’t planning on buying the timeshare package, we are interested in traveling and looked at it as a chance to learn more about our options. In the end, we said no thanks and simply went on our way.”

If you want to score these hotel promotions like Karee, and rock attending these timeshare presentations it’s important to educate yourself so you don’t get pressured into buying something on a whim. Here’s are my 5 Tips to Attend Timeshare Presentations Empowered!

Tip#1: Double Check that You Meet Their Qualifications

These deals can be an amazing way to travel on the cheap, but you have to meet the qualifications outlined in the Terms and Conditions.  Remember, by making this type of promotional reservation, you are confirming that you meet their requirements and promise to attend a timeshare presentation.  Here’s a variety of conditions found in the fine print to give you a sense:

• Couples living in the same household with a combined income of $50,000; Must have the same address on their ID; Must attend the timeshare presentation together
• Single people 30 years of age and older with an annual income of 45K or more may qualify
• Must be currently employed
• Must be creditworthy (no bankruptcies, foreclosures, or liens in the past two years)
• Cannot be in the process of home loan modifications/refinance
• Must pay 13% room tax and $20.00 daily resort fee due at check-in
• Must have a credit card that is not connected to a debit account
• Only for the U.S. Residents that reside in AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KT, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WI, WY.

Tip #2: The Timeshare Presentation is Required. Seriously

By booking this reservation, you agree to go to a timeshare presentation and cannot skip it. The reason they are offering room accommodations for free, or close to it, is to get people to attend these meetings. A majority of timeshare purchases are made during these presentations, so timeshare companies know the more people who attend, the more sales they can make.

Listen, they are not playing around with this requirement. If you do not go to a timeshare presentation your credit card will be charged the full retail price of the accommodations, or a flat fee of around $300, depending on the resort. You have to hold up your side of this travel deal and can’t get out of it. 

Tip #3: Set Your Phone Timer

You agreed to attend a timeshare presentation to get this offer, but only for the amount of time listed in the promo fine print – and not one second longer. You’re on vacation, don’t waste half a day in a hotel conference room.  If the promo you booked says a 90-minute timeshare presentation, start your phone timer the minute the meeting begins. Once you’ve given your time, your obligation is fulfilled. Period. 

Do not let them tell you otherwise, make you feel bad or talk you into spending any more time with them.  Something as simple as, “Thanks for sharing this information with me. The required 90 minutes is up. Take care!  Get out of your seat and go back to enjoying your vacation. 

Tip #4: Keep Your ID and Credit Card in Your Own Hand

Yes, you are required to “present” an ID or Credit card, but present it in your own hand. Do not let them keep it or take it anywhere. If I was at a car dealership shopping for a car I’d do the exact same thing.  If they give you a hard time, play their fine print language back to them, and stay friendly. “I’m presenting you my ID. I only give my ID to customs at the airport. Or when a police officer pulls me over for speeding.” Laugh, and smile! A little light-heartedness goes a long way!   

This piece is critical because if they have your ID or credit card, it will be tough to get it back once your phone timer goes off. If you have all of your items in your wallet, you can leave once your part of the deal is done.  If they have your stuff, you’re kinda a hostage in a timeshare presentation. I’ve been there at a car dealership and it’s not fun.

Tip #5: Arm Yourself with a Resale Listing

Are there some bad apples in a barrel? Yes. Are there some high-pressure sales tactics? Yes. If you find yourself in a very uncomfortable timeshare sales pitch, show them a printout of a resale listing for their exact resort and ask them if they can match the price.  Spoiler: They can’t. You’ll be at the pool before you know it. 

What Is a Timeshare Resale Listing?

Did you know there is a resale market for timeshares where existing owners sell their unwanted timeshares to other people? You can save 75 to 99% of resort sales price by buying a timeshare in the resale market. These are the timeshare deals that the salesperson won’t tell you about! Timeshare Users Group (TUG), the oldest and largest timeshare owners group and advocacy organization hits it right on the head when they say, “Why would anyone buy from a resort if they could get the exact same “used condo” week, at the exact same resort property, for pennies on the dollar from an existing owner?”

Where Can You Find Timeshare Resale Listings?

One of the best places to find timeshare resale listings is TUG’s owner-to-owner marketplace.  It is one of the largest and most visited timeshare classified ad sites on the internet, with $30 million in timeshare sales, $18 million in owner direct timeshare rentals, and one-week vacation exchanges between timeshare owners. If you can’t find the resort you are visiting there, check out Redweek.com, the largest online marketplace for timeshare sales and rentals. Both sites are fantastic, reliable resources to arm yourself with information for timeshare presentations.

To receive more travel tips, activity inspirations, and some personal finance tips to fund those bucket list vacations subscribe below for monthly emails.

Monica Fish helps her fellow adventurers live a financially savvy life so they can travel and explore our beautiful world no matter their budget. She writes about smart timeshare ownership, vacation tips and tricks, NYC Metro Area trips and activities, and frugal, yet rich, living at PlannerAtHeart.com.

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How To Survive a Timeshare Presentation

You go on vacation to relax and enjoy some much-needed time away. And, while seeing the sights you come across a visitor’s center. They offer free tickets or discounts on local attractions in exchange for attending a timeshare presentation. It’s only 90 minutes and before you know it, you’ve decided to go for the freebies. At this point, you might be wondering how to survive a timeshare presentation.

Timeshare Presentation Survival: What to Know

Before committing to a timeshare presentation, it’s essential to be well-prepared and informed about what the experience entails. The duration of these presentations can be quite lengthy, often taking up a significant portion of your day. Here are some detailed factors to ponder:

• Family Considerations : If you’re contemplating attending with your family, think about the members who will be accompanying you. For instance, if you have younger children, their patience and attention span might be tested during a long presentation. It’s crucial to gauge whether they’ll be comfortable and entertained throughout the session or if alternative arrangements should be made for them.
• Duration of the Presentation : A standard timeshare presentation can last anywhere from 3 to 5 hours. It’s not just a quick sales pitch; it often involves a tour of the resort, a detailed presentation, and a Q&A session. Assess your own comfort level and stamina for such a duration. If sitting or engaging for extended periods is challenging for you, it might be worth reconsidering.
• Physical Well-being : Your physical state can significantly impact your experience. If you’re someone who gets hungry often or has medical conditions like low blood sugar, it’s advisable to eat a substantial meal before the presentation. Feeling hungry or light-headed during a lengthy session can be distracting and uncomfortable.
• Scheduling Conflicts : Before locking in your attendance, review your itinerary for the day. If you have other activities or commitments planned post-presentation, ensure there’s ample time between them. Timeshare presentations can sometimes run longer than anticipated, and you wouldn’t want to feel rushed or miss out on other experiences.

Surviving the Timeshare Presentation: A Breakdown of the Resort Tour Framework

Knowledge is power. When you’re equipped with a clear understanding of what awaits you in a timeshare presentation, you’re better positioned to navigate it with confidence and discernment.

Let’s delve deeper into the intricacies of a resort tour to shed light on the sequence and strategies employed during timeshare presentations:

• Building Rapport : The initial phase of the presentation is all about establishing a connection. The timeshare greeter, often with a warm smile and friendly demeanor, will initiate a conversation to build rapport. Their goal is to make you feel comfortable and welcomed. They’ll inquire about your hometown, the purpose of your visit, your travel frequency, and perhaps even your favorite vacation spots. These aren’t just casual questions; they serve a dual purpose. Firstly, they aim to create a friendly atmosphere, and secondly, they gather information that will be invaluable for the sales team.
• Tailored Sales Pitch : Based on the information you provide during the rapport-building phase, the salesperson will customize their pitch. They’re trained to highlight aspects of the timeshare that align with your interests and travel habits. For instance, if you mention you love beach vacations, expect to hear about the resort’s beachfront properties or water-based activities.
• Visual Engagement : To make the offering more tangible and enticing, many timeshare presentations include a short film or multimedia presentation. This visual aid typically showcases the resort’s amenities, testimonials from satisfied timeshare owners, and perhaps even a glimpse into potential vacation destinations. The aim is to immerse you in the experience and evoke a sense of desire.
• Property Tour : After the multimedia segment, you’ll be escorted through select units or properties. This hands-on experience allows you to visualize yourself in the space, assess the quality of accommodations, and ask any questions about the facilities. It’s a tactile approach to selling, making the idea of ownership more tangible.
• The Sit-Down : Once the tour concludes, you’ll be ushered to a cozy setting, often a small table or private area, where the actual sales pitch intensifies. Here, the salesperson will discuss the various timeshare vacation packages, pricing structures, and potential benefits. They might present special offers or limited-time deals to entice a commitment.

While the process might seem straightforward, remember that every step is meticulously planned to persuade and influence potential buyers. Being aware of these tactics can help you make informed decisions and ensure you’re not swayed solely by the allure of persuasive sales techniques.

The Art of the “Today Only” Close

Now comes the closer with a deal you would be foolish to say no to. But, that’s where the price drops start. And, there are several before that sales rep gets tapped out with let’s “Meet the Manager.” All of this is by design, a scripted and rehearsed program to get you in front of the boss. That person is trained to overcome any objection and they have the authority to help you decide on the spot. Similarly to car sales, the manager is going to ask…What’s it take to do a deal today? This is often referred to as the “Today Only” close.

These high-pressure tactics can be intense during a timeshare presentation, which is why it’s important to be prepared. Remember, you are not obligated to purchase a timeshare just because you sit through the presentation or for any other reason, including gifts or incentives to attend. If at any time you feel like you’re being pressured into making a decision, simply say that you need time to think about it and excuse yourself. The worst thing you can do is make a rash decision that you’ll regret later. We’ve recently talked about buyers’ regret in our timeshare blog and how to avoid it.

How to End a Timeshare Presentation

After employing the tips mentioned above during a timeshare presentation, it’s important to know how to effectively bring the presentation to a close without making any commitments.

Here’s how to end a timeshare presentation gracefully:

• Express Gratitude : Thank the salesperson for their time and the information they have provided. This sets a polite tone and shows that you respect their effort.
• Be Clear and Concise : Clearly state that you are not interested in purchasing a timeshare. Avoid giving reasons that could be countered with more sales pitches. Simply say, “Thank you, but I am not interested.”
• Decline Additional Offers or Incentives : The salesperson might attempt to entice you with additional offers or incentives. Politely but firmly decline these offers without engaging in further discussion.
• Stand Up : Physically standing up signifies that the conversation has ended. This non-verbal cue is powerful and usually prompts the salesperson to wrap things up.
• Walk Away : Begin to walk towards the exit. If the salesperson continues to engage, repeat that you are not interested and this is the end of the timeshare presentation. Continue walking without stopping.
• Avoid Confrontation : If the salesperson becomes aggressive or confrontational, remain calm. Do not engage in an argument. Simply reiterate your lack of interest and leave the premises.
• Follow Up with a Written Notice : If you feel it’s necessary, you can send a polite written notice to the timeshare company stating that you do not wish to be contacted again.

By following these steps, you can exit a timeshare presentation in a respectful yet assertive manner. Remember that you are under no obligation to make a purchase, and it’s important to stand your ground while remaining polite

Undoing Your Timeshare: The Rescission Window

If you did make a purchase, your next chance at “survival” is to be aware of a rescission period, which will range from 5-10 days if you act within that timeframe. You have a statutory rescission period in which you can cancel or revoke your purchase and receive a full refund of all money paid, depending on the state where you made your purchase.

This is your only opportunity to walk away from your timeshare purchase without any hassle. If you choose to terminate your interest after the expiration of the rescission period , you may well find yourself on a difficult road to travel.

Understanding How to Cancel a Timeshare

Buying a timeshare while on vacation can be exciting, but sometimes people don’t read the fine print right away. If the resort doesn’t point it out, you might miss the chance to cancel or “rescind” your purchase within a specific time.

It’s super important to know how to cancel correctly. You can’t just call the resort and tell them you’ve changed your mind. You have to send them a written notice. The address to send this notice to is usually in the contract, and it’s often not the same as the resort’s main address.

So, always read your contract carefully! Just because the resort doesn’t make it easy to cancel doesn’t mean you can’t. As long as you send a written request within the time frame, they have to accept it.

Termination Options for Timeshare Owners Beyond Rescission Period

If you find yourself a timeshare owner and beyond your rescission period, your termination options are considerably more limited. They include attempting to re-market your interest, attempting to directly negotiate a termination with your developer, looking for a third party such as an “ exit company ”, should search out a timeshare attorney with considerable experience in dealing with these types of termination issues.

Although our opinion is arguably biased, it seems the best argument for whom to hire, is to recognize that since you are attempting to extricate yourself from a legally binding written contract, it makes far more sense to hire a licensed experienced law firm skilled in timeshare contractual issues, than an unlicensed un-credentialed exit company. Furthermore, an experienced timeshare lawyer can significantly limit or eliminate debt collection calls and communications, as well as oversee proper accurate credit reporting , services not offered by exit companies.

Surviving a Timeshare Presentation

It may just be a question of mentally preparing yourself for an extended hard sell sales pitch designed to wear you down over an extended period, arming yourself with knowledge in advance about rescinding a purchase in a correct and timely manner, or perhaps determining the best course is avoiding the experience altogether.

After all, if you do want to buy a timeshare, investigating and purchasing through a licensed real estate broker familiar with the timeshare secondary resale market at around a tenth or less of the developer’s price will avoid both the timeshare presentation itself and the retail cost of buying from the developer.

Disclosure: This article is for information purposes only and is not intended as legal advice. Always consult an attorney familiar with timeshare law for specific legal advice.

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How to get a deal by attending a timeshare presentation

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Booking hotels with points earned from the best hotel credit cards is a great way to save your hard-earned cash.  But did you know there’s another way you could score a great deal?

Many of the major hotel chains offer timeshare properties under a different brand, and they often have huge incentives to get you in the door to listen to their sales pitch!  These incentives could include certificates for free hotel stays, gift cards, bonus points, and more!

Getting your hands on these incentives just for sitting through a timeshare presentation might sound too good to be true.  In many cases though, there’s not much more to it than just that.  Hotels build the “giveaway” of these incentives into the cost of doing business.  They know that these sales pitches are a numbers game, so they wouldn’t be doing it if wasn’t profitable for them in the long run!

In many ways, it’s a win-win for everyone. They spread the word on their timeshares, and you’ll have the opportunity to learn about whether it might be a good fit for you. Check out team member Meghan’s experience with a Hyatt timeshare sales pitch in Arizona , and another timeshare presentation in Belize .

If you’re curious about whether timeshare ownership might be worth it, we’ll go through how you can get invited to one of these presentations, what to expect, and which major hotel brands offer timeshares. Worst-case scenario, you’ll find that timeshare ownership is not for you, and you’ll still walk away with a gift card, bonus points, or some other incentive.

How to save money by attending a timeshare presentation

Hotels often give folks lucrative incentives to get you in the door to their timeshare presentations.  You’ll know what the incentive is before you attend, of course, and they’ll usually offer things like certificates for free hotel stays, bonus points, and gift cards.

Sometimes, you might even be able to negotiate a better deal! I was able to find reports online that stated different people were given different incentives for attending the same timeshare presentation.  So the lesson here is that if you’re speaking with one of their representatives and the incentive isn’t enticing enough, ask if they can offer something better!

You usually won’t have to pay anything to attend one of these timeshare presentations, so your only “cost” will be the several hours it takes to sit through their presentation. And even if there is a fee for attending, the value of the incentive oftentimes outweighs the initial fee. 

For instance, I found a report from Stephen at Frequent Miler who stated he paid $150 to attend a timeshare presentation, and in return was awarded 45,000 Wyndham points (enough for 3 nights at any Wyndham hotel) and a 7-night stay at a timeshare resort. I’d say those incentives were well worth the $150 fee!

How to get invited to a timeshare presentation

Many of the major hotel chains, like Hyatt, Hilton, and IHG, offer some sort of timeshare brand.  If you’ve ever stayed at these hotels, you could be targeted either by phone or mail.  Being a member of the hotel’s loyalty program could also get you targeted at some point.

If you end up staying at one of their timeshare brands on a trip, you may also see some promotional materials around the hotel, so keep your eyes open!  For instance, team member Meghan took advantage of this on a trip to Arizona .  When she was checking in at the Hyatt Residence Club Sedona, Pinon Pointe, she saw a sign in the lobby that mentioned something about a $100 gift card in exchange for attending a timeshare presentation!

The most direct way of getting an invitation though is to simply call the general number of the hotel chain you’re interested in, and asking about timeshare ownership.  They’ll transfer you to the right department at which point you can ask if they have any presentations available in your area, or if there are any promotions you might be eligible for.

What to expect out of a timeshare presentation

Before you attend a timeshare presentation, be aware that they can be VERY aggressive in their tactics!  I’ve been on the receiving end of a very high-pressure sales pitch and realize how difficult it can be to say no, even when I know it’s not something I want to sign-up for!  The best thing to remember though is that you can always say no, very firmly, but politely.

Also, be aware that attending these timeshare presentations can take several hours out of your day, so you’ll have to decide if it’s worth it, especially if you’re on vacation!

Tips for getting out of timeshare presentations quickly

You’ve got an appointment.

This is probably the oldest trick in the book. But if you’re looking to get out of a timeshare pitch, set a deadline for yourself by telling the salesperson that you’re meeting someone for plans (drinks, dinner, etc.) at a certain time. 

Don’t show any interest — at any price

This trick is only good for those who aren’t easily swayed. But if you can, try not to engage in the pitch. Be firm in your decision and let the salesperson know that the deal doesn’t make sense for you and your family.

Just be aware that they’ll try to push you on the price. There are reports from some readers that salespeople can sometimes lower the price by as much as 75% less than the initial offer. Again, they’re trying to make the sale. And these are tactics used to make it appear as though you’re getting a good deal.

Mention that you prefer using travel rewards

This is another trick that’ll be pretty hard for the salesperson to argue with. Simply tell them that buying a timeshare doesn’t make sense for you because you prefer to use miles & points for your travel . Why would you pay for lodging when you could stay at a hotel for free? There’s really no counterargument to that point!

Bring your children along

We all know how well kids behave when it comes to sitting still for long periods of time (HA!). And there’s arguably no better excuse to getting out of something than when you have a cranky child to attend to. So bring your kid(s) along to the presentation and make your escape when their patience has run out.

Hotel Chains With Timeshares

Hilton .

Hilton’s timeshare operates under the name Hilton Grand Vacations.  To give you an idea of the size of their timeshare operations, if you decide to join as a Club Member, you’ll be joining over 300,000 other members worldwide, and have access to vacation exchange options across over 4,300 resorts globally.

Most of their timeshares are located in the US, although they do have 3 international locations as well:

• South Carolina

Hyatt’s timeshare goes by the name Hyatt Residence Club.  Although they don’t offer nearly as many locations as Hilton, they do advertise and market luxurious stays at 16 locations in the US.

One of the neat things Hyatt offers right on their website is a section for “ Featured Vacation Offers. ”  Some people online have reported getting even better deals by calling in and referencing these offers, stating that they’re interested in timeshare ownership but want to get more information.

• Hyatt Residence Club Sedona, Pinon Pointe

California:

• Hyatt Residence Club Carmel, Highlands Inn
• Hyatt Residence Club Lake Tahoe, Northstar Lodge
• Hyatt Residence Club Grand Aspen
• Hyatt Residence Club Beaver Creek, Mountain Lodge
• Hyatt Residence Club at Park Hyatt Beaver Creek
• Hyatt Residence Club Breckenridge, Main Street Station
• Hyatt Residence Club Bonita Springs, Coconut Plantation
• Hyatt Residence Club Key West, Beach House
• Hyatt Residence Club Key West, Sunset Harbor
• Hyatt Residence Club Key West, Windward Pointe
• Hyatt Residence Club Sarasota, Siesta Key Beach
• Hyatt Residence Club Maui, Ka’anapali Beach
• Hyatt Residence Club Lake Tahoe, High Sierra Lodge

Puerto Rico:

• Hyatt Residence Club Dorado, Hacienda Del Mar
• Hyatt Residence Club San Antonio, Wild Oak Ranch

IHG calls their timeshare brand Holiday Inn Club Vacations.   Similar to Hyatt, they also have a section on their website for “ Special Timeshare Offers, ” so if you call in asking about timeshare ownership or their special offers, you might be able to land an even sweeter deal and possibly an invite to a timeshare presentation with more incentives!

IHG has timeshare locations within the US in several different states.  They also have a number of locations designated as part of their “ Signature Collection ” for an even more luxurious stay.

You can find a full listing of their timeshare locations here , and you’ll see they’re located in quite a few different states:

• Massachusetts

Marriott’s timeshare brand goes by Marriott Vacation Club.   According to their website, they offer over 50 resorts, 4,000+ Marriott hotels, and 3,000+ affiliated resorts.

You receive an annual allotment of Vacation Club Points when you join this program, which you can then use to book a stay at one of their locations worldwide .

Choice Hotels

Back in 2013, Choice Hotels ventured into the timeshare ownership segment by partnering with Bluegreen Vacations as their preferred vacation ownership provider.

You’ll be able to book a stay at any of their 60+ resorts in over 40 unique destinations .  The vast majority of them are located in the US, although they do have 2 international locations as well.

• North Carolina
• New Hampshire

Wyndham’s timeshare brand operates under the name Club Wyndham.   You’ll have the flexibility of vacationing in different areas each year through their Club Wyndham Plus program, where your ownership is translated into points deposited annually into your account.  Depending on where you want to stay, accommodations are assigned different point values and you can redeem them throughout the year.

Wyndham has a number of timeshare resorts available both within the US and internationally :

• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island

International Locations:

• New Zealand

You have other (better) options for saving big on hotel stays!

If you’re nervous about sitting through a high-pressure sales pitch, keep in mind it’s not the only way you can save big on traveling!  There are still many amazing hotel credit cards that can get you free nights at your favorite hotels.

Here are a few of our favorites:

• Most valuable welcome bonus for hotel stays: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
• Best hotel credit card for value and comfort:  World of Hyatt Credit Card
• Best hotel credit card for big spenders: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
• Best hotel credit card for elite status:  Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
• Best hotel credit card for road warriors: IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card

The information for the Hilton Aspire card , and the Hilton Surpass has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

For instance, with the World of Hyatt Credit Card, you could earn enough points for as many as 10 nights in category 1 Hyatt hotels!  The card is currently offering a welcome bonus of up to 60,000 bonus points – earn 30,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more bonus points with 2 bonus points per $1 spent on purchases that normally earn 1 bonus point up to $15,000 in the first 6 months of account opening.

Or if you apply for a card that earns flexible points, like Chase Ultimate Rewards points , you can also transfer the points to a hotel partner for free nights as well.

Bottom line

Attending timeshare presentations can be a lucrative way to save a lot of money on your trips.  That’s because many hotels offer incentives like certificates for free hotel stays, bonus points, and gift cards, to motivate you to attend one of their timeshare presentations.

Many of the major hotel chains have some sort of timeshare brand.  If you haven’t been cold-called or targeted for a specific timeshare offer, you can always call the general number for the hotel and ask about timeshare ownership.

If you do attend a timeshare ownership presentation, be prepared for a very high-pressure sales pitch, and don’t be afraid to say no.

If you’re not sure if you can make it through their tactics, remember that you can always focus on earning miles and points from the best hotel credit cards to redeem for free hotel stays instead.

What are your thoughts on timeshare ownership, and have you sat through a timeshare presentation before?

Contributor

Andrew Wan is a contributor for Million Mile Secrets where he covers points, miles, credit cards, airlines and hotels. His work has also appeared in The Simple Dollar.

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Decoding TIMESHARE PRESENTATIONS: A Step-by-Step Guide and How to Protect Yourself

Schedule your free consultation to cancel your timeshare here, what is a timeshare presentation.

Timeshare presentation vacations  are long-lasting and hard-selling, similar to walking into a used car dealership. Know the timeshare presentation  process to avoid becoming a new victim of these so-called "vacation homes"

Timeshares have been a boom over the last twenty years; however they have changed and evolved to give a better service. As a result, the name of this type of memberships were changed for “Vacation Club”.

Importantly, these memberships are not an investment because they are not real estate; you are buying a service to enjoy leisure time with family and not to do business, and that is how it should be seen.

In some countries, these types of memberships are for life (deeded) and can be inherited by the relatives of the owner of the membership.

In the sale of Timeshares or Vacation Clubs participate different persons participate, like LINER (the person who shows the product and tries to convince the customer to buy), CLOSER (this person comes after the "liner" and, as its name implies, comes to closing the deal), and FRONT TO BACK (this makes the work of "liner" and "closer").

  Timeshare presentation deals

Most people would not want to attend a timeshare presentation  on their vacations. Resorts know this and give away incentives to tourists to attract them to their sales floors, some of the gifts they give away are:

Free breakfast Tours around the city Fishing trips Flying certificate 3 Nights, 4 Days stays Discounts during the stay if the client is staying at the resort.

Timeshare presentation steps

Such memberships are sold to consumers following a "step-by step" guide, which we inform you of here:

a) GREETING:  in this first step, the seller meets the family or the people who will participate in the presentation of the product. Here; the seller has a great smile and is introduced to all members of the family without ignoring the young children, which will influence the decision of parents to buy his product.

This step is usually done outside the showroom and does not last more than 3 minutes.

b) INTENT STATEMENT here will be so noted and explained that the presentation will last no more than 90 minutes or less, depending on customer interest, and this is where the seller makes guests feel relaxed and not feel pressured to buy. This step takes 2 to 3 minutes.

c) WARM UP:  At this time, the guests and the host usually have breakfast that is provided to prospective clients; you talk about everything but the product that will be presented; the seller, by training, searches for customers something that "clicks" with them and so gains their trust.

d) DISCOVERY  While eating breakfast, the sales representative asks questions regarding their way of vacationing. Due to his training, this information is, necessary, to "qualify" the customer and get an idea of the kind of package that you may be offered later, so there is always something for the buyer.

e) TOUR (PRODUCT PRESENTATION) Once breakfast is finished, the seller must make the presentation of the product. This could be done by computer or in the traditional way, which would be on paper, sometimes using pens or colored markers due to the fact that our brain perceives these colors, and it is easier to persuade the customer to buy (part of their training). During the functioning of the holiday program, prospects are invited to stroll through the resort's facilities and learn about the different areas of the resort. The salesman  then takes his guests to see the rooms they will enjoy in the future. Once in the rooms, salespeople know how to "put in the movie" the customers, and have their emotions flow, and want to keep the membership. After the  timeshare tour through the rooms, resort salesmen and get to go back to showroom

f) CLOSING  When they return from touring the facility, the seller asks customers questions with the sole intention of passing them to the "closer". Sometimes the "liner" shows the prices of the memberships, and most of the time, customers cannot pay these prices, so it is time to request assistance from the "closer" which is about the intention to clarify the questions that were previously done by customers and, in turn, he makes what is called "Drop" is a "discount on price” shown previously, this is where begins the work of "closer" who have been trained to refute all the objections that the customer can give and get the sale.

How to survive a timeshare sales pitch

If you are not interested in purchasing a timeshare, do not attend a timeshare presentation ! The  gifts are not worth wasting a day of your vacation and putting your hard-earned money at risk of being scammed by the timeshare salespeople.

If you have already purchased a timeshare, contact us at Mexican Timeshare Solutions .

We offer professional and efficient services to cancel your timeshare contract as soon as possible. At Mexican Timeshare Solutions , we will work hard on your behalf with no upfront fees. Contact us today for a free consultation!

To receive more information about timeshare presentations and how to cancel your timeshare, send a WhatsApp to +52 333 239 6589 , fill out the contact form,  or call us at +1 714 277 3662.

 Information to share

If you liked this article, please help us to share this information to more people in order to avoid more timeshare scams victims, how?

• Follow us on Facebook
• Share this link  http://www.timesharescam.com/blog/89-timeshare-presentations/ on your favorite blogs and forums

Leave your comment below and share your opinion with us. To know more about timeshare scams go to: Timeshare Promotions: Are they good deals?

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Basic Guide to Timeshare Presentations

• February 17, 2021
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We have all seen the old Timeshare pitch. Typically it goes something like “earn a discounted stay by learning more about our program over 90 to 120 minutes”. Often there are additional freebies thrown into the mix. This can be complimentary food such as breakfast or lunch, excursion vouchers, or even a visa gift card. As a result, the timeshare promotions seem too good to be true which can lead to skepticism. Is it a Scam or travel strategy? Learn more about this lesser-known topic in the Basic Guide to Timeshare Presentations & using them for travel .

In this Basic Guide

Timeshare properties.

• Checking in
• Say No (or Yes)
• Collecting Compensation

Examples of Timeshare Presentation Promotions

My experience participating in the promotions, where to find a timeshare presentation, timeshare restrictions and pitfalls, list of timeshare companies (and website links), what is a timeshare.

A timeshare is a form of travel that incorporates a shared approach to real estate. The vacation property is purchased and owned by multiple individuals who agree to split the time allocation. Traditionally, timeshares were sold in week increments. However, most companies have transitioned to point systems. Because of this, you can enjoy shorter trips throughout the year instead of using all the points at once. Similar to credit card points, the timeshare points can be used towards nights at a variety of properties within a portfolio.

A timeshare property often comes in the form of a studio equipped with a kitchen. Sometimes timeshares are located within condominiums or apartment complexes. Interestingly, I’ve noticed that some timeshare properties are actually shared by larger-scale hotel chains like Marriott or Hilton.

How does a Timeshare Presentation Work

Step one – signing up.

The first step to participating in a timeshare is signing a contract. Basically, the contract states that you agree to learn more about the property. This “presentation” will be set for a predetermined time. Typically they last for 90-120 minutes. Lastly, will be compensated with “x” for your time.

Step Two – Checking In (Sometimes Required)

The second step of checking-in is typically required when an overnight stay is involved. Usually, the terms will indicate that the guests’ must check-in at a predetermined location the day before the actual presentation. Often this will be at the hotel you are staying at. However, sometimes it can be at a location in close proximity to the hotel. There have been a handful of times that this step wasn’t required with the timeshare promotions I’ve participated in. Typically the staff would confirm the details of the sales pitch such as the date, time, and location. Afterward, I would be on my way for the duration of my stay.

Step Three – Attending the Presentation

One great aspect of actually attending the presentation is the free breakfast or lunch. In my book, this is an additional factor that leads to even greater savings while traveling. At this point, typically the timeshare salesperson assigned to you will introduce themselves and the shmoozing will begin. One rare occasion in Mexico, the salesperson actually joined us for breakfast which made for a long day of being pitched.

Note the Time –

Legally, since you signed a contract to attend the timeshare promotion. Because of this, the time commitment cannot be extended without your consent. I’ve met some other travelers who actually will set an alarm on their phones. Personally, I haven’t taken it to that extreme but noting the time has saved me a few times from unnecessary tours of hotels or additional sales pitches, etc.

The Presentation typically includes a sales pitch on travel in general. I recall one pitch actually selling the point that not traveling was harmful to one’s health due to the epidemic of increased stress levels. Eventually, the presentation will cover how the program works and the general cost of participating. Finally, the agent assigned to you will conclude with a hard pitch based on the income you provide and what he or she thinks you can afford.

Is a Hard Credit Pull Required?

It’s hit or miss if the timeshare presentation requires a credit check. Sometimes it is written in the contract that they need to perform the hard pull in order to provide the correct financing numbers based on your credit score. A hard inquiry won’t destroy a credit score nor will it be a primary determining factor in being eligible for future lines of credit. Ideally, it is not wise to add unnecessary pulls if you don’t have to.

Step Four – Saying No (or Yes?)

Remember your only commitment was to participate in the presentation. Nothing more, nothing less. However, if you are reading this blog, you are most likely already a savvy points and miles traveler . Most likely, you won’t find a benefit from being contractually obligated to a specific timeshare. Now of course, if you find value from what is being offered and it makes sense financially then by all means. In my experience, the financial commitment has never made sense for me. Personally, I don’t like the idea of contractually being obligated to pay into the program long-term for the rest of m life.

Step Five – Collecting what was promised

Finally, sometimes the 90-120 minutes drag on. You literally are counting down the seconds to get back to vacationing. Don’t get so caught up with leaving that you forget about what is promised to you. This can range from vouchers to cash, gift cards, or other random items. Typically the ‘gifts’ are provided upon completion of the presentation. Be sure to collect these before leaving or at least inquiring about how to go about receiving them!

Timeshare Presentation promotions come in all shapes and sizes. Usually, the company starts with a base-level deal. However, they could have a handful of additional perks which can be added by directly asking or being apprehensive. It is also important to note that many of these perks can be added together for a single timeshare promotional experience. For instance, here are examples of promotions I have participated in.

• 2, 3, 4, or 5 night stays for a heavily discounted rate
• Visa, Amex, and Mastercard pre-loaded debit gift cards
• Free shows and buffet vouchers in Vegas
• Excursions and massages in Mexico
• Pre-loaded Debit Cards and lunch vouchers in Hawaii
• Certificate for a future complimentary night stay
• $100 towards dinner at a handful of restaurants in San Francisco and New York City
• Hotel Rewards Points. I’ve seen Wyndham and Hilton offer bonus points for participating in a timeshare presentation. This is a great negotiating point when booking a timeshare presentation.

Overall I’ve had some very good experiences with the timeshare presentation travel strategies. My only regret is not documentation the experiences better. However, we do have a few reviews here on the website. For instance, we took advantage of the Hilton Presentation when I ran the NYC Marathon . In the future, I will continue to add more articles.

• New York City Hilton Timeshare Review
• Small Wyndham Timeshare writeup mixed into this Las Vegas Rewards Trip Review
• Grand Caribbean Vacations Mexico Timeshare Trip Review

Finding timeshare presentations can be completely random. I’ve been solicited for Timeshares in Airports, Casinos, Hotels, and even at the New York Times Travel Show. Periodically I’ll receive targeted emails from Wyndham, Hilton, and Marriott with a new Timeshare Promotion they are running. Additionally, once or twice each year I’ll receive a cold call. Typically, I am most skeptical about these as they often require up-front purchases.

There are a few strategies you can take to be targeted for these sorts of promotions.

• First, make sure you are signed up for the loyalty awards accounts with each hotel chain. Wyndham , Marriott , and Hilton are the ones that seem to send out the majority of the timeshare promotional trips.
• Next, keep your eyes peeled while traveling. Usually, you can find representatives pitching timeshares in high-traffic areas like entrances or exits. Sometimes hotels will have separate desks set up with signage about stopping by for a free gift.
• Lastly, call the general number of a hotel chain. Then inquire about owning a timeshare in the future. The customer service representative will transfer you to the right person.

How do you get the best Timeshare Presentation Promotion

One word: Haggle . I know that the thought of haggling is very polarizing. Some people love to haggle while others avoid it. Just know that the first offer that is presented is most likely not the best one you can get by saying no or being apprehensive.

In Mexico once, the sales representative initially started the hard in-person pitch with one five-night vacation per year for purchasing into the program. An hour later and a whole lot of “No Thank Yous”, he had steadily moved up in one-week increments. Lastly, he offered unlimited. visits. Clearly, there had to be a large catch with the promotion and I was not purchasing to find out.

Ultimately when negotiating the terms of the Timeshare Presentation it doesn’t hurt to ask for more. If they say no and you are still interested in the trip take the current offer. If they say yes, you earned more by taking a minute to ask. It’s a win-win situation.

There are a few restrictions and pitfalls to be aware of when considering a timeshare presentation.

Certain jobs are restricted from participating. I remember reading in one contract that travel-related jobs like working in aviation could disqualify you.

Relationship

Oftentimes, timeshare promotions are only open to couples who are married or at the very least living together. The timeshare representatives will verify that the addresses match your driver’s license.

Most timeshare presentations require the participants to have a certain household income in order to participate.

Room Occupants

If there is a discounted stay at a hotel, there is typically a restriction on who can actually stay in the room. It is usually limited to just the couple who is participating in the presentation. If you are planning on traveling with friends, they may be required to book their own room or participate in their own presentation. Sometimes there are even restrictions on traveling with others in a group and participating in a presentation.

Lying about income (or anything else)

If you are caught fabricating a higher income in order to be “eligible” to participate in a timeshare promotion it is likely that the company will charge you the standard room rate and deny and perks that were included in the contract. Don’t do this!

Be careful about what and how much you choose to drink during the hard-pitch of the timeshare presentation. There are some shady companies that will intentionally feed guests stronger drinks in order to make them more likely to sign a contract.

• Extra Holidays (Wyndham) and Wyndham Trips (Wyndham)
• Hilton Grand Vacation (Hilton)
• Hyatt Residence Club (Hyatt)
• Holiday Inn Vacation Club (IHG)
• Marriott Vacation Club (Marriott)
• Bluegreen Vacations (Choice Hotels)
• Westgate Resorts

Basic Breakdown

In conclusion, I’m a big fan of timeshare presentations and certainly will be looking to book more presentations in the future. The best experience of ALL TIME took place in Oahu Hawaii. At check-in, we received a card that said to bring it down to the concierge for a free gift. This led to an invitation for a $200 Amex Debit Card and two lunch vouchers (valued at $80) for attending the presentation.

There was a short presentation, maybe ten minutes long followed by a sitdown with the sales rep. She asked us why we were there today and I said for the free $200 and lunch vouchers. Then she asked if we had any interest in purchasing a timeshare, Lisa and I both shook our heads no. Five minutes later we had our $200 debit cards and were eating a delicious comped lunch at the hotel restaurant. I’m sure that was a huge fluke but this is what I love about these promotions!

Let us know!

Have you participated in a Timeshare Presentation? How did it go?  

I’d love to hear in the comments below or over in our 8,400+ Member Basic Travel Facebook Group !

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How to Avoid a Timeshare Presentation

Ever since developers realized that they could get fast money out of a hotel or real estate project by selling units as timeshares, their sales reps have been let loose on unsuspecting travelers. And that is why you need to know how to avoid a high-pressure, arm-twisting sales pitch that lassos you into a timeshare presentation that will waste your time and put you at potential financial risk.

The last thing you may want to think about on vacation is buying real estate; these sharks intend to change your mind. They offer inducements such as free flights, free nights, free tours, and other "free" gifts.

Timeshare salespeople are trained to be persistent and wear down resistance. The worst ones are downright deceitful. But you aren't defenseless. If you can learn how to avoid a timeshare presentation and are willing to temporarily suspend your good manners, those sales types will be no more annoying than gnats.

Difficulty: Average

Time required: 5 minutes if you succeed, hours if you don't, here's how:.

• Avoid something-for-nothing offers.  Ever pick up the phone and hear a robo-voice announce, "Congratulations! You've won a free vacation... a romantic vacation ... a trip to Disneyland ?" Hang up immediately! These are all come-ons and you won't get something for nothing if these people hook you. So if you are not interested in dubious investments, do not accept any such offers by phone, in the mail, through social media. or on location to sit through a timeshare presentation. 
• Find out who you're dealing with. Sellers can be sneaky, and some use terminology different from "timeshare presentation" (such as discovery tour, gift opportunity, special value promotion). If someone offers you something, ask if he or she is a sales person and if real estate ownership is involved. Be suspicious!
• Get in and get out. Okay; you couldn't resist. They promised it would be short and the reward worthwhile. Hold them to the time frame promised, and set your watch or smartphone alarm. Fifteen minutes before the timeshare presentation is scheduled to end, give them warning that you will leave.
• Give out as little personal information as possible. Do not give timeshare sellers your cellphone, home, or work phone numbers, nor your main email address. If they insist, provide fake numbers.
• Under no circumstance, give anyone associated with the presentation your credit card information.
• Don't sign any anything. Once you put your signature to an agreement, you will be legally bound to carry out the terms of the contract. If you do become interested in the property, ask to take an unsigned copy of the agreement and say you will have it reviewed by your attorney.
• Just say no . Not maybe, not "we'll think about it," just no. The worst thing you can do is lead a salesperson on. He or she will become your personal barnacle.
• Be willing to be rude. It's not in some peoples' nature to flat-out say, "No... I don't want this... get out of my face." You're not dealing with grandma or a member of a church congregation. You're dealing with a salesperson. If they push you, push back. They're trained to be persistent and deal with rejection.
• Leave. You cannot legally be held against your will. By leaving, you will forfeit any "gift" that you were promised, and you may be responsible for your own transportation back to your hotel. But then you will be free.
• Call the police. If anyone tries to block your exit, immediately call the police from your cellphone and record the exchange. (Asking to speak to a manager or supervisor may not be the solution, as this individual is typically a senior salesperson aka con man who is even more adept in the deceptive "art of the deal.")

What You Need:

• Ability to withstand sales pressure
• Willingness to be rude if necessary
• Determination not to sign anything
• Wisdom to resist "too good to be true" offers
• Understanding that ones who profit from timeshares are sellers not owners

Related Articles

More related articles.

Tips for Surviving a Timeshare Presentation

The key to making it to the end, and claiming your prize, is simply to survive. Before you attend a timeshare presentation, make sure you are clear on how long the session is scheduled to last, and what you will be eligible for at the conclusion.  Confirm that this is offered even if you do not go through with the buying process. The tips listed below can help you assure you will not be roped into a vacation ownership you do not desire, and ensure you can get through the process as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Tips for Surviving and Escaping a Timeshare Presentation (Without Buying):

• Before you go to the presentation, find out when the busiest times are, and go during one of these times. This will give you the upper hand – when a resort is overbooked and understaffed, your likelihood of getting through the presentation in under 90 minutes is dramatically increased.  You are also less likely to be the victim of high pressure sales; the salesperson will just move onto the next person if you seem uninterested.
• Before your session begins – tell them you will be up front with them, and that you expect the same treatment from your salesperson. The “If I like it, I will get it” approach will deter the salesperson from badgering, or otherwise pressuring, you into something you have clearly told him you are not interested in.
• Keep to yourself and try to be as boring as possible. Timeshare salespeople will use any personal information you provide to try and strike some sort of common ground with you, making you feel as though you can trust them. If they offer some sort of tale about how they know so-and-so from your town, just say that is nice, and ask to focus on the issue at hand – getting information about the resort.
• Hold them to the time frame that you have been promised for the timeshare presentation. If you were quoted 90 minutes, set your alarm for 70 minutes, and remind the salesperson at 70 minutes that they now have 20 minutes to finish up the talk.
• Do not lead on the salesperson. Do not pretend you are interested only to let them down at the very end. If you have no intentions of buying be sure to act that way.
• When they ask how much you make, lie. Pick a low to average income when asked how much you make per year. Admitting or saying you have a lot of disposable income is just going to make your experience that much more painful – think multiple salespeople all over you for hours on end.
• Tell them you already know about timeshare and its benefits, this way they will need to be more focused on the amenities at the particular resort, thus, shortening the presentation.
• Try not to talk too much, again, be boring. The less details you offer up about your personal life, the better.
• I am not interested in buying, I just want to trade to go to other resorts.
• I just bought a new house, I do not have any extra cash.
• I am swamped with bills – car payment, credit cards, new RV, home remodel, etc.
• The resort just does not fit my lifestyle – not enough activities for kids, location is too cold, lack of surrounding activities, etc.
• I can not afford it, it is much too far out of my price range. Be ready for them to offer ownership every other year, tell them it is still not affordable enough.
• You like your other timeshare better. This is a pretty solid reason, as there is no way they can haggle price to rope you into buying.

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259 Comments

Wow. My wife and I went through a horrendous presentation in Orlando after being promised a three night stay in a hotel near Universal studios and we barely made it out of there in 2 hours after some real hardcore then, what turned out to be, rude sales pitching.

I would heed all warnings about the way that they try and sell you a piece of resort luxury for thousands and thousands of dollars (of course they never discuss dollar amounts up front.) Here’s my advice if you were not ALREADY considering buying timeshare after A LOT of research and TALKING with friends and family about their experience: 1. When they say two hours, hold them to the time. Perhaps you need to pick up your 89 year old mother at the hotel at exactly 11:00 or she will become agitated. 2. Do not engage. Do not tell them about family or friends (unless it’s your 89 year old mother who would NEVER stay at a timeshare with you, so there goes the ‘family time’ excuse to buy more property.) They will use every angle to hook you and connecting to family is a big one. 3. Do not talk. 4. Say no. 5. Say no again. 6. Say that you will never by timeshare because a. you rarely stay at hotels b. you do not like resorts c. you cannot afford it d. no. The answer is no. But be careful. Our salesperson held the “Well, we might have to reschedule you again” bit. (Which would have meant paying hundreds that I didn’t plan on spending for the hotel stay that they gave us in return for the presentation.) Don’t bite it. Say that the paper, the e-mails and the information you were given is what you are abiding by. So if they say “Two hours” it’s two hours. Whisper loudly to your wife about your close friends who are lawyers. That is all. Hope this helps. And btw, if you can, don’t even bother!

On 3/15/2020 we attended a Wyndham TimeShare Presentation. We were lured by the “FREE Gifts” while attending a Home Show exhibition in Seattle. The “Free Gifts” were: 7-Nite Resort Vacation Certificate + $150 Dining Credit + 30,000 Wyndham Points. Sounds great doesn’t it?? The reality: the Dining Credits are called “Dining Dough” from Restaurant.com We thought we could spend $150 at a fine restaurant—NO!! Dining Dough gives you $25 off of a $50 meal with LOTS of restrictions. Limited number of participating restaurants. So NOT very useful. The “amazing” 7-Nite Resort Vacation Certificate?? Maybe we will be able to use it, but there are MANY restrictions. The ONLY valuable item we received for 3 hours of our time was the 30,000 Wyndham points. We had the opportunity to get $100 in Dining Credit and 45,000 Wyndham points. Unfortunately we chose the almost useless extra Dining Credit. We tried asking several times during the presentation about the Dining Credit—but they refuse to answer any questions about it. (The salesmen KNOW they are almost worthless). Therefore be VERY specific about WHAT Wyndham offers you. The best bet is to ask for MORE Wyndham points.

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My wife and I have gone to a dozen of them over the years. We really enjoy it because, amongst other things, it’s a inexpensive vacation. I won’t lie though, at this point we’re also going for the sheer kicks and giggles of the whole thing. We know their Schlick. The into, the tour, the probing, the puke price (an actual industry term), and everything else. When the right time come I will start asking them probing questions. My favorite is about how much the maintenance fees are. That’s when I pull out what they fear the most…a calculator. $500 for a studio means that it’s costing them $13,000 a year just to maintain one tiny unit? Com’n! I have a 3000 sq. foot home that needs only a fraction of that outlay. They have no answer and then, when they try finanancing (15-20%), and I tell them that a bank will do it for 3%, they have no answer. I ask them if they will wave, in perpetuity , the fees and taxes and of course they won’t. They’re already dying to get rid of us when, on cue, my wife says that she has a call and steps away for 5 minutes and then, when she comes back, she shows the sales rep a few on EBay that didn’t sell for even $1. More crickets from them. Another ploy is that I get up and tell them that I wan’t to run this past my financial advisor. They don’t like that one either. T/he last trick is to ask for the contract to review it with our realtor, etc. Nooooo…it’s a one time deal only offer and you can’t even take the contact out of the room. We also make a point of making our objections loud, but always polite, so that the other people in room can hear them. Of course, before any of this is done we haggle better stays in better places, more cash, etc. over the phone. It’s hilarious and a real interesting study in human nature. We’ll enjoy the 3 days for free and fortiet part of one as our “bill”. Some other things to say, that bug them.” -/we like to cruise because we don’t have to worry about cleaning up, cooking, and so forth. My wife likes turndowns too.

-I want to see the world and really don’t like seeing the same place twice

-(this one only works in Vegas), I never have to pay for lodging anyway because I get the room for free because I gamble, and can use their pool and stuff whenever I want.

If you’re really dying to have one, then just go on line and find one to rent. Their are plenty of people who can’t use them on time, or just want to recoup their annual fee, that will practically give you the week for a few bucks and take a lesser loss than a full one.

You can’t sell them, can’t write them off on your taxes, can barely rent them….turning the tables on the sharks is just giving the them what they deserve.

You don’t have a clue about how timeshare works. You seriously have no respect for someone who works off of commission. You and your wife and your enjoyment of wasting someone’s time is disgusting. That timeshare rep may have 3 or 5 kids at home that they are supporting and you are simply wasting their time. People like you are scum just like those on welfare. You all want something for nothing. Next time why don’t you spend your money and leave the presentations to those who will actually think about better vacations and saving money over their lifetime of vacations.

That person has nothing to feel sorry about. I was called by a timeshare place. I was under the impression that I was receiving a free gift through ihg’s reward program. I already had plans to travel to one of the offered locations anyway, so I accepted the offer. After paying a down payment I googled the place and realized it was for a timeshare pitch and immediately tried to cancel, but they would not return my “down payment”. These places use pushy tactics to lure you into visiting them and charge outrageous monthly places to people they are able to convince to buy in. The sales reps that work there know that what they’re selling is not a good deal for most people. They are the true scum.

I don’t think it’s right to waste folks time, but as a timeshare salesperson you’re a liar if you reckon you’re selling a good product

We bought a Wyndham timeshare, unit base is Orlando. They have nice facilities. I took a break from the salesman, saying I was going to the pool to ask people if they thought it was a good deal? They liked it, so we bought the two year plan. I hated the cheesy group presentation. The so-called breakfast was a joke- coffee, juice, and packaged doughnuts! We don’t use it a lot and the points get transferred to RCI (participating hotels). Holiday Inn RCI had horrible units! The good thing- less chance of lice, compared to hotels; suites, and nice facilities. The bad- maintenance fees and taxes. They call the heck out of you afterwards to upsell you. I finally got a different phone number. The “information update” presentations are horrible! They claim something like 45 minutes, but it’s actually at least twice that. I objected strongly and a woman got belligerent, saying she was just trying to help us! I know they wanted to upsell, but nope, I’m not doing it! I’ll never go to an update or another timeshare presentation again. If you do want a timeshare I recommend Wyndham.

That’s exactly how I feel about people like YOU, who LIE, LIE and LIE just to sell. You are the scum!

It isn’t “Something for nothing.” The “Something” the attendee gives is his or her time.

Maybe so BUT I was sold a “vacation” recently with the understanding that We would sit thru a timeshare presentation…. The girl made her offer, we said “no thanks” she then offered the hotel stay plus the same amount of gift cards minus 25.00 we had to spend on the “vacation”, again we said “no”. Then she offered all of that plus a free cruise for 2…At that point we signed up, she knew VERY well going into it that we had no intention on doing anything and even told us that if we took our toddler that we would get out faster…she was just trying to make a sale which we agreed to with her knowing that we would NEVER purchase a timeshare at the presentation…so they kinda get what they deserve when they are that pushy…if they don’t like working for commission they should find another profession and not try so hard to give stuff away to get you to listen to them.

Yeah I feel sorry for them, alright. Must be pretty hard up to join the army of salespeople who descend on those there for the “one hour” pitch. Didn’t you see Wyndham was forced to pay millions to a whistle blower who exposed how the teams were told to say anything they wanted to close a deal, especially for elderly visitor, as long as they didn’t write it down in the contract. An army of Wyndham lawyers lost that one. Ironically, the award went to the whistle blower for being fired, not to those who got bilked out of their retirements. Was no different when I bought Marriott. First thing I hear on my last Wyndham vacation, “you need a parking sticker to use the garage”. To get one, you need to run the gauntlet of sales associates. I get to my room, unplug both phones. They knock the next day and say it appears my phone isn’t working. What’s a family need to do to be left alone?

Might you know the parties who won the Wyndham caee?

I am seriously considering taking RCI to court. We were very specific on what we we’re looking for in a timeshare. EVERYTHING the sales person told us was an outright lie. The timeshare he sold us is completely useless to us and does not one thing he assured us it would.

Any help would be appreciated.

Feel sorry for them?! Ha! Didn’t you see Wyndham was forced to pay millions to a whistle blower who exposed how the teams were told to say anything they wanted to close a deal, especially to the elderly, as long as they didn’t write it down in the contract. An army of Wyndham lawyers lost that one. Ironically, the award went to the whistle blower for being fired, not to those who got bilked out of their retirements. Was no different when I bought Marriott. My last Wyndham vacation, “you need a parking sticker to use the garage”. To get one, you need to run the gauntlet of sales associates. I get to my room, unplug both phones. They knock the next day and say it appears my phone isn’t working. What’s a family need to do to be left alone?

Justin, maybe those who work off commission should find a better job with more reliable income if they have 3 to 5 kids to feed lest they end up as “scum just like those on welfare” (your words), not mine. I totally agree with Toni’s advice. Not all, but a great majority of time share salespersons give high pressured sales pitches to people who simply can’t afford it. They wear them down and guilt them into debt that they cannot afford. Don’t you think if people could afford a 4 day/3 night vacation they would pay for it themselves instead of giving up 90 to 120 minutes of their time? I know my time is a lot more valuable than a time share, but if you offer a nice gift, I’m willing to give up that small amount of my time. The presentations with the high pressure sales pitch will keep people there for longer than they’re actually required to stay. Time share companies are not stupid. They are well aware that they need to offer some type of benefit to lure potential customers. If someone is actually that interested in purchasing a time share, the company would not have to offer free dinners, show tickets, etc… The benefits that attract serious buyers are the benefits of owning the time share and the rest are extras. It’s a cheap way to get a vacation. My husband and I were offered a 4 day/3 night stay at our choice of available Wyndham resorts simply because he had accumulated more membership reward points for a stay at a Wyndham hotel. We intend to take advantage of it and Toni’s advice is spot on! It’s not a matter of respect for the salesperson’s earning potential. It’s a matter of respect the salesperson has for the customer who is not interested in the sale. Instead of pressuring someone who’s not interested, be polite and move on to the next potential customer for your commission. It’s usually the salesperson’s pushy tactics and pretend interest in a customer that costs them their commission.

Please don’t try to survive the timeshare pitch. I always felt so ashamed for what my guests had gone through when they approached me at the entrance to the theme park that I worked at with vouchers which they thought we would get admitted at the front gate. No, this voucher must be exchanged for a ticket so these guests waited in line at the ticket booth after having half or more of that day’s park hours wasted sitting though timeshare hard-sells.

I don’t think that y’all are a bunch of thieving moochers. I think that you probably had the same experience that I did when I spent my wedding night at a timeshare presentation in Reno for a “free” room after we had come with enough money to pay for our own lodging. My husband and I were young newlyweds who had never heard of timeshare before, which I don’t think was even called timeshare back then because it was 30 years ago. Thank heavens I could see that this was not in our best interest and told them one lie to counteract the many that I believed that they were telling us. I was asked about work and told them that I worked for a law firm much more powerful and bad-ass than where I actually worked. This was clearly disturbing to the salesman because he left quickly and returned with a supervisor who thanked us for our time and got us out of their quickly. We checked out the next day with no further pressure about buying a timeshare.

I then went to a timeshare presentation many years later, alone, just to see if they were any less slimy than I believed that the first place was since this was a different company. I got up to leave because I did not care about the gratuity once I saw that it was the same game but with the new name of “vacation club”. I was asked to wait for a second by the salesman who said that they owed me a “free gift”. I just wanted to forget about it, but I have done sales work and know that it is really hard so I took pity on this guy whom I thought seemed like a rookie and sat back down. I was then faced with two more people who wanted to hold me captive and so I reached for my handbag and sweater no longer caring how rude I was being. Then a third person stopped by the table and asked me what was holding me back, meaning of course holding me back from signing the papers. My response since she didn’t ask specifically what was holding me back from buying but simply what was holding me back I replied “Nothing. I am leaving”. When I was then asked what was the hurry, I told the truth that I had transcripts to type. Again, I was then quickly dismissed with cash since that was the “gratuity” this company was “offering”. They did not want to deal with a court stenographer while trying to get away with their crooked conduct.

I no longer work as I am now in this country’s Medicare crowd, but the reaction of the timeshare scammers to my profession both times told me that they knew what they were doing was wrong.

I know live in the theme park capital of the work since my husband took retirement, and I immediately say that I don’t believe in timeshares the second that hear someone at a mall kiosk or whatever say “Where are you from?” I know what is coming next. Even telling them that I live here in Orlando doesn’t shut them up so I just match their rudeness if that is what it takes, which it often does.

The sad part is that I really do think that a lot of timeshare sales people apply for the job not realizing what is expected of them. Take a look at the local paper to see that timeshares are hiring all of the time. They advertise for timeshare sellers more often than they advertise for maids at these resorts, and a company’s turnover rate tells you all that you need to know about a company.

“I no longer work as I am now in this country’s Medicare crowd, but the reaction of the timeshare scammers to my profession both times told me that they knew what they were doing was wrong.”

You lie. This is the 2nd example you give about your lies. You go on a fly buy for your honeymoon. Who is the scammer here ? Stay home, in Orlando no less – pretty much the birthplace of timeshare. Never heard of timeshare before. And you go AGAIN. Alone. You should have been NQ. Non-Qualified.

You are more useless than the people you are complaining about. They are doing a job. You don’t want them to come to your office telling you how to do your job either.

The companies doing these things are more successful than yours. Why else would you have to lie about your “profession” ? Hilton, Marriott’s, Sheraton…Disney…!?

Go home. Turn on the thermostat. Buy some Coronas. Put a palm tree screen saver on. Stay at home. Do not pass start. Do not collect your (almost) free holiday (for your honeymoon no less).

Welfare. I bet you play Minecraft.

You know, I agree with both of you. If the timeshare company is pushing you to attend and you want to even though you state you aren’t interested, playing games in the presentation is fair game. I remember in Vegas, I repeated said no and after 10 sweeter offers, the last one being a 200 Visa card, I said ok. Well, they were frustrated with me and gave me the 200 Visa card after 45 minutes.

But if you are stringing any interest to get a freebie and then play games, that’s wrong.

Now, I always say no and stick with no as even the 200 is t worth it. I’m on vacation, and want to keep it that way.

I find it quite hilarious, and a bit sad the comments I am seeing. Either way, I have attended several timeshare presentations and they are relenting in their pursuit of your money. I ended up purchasing a timeshare with my sister because they literally called in the every sales person they could find, I’m guessing because they saw two women and they knew they could get us. What was more insensitive about it was we were on vacation and it was wayyyy over the 90 mins they promised, it was just about allllll day and our kids didn’t get to go tubing. Needless to say we ended up not ever using it or went back to the resort in VA (Massnutten). That was over 10 years ago and I have since gone on several, some just as bad, others no so much. I attended one where the sales rep asked me in the first 5 mins how serious I was, and when I told him I really wasn’t he said “ok” let’s do the basics and get you out in time to enjoy your day.. he asked for a few referrals, which I was happy to give since he didn’t attempt to strong-arm me into something I didn’t want. That I appreciated, not the “calling in reinforcements” tactics that only piss me off. I will attend a presentation in July with my family,however I am not in the market to buy and plan to employ the same tactics as the sales rep used on me just the opposite. Look I know why I’m there.. he knows why I’m there. I paid a small amount to go on vacation, and in return they get 90 mins of my time.. and I will stick to just that 90 mins. So for those who had very bad experiences, I’m sorry you had them, however next time, just be firm and remind them what your obligation was to them.. an that if they want any referrals it would be best that they adhere to that time-frame and leave out the strong-arm tactics. Another thing I will add.. IS IT REALLY NECESSARY TO DEGRADE PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU DON’T AGREE WITH THEIR VIEW OR THE EXPERIENCE THEY’VE HAD?

Wow, do you really think it’s worth your time, to spend half a day at a timeshare presentation to get maybe $100? Is your time only worth $25 per hour, taking time away from your family on vacation? If you’re that poor maybe you shouldn’t go on vacation!

The associate assured me it wasn’t a sales pitch. After all, I was already a Wyndham owner, right? They just wanted to invite me to an information session where owners would be able to voice their concerns and give the company some input. Right. A two hour armbending session to convert from simple weeks I had over to a point based system for my choice of plan, $35K or $80K, financed for my convenience. Nope. I paid only $3K for my 2 bedroom 1 fixed week in Kona Hawaii. After nearly 3 hours they gave up on me. I scored another week in the same place. I’m wondering if they’ll invite me to attend the session again. “Information session my foot”. They took a chance on me. They judged wrong. I knew it was unlikely to be an “info” session and that I wouldn’t buy anyway. Do I feel guilty? Of course not. Vegas rules apply. The house always wins in the end, but sometimes, the guest does.

My friend bought into a 2 bedroom unit.. 2 weeks a year… Or they can do 2 2 bedroom units for 1 week a year if they need more space. They paid $22,000 about 10 years ago and pay $750 in fees annually. They asked me to help them sell it by looking online and seeing the best way to do it. I looked at some sites that are selling the same kind of deal for exactly $1. Sooo many people are trying to get out of their $22,000 upfront purchase for just $1!!! Just so they don’t have to pay the fees anymore because they no longer want the timeshare. My friend is now trying to give the unit away… free! Anyone that is going to suffer their way through one of these presentation, I beg you to please first look online and see what people are selling the units for in the same place you are getting the presentation. You will then be able to tell the salesperson that wants you to spend thousands, exactly how much you can buy the place for on the private market. P.S. They offered me their place for free… I didn’t take the deal.

I got several calls from someone who offered us a stay in Whistler BC for a low price. We lived in Washington State, probably not 100 miles the Canadian border. They told me it was for homeowners and there was an age group and we had to make a certain amount of money a year. While we fit into the age group I told the caller we didn’t own a home and we didn’t make the amount of money we were required to make. They still kept calling us and said it was OK if we went. We would have a 90 minute tour and presentation. I thought we would be among a lot of people for the presentation and if we were interested we would talk to someone after and make arrangements. We took the train up to Vancouver and then took a bus the rest of the way. We were given times for the presentation to attend and I told them 9 a.m. I wanted to get it over. When they gave us our voucher it was for 3 p.m., right in the middle of the day. We arrived for the presentation and to my dismay it was a very pregnant saleswoman who was talking just to my then-husband and I. We had been trying to get pregnant for 12 years so the fact that she was 7 months pregnant did not encourage us at all to be cooperative. She handed us a sheet with prices – beginning at 30K Canadian, which would have been 20K American. “Where would you like to vacation?” “Alaska,” I said. “Oh, they don’t have timeshare in Alaska. Anywhere else?” “We are saving to take an American History tour with a group of people. We’ll go to Washington DC and Boston and New York City and Philadelphia and places like that.” “Oh, well I will tell you how you can own your vacation. You buy a timeshare and you will pay $280 a month and get a weeks’ vacation.” “We don’t want to come here every year.” “You don’t have to–you can trade. You stay in a timeshare in Boston for a week or you can stay in Washington DC for a week or whatever.” “We don’t want to do that. This is a three week tour. We will only be staying in one place for a night or two.” “Oh, but you really save money. To get a room in Whistler you have to pay $200 a night.” “we clean and decorate the rooms. We have expert interior designers.” Really, if I own something I want to have it decorated the way I want it. Then she led us to a room where there were other people and we watched a short video. People in the video were talking about how much they loved the timeshare. “I like to make my own coffee” a man stated. Good for him. We don’t drink coffee.

I thought this would end and we could all go our separate ways–but no we were led back to the office to argue with this pregnant Ha ole woman from Hawaii. She had told us how wonderful timeshare was in Hawaii as well.

She repeated herself. We would own our vacation. They had expert designers to decorate. Then she gave us an option that was cheaper and we could get a week every other year. It went on and on and on. Finally I said, “Ma’am, we do not want to do this. We have listened to your presentation and this is not for us.”

“OK. You know we invested $400 in you.” She gave us a gift certificate for a restaurant and we left.

So why did you go to the presentation? Did anyone force you?

You should have replied: “And I gave you 90 minutes of my time, which is worth much more than that. Have a good day.”

Not really, because if it was truth, they woudln´t spent their “worthy time” to get that little discount.

Ok so my parents went to a timeshare presentation to get 400 extra bucks because we were staying in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and it rains a lot there so they figured what the heck? They wanted time to think over the offer which was that we got that trip and the next for free and a pretty cheap time share. My parents wanted time to think it over but the presenters said they had to decide right then. They were very intense and aggressive about it. My parents decided to say no because they thought that something was off. The deal was way too good to be true. Was it a scam or not? Also, are there any tea hares that you would recommend… Like hotels that are well priced but have multiple locations and are fairly nice? Thanks!

Your parents did the right thing by saying no. Most timeshares can be bought resale for pennies on the dollar. Remember that for Mexico you are not protected by any American law, an extra disadvantage. There are all kinds of nice accommodations to be had through TripAdvisor, HomeAway, Airbnb, etc. for less than payments on a timeshare (including rentals by desperate timeshare owners). If you really want to learn about timeshare systems, go to tugbbs.com and they can give you a LOT more detail. I am not affiliated with that site, but found it when researching how to survive timeshare presentations as well.

just to make this clear when you buy from resale you get what you buy when you buy from a good resort you actually recive incintives that alow you to vacation in multiple seasons and have tools to help you save money and others dont i sell timeshare and we offer amazing add ons for free and things like personal service that you dont get when you buy online there are 1000’s of things i can do to personalize a timeshare for a family if you buy for pennys on the dollar you get what you get

Old sales like weeks are terrible. I know Hawaii you have to be a licensed real estate agent and disclose everything.just a thought.

I read through most of the comments but I still have questions. My partner and I would like to purchase a timeshare before the close of this year. We aren’t married but my income is qualifying for most terms and conditions I’ve read (30 yr old). I called a company today to gain more info on just the process of timeshare ownership prior to visiting but no luck. When I agreed to book for what is possibly the best deal around I was lied to about the room accommodations. Am I being too picky requesting that I know in advance, prior to paying-if my room will be oceanfront or poolview? The discount will be helpful as we intend to view two other states prior to purchasing. Exactly how does this work.Am I to just accept any room because of the rates? Will I be staying in a room that is an available timeshare? Any advice and tips are welcomed. Be nice, you all are a tough bunch. Thanks.

It seems like so many people are in the same band wagon of “I hate timeshare or only buy resale” I am a very happy timeshare owner. I purchased my points 7 years ago for about $19,000 and have a maintenance fee of about $600 per year. I take 1-2 vacations literally anywhere I please. In the past 7 years I have been to Paris, Australia, Egypt, Disney, Napa Valley, Steamboat Springs(co), and a handful of destinations like Las Vegas etc.. If I had paid out of pocket for each trip with comparable accommodations I would have spent double or tripe that amount. I did consider buying resale myself but would have given up so many of the perks buying from the developer. I did like the additional bonus points I received and the fact they pay RCI for the life of my ownership. I’ve read some people on here say they can buy a vacation or RV for the same money and are absolutely right.Although it will be a rinky dink RV and a sad little vacation home. You will still have maintenance and insurance to pay for annually on both of those items. If you like quality and flexibility like I do, buy a timeshare with a large and reputable company. So yeah my maintenance fee is $600, I just booked a trip to Singapore for 8 just using my points. Can a non-owner stay at a 5 star resort for that rate?

You must be a timeshare salesperson. I owned a timeshare property and thought it was the worst 5 years of my life. None of my friends who still own one thinks it’s the best investment ever.

You probably did not use it buddy

Of course he’s a salesperson. Why else would he be trying so hard to push people away from the resale market and to buy from the developer?

Why do I need a 5 star place? I often go on a package that includes several people or I stay at a Motel 6 or in a college dorm. I would like to try hosteling. A room to sleep in? Why do I need to be fancy just to sleep?

You don’t. You can continue to squeeze people into your motel 6. The clanking heaters or air conditioners,the yelling running baseball teams of 9 year olds, the drunken partiers, and the bugs all come for free too, since you like to travel so cheaply. Why not stay home, be more comfortable, save every dime, and not bother?

Which timeshare company do you work for?

if you dont use it or can not afford it wrong thing to do if you will use it and can afford it awsome thing to do

Either you are a salesperson or bought into a scam. Why pay for one condo for thousands of dollars, with an 18% interest rate, for one week AND pay $400-$800 year maintenance fees?

The price for ONE $50,000 condo.

52 individuals purchase ONE unit = $2,600,000 PLUS interest 52 individuals pay a $400 annual maintenance fee=$ 20,800 PER YEAR Maintenance over 15 years for ONE unit is $312,000

Within 15 years, these same 52 individuals could have purchased a 2 million dollar home for less than one timeshare.

The price for ONE $25,000 condo.

52 individuals purchase ONE unit = $1,300,000 PLUS interest 52 individuals pay a $400 annual maintenance fee=$ 20,800 PER YEAR Maintenance over 15 years for ONE unit is $312,000

Within 15 years, these same 52 individuals could have purchased a 11 million dollar home for less than one timeshare.

I am due to attend ‘another’ presentation, which unfortunately is a requirement of my free holiday gift received at a previous presentation over 6 months ago. I already know how it works and have no intention of buying. I do not want to waste anyone’s time but have been told it is part of the conditions. My gift is for three free nights at a luxury resort/spa which I have already stayed in several times before. My only cost is a AUD$29 booking fee potentially saving over AUD$1500 (off peak).

I am disappointed that having already earned the gift I am having to again sit through 90mins of hard-sell but I don’t appear to have any other choice.

Stop thinking life is free.. u get something start appreciating and giving back or life will no longer give u anything. If u do go. Be happy and thankful u had this opportunity. . It is for people who see the value and not for cheap renters.

Agree. I am a happy owner who has stayed in castles and great resorts and not had to pay anything except some maintenance. I don’t mind paying that for what I get. I have gotten my money back many times over.

Perhaps don’t go or pay the $1500. You will be not only wasting their time but yours if you know it is not for you.

How old are you? No one is forcing you to go, are they? But you did want that cheap prize right? Lop

Geez louise people!!!! We just got talked into a cheap trip so I find myself here learning! they quickly threw in there that this Fourth of July special for bass pros new resort would include a quick timeshare share presentation, no further explanation. My husband, who is very intelligent didn’t even catch it! I did but am interested in learning about it so I said why not! You are sales people lurring in possible commission! Stop pretending like you’re the victim here. You know EXACTLY what you are doing! Stop attacking people that are smart enough to do a little research prior to making a possible large investment with there hard earned money. They agreed to a small amount of time not buying! Back off! If it’s such a great investment you might get further with Presenting the benefits rather than bullying and intimidation! Your responses has me further from purchasing than I could have imagined! and miss Pamela, I like your idea of giving back. There are many ways you can give back that will fill your life with much joy that by far surpass anything you will get back from giving money to a timeshare salesman or resort, right thinking, poor application! Your grand idea is also known as karma, so goes both ways, you get back from the universe what you put in so might want to consider taking your own advice next time you leave a Nasty message to a stranger;) namaste

I’m a westgate timeshare rep I help owners upgrade to bigger units and help them on exchanges, and believe me when I say timeshare works if you own in a high demand location.. One of my owners made $43,000 last year off our referral and travle partners programs plus renting out his additional week.. now if you want to go on vacation for free and travle the world for virtually nothing go timeshare. But if you want to stay in the same cheap hotel with two twin beds no privacy and no kitchen then don’t go on tour.. This is for people who want to own thier own vacation not work around complies like hilton or quality inn..

Keep drinking the westgate koolaid. TS industry is a scam and you are the bus driver to the hell it is. Fool.

Westgate sales are reps are so entertaining. They’re certainly the biggest scammers out there but I’ve somehow managed to find the humor in their sales pitch.

I feel for you guys, such s depressing life to have to rip off families. Keep fooling yourselves into thinking you’re doing all of us THE BIGGEST FAVOR EVER!!

“…if you want to go on vacation for free and travle (sic) the world for virtually nothing go timeshare.”

Hahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahah

That’s a good one! I needed a good laugh today!

Timeshare is Vacation Insurance. I work in Mexico, and you can get up to $500 USD for attending a presentation. Why do you people give up your vacation time to go on a presentation? My wife’s Resort has partnered with Cirque du Soleil . It is a permanent venue now in Playa de Carmen, and they are building one in Nuevo Vallarta now. They are also building a theme park, that will surpass Disney World! There is one mandatory maint. Fee in 10 years. If you don’t vacation you don’t pay. 70% of sales in timeshare are from existing owners! If it was so bad, why do they buy more? Your money is safer investing in family memories, than in the Stock market. Would you like people to come to your job, to waste your time? Sales Reps get fired because of people like you, and we know if you are lying to us.

We attend your presentations Pepito because you ask us to come. And who does the lying????? You guys start off with what you say is the best deal and then if someone guts it out, you practically give it away. Nothing worse than a cry baby used car salesman.

They ask you to come? You can say NO! If someone asked you to shoot yourself I am sure you would say NO to that! The only people that regularly attend timeshare presentations are cheapskates who could never afford a nice vacation anyway.

Wrong Barbara. Most of us could afford a nice vacation on my own. But if they want to exchange a timeshare presentation for a vacation, I’ll take it. We pay them with our time, which is worth more than the vacation they offer anyway

You must be another salesperson attempting to justify a scam. I really don’t know how you sleep at night.

I stopped listening to this loser as soon as he said his wife is building a theme park that will surpass Disney World?!?!!? Haha what a joke he is sale pitching right here in the comment section LMFAO!

It’s the Mayan Palace, also known as the Palace of Lies. They keep changing the name to avoid the BILLIONS in lawsuits. It is outright fraud. I ought to know, I work there. We are conmen. IT’S A SCAM. Do a quick search for Mexican timeshare fraud and the number one offender is the Palace of Lies, even though they are affiliated with the Cirque de Soleil

You are a lying sack of &@$%. Scum sucking TS sales people are all the same.

Quit going to the presentations then! Sheesh!

LOOOOOOL these people are illarious. I have been a salesrep for over 6yrs ive worked for Westgate and now im with Sheraton. one thing i wanna say, even the newbies knows when you guys are lying. i try not to blame you guys why cause maybe you were not raise that way. Motel 6 or quality inn always have great deal. all we ask as a sales person if i may speak on their behalf you still can go on a presentation and not purchase its ok, but try not to lie some of us take our job very seriously and we have on going training just to make sure of helping our customer better. you are on vacation not us, this our job. jerk will be jerk by all means but vacation ownership does work for those who deserve it. and can trully afford it.

I hope your sales pitch delivery is better than your spelling and grammar. Wow.

I was lied to during a presentation and at closing both sales rep and loan officer told of what my benefits include. Now i find myself on my final downpayment month have spent 2300.00 innocently called asking questions on booking first trip and was told i can only use share once a year when i was told i could use it as often as i liked…WTH! Now i can stop future payments but will be reported to credit beareau as failure to complete promise and i LOOSE monies i have already paid!!!! Customer service rep was going to forward for assistance but doesn’t look good. I sure hope they can resolve this or i will plaster their name on every post to help someone else from being shammed……. And that my cyber peers are how the rich keep getting richer, they’re no different from a common street thief

Disappointed,I purchased a Timeshare in Cabo and I have attended several others it is very clear that you are only buying 1/2 weeks a year. I find it hard to believe that someone told you (I don’t care how bad the sales rep was) that you could use it anytime you wanted that is not how ANY Timeshare works.

Don’t be so quick to disbelieve what ‘Disappointed’ says, Vicki. I just attended a Timeshare presentation last week and our salesperson said the same thing… that we could use the resort as many times a year or book rooms at exclusive resorts all over the world, for only $139 per night whenever we wanted. We were also told of incredible deals on 7 day cruises through all the major cruise lines for as low as $249 per CABIN, not per person, and air fares so low you would jump at the chance to purchase one of their Timeshares just for the incredible travel discounts and deals. Of course, none of these additional perks were in writing.

Westgate rep lied and said i was getting an upgrade, but i got stuck with a third week that i could not afford and did not need. Now my credit is ruined because they foreclosed. Our government should put a stop to these scams.

True, if this person speaks the way they write, their income must be well below the poverty level.

Zaya, I have a question for you about Westgate tours. If you are married your spouse is required to show for the presentation, but what if she didn’t travel with me? If I put down that I am single, would anyone even check? Thank you 🙂

For a person who has been doing this for several years now your presentation is terrible and your lack of fourth grade grammer and vocabulary skills is stunning. I have a hard time believing you have been doing this for as long as you say. I agree no one should lie but the reason people lie to you is because of your lack of understanding the word no. I have been on a few of these presentations before and some were good with knowledgeable sales staff and others were like high pressured thugs trying to shake me down. It is funny you bring up Westgate. My wife and I attended an Westgate presentation and the sales people purposely attempted to split up my wife and I so they could pressure her alone. I made the mistake of using the restroom. Unbeknowst to me while in the restroom they were soliciting information from my wife that I already told them that I was not comfortable talking about. Towards the end of the tour they asked my wife if she liked the place and she said it was nice but we were not interested. The salesperson had the nerve to call my wife a liar. Which she is not and happens to be the most honest person I have ever met in my life. These places are all alike with high pressure sales pitch and their inability to conduct the presentation as promised. I’m not saying all sales people are bad because they are not and they are most likely bullied by their bosses as well. The flat out truth is that timeshares are ripoffs and there is absolutely no benefit of having one. The price they charge I could permanently have a house trailer in Florida which I own and could sell.

Yes they will check and if you are normally an honest person you will get caught reps know when you are lying!!!!!!w

Here is a novel thought just don’t go don’t take our money you are a parasite and a corporate welfare recipient – plenty of people love their timeshare this is NOT FOR YOU Professional Freeloader so just don’t go and don’t take our money because you can’t afford to buy any way

If people knew better, they would understand that your organization represents corporate welfare. They take advantage of people with hard sales pitches, pressure, gimmicks, and lies. The sales reps are trained to manipulate. They use unscrupulous tactics by aligning skewed “truths”. They don’t allow individuals to evaluate or research their “investment”. If timeshares were fantastic investments, they would sell without manipulation.

Zaya if you are a timeshare salesman go find real work. “If a timeshare salesman lips are a moving he/she is lying”

Your job has no ethics if you keep living life on a lie you begin to believe the lie.

Excuse me, Zaya, but did you ever take an English grammar course? When did you drop out of school or were you too busy hustling on the streets to attend classes? Nice people are your mark. Nice people are what selling times shares are all about. Hard working folks in good moods, on holidays, in exotic locals, in vacation mode, are your game and you’re the hunter! Nice people are basically trusting and honorable. Greedy? No! Yes, they or we do respond to all the grandiose representations you boys and girls make in your hustling rooms. Nice people generally do not just get up and tell you to screw yourselves and walk away. And you love those nice folks, don’t you? You study your prey, get a feel for what their weaknesses are, what their dreams and life aspirations and the financial class they’re in. You wait for each squiring rebuttal from these good men and women and you’ve seen it a thousand times before. You’ve rehearsed your lines, role played with your sociopathic gluttons on the sales staff, and you’ve listened to the second and third level instruct you on how to defuse each rebuttal from your mark, your chump, your patsy; the nice folks who are now sweating, fidgeting and nudging one another to just leave. You’ve learned just how far to push, to gently insult, to wave that lottery ticket before their eyes. You know how to ware them down, pit then against one another and in the end you offer up the bigger prize, the special just for them, the magic key to the kingdom.

I know you. I’m a shrink who has worked in prison settings. I’ve listened to you at corporate board meetings. And some of us have even voted for you. You’re sociopaths without conscience, without empathy, without souls. And you know that the rest of us just do not know how to disarm your charm, your slick tricks, and twitching tongues. You’re heartless cons. And

But, the masses are getting smarter which is why TUGS is a brilliant site. Folks, wise up. We live with these tricksters in every arena of our lives. Look at what happened in the election in 2016. The corruption is such that it takes those who have convicted warlords and crime families to shut the likes of these empty suits down. And when one scheme is exposed, you’re grifters who just move on to the next scam, the next easy mark the next plaything. Many end up incarcerated, but some of you are too clever and move about just inside the law. Timeshare salespeople are among the sleaziest, tricksters on the lower rungs of criminality. And, yes, you even stung me once. Never again.

I’ve only ever attended one of these timeshare presentations with my now wife during one of our early vacations to Orlando and can categorically say it was not worth it. We was in Universal and my wife saw a woman at a booth holding up some of the novelty Universal dollars, the ones with Betty Boop on them. My wife wanted some of these and rubes that we were we soon found ourselves booked onto a Timeshare Presentation for 9 O’clock the next day and $20 dollars refundable deposit lighter to ensure we weren’t going to be no shows. The next day we were picked up in a swank limo which was late and already contained an Australian family and we were taken to the Mystic Dunes resort complex. We were then checked in and assigned to a salesperson which took about 20 to 30 minutes and offered a cold buffet breakfast which looked like it had been sat out all night. This poor excuse of a breakfast lasted a further 30 minutes all the time we were being probed by our salesperson who had joined us with questions about where we were from, our holiday plans etc. None of the above time which was about an hour in total or the traveling time to the resort is included in your presentation time so 90 minutes in we were still waiting for the actual presentation to start. Luckily for us we got a salesperson who hadn’t been doing this long because after the obligatory golf cart tour of the complex when we got down to the number crunching my wife who is a Math Teacher back home blew her figures out of the water because the salesperson had given us a sales pitch based off vacation figures if the buyer lived in the US and because we reside in the UK my wife pointed out with arrows and using the salespersons pad that we would actually be worse off due to the ever rising air fares if we bought into timeshare than if we just continued to stay at motels during our vacations. This gaff by the salesperson effectively ended her own sales pitch and she seemed embarrassed and unable to recover from it so admitted to us that she was new and had to continue with the presentation as part of her training. We said that this was OK but that we would not be buying and by now we had switched off anyway and I honestly can’t recall anything else that she said until she asked my wife “So how would you like to pay? Check, Card or Finance?” My wife said through gritted teeth “None! I told you before we don’t want it!” At this the salesperson looked defeated and called the Closing Manager over and we all sat there in awkward silence for what seemed like an eternity and waited for him to come over. This silence was only broken when the salesperson once more tried to feebly defend her figures and sales pitch but by now she knew she had blown it. My wife just gave her a withering look and her words trailed off into silence as by now the Closing Manager arrived all jovial and tried to lighten the mood. Needless to say we eventually refused the Closing Managers offer and counter offer and was then given a ticket to redeem our gifts and the deposit we’d handed over at Universal and was then left to wait outside in the baking Florida heat for the promised taxi ride back to our hotel on I-Drive. We never did get the Universal dollars because they claimed to have run out. So they said they would have to give us real dollars to the same value instead until my wife said that wasn’t acceptable and they would either have to compensate us by giving us more in real dollars than the value of Universal dollars they had promised us or go and get some Universal dollars. The Closing Manager who had escorted us to the gift desk was a huge imposing 6ft guy and said to me “Haven’t you anything to say? as if to say “Keep your woman in line” I just smiled and replied “I don’t need to do I?” He huffed and just said to the lady behind the counter “Give her what she wants” and walked away glad to be rid of us. In the end though it cost us approximately 6 hours of vacation time from being picked up at our hotel to being dropped off again and did ruin the mood for the rest of the day slightly so I personally wouldn’t advise going on one of these presentations unless you really are considering buying.

Mr. H, Sir for one thank you for visiting the United States and I hope you do not feel this is a real representation of America. Though my experience was different from yours it still was the same. The lies, deception, phony math and the outright insults to our intelligence.

Just my experiences… I have owned timeshare and sold timeshare for 10 years. Clearly the best thing I have ever done for all of my loved ones. It’s not intended as a good financial investment, although neither is having children but we still do it because being a parent is priceless, so are the experiences and memories you have with them. That’s what it’s all about is the experience. The same reason why we go to events and restaurants, you can go to McDonalds and watch it at home or you can experience life and enjoy a hot dog and go to a game!

Thousands of International travelers, particularly from the US and Canada, have fallen victims oftimeshare fraud while vacationing in Mexico. Resort developers hire skilled salesmen to represent their timeshares as many different attractive packages, such as financial investments, deeded properties, or vacation clubs, just to increase their sales.

First I’d like to thank all the smart people that don’t endorse outright lying to their sales person. Second as a sales person myself I have to tell you that one we do know you’re lying, two we don’t just give up on actually earning our livelyhood, and three none of these tips actually work when you get a real salesperson. My only advise is hope you get a newbie and hope he gets rattled by these tips.

Let me make sure I understand what you say Mike:

You are saying that “a real sales person” will not give up. They will rope you in regardless of the fact that you are ready for them or not!!!

It is good for everyone to get to know the mentality of the Timeshare sales person from their own words.

Regarding your real sales people will not give up. this is what I have done. I pretty much tell the sales person right away that spending the amount required for timeshare and maintenance fees for 1 weeks vacation vs owning a actual property that I can visit any time or a RV for close to the same amount doesnt seem like a deal but for the next 2 hours( the required time for presentation and tour) they will have my attention. IF I see value I will let them know. And I also set my alarm for 30 minutes from the end of the 2 hour window. at the time the alarm goes off and you havent sufficiently proven your sale then the answer will be no and I know your closing manager will come in to sweeten the deal. Heres the sweeter deal, I honored my obligation as stated.you have till the end of the 2 hours to provide WRITTEN proof of any offer we MAY accept must be included In the contract and stated appropriately and if accepted the entire document must be faxed to my lawyer before signing otherwise the time has come to leave and any perks offered as part of the presentation are now due as agreed and stated in the disclaimer.I have done sales and also live in a tourist area myself so I know ins and outs that timeshare salespersons arent aware of.

Hmm no real salesperson brings in a closing manager! They close the deal themselves

four, you’re a scumbag if you don’t honor the “no obligation to buy” promise and pressure people into buying.

We sat thru a Marriott Vacation Club presentation last year, did not buy, but loved their program. We paid $750 for a future 3 night 4 days trip with the expectation (theirs) that we would sit thru ANOTHER presentation. We arrived, went to the scheduled meet and asked them to skip the presentation and go right to the sales part; we really were considering this Timeshare. They informed us we’d have to endure the presentation or be billed the difference of $300 for room rate discount they supposedly gave us. I said how would they do that and was informed since they don’t keep our credit card number on file, we’d have to fill out a credit card authorization form. We left! My question is: can they legal tack this charge onto our credit card we used at check in? Why would they miss an opportunity to sell. We did not care about the freebies and thought the $750 was a reasonable charge for our room. After this rude treatment, we are questioning why we ever considered it in the first place. Any suggestions?

Wow, that was handled poorly by MVCI at whatever location you visited. Had someone walked in from a fly n buy promotion saying that to us here at MVCI in Cancun, we would have gladly sat down to talk about your intention of purchasing….their loss.

Hi my name is Daniel, I posted here a while back and got a link that you had a question. Lets get right to it. I would be very surprised if the Big “M” charged you for the $300.00.Read all the information they provided (if you have it) the small print should tell you the answer to this. I sold timeshare for 10 years in Hilton head S.C. and I have friends that worked for “M” On Hilton head and they told me they would tell people that just to get them to stay and sit through the presentation.

Now I will make a quick suggestion, Please don’t let a bad sales rep ruin your idea of a possible timeshares. especially if you are considering Marriott. In my opinion they are the “cream of the crop” when it comes to timeshare. They usually have the best real estate, and all the “M” timeshares I ever stayed in where 5 star, gold crown top shelf places! Super nice!

Here is my take on timeshare. IF you vacation and you like nice places and 5 star condos! you cannot go wrong with a timeshare! Jackie if you have any questions I would be glad to help you out. as I said I worked in the timeshare industry off 10 years.

Last my opinion on this article is this. The person who wrote it is misguided, because who ever it is tells you to LIE!! Straight out lie to your sales rep. I disagree with this and do not understand this? I’m sure this person is not a Christian!

If you are still posting, I just wanted you to know that I truly enjoy reading your posts. I was up late studying for my CPA when I thought I’d look up timeshare complaints before going to bed. I stumbled across this site and read some of your posts and you are a very smart person. Tell your husband he is very lucky man. We are truly blessed to have someone like you on this site trying to get people to think twice before making a commitment. I like timeshares, I believe in vacationing, and I love to travel. But, does that mean that I have to commit to overpaying for a timeshare? It certainly does not. If I were to buy a timeshare, it would be a resale. As you said, they are giving them away because people are trying to get out of those maintenance fees.

Went to a really entertaining timeshare presentation a couple of years back, was a nice diversion on our vacation and we got 100 bucks for it. We definitely were caught in the magic of the resorts which seemed really awesome. The closing was a bit crazy and overdone where we were hit by 4 layers of salespeople trying to work us. The best was the “finance manager” or some bullshit who tried to close us. Her approach was to say: “do you think about what you spend at Target? What can we do to get this package to a place where you don’t have to think about spending it?” She was progressively more irate as I said that I didn’t earn the privilege to spend at Target unconsciously by making decisions unconsciously.

Then I closed on them: “as committed as you are to getting us to sign today, we are equivalently committed to NOT signing anything today.” Game over and they shuffled us off to the “exit survey” closer-closer-closer. That gave us enough time afterward to really look into the value proposition and see that they were going to charge us about double what it really would have been worth to us.

I learned my lesson, but thankfully only by wasting an extra 20-30 minutes than I needed to.

Janet – thanks for the entertainment. The various sales reps that appear to be angered by your well thought out responses.

Very good points, thank you for the tips. I was recently tricked into doing a timeshare presentation and I’m definitely going to use your tips when I go. Basically, I was at a fair and was told that they were doing discounted stays at a resort in Florida. I agreed, filled out the paperwork, and paid. At the end of the paperwork, before the signature page, the guy said “oh by the way, you will have to do a brief presentation when you are there.” There was nothing stated about timeshares, but I did some research and figured it out. No problem, I get to stay at a resort for pretty much nothing and thanks to your tips, I won’t have a hard time with the pushy people.

If you are not interested in purchasing a timeshare, do not attend a timeshare presentation! The free gifts are not worth wasting a day of your vacation, and putting your hard earned money at risk of being scammed by the timeshare salespeople.

Uhhh wrong website Liliana. This site is for people who are not interested in purchasing a timeshare, yet want to survive a timeshare presentation

I am a timeshare shark, I’ve been in the game for over ten years.

We call these types of people “strokers”. I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen them with my own eyes. There are people that will come down here on a week’s vacation and go to 5, 6, 7 of these presentations, just to get the free stuff.

These people are IDIOTS. They don’t understand that they are spending 500 a DAY to be on vacation, yet they will waste a whole day going on a sales pitch to get 100 bucks and a bottle of tequila. If they’d stayed home they would be 400 bucks ahead.

Then they will spin elaborate webs of lies. They act like they are interested during the pitch. Newsflash, morons: if you act like you are interested we are going to keep trying to close you. I have all day, I am not on vacation. I can go to the beach anytime. When it comes down to the money suddenly Grandma needs a new kidney, the dog needs braces, or the most common one-we are in the middle of closing on a new house. Last time I bought a house I went on a vacation in the middle of the closing. Seems like at least half the people here on vacation are in the middle of a real estate closing for some reason.

We laugh at these idiots. I have nothing else to do today, and I only get one shot per day, so if you are going to ruin my day by wasting my time when you have no intention of buying anything, then I’m going to ruin your day by dragging this bs out as long as possible. We know you are lying to us. We are professional liars, you are amateurs. You do this all the time for the free stuff? So clever. So you’ve been on, what, twenty, thirty of these presentations? I’ve done it THOUSANDS of times. If anyone’s gonna leave here with one leg shorter than the other from all the pulling it’s not gonna be me.

We’ll seat strokers outside in the blazing sun “while we get your gifts ready”. Then we’ll sit inside at the bar and laugh at them sweating out there. After about half an hour they will be sweating bullets and start to get really antsy. That’s when I’ll tell my buddy to go take a crack at them. He’ll go out there, they think he’s bringing them the gifts, and he just starts right in with the entire pitch all over again.

Then when they’re REALLY squealing, we’ll take them to the “gift department”. This is called EXIT and it’s ANOTHER ENTIRE SALES PITCH. We usually run a 25 percent close in the sales room AND 25 percent close in exit. This means that at least half the people who come through the pitch will be leaving somewhat light in the wallet, whether they intended to or not. WE ARE EXPERTS AT THIS. YOU ARE AMATEURS.

The guy who tells me, “I’ll listen to your pitch but I AIN’T BUYING NOTHING”??? That’s my meat.

We are MASTERS at using your own words against you, twisting them around to mean anything we want them to. We will play off wife against husband, kids against parents, one couple against the other couple.

TL;DR? DO NOT GO ON A TIMESHARE SALES PITCH.

Your obviously and a-hole and your math skills are sh@t.

“This means that at least half the people who come through the pitch will be leaving somewhat light in the wallet, whether they intended to or not. WE ARE EXPERTS AT THIS. YOU ARE AMATEURS.”

100 people show up; you sell 25% (25 buyers, 75 exit) you sell 25% of the 75 exiting (round that to 19 more buyers, 56 leave)

So mathematically, 44% (44 buyers/100 entrants) are closed.

I’m guessing your math on fees are probably similar.

I’m a timeshare salesman. The company I work for is irrelevant. People who want freebies will attend a presentation in return. That is understandable, and it is human nature. We try to sell to them, and that is the nature of a salesperson. Now, the company I work for doesn’t pressure and we stress honesty. I present a product that works, and present it honestly. People tend to appreciate that, and buy based on the benefits they see, and those benefits are not always financial. It’s personally very satisfying to get unsolicited vacation photos from my clients…that’s the icing on the cake long after I’ve spent their sales commission. Doing a straight-up presentation and job afterward also provide me with a decent client referral portfolio. That is where the real money is-getting clients to refer others.

I know what’s sold out there, and who sells what, and those of you who are reps know the same. If what you sell isn’t on the up and up, you deserve the strokers. I frankly wouldn’t waste my time or someone else’s unless I had a genuine interest. As I have read in a few comments, I also believe in karma…and that you get what you give.

My advice to people who are a little interested: do your homework. Go with a real company with a real track record and support system. Make sure what you are offered is backed up in writing, and don’t be afraid to whip out your iPad or iPhone or iWhatever and check the person’s story. Someone who is confident that their product delivers what they offer won’t bat an eyelash and won’t have to defend a thing. Like I said at the beginning, we know what we sell.

And we know you are here for the freebies. It’s up to us to show you a different way to vacation. One that works for you. If it does, great. If it doesn’t, that’s okay too. Life is short. Spend your vacations doing whatever makes you happy. In the end, that is what matters.

Andycancun, I have a question for you about timeshare tours. If you are married your spouse is required to show for the presentation, but what if she didn’t travel with me? If I put down that I am single, would anyone even check? Thank you 🙂

As a person who is 3 weeks away from spending time in Hilton Head (attending a time share presentation during my stay that pays for my stay), I must say I have thoroughly enjoyed the banter back and forth between agents and customers presenting pro’s and con’s and being defensive about everything! I will remember everything said here and utilize all of it during my attendance of the presentation. Thanks guys!Salud!

Janet, that was an awesome read! I’ve been readin alot about various options but can’t find a list of all the different timeshare presentations available? I’ve done Wyndham and Bluegreen, what others are out there off the top of your head? Thanks.

I am a rep for Festiva and I have several comments for this blog.

#1: Timeshare companies use many different marketing companies to advertise our products and keep people coming in. With that said, our marketing department has screwed me on the back end, whether it be by people by telling them the presentation lasts an hour when it actually lasts two, or being rude to people. Anything to do with marketing has nothing to do with sales at the resort.

#2: Professional time share presentation takers: Many times in the industry, we call these people “professional mini-vac’ers”. One of the incentives we offer to come take a tour is offering a two or three discount stay at our resort in exchange for two hours of someone’s time. At my resort, this is a GREAT deal and people save about four hundred dollars on this deal. However, many people use these types of incentives at many resorts and just take up someone’s time, over and over, without any real interest. These types of people, gift getters, do help us fill tours. However, taking the same tours over and over again not only wastes the rep’s time, but the customer’s as well. For all the time they spent trying to get something free, they could purchase something at a good deal and never have to waste their time with a rep again.

#3: The timeshares you see on the market that people are begging to give up are old fixed weeks. Most companies, like mine, deal exclusively on a point system. My resort, for example, owns over two dozen resorts and members can use their points intermittently between all of them. If they like they can exchange outside the company as well. Old fixed week timeshares have no value because owners have to spend money with outside companies to exchange and it gets expensive. My company offers exchange with a fee of 117 dollars and some points. The timeshares you see with no value belong to people who did not purchase or convert to a point based system. My company is growing in size and as we add more resorts, our property value and the value of the owner’s timeshare will grow, not diminish.

#4: Reps know that only one or two out of every ten tours will buy. Stacking the numbers is in our favor so we take many tours we know own’t buy. However, the numbers always even out. I have NEVER been rude to any tour, regardless of whether they buy or not. I get paid by the hour on top of any commission so I never have to pressure people to buy something they dont want.

#5: Depending on the state, customers have the right to what’s called a “cool down” period. This means they have between three and ten days to cancel their package. When reps pressure people into buying, they just cancel, which wastes even MORE of people’s time. So my company refuses to hit people hard. What we do is show off our product, show the benefits, and let people make up their minds themselves. We do a lot of business that way because we have a great product.

#6: Timeshare, in many ways, is awesome. It saves people thousands and my particular company offers insurmountable benefits by joining. The maintenance fees can be high, but my company offers the lowest rates and has a program designed to eliminate those fees. Vacation ownership is a great way to see the world and spend time with your family.

#7: There are three important components to vacation ownership. People must love the program, be able to afford it, and have time to use it. If all three of those elements come together, I usually have a sale. If not, I still go through my presentation to practice and sometimes I a surprised by who buys (and who doesn’t!). Most of my customers have come back to me to say they felt great about their purchase, it has benefited their family, and they see great value in our product.

I understand why some people do not like the industry. There are ups and downs to everything in life though. I am really proud to work where I do and I enjoy helping people realize their dreams. I don’t swindle anyone and I am honest and upfront about everything concerning the sale. I love what I do, how many people can say they help couples stay together, or help family members spend more time together? How would you feel if your customers sent you postcards saying you kept their family together, or helped them spend time with a loved one that has since passed?

Timeshare is actually a great investment. I hope some of you will keep an open mind in spite of the negative comments on here if you ever do take a tour. You might be surprised by how interesting, useful, and valuable some of the products are.

We got tons of phone calls to do this thing. They said we were required to make 45K and own our home. We did not meet either qualification and I told them. I guess we made 45K Canadian. They said it was OK. Later when I got these calls I just hung up. I was sick of arguing with sales people. I want to try hosteling. I have stayed in Motel 6 and the like. I have stayed in college dorms–a week in a sleeping room for $150 ain’t bad and I get a chance to meet a lot of people in the lobby. I am a solo traveler and I get tired of all this private and personal stuff.

Hello – I couldn’t find my answer in this feed:

I am a 34 year old unmarried female traveling to Cabo San Lucas with my 33 year-old boyfriend, we’re looking to ‘window shop’ around for timeshares in the area. We are staying in a house in Pedregal, not at any of the actual timeshare resorts. Here are some questions I have. Please, if you can help yourself: don’t tell us NOT TO GO ON A TIMESHARE TOUR! Here are some questions I haven’t been able to find answers to:

– We will not and can NOT sign any paperwork on the timeshare tour. When should we make this apparent to our salesperson? At the beginning? – We want to get top cash gifts for our 90-120 minute tour (i am aware it may take longer than this based on others’ experiences). What proof/documentation is required to insure our gifts? – Do we have to provide proof of our income? This kind of information is a bit intrusive. – Is there any reason in the end they would change their mind on the $ cash gifts they promised?

Thanks in advance for all your expertise in this category.

U2 are prime candidates and should be offered the largest gift amount. However walking in to a resort asking to tour might leave you with less then what you’ll get by signing up at the airport. To ensure you receive whatever you’re promised get it in writing. They want to make sure that you have a credit card not a debit card, Your age is what they want, being unmarried takes a little away from your value. There is no reason not to go on tour, but like you said you should never sign anything that is a potential financial burden without carefully considering the consequences, away from the emotional whirlwind of a sales room. Anything you can buy today you can probably get a slightly better deal on tomorrow. If you go in and explain your here to learn but you both agree there is no reason to sign anything on tour they will pretend it doesn’t matter and apply pressure later. Just agree that the deal is amazing and you love it, but it would be irresponsible to make such an emotional decision. They may try to make you feel bad for not being able to make a decision, if they do remind them this type of treatment is going to make the decision no. Don’t argue with them. Don’t be defensive. Don’t try to trick them, just simply don’t sign until you have done your homework and are not on an emotional high.

If you would like I can put you directly in touch with several of the sales managers here in town.

Good luck, Mike

[Email Redacted]

P.s. most importantly, enjoy your time, and don’t let them waste too much of it!

Come on guys who is kidding who? How much did you spend for your vacation? The average cheap American is spending around 3/5,000 for seven days do you relize when you go to waste a salespersons time in getting your gifts in the average amount of about 200 dollars if you can be a tuff dealer. Lol therefore you draw your cute little kiddies with you tell all your lies to the salesperson that of course enjoys there everyday that you are actually paying them to attend your only 7 days off from work lol you have worked a year for and you spend your whole day with someone you don’t know so it ends up costing you one full day of your hard earned vacation time to get how much back in return. Do you really dislike each other that much to spend an entire day of your 7 days. Actually the joke is on you who attend the tours for a few bucks! Lol that is really stupid if you ask me. Go enjoy what that salesperson enjoys everyday you are just another number in his/hers eyes. There is about 33% of intelligent buyers that vacation on a regular bases that understands how to use their vacation club membership. So when you go and lie about your status in income and so on just remember there is something called karma! You have a job I hope also, right when people lie to you how does it feel. That’s them look stupid great way to raise your children! Great conversation afterwrds to on how you screwed the salesperson je je je the salesperson two weeks later is enjoying what you paid for the rest of there lives while you are still digging into the snow bank to get your car out so you can drive to work! The job you hate! Just remember why not be honest with yourself! Go enjoy your vacation without living and feeling proud of it later on. When one of your children ask you mommy “we really did not just buy a new car we still have the old” why did you tell the man a LIE. Lol live with that one. Great role models. Have a great vacation spend it wisely!

Way to go David, I totally agree with what you said. If people could just get over thier junk addiction and realize there are no free rides they would be way ahead in the long term. And your right about them loosing more than they gain, as most of the time those gift promises are empty promises any way. Not always but most of the time, and even when they are fulfilled it’s only to save face, and to have some more pawns with which to lure in more unsuspecting takers.

Hey Jen, How was your trip? Probably not as profitable as you had hoped, eh? No matching names/address on your id’s? Unmarried you qualify as a single lady only. Let your bf stay at the resort, you’ll be more believable that way. What did they offer you, a $100 or so? If you told them at checkin you will not be signing anything today they most likely nq’d you, right? Depending on the resort, if your excuses for not buying vary from the checkin qualifying questions they ask, you very well could go home penniless without a ride back. If you have not yet gone, I would encourage you to go enjoy your vacation and not waste anyones time including your own. btw, if you want to go and play to get paid you’ve got to have a verifiable ts ownership, then you can make $500 or more.

Exactly. Ive been just laughing my ass off at the comments with lungs super inflated in anger because WE, THE SALES PEOPLE that are trying to make a living are LYING, THIEVES, SCAMMERS and coming from hell. Well then again is our FRIKKING job. First of off this blog article is called how to survive a timeshare presentation without buying. Ha! You guys lir and are getting trained to go on every vacation and sign up for presentation to get little ridiculous gifts worth maximum 500us. That is the worth of your family and your vacations, who are the thieves here stealing our only shot for the day to buy us food? Stealing our time and chances to sell to others that are not such idiots and can actually male the math and figure it is better to vacation this way as you have been doing it. Haha. I feel sorry for you. All of you. Cheap arrogant dumb tourists. Keep training yourself in how to survive a presentation for little 200 bills. And waste half of a day. Disgusting.

We are recieving 925.00 us. Cash and nights for 2 hrs. Time. 200 would not be worth it.

Stroker!!! What kind of industry are you in? Why does someone have to pay you, to show you something you are interested in?? Get real! Greed is a sin yes or no??? If people like you just quit going to get free b.s. then the industry would shut down. No marketing equals no sales! No sales equals no business! You say you are 33 but not intelligent enough to figure this out. Your sales rep should use crayons when presenting! Just stay home or stay at the pool. Who window shops for timeshare. Go to ebay and window shop!

Hey, Jen…did you get a good look at all the timeshare store fronts. Now that you are ready and able to sign, how about buying my Marriott timeshare. Maui. It’s only $1 dollar. Is that price range in your budget? Is Marriott quality ok? What day should we set the appointment to close? I m available anytime. I ll even fly to you. Don’t worry, I will pay my way. Sound good? Deal?

Janet says: November 23, 2011 at 7:26 am Gee Mike, sounds like I struck a nerve, and I’ll say the same to you as I said to the last timeshare sales rep. above. Not only don’t I care what you think of me, I actually appreciate it, so thanks!

Ok, I get that you guys all hate each other, and you are all in need of a creative outlet for this extra emotional energy (I suppose I am included in this) but Janet, I really want to know how you did this. I mean bravo. Can you please tell me how you were able to accomplish the what you said above. No joke, you seem to have been able to combine anger and apathy, angry aloof? Yes, an angry aloof thing, but how? If you really were able to, well done!

Warm Regards Guy Typing, Esq.

I am also an avid timeshare presentation goer. However, I agree with the fact that you are the one that must end the presentation, I don’t fully agree with your in presentation tactics. I actually go in with an arsenal of stories and questions. I tell stories and listen to the stories they have for me. I ask them questions about all the other properties they have around the world and the amenities they offer. I use up the entire 90 or 120 minutes with conversation and stories and questions. As soon as my alarm hits the 5 minute warning, I wrap up. I let them know that it has been a great presentation and I appreciate their time, however their time is up. I stand up and ask to have my goodies. 🙂 Thank you for the blog. It was fun to read!

Mike I think you are a very lonely guy who needs to find yourself someone to talk to. Why don’t you commit yourself to a hobby instead of wasting other people’s time. Get a life!!!

I am not a time share rep. However, I do know from going to former presentations that it is a great deal. I couldn’t convince my husband to do it and have regretted it every since. He developed a heart problem the next year and we have not gone on a vacation since because we didnt have a vacation plan in place. you spend thousands on cars that last buy 5 years before you replace it. Timeshare is for life and we will be purchasing hopefully soon. Just my two cents. And my experience has been that the sales folks were kind.

Sue, I am a rep. With the largest vacation ownership in the world. I would love to answer any questions you might have about how to get involved if you are still concitering it. All I have to say, is if you are going to buy, make it be with the most reputable company, with the most flexibility, and the one with the most programs available to help offset maintenance fees, and other out of pocket vacation expenses. There is some valuable advice I could give you as an insider, and would be more than happy to 🙂

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Timeshare presentations are not a good way to make a buck.

If you divide the amount of time you get for vacation in a lifetime, the amount you would have gotten paid to work at your employer during your vacation time, minus the time it took you to get to your destination. It’s worth like $500 an hour. I was offered a $600 Helecopter tour to go on a presentation in Hawaii, I said no, my time is more valuable. In addition, I was not interested nor had the extra funds to purchase a timeshare. I am in food service sales, and I do not want someone wasting my time when I am working. Going on presentations where people make straight commission and basically wasting their time for $100 is bad karma. Desperate people do these kinds of things, next you’ll be hitting up the nearest car lot for free pizza and soft drinks…please get a life.

Wow wow wow someone figured out the system and knows how to spend your time wisely not wasting other people’s time with their lies. It’s unbelievable to me that people fill the brains with such non sence to share stories or use the words arsenal go play the board game SORRY!!! What kind of parents were these people brought up with…I find great pleasure in having a customer such as conartist Mike. When they are begging you to leave the table saying “your time is up” I say to a Mike kinda guy is yea you think so? I’m in control you just didn’t relize it jerk! I get to say when, where and how long the tour will take. You are going to spend the whole day with me just as you planned telling me all your stories! I love to answer WHY is that so a Mike can feel really strong in his comment for the day yea so why is that mike. If one knows how to seek out time wasters and you have to take them on tour je je je love getting lost and tour the area two or three times and a Mike says we were just here! Yes, just wanted to see if you were paying attenuation so come and visit me Mr. mike I show you the resort so you will dream or have nightmares about us. Then we get really laugh the loudest at YOU! Think about it is it really worth your time “on vacation to spend it with someone you don’t know!!! We are a lot smarter than most of us look.

You can call a person who goes to a time share meeting a “time waster” or think they are just after freebies,but in reality the marketing people working for the time share company goes out of his way to invite (insist) that you sit through the presentation regardless of your level of interest. I signed up for one today. I explained that I was not interested, and did not want to be pressured, and there was little or no chance of me ever buying. His said that is fine, you are coming to this city anyway, and for your 2 hrs. we will give you such and such. So this thing (tactic) of demeaning those who sign up and are not really interested is wrong. The guy bought 2 hrs. of my time. When I say no, it will simply be a bad investment they were willing to make and they knew it up front.

okay… New post, old thread… I used to work for west gate as an “independent contractor”. We got 500.00 checks the next morning after we closed the night before. Very competitive and I was driven. I love sales, I sold 30 timeshares in 3 months during a summer break while studying computer science.

I also really like timeshare, I use friends and buy points and weeks from folks to vacation. That’s always worked for me. I don’t think I’d own, but that’s because I’d rather save for a little cottage a block or two off a beach that I can decide what happens to it…

My “PD” project director and my manager at west gate are total scumbags and just bad people in my opinion… I was forced to quit because they didn’t like me studying during breaks, and because I would come in late a couple of days because I had class… I was on fire at the end of the summer and couldn’t quit… I tried to make a deal with the PD but in the end it failed.

I didn’t realize that once I “quit” all my commission that was owed me also was withheld… Bottom line, it’s tough on the salespeople… The highest closers always go out first, and a lot of people struggle.

I agree, with most posts…. Don’t lie…. But, I also agree that the folks that book these things are pretty aggressive… They are called OPC where I’m from, and these guys are sharks… When you’re trying to support yourself and your family, rationalization will happen… Some people will say anything to sell…

Bottom line… If you can afford it, take one presentation… Don’t be that repeat person… I’ve sold a lot of people who swore that they would never buy from me, and they did… They lied… Who cares…. We all lie…. A good salesman finds a real problem you have and presents a clear, sometimes affordable, solution… If you can comfortably afford it, and you like it, why not? If not, screw it. If the hassle you, screw them. It’s not about wasting the salespersons time… It’s about your time.

What a jerk. But it sounds to me like the guy you are busy getting lost with while you waste his time isn’t the only one who is loosing. I hope that EVERYTIME you do something like that some other salesman gets a great sale that would have gone to you. Better yet I hope that your bosses wised up and got rid of you.

As long as timeshare companies pressure people who tell they “I can’t buy right now.” into taking tours by offering them incentives don’t blame the people who cave, blame those who are offering the freebies. I’ve been upfront every single time I’ve taken a tour (about 4 over 20 years) that I’m not buying right now. In stead of just accepting that mist places up the offer. If it’s worth giving up my time I’ll accept. I’ve stayed in timeshares about 15 times. My brother owns one and gets me guest passes. Someday I hope to. But you know what I would never buy one from someone like you. As a matter of fact now that I’ve read your post when I’m ready to buy I will take a tour while telling the salesperson upfront that I can’t purchase right now, just to see how he or she treats me. Any getting lost or trying to hold me hostage past the allotted time and on the way out I will tell them “I planned to purchase today but you didn’t treat me with respect so I won’t be buying from you.

Hey guys, I just read all you posts on the pro’s and cons of timeshare. Ill throw my 2 cents worth in: A lot of people here spend their entire time going to presentations just to get a cheap holiday. Ask yourself this, if it really isnt worth buying and the presentations are so bad, why do you keep going? You guys make such a big deal on “how and why not to buy” but didnt you just get sold? some rep just made 2-300$ off you and gave you a few nights noone wanted. Id rather pay 2-300 extra and not have to bad mouth what people like the retired army seargent enjoys. And also: Ive been to hilton, disney, wyndhams and marriots, and i tell you what, its not bad at all…otherwise you guys wouldnt bother with the presentation and just pay the full price yourselves? right?

I love you could not have said it better. I know when I go on a vacation it is to relax and unwind not sit and argue or say no no no. Being a grown man and to ask if I can leave that’s the funniest part of all these comments. I mean who really is in control of who???

You ask: “if it really isn’t worth buying and the presentations are so bad, why do you keep going?”

Answer: At the very top of this page you’ll read: “There are people who make a sport of attending timeshare presentations just for the freebies offered. I am not going to condone or disapprove of this behavior, my role is simply that of an informer – letting the public know the ins and outs of a timeshare presentation.” I suppose another thread could be started that reads: “How to close effectively on timeshare presentations.” but I will go out on a limb and say it wouldn’t be nearly as popular.

Sure, there are folks that don’t have any intention of buying when they come to the presentations. But have you ever wondered why the timeshare companies don’t ask you this before your hear the pitch? Why they don’t say: “Well, if you’re here just for the free vacation then we can’t honor this offer”? I’ll tell you why, it’s because they hope they can rope in even those that were initially only looking for a free vacation. The offers say, “you get this price if you listen to our presentation, no obligation to buy.” So when folks say “Thanks, but I’m not interested,” that should be the end of it. Now I understand that timeshare salesmen need to make a living, and in most cases they have to do so by pressuring folks (sometimes successfully) into buying. Sadly, when it comes to timeshares, I’ve heard more regret stories than happiness stories (just count them in this blog). So you see, it goes both ways. The timeshare folks know that a lot of folks come in looking for a free vacation but they don’t care, and the frequent timeshare-freebie-only crowd know what they’ll face and they are happy with it, it doesn’t “ruin” their vacation, and they are not free-loaders since they gave their time (money) to listen to the speech.

Look, when the time share companies use sales people acting as customers as room fill, to deceive real people into thinking the sales room is full of customers, the timeshare corporations are just exploiting people. Their sales people pretending they are customers are not even being paid for being room fill! At least real people attending presentations for sport are giving sales peopl a break from being unpaid actors!

I have never really heard of that in my life, that does not mean that it is not happening in other resorts. You have to realise just like with anything else “buyer be ware” in any sales business there are good people providing a service, and there are bad people as well. So, not everyone that you are sitting across are not the enemy just folks trying to provide for the same way as you. You are also right, a sales rep. would rather have an opportunity to practice or to make a sale then trying to fill a room to make it look busy. I have just never heard of that but I am sure that has to be one of the smaller resorts. – Good Luck in All your Timeshare ventures- Just don’t think that we are all cut from the same cloth.

This resort area 25 miles of coast and is monopolized by timeshares to the point that rooms costs 3 times as much to stay on the beach as it does in Honolulu, Hawaii. I don’t make up the jargon, and I don’t work in the industry. I just have a friend who is an OPC.

man i work at grand crown in branson missouri and that is just dumb all tables are people looking to buy or people that made up there mind on the way there that they were just doing it for free stuff. None of which are sales reps trying to fill a room to try and make it look more busy. its timeshare we dont have to do that were always busy unless its the off season then were just travel to cali or another warm place. sorry man but your buddy is a lier. theres nothing wrong with timeshare specialy if you have kids because its not what you buy for your kids that counts its about wat you do with them because them memories re what makes them happy.

Your writing is practically illiterate. How do you expect anyone to take your comments aeriously?

You commented to it.? Also check your post. Seems you cannot spell. This post is about timeshare. Not who,s the best at posting! All I can say is WOW. I am a veteran timeshare sales rep if anyone has real questions I can and will do my best at answering them. Dw

Ridiculous quest there. What happened after? Good luck!

Timeshares are not an investment. I think most folks agree.

But further, they are not a tenable approach as a mechanism to travel and see the world. You can buy them for this purpose, just realize this is a fool’s errand.

Better options, as in MUCH more mileage for the buck, same or better quality (same places in most all cases), more options, no restrictions, no obligations, etc. etc.

Take the 20k for the unit, plus the annual ‘maint fees’ and amortize from the sum the rental of these units off the secondary market…from owners that have gotten suckered into the purchase and are looking for some temporary relief. In the end, you spend less, have no blackout dates, and don’t have the risk of a ‘cash call’ or assessment.

So if you love to eat a $1,000 burger, fine-great-dandy. Just don’t kid yourself or others that it’s a good deal…it ain’t. So long as you are not targeting the deal, and just like to spend the 20k for the bottle of champagne at closing, then it’s your moolah.

Even if I was so inclined to drop a grand for a bacon cheese, I would STILL probably opt for a fancy dinner with friends, just on principle.

Do you own one? Clearly you must to say that a timeshare is not a great way to see the world. You are mistaken. I have traveled the world with my weeks. Where do you own? Dw

Janet I just flipped through the entire blog for the first time…. My God. You don’t have a life. Maybe you should go buy a real condo…. But it sounds like you only have the money for the nearly free timeshare travels. Good luck with your little blog.

Gee Mike, sounds like I struck a nerve, and I’ll say the same to you as I said to the last timeshare sales rep. above. Not only don’t I care what you think of me, I actually appreciate it, so thanks!

My recommendation to you is first, go on on a few timeshare resale sites, such as “Redline”, ebay, etc and see for yourself exactly how much an identical timeshare at the property you claim to have bought into is selling for on the resale market. If you do this, you should be downright irate, at the sales rep., and at yourself, for buying at the presentation price, for something you could have bought for 1/2, 1/5th, and very possibly, for as little as $1. If you’re not, then I’m sorry, but I’m not going to believe you’re not supplementing your retirement pay by selling timeshares, which I noticed you didn’t deny.

Seeing as I doubt you’ll take me up on my recommendation, I took the liberty of performing a simple analysis.

So I went to ebay and ran an analysis of the last 50 completed timeshare auctions. And yes, ebay is a good measure of “fair market value”, defined as “assuming a willing seller and willing buyer, the price at which an item will exchange hands.”

Of those last 50 completed auctions, only 18 sold, meaning that 32, or 66% did not get a single bid, not even the 11 timeshares offered for only $1 22%.) Of the 18 that did sell, 6 sold for one lousy dollar (12%). 2 more sold for $2 and $5, respectively. 5 sold for an average of $280, and the remaining 5 (10%) sold for $1,026, $2,551, $5,000 $7,450, and $10,250 respectively. Those 5 however were in prime locations,such as Manhatten and Hawaii. The timeshares that garnered the most were both Mariott properties, located in an extremely prestigious section of Newport Beach. My bet is the original presentation price of those probably ran closer to $50,000, making the total loss on resale even greater.

I’m an accountant. I do the math, and I don’t care how much, or how little money anyone has. No one is OK with finding out that they just paid $20,000 for something they could have bought for as little as $1. It’s not smart, it’s foolish, and the normal reaction is outrage.

Well, except apparently for the timeshare sales reps., who, by your own admission, are really happy with all their money, bonuses and free time, that they seem to be enjoying at the expense of others.

If you bothered to look at the rest of this site, you will see the literally hundreds of people, facing financial ruin, desperate to get out of their timeshare contracts they were pressured into signing on the spot, many of them facing financial ruin as a result. Especially in this current economic crisis, with millions of Americans losing their jobs and their homes, you should be ashamed of yourself.

FYI, the rich don’t get wealthy by squandering their money, and those who do squander their money, don’t stay rich for long. The wealthy don’t buy timeshares, they buy vacation homes. The wealthy also don’t sign any contracts without running them past their attorneys first, and can’t be pressured into buying on impulse at a presentation, so it’s not the wealthy who are being harmed.

You know, with all the layoffs, my husband even quit his job because others he worked with needed the money far more. When we go to a timeshare presentation, we try to warn as many of our fellow presentations against buying as we possibly can, and regard it as a public service. I’m not just a timeshare nazi, I’m a responsibility nazi, and I’m sorry, but you’re not going to convince me that convincing people to sign contracts, committing them financially to tens of thousands of dollars to pay for extravagant vacations they may not even be able to take, much less afford, and pressuring them into doing so “on the spot”, giving even giving them time to really think it over, is anything remotely resembling responsible. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t see how anyone who possesses a conscience could do such a thing, to anyone. But that’s not the primary reason I attend timeshare presentations, and it’s not the freebies either.

YeI’m an accountant, but what I specialize in is forensics and fraud, meaning that companies hire me to find out who’s stealing and how. Determining who the thief is always easy. All I have to do is wander around for a few days and whoever hates me the most, is almost always either the one who’s stealing, or in collusion. Oh, first, they usually try to charm and con me, throwing everyone else they work with under the bus, but when they realize it’s not working, that’s when they get nasty.

Then they tell me all about my miserable pathetic life, and make all the same accusations to attempt to indimidate and discredit me. I really appreciate it too. It’s like they’re painting great big targets on their back, to help zero right in on them.

In case I haven’t made it obvious enough, attending timeshare presentations is far from a hobby or waste of my precious time. For me, it’s more like an profiling tool. Kind of like Clarese paying a visit to Hannibal Lector. Very educational, and extremely beneficial in developing my skills. So I really do appreciate your comments.

Have a nice day.

Manhattan and Hawaii, wow!

ok look the secondary market is filled with Timeshares no doubt. The reason you are seeing prime location properties for sale so cheep is because the maint. fees are so high. and they are going to sit there for a while. Timeshare is not a inverstment property. however it is an investment- all those free vacations you took you have so many wonderful memories. That is your investment… it will force a workaholic to spend one week without his cell phone and with his wife and kids. If gives those children so many great memories with there family. kids don’t care about money all they need is there parents. So, if dad and mom spend $15,000.00 or $30,000.00 dollars and have one great vacation every year for the rest of there lives who are you to take that from someone! Shame on you! for your for being blind to what it is really about. You went to disney and a resort paid for it shame on you ! those smiles on your childrens faces were not put their by your actions but the actions of another you just got to enjoy the smiles and great memories. Shame on you for thinking you know the person on the other side of the table he is a father , she is a mother , a husband a wife ! Shame on you….enjoy the vacations they were a gift that we provide your children when you can’t provide for them, Shame on you for spitting in our faces! you have so many flaws your human. But you people are the worse type of people your not greatful for a hand-out that was given to you and your family. The Gift of “Time” was given to you …. take that to the bank…. I will create a million smiles this year “What Will You do”? You may even be one of them….

You want the true way to get out of a timeshare presentation give me your credit card and I will show you.

There’s so much wrong with your post, I don’t even know where to begin.

I guess I’ll start with, no, you’re not getting my credit card, and how dare you even suggest such a thing! No one on this planet “owes” you a living, much less are you entitled to expect that anyone should just hand you over tens of thousands of dollars of their hard earned money, because you imagine they should. You’re certainly not entitled to mine. OMG!

Timeshare salespeople have families? Yeah, well so do theives, rapists, and serial murderers. So what? As far as I’m concerned, attempting to use your family in a rather sad attempt to “guilt trip” me, (and anyone else) is just yet another slimey, dispicable, underhanded BS con job, typical tactic I’ve grown to expect from timeshare reps. Shame on YOU!

I am not responsible for supporting your family, and neither is anyone else. No one “owes” you $15,000 to $30,000+ of their hard earned money, just because you need to support your family. Supporting your family is your job, don’t try to schlep it off on the rest of the world.

And no one’s children “need” mommy and daddy to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a timeshare to putsmiles on their faces either. Most children would rather their parents spend quality time with them, attending their games, recitals, etc., demonstrating their love by participating in their lives and cheering them on. That’s what puts smiles on children’s faces, and those are the times that wonderful memories are made of. Not becoming a “workaholic” just so they can hand over all their money to the wealthy corporation you work for, justso you and your corporate executives can make millions. Again, OMG!

And the secondary markets are not just filled with “cheap” timeshares, they’re also filled with timeshares that are being given away, totally FREE! Who in their right mind would actually pay $15,000-30,000 for something they could have gotten for FREE?

Even worse, is the fact that the only reason people GIVE away timeshares they actually were conned into paying that kind of money for is out of desperation to get out of the outrageous interest, annual fees and taxes–because they can’t afford them!

And even when people try to give their timeshares away for FREE, they’re not finding any takers. Charities won’t even take them.

Lodging is only a small portion of the cost of taking a vacation. You’re leaving out all the other costs: transportation, meals, entertainment, etc. None of which are covered by the costs of buying, and maintaining a timeshare.

Attempting to claim that buying “forces” people to take a vacation? That is absolutely not true!

There are myriads of sites filled with unused timeshare weeks–offered to the general public, and for far LESS than the owners are paying, just in annual maintenance fees alone. Anyone can stay at just about any timeshare they want, no need to buy in! We do it all the time, and usually only pay $199 to $299 for the entire week. My bet is that the reason the owners aren’t using those weeks is because, after paying all the expenses of buying and maintaining their timeshare property, they don’t have enough money left over to take a vacation!

FYI, this country, and in fact, most of the world, is in a recession, and in fact, the worst recession since the great depression of 1929! Times are hard, and people all over the world are losing their jobs, their homes, and having a hard time just putting food on the table.

Timeshare companies rely on luring their victims who have zero experience in this industry, and know absolutely nothing about what they’re really getting themselves into.

If even timeshare corporations believed their own hype, they wouldn’t need to entice people with free gifts, or trick them by misrepresenting the purpose of their no obligaton, 90 minute, “tour”, intentionally omitting the word TIMESHARE!

You’re not giving anyone a “free gift” of time, or anything else. What you’re “giving” them is yet another financial obligation, which most people can not afford to take on!

Maybe you should take a look at the rest of this site, and see just how many people are suffocating under the financial burden of the timeshare properties that they were basically conned into buying.

The only one who should be ashamed of themselves is you.

(my opinion, of course.)

well said..I hae went on timeshare promotions now for 12 years ..I even am to the point that when they cll me on the phone I know there tricks so I use them against them…things like it sounds great but I dont have that much monehy right now for the promotion …and they talk to their manager and within minutes have the shaved the price by 100.00 bucks!! that cracks me up..then I get extra days for much less than they orignally say….I say”hey I am coming from 12 hours away 3 nights is not even close to enough..and dont agree to just a hotel type room you want a 2 0r 3 bedroom CONDO with full kitchen..I will be going to Wyndamm Resorts Olando..within Disney Property..2 bedroom( I was promised a 3 but none available for the week I picked) Condo room for 4 nights and I am getting a 100 dolar Visa card when I am done and I only paid$159.99 orginally they wanted 299.99 just to go listen this craziest pitch you have ever heard…owning timeshares…laugh at them in your head while they are talking to you! you got a great deal and they got 2.5 hours of your time. Score: you great vacation them: NOTHING!!! and then I bought 2 nights off everave for Orlando hotel rtoom for 2 nights which gets me my full 7 nights….they did not have the other two nights available for me so I got them myself! and that was $160.00 for two nights with 80 dollars in hotel credit to spend however I want..so for about 350 dollars we are going to Disney ..staying within 2 miles at both places..we already have tickets with o expiration that we have used 4 times now and we just need spending money!! THAT is Disney on a shoe string budget without comprimising any of the conforts!! When we go to the parks we have lots of spending money..we eat at the nice places at least twice…we buy lots of pins and trade them and we always do one excursion…going on a boat and deep sea fishing…Sea World..Midevil nights etc. so we are not having a cheap vacation we are just saving where it helps the most..the room that you are barely in because you are out enjoying yourself…. I always spend several days on the internet looking at all the eals and putting in my phone number because then they call you with better deals and you can negotiate more on the phone with them..they wil do almost anything to get you to yes on the phone…it is great! when I check it and the people read what are vacation is and how much we paid ..they are like how in the world did you get it for that much?? that is an awsome deal..or they have said I ahve never seen it for that low! IT WORKS!! Debbie

Janet, You are awesome!! Thank you very much for your intelligent, knowledgeable information. I’m sorry you’ve gotten the ignorant responses you have. You are clearly educated and actually care about people, and ceasing the corruption. I truly appreciate the time you have put into writing all of this. That is a gesture of true concern. Someone who speaks the truth is always subject to the rejection of those who do evil, whether they are aware they are doing evil or not. I hope for the people who have been opposing you that they actually find a respectable job where they aren’t knowingly, or unknowingly scamming others.

I have a question for you: We, unknowing of all of this, purchased a weekend from Bass Pro for BlueGreen Resorts week. My family, through my mother, already owns three timeshares, two of which are through Marriot which is very nice. We never were interested in buying a timeshare at all. My husband just wanted to buy the week to go to Branson. They have stated the presentation is 2 hours and we will recieve a $75 gift certificate at the end…But, if we don’t show up, they will charge us $100. I’m trying to locate the original papers we signed to see if it ever said anything about there being a penalty for not showing up. Do you think we should go knowing we aren’t going to buy anything, just for the two hours, as soon as the two are up we immediately leave? I’m afraid they will take the cc number and charge something more than the $100. Also, I’m afraid that since we split the week, and are planing to use the rest of the 7 days another time, and if they know we didn’t buy in their presentation the first time, that something bad is going to happen with the second half of our time.

Do you have any advice for me? We are leaving Friday for the first part of our “destination package”.

May you be blessed beyond measure for the good you have done and the light you have shed. Lawrie

ps. FYI, if in case anyone who reads this decides to send me back a negative comment, please know before hand, you are wasting your time because I will NOT waste my time reading it. Thank you. And since now I have freed you from wasting your time writing to me, may you fill your time with something good to do. 🙂

Lawrie, I hope this response comes in time for you. I went through the Bluegreen presentation as well, but at Wisconsin Dells. Do you have an e-mail message from Bluegreen or the company that set up your visit? It probably has terms and conditions (or a link to something that does). My guess is that the standard language of “90-120 minutes” applies. So if you are there 120 minutes, tell them that you are done, and if they don’t sign you out right away, WALK OUT. As I state below, there may be state laws that apply, and if so, remind the good salespeople of them. (If they want to break the laws, why do you want to do business with them?)

Some other paperwork suggestions to bring with you: * Copies of your Terms and Conditions, if you have them. * Printouts from sellmytimesharenow.com, redweek,com, Timeshare User Group, etc. of resale prices of timeshares at that location. * You may find condos or similar units for rent through Hotwire for the time you are staying at Branson for cheap. Bring printouts of those prices. * When they ask you how much you spend on vacations, tell them that you either get free use of timeshare rooms from family or that you book great rooms for cheap through Priceline (at $40 – 50/night). For us, at least, that’s the truth, too! * REMEMBER, they will talk FAST with numbers, and quote you prices that do not include maintenance fees, club memberships, special assessments, and other charges. Boy, do those charges add up! * Check out Missouri state laws and regulations concerning timeshare sales (probably under whatever department does professional licensing for realtors and other such people). I looked at the Wisconsin website on timeshare sales and found a section on “prohibited sales practices.” If such language exists under Missouri law, read, print out, and have with you. * Don’t fall in love. Like a car, it can’t love you back. There will ALWAYS be another deal, so don’t fall for the “today only” garbage. (In Wisconsin, at least, it is against the law for them to say that.)

You will likely have to go or pay a penalty. When we got to our destination, we found that they would only schedule presentations in the middle of the day (11 AM or 1 PM), which ruins your whole day. I don’t know which is really better, but we did 1 PM and got out OK after exactly two hours.

Remember, a lot of these people are human, so at least start out by treating them like you would want to be treated. Our salesman was actually a decent guy who was recovering from a car accident (and unless he had a good makeup artist, he had a big scar to show for it). Be low key and keep your wits as much as possible. My sixth grader actually could poke holes in their presentation after the fact, so at least we got an educational experience out of it!

Very well said, Janet! Agree 100% with everything you said.

this is an awesome story…I fully agree..timeshares are not a waste of time..they are means to an end..if I want tickects or rooms for cheap ad I can handle the pressure then this is the way to go…I lkike to analyze the presentaiton people and predict what they will do or be sacrastic with them to really let them know I will not buy but I sure do like the stuff…iot is a game…they ahve their gimis ..one place I went to had a gong and everytime some really dumb person bought a timeshare they hit the gong…I started laughing….they did not like that…call their bluff about their stupid con…se what they say…if you do not want to go back to that one again…I stayed at the Westagte Toweres 5 times with huge rooms and lots of activites for free for the kids…then I got sarcastic and they made me leave the presentation. My husband was embarrased I was laughing!! I still got all my stuff!

Why would you call people dumb? That is as shady as you going on all those tours knowing you will never buy one all I can say is I’m sorry! For u! dw

Maybe that KARMA will come back and bite them in the @$$!!!!!LOL!

Janet Wow. I have a feeling you are a truly sad person that is dissatisfied with your own life. Especially to spend as much energy as you did replying to a post. I found the site merely by accident from a friend who had a bad experience with timeshare. If 99 out of 100 people hate that they bought a timeshare…. Then I’m the one percent that is very satisfied with what I bought and my salesperson. Maybe you should find another hobby instead of trying guess other people’s lives and incomes. Yes I receive 50% of my base pay. No it wouldn’t solely support me. Oh and by the way not every retired NCO is on food stamps. I have always been smart with my money, friends and investments. At 44 I need nothing. I have a great home, all the toys I want and the free time to go with them. Maybe you should invest more time in researching positive things to invest in and stop wasting your time on trying to be a time share nazi. Oh and before you try to attack my last comment, I’ll just stop you by saying that timeshare is not an investment. It’s a vehicle for me to travel to different parts of the country and world for a couple weeks a year. Last thing I’ll comment on before I leave this post for good ( because I do have better things to do than banter with your sorry, insignificant ass). I’m sure in timeshare sales just as with any other type sales there are good sales people and sorry sales people. Mine had great character. Have a field day Janet. It’s what your life seems to be about. Mike

“Wow. I have a feeling you are a truly sad person that is dissatisfied with your own life. ”

Yeah, it’s stupid for someone to think that they completely know a person based off of one experience of them posting something online.

I went on a presentation last year with the thought of NOT buying. I’m a retired Army 1st Sgt with 20 years in the infantry. I’m the last person that someone could manipulate. BUT, I saw the value in it especially since I like to visit other areas of the country every year. The last six months I’ve dove deeper into the program and found that I can actually work my week vacation into 3 maybe 4 weeks in different resorts in one year. Still only paying my one week timeshare. It may cost me an an extra $200 for an additional week but I’m staying in $200 a night resorts. I love that I was sold on timeshare and have zero regrets. I wouldn’t want to be a timeshare sales person but everyone I spoke with love their job and the benefits, money, and free time that come with it.

All the timeshare salespeople told you how much they love their jobs? What else would you expect them to say? Like any of them would actually admit they hated their jobs? Come on, you should be able to do better than that.

All of those sales rep. who told you that their jobs give them lots of free time, money and benefits? Yeah well, if they’re doing that good, then they no legitimate excuse for accusing non-buyers of being cheap moochers, “taking food out of the mouths of [their] children!”

FYI, people who imagine themselves incapable of being manipulated, in reality, are the easiest of all. In fact, in your post, you practically provided detailed instructions on what buttons I could push, to manipulate someone like you.

Your post revealed that you’re obviously proud of having been an army sargeant, so all I’d have to do is to play on that pride. First, by making up BS stories about the many, military officers who supposedly have bought in, and how happy they all were. Not just sargeants either, but commissioned officers, such as captains, majors and even generals, all of who recognize a “smart” investment when they see one, which serves to trick you into believing that all your superior officers buy timeshares, and surely you want to be as smart as they are, don’t you? (sucker!)

To build credibility in your mind, I’d then call over one, or more of my little rep. buddies, who would be more than happy to confirm my BS stories, adding a few of their own, and then we’d both tell you about the many high ranking officers we’ve sold to, this past week alone! (ha, ha, ha, you fool)

Now that I’ve got your pride and credibility, next I’ll go to work on your innermost desires, by making up stories, all about the many (high ranking) military families who own timeshares there, and how they just love getting together with other military personnel, especially enlisted personnel who have proven themselves worthy — buy buying a timeshare! Yes! I would play it up big time, telling you how that will put you in the same league as all kinds of commanding officers, colonels, lieutenants, who will all agree that you must be as smart as they are by recognizing such an outstanding bargain! (you stupid fool)

By the time I got done with you, I’d have you painting fantasy pictures in your head, of you and your family spending vacations “schmoozing” with all the highest ranking military officers, even generals. Wow! An infantry sargeant vacationing with the generals, now wouldn’t that be awesome? Yeah! Wouldn’t that make you the envy of everyone you ever served with? And gee, wouldn’t that really impress your family? Now, wouldn’t the opportunity for those kind of “bragging rights” be worth spending a measley $20-30,000 on a timeshare?

I wouldn’t even have to go so far as to say all that. All I have to do is plant enough seeds of desire in your little head, and your imagination will take of the rest for me. Before you know what hit you, your mind will be playing scenerios of you, and your entire family, having dinner at the White House with the President of the United States, all because you were “smart” enough to buy that timeshare at the over inflated presentation price, paying over $20,000 for something you could have bought for as little little as $1 on the resale market. What’s “smart” about that?

You don’t think that would work on you? Really? Then why are you attempting to do the same thing here? Trying to impress readers with your military background, as if simply being a retired sargeant with 20 years in the infantry somehow renders you incapable of “being manipulated”, which in itself, is nothing more than yet another manipulative tactic.

FYI, all those same ploys have been attempted on me, at every single timeshare presentation we’ve attended. Only, as I’m an accountant, they use CPAs, CFOS, and CEOs. All I have to say about those ploys is LOL!

Now let’s see, 20 years of military service? If you joined at the age of 18, that would make you about 38 years old now. At the age of 38, receiving 50% of your former pay, usually won’t pay all the bills, so most military personnel who retire that young, usually will supplement their retirement pay by starting a new career. Possibly, as a timeshare sales rep. Is that about right?

No? Then why else would you be here? What’s in it for you? I mean, seriously, this is a complaint board. If you are simply a “happy camper”, if anything, you’d be writing about your joy on your timeshare’s site or a travel site, not on a complaint board.

If you took 2 minutes to browse the site before posting, you’d see that this is a complaint board, and the only ones who post on complaint boards are those with complaints. On this board, that would be:

1) People who are upset because they feel they’ve been duped into buying a timeshare they neither want, need, and/or can afford, using tactics they regard as completely disreputable, and/or are retaliating against reps. who feel they are entitled to insult and belittle anyone who doesn’t hand them over $20,000 or more at their sleazy, so-called “presentations”, which I personally regard as a complete and total ripoff.

2. Timeshare sales reps. who are pissed off at having their time wasted by those only interested in the “freebies” offered, so they’re retaliating here, playing every imaginable “head game.”

Making your true agenda obvious really isn’t that clever.

Damn Janet,

You’re pathetic. Get a life, girl.

Timeshare reps have a right to make a living just like everyone else. Like any other salesperson, they have a product to sell. You either like it or you don’t, and if you don’t, you don’t spend hours trying to shoot it down, unless you have had bad experiences with it yourself.

There are a lot of people out there that are happy with their timeshares. Do you know why? It’s because they know how to use them and get the most out of them. You, obviously dislike the idea of timeshare, but I’m betting you don’t have any real experiennce with them, so you don’t really know what you’re talking about.

Nobody twists arms to make people respond to offers of free nights and other perks for attending a presentation. You rarely get something for nothing in the world, kid. And if you accept the freebies, you should button your lip and take what’s coming to you. Timeshare sales is like any other product…supply and demand. And trust me there are a lot of less anal people out there enjoying the hell out of their timeshares and have been for years.

Hey Tony, truth hurts, doesn’t it?

In saying, “timeshare reps. have a right to make a living…”, by that you mean YOU, right? You’re a timeshare rep., aren’t you? Your true agenda here is pretty obvious.

As far as telling me that I should “button my lip?” Maybe that works on your wife, but I’m not your dog, and you are not entitled to give me orders. So I won’t be obeying you.

You seem to be ignoring the fact that this is a complaint board. This board was not started by someone who is happy with their timeshare, but rather, because they are NOT happy, not at all! If you bothered checking the rest of this site, you will see it is chock filled with people who are angry, and desperate to get rid of the financial burden they feel they were both pressured and CONNED into purchasing. Quite a few are facing financial ruin as a direct result, not that you care, do you?

Timeshares are so worthless, that many people on this very board are complaining that they can’t even give them away! Most charities won’t even take them as a free donation, and neither will anyone else. Those who inherit them don’t want them either, and certainly don’t want to be stuck with the annual maintenance fees and taxes, that they can’t afford!

Have you even bothered reading the rest of the posts on this board? Do you have any empathy for the any of the posters here, in dire straits and facing financial ruin? Any at all? Are you even aware that our entire country is in the worst recession since the great depression? That people are losing their jobs and their homes, and can’t afford the payments on their worthless timeshares that you, and other reps. talked them into buying? Do you realize that roughly 1/4th of all home mortgages are underwater, and that 2 MILLION children in our country are now homeless?

As far as I’m concerned, you are earning a living at the expense of others, by conning them out of their hard earned money, and NO, I will never agree you should have the right to do that! I regard the business practices of timeshare companies as predatory, underhanded, slimey and completely disreputable, and I want to see laws passed to make what you do for a living illegal.

That’s what I want, and until those laws are passed, I will continue to inform and warn as many people as possible, and will do so while I’m attending timeshare presentations, wasting as much of your time as possible, and collecting those “freebies.”

As far as my having real experience with timeshares? Gee, my husband and I stay at all kinds of timeshare properties, only we happen to know there’s no need to “buy in.” There’s tons and tons of unused weeks at practically every single timeshare property. We’ve paid as little as $99/week by taking advantage of timeshare travel clubs’ “last minute” specials (no membership required!), and the most we ever paid was $400, and that was for a full week stay in a 2 bedroom, luxury oceanfront condo in Key West at “The Galleon”, which is less than 1/2 the annual maintenance fees that owners pay. For a 1 bedroom condo, we normally pay exactly $211/week, $1 for the bid, plus $15 processing fee, and $195 for the cleaning fee, and that’s for an entire week’s stay through an auction site called “travelauction”.

You want to talk “supply and demand”? When it comes to timeshare properties, there’s far more supply than there is demand, and that’s why they end up renting them out to the general public, dirt cheap!

I know exactly what I’m talking about, and No Tony, I’m not about to trust you, or take your word on anything. All anyone has to do is read the rest of the posts on this board and they can easily see which one of us is really telling the truth!

Here’s what I don’t understand:

Why can’t people just say no if they don’t want to buy a timeshare? Whether they can’t afford it or don’t like it, nobody held a gun to their head … a lot of people are weak when it comes to a high pressure salesperson.

Why don’t people read the fine print before they sign a contract? This seems like a no-brainer, especially when thousands of dollars are at stake.

In this day and age, why don’t more people check out timeshares for sale on the internet if they are considering purchasing one?

Why can’t people realize that accepting a discounted vacation, a cash incentive, show tickets, whatever, does not obligate them to buy a thing? All you owe is your attendance at the presentation, nothing else.

How hard is it to figure out that if you just pay for your vacation you’re not obligated to go back again next year, the year after, etc.?

There are lots of reasons you can give a salesperson for not buying a timeshare, but you really don’t need an excuse or an explanation. You don’t need to defend your “no”.

Janet, Why do you hate timeshare ?

Why do you spend so much time and effort putting people down who like it ?

If it is not for you don’t by it.. If you like it and thinks it beneficial then buy it…. People make their own choices in life they can say yes or no why do you think you have the right to decide what is best for them I don’t see you talking about anything else do you love ecverything in life except time share why don’t you blog about other things you don’t like

Timeshare is not for everybody but it is for sme people they are the ones who buy have you interviewed any one selling a timeshare i believe you are speculating on why their selling and blogging without knowing the facts….

I’m sorry you feel this way but speaking without knowing the facts is wrong…..

I have already written a number of posts, in which I have provided a wide variety of reasons why I am opposed to timeshares.

What part of my explanation are you still not understanding? Or are you intentionally just being obnoxious?

And James, the reason I am discussing timeshares, is because that is the topic of this board. If this was a gardening board, I would be posting about my garden. Seriously, what is wrong with you that you can not understand something that obvious?

As far as knowing the facts go, if you had bothered taking 15 minutes to check out the rest of this site, then you should know this is a complaint board, filled with people who hate and despise the timeshares they feel they were suckered into buying, and desperately trying to find a way to get out from under the financial burden they feel they were mislead, conned, and deceived into buying. No James, none of them like, need or want their timeshares. They want to get rid of them, but can’t find any takers. Most charities won’t even accept fully paid off timeshares as donations. Those are the real facts, that you don’t seem to want people to know.

Only people I know who like their timeshares and feel they are a good value, are those who bought on the resale market, where timeshares can be purchased for as little as $1!

If more people knew that, my guess is you’d probably never make another sale, now would you?

Janet, what other companies do you use…I wanna jump on this train!

Mike Congratulation. Dw

Timeshares are awesome for some people. People who can afford to travel enough to make them work for them. My brother owns 2 because he travels often for both work and pleasure. With just his points he can often do like you and get 3 or 4 weeks out his regular fees. Plus he can get extra weeks for an added fee. Sometimes as low as $169 a week. I know because he’s gotten me extra weeks too, but there is a $50 guest fee for that. We stayed in Vegas for 2 weeks (actually 7 nights in a week) for less than $400. If I could afford to travel enough to make it work for me I’d buy one. (Or grab one of the ubiquitous free or almost free ones that are out there) Right now I can’t justify it when I can only get away for a week or 2 a year (Other than visiting my parents.) and sometimes that isn’t in the cards if our medical expenses are high or we have several major things break down in our house. Like this year when our well pump and central air went out. I made it through the summer with a window unit. Not fun in SE Texas, but a blessing since we could have had to deal with not even having that. The year before we were blessed to be able to spend a week in Angelfire, NM (nice area very disappointing resort and we won’t ever return.) followed by a week at the Wyndham in Pagosa Springs, CO (Our 2nd trip there. Loved the area so much I want to move there. The resort is very nice and the people who work there are wonderful.) Our rooms the 1st 2 weeks we stayed in Pagosa Springs were nicer than the ones the 2nd time, but neither was nasty like the Angelfire resort. We’ve stayed at timeshares in Weston, FL (near Ft. Laud.) and Orlando. I think 3 times in Orlando and all but one was nice. They put us in the old section instead of the new one that had been advertised in the photos. That one we were only in for about an hour. We called and complained and we were switched to a much nicer resort in a larger room. Most of these were RCI resorts. Just thought I’d mention this so that if you are ever considering going to any of these areas you’ll know what at least one person thought.

YOU CAN SIGN UP AT THE STATE FAIR THEY HAVE LOT OF GREAT OFFERS .ALSO TRY Silverleaf Resorts.SIX FLAGS OVER TEXAS ALSO HAVE A TIME SHARE SIGN UP BOOTH.

THE KEY IS TO SAY I DO NOT HAVE ANY MONEY TO WASTE ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS, I SAY IT WHEN I AM SHAKING THE SELL PERSON HAND,I THEN LET THEM KNOW THAT EVERY THING LOOK CHEAP AND YOU HAVE SEEN THEIR OTHER RESORTS AND THEY ALSO LOOK CHEAP AND YOU WOULD NEVER LET YOUR FAMILY STAY HERE.HATE EVERY THING YOU WILL BE OUT OF THERE SO FAST WITH PRIZES IN HAND.

I will have to try that. The amount of time the presentations take is the worst part of it for me. I have plenty of sales resistance. And who doesn’t like to get freebies? Where was this?

JUST FINISH ONE OF MY FAVORITE TIME SHARE ,30 MIN FOR $600 CASH.I LOVE THIS ONE AND HAVE BEEN DOING IT EVERY 12 MONTHS FOR THE LAST 7 YEARS.

I have been going to timeshare presentations for all of my adult life…needless to say I have been to disney 7 times and Mrtyle Beach 4 and Daytona Beach 4 times. I have some advice before you even decide to do it….have an esimate on how much you think you should pay for what you are getting from them on the phone…..I have cut my deal in half on the phone and got extra nights. Some examples of what to say are….I just paid my house payment and all I have left is x dollars to pay for something like that right now….ttry about 200.00 for the whole package….it really does work..it is using their own scheme against them…they will get a manager to approve it and everything…The vacation I am about to go on cost me only 159.00 for 4 nights at Wyndom resort..two bedroom…full kitchen AD I get a $100 American express after going to the presentation…so I got a 2 bedroom condo for 4 nights for 58.00 bucks!! We also did the ones where we got 150.00-200.00 cash…and then we had more money to spend at the parks…that was our go out and neat great at disney money… My husband hates them but without them we would never go on vacation and I have went to probably 20 of them and never bought but LOVED all the free stuff…also bargain for more tickets…whatever it is you want bargain for that specific thing….ticket to SEa World..Disney whatever…make them feel bad…I always say I need more nights becuse I am coming from far away and I always stay on vacation for 7 days…most of the time that gets you more days from them. You might pay a little more but it is well worth it…the condos are fabulous!! Dont just stay in a hotel for the timeshare stay on property…unless you need Disney tickets then it is worth it becasue you are gone most of the day anyways…I already have tickets that are non expiration so I work harder at nights for rooms…make it work for you not them!! and onnce you shop around on line you will ahve sale people calling you…do not just say yes to the first call decide where you want to go and what you want an d then listen to several different ones to see which is best..tell the person on the phone to call back tomorrow you need to talk to your husband…they will call back believe me..and usually they will sweetin the deal..always say no at first because they will give you more!!

We always bargain for additional “freebies” too, but then after we get our vouchers, we then see what else we can get from the amusement parks.

For example, after receiving our free Disney vouchers from the timeshare presentation, we then went to the ticket booth at Disney, and found that as long as we did so before the last day of use, we could upgrade our vouchers to add additional days, along with adding the “waterparks and more” and “no expiration date” options, turning our 3 day tickets (which included 1 option), into 7 days at Disney theme parks, plus an additional 7 days at Disney waterparks. We had to pay the difference, but the more days you buy, the cheaper the “per day” cost becomes. We also bought those upgrades several years ago, bringing our total cost to a less than $15/day per ticket, and we can use those days any time in the future.

For attending 1 presentation, we received 4 1 day tickets to Universal Studios. Universal then allowed us to add a 2nd day for $20/per ticket.

All of that though was several years ago, and we haven’t checked recently to see whether the theme parks still upgrade timeshare vouchers.

great idea..thanks for sharing. Our tikets will be running out pretty soon so we will need new ones for the next time we go..I think we only have three days left on them. we got 10 days no expiration and have used them on 4 seperate vacations to Disney….we alwys only do 2 or 3 parks otherwise it is too much in seven days…also we go to Un iversal or Sea World or last year we went to Busch Gardens on vouchers from the timneshare.. Debbie

We were just in Orlando in December, and only spent one day at Disney, and only one day when we went there this past summer as well. I agree, it’s too much, and there’s so many other things fun things to do in Orlando, especially when you go so often, curtesy of the timeshare companies!

exactly…if you stay at Westgate they have activities everyday for the kids to do and they have put put that is for free when you come as a timeshare promsotion peson…they also have a night of the week where it is a barbeque for free that you can go to or is it rfeally cheap for all your family…the kids meet other kids and you an enjoy just relaxing at the pool and not have to make dinner! I think Westgate is the best place to go on a timeshare…we have stayed ther many times but last time was the it..they have a new policy about how many times you have went and they put us on some list of families that have went on many timeshare there..we were still in the sytem from the last time or two….but now we have others to choose from..this willl be the first time At Wyndum.Bonet Creek so I am excited about a new place…

As another alternative to presentations, timeshare forums can be a great place to connect with owners hoping to recoup even just a fraction of their costs, by renting out their unused weeks or points.

My husband and I have family in Florida, so we go there several times a year. We’ve stayed at Bonnet Creek, and it is really nice, but the DVC(Disney Vacation Club) properties are our favorite.

Unfortunately, they don’t offer any free, or even reduced, stays for presentations. But I’m on a couple of timeshare forums, and on occasion, DVC owners will have points that are about to expire, and will either “rent” them cheap, and sometimes, will offer their few remaining points for free!

So, courtesy of one of the members, my husband and I just recently stayed at the DVC Animal Kingdom Villas. She only had 30 points, so we did have to “rent” a few points from another member to cover the difference, but still, we got a 3 night stay for a little over $50!

Timeshare companies that have “lists” usually only restrict you to 1 presentation at their properties per year. Fortunately there’s so many timeshare companies, especially in Orlando, that it will take at least a year to cover all of them 🙂

Just came back from a free stay in vegas, I did not know anything about all these timeshare scam but before the presentation I asked my wife not to buy but she still did. Now I’m in the process of rescinding my contract. Hopefully they recieved my certified mail before the rescission deadline is over. Oh, and I tried faxing the rescission letter yesterday and got the fax report in my hand.

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8 timeshare sales tactics—and how to resist them during a pitch

If you’ve ever attended a high-pressure timeshare pitch, you’ll definitely agree with me: They are intense. They are persuasive. And they might even put big pressure on your marriage. But a timeshare presentation doesn’t have to threaten to send you to couples counseling; you can absolutely resist the most common timeshare sales tactics—if you know what to look for.

My husband and I have gone to two timeshare pitches: One in Hawaii on our belated honeymoon and one in Vancouver, Washington. I learned so much both times, and I’m happy to say my marriage is stronger than ever. That’s not by accident: We found ways to stay strong together in timeshare presentations and resist the wedges the salespeople are trained to drive between couples during their pitch. Now I’m sharing those timeshare sales tactics with you—so you can earn that free vacation, resist being manipulated into buying something you don’t actually want, and still have your partner to travel with!

Whether you’re a timeshare pitch veteran or are considering attending one for the first time (and for the promise of a free vacation, amirite?!), you need these tested hacks Hubs and I learned firsthand to survive a timeshare pitch.

Survive a timeshare pitch as a couple

Chances are, you or your partner has been approached by a timeshare company to attend a presentation selling points or owning a timeshare. Stats back this up: The timeshare industry has grown consistently over the last 8 years, and sales of timeshares has increased by more than a quarter since 2013, according to industry research .

That’s a lot of people buying timeshare properties and points.

In fact, industry insiders suggest that about 15% of people buy a timeshare after listening to a pitch—yet many feel pressured or intimidated into making the purchase.

All that confusion and hardball sales tactics can be hard on your relationship (and you’ll probably have to attend as a couple, as many timeshare companies require you to decide to buy together). Hard feelings are common especially if one person in your couple is more of a green light than the other.

But you don’t have to end a timeshare pitch with resentment, hurt feelings or a sense of #fomo. You and your partner can resist heavy-handed timeshare sales tricks and keep your bond as strong as ever. Here’s how.

8 timeshare sales tactics—and hacks to resist them

1. know your goals and resources.

The sales pitch: Playing to emotions. Salespeople use the timeshare sales trick of relying on your emotions to make a gut decision to purchase a timeshare. After all, you probably didn’t go into the timeshare presentation planning to buy (and they definitely know that); even still, timeshares are wildly successful—because they manage to sell them even to couples that didn’t intend to buy.

Beat the sales tactic: Take a hard look. Before you step into the sales presentation, know your resources: How much discretionary spending do you have in your budget? How much vacation time do you have? Knowing these facts ahead of time will help you resist the dream of staying in a timeshare property 6 weeks a year if you only get 2 weeks of PTO.

How it worked for us: We had recently bought a minivan (aka #swaggerwagon!) before we attended a timeshare presentation. So to survive a timeshare pitch, we just had to remind each other that any wiggle room in our budget was now caught up in the four wheels that would have to drive us to our more modest, budget-friendly vacations for at least a while longer.

2. Play as a team

The sales pitch: Playing couples off each other. When you have a tangled necklace, you start to tease the chain apart by starting with the looser end. The same goes for timeshare sales techniques: They approach the sale by targeting the more enthusiastic or susceptible half of the couple. Once they have one person convinced, he or she often persuades the hesitant person.

Beat the sales technique : Go in with an agreement. If you’re attending the timeshare presentation just for the free gift or vacation (no judgment!), be up front about that with each other—from the beginning.

How it worked for us: The promise of two free plane tickets and two nights’ stay in a hotel persuaded me to sign up for the timeshare presentation in the first place, and that’s how I convinced Hubs to come (though I also told him I’d cancel it in a heartbeat if he gave a hard no).

3. Have a kill switch

The sales pitch: Now or never. At some point, timeshare salespeople have to close—to make a hard sell. If a potential customer isn’t going to buy, they’ll have to cut their losses and move on, but they’ll use all their timeshare sales tactics to get you to say “yes.”

Beat the sales tactic: Establish veto power. To survive a timeshare pitch, agree that either person in your couple can say a hard no—and that will be the end of the story.

How it worked for us: I signed up for the most recent timeshare presentation while I was at a home show, and the way I got Eric to go to the pitch in the first place was to establish this rule. He knew he could say no and I would agree, regardless of how I felt about it. It cemented a sense of trust between us that neither of us would be pressured, and that we always had a way out if buying a timeshare wasn’t worth it.

4. Know your roles

The sales pitch: Appealing to the more enthusiastic partner. Timeshare salespeople know that one person in the couple is more likely to be open to buying a timeshare, so it makes sense that they appeal to the more gung-ho person. They’ll encourage that person’s enthusiasm or curiosity by encouraging them to imagine a family vacation in one of the wonderful spots they’ll show you.

Beat the sales tactic: It’s easy to get caught up in the possibilities of owning a timeshare property. Being aware that you may fall into this dream—in spite of your logic or any promises you made to absolutely not buy a timeshare —helps prevent some of the in-the-moment excitement.

How it worked for us: Based on our first timeshare pitch experience, we knew I’m more susceptible to the timeshare sales tactics; in Hawaii, I was ready to buy into the timeshare—even though we barely had enough money to pay our cell phone bill! So we knew that to survive a timeshare pitch this time, Hubs would have to stay strong and be the voice of reason during the “discussion time” salespeople leave you to have.

5. Don’t rush

The sales pitch: Claim the deal won’t last forever. Timeshare salespeople create a sense of urgency around buying a timeshare because they’re about a zillion times more likely to sell a timeshare while you’re there in the presentation room. They know they need to close the deal in that moment, and applying subtle pressure to buy immediately makes people more likely to buy a timeshare.

Beat the sales technique: Timeshares have been around for decades, and they’re not going anywhere. Salespeople will show you deals they have just for that day (which are way cheaper than the ones available on other days), but honestly, you’ll always be able to get a good deal if you want.

How it worked for us: Hubs, who was the more level-headed half of our couple and who definitely helped us survive the timeshare pitch, reminded me that we can always sign up for another timeshare presentation down the line if we do decide it’s a good fit for our family. There is no shortage of timeshare opportunities.

6. Evaluate your vacations

The sales pitch: Inspire huge vacation dreams. Timeshare salespeople will show you examples of the most beautiful, luxurious timeshare properties in the most desirable locations to make you imagine the best vacation ever. Bali! The Maldives! Tahiti! They’ll have you dreaming up vacations in places you’d never wanted to visit—until this timeshare pitch.

Beat the sales technique: Before even stepping into the timeshare pitch, you and your partner should talk through the kinds of vacations you take today and the kinds of vacations you want to take in the future. Those kinds of vacations might not match with buying a timeshare.

How it worked for us: During the timeshare presentation, Hubs and I used our family’s lifestyle as a touchstone to resist the sales technique. We do a lot of camping, we bring our dog on most vacations, and many of our trips center around visiting family in locations where the timeshare company didn’t have any properties. In this way, we were able to logically see that the timeshare didn’t actually make sense for our family.

7. Read body language

The sales pitch: Taking cues from body language. Salespeople of all stripes are expert at reading subtle cues from potential customers. Are they leaning forward? Are their hands on the table? Are they constantly looking at the clock? They use this body language to fine-tune their delivery.

Beat the sales tactic: Keep tabs on your partner’s body language, from how they are sitting to what they’re doing with their arms. This will clue you in to see if they’re digging the experience or getting defensive. That way you can mirror their attitude and present a united front to the salesperson.

How it worked for us: At one point in the most recent timeshare pitch we attended, Eric crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. This body language told me that he’d been triggered by something the salesperson said. Knowing him, I was able to figure out that the salesperson’s tactic—to suggest we were depriving our kids of family vacations if we didn’t buy—touched a nerve. Because I was paying attention, I could see that he was ready to be done.

8. Remember the free gift

The sales pitch: All or nothing. Timeshare salespeople design their presentations to make you feel as if you  must buy in the moment—or lose out big. They focus on what you can have with the not-so-subtle suggestion that you’ll have wicked #fomo if you say no.

Beat the sales technique: When you’re caught up in the sales pitch, it can feel as if you lost when you say “no”—even if that was your goal to begin with. You also might leave feeling manipulated or put down. So when you leave, remind yourself of whatever free gift you earn when you survive a timeshare pitch. Having a free vacation to look forward to will help put a positive spin on even a negative experience.

How it worked for us: Before we attended the timeshare presentation, we talked about where we wanted to go. We decided on Phoenix because I’ve never been there, we wanted a destination that was relatively close to our home in Oregon, and we wanted a warm and sunny vacation to take in the winter. So when we left the timeshare pitch, we already had a fun plan to look forward to.

Finally, I hinted that I would buy some new lingerie for our free vacation—and that didn’t hurt either! #hubbahubbah

Are timeshares worth it? That all depends.

This post isn’t meant to be a guide on saying no to timeshare pitches—unless that’s what you want to do. If timeshares genuinely fit with your lifestyle, budget and travel goals, hooray! Buy a timeshare! (or two, ha!)

That said, I don’t love a lot of the timeshare sales tactics, and many of them put uncomfortable pressure on couples. The presentations are crafted to manipulate you into buying, regardless of if buying a timeshare is a right fit for your family.

Either way—if timeshares are worth it for you or not—I know these tips to survive a timeshare pitch as a couple will help you emerge with your relationship intact.

I’m curious: Do you have any timeshare pitch horror stories, or any that went surprisingly well? Do you have tips to survive a timeshare pitch? Share in the comments below!

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Bet the timeshare people hate you! Awesome article and you’re absolutrly right. I’m also the one more likely to get excited…

Ha! Well they have to know 99% of people go into those meetings not intending to buy.

This is a very important article! Some salespeople are super aggressive, and I am not a fan of the ways in which they pressure people. Glad you shared this!

I hear you. It feels icky to be pressured, but if you know the tactics they’ll likely use, you can guard against them.

I’ve never been approached by someone pitching this kind of sale, but these are great tips to keep in mind. Pinning this so others can read!

Thank you for sharing, Lecy! It really does pay to know how you’ll be targeted. That way you don’t fall into a trap you didn’t see coming.

We have been on so many vacations where we are bugged to show up to an information time share session. I have never been to one but nice tips in case I find myself in one some day!

I swear the vacation industry relies so heavily on these kinds of pitches. I’m surprised you haven’t gotten roped into one!

What a great post to write Catherine! I always wondered what went on in those timeshare meetings. You give a great game plan!

That’s the thing: People don’t know what they’re getting into when they agree to a time share pitch! Glad this shed some light, Erin.

Love all these tips! Thanks for sharing!

Anytime, Amanda. Thanks for reading 🙂

Lol. My husband and I have sat through two of these pitches- the last one 10 years ago in Disney world for some upgrade perks. We still joke about it now- ten years later.

I’m so glad you can joke about it together! My husband still gets FURIOUS whenever the time share pitch in Hawaii comes up in conversation.

I’ve not been abroad since I was a kid but I remember my mum and dad getting approached about time shares ALL the time whenever we went!

Time share pitches can be a great way to save money on travel and activities – but only if you manage to not be persuaded into buying if you don’t actually want to buy.

So informative and practical Catherine. Any advice for those of us who already own a timeshare and want to get out?

Hm, I haven’t had to do this personally. I do know there are some companies that will help but I haven’t heard about how reputable they are. I think some facilitate selling your timeshare to other buyers. Sorry I can’t be of more help!

Thank you for this posting! I know a few people who have timeshares and they enjoy them. But my parents had 2 (they are in their 80’s now), and they ended up spending $5k to sell them. I’m sure they may not have known the best route for selling, but in this time in their life they just wanted out. Selling timeshares isn’t always easy. I didn’t want to “inherit” the timeshares, because I saw that my parents STILL had to pay timeshare fees and expenses, even though the timeshares were paid off. If you can’t go every year, then it’s a waste of money. And yes, you can trade or pay extra to go to resorts that are not in that specific location, but that limits where you can go each year. Like you said, I’m not against timeshares, but it is a bigger commitment than the salespeople tell you. All of that said, I’m considering visiting a timeshare promotion in Orlando with my kids this summer. Ready for the sales pitch at the end …. 😉

Absolutely, Susie — timeshares are not bad! My in-laws are members of two different ones, and they take full advantage of them. It’s just important to know what you’re in for during a timeshare pitch so you’re not persuaded into something that won’t work for you.

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How to survive a Timeshare Sales Presentation!

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If you are vacationing in a Timeshare, you will eventually be scheduled to attend a Timeshare Sales Presentation! These meetings are scheduled (or at least the scheduling is attempted) for nearly all guests who are staying at the Timeshare itself, be it an existing owner, exchanger or simply someone renting a unit. This article is intended to help you be prepared for what to expect when attending one of these meetings so you are better prepared to sit through it! Note that these sales presentations can be disguised as many different things (Owner Update for example) in an attempt to hide the fact that you are going to have to sit through an attempt to sell you a Timeshare!

Ok so it appears I have to go - what now?

It is at this point where your experience can vary from extremely short and pleasant, to extremely long and miserable! We have had reports from all extremes of the spectrum, and everywhere in between! It truly depends on the resort and the salesman on how your presentation will go! I cannot possibly describe each and every possible scenario, however it never ceases to amaze me how many folks go into a presentation convinced they wont buy a thing, and exit the presentation new owners of a Timeshare! The next few sections will discuss the main contents of nearly all Timeshare presentations.

When it comes down to it, you are there to be sold something. While this is usually a new timeshare, pitches to existing owners can include "upgrades" to increase point totals you already own. "Trade ins" that give you some value for your existing timeshare if you agree to purchase a newer (read more expensive) timeshare package. As well as "preview/trial" packages for potential new owners who may be on the fence about buying! No matter what the pitch to you is, there is one very important thing you MUST understand, and that will get you through any presentation. You do not need to buy right then and there! Nor SHOULD you buy anything on the spot without doing research. It is the job of the salesperson to get you to sign that new contract (for whatever package you are being pitched at the time) right then and there during the sales presentation. Doing this eliminates many options and protections for you as a consumer!

Common tactics you might encounter!

• "X number of extra vacation weeks" that you can have if you buy this package.
• "Buying this timeshare will let you trade/exchange for any other timeshare at any time"
• "If you don't use your Timeshare, we will rent it out for you"
• "Timeshare is an investment that will increase in value!"
• This deal is "just for you" as I cleared it with my manager but is only available if you buy today!

But the salesman said this was a one time offer?

This is one of the most common "tactics" used by Timeshare salespersons to get you to commit during the presentation. Fact is, that offer will be valid whenever you decide you want to take it. You could call up the next month after returning home and doing your research and the salesman would literally jump through the phone to sign you up for that same deal offered during your presentation. Absolutely No offer made during a presentation becomes "unavailable" to you the moment the presentation ends. There is a reason that the sales presentations are done at the beginning of your vacation! Your Right of Rescission period begins the day you sign your contract and varies in length from 3 to 10 days depending on the state. It is quite possible that by the time you get home from your vacation and get a chance to sit down and research exactly what you just bought, you might have already passed the period in which you had to legally cancel. This is not done by accident folks!

Why would I cancel, surely its cheaper to buy at the presentation?

One of the hardest truths TUGGERS discover (usually shortly after buying during a presentation) is the Timeshare Resale market. So many folks are desperate to rid themselves of their timeshares, resale prices for most resorts have never ever been lower. Yes you can find that exact same interval for pennies on the dollar vs what you can buy it for right there at the presentation. At the very least, you owe it to yourself to RESEARCH before making that decision! If you find later that the price given to you during the presentation was the best you can do (it wont be), then by all means call the salesman back up and express your interest in buying and they will sign you right up! TUG has saved owners MILLIONS of dollars in the past few years for those that have bought during a sales presentation, then later found TUG in time to cancel that purchase and buy on the resale market for pennies on the dollar. We are not making this stuff up! This thread serves as a reference for owners who have confirmed they were able to cancel in time and buy resale! Check out the current list of people TUG has saved here: I found TUG in time to rescind my new Timeshare purchase!

If you for some reason still bought a Timeshare during the presentation, we advise you to rescind immediately and do some research as you only have a very short time to legally cancel to get a full refund! This is such an important detail, we actually created an entire youtube video to cover it! Check it out here:

The salesman said I lose benefits when buying resale?

This is most certainly true of more and more resorts these days! It is a vain attempt at destroying the resale market so that resorts can continue to sell NEW timeshares at a grossly inflated price! If this tactic is used on you during your sales presentation, you should make the salesman write out right in front of you exactly which items and services do not apply if you were to buy this exact same timeshare on the resale market! This will help you two fold! First It gives you the exact items you can go and research to see if there is indeed a way to get those by purchasing resale. In many cases you will find that some of these "perks" do indeed apply to any and all owners irregardless of how the timeshare was purchased. Second It lets you decide if those perks are worth paying tens of thousands of dollars MORE than buying the same property on the resale market! One example of this is a large resort chain offering free limo rides during your vacation to and from the airport etc for those who purchase a new timeshare package at a certain price level. This sounds great, and is indeed a fantastic perk for new owners! However one must keep in perspective that you could probably get some pretty nice limo service yourself each trip with an extra $10,000 in your pocket that you saved by buying resale!

The Final Word!

• If you are uncomfortable or have ANY questions or concerns about the deal, you should not sign.
• if you are unable to confirm in writing IN THE CONTRACT everything the salesman has said, you should not sign.
• if you are unable to do research on the resale market, you should not sign.

Feel free to stop by our Timeshare Online Community Forums if you want to ask specific questions, with tens of thousands of Timeshare owners and experts, no question goes unanswered!

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