Does the mention of a timeshare presentation make you shutter? Well, it did for me too until I decided to take a chance and see what it was all about. I know that some are worse than others, and I'm not saying that I know all the tricks on how to get you in and out in 30 minutes with tons of free stuff, but I am willing to share my experience and let you decide if this is something you want to try and learn from.
I came across this timeshare presentation last summer at Six Flags. There was a booth setup where you spin a wheel for a free prize, yadda yadda. Everyone wins, but to claim the prize you have to first "tour a vacation property" nearby. I setup my appointment for a few weeks later. I am not at a point in my life where purchasing a timeshare is right for me. I know people who have them and love them! I think if this is something you're interested in, you should do a lot of research and make sure you're getting a good price. Knowing where you stand when going into the presentation is essential, because they will twist and turn anything you say into making you think owning a timeshare is exactly what you need!
The first thing that happened to me when I walked in was that I was greeted promptly and then left to wait for someone to give me a tour. I ate a couple of cookies and drank some coffee. Might as well, you're there for at least an hour! The tour was relatively short and the property was underwhelming. I am not a wilderness camper, nor do I particularly like to vacation places where there are screaming children in the pool outside my front window. Easy decision, right?
The most intimidating experience for most people is what happens after the tour. You are sat down with your salesperson and given the whole speech on why timeshares are so great. Even with my excuse of this property sucks, why would I want to vacation here, he was ready to go with every reason under the sun to still buy (you can pick alternate properties, you save so much money, you have deeded property). The biggest selling point at this particular property was that the money you spend vacationing today is so much more than what you would spend if you owned a timeshare. If you can counter this argument, you can come out ahead. What worked for me was telling them that a) I was saving to buy a house and why would I buy vacation property before a house? and b) whenever I vacation, I only go visit family and friends that I can stay with to avoid the cost of a hotel room or food. Ok, so maybe I fibbed a bit, but after 90 minutes of repeatedly saying NO, I was finally sent on my way with a gas card (it worked, i used it quickly) and two "free vacations" through spirit incentives. Dealing with Spirit Incentives is a whole other story and deserves a post of it's own. I will get to that at some point in the future.
Is this right for you? Can you handle the pressure of a sales pitch? Most likely you can... so suck it up and give it a shot. Please don't make any rash decisions while you're there and get yourself stuck in a contract that you can't get out of. If you go home and decide you still want a timeshare the next day, you can always go back!
I came across this timeshare presentation last summer at Six Flags. There was a booth setup where you spin a wheel for a free prize, yadda yadda. Everyone wins, but to claim the prize you have to first "tour a vacation property" nearby. I setup my appointment for a few weeks later. I am not at a point in my life where purchasing a timeshare is right for me. I know people who have them and love them! I think if this is something you're interested in, you should do a lot of research and make sure you're getting a good price. Knowing where you stand when going into the presentation is essential, because they will twist and turn anything you say into making you think owning a timeshare is exactly what you need!
The first thing that happened to me when I walked in was that I was greeted promptly and then left to wait for someone to give me a tour. I ate a couple of cookies and drank some coffee. Might as well, you're there for at least an hour! The tour was relatively short and the property was underwhelming. I am not a wilderness camper, nor do I particularly like to vacation places where there are screaming children in the pool outside my front window. Easy decision, right?
The most intimidating experience for most people is what happens after the tour. You are sat down with your salesperson and given the whole speech on why timeshares are so great. Even with my excuse of this property sucks, why would I want to vacation here, he was ready to go with every reason under the sun to still buy (you can pick alternate properties, you save so much money, you have deeded property). The biggest selling point at this particular property was that the money you spend vacationing today is so much more than what you would spend if you owned a timeshare. If you can counter this argument, you can come out ahead. What worked for me was telling them that a) I was saving to buy a house and why would I buy vacation property before a house? and b) whenever I vacation, I only go visit family and friends that I can stay with to avoid the cost of a hotel room or food. Ok, so maybe I fibbed a bit, but after 90 minutes of repeatedly saying NO, I was finally sent on my way with a gas card (it worked, i used it quickly) and two "free vacations" through spirit incentives. Dealing with Spirit Incentives is a whole other story and deserves a post of it's own. I will get to that at some point in the future.
Is this right for you? Can you handle the pressure of a sales pitch? Most likely you can... so suck it up and give it a shot. Please don't make any rash decisions while you're there and get yourself stuck in a contract that you can't get out of. If you go home and decide you still want a timeshare the next day, you can always go back!
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