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How to deal with timeshare presentations?

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Lagamorph

Member
So I'm booking a few nights stay in a Hilton in London, but to get a discount on the rate (of a few hundred pounds) I have to attend a 2 hour Hilton timeshare presentation. I know these things are high pressure sales pitches but I've never attended anything like it before so don't really know what to expect.
My plan is to set my phone on a 2 hour countdown and start it the second I walk in, then as soon as the alarm goes off just stand up and leave even if the sales people are mid-sentence, just telling them their 2 hours are up and I was only there for the discount.

I'm guessing they'll try and throw in sweeteners to get me to stay longer, discounts on stays, free nights, etc, but anything else I should be prepared for and be watching out for?
 
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capitalCORN

Member
I suggest getting into a state of altered awareness. If not that, I can't imagine they'll give you shit for fiddling on your phone.
 
H

Holmes

Member
The only time I booked a hotel on a time share, we didn't have to attend the presentation because we checked in so late due to our flight being delayed and all the seats were taken.
 
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hobozero

Member
I wonder if you could get yourself declared mentally incompetent for the duration of the trip, and give someone else power of attorney. Then, no matter what happens, you couldn't agree to anything if you wanted to. That might be fun :)
 
S

slider

Member
There's a sitcom in this. In fact, King of Queens did something around this at a ski resort. It was amazing.

No advice I'm afraid OP. But your plan sounds solid if a little rude. After all, this is England and we have the most refined of manners.

Final roll of the dice... I take it Debrett's don't have any advice on this sort of thing??
 
S

Syriel

Member
Lagamorph said:
I'm guessing they'll try and throw in sweeteners to get me to stay longer, discounts on stays, free nights, etc, but anything else I should be prepared for and be watching out for?
Click to expand...

The longer you say no, the more freebies they'll throw in.

Did one of these in Mexico. Ended up with a free city tour, tequila tour, day long boat/snorkel cruise, a guided hike, and some additional freebies.

I was negotiating with the guy for some free nights at the timeshare property to "try it out" before we made a decision, when my SO felt sorry for him (they'd brought in the third closer) and just told them they might as well cut their losses as I wasn't going to buy anything.

It's all about who has more willpower to stick to their guns.
 
J

Jason's Ultimatum

Member
archer-timeshares.gif
 
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SlickShoes

Member
I went to one of these once and it was for something I literally could have never been able to afford, just sat there and enjoyed watching and hearing info about the place while having tea and cakes then just said no at the end and left.
 
K

Korey

Member
The first answer is to never do these. They'll get you somewhere. Even if you say no to everything, they can still invalidate your bonus if you mess up somehow.

Be sure to read every document they have you sign, before and at the event.
 
L

Lubricus

Member
"No, nope, nada, negative, not interested, no way, not now, nosey dosey, I'm broke, the bankruptcy judge says no, maybe after I pay all these overdraft fees, Mary had a little money-but not me, will the $20,000 I owe on child support be counted?, if i had two cents to rub together-I'd build a fire."
 
G

Grimm Fandango

Member
I just did one last week in Mexico for Unlimited Vacation Club. Later learned the prices I was quoted were total bullshit. Didn't do it obviously.

Don't sign anything. Look up things on the internet to see reviews if you are curious.
 
L

Lagamorph

Member
Cheers for the advice guys. I'll be saying "No" at literally the first (and every) opportunity within the 2 hours, assuming I'm paying enough attention to realise I've been asked a question.
I realise getting up bang on 2 hours may seem a little rude, but as far as I'm concerned the contract I've verbally entered into over the phone was "We give you discount, you attend a 2 hour tour/presentation" and that was all they said. Those are the terms and conditions I've agreed to, so should they try to invalidate the claim after the fact and charge my credit card more for the stay I'll just tell my card provider to do a Chargeback and wash my hands of the matter.

I suspect they'll realise early on who has the remotest chance of being sold to, and if they see my total lack of attention and enthusiasm they may just move on and not waste their time that could be spent on other people there.
 
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GKSilKamina

Member
Poppy said:
i suggest smiling politely and refusing everything
Click to expand...

This is pretty much what my father did when he ended up at a timeshare presentation. I swear they brought out like twelve different salespeople to talk/convince him to buy. He cheerfully just kept saying some variation of "No.", "I'm not interested.", or "I can't afford it."

It took a while but eventually they let him go.
 
L

Lagamorph

Member
GKSilKamina said:
This is pretty much what my father did when he ended up at a timeshare presentation. I swear they brought out like twelve different salespeople to talk/convince him to buy. He cheerfully just kept saying some variation of "No.", "I'm not interested.", or "I can't afford it."

It took a while but eventually they let him go.
Click to expand...

Well I have no intention of being there longer than the 2 hours I've agreed to. I'm in London to do things out and about, not spend the whole time in a sales pitch.
 
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hodayathink

Member
My family actually owns 2 timeshares and I've been to like a dozen of them at this point. Just say no, it's not any more complicated than that.

As far as noping out after exactly 2 hours, it's rude as fuck without fair warning, but you can easily just tell them beforehand that you made plans you can't change for right after the presentation (say 2 and a half hours after the scheduled start time), and that you'll have to leave when the 2 hours are up. Unless they're complete assholes, they will let you go at that point. This isn't like that episode of South Park, if you say you want to leave they'll let you leave.
 
L

Lagamorph

Member
Oh god. The presentation is even more boring than I could ever have imagined.
I can't take another 90 minutes

Oh god now they're asking questions about some crappy video I didn't pay attention to.
 
Jacknapes

Jacknapes

Member
I went to one once, luckily there was quite a few of us in the timeshare presentation. Had myself a wireless in-ear piece for listening to some music. It was noticed, but i said i was deaf and it was a hearing aid.

Said no to everything they offered (bar refreshments), saved £200 on my trip
 
L

Lagamorph

Member
Hahaha. £200/month for 15 years for 'Hilton grand vacation points' plus £1,000/year for the rest of your life for in insurance policy. Gee let me think about that one.


Thank God that's over.
 
H

Hjod

Banned
Lagamorph said:
Hahaha. £200/month for 15 years for 'Hilton grand vacation points' plus £1,000/year for the rest of your life for in insurance policy. Gee let me think about that one.


Thank God that's over.
Click to expand...

You're in London so a gun will be hard to buy, but if you still want to end it, try the English cuisine.
 
G

Gravy Boat

Member
I had a post typed out explaining my experience with a time share presentation in Vegas a few months ago, but it ended up being about 18 paragraphs long.

TLDR, avoid if you can. They're a waste of time, you'll be pressured into buying something by at least 3 people, they do not take no for an answer and you will need to be very firm with them to get them to eventually take the fucking hint. I wasted 6 hours at one that we signed up for under false pretences.
 
J

Jonnax

Member
Lagamorph said:
Hahaha. £200/month for 15 years for 'Hilton grand vacation points' plus £1,000/year for the rest of your life for in insurance policy. Gee let me think about that one.


Thank God that's over.
Click to expand...
????? How did they even try to sell that as a good deal.
 
S

soqquatto

Member
Gravy Boat said:
I had a post typed out explaining my experience with a time share presentation in Vegas a few months ago, but it ended up being about 18 paragraphs long.

TLDR, avoid if you can. They're a waste of time, you'll be pressured into buying something by at least 3 people, they do not take no for an answer and you will need to be very firm with them to get them to eventually take the fucking hint. I wasted 6 hours at one that we signed up for under false pretences.
Click to expand...

just be rude. "no, I've came here only for the discount" and call someone on the phone
 
G

Gravy Boat

Member
Jonnax said:
????? How did they even try to sell that as a good deal.
Click to expand...

They're delusional. Our trip cost us £800 (3 nights in NY and 3 nights in Vegas, flights and hotels) and they tried to sell us an apartment in Vegas that would have cost us

$550 PER MONTH for 5 years (that's more than we pay in rent at home)
$800 EACH YEAR FOREVER for maintenance fees
$294 when we booked it for a week (Our timeshare allowed us 1 week each year, so $294 a year basically)
PLUS
A $3000 deposit that needed to be paid there and then when we signed.

So $1644 a year, not including flights, to stay in some shitty apartment that was a 30 minute taxi ride from the strip, plus a one time fee of $3000. They tried to convince us that this would be cheaper than the holiday we had paid for. They're fucking lunatics.
 
S

slit

Member
I'd rather have a root canal than go through that. Screw any discounts but good luck. I don't know about the UK but those Timeshare companies are notorious for not keeping their end of the bargain through loopholes.
 
nekkid

nekkid

It doesn't matter who we are, what matters is our plan.
Lagamorph said:
So I'm booking a few nights stay in a Hilton in London, but to get a discount on the rate (of a few hundred pounds) I have to attend a 2 hour Hilton timeshare presentation. I know these things are high pressure sales pitches but I've never attended anything like it before so don't really know what to expect.
My plan is to set my phone on a 2 hour countdown and start it the second I walk in, then as soon as the alarm goes off just stand up and leave even if the sales people are mid-sentence, just telling them their 2 hours are up and I was only there for the discount.

I'm guessing they'll try and throw in sweeteners to get me to stay longer, discounts on stays, free nights, etc, but anything else I should be prepared for and be watching out for?
Click to expand...

That sounds a bit rude. The discount was optional based on you listening to what they have to say. You're not being forced into it.
 
C

crisdecuba

Member
Lagamorph said:
...
My plan is to set my phone on a 2 hour countdown and start it the second I walk in, then as soon as the alarm goes off just stand up and leave even if the sales people are mid-sentence, just telling them their 2 hours are up and I was only there for the discount.
...
Click to expand...
1. This is a strange, somewhat rude plan
2. What power do you think they'll have over you that makes you worried about just sticking with a polite but firm no (as opposed to, you know, the more awkward and rude approach, which is the plan you describe above)?

Edit: my wording above was too strong, sorry
 
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