Timeshare presentations have gained a reputation giving away a free trip to a resort and all someone has to do is sit through a presentation for a specific amount of time. Is this really all that happens? Is it ethical to take advantage of these deals even if you know full well that you won’t be purchasing a timeshare via retail? This article will cover many of your questions about timeshare presentations and what to expect.
How To Get In a Timeshare Presentation
Many resorts offer presentations and most will require attendees to qualify in a variety of areas. These qualifications can vary from resort club to the next but marital status and financial qualifications are the most common. Telemarketers will probably have screened your qualifications before calling and if you are pulled off the street, chances are that they are willing to put the time in hoping that you would qualify. It is also possible to call the sales department of a specific resort or Vacation Club and request a presentation. Deals can range from a free stay at a specific location to a greatly discounted rate. Sometimes, the resort will put you up in a cut-rate hotel nearby and bring you onto the property for the sales presentation.
What to Expect
These presentations can last anywhere from one to four hours. Many times there will be a gift promised at the end of the presentation to further entice a person into attending. These presentations are designed to play on the emotions of attendees as well as pressure them into buying. Rotations of sales reps will also be used so that the presentation doesn’t have the same voice speaking for the entire presentation. This tactic also affords the sales reps the ability to make the presentation longer than the promised amount of time. It would be hard for one person to present a location for more than two hours, much less four, but with multiple sales reps it can be greatly lengthened. If you’re looking to get a free vacation out of these presentations, it may be wise to consider this fact.
Is It Worth It?
The answer is relative to each person. There are a lot of variables that come into play when deciding on whether or not to attend a presentation. The sales people are trained to turn a ‘no’ into, “I should really have this, this is a great deal.” If you you are easily swayed there he potential of someone changing a maybe into a purchase. There is also the fact that you could be spending the majority of your vacation in a conference room or office getting pitched for something that you don’t want or need. Is it worth getting persistent calls during your free time from the timeshare company, just to see if you’re still interested? It is definitely possible to take advantage of the discounted trips and gifts but most places will not let you take multiple trips to go to the presentations because their system is centralized and they will be aware if you try. Going through multiple brands would be the way to go if that is a route of interest.
If you are looking into buying a resale timeshare, you can use the presentations as a way to look at the property before contacting us to get a massively discounted price.
