Interesting Vacation Package Experience

[JAGTraveler]

We recently bought one of the 3 night, 4 day packages from Hilton. Essentially a trip to their very nice, new Hilton Head property. $200 voucher and a 3 or 4 day cruise voucher. Had our sales presentation today. We confirmed with the salesman that it was 90 min and off he went. I've done two other presentations so the spiel is the same but this one had the nicest benefits.

Having read in detail the experiences here on TUG, we listened to the briefing and asked a couple of questions. The Spiel is well known and described here. Anyway, he launched into the return/sell back policy and how quickly they get back to you. I disputed gently the information he presented based on what I've read. Bottom line is the salesman did not acknowledge knowing about TUG even asking how to spell it.

Anyway, he discussed the maintenance/HOA fee and I told him it was a deal breaker. I said I'd consider if he halved it knowing that was not something he could do. He then folded and led us up front for us to collect the other consideration. Left us in the hands of the greeter and proceeded into the break room which could be seen from the counter. Left the door open as he proceeded to bitch and verbally abuse the experience to his coworker in the room. As we were concluding, his invective was quite audible.

I asked for the manager who finally came out and relayed the experience to that individual in regard to the bitching and moaning in full hearing of the individuals who were the subject of the rant . He, of course, at least acted appalled.

Prior to this the whole presentation was quite cordial but you never know what is behind the lying fascade and this salesman was hopping mad I didn't buy...

 

[1Kflyerguy]

We did an update at W57 last year, and the end the sales guy got frustrated as well. When it became clear we were not going to buy into the Residences, he asked "Why do you even come to these if you don't intend to buy?" I replied, "Same reason as you, Hilton pays me to attend"

 

[brp]

We did an update at W57 last year, and the end the sales guy got frustrated as well. When it became clear we were not going to buy into the Residences, he asked "Why do you even come to these if you don't intend to buy?" I replied, "Same reason as you, Hilton pays me to attend"

We were at W. 57th a few years ago. Probably had the same guy. I asked him "honestly, are we wasting your time?" He answered honestly, but with a good attitude, and said "yes." I did appreciate that. But, prior to that, he did the "why do you attend? question.

I told him that the sales people and the folks who get paid to get us there by telling us "oh, it's just an owner's update - no need to buy" are incented differently and at odds with one another. Until that changes, we'll be incented to come even if we have no intention of buying - and that will be to his detriment.

Cheers.

 

[Helios]

...he asked "Why do you even come to these if you don't intend to buy?" I replied, "Same reason as you, Hilton pays me to attend"

Love it. I may borrow this in the future. I may add something about my time being more valuable than his/her and I'll tell him/her I'll invoice him/her for the difference between the gift and my actual loaded rate...

 

[Helios]

We were at W. 57th a few years ago. Probably had the same guy. I asked him "honestly, are we wasting your time?" He answered honestly, but with a good attitude, and said "yes." I did appreciate that. But, prior to that, he did the "why do you attend? question.

I told him that the sales people and the folks who get paid to get us there by telling us "oh, it's just an owner's update - no need to buy" are incented differently and at odds with one another. Until that changes, we'll be incented to come even if we have no intention of buying - and that will be to his detriment.

Cheers.

I can see why they would say people waste their time, they could be making a sale.

However, you are 100% right. The people who book the presentations are the real problem. When they say update, they mean sales presentation...

 

[Tamaradarann]

I can see why they would say people waste their time, they could be making a sale.

However, you are 100% right. The people who book the presentations are the real problem. When they say update, they mean sales presentation...

Everyone has a different perspective and interest in the transaction. The person who books the presentation at the resort, on the street or by phone gets a commission. They need to say what they need to to get you to book. The person who sells the timeshare gets a commission to sell the timeshare so they say what they need to to get you to buy. You know that resales are less costly than buying from the developer so you don't buy from the developer you buy resale.

That is why the federal government made a law that financial advisors couldn't recommend an investment for which they get a commission. Therefore, they would be acting in their own best interest instead of the clients best interest. I understand that the current administration wants to overturn that law so that a financial advisor could get a commission like the person who books the presentation or sells the timeshare.

 

[GT75]

We just attended an "Owner's Update" at Sunrise Lodge in Park City, Utah. I do agree with many others that a $100 gift is no longer worth wasting my time for these sales pitches. At Sunrise Lodge, one of the offers to attend is two lift tickets for Deer Valley worth ~$260 total. Now, for me this was worth it since our group wanted to ski Deer Valley during this trip. Also, an owner's update only takes 1 hour at Sunrise Lodge assuming that you don't purchase something (of which we weren't).

Our 1 hour "Owner's Update" started out very interesting with our rep asking "why are you here?". Before, I could even say anything, he stated, "you sure do have a lot of points of which you are using". His next question was, "What did it take to get you in here, I sure hope that it was worth it?". I was finally able to answer that question with the promise of the Deer Valley ski tickets. I also added that we weren't looking to add anymore points since we had enough.

The rep did provide a fairly good overall "Owner's Update". Most of what he said, I already knew, but a few things I hadn't looked at in awhile. He never did give a "sales pitch" for us to purchase something. I don't think that they could come up with anything that would make any sense at all. One hour later, almost to the minute, we were done.

 

[brp]

Everyone has a different perspective and interest in the transaction. The person who books the presentation at the resort, on the street or by phone gets a commission. They need to say what they need to to get you to book. The person who sells the timeshare gets a commission to sell the timeshare so they say what they need to to get you to buy. You know that resales are less costly than buying from the developer so you don't buy from the developer you buy resale.

Exactly. As I said above, their model encourages one group of employees to, in many cases, waste the time of another group since their incentives are different. Clearly it works well enough for them to keep doing it, though.

Cheers.

 

[Tamaradarann]

Exactly. As I said above, their model encourages one group of employees to, in many cases, waste the time of another group since their incentives are different. Clearly it works well enough for them to keep doing it, though.

Cheers.

That is one of the reasons that HGVC stopped letting people who bought resale go to presentations. They knew that once someone paid 1/4 of the cost that they were selling for they wouldn't buy.

 

[brp]

That is one of the reasons that HGVC stopped letting people who bought resale go to presentations. They knew that once someone paid 1/4 of the cost that they were selling for they wouldn't buy.

Certainly makes sense for them to do that. How recently did they make that change? We went as late as last year and we are resale folks. W. 57th calls us in advance (we'll see what happens in October). At Flamingo and Big Island, they only invite us if we ask at their desk...and we no longer do...

Cheers.

 

[jehb2]

he asked "Why do you even come to these if you don't intend to buy?"

Manhattan Club presentation. We replied, "We kept saying no but you guys kept calling us. We figured if we came you'd stop calling us." That actually stumped him for a minute.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

Manhattan Club presentation. We replied, "We kept saying no but you guys kept calling us. We figured if we came you'd stop calling us." That actually stumped him for a minute.

That's a good one too. I "almost" feel sorry for the sales people that get stuck with the people just there for gift card or whatever premium is being offered.. But that is the system the developers created, In the end they must convince enough people to buy that its profitable for the developer.

 

[Tamaradarann]

Certainly makes sense for them to do that. How recently did they make that change? We went as late as last year and we are resale folks. W. 57th calls us in advance (we'll see what happens in October). At Flamingo and Big Island, they only invite us if we ask at their desk...and we no longer do...

Cheers.

That is a good question! We have stayed only at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in the last 2 years and have been told that since we bought resales we cannot go to a presentation with gifts. The consierges know us and don't even bother to ask. We had gone to 7 HGVC presentations with gifts over the previous 7 years in Honolulu, Las Vegas, and Orlando. In 2013 we were told by at presenter at the Hilton Hawaiian Village that after we received for 5 gifts for going to presentations that we couldn't go to any more presentations with gifts. However, we then went to Las Vegas and stayed at the HGVC at the Flamingo and we received a gift for going to a presentation at the Strip resort. Then we went to Honolulu the next year and stayed for 2 nights at a Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel and received a gift for going to a presentation even after we told the person in the Rainbow Tower that booked the presentation that we couldn't receive any gifts for going to a presentation.

 

[JAGTraveler]

I'm actually one of those people that went there for the $200 certificate off a future stay, the cruise certificate and the discount off the room for the 4 days. I won't buy from them due to the issues that are talked about here but if I get a call and they ask me to go, who am I to turn them down? They asked me, I didn't solicit them to convince me with "gifts" to come to their presentation. Now if the rep wants to slander his clients, then that rep probably needs to find another job more suited to his temperament or close the door when he throws around his invective. Kind of a weird situation...

 

[mrbigolwillee]

We went to the lagoon tower and attended the pitch just a last month. I set the alarm on my phone to go off at exactly 60 minutes into the presentation. At that point my wife and I cut off any hope that we're going to buy more. We definitely felt it was an easy way to make $100. I'm sure we could all use an extra Franklin in Waikiki.


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