# Westgate TS presentation in Vegas



## tikicarver (Jun 25, 2015)

We were in Vegas for quick weekend trip. Stopped by the Tix-to-Nite booth at the M&M store by the MGM on the strip to get cheap show tickets and we were 
stopped by some TS agents. They were offering a bunch of freebies for going to their TS presentation for the Westgate. We had zero interest in Westgate but they said we could get a bunch of freebies if we just went to a 90 minute presentation and it was just upstairs from where we were standing. We are good at saying No, so we did it for the freebies. 

Here is was they were offering:
(if you don't know, they took over the old LasVegas Hilton and they said they are taking the rooms and turning them into TS style rooms, full kitchens etc.)

1BR for $35,000 and a $630/yr MX fee
plus you get 1000 resort credits every year that can be used to "buy all kinds of things" 
They tried to tell us they were the biggest TS company in the USA. I laughed at that one, I think they were playing on words, they probably are the largest Privately owned one but so what. They don't have a single resort in Hawaii.

The sales guy was actually pretty nice. I figured out he has been selling for a long time and he picked up pretty quick that we knew how TS stuff works. His only angle was to say, "well you understand TS and you like it, but I think your 1 week is not enough, you need more".
When I told him not interested in buying anything at this time, he said, "well why did you guys do this presentation".
Almost in unison my wife and I said, "for the free stuff" LOL
He kind of smiled and said ok, well let me have you  talk to my manager and then you can get out of here.

So if you have done some of these you know how this goes. The "manager" comes over and does the usual BS. "well how much do you spend on vacations a year?, well look how much hotels cost, blah,blah. "So I can get you this special deal we have going on right now, you can get every other year for the low price of $9000, that will only cost you $150 a year, that is nothing." (um the price just came way down) 
I said, " ya right nothing except the $9000 plus the exchanges fees and everything else I pay if i really want to use it." (plus I knew it didn't have much trading power because I never heard of Westgate until today)
So I told her, "nope not interested"
Then she gets that typical attitude, of well you are really passing up a great deal and it only cost you $150/yr. then she looks at my wife and says, " well what do you think of it?" Really? That is the tactic my 6yr old uses, i say no so she goes and asks Mommy. 
So she finally figures out she is wasting her time and leaves.
But of course they have to try one last time.
The supervisor or whoever he was now comes to the table to "sign us out"
but he has one last great deal.
He says, "i know you are not interested today, but i can offer you this special deal we have going. (i try not to bust out laughing everytime they say they have a special deal)
I can offer you a one week stay in any of our  resorts, good for up to 1 yr from today, and we will still honor the deal to buy in the future for the "special "price of $9000. all for the low price of $700. Of coarse you have to pay in full right now. I was almost tempted because we are planning a trip to Hawaii, but they don't have any resorts in HI, so no deal.
He just said, ok and left the table.

It was almost 90 minutes since we had walked in, so time to collect our freebies and move on.

Basically they offered show tickets or dinner tickets and some credits at the Westgate hotel. About $100 of value.

We got 2 tickets for the Highroller ( the new observation wheel), they said they included an open bar. I had looked up the prices because be planned to do that anyway. The cheapest I could get on my own was $23/ticket, so with open bar we figured that saved us $60. But of coarse, when we went to the Highroller, they said the tickets we got do NOT include the open bar. They said it was suppose to say that on the ticket. We told them we specifically asked the girl that gave them to us if it included the open bar and she said yes. they said, sorry, you can go back to the Westgate and complain to them. Ya, right, I'm going to walk back a mile to complain.
So we took the ride without the free drinks. If you do this presentation make sure the ticket says Open Bar.

They also gave us $50 in credit that can be used at any restaurant in the Westgate hotel. There are a few nice ones there, but since we were going to a show that night, and they all close at 10pm, we could not make it to one. So we used them for the Sunday brunch buffet. I would advise to use the credit for the restaurants because the buffet is not that great.

We also got one ticket for the Elvis museum, worth $23. Didn't use it because not worth buying another one so both of us could go. If I knew better I would have asked for two tickets, they probably would give them because it is in their hotel so cost them nothing. Just play hardball with them and say 2 tickets to Elvis or we are not going to the presentation. LOL

and they gave us $10 in slot play. good for 15 minute on a penny slot until the machine eats it all. LOL

bottom line, for 90 minutes of our time we got 2 tickets and dinner for two.
worth about $1 per minute of our time. For us it was worth it, we got off the strip in the middle of the day when it was 105 outside and got some free drinks and snacks, and got stuff for free that we planned to do anyway.

If you want some free stuff and are willing to give up 90 minutes, head over to the big Coke bottle by the MGM, their booth is on the inside by Tixs-To-Nite.


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## Talent312 (Jun 25, 2015)

Thank you, but no.
I do not sell my vacation time for the privilege of having my ears boxed for however long.
... no matter how hot it is, and no matter how much $$ they leave on the nightstand.
But that's just me.


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## tompalm (Jun 29, 2015)

I somehow often cave into the approach for the owner's update at the Hilton. It is easy if you are at the Boulverd on the strip. Just go downstairs and get your coffee and out of there pretty fast when they find out you bought resale and don't want to spend more than a dollar per point.  Once I was done in 18 minutes. The last time they started talking about the Hilton credit card and how to max out points with Hilton honors. I don't plan to convert my HGVC points, but realized the Hilton card is a better deal than my Marriott card. So I got the new AmEx card and plan to get rid of Marriott. I asked the sales rep a dozen questions and the update was worth it. No hard sale, no manager came out, he let me go when he realized I wasn't going to buy. I got my gifts and departed. It is a lot better going to Hilton than another company if you have time to kill.


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## LannyPC (Jun 29, 2015)

tikicarver69 said:


> bottom line, for 90 minutes of our time we got 2 tickets and dinner for two.
> worth about $1 per minute of our time. For us it was worth it...
> If you want some free stuff and are willing to give up 90 minutes, head over to the big Coke bottle by the MGM, their booth is on the inside by Tixs-To-Nite.



Problem is, these presentations usually last longer than 90 minutes.  And the parts that really gets me about that is that 1) they never compensate you for the time beyond the agreed-upon 90 minutes and 2) there's no accountability for sales people who deliberately keep you beyond the agreed-upon 90 minutes.  So basically they can break their end of the deal with impunity and no repercussions.


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## tikicarver (Jul 6, 2015)

All the ones we have done we always get out in less than what they ask for.
The trick is to show absolutely NO interest. If you do they will keep talking.

At this one, the guy figured out we knew about TS and how everything worked.
So when he got to the part in his spiel about how TS works, he just closed the book and sad, "well you guys know all this". Then he started talking about his kids. But he looked at his watch and then the time on the sign-in sheet. He said something about it had to be an hr before he can call the "manager" over. Guess they figure he didn't try hard enough if he didn't talk for an hr. 

When the "manager" comes over, that is when you have to stay firm and just say "not interested". Don't bite at any of their reasoning, that is what they are looking for, a little crack in the wall to keep the conversation going.

Best thing to say at that point, "look I had no interest in this, just did it becasue the guy promised me freebies". They will see they are wasting their time and move on.


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