# First owner's update meeting - What should I expect?



## stinkypete1211 (Mar 6, 2013)

Hello everyone! I posted this topic on the forum across the street but decided repost here since there is more activity. 

I'm a new owner (Waikiki Beach Walk Oct 2012) and wanted to reach out to other owners for advice. I was contacted by Wyndham in December and was offered a promotional 4 night mini vacation to select cities as part of an "anniversary" promotion. Since the cost was only $249 and I would be given 2 rooms, I figured why not. The only thing I had to do was attend an owners update meeting. The rep said that if I didn't have any ownership questions, I would be in and out. I would also be given a $100 Amex gift card just for attending. 

Now I have a date and location picked out, I call Wyndham to make my reservation. The customer service rep tells me that this is a bring a friend program. I told the rep that this wasn't mentioned during the call and if this is the true, I wanted to cancel the trip. She retrieved the recording and said the sales rep did mention bringing a friend (he said it soft and really fast). They were willing to work some sort of deal if I didn't bring a friend but I was able to find a couple that agreed to come with us.

I am glad I found this forum before we go away in June. I have read about other owner's negative experiences and hopefully I will not have to write about mine. Since my friend is not interested in purchasing a timeshare and I am not interested in purchasing additional points, is there any advice owners can offer to minimize our time spent in the presentation?

Thanks in advance!


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## markb53 (Mar 6, 2013)

stinkypete1211 said:


> Hello everyone! I posted this topic on the forum across the street but decided repost here since there is more activity.
> 
> I'm a new owner (Waikiki Beach Walk Oct 2012) and wanted to reach out to other owners for advice. I was contacted by Wyndham in December and was offered a promotional 4 night mini vacation to select cities as part of an "anniversary" promotion. Since the cost was only $249 and I would be given 2 rooms, I figured why not. The only thing I had to do was attend an owners update meeting. The rep said that if I didn't have any ownership questions, I would be in and out. I would also be given a $100 Amex gift card just for attending.
> 
> ...



I bet the sales person also said fast and quietly that the presentation will be 2 hours. I have done the bring a friend weekends and the presentation is 2 hours. You will eventually get information in the mail and it will spell it out. The last one I was on, the sales person finally figured out she wasn't going to sell me more points os she sent me to gifting for my AMEX Gift Card after about an hour. But if you want the $100.00 you have to stay there until they get tired of you. I bet when you get the details in the mail it will say 120 min presentation.

By the way I am going to another bring a friend weekend in June. I really don't mind the presentations. 

Just say NO!!! and make it stick.


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## JimMIA (Mar 6, 2013)

I think the simple answer to _"What should I expect?" _ is *LIES.*


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## cassvilleokie (Mar 6, 2013)

some info u might be able to use, just take a copy of a tug  post (mark out names) and that will make it shorter.


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## Ginger's Mom (Mar 6, 2013)

The best advice I can give you is don't fall for the "buddy-buddy" routine where they ask if they can call you by first name. Then they ask you about your personal life and tell you about theirs.  Stay as aloof and distant as possible.  They are NOT your friend.  DO NOT ask them ANY questions or to explain anything--they usually slant everything and even stretch the truth. (I am being kind!!!!)   They will use every scare tactic on the planet.  Then they will offer to tell you ways to "save" money by buying more TS and using your points for other things like airfare, etc.--or buying Developer points so you can be VIP and get the discounts on rooms.  I told them with 350K point resale contracts being $1 on Ebay (and about $70K with Wyn), I'd do just as well in the long run with resale.

We had one vicious sales rep at Smoky Mtn. named Ms. Becky.  She tried every trick in the book. She told us our resale points were "orphans."  I told her "Shhhhh--don't tell them that--they work just fine.  We got into HERE, Bonnet Creek, Vegas, Sedona , San Fran, Anaheim and New Orleans just fine.  Points is points!"   She finally said to her co-conspirator--"These people don't want our help" and stormed out.  Then her co-conspirator asked us why we came to the update and we told her because they offered us money and wouldn't leave us alone until we accepted.

The VERY best advice I can give you--BE PREPARED to be verbally and mentally  pummeled.


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## WeLovetoTravel (Mar 6, 2013)

It will be a high pressure sales pitch. Depending on where I have been, I have handled the "updates" different ways. I have told the salesperson upfront that I am not going to buy any more retail points, and nothing can entice me to do so. We have sometimes spent our time chatting until my required time was up, or if the salesperson wouldn't take "no" for an answer, I have pulled out my cell phone, set the timer. and have gone into "B...." mode. I have even requested to record the update. -That has gotten me out fast!

Sometimes, I have encountered a very nice sales person, and I really don't mind spending the time., but the bottom line is...DO NOT BUY ANY MORE RETAIL POINTS!

On the other hand. I have been known to go into "rescue mode", and have spoken up REALLY LOUDLY. asking the question, Why would I buy retail points, when people are giving away points on EBAY?. That have saved a few couples sitting at the table in the next cubbie from investing thousands of dollars.

-Deb

!





stinkypete1211 said:


> Hello everyone! I posted this topic on the forum across the street but decided repost here since there is more activity.
> 
> I'm a new owner (Waikiki Beach Walk Oct 2012) and wanted to reach out to other owners for advice. I was contacted by Wyndham in December and was offered a promotional 4 night mini vacation to select cities as part of an "anniversary" promotion. Since the cost was only $249 and I would be given 2 rooms, I figured why not. The only thing I had to do was attend an owners update meeting. The rep said that if I didn't have any ownership questions, I would be in and out. I would also be given a $100 Amex gift card just for attending.
> 
> ...


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## MFT (Mar 6, 2013)

WeLovetoTravel said:


> On the other hand. I have been known to go into "rescue mode"
> 
> -Deb
> 
> !



Love it!  We've been getting the calls a lot lately for the these owner updates, and I just say thanks, but no thanks...


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## MFT (Mar 6, 2013)

We turned down the owner's update at Grand Desert, and the calls just kept coming.  Unplugging the phones in the rooms works great!

Before you go for the updates with your friend, sit them down and how them e-bay listing, and explain that point are points, no matter what the salesman says.    I had to chase down my brother in law when he headed to the bathroom, because I figured they were getting worn down, and he was saying "oh, it sounds like such a great deal though..."  Offered a 308K plan for around $45K, and I told them I could get them the same deal on e-bay for about $300 plus closing...  Ya, they said no thanks to the salesman.


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## Ginger's Mom (Mar 6, 2013)

PS

I agree with the above poster--Wherever you are staying--UNPLUG THE PHONES if you want peace and quiet.  The FIRST thing I do when I enter a TS room is go unplug all the phones.  My family knows how to reach me on the cellphone!!!!

The second thing I do is wipe down all the remotes and doorknobs and refrig handles with disinfecting wipes.

Best of luck to you and your friends.  Be prepared!!!


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## ronparise (Mar 6, 2013)

Leave your check book at home and bring print outs of several recent ebay sales..tell the salesman that you would be happy to buy if he can meet or beet these prices

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WYNDHAM-NAT...51002827666?pt=Timeshares&hash=item2328784b92

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WYNDHAM-BON...51236059272?pt=Timeshares&hash=item3a7ed60888


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## csxjohn (Mar 6, 2013)

My wife and I sat in the bedroom while a salesman in Nashville talked to my daughter and her husband.

I could not believe the lies I was hearing and it was all I could do to keep from going into the other room to set them straight but I knew there would be time for that later.

He did not stay long but soon after he left they decided not to keep the appointment they made with him later.

The first lie was that "Wyndham is such a big company and has so much money that they don't need yours."

I discussed that with my kids and I did not have to go into the other lies after that.

It's funny how he made things seem so good while he was lying through his teeth.

Go to the required meeting but don't ask questions.  You can ask them here later.

If he asks you if you're happy with your points tell him yes.  If he says is there anything that would make them better say no.  If he asks if you're happy with the trades you can get tell him yes.

You need to disarm his arguments before they start because if you're not happy with any part of your ownership he has a way to make it better for you.


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## uscav8r (Mar 6, 2013)

ronparise said:


> Leave your check book at home and bring print outs of several recent ebay sales..tell the salesman that you would be happy to buy if he can meet or beet these prices
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/WYNDHAM-NAT...51002827666?pt=Timeshares&hash=item2328784b92
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/WYNDHAM-BON...51236059272?pt=Timeshares&hash=item3a7ed60888



Ron, did you pick Natl Harbor and BC for your links because those are particularly high-pressure sales locations, or just as a random sample of recently ended auctions?

It would certainly be nice to know which are the really over-bearing Wyndham locations and which are more laid back re: updates.

To forewarned is to be fore-armed!


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## benyu2010 (Mar 7, 2013)

Since you and your friends were locked into the obligation, just enjoy whatever time left during the vacation. After all, it is a nice deal as long as you don't buy...just bring a smartphone to the presentation as timer, recorder, camera (photograph the note) and being honest and upfront that you are a TUGGER and have no mean to buy retail anyway. If he/she/they don't take 'No' as an answer, sit politely through your obligation and firm for your departure time...Let's say it this way, you got paid for a comedy show, private VIP seating..personal interaction...just enjoy it:rofl:...


IMHO, I would never get a friend to a presentation...Well, I think smart salespersons know if a sale is possible from the first 3-5 minutes, and they don't waste their time and energy, and irritate clients fruitlessly...


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## pacodemountainside (Mar 7, 2013)

stinkypete1211 said:


> Hello everyone! I posted this topic on the forum across the street but decided repost here since there is more activity.
> 
> I'm a new owner (Waikiki Beach Walk Oct 2012) and wanted to reach out to other owners for advice. I was contacted by Wyndham in December and was offered a promotional 4 night mini vacation to select cities as part of an "anniversary" promotion. Since the cost was only $249 and I would be given 2 rooms, I figured why not. The only thing I had to do was attend an owners update meeting. The rep said that if I didn't have any ownership questions, I would be in and out. I would also be given a $100 Amex gift card just for attending.
> 
> ...



Check across the street. A  couple responses!


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## stinkypete1211 (Mar 12, 2013)

Thanks everyone for your responses. There were a lot of funny suggestions across the street but I think I will stick to Benyu's advice on being honest and upfront. I am hoping that if I tell them I am a TUG member and not interested in purchasing retail, they will send me to gifting early. If not, I'll sit back, keep my mouth shut, keep an eye on the timer and enjoy the show. I will post an update in June when we get back. Thanks again!


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## Kozman (Mar 13, 2013)

Better yet, just say no to the offer from the parking pass person and disconnect the phone as soon as you enter the room.  And, don't answer the door unless you expect a guest.  They will hound you constantly on the phone and will send someone to your room with a so called 'gift' to get their nose under the tent and try to entice you to come to their 'update' meeting!  When they come to your room, they will have your ownership information in hand in addition to their trinket!


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## csxjohn (Mar 13, 2013)

Kozman said:


> Better yet, just say no to the offer from the parking pass person and disconnect the phone as soon as you enter the room.  And, don't answer the door unless you expect a guest.  They will hound you constantly on the phone and will send someone to your room with a so called 'gift' to get their nose under the tent and try to entice you to come to their 'update' meeting!  When they come to your room, they will have your ownership information in hand in addition to their trinket!



This is usually good advice but it won't work in this case.  The OP have been given free rooms in return for attending a sales presentation.


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## pacodemountainside (Mar 13, 2013)

csxjohn said:


> This is usually good advice but it won't work in this case.  The OP have been given free rooms in return for attending a sales presentation.



Unfortunately some posters  do not bother to read  entire thread and give  disastrous /irrelevant  advice!:annoyed:


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## Rent_Share (Mar 13, 2013)

csxjohn said:


> This is usually good advice but it won't work in this case. The OP have been given free rooms in return for attending a sales presentation.


 

If they don't attend somewhere in the paperwork is the authorization to charge a "rack rate" for the accomodations and transportation if provided.

No matter what they offer, there is nothing in the Wyndham Portfolio that can't be purchased for far (eventally) on the resale market.

If your shills back out, offer up your gift to another couple at the property to avoid any type of liability for not providing the required second set of marks


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## MFT (Mar 14, 2013)

As the above posters have said, you are obligated to attend with your friends (who they will split up from you and assign another vulture).  As I previously stated, you need to make sure your friends understand that this 2 hour presentation (and keep them to 2 hours) is just the obligation for the discounted rooms and gifts, and they are NOT obligated to buy anything, and it is your best advise (as their friend) to believe you not the vulture.  As an owner, you have knowledge, and I would even advise your friends jump on TUGS just to get a little insight into the world of TS.  

I also like to show friends the e-bay site, and state to them "look, see this auction going for $300 for 308K points... Wyndham is going to try and sell you something like this for around $40000.  They will promise you this "bonus" called VIP, but it's not worth the money, not for an additional $39000 plus.  Don't argue with the vulture, just be very nice, and explain that you do not sign any contract without your attorney reviewing it.  Seriously, I'd rather have my attorney review this "before" I sign it, then after and have to rescind the contract as it is not as was verbally presented...  That will get them!

Oh, and pretty much every cell phone has a recording option.  Ask the vulture if he minds if you record the session, or if you can take notes.


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## MFT (Mar 14, 2013)

Sort of unrelated, but a few years ago, we got a salesman try a little switch on us during a presentation at Great Smokies Lodge (the one at Wilderness Lodge in Sevierville).  They were reviewing our current 3 contracts, and offered to roll the 3 into 1 contract if we upped the contract to 500K.  So we would be purchasing an additional 234K points, blah blah blah.  I was playing along and said, sure, show me what you can do.

Well, vulture comes back with a contract already printed out.  I start to review it, and notice "Hey, this is for Nashville, not Great Smokies Lodge!?!".  He looked at it and said "ya, Nashville is one of our premium properties... this is why I can do this deal...".  Basically rolling us into a resort with higher MFs.

No thanks...


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## djohn75087 (Mar 14, 2013)

*had my first update yesyerday*

I went to my first owner update yesterday at Flagstaff. We had nothing planned during the morning so we figured we would take the $75 and see what these things are all about.  I was very disappointed because it was really a no pressure sales pitch. They were really nice and they offered us a pretty good deal if we felt we really wanted VIP. I was really hoping they would put on a show for us packed with lies.
Here is the deal; we would have to buy 105k developer points for $11k. Then we would have 8 months to buy two 154k contracts from flagstaff for $4500 each cash. That ends up being $20k for 413k pts and silver VIP. The problem is that when I do the math I would pay $196 per month for 10yrs which is $23k so the actual price is $32k still a bargain compared to the usual price.
I didn’t buy for a two reasons.
1.	We own 385k and our fees are $167 per month. The 105k would cost me $196+$48. The 154ks would cost me $62 each.  That would have me paying $535 per month in timeshare.  We would also own almost 800k and we are already at our max in vacation time.

The salesperson had two ideas for disposing of these extra points. She suggested plus partners. She said we could use the points for flights, hotel rooms, and rental cars. I asked if she had a brochure showing how many points it would cost to do these things. She brought the brochure out and I asked for her calculator. I plugged in $4 per thousand maintenance fee. Using plus partners a flight to Hawaii would cost me $2300 per ticket.  A rental car $100 per day, and a hotel room $110 per night. I told her I would never throw points away like this.

She then suggested allowing extra holidays to rent the points out for me, but I explained to her that I would get a small percentage of the money and there was no guarantee that they would be rented.

2.	I don’t really think that VIP could help me anyway. We are tied to the school schedule so we only travel during peak season. It seems to me that the 60 day window discount would work best during offseason travel

      She did have a good answer for this. She said that VIP would allow us ARP at all associate resorts such as Worldmark. (Is this true?) She also said that Shell would be online soon and the ARP would help us get into those resorts. She also said the Shell resorts would carry high point requirements. I didn’t tell her this, but my plan has always been to rent from platinum members when we want to go to high point resort. That way we only pay the extra for the year we need it. Overall I thought the update was good. It lasted about an hour and if I had $20k cash and an unlimited vacation schedule I might have bought it. However, we are limited to 4-5 trips per year and we enjoy the financial flexibility that our current maintenance fees afford us. Furthermore, if I had to give the thing away now I would be out less than $2k.


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