# TUG on Nightline



## DaveNV (Nov 15, 2008)

Did anyone else catch the article about timesharing and TUG on Friday night's Nightline on ABC?  Featured our very own Brian Rogers, telling the truth about the timeshare industry.  Excellent work, Brian!  (And boy, you're a lot younger than I thought you were!  )

Dave


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## TUGBrian (Nov 15, 2008)

ha yea...and I wish I could say the camera added only 20lbs...man...such is the impetus to seriously go back on my diet.

I am 33 though =)


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## janapur (Nov 15, 2008)

Thanks for posting this. I can't wait to see it. Only 33, really?? Wow, makes me want to read your bio and that of TUG. Bravo!


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## LLW (Nov 15, 2008)

Here's the video:

http://abcnews.go.com/nightline

Click on the "Timeshare, Beware!" picture or the play icon.


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## pedro47 (Nov 15, 2008)

Excellent story.  Great job Brain !!!

Brain please add this video to the ADVICE or the TUG HELP section.   This is truly the greatest video on the timeshare industry.  This is my opinion only.


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## maddaug (Nov 15, 2008)

I was flipping chanels and caught the whole segment too last night. Nice job Brian. 
I found TUG after we got suckered ?? years ago. The price for our timeshare wasn't for as much as some people but it was bad enough. We still had time to recind thanks to tuggers our there informing us of this. 
Bought resale for a 10th of the price and in FL. where we really like to go. It's paid for and is a great company that handles our timeshare. 
            So thanks to all you TUGGERS and for this website that helps those 
             in need.


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## swift (Nov 15, 2008)

Great job Brian!!!!  I am a happy timeshare owner because of TUG!!!


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## Passepartout (Nov 15, 2008)

GOOD JOB, BRIAN! There was more information in that 4 1/2 minutes than all the timeshare presentations in a year! Thanks. Now to head out to yet another great (resale) timeshare vacation.....

Jim Ricks


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## Kay H (Nov 15, 2008)

Good job, Brian.  You told it like it is.  Hope you captured a big audience.


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## Dori (Nov 15, 2008)

What a great job, Brian!  You truly are aour TUG Star!

Dori


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## MULTIZ321 (Nov 15, 2008)

LLW -  Thanks for posting the link.

Brian - great interview.  I now have an added bonus of having a face to put to your name when I read your posts. 

I don't have to tell you what a fantastic resource TUG is to the timeshare owners and users.

Best regards,

Richard


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## Hophop4 (Nov 15, 2008)

I saw it last night too.  What a great job Brian!!:whoopie:


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## TUGBrian (Nov 15, 2008)

Thank you all!  I enjoyed doing it....its quite ironic that this all came to be after the reporter (vicky) actually came to me for help with her aunts timeshare.

She bought into a worldmark/wyndham resort new...and was having trouble finding a buyer. =)


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## Fern Modena (Nov 15, 2008)

Brian,
Nice to see what you look like.  I met your dad a few years back, you know.  You don't sound anything like him...did you go to boarding school or something?  

Fern


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## TUGBrian (Nov 15, 2008)

thats pretty funny...people say I sound just like him over the phone.

perhaps I was just nervous in the interview.  =)


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## rickandcindy23 (Nov 15, 2008)

Brian, will this be repeated?  I would love to see it.


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## Glynda (Nov 15, 2008)

*Thanks*



LLW said:


> Here's the video:
> 
> http://abcnews.go.com/nightline
> 
> Click on the "Timeshare, Beware!" picture or the play icon.




Thanks for posting that.  It was great! Way to go Brian!


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## IreneLF (Nov 15, 2008)

Thanks for posting the link.
Great to see you firsthand - and great job explaining.


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## ricoba (Nov 15, 2008)

Brian, congratulations!  That was an excellent interview and you did a great job! 

Thank you LLW for the link to the abc site with the full story.

Now Brian, if I had only listened to your advice prior to buying our HGVC!


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## DaveNV (Nov 15, 2008)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Brian, will this be repeated?  I would love to see it.




Cindy, see reply #4 above.  It has a link to the video on ABC's website.

Dave


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## dougp26364 (Nov 15, 2008)

LLW said:


> Here's the video:
> 
> http://abcnews.go.com/nightline
> 
> Click on the "Timeshare, Beware!" picture or the play icon.





rickandcindy23 said:


> Brian, will this be repeated?  I would love to see it.




Try the link provided in the top quote from LLW.

It's one of the better reporting jobs I've seen on timeshares. It doesn't bash timeshares, it just tells it like it is.


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## Wonka (Nov 15, 2008)

Fantastic!  

Brian, you don't know me...I was a volunteer here before you came onboard full time.

Is there any way to archive this brief video in the TUG FAQ, or somewhere else?  It'd be great to direct those purchasing for the first time to the video, or others met while on vacation,etc.  

Often, when traveling and trying to help others attending the presentations, they just don't want to believe you about the resale market.

This is on a top-notch station and should get their attention.

Great job on the interview!


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## JoeMid (Nov 15, 2008)

[Rude personal remarks removed.-DeniseM Moderator]



BMWguynw said:


> Did anyone else catch the article about timesharing and TUG on Friday night's Nightline on ABC? Featured our very own Brian Rogers, telling the truth about the timeshare industry. Excellent work, Brian! (And boy, you're a lot younger than I thought you were! )  Dave


What's all this 50% stuff he was babbling about.  Do you know that there's a financial crisis and the world is dumping their timeshares,  0.5% or 5.0% is more like it!


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## Karen G (Nov 15, 2008)

Brian, that was way cool!  It was nice to see you in person--excellent interview.


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## Jaybee (Nov 15, 2008)

Brian, that interview is priceless!  Thanks for a great overview for people to see.  I hope it will be preserved here, also, for future education for the uninitiated....and the initiated, too.


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## Steve (Nov 15, 2008)

*Way to go, Brian!*

That was an excellent interview.  It's fun to see you. You did a great job...as did the reporter.  I'm so glad this was posted here so we can all watch it.

Thanks for all you do for TUG...and for timesharing!

Steve


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## thinze3 (Nov 15, 2008)

Brian, you were a great reprentative for our cozy Tug family!

In the last six months alone, I have learned that two people very close to me own timeshares, neither of which I was aware of. After speaking to both my friend and cousin, I realized that though they have each owned for years, and still really have no clue as how to maximze the value of what they own.

One owns a Royal in Cancun and the other, my cousin, owns a beachfront summertime resort here in Texas. My cousin has no clue how to even trade his week. He said he would like to go to Colorado and ski, because he has never been but didn't know where to start. His kids are grown and moved out so he and his wife can go anytime.

I told him that he HAS to join Tug and start reading about what he owns and learning how to use it. Now I can email him this clip and legitimize what I told him. 

Great Job!

Terry


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## TUGBrian (Nov 15, 2008)

Thanks for all the kind words!  I enjoyed doing it tremendously.  

The fact that it has inspired me to get back under 200lbs is just an added bonus!  It really is amazing how you never really notice such a drastic change until seeing it first hand.  Living a mostly sedentary life on the computer doesnt do wonders for the figure or the metabolism.

I wont pretend to be slim, but I do admit that the view of the camera just made me look terrible.

This is what I actually look like when not sitting down leaning forward =)

I am 6'2 253 at the moment.


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## Patri (Nov 15, 2008)

LOL Guess you can't stand up all the time.
I also enjoyed the clip and see that you are as nice in person as you are on the boards.
The gal who bought in Hawaii obviously didn't know how to trade. Too bad she didn't keep that one and forget about Cancun. And doesn't a resort have insurance for hurricane damage?
Anyway, your interview did a lot of good for mankind. Can you feel the love from the developers?


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## DaveNV (Nov 15, 2008)

TUGBrian said:


> This is what I actually look like when not sitting down leaning forward =)



I appreciate, share, and relate to your sedentary lifestyle issues.  But you're still a lot younger than I thought you were.  When you figure out how to turn back THAT number, let me know, ok?  :hysterical: 

Dave


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## mpizza (Nov 15, 2008)

Excellent!  You did a great job representing TUG as a level-headed, smart timeshare owner. 

Maria


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## TUGBrian (Nov 15, 2008)

yea...im sure that bit probably didnt make too many friends in the industry =)

but the truth hurts sometimes!


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## ace2000 (Nov 15, 2008)

Great job, Brian!

I also think this bit should be placed in a prominent place on TUG!  Make sure you download the video, and not just provide a link to the abc site.


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## TUGBrian (Nov 15, 2008)

ill shoot an email to the producer and see if we can get our own copy (legally) of the clip to host on TUG permanently.


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## bookworm (Nov 15, 2008)

Superb! Glad to see you getting the word out. The whole piece was really well done. It was nice and clear for many who feel they haven't got a clue about this industry.


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## Timeshare Von (Nov 15, 2008)

Nicely done Brian.  I have a friend at work whose father-in-law owns VIP level points with Wyndam.  I've been trying to help him educate his wife's family on "Dad's asset" so that they won't fight over how much it's worth.  LOL.

This news story should be helpful to him


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## #1 Cowboys Fan (Nov 15, 2008)

Well done Brian----I wish it had been shown a week earlier.

I tried to convince a friend last Monday and Tuesday to rescind within the 10 day timeframe.

He didn't.

If I'd been able to show him that video he would have heard the same things from Brian that I was telling him---it might have made a difference!

Pat


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## TUGBrian (Nov 15, 2008)

im sorry pat.

Suprisingly all this was shot on tuesday of this week....even I was stunned to see it play on friday....such a short turnaround.

I did hear from some leftcoasters that it was bumped from being shown out there for the wildfire story instead.

Tragic stuff out there...so I certainly understand.  perhaps they will re-air it on the next show.


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## Bill4728 (Nov 15, 2008)

Great job Brian!!


I hope some of this info sinks into the general public.


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## thinze3 (Nov 15, 2008)

TUGBrian said:


> ill shoot an email to the producer and see if we can get our own copy (legally) of the clip to host on TUG permanently.



Here it is on Yahoo videos.
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/3930791/10687056


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## Robert D (Nov 15, 2008)

Not sure how many saw it but there was an interesting segment on ABC's Nightline last night about timesharing and a gentleman from TUG was interviewed on it.  They talked about what a huge financial burden a TS can be and interviewed a woman who had bought two TS's from developers, a $35K TS in Hawaii and then a $13K TS in Cancun that was heavily damaged by a hurricane and had huge special assessments.  She paid a post card company $2K to take the Cancun one off her hands and apparently doesn't use the Hawaii TS that much.  She said "I might as well gotten a big pile of money and struck a match to it!."  Never heard that before but a good description of buying a TS directly from a developer!


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Nov 15, 2008)

Are you referring to this video?


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## summervaca (Nov 15, 2008)

If you want to read more, there's a discussion about this in the tug lounge.


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## rickandcindy23 (Nov 15, 2008)

Thanks to Dave and Doug for pointing these blind eyes to the link.   

Brian, it was great, and I have to say, you looked very comfortable on that beach at the end.  

There is a positive side to a timeshare, and it is all about resale.  You did a great job of telling it like it is, not candy-coating anything, but still upbeat.  What a great job you did!


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## Carol C (Nov 15, 2008)

Good piece, so thanks for providing the link since Nightline airs past my bedtime. 

By the way...Did I hear the interviewer use the words "endless vacation"? Isn't there a magazine named that? :rofl:


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## aytug (Nov 15, 2008)

*Insurance*

One woman in the Nightline story was saying that she was hit with a special assessment on a resort she owned in Cancun after it was destroyed by a hurricane. I thought the resort would be insured against such perils. When we pay MF, isn't there an insurance charge included (I am talking about Starwood)? I am just curious how something disasterous like this could happen. What is this? Gross incompetence or plain fraud on the part of the resort from the Nightline story?


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## timeshare junkie (Nov 15, 2008)

Great job Brian. Thanks for helping us to save $ thousands by beeing informed resale time share purchasers.We have  enjoyed many holidays thanks to the info on TUG. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Bill & Linda.


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## DeniseM (Nov 15, 2008)

aytug said:


> One woman in the Nightline story was saying that she was hit with a special assessment on a resort she owned in Cancun after it was destroyed by a hurricane. I thought the resort would be insured against such perils. When we pay MF, isn't there an insurance charge included (I am talking about Starwood)? I am just curious how something disasterous like this could happen. What is this? Gross incompetence or plain fraud on the part of the resort from the Nightline story?



Starwood is an American company - my guess is that the rules are different at resorts with Mexican ownership.


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## TUGBrian (Nov 15, 2008)

I am not sure who the first lady was they talked to in the interview, but the 2nd lady was indeed a TUGGER =)


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## MuranoJo (Nov 15, 2008)

Brian, 

I also saw this and applaud you for speaking the truth.  The thing I couldn't understand is how one of the 'victims' could be paying over 
$100 a month on M/F (at least that's what I thought I heard)?  Well, maybe she had purchased in HI, so maybe that explains it.


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## TUGBrian (Nov 15, 2008)

nastygrams started today...I expect the bulk of them to begin tomorrow though.

Apparently to some we trashed the industry last night.

*sigh


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## TUGBrian (Nov 15, 2008)

I was shocked too...the MF for their points purchase was over 2400 a year.


It is certainly one of the higher fees ive seen.


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## Phill12 (Nov 15, 2008)

Good show Brian!

 Thanks for setting it up for us to see it on Tug.


 PHIL  :whoopie:


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## Vacation Dude (Nov 16, 2008)

Great video....but you forgot to drop some acronyms like ROFR to confuse people.


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## moonstone (Nov 16, 2008)

Nice story, I hope they replay it or expand on it at a later date. I was surprised to see our home resort near the end of the clip -I'd know that pool & walkway over the dunes anywhere! I wish I was there now instead of watching all this snow fall (6 inches & counting)!
~Diane


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## TUGBrian (Nov 16, 2008)

The owners at that resort were very nice...it was a pleasure to meet them.  

It was a fantastic day out too!

(thankfully that particular resort was not actively selling new units and had been sold out for many years)


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## vacationhopeful (Nov 16, 2008)

The clip was nicely done - simple but very informative to the masses.  Those beach scenes were beautiful.  

It will be interesting if TUG web hits increase and membership goes up.


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## janapur (Nov 16, 2008)

And for heavens' sake . . . stop beating yourself up over appearances! You look great, especially standing on the beach.


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## ace2000 (Nov 16, 2008)

TUGBrian said:


> nastygrams started today...I expect the bulk of them to begin tomorrow though.
> 
> Apparently to some we trashed the industry last night.
> 
> *sigh



Brian,

Are you willing to share who is telling you this?  Not individual names, but from what segment of the TS industry???

This sort of national exposure has to be scary to some.


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## dms1709 (Nov 16, 2008)

Great interview and segment.  

Donna


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## TUGBrian (Nov 16, 2008)

most are from personal email addresses vs "official" ones...so a single name wouldnt do much good.

Should make attending the ARDA convention this year extra interesting though!


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## DaveNV (Nov 16, 2008)

TUGBrian said:


> most are from personal email addresses vs "official" ones...so a single name wouldnt do much good.
> 
> Should make attending the ARDA convention this year extra interesting though!




But Brian, everyone in the industry knows you're the owner of TUG, and if nothing else, just knowing about TUG equals "resale" to most people.  "Buy resale" is all over this site, so it isn't a surprise you'd say that.  So I think ARDA already knows how you feel.  I wouldn't worry about it.  

The developers will always dupe... er, I mean "entice" buyers into big-dollar purchases.  So your opinion ins't going to hurt them much.  But we can always hope.  LOL!  

Dave


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## Tia (Nov 16, 2008)

Great topic and glad to see it get the exposure it deserves. The light needs to be shown.


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## lprstn (Nov 16, 2008)

Wow, after watching this...I feel...horrible for owning a TS...oh well...guess I am going on VACATION...


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## TUGBrian (Nov 17, 2008)

better link for the video now

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=6260205


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## applegirl (Nov 18, 2008)

You did a great job Brian!  So nice for TUG to get national exposure!  Hopefully membership will increase!

I wish the Nightline segment would have painted a more positive picture of timesharing thoug.  Is it me or did everyone but Brian seem to be kinda negative?  The woman who bought two timeshares on a whim....well, yeah, I'd be bummed too! 

Aside from Brian's great part, does anyone else wish it would have had a more positive spin on the industry?

Is it just me?

Janna


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## Jbart74 (Nov 18, 2008)

applegirl said:


> You did a great job Brian!  So nice for TUG to get national exposure!  Hopefully membership will increase!
> 
> I wish the Nightline segment would have painted a more positive picture of timesharing thoug.  Is it me or did everyone but Brian seem to be kinda negative?  The woman who bought two timeshares on a whim....well, yeah, I'd be bummed too!
> 
> Aside from Brian's great part, does anyone else wish it would have had a more positive spin on the industry?



I think, and this is truly JMHO, that there wasn't really 'spin' at all.  A very true, telling of the facts.  Now, the facts may not be pretty for many people, but that doesn't make it 'spin.'  It just makes it the truth.  Those of us who know what we know, and enjoy the priviliges that we do, well, good for us.  I think the story begs more people to learn more about timesharing before jumping in,  unaware of the full story.  That is just responsible reporting in my book.

Thanks Brian.


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## NJDave (Mar 24, 2009)

I just noticed this piece today which was posted on the main page.

I'm posting the link here for anyone else that missed it since this thread was short lived.

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=6260205


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