Avoided parking pass nonsense

[famy27]

We checked in at Glacier Canyon yesterday. I avoided the parking pass desk and went back last night after the desk was closed and asked for a pass. Front desk was out of passes, so they told me to put the little card you “exchange” for your pass on my dash. I did and had no issues last night or this morning. They told me the parking pass desk will be open at 8:30 today. Thanks, but I’ll skip that. I’m just putting that card on my dash and calling it a day

 

[DaveNV]

Interesting idea. I was trying to remember if I'd ever seen a car being towed out of a timeshare parking lot, and I can't. Do they actually ever do that?

Dave

 

[whitewater]

i just say No - because I don't want to waste their time. 30 seconds at most.

I've also skipped and never had any issues. both work fine.

just wrapped up a stay at Reunion. Told them I was traveling with my hot lover and my wife was not with me.

Wife loved it and sales rep was embarrassed.

 

[pedro47]

Can you also avoid the presentation by saying this is an all guys or females trip and my Spouse is at home? Because both spouses must attend a timeshare presentation.

 

[Kozman]

Can you also avoid the presentation by saying this is an all guys or females trip and my Spouse is at home? Because both spouses must attend a timeshare presentation.

The easiest way to avoid the presentation is just say no. Give them the 30 seconds or whatever you feel like to turn over the 'pass' and if they don't just walk out. The pass, except for certain locations such as in a parking structure, serves no useful purpose. They already have your auto info at the sign in desk. Seldom does anyone ever go car to car to see if you have a pass. I did once get a note on my window when I was at Royal Vista in their parking structure saying a pass needed to be displayed. But then how did you get into the structure if you didn't belong there?

If you skip out completely on the parking pass person you may get a note on your front door saying sorry we missed you. Please come to the service desk to get your pass. My feeling is that if you can go all the way to my room to leave a message you could have brought the pass along to give to me.

 

[nicemann]

Can you also avoid the presentation by saying this is an all guys or females trip and my Spouse is at home? Because both spouses must attend a timeshare presentation.

Not true about both spouses have to be present. I've gone three times without my wife and all three times they offered a guest if I attended the update. I took them up on 2 of the 3 times and got paid. My wife is on the ownership with me.

 

[Avislo]

The simple way to decline a presentation is just to say no.

 

[MaryBella7]

The simple way to decline a presentation is just to say no.

They never let me off that easy!

 

[davidvel]

Can you also avoid the presentation by saying this is an all guys or females trip and my Spouse is at home? Because both spouses must attend a timeshare presentation.

Whitewater's suggestion is much more fun.

 

[CruiseGuy]

Saying "No" usually doesn't work. They want to keep going, trying to convince me to attend something, or convince me that it's not a sales presentation, that it will only take 45 minutes, or just to do a quick 15 minute survey in my room (it will be a cold day in hell before I let them in my room, last one that showed up got yelled at to go away) or try to bully me by repeatedly saying "what are you afraid of, you must be afraid of something if you keep saying no". They usually keep going for at least 10-15 minutes. One guy even followed us out into the parking lot until we closed our car doors on him and drove off. Another guy I said no to several times and told him to just give me my pass but he refused until I started shouting at him saying that I had told him no several times and to just give me the pass and leave me alone. It's even worse when it's a combined check-in function because they don't even want to hand over your room keys until they've got you signed up.

 

[ecwinch]

Right away just tell them that you are on the Do Not Market/Do Not Tour list. They will tell you that no you are not, but just insist you are and they will get in trouble if they offer you. And that you are doing THEM a favor by passing on the offer. This the counter-insurgency strategy.

 

[WinniWoman]

I will say I always suspected that the parking pass thing was a ruse anyway. This past summer when I told the front desk at Smuggs that our son was coming at the end of the week and would need a parking pass as well, I was given a second pass with the remark that "the passes are no big deal anyway and only in case you leave your lights on". LOL!

At Smuggs the sales people not only are the keepers of parking passes, they are keepers of the keys! I refuse to go to the sales desk after check in and I raise my voice and tell the front desk in no certain terms that I am not going to the sales desk and they need to get the keys and passes for me or I am not leaving.

For my check in the Wyndham sales desk is right next to the check in desk in a very small room so everyone including the sales people hear me loud and clear. I have told owners services to make sure this is noted in my records and I am not supposed to be hassled at the front desk and that worked for a few years but now it seems they are back to their same old tricks, so unfortunately this has to be my check in experience every single time. Real nice being an owner for almost 20 years and having to deal with this crap.

 

[Kozman]

I will say I always suspected that the parking pass thing was a ruse anyway. This past summer when I told the front desk at Smuggs that our son was coming at the end of the week and would need a parking pass as well, I was given a second pass with the remark that "the passes are no big deal anyway and only in case you leave your lights on". LOL!

At Smuggs the sales people not only are the keepers of parking passes, they are keepers of the keys! I refuse to go to the sales desk after check in and I raise my voice and tell the front desk in no certain terms that I am not going to the sales desk and they need to get the keys and passes for me or I am not leaving.

For my check in the Wyndham sales desk is right next to the check in desk in a very small room so everyone including the sales people hear me loud and clear. I have told owners services to make sure this is noted in my records and I am not supposed to be hassled at the front desk and that worked for a few years but now it seems they are back to their same old tricks, so unfortunately this has to be my check in experience every single time. Real nice being an owner for almost 20 years and having to deal with this crap.

I don't even think the leave the lights on excuse is valid. They do not put your room number on the parking pass. If you leave your lights on they have your auto info at the check in desk regardless of the presence of a parking pass. Plus next time look at the cars in the lot and you'll probably notice many do not have passes displayed.

 

[geist1223]

I have noticed at the Worldmark Resorts that have walking Security that they will write down the License Plate Number for Vehicles that do not display a Pass and then check with Front Desk to make sure the car is registered in the Front Desk Computer. Last time we were at one of our favorite Resorts and know several of the folks I was able to snag several unmarked up Parking Passess.

 

[puppymommo]

Can you also avoid the presentation by saying this is an all guys or females trip and my Spouse is at home? Because both spouses must attend a timeshare presentation.

This is apparently not strictly true. About 8 years ago I was at Canterbury in San Francisco and I tried to get out of the presentation because my husband was not with me. They said it didn't matter and so I went for the $100 AmEx gift card. I couldn't believe that the salesman tried to sell me something without my spouse present, but he did. He also told me the old chestnut that I wouldn't be able to stay at Canterbury on my resale points. I pointed out that I was already there on my "useless" resale points!

 

[sue1947]

I have noticed at the Worldmark Resorts that have walking Security that they will write down the License Plate Number for Vehicles that do not display a Pass and then check with Front Desk to make sure the car is registered in the Front Desk Computer. Last time we were at one of our favorite Resorts and know several of the folks I was able to snag several unmarked up Parking Passess.

Also a Worldmark owner with 30 reservations last year and have stayed at 45 of the resorts over the years. I haven't used a parking pass in years. I went through trying to reason with them, then just "no" then finally just gave up after too many sales people that wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. I just take the keys and walk on out. They sometimes chase me out to the car, but I just get in and drive away. If a comment becomes required, I simply say " I don't need a parking pass". If they get too pushy, I contact the manager. In Seaside, the ass't manager told me she was puzzled by my comment since parking passes aren't required due to needing a room key to get into the parking garage. I suggested that the sales people be informed. I've had to contact management a few times over the years and they usually take care of the situation quickly (like another time at Seaside where he put a note under my door implying they would tow my car). However, sales are in control at Wyndham so it usually isn't worth dealing with. I've been told multiple times that I am on a no contact list (the most recent was this last October in St George) but it really has no impact as shown by the sales people at subsequent Angels Camp, Depoe Bay and Seaside stays. The Wyndham salespeople lie for a living so expecting them to honor any kind of policy is misplaced.

At places with sales desks, I listen to the clerk checking me in, take the keys and then walk out. When in the room, I unplug the phones and enjoy my vacation. If they put a note under my door or get too pushy, the review of my stay takes a nose dive and they seem to really care about those ratings. Making up excuses or lies etc is just a waste of time and increased stress. They aren't worth the effort so ignore as much as you can; kind of like panhandlers.

Sue

 

[linpat]

Last week we were at Newport Long Wharf and got the parking pass without the offer (demand) for sales presentations or owner updates. The staff welcomed us, checked us in, and wished us a good time - it was a refreshing change.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

When I was at Sands of Kahana last August they made a big deal about the parking pass and at checkin they wanted me to wait to get my keys the parking pass lady returned from break and I said no to that.

 

[MaryBella7]

Last week we were at Newport Long Wharf and got the parking pass without the offer (demand) for sales presentations or owner updates. The staff welcomed us, checked us in, and wished us a good time - it was a refreshing change.

No sales people at Newport is one of the reasons that it is my favorite. The other, of course, being that it is an amazing location!

 

[Baby Jane]

Whitewater's suggestion is much more fun.

They have taken me back 2x without my husband

 

[pedro47]

No sales presentation is a great way to start a vacation. When are all the sales staff going to understand. We are on vacation do not call or hassle my family or me about purchasing anymore timeshare weeks, vacation clubs, trusts or points.

 

[davidvel]

No sales presentation is a great way to start a vacation. When are all the sales staff going to understand. We are on vacation do not call or hassle my family or me about purchasing anymore timeshare weeks, vacation clubs, trusts or points.

They will understand when they win the lottery.

 

[kaljor]

I took my first two trips this year and I just politely repeated "No thank you" a few times with different variations. They try to engage you in conversation to wear you down but I wouldn't bite. I just kept saying no. It wasn't all that unpleasant, and it wasn't that time consuming. Knowing what to expect from reading here on TUG for the past 4 years helped.

 

[ecwinch]

At Smuggs the sales people not only are the keepers of parking passes, they are keepers of the keys! I refuse to go to the sales desk after check in and I raise my voice and tell the front desk in no certain terms that I am not going to the sales desk and they need to get the keys and passes for me or I am not leaving.

It is almost comical that the sign pointing to the sales people is "Wyndham Express Check-In".... but then you still need to go thru the normal check-in process after you run the sales gauntlet.

 

[DaveO]

I've heard telling them that if they don't stop bugging you, you'll come to the meeting and tell everyone to just buy re-sale or look on eBay. Does this tactic work? Or do I just straight up tell them you can't offer me anything cheaper than what's being sold re-sale?

Any repercussions if I just take all the free swag and no-show? I've heard you can get gift cards, if you work your magic.