What is the best way to handle the Hilton timeshare presentation?

[Michaelhenry144]

I am going to Washington DC next month on a package for three nights where I signed up to view their time share in Washington D.C part of the Hilton Vacation Club. I really don't want to purchase another timeshare as I own one at Disney World already that we use every year with my grand kids. I am going primarily to see the cherry blossoms.
Usually these pitches are high pressure, and they seem to always say "Do you have an open mind to this presentation". This must be part of their manual. Even at my own resort at Vistana, they always try to get me to upgrade which I never do.
I would like to be polite, and listen to their sales pitch but would appreciate if anyone had some strategies to use to make this presentation in April as painless as possible.

Thanks

Michael

 

[GT75]

I always think the best stategy is to not go in the first place. But since that option isn’t available then to practice saying no beforehand.

 

[DaSoul]

Just go and say your timeshare purchases in the other systems were all in the resale market and you don't see it as likely that you will spend the money to buy something via the developer that can be purchased at a fraction of the price on the resale market. Regardless of if it is true or not I assume most sales people would keep the speel short and sweet at this point.

 

[Travel1]

Be polite, don't ask a lot of questions, don't offer a lot of information, always say "no", be aware of the time, and have an obligation scheduled shortly after the allotted time. (However, I do always enjoy finding out about the new properties and changes to the programs)

 

[Michaelhenry144]

Just go and say your timeshare purchases in the other systems were all in the resale market and you don't see it as likely that you will spend the money to buy something via the developer that can be purchased at a fraction of the price on the resale market. Regardless of if it is true or not I assume most sales people would keep the speel short and sweet at this point.

Thanks for the input. What part of No don't you understand might work too.

 

[DaSoul]

Thanks for the input. What part of No don't you understand might work too.

True! That could work haha.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

I always think the best stategy is to not go in the first place. But since that option isn’t available then to practice saying no beforehand.

I agree, and for us that is definitely the best approach. As many have discovered it easy than you expect to talked into buying something.

Everyone likes to get a "free gift" like discounts or dining vouchers, but in my experience the presentations often don't start on time of go long.

We don't attend any longer unless we have some interest or expectation in actually buying.

 

[Talent312]

Bring a list of resales from Redweek, TUG, ebay closed auctions, and brokers.
When they tell you that resales don't get the same benes, don't argue w-'em.
Just say: "That's interesting. I'll have to look into that." - also use elsewhere.
When they say, "This deal won't be available later," say, "No, it'll prolly be better."

Pick out a watering hole so you can decompress with a stiff drink afterwards.
.

 

[danor71]

I just took part in one. I had no intention of buying but i listened attentively and was on my smartphone looking for info live - it’s good that you are here before the presentation.

I found the salesperson and the manager very very nice and not hostile. I told them there was no way i was committing to anything today. When they downgraded the offer for only 2200 points, I asked why a 7000 pt unit was selling on redweek for $10,000. Their demeanor changed - not that they became hostile, but they wrapped it up and said it’s not for everyone, etc...

It did go a little longer than 2 hours but we did have a lot of questions and we bought into the $1695 offer before quickly rescinding the next day!

Good luck. But i suspect if you bring up resale for 20% of what they are offering, they will quickly wrap up not to waste any more time.

Good luck

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Use the words "TUG", "Resale", "Redweek" because they are code for "We are not going to throw away our hard-earned retirement money on what we can buy resale for a fraction of the price."

Oh...and be polite and respectful. Stand up when your agreed upon time is up to signal that you are done.

 

[aryapetri]

I found that the best way to out was the explanation that we were not ready to spend $14k without sleeping on it.
That ended the sales pitch but brought in the "corporate" who offered the $1695 VIP deal; we took it and rescinded within the 10 calendar days.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

The VIP deals are not a bad deal if you use them for high value properties in peak season. We've taken several for HI, DC, and NYC. We are able to try out DC and Grand Islander this summer by booking 12 months in advance vs. the 45 days/6 months we get as a lowly owner. Would never get in there or pay the high points to stay otherwise. VIP works for NYC too to get an early reservation and they put us in a nice unit to sell us on the property.

Only downside is that you have to sit thru a presentation again, but we usually request to tour the new units such as Grand Islander and get new property updates so not a total waste of time.

 

[Michaelhenry144]

The VIP deals are not a bad deal if you use them for high value properties in peak season. We've taken several for HI, DC, and NYC. We are able to try out DC and Grand Islander this summer by booking 12 months in advance vs. the 45 days/6 months we get as a lowly owner. Would never get in there or pay the high points to stay otherwise. VIP works for NYC too to get an early reservation and they put us in a nice unit to sell us on the property.

Only downside is that you have to sit thru a presentation again, but we usually request to tour the new units such as Grand Islander and get new property updates so not a total waste of time.

I don't quite understand what this VIP package for 1695 is. Are you getting a certain amount of points for this? Is this valued at less than 1 dollar a point that I keep reading about? Could you explain how this VIP deal could be used. What size accommodation are you getting? Any information would be helpful.

 

[Arimaas]

I don't quite understand what this VIP package for 1695 is. Are you getting a certain amount of points for this? Is this valued at less than 1 dollar a point that I keep reading about? Could you explain how this VIP deal could be used. What size accommodation are you getting? Any information would be helpful.

I actually just came from a Vistana presentation (I own HGVC and took them up on a $299 4 night stay in Orlando and for $250 off of Universal Tickets sat through their schpiel). I kept it to the 90 or so minutes. I was actually interested in the presentation as I enjoy learning about other systems (although our salesperson was terrible and really didn't tell me anything useful, even by salespeople standards). Anyway, at the end of the presentation I said, listen, this is all great and wonderful, but I didn't come on vacation to drop $25K on a timeshare. This is a purchase I need to go home with my wife and talk about and sleep on. They came back and offered me another 4 nights in one of the other Vistana resorts and some amount of SPG and Marriot points for something like $1795.

HGVC does the same thing. If you seem interested at the end of the presentation, but you aren't that ready to sign the documents, they offer you 5000 points that's good for maybe 18 months for around the same $1795 Vistana charges. It's actually a good way to say no to the sales presentation, and move on to something else (and it's usually offered to you by "the corporate guy" not the salesperson). Note that the points can't be stretched to more than a week total, even if you have left over points. Both the Vistana offer and the HGVC offer require you to sit through another sales presentation on your next stay, and you can also apply the cost of the package to the purchase of a timeshare unit (which by the way, the price, which is "only good for that day because when you walk out the door this deal is gone" gets frozen for you). I guess some folks think the VIP package is not a bad deal depending how you use it. I got my HGVC resale for $2500, so for me, I'm happy I rescinded the VIP package I bought last year in Orlando and held out for a resale unit for a few extra shekels. But if you aren't looking to buy another timeshare, it's not a bad way to get another week in a Hilton unit, and from what everyone says, is fairly reasonably priced.

PS I just realized I used a lot of Yiddish slang in my post. The New Yorker in me is shining through the message boards.

 

[Harry]

We start the clock running when we arrive. We then tell sales person how much time we have, which they usually ignore. I set my phone to ring usually within 45 minutes from arrival. We are polite. Hilton knows who has bought from them and who has purchased resales. For us this gets us out usually before the phone rings. We are vague and evade most question. We counter with questions showing we know timeshareing and focus only on questions mostly asked here by Tuggers. Unfortunately, if you want to see new units (Waikoloa Hilton units) they go out of their way not to provide a tour. Maybe understandable but we were genuinely interested. We were told some interesting lies.

Harry

 

[Michaelhenry144]

We start the clock running when we arrive. We then tell sales person how much time we have, which they usually ignore. I set my phone to ring usually within 45 minutes from arrival. We are polite. Hilton knows who has bought from them and who has purchased resales. For us this gets us out usually before the phone rings. We are vague and evade most question. We counter with questions showing we know timeshareing and focus only on questions mostly asked here by Tuggers. Unfortunately, if you want to see new units (Waikoloa Hilton units) they go out of their way not to provide a tour. Maybe understandable but we were genuinely interested. We were told some interesting lies.

Harry

Harry Do you have some examples of what lies they told you. I want to be ready if I hear them.

Thanks

Mike

 

[SmithOp]

Its been reported here that when resale is brought up sales has lied that you can’t use RCI with resale points. Its also been reported they lie and say resale can only stay at the home resort and not trade to other locations.

If you search back messages here you will find lots of reports of sales lies.

They will play up the importance of Elite benefits and denigrate resale.

Just ask them why you would want to buy something that is useless and has no resale value the minute the ink dries on the contract.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Michaelhenry144]

Its been reported here that when resale is brought up sales has lied that you can’t use RCI with resale points. Its also been reported they lie and say resale can only stay at the home resort and not trade to other locations.

If you search back messages here you will find lots of reports of sales lies.

They will play up the importance of Elite benefits and denigrate resale.

Just ask them why you would want to buy something that is useless and has no resale value the minute the ink dries on the contract.

If these time shares have no resale value as you state, why does anybody buy them even on the resale market? They must have some resale value. That is why people buy them on Tug, E bay and red book and other places. You must been thinking not much value after buying retail from the developer.

 

[mj2vacation]

Best way to handle them? Don’t go!

 

[Mosescan]

Has anyone suggested you wear a TUG t-shirt to your presentation yet?

 

[aryapetri]

From my personal experience, just like SmithOp mentioned, they claim that resales do not get RCI. Another thing they say is that resale prices are low because they are behind in maintenance payments.

 

[Talent312]

If these time shares have no resale value as you state, why does anybody buy them even on the resale market? They must have some resale value.

He didn't say they have no resale value. He simply was using shorthand to say this:

When a lying TS sales-weasel tells you that you can't do this, that or the other with a resale, beat him up on that BS (and it is BS) by saying:

"If resales are so useless (as you say), then anyone who bought one from you would have a heck of a time unloading it (that white elephant), becuz no one would want it, right? ... Not much of a selling-point, if you ask me. I'd rather buy a TS that I knew a resale buyer might want."

While he stammers to respond, continue with: "In fact, you and I both know that, if I bought a TS from you, it actually retains a lot of its original benefits, which is why they can be resold, and why someone (some fool) might buy one from you in the first place... But just not us."

.

 

[Michaelhenry144]

He didn't say they have no resale value. He simply was using shorthand to say this:

When a lying TS sales-weasel tells you that you can't do this, that or the other with a resale, beat him up on that BS (and it is BS) by saying:

"If resales are so useless (as you say), then anyone who bought one from you would have a heck of a time unloading it (that white elephant), becuz no one would want it, right? ... Not much of a selling-point. If you ask me, I'd want to buy a TS that I knew a resale buyer might want."

While he stammers to respond, continue with: "In fact, you and I both know that, if I bought a TS from you, it actually retains a lot of its original benefits, which is why they can be resold, and why someone (some fool) might buy one from you in the first place... But just not us."

.

I like the way you think. I will be prepared with your quotes next month.

 

[cwhovey]

I am going to Washington DC next month on a package for three nights where I signed up to view their time share in Washington D.C part of the Hilton Vacation Club. I really don't want to purchase another timeshare as I own one at Disney World already that we use every year with my grand kids. I am going primarily to see the cherry blossoms.
Usually these pitches are high pressure, and they seem to always say "Do you have an open mind to this presentation". This must be part of their manual. Even at my own resort at Vistana, they always try to get me to upgrade which I never do.
I would like to be polite, and listen to their sales pitch but would appreciate if anyone had some strategies to use to make this presentation in April as painless as possible.

Thanks

Michael

When they get too pushy, tell them you will sign whatever they want but demand to see the federal right-of-recission form first because as soon as you leave, you will begin that process, which is quite easy.

 

[tk25]

We just went to HGVC Marbrisa sales presentation.

We were told that Marbrisa had lowest maintenance fees in Hilton system. I told them NO Vegas did and had just paid them so I knew. Marbrisa almost double for same points.

We were also told that if we bought Marbrisa on resale that we could only use it during the deeded week without being able to convert to points. Is this true?

Our final VIP package was $1695 for 7000 points good for one year with first stay at Marbrisa only.