I went on a Fairfield presentation in Florida about 5 years ago, when I was staying there on an RCI exchange. The manager came in toward the end, explaining how I could use non-Fairfield weeks we already owned in their "PIC" program. I was about to be late for a luncheon date, so I did not absorb much of what she was saying. She turned from "sweetie pie" to "witch" when I politely insisted on receiving the freebie and leaving now.
Over the past year I have bought Fairfield Points packages at rock bottom prices through Ebay (at another southeast Florida resort). I got the "owner update" invite when I picked up the parking pass at check-in last February. I haven't gone on a presentation in years--just too annoying and time-wasting. But I decided to go on this one because I wanted to learn more about FF Points. I knew there had been many changes in the PIC program. And I wanted to find out if a fixed/deeded off-season week I've owned for over 10 years at a FF resort in Arkansas could be converted to FF Points at a reasonable cost.
At the presentation, the female manager (very well dressed, attractive, age 30-ish, acting quite sophisticated and friendly) got involved when my salesman could not find my Ark. week in their computer system. She had to call down to the resort to obtain the details of what I owned. Then she said that she was trying to work out a good deal for me. She popped back and forth alleging that she was trying to "pull some strings" to get me a great deal.
After much phony drama, she presented me with what she proudly proclaimed to be "the deal of the century" (NOT!). She said it would cost only XXX dollars a month but she wouldn't show me the long form on which she had written all the numbers. I told her firmly that I needed to leave in 5 minutes for an appointment and that I just needed to see the form and analyze it myself. I was sure it would be way too expensive but I just wanted to know.
I was totally shocked when I saw the ridiculous figures. Basically she wanted me to purchase 77,000 every other year developer points (at crappy Palm Aire, not even the much nicer Pompano property where I bought the Ebay Points) in order to bring in my Ark. week for 77,000 annual points. And the price: $19,500. !!!!!!!!!! I told her that I would never pay that kind of money for such a small amount of points. She wanted to start negotiating down but I had no interest in wasting anymore time so I told her to "forget it, just let me get my gift and get out of here." I was speaking in a calm, polite but firm voice.
Quite unexpectedly, she began shouting at me, accusing me of of being there just for the gift, and saying how dare I waste her time negotiating a "great price" for converting the Ark. week. She then said it's a damn shame that I'm "so hard up" I have to "stoop to this sleezy level" to get a free gift.
Well that did it! I stood up and yelled back at her, saying she had some nerve accusing me of doing something sleezy. I had just come for "an owner's update." On the other hand, she and her colleagues engage in sleezy tactics day in and day out trying to sell weeks or points to niave people at exorbitant prices. I yelled that the 77,000 EOY points she tried to sell me for $19,500 could be bought on Ebay for $1.00.
There were about 40 other potential "victims" in the room and they were all watching the shouting match. Some of them even climbed up on chairs to get a better look. The salespeople were sitting by silently, some holding their foreheads as if they had a headache. (I guess they saw their chance of making a sale evaporate). I repeatedly yelled that they should go on Ebay and not buy anything from these salespeople. At one point I feared that the manager was going to assault me. But I didn't care. I would have loved to see her get arrested, sued, and lose her job. That's how angry I was. And those of you who know me know that I'm a very calm, easy-going, peaceful person.
A male employee in a suit and tie rushed over and asked me in a very polite way to follow him so that I could get my gift. He asked if he could get me something to eat or drink (no thanks) or if he could pay for a cab to bring me back to the other resort where I was staying (no thanks, my car is parked outside). He did not offer an outright apology for what had happened but his actions and words were very kind and concilliatory.
I'm glad I had the unexpected opportunity to warn the other people attending, but I don't think I'm interested in attending any more "owner updates" or sales presentations, no matter how tempting the gift is.
