"Best" Timeshare Sales Pitch

[Timeshare Von]

The evolution of the FF VIP thread made me think that entertaining stories of horrific sales pitches might be of interest to others, so I created this one.

In addition to the Palace Resorts experience in Cancun (May 2004), we also did the tour of another Mexican resort (name escapes me, although I could figure it out with a resort guide). Anyway, they were soliciting people to take a bus about 45 minutes away from the main tourist area of Cancun for a timeshare presentation. For the $200 cash offered and a free morning available, we signed up!

When we arrived, we were straight up with them that we would not be buying, that infact we owned three other TS's and were very happy with them and had no need for "more weeks." Our assigned sales rep said, "No problem I understand. I'm the most laid back sales rep you'll ever have so no worries, let's enjoy our breakfast and take a walk." (He was an American, from Kansas, or so he said.) The breakfast was a full buffet with cooked to order omelettes/eggs. It was very nice, as was the resort.

Part of their sales gimmick was that people buy and never use, but rent through some rental company that advertises in a golf magazine. This resort had a championship caliber course onsite so that was part of the draw of the place. Anyway, we didn't buy into that scheme either.

In the sales room, he got rather aggressive in trying to convince us of how great a deal this was, that we could buy . . . "and rent for three to four times the annual MF" giving us positive cash flow from the purchase. Yeah right . . .

He then stood up, indignant and said "Next time you decide to keep someone from earning a living by just taking a timeshare presentation when you know you're not interested in buying, just stay home. My wife and kids won't eat today because I wasted my time with you!" Next thing we knew, this tall Mexican guy was at our table, tellling this sales punk to settle down. The sales guy left the area and the "manager" was apologizing to us for how this sales rep treated us. CLASSIC GOOD COP - BAD COP!!

He then said that he worked for the resort and that the sales rep was an employee of the marketing company, a firm that the resort wasn't very happy with because of such incidents. He then said, that as the CFO of the developer, he was in the position of offering us 1/2 price on whatever the other guy was trying to sell us, "just to make us happy and let us know how sincere" they were. YEAH RIGHT. . . again!

Anyway, it was laughable! On the bus back to town, all of the couples were comparing notes on the deals offered as well as what freebie they got for taking the tour. I felt badly for the couple who came out for just a Mexican blanket and cheap bottle of tequilla. But not nearly as badly as for the couple who did buy, spending over $40k for a 100 year right to use contract.

What's your most memorable experience??

Yvonne

 

[AwayWeGo]

Timeshare Sales Pitches Starting To Blend Together In Memory.

After several years' exposure, they're starting to blend together.

But some highlights still stand out.

At our 1st timeshare tour of the modern era (i.e., not counting the disastrous Atlantic City timeshare tour we took back in the 1970s), a really nice guy from Vacation Village At Parkway in Orlando FL took us to the breakfast buffet at the Columbia Restaurant over across Rt. 192 in the Town Of Celebration. Over coffee, he got to know a little about us -- mainly that we were non-owning timeshare newbies.

So when he got us back to the big room with all those little round tables furnished with 4 chairs each, he took us through Timeshare Sales Pitch 101. How many weeks of vacation do we take each year? How much do we pay for motels? Then he adds it all up & shows us how much we would save by buying his full-freight timeshare. When we hesitate, he whips out his timeshare exchange Dream Book & shows us all the wonderful resorts we can exchange into, worldwide, any time we want, with our Florida all-red timeshare week. When we don't go for it, he brings over his manager, who makes an offer so good we're not supposed to be able to refuse. When we refuse, he sends us over to a quality-control person who suggests we might like to try before we buy & offers us a package of weeks we can try within the next 2 years, applying the full cost of that trial package to the purchase of a timeshare week any time within those 2 years. We still say no. So they show us the exit (bypassing the freebies window, because we were there on a promotional visit anyway), sending us out into the blinding Florida sunshine about a quarter-mile away from where we parked on the way in.

That was memorable not only because it was our 1st "modern era" timeshare sales pitch, but also because it showed the 2 of us -- The Chief Of Staff & I -- how much we are of 1 mind on timeshares etc. Not only that, it was on the way back to our dinky motel room after that very sales pitch when we spied that big billboard advertising timeshare resales -- opening our eyes to the reality that in the timeshare biz "used" is identical for all practical purposes with "new." So when we got home, we started the process that ended up with our buying an outstanding Orlando Floating Diamond 3BR lock-off resale timeshare.

Later on there were a few other memorable moments, too.

A lady showing us Vistana Village while we were at Vistana Orlando on our 1st timeshare exchange cut short her pitch upon learning that what we paid, total, for the overseas timeshare we used to exchange into Vistana Orlando was about what it costs for just 1 year's maintenance fees at Vistana. She asked us for the website for that, & for the TUG website too, so we wrote down the URLs for her.

Out at Summer Bay Las Vegas, the sales guy was dead-solid certain that we were going to spring for the points package he was offering -- moved us from the big-room-round-tables-with-4-chairs arena over to his individual office. Couldn't believe we weren't buying till we were out the door. That experience got us to thinking about timeshare points, but we didn't take the points plunge till after a couple more years -- for much, much less via eBay.

At another Las Vegas pitch, the sales guy was about the most boorish we have encountered thus far. His unchanging response to everything we said was, "Cash, check, or charge?" Over & over like a broken record, "Cash, check, or charge? Cash, check, or charge?" What a bozo!

Back in Orlando at our home resort, after an "owner update" that was really a stealth sales pitch, we left only after hearing out the complete deal & politely saying no. Afterwards the sales babe ran after us, clattering down the stairs in her dressed-for-success high heels & catching up with us in the resort lobby, waving a print-out showing what a humongous load of "points" we would get by converting the timeshare we already owned to her "trust" system, which we could do only by signing up for the additional package she was offering -- to the tune of approximately 5 times what we paid (resale) for what we already owned. In the cheeriest way possible, we said, "No thanks."

Also in Orlando, we got a haughty brush-off from a Westgate Lakes sales babe after telling her no thanks. She said, "You'll never be able to trade into a class resort like this with your dinky foreign timeshare week," or words to that effect. She was right. Her resort was I-I. Our dinky foreign timeshare week is RCI.

At Vacation Village At Parkway, where we stayed in January 2006 on an outstanding Last Call reservation, we accepted their free lunch & sales pitch upon the offer of a check for $124 (after previously turning down the same thing on an offer of only $50). We ate lunch, over at another nice restaurant in the Town Of Celebration -- special menu just for the timeshare tour participants. Listened. Said no thanks. Picked up our check.

Vacation Village At Parkway was where we heard our initial "modern era" sales pitch back in 2002. In January 2006 we had come full circle.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[Aldo]

The last one we were on the saleslady went on an on about how she is suffering with cancer, and how her and her husband can barely afford their kid's tuition (she mentioned a rather expensive private college).

I kid you not.

 

[PerryM]

The worst of the best

Undoubtedly the worst “Best” timeshare sales presentation took place last July in Maui at the FairField sales gallery.

Maui always marks the high point of our sales tours for the year – we easily clear $1,000 in gifts from the 5+ timeshares we hit. The FF offered a $100 bill and someone else in our party got $300 in discounts to many tours and activities on Maui. So thanks FF we cleared $400 just from you guys.

We arrived at downtown Lahaina for the 90 minute tour wanting to know just what FF had to offer in Maui. The sales gallery was huge and the place was mobbed. We go our lunch and chatted with excited sales reps for the first 30 minutes.

During the next 60 minutes we were shown a movie where the head honcho, the same guy who runs WorldMark, was pitching the “Gift of time” I believe. We saw Hawaiian fire dancers and luaus and pictures of the Road to Hana and were told that we could stay at any of the 5 RCI Gold Crown resorts on Maui any time we wanted – we were going to own the best.

Only after 90 minutes did I ask the question “So, can we tour the villas”. The room went dead silent and I saw sales rep after sales rep turn their heads away. Our rep turned bright red.

Seems that FairField has NO resorts on Maui and they were selling another FF resort on another island.

Now that takes a lot of guts on the part of FF – to sell FF weeks on another island and then want you to exchange back to Maui in some old, worn out Gold Crowns belonging to other developers.

A few minutes later I got our $100 bill and I saw our sales rep drive off in a brand new BMW convertible – off to see one of those Gold Crown resorts I would imagine.

 

[Kozman]

One of the best sales pitches I can recall was at the Summit at Massanutten. I was offered $50 in Massanutten money when obtaining my 'car pass' at check-in. I declined. The next day they called and upped it to $100. I declined.
The second day they called and offered a check for $125. The deal-no deal level was finally reached. I showed up at the presentation building and was told that they had over booked and if I filled out the two page survey before someone was available to join me, I could leave and get my gift! I was done in about two minutes and left without the hard sell in fifteen minutes with my check! Typically, Massanutten 'surveys' last three hours and sometimes more if you get into a car with them.

I own at Sunrise Ridge in Pigeon Forge. Every time I visit the resort they pull the same get your parking pass and go to lunch trick. I go to the sales pitch and say no. Every time when the session is over they ask me to sign a document saying I turned the offer down and I would never ever be eligible for that one time offer again. I think I've signed the same document four times. The offer is always there and I always get asked to attend again and again. On the latest 'survey', the closer came over and tried his hardest and when I said no, he pulled out the paper and said...Let's get this over once and for all, you are wasting our time. Sign this! I thought fine, next time just give me my car pass and quit inviting me. :annoyed:

Several times at various 'surveys' I was asked why I attended if I had no interest in buying. I replied, "Because you so graciously invited me, and I so graciously accepted!" Plus, you offered me $80 to listen to you.

 

[taffy19]

We were a few days in Oahu this April and I really wanted to go to a point-based timeshare presentation so looked for one of the little kiosks on the oceanfront street of Waikiki Beach where the fellows hand out pamphlets when you walk by and ask you to go on a timeshare presentation. I wanted to go to the new Fairfield Resort that is being built on Oahu right now. We didn't see a single kiosk late that afternoon because they were all closed for the day already.

The next morning I saw a Marriott kiosk first but the fellow didn't know where the Fairfield kiosk would be. I saw a second kiosk and asked the fellow there if he knew where it was. He tried to convince me to take a tour at their resort instead which was from Shell Vacations. He also told me that their timeshares were much cheaper than Fairfield but when he figured out that we were not going to take his tour, he gave me the little booklet what shows you what there is to do on Oahu and told me that I could buy a timeshare re-resale for pennies on the dollar and showed me the advertising for one of the re-sale brokers.

These fellows know that buying re-sale makes much more sense than buying from the developer but they still hand out the pamphlets to take developer tours.

We took the Fairfield tour and cannot complain about the presentation as our saleslady was very pleasant and took no for an answer and the follow-up was handled very professionally too. However, we could not believe how high the prices are and the maintenance fees too. It was quite an education but the point-based system is quite complicated to explain in a timeshare presentation.

We got a certificate for $75 towards a very nice meal. It was a pleasant experience for us but I will never forget the kiosk fellow telling us to buy re-sale so they are well aware of it.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Perry, we went on that one as well. Last year in May! The salespeople kept saying something about an Outrigger "resort" on Maui Fairfield guests could use. The funny thing is that we had been at Kona Hawaiian Village the week before and were not offered a sales tour, then all six of us went into a place above the Shell station in Lahaina to reserve our tickets for a luau and were offered a huge discount and $100 to take the tour. We told the sales guy we stayed at Kona HV and thought it was okay, though it had lots of roaches in the kitchen and the place was a little run down.

After about an hour, Rick was tired of the guy telling us things we already knew and was completing his sentences. Rick has very little patience with timeshare guys. The sales guy told us that we might like TUG and that we should check it out. He loves reading TUG. If that salesman is reading this, thanks for the info on this site. You are right, it is great. He was very nice. It was the second and third sales sleazes that were awful.

Sands of Kahana would not let us tour their resort. We checked in at Gardens, our resale purchase from ebay, and were invited to speak with the concierge, who was only there to schedule tours. When she found out that we bought resale, she couldn't get us out of there fast enough. We asked why we could not tour, she said we know about resales, so it would be a waste of time and money from them.

So we went to Boss Frog's to rent snorkel gear and schedule some activities that our daughter found on the web befor ewe got there. They offered a huge discount, if we would take a timeshare tour. We gratefully accepted, then found out it was SOK. We told the nice lady that we could not take a tour because we own at Gardens and bought resale. She insisted that it would be okay, so we told her to call and ask them. They supposedly okayed our tour.

When we arrived the next day, we were the first ones there. We wanted to see a Sands unit, truly we did. Anyway, they started taking others back as they arrived to show them around, but we were still there an hour later, watching the koi pond.


Finally, the woman called us up to the desk when the room was completely clear and told us that we would not take the tour and dismissed us. We asked about our discounted activities. She said we would still get the discount. It was a little humiliating for us, so we fought back a little and insisted that we see a unit, anyway. The guy that came out was the perfect picture of a sales sleaze. He is what I always imagine them to look like. Kinda rugged, smoking a cigarette the entire time, perhaps a toupee, small and thin (like a snake), wrinkled. He quickly showed us a unit that was not the model that the rest were touring, then he told us it would be $38K for a week. Then we left. Icky! :annoyed:

 

[Timeshare Von]

Every vacation, we seem to have a catch phrase that sums up some memorable aspect of the trip. Often it has to do with the timeshare presentation/pitch.

At WestLake in Orlando, it was this lady running out of the main reception area screaming "Stop trying to sell me $hit!!" . . . In Maui we took a presentation offered through the internet where we got to purchase BOGO luaus and snorkle tours. While sitting at the table, waiting for our sales guy to come back, the general manager came over and said "You may be excused now." We were in a rather private office, and the place was empty. All we could figure is that they overheard us (via a mike/bug?) talk about our recent purchases of FF Williamsburg and Waikiki through resale. Ever since then, we always look under the table, just in case

Yvonne

 

[fnewman]

What amazes me it that so many timeshare sales people do not know about TUG ! They could learn so much to use against us ! Whenever we go, I usually wear my TUG t-shirt just to get the conversaion started. Most of the time they are pretty nice once they find out that we know what we are talking about - perhaps better than they do. I've not yet run into one that was as aggressive as some described above, but if/when I do, they will quickly learn that I can have a 'mean' side as well !!:annoyed:

 

[PerryM]

Blissful ignorance

My empirical research indicates that 90% of the timeshare salesreps I’ve spoken to DO NOT own a timeshare! *

I don’t think I’ve seen any numbers published by ARDA, and when I used that figure in a salesrep oriented chat room there was a lot of squabbling as whether that figure was correct or not. No one pointed out a published number.

Next time you take a sales presentation ask the rep if he/she owns a timeshare let alone the timeshare they are pitching. The feeble responses seem to be:

1) I can’t plan 13 months ahead of time

2) I can’t afford the timeshare and I don’t want to make those time payments

Funny, they expect us to do the very thing they won’t do.

But, this lack of actual experience helps explains the misinformation that follows the reps around. They can claim blissful ignorance since that’s exactly what the have an abundance of – lack of actual owner experience.

Most of them roam from developer to developer and actually may know more about a competitor than the current employer. In our travels we, many times, see the same rep at 3 different developers in 3 years.

I’ve often suggested that reps who own a timeshare wear a big yellow button that says:

“I am a timeshare owner too ”​

P.S.
*This is based on 25+ sales presentations in 6 years.

Last year a salesrep recognized us from the year before at his previous employer and asked to be our rep – he enjoyed our timeshare travels and knew that he didn’t have to work hard since we would not be buying – we took that as a high complement from our opponent.

 

[JLB]

We have had too many horror stories to even begin.

Interestingly, four of our best tours and one of our worst were all at Orange Lake. The bad one there was our last one, and very insultive in front of my in-laws.

It was so bad that we will never take a tour again. After 20 years and as much time as I have spent learning about timeshares, we just cannot sit through all the lies and BS any more.

There oughta be a law!!!

Oh yeah, that's right, there is.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I llok for an opportune moment to casually mention that I manage the TUG advice pages. (I'm actually a co-manager, with Mark Perry, but that's not a detail they need to know.)

The reactions are often amusing, ranging from feigned ignorace to dismay and a quick switch to a different sales rep. Most of the resorts we've visited recently have one or two people who have been clearly designated to deal with resale savvy owners. When the switch is made usually the sales person makes an excuse to leave the table (going to get a drink of water is most common), and about five minutes a new person comes to our table.

I have also had sales people recommend that I visit TUG (before they knew I was already involved with TUG).

 

[topcop400]

I'm relatively new to timesharing and have only been to ONE sales presentation, but I think it qualifies as a nightmare. We were at Sedona Summitt, which is a Sunterra property. We were given the "Club Select" pitch.

Our 90-minute presentation turned out to be a five-hour ordeal. It began at 9:30 a.m. and we finally got out of there at 2:30 p.m. We were so hungry we were both nauseous. Our sales rep. didn't want us to leave to go to the bathroom, let alone get something to eat.

Although we're new to the T/S game, I knew he was telling us things that aren't true.

1. I.I. only deals with points now........they won't take my week for trade.

2. My diamond time 3 bdr. lockout would be worth 7,000 points if I deposited it to their Club Select. Yet, their brochure states it'll cost you 12,000 points to get there. (I don't think so slick!)

3. I.I. has ONLY GC resorts in their catalog.

4. EVERY I.I. resort is handicap-accessible. (This is a concern for me and I KNOW it's a bold-faced lie)

He would not take no for an answer and the five hours wasn't worth the measely $75 pre-paid Visa card.

We were also recorded. My husband is 25-year law enforcement. At one point there was a lot of office-switching. My husband leaned over and whispered "He just activated some sort of recording device." I said "How do you know that?" He said "Trust me........ I KNOW.......I'm absolutely certain."

When the rep. later left the office for a few moments my husband searched the front side of the desk and didn't find anything there. He felt it must have been somewhere on the rep's side of the desk.

I don't want to have five hours taken from my vacation ever again. I gotta get smarter about this.........QUICK!

 

[PerryM]

Ring Ring

One of the tricks we always use is to set an alarm on our cell phone to ring exactly 100 minutes and 110 minutes after the start of the sales presentation.

RING RING you look a your cell phone and raise an eyebrow and indicate to the rep that “We need to wrap this up – you have 10 minutes”.

That will get the guy moving along and exactly 10 minutes later RING RING another alarm goes off and you look and say “We’re out of here – you had more than enough time we need to leave now”.

Works like a charm.

 

[NTHC]

The "Best" Timeshare Sales Pitch would be the one where you signed on the dotted line.....

Cindy

 

[PerryM]

This conversation maybe recorded for your protection…

This July we will hit a bunch of Maui timeshares and get our “fair share” of goodies – with all the mentioning of recording devices I think that I might just start off the sale pitch with “We aren’t going to be recorded in any way are we?” and just see the reaction of our salesrep.

I just love to try new approaches – it spices up the presentation.

 

[topcop400]

Re: Ring Ring

One of the tricks we always use is to set an alarm on our cell phone to ring exactly 100 minutes and 110 minutes after the start of the sales presentation.

At the beginning of our incarceration, we were instructed to turn off our cell phones. My husband told the guy to go pound sand....... if our son needed to reach us, he was going to reach us.

 

[Gadabout]

Re: This conversation maybe recorded for your protection…

This July we will hit a bunch of Maui timeshares and get our “fair share” of goodies – with all the mentioning of recording devices I think that I might just start off the sale pitch with “We aren’t going to be recorded in any way are we?” and just see the reaction of our salesrep.

I just love to try new approaches – it spices up the presentation.

I guess it would be only fair to bring your own hidden recorders--after all, they're not asking your permission to be recorded....

 

[PerryM]

Lay down the law to them

TopCop400,

I would have instantly asked for the sales manager and chewed up many minutes of the 90 minutes making it perfectly clear that you were not going to turn off your cell phone – if they argue just get up and leave – that is the first sign of intense pressure to come – the gift they are offering is not worth it.

We always make sure that the salesrep knows the ground rules – we listen exactly 90 minutes and they give us a gift. (Double check that with the rep) I know they want you to book 3 hours or so and it’s ok to tell them you have but if they start to fight at this point just get up and leave.

If you got discount lodging, you want to clear it with the sales manager before you leave – you MUST get your voucher.

I’ve learned that if you show them you are in charge of the sales presentation and that you ask them “how are we doing – we agreed to 90 minutes” the air will be let out of their ego and they already know it’s a waste of time.

Don’t be afraid to ask about the gift and your qualifications – I’ve seen folks go 90 minutes only to be told that there was a mistake and they don’t qualify for the gift.

The salesrep knows you are there for the gift – they expect it.

DO NOT ask to leave (unless you are really are fed up) you will NOT get your gift.

When pricing is brought up in the final few minutes just look at each other and say “Oh my god” and look upset.

 

[michaelsmalley]

Why hide it?

I guess it would be only fair to bring your own hidden recorders--after all, they're not asking your permission to be recorded....

When they get ready to sit you down and start their presentation tell the salesman, "I want to make sure I don't misunderstand or forget anything about what you are going to tell us."

Then take a small tape recorder out of your pocket, turn it on and sit it right in front of both of you. You will be surprised how it changes their presentation and there is nothing illegal about it.

Mike S.

 

[Htoo0]

^^^^Thought about that one a few times. Can't imagine they'd have much to say except goodbye. Just wait for a bit more technology. Can you imagine getting to the end of a presentation, pulling out a document from your briefcase and asking them to sign it? When they ask what it is, say it's your contract! You recorded and printed his every word and promise and you're ready to hand over the cash.

 

[ghostdancer]

I'd tell you mine, Yvonne, but I think I was on the same bus you were. In fact, I think we were the unfortunate couple (except that we spent $4,000, instead of $40,000). I could swear we had the guy from Kansas, too. If this wasn't the same place you went, then the script is being shared!

 

[BondGuy]

Shortest, most rewarding, and best

While checking in at FF Williamsburg at Kingsgate we were directed to the 'parking pass' desk and offered a reasonable inducement (two, but subsequently upped to three, free passes to Colonial Williamsburg) for a FF Points presentation. As we were going to CW anyway and we did have some passing interest in learning about FF Points, we agreed.

At the appointed time we met our salesrep, who asked about our Timeshare experience. I said we purchased our first TS from a developer, then five more in South Africa at 5% or 10% of our first developer purchase price, with lower MFs. He asked if we would ever consider buying from a developer and when we answered truthfully "not today" he very graciously offered us the chance to claim our gift. We were in and out in less than 10 minutes.



In PVR we were strolling in the marina when a ‘shark’ began to offer tourist-type tips and suggestions. He was Mexican but had lived in NYC for several years and spoke great English. His suggestions proved to be very helpful, but as we began to walk away he pitched a TS tour. We declined, but he then pitched the “I’ve helped you, so can you now help me” line. He received payment for delivering warm bodies who stay for the entire presentation, but he suggested we could leave any time after the 90 mins were up, because his wife worked at the gifting desk.

When the gift went north of USD 200 plus breakfast, plus a ride to and from the resort, we agreed. On the drive to the presentation the next day, he offered more advice about the presentation: do not ask questions, do not express any interest in the property, and do NOT indicate we would buy if … . He suggested we pick something about the resort the developer CANNOT change and decline because of that.

Long story short, his strategy worked (we said we would never stay at a TS with tile floors because of my bad back and we would never buy a TS that we could not use) and we were at the gifting table in less than 2 hours. His wife was surprised when we addressed her by name but readily dropped the cash in our hands with a quiet “thank you” for giving her husband a nice little pay day.



In Massanutten on our first ever exchange, we were invited to the ‘welcome breakfast’, which turned out to be a very acceptable hot and cold buffet. Our ‘information rep’ gave us a soft sell, then allowed us to enjoy our breakfast in peace. For this we received $100 in vouchers we could spend on any resort activity.

The best part came about 30 minutes later when we went to drive away and discovered an almost flat tire. It looked like a very slow leak, so I went inside and asked our ‘rep’ if she knew where I could find a gas station. She offered to change the tire for me, then when I said ‘no way’ offered to lead us to their maintenance area where they had an air pump. This gave us enough air to drive to a gas station where they removed the tire and patched a nail hole. She NEVER tried to turn her help into a sales pitch.

 

[Timeshare Von]

I'd tell you mine, Yvonne, but I think I was on the same bus you were. In fact, I think we were the unfortunate couple (except that we spent $4,000, instead of $40,000). I could swear we had the guy from Kansas, too. If this wasn't the same place you went, then the script is being shared!

$4,000?!?!?!? You got off way cheap . . . what did you get for that amount?

The package they were trying to sell us, was an EOY type for around $20k.

 

[beckne]

I have two favorite Timeshare sales pitches.

The first one was in St. Augustine, FL --- I do not remember the name of the timeshare. We stayed our comped two nights and entered the office for our tour at 1:00pm the third day. Our sales rep first told us that we were his last appointment for the day (resulting in an under-the-breath "uh-oh"). But, when we got to his office, he asked if I was seriously interested in his property; and I told him I was not. He then asked if it was ok if he just gave us the gifts and we did not take the tour. Was it??? It turned out that he had a 2:00pm tee time and he wanted to play golf --- then offered to let me play with him since they had one opening (no pressure, he was serious). I declined, got my gifts, and was outta there by 1:15pm.

The second was very similar at a Four Seasons resort at Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. They were overbooked, apologized and assured us they would send us another offer if we did not want to tour this time. I took my putter, dinner for two certificate, and hotel voucher and never looked back. I did get a second invite, which I did not respond to. But, now, everytime I use my comp Odessy putter, I think of their resort.

I have also had some good sales pitches when I purchased time shares; have a policy that, no matter how much I like the property, I will not buy if I think I am pressured. So, some of the times I have bought, I have had good presentations............