Denied Access to Owners Update without Spouse

[Bigmother]

I visited the HGVC resort in Vegas last weekend. I was booked into the owner’s update until check-in (60000 points or $200 Visa gift card), when they told me I wasn’t eligible to attend without my spouse. I could attend with my girlfriend and SHE could get the gift card, but NOT me. Hilton called the unit to reiterate the offer for my girlfriend. They even called a second time to state that if I brought a POA for my spouse I could attend. But I didn’t bring my burka and I didn’t bring a POA on vacation. I also didn’t get the update and didn’t get the incentive.

In the 22 years we have owned HGVC Hilton has never heard from my spouse. I paid the loan, I make all the reservations and I pay all the annual fees. I make 4 times what he makes, but they deny ME access. I have never heard of this type of medieval behavior from an US based company in this century or the last 50 years of the past century.

Anyone else have this experience? I know a very good class action lawyer and need a second plaintiff

 

[buzglyd]

It’s pretty common if you’re married. They want both people there so you can’t use the “I need to talk to my spouse” excuse to not buy.

 

[drucifer]

This is standard stuff. If you are in a "marriage contract", both parties to the contract must be present.

 

[brp]

Yup. This is not a male/female thing. A married male would not be be able to attend without spouse. That's been made very clear to us when we've been approached about these. Nothing particularly Medieval about this. Just good business sense (for a change from this group of folks) for the reason that @buzglyd mentions above. Too easy to get around things without the spouse present.

Cheers.

 

[Bigmother]

Sorry, but this was advertised as the OWNERS UPDATE. Not a sales presentation. HGVC has had a lot of changes in the past 2 years. I wanted to hear about that. NOT buy another week

 

[brp]

Sorry, but this was advertised as the OWNERS UPDATE. Not a sales presentation. HGVC has had a lot of changes in the past 2 years. I wanted to hear about that. NOT buy another week

It's a sales presentation. No matter what they call it, it's a sales presentation. They don't offer gifts just to give information. There is no such thing as an OWNER'S UPDATE. They are trying to sell. Take a look at the fine print for what they offered you. Quite certain it says that you both have to be present.

To learn the reality of these changes (and there have been quite a few, as you say), you've just joined the right place. You will not get that from the supposed "Owner's Update."

 

[Talent312]

Imagine that you were a guy and told you couldn't attend w/o your wife.
But that you could attend with your GF... and the GF gets the gift.
Sure its humiliating, but gender don't matter to these cretins.

They want both H+W present to sign the mortgage to finance the sale.
But its an owners update? Don't be so naive. Its the "sales office."
The sales-weasels that inhabit the place live on commissions from sales.
.

 

[clifffaith]

Cliff and I have different last names. Was never a problem until two years ago at Worldmark Oceanside. We presented ourselves and our driver licenses, and settled in to eat our breakfast burritos before the “update”. We became aware of lots of whispering at the counter. They were having heartburn over the name difference. I’m thinking, look at our account for pity’s sake — both names are on it. Cliff finally told them I was a floozy he picked up on the way in so he could get a free breakfast. What century are we in that spouses with different names had them totally flummoxed?!

 

[escanoe]

Cliff and I have different last names.

Yet you share your share combined first names on TUG @clifffaith

It if is a fun, wild, diverse world we inhabit today.

 

[letsgobobby]

I visited the HGVC resort in Vegas last weekend. I was booked into the owner’s update until check-in (60000 points or $200 Visa gift card), when they told me I wasn’t eligible to attend without my spouse. I could attend with my girlfriend and SHE could get the gift card, but NOT me. Hilton called the unit to reiterate the offer for my girlfriend. They even called a second time to state that if I brought a POA for my spouse I could attend. But I didn’t bring my burka and I didn’t bring a POA on vacation. I also didn’t get the update and didn’t get the incentive.

In the 22 years we have owned HGVC Hilton has never heard from my spouse. I paid the loan, I make all the reservations and I pay all the annual fees. I make 4 times what he makes, but they deny ME access. I have never heard of this type of medieval behavior from an US based company in this century or the last 50 years of the past century.

Anyone else have this experience? I know a very good class action lawyer and need a second plaintiff

i have always been told in no uncertain terms that my spouse MUST attend for any incentive and my spouse is a she and I am a he. I don't think you're being treated differently than a man.

 

[tschwa2]

Sorry, but this was advertised as the OWNERS UPDATE. Not a sales presentation. HGVC has had a lot of changes in the past 2 years. I wanted to hear about that. NOT buy another week

but it isn't an owners update regardless of what they call it. That is the mislead or lie #1 for the day. If it were an actual owner update, you wouldn't be gifted and they wouldn't have the requirement of both parties being present. If you want info about the changes, you would have better luck calling owner services. The 'updates are staffed by commissioned sales people and others paid out of the sales budget. They are not using employees paid through the HOA budget. They aren't even particularly well trained in the program or any changes or how everything works and they get little tidbits of info about changes, to intersperse with their sales spiel. Even the info they present is just as likely to be incorrect (misleads or lies 2-200) intended to make you feel the urgency to buy. You are not missing an owner update by not being allowed to participate in that type of meeting. And that is pretty much across all timeshare companies.

 

[rapmarks]

Yup. This is not a male/female thing. A married male would be be able to attend without spouse. That's been made very clear to us when we've been approached about these. Nothing particularly Medieval about this. Just good business sense (for a change from this group of folks) for the reason that @buzglyd mentions above. Too easy to get around things without the spouse present.

Cheers.

Is the second sentence correct, or a word left out?

 

[dayooper]

Sorry, but this was advertised as the OWNERS UPDATE. Not a sales presentation. HGVC has had a lot of changes in the past 2 years. I wanted to hear about that. NOT buy another week

You will find better and more accurate info here on Tug. There are members here that know more about the system than most salespeople do. Know the system inside and out and can use it to get the most money out of their ownership. Salespeople? Not so much.

This is reason #1 that I don’t attend sales presentations. I value my time on vacation with my family too much to waste it for some trinkets so I can be lied to. Just not worth it.

 

[dougp26364]

We’ve owned timeshare since 1998 and HGVC since 2002. I paid the loan, I make all the reservations, I check us in. Hilton has never heard from my spouse. We’ve ALWAYS been required to both be present for an “owners update”, which one learned very quickly is just another name for sales presentation.

It’s been that way with Hilton and every other timeshare system we’ve owned or, for that matter, any timeshare system we’ve toured but have not owned. They make it clear in the fine print that both parties must attend.

My wife hates the presentations, so we don’t go all that often. In the 21 years we’ve owned with Hilton we’ve attended a total of four “owners updates” with Hilton. We have done “updates” with other systems. Most recently Marriott, which required my wife to attend. We have gone yearly to our Breckenridge Grand Vacations update, largely because it’s always been the same salesman, we sit, we chat, he tells us the latest deals and they knock $150 off our MF’s. He retired last year so I doubt we go again.

It’s not a sexist thing. It’s just a requirement for the gift. Give up the gift and some sales floors are willing to allow you to tour. Assuming they have a salesman willing to take a low probability tour. You see, the cold hard fact is the probability someone will make a major purchase without their spouse is very, very low. Since they work on a commission. It’s typically a waste of their time.

 

[chapjim]

I visited the HGVC resort in Vegas last weekend. I was booked into the owner’s update until check-in (60000 points or $200 Visa gift card), when they told me I wasn’t eligible to attend without my spouse. I could attend with my girlfriend and SHE could get the gift card, but NOT me. Hilton called the unit to reiterate the offer for my girlfriend. They even called a second time to state that if I brought a POA for my spouse I could attend. But I didn’t bring my burka and I didn’t bring a POA on vacation. I also didn’t get the update and didn’t get the incentive.

In the 22 years we have owned HGVC Hilton has never heard from my spouse. I paid the loan, I make all the reservations and I pay all the annual fees. I make 4 times what he makes, but they deny ME access. I have never heard of this type of medieval behavior from an US based company in this century or the last 50 years of the past century.

Anyone else have this experience? I know a very good class action lawyer and need a second plaintiff

In what way were you damaged? Blows to ego and pride don't count.

Class actions benefit lawyers; plaintiffs much less so. Plaintiffs get coupons. Lawyers get cash. Edit: That's if you win, which you won't in this instance.

 

[bnoble]

Sorry, but this was advertised as the OWNERS UPDATE. Not a sales presentation.

You’ve been an owner for 22 years. You can’t possibly believe this.

 

[ernststarhemberg]

Enjoy traveling without the spouse, it's an easy out! They'll hassle you over the "update", then you can conveniently drop that spouse didn't join you on this trip, and watch how quickly they shut up!

 

[bnoble]

"Oh, I'm married, but that's not my wife."

 

[brp]

Is the second sentence correct, or a word left out?

Yikes. Left out the not. I've fixed it. Thanks for catch!

Cheers.

 

[brp]

Cliff and I have different last names. Was never a problem until two years ago at Worldmark Oceanside. We presented ourselves and our driver licenses, and settled in to eat our breakfast burritos before the “update”. We became aware of lots of whispering at the counter. They were having heartburn over the name difference. I’m thinking, look at our account for pity’s sake — both names are on it. Cliff finally told them I was a floozy he picked up on the way in so he could get a free breakfast. What century are we in that spouses with different names had them totally flummoxed?!

We also (gasp!) have different last names. No issues so far, though

Cheers.

 

[sponger76]

Cliff and I have different last names. Was never a problem until two years ago at Worldmark Oceanside. We presented ourselves and our driver licenses, and settled in to eat our breakfast burritos before the “update”. We became aware of lots of whispering at the counter. They were having heartburn over the name difference. I’m thinking, look at our account for pity’s sake — both names are on it. Cliff finally told them I was a floozy he picked up on the way in so he could get a free breakfast. What century are we in that spouses with different names had them totally flummoxed?!

My wife and I also have different last names. Usually not an issue in any situation, although sometimes we get weird looks. Surprisingly, it seems to confuse my daughter's (recent high school graduate) friends. You would think the younger crowd would be more blasé about that sort of thing compared to us old, uptight (in their eyes) folks.

 

[Talent312]

My ex had a different last name, which she kept.
So, when we divorced, she didn't need to change it.
My current wife took mine 'cux mine was shorter: 1 syllable vs 4.

 

[dayooper]

"Oh, I'm married, but that's not my wife."

I told my wife that if they ask next week that I will tell them the she’s my mistress and if that would be ok if she attended instead of my wife.

 

[artringwald]

I have attended several Diamond presentations without DW. I tell them she refuses to attend but I'm willing to go without her. Of course, there's no gifts and they don't get credit for making a pitch. I just go out of curiosity, preferable on a rainy day. I often get the newest hire and they practice their presentation on me. The last time I went, the guy got angry with me for wasting his time. I don't attend them anymore.

 

[jwalk03]

Sorry, but this was advertised as the OWNERS UPDATE. Not a sales presentation. HGVC has had a lot of changes in the past 2 years. I wanted to hear about that. NOT buy another week

There is no such thing as an owner's update. Its a sales presentation. Most anything you hear in sales presentations are lies and fabrications of the truth to try and get you to buy more. You can learn a lot more useful information here than you ever would from a salesman!!

Basically every timeshare presentation ever requires both spouses to attend. They are selling real estate and in some states its unlawful for them to sell real estate to a married person without their spouse.

Also even in the states where they can sell legally it removes a built in excuse of I need to talk it over with my husband/wife, etc.

Be glad they didn't let you attend and enjoy your vacation!