HGVC Pitch in DC.

[x3 skier]

Took up an offer for 4 Days / 3 Nights in DC to endure the marketing pitch. After all the fluff which was essentially accurate, I kept rejecting the offer to purchase. When asked why, it was simple, why make a commitment forever when I’m 80+? If I want to go somewhere, I go and stay probably in a middle range accommodation instead of the “luxury” HGVC. So why would I commit to essentially a lifetime of travel and maintenance fees that I probably won’t ever break even on. The ROI doesn’t seem to be much over zero.

The closer asked me why I was there. Simple, the offer was a good deal for a stay and the $200 voucher will certainly be useful. I have friends in DC and my GF hadn’t been there in years. He then said, well then I would not be asked back again. I certainly doubt that since they have been sending me similar offers for years. If they blackball me, c’est la vie. There’s always Marriott since they been sending similar offers.

 

[brp]

Yeah, the basic "I'm here for the same reason as you: they're paying me" answer.

Cheers.

 

[pedro47]

Took up an offer for 4 Days / 3 Nights in DC to endure the marketing pitch. After all the fluff which was essentially accurate, I kept rejecting the offer to purchase. When asked why, it was simple, why make a commitment forever when I’m 80+? If I want to go somewhere, I go and stay probably in a middle range accommodation instead of the “luxury” HGVC. So why would I commit to essentially a lifetime of travel and maintenance fees that I probably won’t ever break even on. The ROI doesn’t seem to be much over zero.

The closer asked me why I was there. Simple, the offer was a good deal for a stay and the $200 voucher will certainly be useful. I have friends in DC and my GF hadn’t been there in years. He then said, well then I would not be asked back again. I certainly doubt that since they have been sending me similar offers for years. If they blackball me, c’est la vie. There’s always Marriott since they been sending similar offers.

You told the truth to the closer and that sales person still did not understands your reasons.

 

[WorldT]

"The closer asked me why I was there".

Always interesting when I run into this. I told the marketing person offering me incentives to attend I have zero interest in buying anything. But then you offered to pay me to attend. Why act surprised when I don't buy anything?

 

[brp]

"The closer asked me why I was there".

Always interesting when I run into this. I told the marketing person offering me incentives to attend I have zero interest in buying anything. But then you offered to pay me to attend. Why act surprised when I don't buy anything?

It makes complete sense. The shill trying to get you to attend has a different incentive than the salesweasel. The shill only cares if you sign up, not if you're going to buy. And I'm quote sure that that info is not passed along. It's an odd system this way, but it is what it is.

Cheers.

 

[amycurl]

Why act surprised when I don't buy anything?

Especially since you are in the majority of attendees who don't purchase.
At our last HGVC presentation in Orlando, our sales rep got really belligerent about it, and I remember saying, "Look, I'm not the one that created this system, yet here we both are...." She also said we'd been to 8 presentations, and the only way that math mathed was if they were counting every HGVC+DRI presentation we'd ever done (and it still didn't seem like it would have been 8, but who knows?)
Sales rep don't believe me when I tell them what I own and what I can pull for my MF (Marriotts at HHI and MB for Spring Break, 2 bedroom Maui oceanfront at Christmas, etc.) It makes selling me something else at full retail really, really difficult....

 

[JohnPaul]

It makes complete sense. The shill trying to get you to attend has a different incentive than the salesweasel. The shill only cares if you sign up, not if you're going to buy. And I'm quote sure that that info is not passed along. It's an odd system this way, but it is what it is.

Cheers.

At least a few years ago, Hilton was slightly different in that the "get you to the presentation" person got more if you actually bought something.

 

[SmithOp]

Surprised they didn't try to sell you the $1795 encore points package.

Personally I feel it's elder abuse to sell timeshares to anyone over 70, there should be a consumer protection law against it.

 

[x3 skier]

Surprised they didn't try to sell you the $1795 encore points package.

Personally I feel it's elder abuse to sell timeshares to anyone over 70, there should be a consumer protection law against it.

No clue what an encore package is but they did offer me sort of a one year membership for a limited portfolio of places as a final deal. No interest since the places were of no interest.

There’s a “law” already as far as I’m concerned. It’s called common sense and should be applied more often.