Marriott Owners Updates

[Spartanfan1983]

We are relatively new Marriott Owners and vacation at a Marriott Vacation Resort. We' e been asked to attend an "Owners' Update" session for 60 minutes but we have heard that these are really sales pitches and you are pressured to buy more points. Any thoughts or advice welcomed

 

[1Kflyerguy]

We are relatively new Marriott Owners and vacation at a Marriott Vacation Resort. We' e been asked to attend an "Owners' Update" session for 60 minutes but we have heard that these are really sales pitches and you are pressured to buy more points. Any thoughts or advice welcomed

The Owners Updates with Marriott and all Timeshare systems are sales presentations designed to see you more ownership. It's possible you may learn something new about the system if you get a good sales rep, but in reality, you can learn much more here on TUG.

 

[WBP]

We are relatively new Marriott Owners and vacation at a Marriott Vacation Resort. We' e been asked to attend an "Owners' Update" session for 60 minutes but we have heard that these are really sales pitches and you are pressured to buy more points. Any thoughts or advice welcomed

You’ve already been “defrauded” by career criminals. What you were invited to is NOT an “Owner Update,” but, a sales presentation, disguised as an Owner Update.

Do yourself a favor, stay clear of that sales presentation, and tell everyone you talk to, at the MVW resorts, where you vacation, about TUG.

 

[zentraveler]

The Owners Updates with Marriott and all Timeshare systems are sales presentations designed to see you more ownership. It's possible you may learn something new about the system if you get a good sales rep, but in reality, you can learn much more here on TUG.

And you will get an extremely high-pressure sales talk with anything they can say, true or not, to get you to buy something. And I really mean high pressure. Until you get to be a pro at these, and know many times more than the sales reps know, probably good to avoid. Enjoy your vacation.

 

[Spartanfan1983]

You’ve already been “defrauded” by career criminals. What you were invited to is NOT an “Owner Update,” but, a sales presentation, disguised as an Owner Update.

Do yourself a favor, stay clear of that sales presentation, and tell everyone you talk to, at the MVW resorts, where you vacation about TUG.

Thank you

 

[Spartanfan1983]

You’ve already been “defrauded” by career criminals. What you were invited to is NOT an “Owner Update,” but, a sales presentation, disguised as an Owner Update.

Do yourself a favor, stay clear of that sales presentation, and tell everyone you talk to, at the MVW resorts, where you vacation about TUG.

Thank you for replying.

 

[davidvel]

We are relatively new Marriott Owners and vacation at a Marriott Vacation Resort. We' e been asked to attend an "Owners' Update" session for 60 minutes but we have heard that these are really sales pitches and you are pressured to buy more points. Any thoughts or advice welcomed

Presuming you bought points, not a resale week: The only purpose is to take more of your hard earned money at exorbitant prices. They already ripped you off charging at least double, maybe close to triple, what you could have paid resale for the exact same points. You certainly don't want to go to a sales pitch from such unscrupulous people.

If you do own points, you can rent as many as you need for less than the MF and no upfront cost, at vacationpointexchange.com.

 

[Spartanfan1983]

Presuming you bought points, not a resale week: The only purpose is to take more of your hard earned money at exorbitant prices. They already ripped you off charging at least double, maybe close to triple, what you could have paid resale for the exact same points. You certainly don't want to go to a sales pitch from such unscrupulous people.

If you do own points, you can rent as many as you need for less than the MF and no upfront cost, at vacationpointexchange.com.

Thank you

 

[cubigbird]

At a recently attended presentation, retail points were now selling for $18.08/point

 

[dougp26364]

At a recently attended presentation, retail points were now selling for $18.08/point

I am simply amazed they can sell points at this price. Then again, when they try to get me up to Reserve Level, it will be VERY easy to say it a hard pass for $180,800.

 

[dougp26364]

We are relatively new Marriott Owners and vacation at a Marriott Vacation Resort. We' e been asked to attend an "Owners' Update" session for 60 minutes but we have heard that these are really sales pitches and you are pressured to buy more points. Any thoughts or advice welcomed

At our age, we’ve begun attending presentations again. Largely because after 28 years of timeshare ownership we’ve reached a point we’re there for relaxation rather than tourism.

If you have nothing to do, attend the presentation and take the gift. This year we’re up to $450 being entertained. We’ll earn at least another $300 this year, maybe more depending on how much they value our time. The low end is often $150. Most times $200 and occasionally as high as $300.

If you go, listen to them. If you feel tempted, still say no and bring what they’re offering back here. We’ll point out the holes and lies in what they’re telling you

 

[jellen613]

If the incentive is good enough, I will go to an "update" "sales presentation" whatever. When they start going on about what people our age do with their MVC ownership and vacations, I am able to shut them down with our family being small, we use the MVC products we currently own, and my husband being on a fixed income.
A couple of sales people have then asked why we keep coming to presentations, and I say because they keep getting offered to us. If you are going to offer incentives to come listen to the latest spin on MVC, then we will consider coming.
A few times we have passed - we just did an encore with a presentation in April. I think I can pass for our next stay at our home resort on HHI. However, if the offer is high enough, we might change our minds.

 

[pedro47]

At our age, we’ve begun attending presentations again. Largely because after 28 years of timeshare ownership we’ve reached a point we’re there for relaxation rather than tourism.

If you have nothing to do, attend the presentation and take the gift. This year we’re up to $450 being entertained. We’ll earn at least another $300 this year, maybe more depending on how much they value our time. The low end is often $150. Most times $200 and occasionally as high as $300.

If you go, listen to them. If you feel tempted, still say no and bring what they’re offering back here. We’ll point out the holes and lies in what they’re telling you

After 28 years of owning a timeshare, how can you sit for ninety (90) minutes of a high pressure sales pitch? We just cannot do it any more. That is my opinion... Only! Please do not post anything on my opinion only.

 

[davidvel]

After 28 years of owning a timeshare, how can you sit for ninety (90) minutes of a high pressure sales pitch? We just cannot do it any more. That is my opinion... Only! Please do not post anything on my opinion only.

The last few we have done have been a half hour or less.

 

[Spartanfan1983]

At our age, we’ve begun attending presentations again. Largely because after 28 years of timeshare ownership we’ve reached a point we’re there for relaxation rather than tourism.

If you have nothing to do, attend the presentation and take the gift. This year we’re up to $450 being entertained. We’ll earn at least another $300 this year, maybe more depending on how much they value our time. The low end is often $150. Most times $200 and occasionally as high as $300.

If you go, listen to them. If you feel tempted, still say no and bring what they’re offering back here. We’ll point out the holes and lies in what they’re telling you

Thank you for taking the time to reply. Greatly appreciate this

 

[Spartanfan1983]

The last few we have done have been a half hour or less.

Good to know. They told us it would be no more than 60 minutes. We still are deciding whether to take the 350 club points to attend or not.

 

[davidvel]

Good to know. They told us it would be no more than 60 minutes. We still are deciding whether to take the 350 club points to attend or not.

I am not saying it will be less than 30 minutes, we have just found a way to piss them off just enough to let us go after they tell us we have to stay full time. Their standard timeframe is 90 minutes, so the body snatcher already lied if they said 60.

 

[dougp26364]

After 28 years of owning a timeshare, how can you sit for ninety (90) minutes of a high pressure sales pitch? We just cannot do it any more. That is my opinion... Only! Please do not post anything on my opinion only.

It’s pretty easy. There’s no pressure when you know they’ve got nothing to offer.

 

[dougp26364]

I am not saying it will be less than 30 minutes, we have just found a way to piss them off just enough to let us go after they tell us we have to stay full time. Their standard timeframe is 90 minutes, so the body snatcher already lied if they said 60.

Do you ever wonder why they keep offering when they should already know you’re not a prospect? I keep thinking they’ll eventually stop calling and offering updates

 

[davidvel]

Do you ever wonder why they keep offering when they should already know you’re not a prospect? I keep thinking they’ll eventually stop calling and offering updates

No. I've discussed this here before, but for some reason MVC has an obsession with separating the body snatchers from sales. It seems to harken back to an old sales philosophy that there is a fixed percent of closing per person, and more numbers equal more sales.

Maybe there is some other reason that I don't know but it makes no sense to any person looking at it. When we get there, they see what we own (all resale, 1 enrolled), and the dozens of sales meeting with ZERO purchases. Instantly their head drops and they are either a holes or just start chatting about random stuff.

They always ask that stupid "Why are you here, and what can I do for you?" as if everyone in the room doesn't know and we are there for them. It is really childish stuff, but we just laugh and think about the steak and seafood dinner we'll be getting for free, if we didn't already get it from pre-gifting.

 

[dougp26364]

No. I've discussed this here before, but for some reason MVC has an obsession with separating the body snatchers from sales. It seems to harken back to an old sales philosophy that there is a fixed percent of closing per person, and more numbers equal more sales.

Maybe there is some other reason that I don't know but it makes no sense to any person looking at it. When we get there, they see what we own (all resale, 1 enrolled), and the dozens of sales meeting with ZERO purchases. Instantly their head drops and they are either a holes or just start chatting about random stuff.

They always ask that stupid "Why are you here, and what can I do for you?" as if everyone in the room doesn't know and we are there for them. It is really childish stuff, but we just laugh and think about the steak and seafood dinner we'll be getting for free, if we didn't already get it from pre-gifting.

Having spent 10 years in direct sales (many years ago) I just sit and shake my head at their (throw enough stuff against the wall and see if some of it sticks philosophy. Eventually it has to end

 

[jellen613]

I have not found any of the sales presentations that we have gone to have been high pressure. Usually we have a pretty pleasant conversation. Our last presentation we told him in the first 5 minutes we weren't going to buy anything, and we chatted about the area and MVC in general for 60 minutes, it was pleasant. One guy in DC kind of annoyed me because he kept saying "Well people your age typically...." and "owners your age typically"... He is talking to a Gen Xer, nothing is going to turn me off more than telling me what I should be doing

 

[dioxide45]

I have not found any of the sales presentations that we have gone to have been high pressure. Usually we have a pretty pleasant conversation. Our last presentation we told him in the first 5 minutes we weren't going to buy anything, and we chatted about the area and MVC in general for 60 minutes, it was pleasant. One guy in DC kind of annoyed me because he kept saying "Well people your age typically...." and "owners your age typically"... He is talking to a Gen Xer, nothing is going to turn me off more than telling me what I should be doing

I wouldn't say we've been to any that have really been high pressure either. Most of the time the sales rep is either rude or condescending.

 

[davidvel]

I wouldn't say we've been to any that have really been high pressure either. Most of the time the sales rep is either rude or condescending.

Generally once they see your sheet and realize their is ZERO chance of a sale, they are either pricks, or condescending. On rare occasion they play the cool guy trick acting like you are doing them a favor, with backhanded compliments. Quite entertaining whatever they do.

 

[WBP]

Having spent 10 years in direct sales (many years ago) I just sit and shake my head at their (throw enough stuff against the wall and see if some of it sticks philosophy. Eventually it has to end

You are precisely right in your “throw enough against the wall and see what sticks” philosophy. However, MVW uses metrics to evaluate how many clients generated by each specific marketing channel lead to a sale, how many clients generated by each individual marketing representative lead to a sale, and, ultimately, how many clients it takes for a salesperson to make a sale. It has been a long time since I traveled that road, but I seem to recall that the target closing rate for salespeople was 5–10%, and I believe it was closer to 5%.

Then comes the collision of sales and marketing agendas. The marketing agenda is to generate tours, while the sales agenda is to generate sales. Every now and then, sales and marketing leadership find that sweet spot where they figure out how to generate the right number of tours that lead to the right number of sales.

First and foremost, we have no desire to attend a sales presentation, regardless of my, once, background in sales and marketing. However, I know all too well how a client who is simply “mooching” an incentive from a developer can negatively impact a 100%-commission salesperson. I also know how that “mooch” can diminish a salesperson’s opportunity to make a sale. Therein lies the good and the bad, interspersed with the “throw enough against the wall and see what sticks” approach. There is no doubt that MVW does that. However, rest assured that if a marketing leader decides to open a marketing desk in the lobby of a Courtyard hotel and the tours generated by that channel perform poorly, that leader will feel the consequences—in both their performance metrics and their compensation.

It is a tough business.

My take on the current leadership at MVW is that they are attempting to create additional appeal for clients by offering unique social opportunities that are available exclusively to owners (at top-tier levels). It is a very interesting twist on vacation ownership. It is no coincidence that the current leadership at MVW, implemented this very strategy at Diamond Resorts. The real estate that traditionally served as the foundation of the vacation experience is now being positioned as the basis for both vacations and a variety of social and lifestyle experiences. We have zero interest in the latter. We own our timeshares to vacation, not to attend exclusive events or to feel special.