New level of sales "owner presentation" pushiness, they follow you or show up at your room.

[Sandy VDH]

WM St George. Said no repeatedly, left for my room, about 1 hour later, showed up there with a small gift bag, asking again.

Wynd Flagstaff - upped the offer several time, I still said no, followed me to the parking lot and offered me a bottle of wine too.

Never had this level of persistence before.

Wynd Desert Blue used the lines. "This is your welcome gift you get because of the MF you pay, do you really want to turn down your gift?"

Yeah right. Stop being so pushy Wyndham.

 

[jp10558]

What happens if they "lie" and give you a gift bag or bottle of wine, and you... don't agree to go to a presentation? Or you say, OK thanks for the gift / perk of my ownership and don't agree to a presentation? And just... you know, don't show up for anything.

I also wondered how any pre-given gift would go if you didn't show up for the presentation even if they put down some time? Obviously you wouldn't get whatever incentive you get after attending, but you also haven't signed any contract like with a VIP trip or whatever - so... I don't think they can really "get back at you". It's not like they could just charge you something if you didn't go and get the gift card or whatever.

 

[jeanf]

A true gift is given with no strings attached. A gift to sign up for the sales pitch is not a gift, it's a bribe, or what they call incentive...yet still not a gift.

 

[PhilD41]

That is the one think I am not looking forward to on our Summer vacation. My wife and I usually go as the $200 helps with a family of seven and isn't bad for a hour or less. However, with 2 nights at St. George, 2 nights at Moab, 2 nights at Pagosa Springs, and 2 nights at Flagstaff... I am not going to waste the hour. Getting a "no" across is sooooo much fun!

 

[LoogieMeister]

They push sales in a manner similar to how I convinced my wife to marry me: 50 ‘no’s’ and 1 ‘yes’ was still a yes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[SteveinHNL]

They push sales in a manner similar to how I convinced my wife to marry me: 50 ‘no’s’ and 1 ‘yes’ was still a yes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I wonder which yes would wind up being more expensive? J/K, I'm sure that one yes out of 51 tries has generated returns many times more than the investment!

 

[dioxide45]

What happens if they "lie" and give you a gift bag or bottle of wine, and you... don't agree to go to a presentation? Or you say, OK thanks for the gift / perk of my ownership and don't agree to a presentation? And just... you know, don't show up for anything.

I also wondered how any pre-given gift would go if you didn't show up for the presentation even if they put down some time? Obviously you wouldn't get whatever incentive you get after attending, but you also haven't signed any contract like with a VIP trip or whatever - so... I don't think they can really "get back at you". It's not like they could just charge you something if you didn't go and get the gift card or whatever.

Wyndham tends to want to collect some type of "deposit" when signing up which you get back after you attend. I think they wanted $40 charge on our card when we went at Bonnet Creek. I refused to give it to them and said I wouldn't go otherwise. THey still scheduled us and we attended. When we checked out they seemed bewildered that we hadn't provided a deposit.

Marriott Vacation Club will also sometimes pre-gift by giving you the gift card, vouchers or Bonvoy points when you sign up for the presentation. They take a credit card impression in this instant (really just a swipe and a $1 authorization. If you don't show up, they charge your card for the value of the gifts you already received.

 

[jp10558]

Wyndham tends to want to collect some type of "deposit" when signing up which you get back after you attend. I think they wanted $40 charge on our card when we went at Bonnet Creek. I refused to give it to them and said I wouldn't go otherwise. THey still scheduled us and we attended. When we checked out they seemed bewildered that we hadn't provided a deposit.

Marriott Vacation Club will also sometimes pre-gift by giving you the gift card, vouchers or Bonvoy points when you sign up for the presentation. They take a credit card impression in this instant (really just a swipe and a $1 authorization. If you don't show up, they charge your card for the value of the gifts you already received.

Ah, yea, I wouldn't hand over my CC for that lol.

 

[dioxide45]

Ah, yea, I wouldn't hand over my CC for that lol.

I don't have an issue with Marriott. It is only a temporary authorization and we have never had an issue. However, we had an issue where at Club Wyndham Clearwater they didn't refund that deposit and we had to go back to them several times to get it fixed. It took a couple weeks. That's why I refused to give it to them at Bonnet Creek. They tried to act like I just needed to hand them the same credit card I used to checkin with, not really explaining what it was for. I knew better.

 

[ShawnH]

I hear Bonnet Creek is a difficult resort to decline the update at. And honestly if they show up at my room it won’t be a pleasant experience for them. No means no. I’ll remind them of that.

I enjoy nearly everything about our ownership except the high pressure sales pitch meetings. Plus I know I have the amount of points I want now. The cold call I got on the phone really peeved me off when I informed the really pushy and annoying salesman that IF I wanted more points to use I’d consider a club that traded in II since RCI no longer offered DVC resorts. He brashly said “I’ll make you a deal, if I can get you a reservation at a DVC resort then youll buy another 220k points” I said good luck with that. He didn’t find any.

I genuinely look forward to my next stay at a club Wyndham since I’ll be traveling without my wife. If they don’t take no for an answer I’ll happily remind them I can’t go without my wife present and doing so is against their rules and I’d like the wrist bands for my travel party. The nest 2 trips I won’t have that luxury. I may just let my wife answer those requests and record the interaction because based on the last “update” we had I know at least I’ll be amused.

 

[TUGBrian]

will they help bring up luggage? i can get behind that!

 

[dioxide45]

I genuinely look forward to my next stay at a club Wyndham since I’ll be traveling without my wife.

I am not sure that came across all that well. We won't tell your wife.

 

[ShawnH]

I am not sure that came across all that well. We won't tell your wife.

Oh she knows all about it, it’s a rock festival that my son, niece, and best friend are going to with me. Typical hotel rooms are 500+ per night on that weekend so I figure staying at the timeshare is a win win since it’s a 3 BR and less than an hour from the venue, it didn’t cost extra points and I had points I needed to burn since we decided not to go to Hawaii next spring. She’s going on a girls weekend without me and will have a grand time telling them no.

 

[silentg]

The two timeshare I own now, don’t ever bother me.

 

[HitchHiker71]

Ah, yea, I wouldn't hand over my CC for that lol.

Exactly - just say no.

 

[sue1947]

St George has been doing this for years. Also Steamboat Springs and Seaside where they also slipped notes under the door telling me my car would be towed without the 'parking pass'. Ignore it all.
One time, at St George, the guy chased me out into the driveway and started yelling at me that I was costing him money. I had a pointed chat with the manager which doesn't do much good, but I was coming back for another stay the following week with some friends and we were able to check in without being harassed.

 

[HitchHiker71]

WM St George. Said no repeatedly, left for my room, about 1 hour later, showed up there with a small gift bag, asking again.

Wynd Flagstaff - upped the offer several time, I still said no, followed me to the parking lot and offered me a bottle of wine too.

Never had this level of persistence before.

Wynd Desert Blue used the lines. "This is your welcome gift you get because of the MF you pay, do you really want to turn down your gift?"

Yeah right. Stop being so pushy Wyndham.

Curious - what were the pitches used to try to get you to attend a sales update? We have seen an uptick on the FB groups of the concierge desks using the “website is going away soon” type lies and pushing owners hard that if they do not attend the update they will be unable to make reservations on the new website unless they attend an update. This kinda goes hand in hand with what you are saying here, regarding the sales ploys being pushier.

We were at OTA last weekend and while the sales guy wasn’t too pushy at the desk, they were repeatedly calling our room, slipping offers under the door, and calling my cellphone all weekend. I unplugged the room phone of course, but don’t block the number on my cell as it’s the same general number for the resort itself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

I hear Bonnet Creek is a difficult resort to decline the update at.

Nah, we’ve stayed there multiple times. A few firm no’s, or an “I’m not going to waste your time, there is nothing you can do or say that will get me to an update” have always worked for me.

 

[ShawnH]

St George has been doing this for years. Also Steamboat Springs and Seaside where they also slipped notes under the door telling me my car would be towed without the 'parking pass'. Ignore it all.
One time, at St George, the guy chased me out into the driveway and started yelling at me that I was costing him money. I had a pointed chat with the manager which doesn't do much good, but I was coming back for another stay the following week with some friends and we were able to check in without being harassed.

I guess the guy is kinda right that you are costing him money since apparently they get a bonus for everyone they get to attend, but on the other hand he is harassing you. One is a minor annoyance and the other is a crime.

 

[ShawnH]

Nah, we’ve stayed there multiple times. A few firm no’s, or an “I’m not going to waste your time, there is nothing you can do or say that will get me to an update” have always worked for me.

Just going off of what I’ve heard other owners say at various resorts and on Facebook. I’ll find out in January I guess.

 

[sue1947]

I guess the guy is kinda right that you are costing him money since apparently they get a bonus for everyone they get to attend, but on the other hand he is harassing you. One is a minor annoyance and the other is a crime.

He seemed to believe that it was my duty/responsiblity to help him earn a living. I told him I disagreed....

 

[sue1947]

Curious - what were the pitches used to try to get you to attend a sales update? We have seen an uptick on the FB groups of the concierge desks using the “website is going away soon” type lies and pushing owners hard that if they do not attend the update they will be unable to make reservations on the new website unless they attend an update. This kinda goes hand in hand with what you are saying here, regarding the sales ploys being pushier.

We were at OTA last weekend and while the sales guy wasn’t too pushy at the desk, they were repeatedly calling our room, slipping offers under the door, and calling my cellphone all weekend. I unplugged the room phone of course, but don’t block the number on my cell as it’s the same general number for the resort itself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't get that far. There is absolutely nothing the sales team has to say that I am interested in hearing. I walk by the sales folks or walk off when they start their pitch. I interrupt and tell them I want the keys or, more likely, contact the desk in advance and tell them I want the keys (don't care about wristbands) at check in. I have little patience for the song and dance and I just refuse to play. When they say "you need to..." I say, "No, I don't" and keep walking. The guy at Seaside who followed me out of the door and stood in front of my car finally moved when my car started to move. Cool, calm and matter of fact, but no BS. There is enough of the latter in life now, I don't need any extra.

 

[jp10558]

Yea, I'm not doing an update - they only do it during the week, and never when I'm not working or have other things planned. I only had the one pushy experience at Bay Club so far... I guess I'll see how HGVC is when it's a booked stay vs the one VIP one where I already had a required and already scheduled presentation.

I might do what I did in the early 2000s when long distance service was still a thing, and I had figured out an online calling card for IIRC 2.9 cents a minute. I got called by sprint or someone who advertised 10 cents a minute (which... maybe was decent back then???) and they started with "how much do you pay for long distance?" - I said, "2.9 cents a minute". They kind of dejectedly said "I can't beat that, goodby". and hung up lol.

I'll just say I'm pretty sure they can't beat prices if I even wanted to buy more points...

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

I'll just say I'm pretty sure they can't beat prices if I even wanted to buy more points...

That won’t work, it’ll just give them an opening. Just say no. Don’t give them a reason. Don’t give them a way to argue. Just no, no , not going to happen, no. There is no reason to be creative. They will get the message.

 

[Arusso]

Wyndham tends to want to collect some type of "deposit" when signing up which you get back after you attend. I think they wanted $40 charge on our card when we went at Bonnet Creek. I refused to give it to them and said I wouldn't go otherwise. THey still scheduled us and we attended. When we checked out they seemed bewildered that we hadn't provided a deposit.

Marriott Vacation Club will also sometimes pre-gift by giving you the gift card, vouchers or Bonvoy points when you sign up for the presentation. They take a credit card impression in this instant (really just a swipe and a $1 authorization. If you don't show up, they charge your card for the value of the gifts you already received.

I flatly refused each time. When questioned, I merely explained that I was prepared to take time AWAY from my vacation. I then went on to explain how the time factor works from my perspective. In addition, I explained that their "gift" for attending the presentation was not a gift but an inducement.