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No Longer an "Owner Update"...It's Officially a "Educational Based Sales Presentation"

jmhpsu93

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Against my better judgement, I accepted the offer for 600 DC/Abound points to attend a 75-minute "Educational Based Sales Presentation" which would include 4 parts, the last of which will be some sort of sales offer. I got the pre-arrival call from SVV and the deal was too good to pass on. If they send us to the same lady at Lakeshore they have the past two times, she's going to lose her mind. LOL
 

DanCali

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Against my better judgement, I accepted the offer for 600 DC/Abound points to attend a 75-minute "Educational Based Sales Presentation" which would include 4 parts, the last of which will be some sort of sales offer. I got the pre-arrival call from SVV and the deal was too good to pass on. If they send us to the same lady at Lakeshore they have the past two times, she's going to lose her mind. LOL


OMG - do they actually read tug?? :oops:

I just wrote about that a few days ago in another thread...

 

jmhpsu93

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OMG - do they actually read tug?? :oops:

I just wrote about that a few days ago in another thread...

I remember that, as I read the Vistana section, too. LOL The guy who called was very explicit in that while they intend to give me some new information about Abound (that I already know from TUG), it was indeed an attempt to get me to buy some more stuff from them.

I have no doubt there are MVC people who read TUG.
 

MVCOwner

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We are at Grande Vista and was offered $250 at check-in. Decided a few days later to go as we had spare time as we shopped the previous da. I played dumb asking about the offer indicating my wife was on the fence and asking if afternoon had better incentives . The guy looked me up and said “ohh you bought resales and it’s only $100, the other lady misread my profile”. I told him not worth it but the sales centre lot is jammed so business must be good.
 

TUGBrian

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is that the new official term?

EBSP has a nice ring to it!
 

jmhpsu93

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I seriously don't understand why we keep getting offers like we do. We bought retail five years ago and have taken advantage of some really good resale deals (thanks, TUG!!). Maybe they just think they suckered us in once they can do it again.
 

DanCali

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I seriously don't understand why we keep getting offers like we do. We bought retail five years ago and have taken advantage of some really good resale deals (thanks, TUG!!). Maybe they just think they suckered us in once they can do it again.

Because in some cases, the stars may align correctly and you may decide to make a purchase. They can offer owners like you something that nobody else can, which is enrolling resale weeks into Abound. They will ask you to pay a lot of money for that and will try to convince you that it's a good deal. For some, it may actually be a relatively good deal. It's hard to argue with those considerations/decisions when you get something you can't get otherwise. If the alternative to buying resale points (at $7/point and MF of 0.70/point) is buying a couple of "strong" resale weeks, then making a developer purchase and getting them enrolled, and now your cost per point is $4 and your MF/point is $0.40, that can be attractive even to come savvy owners wanting to increase their ownership or benefit level.
 

Richard Chen

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I've an "Owner's Update" next week with MVCI and it's always a sales presentation no matter the change of terms. As they tout Abound with the expected marketing, I'll ask them to skip it saying I won't use Elect for Club Points as Vistana redemptions for Hawaii are better without conversion even if unavailing O'ahu plus how avoiding owners selling is namely their using said ownership thus continuous marketing, my reasons for not buying during the sales pitch part are:
  • ownership reasons
    • I can book early but have many competing plans so no need for more: cruises, family obligations, real life, overseas family all max out work time off
    • too often no availability: not only are Select and Elites given at 13mos prior
    • deadlines for all the options are many, complex game: 3/31 and 7/1 and so on
    • $16.40/pt is usual but $3.50/pt edu fee is high and mf is too high
    • resale allows fine use without any penalties
      • it's not encumbered b/c it's paid off
      • it's not contractor owner because I not anyone else is the owner (else I'd neglect paying!)
    • restricted StarOptions are problematic
  • money reasons
    • owner / "maintenance" fees are unlimited, up $350
    • no limits on Abound fees
    • won't sacrifice opportunity cost as $ to real estate not pre-buying future travel
    • no resale value
    • costs to remove deed
    • rather choose flexible luxury not fixed pre-buying luxury
    • no regulatory on fees in general, lobbying is no good
    • Vistana2MVCI conversion ratio is poor, what can get 2w at a 2br for 5d in Hawaii in Vistana drops in power to whatever 2750 CP gets which isn't that much
  • time reasons
    • can't use any more time off given cruises, family, work, kids school needs
    • no time to keep playing the game of rules, my life has larger goals at hand
  • travel reasons
    • too few locations within driving
    • flying means more cost, tie-in i.e. anyone gets sick
Good luck to that salesman as I just want to go back to my day.
 

Dean

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I've an "Owner's Update" next week with MVCI and it's always a sales presentation no matter the change of terms. As they tout Abound with the expected marketing, I'll ask them to skip it saying I won't use Elect for Club Points as Vistana redemptions for Hawaii are better without conversion even if unavailing O'ahu plus how avoiding owners selling is namely their using said ownership thus continuous marketing, my reasons for not buying during the sales pitch part are:
  • ownership reasons
    • I can book early but have many competing plans so no need for more: cruises, family obligations, real life, overseas family all max out work time off
    • too often no availability: not only are Select and Elites given at 13mos prior
    • deadlines for all the options are many, complex game: 3/31 and 7/1 and so on
    • $16.40/pt is usual but $3.50/pt edu fee is high and mf is too high
    • resale allows fine use without any penalties
      • it's not encumbered b/c it's paid off
      • it's not contractor owner because I not anyone else is the owner (else I'd neglect paying!)
    • restricted StarOptions are problematic
  • money reasons
    • owner / "maintenance" fees are unlimited, up $350
    • no limits on Abound fees
    • won't sacrifice opportunity cost as $ to real estate not pre-buying future travel
    • no resale value
    • costs to remove deed
    • rather choose flexible luxury not fixed pre-buying luxury
    • no regulatory on fees in general, lobbying is no good
    • Vistana2MVCI conversion ratio is poor, what can get 2w at a 2br for 5d in Hawaii in Vistana drops in power to whatever 2750 CP gets which isn't that much
  • time reasons
    • can't use any more time off given cruises, family, work, kids school needs
    • no time to keep playing the game of rules, my life has larger goals at hand
  • travel reasons
    • too few locations within driving
    • flying means more cost, tie-in i.e. anyone gets sick
Good luck to that salesman as I just want to go back to my day.
The problem with offering reasons is that there is always a possible angle or comeback. It's good that you have thought through them but just saying no, in one form or another, is often the best way to cut through the process. Regardless, they will have a minimum time to keep you in all likelihood.
 

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As I’ve said several times regarding presentations and ongoing invitations, if the incentive is decent we jump on it. I have NO PROBLEM saying “no”, and frankly on a couple of recent ones we’ve purchased a great Encore Package, with nice 4-night stays at bargain prices and with 2-3 attached smaller incentives. It’s worked well for us, and yes we’ve sat thru one or two awful ones, but those things don’t affect us at all. We always take the first presentation of the morning, and regardless of the experience, afterward we head for a great breakfast and the memory of the day is BREAKFAST! we have turned down a few invitations, but only when the incentive values are low. We’ve never purchased anything at a presentation other than Encore stuff, and we own 5 resales. BTW we’re doing another presentation next week, and we’ll handle it just fine.
 

The Colorado Kid

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As I’ve said several times regarding presentations and ongoing invitations, if the incentive is decent we jump on it. I have NO PROBLEM saying “no”, and frankly on a couple of recent ones we’ve purchased a great Encore Package, with nice 4-night stays at bargain prices and with 2-3 attached smaller incentives. It’s worked well for us, and yes we’ve sat thru one or two awful ones, but those things don’t affect us at all. We always take the first presentation of the morning, and regardless of the experience, afterward we head for a great breakfast and the memory of the day is BREAKFAST! we have turned down a few invitations, but only when the incentive values are low. We’ve never purchased anything at a presentation other than Encore stuff, and we own 5 resales. BTW we’re doing another presentation next week, and we’ll handle it just fine.
@jme Great strategy!
 
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Quilter

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As I’ve said several times regarding presentations and ongoing invitations, if the incentive is decent we jump on it. I have NO PROBLEM saying “no”, and frankly on a couple of recent ones we’ve purchased a great Encore Package, with nice 4-night stays at bargain prices and with 2-3 attached smaller incentives. It’s worked well for us, and yes we’ve sat thru one or two awful ones, but those things don’t affect us at all. We always take the first presentation of the morning, and regardless of the experience, afterward we head for a great breakfast and the memory of the day is BREAKFAST! we have turned down a few invitations, but only when the incentive values are low. We’ve never purchased anything at a presentation other than Encore stuff, and we own 5 resales. BTW we’re doing another presentation next week, and we’ll handle it just fine.

Hi Marty,

Are you doing the presentation here on HHI? We're here until 4/16. I've had a couple calls but the incentive was $150 or meager MVC points. Nothing like the 600 DC points in the OP. Can I ask what you were offered?
 

jme

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Hi Marty,

Are you doing the presentation here on HHI? We're here until 4/16. I've had a couple calls but the incentive was $150 or meager MVC points. Nothing like the 600 DC points in the OP. Can I ask what you were offered?

Suzzanne, hello!!!!!

We'll actually have two units and will be with friends and family, one being my son the attorney and we haven't seen him since Thanksgiving.

$150 gift card
OR 250 Destination Pts
OR a few Bonvoy Pts (n) (does it matter how many???)

..........We will accept the 250 Destination points------definitely not a great offer ($185 rental value) but it will help us get
another January week at MGO next year. We currently have 575 pts left over and that 250 will total exactly 825 pts, just what we need to book the week.
Instead of going to breakfast at 8:30am we'll do the presentation (guaranteed to last less than an hour) and head to breakfast at 9:30am.
We can deal with that.
Not to mention that we'll then be fully versed in the Abound program and have ALL our questions answered!!!!!!!!!! :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
 
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jme

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@jme Great strategy!


Yes I think so, and thanks!!!
We always have a pretty good time at the presentations ....Uhhhhhh, I mean the "Educational Based Sales Presentation".
We always make a new friend or two, and we are NEVER confrontational or fixated on "taking down" the sales rep.
We are mildly inquisitive and excessively congenial.

As a long-time TUG member of 25 years now, and a certified participant in the ongoing "Continuing Ed" program that it offers for pennies,
AND having checked in daily for so long, I do pay attention to the sage advice by so many t/s gurus, and store that away for a rainy day.
Because of that fine tutelage I've been receiving, I do sometimes think that most presentations are analogous to a boxing match where WE are the heavyweight
and the host is the middleweight (or lighter). Of course we have certainly met some astute and knowledgeable reps from whom we did enjoy a wonderful morning
and actually learned some great points and came to appreciate some of the suggestions.

So not being "know-it-all" type guests, we show ourselves as we truly are-----a nice friendly couple who likes to travel,
and therefore are simply there to learn. We take the "UPDATE" label literally as offered in the invitation.
We genuinely have that attitude as we go in.
And surprisingly we do learn something new most of the time.
Occasionally it's the opposite, unfortunately, yet we still take away something from that too.....
like repeating a dumb point doesn't sway me even on the second or third try, even if they underline it and add a star.....
At that point we kindly exit stage left.
 

gln60

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Has anyone done a "Educational Based Sales Presentation" at the Aruba Ocean Club lately?.......We will be there in a few weeks and wondering what the offer was to attend.
 

Dean

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Yes, 2 weeks ago
$ 250 Marriott Experience Dollars (Merchant list attached)

or

$250 Marriott Casino Slot Play

or

35,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points

OR

750 Destination points
 

dioxide45

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Also realize that what you are offered is no longer dependant upon where you take the tour. You are profiled based on your likelihood as a good candidate to purchase. The offer can also go up or down depending on tour traffic.
 

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I got a call yesterday for a presentation at Timberlodge. He still called it an update. Offer was 700 dp or $250 Visa card or 45000 Bonvoy. I turned it down because we will be with my parents, but it’s still tempting me.
 

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I’d happily attend a presentation in exchange for free destination points. Do they contact you, or is there a place where you can sign up for these?
 

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I got a call yesterday for a presentation at Timberlodge. He still called it an update. Offer was 700 dp or $250 Visa card or 45000 Bonvoy. I turned it down because we will be with my parents, but it’s still tempting me.
700 dp is quite a good deal
 

Quilter

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Yes, 600, 700 and 750 are good deals. Why are they only offering 250 here on Hilton Head?
 

dioxide45

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Yes, 600, 700 and 750 are good deals. Why are they only offering 250 here on Hilton Head?
THey have 8 resorts in Hilton Head to feed tour flow, only two in Aruba. It is also not location dependant, it can also be based on your profile and likelihood to be a good candidate to purchase.
 
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