LynnHilton
TUG Member
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2019
- Messages
- 80
- Reaction score
- 80
- Resorts Owned
- Elara
This little short story I’ve written here is just for entertainment for any of you who have “been there, done that”, or for newbies coming to TUG forum for the first time.
Previously I was a whip-smart person, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve become a slow learner.
I attended three (3) HGVC sales presentations or owners updates until I finally learned that none of the freebies and gifts offered are worth the torture of sitting through one.
My first SP happened when I called a Hilton Hotel to make a hotel room reservation, and they offered and I accepted what seemed to be a good deal to stay free/cheap at a Hilton Hotel in my hometown Chicago just by attending an SP for Hilton Grand Vacations Club. Well, that was the SP where I was hypnotized by the sales staff and bought an HGVC unit at Elara.
That experience, plus what I’ve learned from TUG, cemented my resolve that I would never, ever, ever purchase retail again. However, it had not yet cemented my resolve about simply attending an SP or OU, believing that some of the freebies offered were worth my time.
So, second SP was an Owners Update at Ocean Enclave in Myrtle Beach. I knew that I would not be purchasing, but I didn’t realize that I was still very emotional about what I perceived as the mistake that I’d previously bought the Elara. At one point, the sales staff said something to me that sounded like this: “Well, the 2200 points you purchased for every other year at Elara are basically worthless crap if you don’t purchase more points today” and I burst into tears !! And that jerk didn’t even care. At that sales office, the whole staff seemed like clones of Christian Bale and his entitled co-workers in the movie “American Psycho” if they had all been timeshare sales staff. Anyway, the jerk’s manager came over and soothed me, and I got out alive. My adult sons tease me and call me the “Tearful Timeshare Escapee”. All that just to get $125 gift card to use at local Myrtle Beach restaurants.
And then the third and final SP / OU, just yesterday (May 2021). Back in 2020 in the middle of COVID, HGVC called current owners to offer an SP-type special to stay 4-days 3-nights in Orlando for just $100. I bought that special deal intending to schedule that room for me plus use my points to reserve a separate room for my adult sons and make it a family vacation. Sons were not available so I came alone. I attended the SP / OU. By this time I was neither naïve nor emotional, simply hard-hearted and cynical !! Instead of being a participant, I felt like an observer or audience member watching, listening and evaluating as the sales staff sang and danced. Oh my goodness, what a lot of phony bluster, fast talk, flying numbers, details left out, and fake sincerity. Luckily, I started out telling them the truth that I’m not as affluent as some of their customers, that I don’t currently have a lot of discretionary income for vacations, and I’m also using some of my disposable income to help some family members with financial issues. They went through the presentation anyway, including the second sales rep who offered a non-points package to pre-pay for “x” number of future stays at certain HGVC resorts. But they were polite, and then they let me leave with dignity. I received 30,000 Hilton Honors points as a gift for attending.
This slow learner has finally learned !! I will not be attending any future SPs or OUs, ever.
Just one benefit of the third OU: just observing the sales process really helped me to further forgive the 2019 me who was bedazzled at my first SP in 2019.
Previously I was a whip-smart person, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve become a slow learner.
I attended three (3) HGVC sales presentations or owners updates until I finally learned that none of the freebies and gifts offered are worth the torture of sitting through one.
My first SP happened when I called a Hilton Hotel to make a hotel room reservation, and they offered and I accepted what seemed to be a good deal to stay free/cheap at a Hilton Hotel in my hometown Chicago just by attending an SP for Hilton Grand Vacations Club. Well, that was the SP where I was hypnotized by the sales staff and bought an HGVC unit at Elara.
That experience, plus what I’ve learned from TUG, cemented my resolve that I would never, ever, ever purchase retail again. However, it had not yet cemented my resolve about simply attending an SP or OU, believing that some of the freebies offered were worth my time.
So, second SP was an Owners Update at Ocean Enclave in Myrtle Beach. I knew that I would not be purchasing, but I didn’t realize that I was still very emotional about what I perceived as the mistake that I’d previously bought the Elara. At one point, the sales staff said something to me that sounded like this: “Well, the 2200 points you purchased for every other year at Elara are basically worthless crap if you don’t purchase more points today” and I burst into tears !! And that jerk didn’t even care. At that sales office, the whole staff seemed like clones of Christian Bale and his entitled co-workers in the movie “American Psycho” if they had all been timeshare sales staff. Anyway, the jerk’s manager came over and soothed me, and I got out alive. My adult sons tease me and call me the “Tearful Timeshare Escapee”. All that just to get $125 gift card to use at local Myrtle Beach restaurants.
And then the third and final SP / OU, just yesterday (May 2021). Back in 2020 in the middle of COVID, HGVC called current owners to offer an SP-type special to stay 4-days 3-nights in Orlando for just $100. I bought that special deal intending to schedule that room for me plus use my points to reserve a separate room for my adult sons and make it a family vacation. Sons were not available so I came alone. I attended the SP / OU. By this time I was neither naïve nor emotional, simply hard-hearted and cynical !! Instead of being a participant, I felt like an observer or audience member watching, listening and evaluating as the sales staff sang and danced. Oh my goodness, what a lot of phony bluster, fast talk, flying numbers, details left out, and fake sincerity. Luckily, I started out telling them the truth that I’m not as affluent as some of their customers, that I don’t currently have a lot of discretionary income for vacations, and I’m also using some of my disposable income to help some family members with financial issues. They went through the presentation anyway, including the second sales rep who offered a non-points package to pre-pay for “x” number of future stays at certain HGVC resorts. But they were polite, and then they let me leave with dignity. I received 30,000 Hilton Honors points as a gift for attending.
This slow learner has finally learned !! I will not be attending any future SPs or OUs, ever.
Just one benefit of the third OU: just observing the sales process really helped me to further forgive the 2019 me who was bedazzled at my first SP in 2019.
