What's Involved In The Presentations? Owner's meetings? etc?

[AbelowDS]

This is my first year owning timeshares. I've learned more that I ever could have imagined through the TUG forums. Now I have what I consider to be a newbie question about the presentations when on-site at a timeshare.

What are the owner meetings (usually breakfast?? meetings)? What goes on there? Should I even care?

What goes on in the presentations where they offer you free stuff to sit through the presentation? How long are they? What's the pressure like (especially when compared to the general sales pitches)?

How much do they bug you to attend these over the course of your week? (I figured if I didn't like them bugging me, I would just say something like "I'll make a deal with you. You stop bugging me and I won't stand in the lobby and tell anyone (everyone?) about TUG, free timeshares, or the resale market. Deal? Deal.)

Any tips and trick for making these presentations of extra value? (for example, I have read that often when you keep saying no, they up the ante with more freebies, bigger incentives.)

How long do these things run?

Any good stories or nightmares you can share? We can always learn from other's experiences. Especially the bad ones!! (Schadenfreude: Click here for translation)

Thanks

 

[ronparise]

TUG is loaded with stories about timeshare presentations

But in my experience with Wyndham, and Vacation Village the invitation is usually to an owner update, but it really is a high pressure sales pitch. Wyndham sells more to existing owners than new sales, so its important to them. and they are relentless...8am calls to your room and notes slipped under your door for example

 

[artringwald]

No doubt that you won't get anything free without a sales pitch. The amount of pressure all depends on the sales person. Some will sense early that they're wasting their time on you. Some will hang on like a snake with its fangs caught in your leg. Is it really worth it?

They usually don't bug you too much if you say no to a presentation. I've never had more than two phone calls to the room, and I've never received a better offer after the first no.

 

[VegasBella]

This is a good question.

I've never sat through a presentation ever. So I don't really know what it's like. Honestly, it seems so strange to me that they offer all these perks to people because it doesn't seem like doing that would attract actual interested buyers, at least not the kind of buyers who have the money to buy timeshares at developer prices.

 

[DeniseM]

This is a good question.

I've never sat through a presentation ever. So I don't really know what it's like. Honestly, it seems so strange to me that they offer all these perks to people because it doesn't seem like doing that would attract actual interested buyers, at least not the kind of buyers who have the money to buy timeshares at developer prices.

It doesn't attract interested buyers, but it does attract people who have no intention of buying, but go for the freebies, and then can't say "no" to a high pressure sales presentation. They don't care what your motivation is - they just want to get you in the door where you are at their mercy for at least 90 minutes.

 

[pacodemountainside]

This is my first year owning timeshares. I've learned more that I ever could have imagined through the TUG forums. Now I have what I consider to be a newbie question about the presentations when on-site at a timeshare.

What are the owner meetings (usually breakfast?? meetings)? What goes on there? Should I even care?*****Sometimes includes breakfast or snack, depends on location. Probably a presenter talks for a few minutes then are paired off with salesperson. Get better information here! Some locations do have owner updates by owner relations like Branson, MO which are informative and no sales pitch!

What goes on in the presentations where they offer you free stuff to sit through the presentation? How long are they? What's the pressure like (especially when compared to the general sales pitches)? *****Generally there are 10 minute owner surveys and you get a trinket, owner updates for 30-45 minutes and maybe $30 gift certificate and sales pitches for around $100. In reality all are sales pitches. To pay his rent commissioned salesperson has to sell you something.

How much do they bug you to attend these over the course of your week? (I figured if I didn't like them bugging me, I would just say something like "I'll make a deal with you. You stop bugging me and I won't stand in the lobby and tell anyone (everyone?) about TUG, free timeshares, or the resale market. Deal? Deal.)*****Sneak past parking pass desk, unplug phone and ignore what they slide under door. Body snatchers get a bounty so are down right obnoxious. Hollering in lobby could get you forcibly removed for creating a disturbance.

Any tips and trick for making these presentations of extra value? (for example, I have read that often when you keep saying no, they up the ante with more freebies, bigger incentives.)*******Very seldom, happened to me just a couple times.

How long do these things run?******Ten minutes to all day!

Any good stories or nightmares you can share? We can always learn from other's experiences. Especially the bad ones!! (Schadenfreude: Click here for translation) *******I do regularly as I like to rattle sale people cages and see how fast I can get out. Only Developer purchaser was over 10 years ago so no danger to my wallet. See my post on how to kick sales peoples butts.

Thanks

Ten characters

 

[timeos2]

Although often billed as "owner updates" or other names meant to make you think it will inform you about your ownership & use unfortunately they are not that at all. In many cases you will know far more than the presenter as they are there for one reason only - to sell more - and couldn't care less what your ownership experience is or any problems you may have. The "answer" will always be to buy more!

Far better to look for the true owners meetings / welcome get together many resorts offer, usually early in the week. These normally do not have any incentives to attend (maybe an occasional give away prize) and aren't staffed by sales but by resort personnel. These meetings may actually give you advice on best using what you own, status of the resort, available amenities & activities, etc. You'll be far better off going to one of these if offered and looking to the resort management for any other information you may require. Trusting anything the sales people say is likely to be a big mistake and it is a waste of time, not to mention the intense pressure to buy more, to attend. Enjoy your first trip as a new timeshare owner.

 

[theo]

Not enough information about the timeshare facility at issue...

This is my first year owning timeshares. I've learned more that I ever could have imagined through the TUG forums. Now I have what I consider to be a newbie question about the presentations when on-site at a timeshare.

What are the owner meetings (usually breakfast?? meetings)? What goes on there? Should I even care?

What goes on in the presentations where they offer you free stuff to sit through the presentation? How long are they? What's the pressure like (especially when compared to the general sales pitches)?

How much do they bug you to attend these over the course of your week? (I figured if I didn't like them bugging me, I would just say something like "I'll make a deal with you. You stop bugging me and I won't stand in the lobby and tell anyone (everyone?) about TUG, free timeshares, or the resale market. Deal? Deal.)

Any tips and trick for making these presentations of extra value? (for example, I have read that often when you keep saying no, they up the ante with more freebies, bigger incentives.)

How long do these things run?

Any good stories or nightmares you can share? We can always learn from other's experiences. Especially the bad ones!! (Schadenfreude: Click here for translation)

Thanks

At small, independent, HOA-controlled timeshare facilities (...the only places at which I personally ever now choose to own), "owner's meetings" can often be just exactly that --- casual, sometimes informative sessions (completely devoid of any sales pitch razzamatazz) in which a HOA / BOD member and /or the facility manager presents information on resort plans, projects, improvement ideas, on site scheduled activities, local area events, etc. Usually brief, painless and sometimes even informative.

This is very distinctly different from an "owner's meeting" at a "chain" facility (or any other timeshare still under developer influence or control). These so-called "owner's meetings" are really nothing more than misrepresented sales pitch opportunities for developer sales weasels, at which your time is wasted by hungry sharks. These latter types of sessions are to be avoided --- no trinkets, coupons or other worthless baubles are possibly worth wasting your valuable and irreplaceable vacation time listening to the deceitful babblings of these hungry, lying parasites.

 

[LannyPC]

What are the owner meetings (usually breakfast?? meetings)? What goes on there? Should I even care?

What goes on in the presentations where they offer you free stuff to sit through the presentation? How long are they? What's the pressure like (especially when compared to the general sales pitches)?

If you signed up to attend one of these Owners' Meetings/Updates, look at the brochure they gave you. If it has in bold print somewhere something along the lines of "This is intended to sell timeshare interests", they state that you are required to attend for 90 minutes or so, and they've offered you a "free" gift for attending (cash, breakfast, attraction tickets, etc.), then rest assured that it will be a high-pressure sales presentation like what many people here have described.

Even though you are an owner there, what they will do to try to wring more money out of you is to try to sell you some conversion. For example, if your unit is with RCI Weeks, they may try to persuade you to convert it to RCI Points. They will charge you thousands of dollars even though RCI might only charge $300 for this conversion. The developer or resort would haul in a lot of money for this. The salesperson(s) will probably try to convince you that RCI Points will give you better, cheaper, and more available exchange options. But whatever they charge you for this conversion, it is not worth the extra exchange options.

Another thing they might try to convince you of is that the RCI Weeks program is going the way of the dinosaur and, in order to protect your original "investment" (the purchase of the TS), you need to convert ASAP.

There are a bunch of other lines they might feed you but, you get the point. They will try to sell you something for thousands of dollars that are worth a few hundred at the most. And they won't easily take "No" for an answer.

Proceed with caution.

 

[qb_bc]

An owner's update is where they tell you the two loaves of specialty bread they sold you is really a quarter loaf of stale bread with strings attached to each slice. They then tell you that you should spend more to protect your investment in the stale bread.

It ends up being a really uplifting experience. I'm enjoying trying to soak my stale bread enough to enjoy it

 

[AbelowDS]

An owner's update is where they tell you the two loaves of specialty bread they sold you is really a quarter loaf of stale bread with strings attached to each slice. They then tell you that you should spend more to protect your investment in the stale bread.

It ends up being a really uplifting experience. I'm enjoying trying to soak my stale bread enough to enjoy it

Too funny!! :rofl:

 

[csxjohn]

......Any good stories or nightmares you can share? We can always learn from other's experiences. Especially the bad ones!! (Schadenfreude: Click here for translation)

Thanks

Read post #8 in this thread and follow the links. They are very enlightening.

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=181582

Now you know why we never attend and unplug the phone in our room when we get where ever we're staying.

 

[AbelowDS]

Read post #8 in this thread and follow the links. They are very enlightening.

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=181582

Very enlightening! Honestly, I've never understood why people would sit through 2+ hours of something - knowing they were never going to buy - for $100 to $250 worth of tickets/cash/trinkets/etc.

$250 ÷ 2.5 hours ÷ 2 people ÷ "hassle factor of your choice"...

Just not worth the $20-$50 per person per hour, especially when the hassle is added in. Time is much too valuable and irreplacable.

Now you know why we never attend and unplug the phone in our room when we get where ever we're staying.

Isn't the mere threat of standing in the lobby and telling everyone you see about TUG (especially the bargain deals section), the resale market, eBay, etc. enough to get them to back off?

 

[theo]

Your call, but...

Isn't the mere threat of standing in the lobby and telling everyone you see about TUG (especially the bargain deals section), the resale market, eBay, etc. enough to get them to back off?

...this might instead just result in a visit from the local authorities if the management chose to call them, asserting that you were causing a "disturbance" on the property.