Why Won't They Leave Us Alone?

[GT75]

It could be that in your HGV profile, you have the "Allow text alerts and calls related to your account." option checked.

It took me a while to find that option but mine is NOT checked.

 

[dougp26364]

The last one I just told their offer wouldn’t even pay for an hour of the divorce lawyer I’d have to hire if my wife found out I signed us up for an update.

 

[fernow]

Timeshares are sold by Timeshare salespeople. It’s what they do. If they didn’t, there wouldn’t be Timeshares for developer OR re-sale purchase.

So when I get the calls, and I do, I treat them like I would treat any other human. If I don’t have time to talk, I tell them I can’t talk right now. If I have a few seconds, I engage them in pleasant conversation, but tell them I’m not interested in another purchase right now.

But at the end of the day, I hope they are able to continue selling timeshares because if they don’t, there won’t be any for me to enjoy. In a possibly somewhat perverse way, we all need them doing what they’re doing.

Everybody’s different, but to me, it’s a first world problem that doesn’t get under my skin. Now, some of the things that do get under my skin are…

 

[h2oflyboy]

We are already owners of multiple weeks with HGV. Every time we go to a HGV property and use our points, we get a ton of calls beforehand. When we get there, they harass us the entire time to go to their "owners update." That is what it is, I understand, and they have a job to do but they won't take no for an answer. We told them we aren't interested and then they call our room phone. After we don't answer that they immediately start calling my cell. Enough is enough!

Is there any way to opt out of the harassment? I used to work in the debt collection industry, which seems tame compared to how HGV treats lucrative owners in good standing.

Leave us alone and let us enjoy our vacation!

Sent from my SM-S911U using Tapatalk

I read you loud and clear.

I don’t hear ringtones from phone #s that are not in my contacts list - if they have caller ID, they can leave a message, if they don’t…my phone hangs up on them. NYC will call and email with some fantastic offers - but usually a repeat show, or to really cool events on nights I have already made plans.

I get the “concierge” meeting out of the way ASAP, right after check-in. I usually know, when I can or cannot attend - the concierge not so much - I take a minimum of 2 HGVC stays a month. I start my HH compensation at 150K, but will drop to 120k and no lower. I explain, my time is valuable and I won’t accept anything but a free night at a WA for 120k. I got a lecture from this person at The Quin which came with visuals - email memos, that state the highest level of comp is 100k. FYI about this guy, he is not there for you.

CalGal - she’s been around the block… “disconnecting the room phone”. I’m there for a vacation, not internal sales calls.

You can control who can contact you. Use the technology available and limit those you don’t want. It’s the best advice I can offer.

 

[heitmullerj02]

I always say my husband is not with me this time (he is deceased) but our trust is joint, so they see his name on the reservation. Works every time. BTW, I like the presentations, free $$ to spend on the vacations. I take the first apt since I'm an early riser and I am done by the time the kids wake up.

 

[PcflEZFlng]

We've been disconnecting the room phone for years and never have a problem. I can't even recall the last time we ever attended an 'update'. Probably around 10 years ago. And if we get asked at check-in, a simple 'no, thanks' has worked for us every time.

 

[loosefeet]

I find talking to the manager and NOT the sales people stops any additional contacts.

 

[jp10558]

I always try a simple "no" but I also take it as an opportunity to not actually have to be polite anymore after that. I'll try and think up some snark...

 

[TolmiePeak]

I still don't understand why their records aren't better and when they see I have bought 100% resale I wouldn't expect to be bothered. Why would they waste their money and the salespeople's time when they know there is a very low likelihood they could get resale buyers to buy. Shouldn't they concentrate their efforts on people who bought direct?

 

[geist1223]

I find talking to the manager and NOT the sales people stops any additional contacts.

This might work with HGVC but in Worldmark the GM and Resort Staff have zero control over the Sales Staff.

 

[dioxide45]

This might work with HGVC but in Worldmark the GM and Resort Staff have zero control over the Sales Staff.

While they may not have control, the GM wants to make sure the guest has a good experience. I would fully expect the GM to say something to the marketing manager to ensure the guest isn't called again. Does the marketing manager listen? who knows.

 

[dayooper]

I still don't understand why their records aren't better and when they see I have bought 100% resale I wouldn't expect to be bothered. Why would they waste their money and the salespeople's time when they know there is a very low likelihood they could get resale buyers to buy. Shouldn't they concentrate their efforts on people who bought direct?

If they have an open spot, they will take any body. A resale mark is better than no mark.

 

[TolmiePeak]

If they have an open spot, they will take any body. A resale mark is better than no mark.

Yeah but why are they going to shell out $300 to $400 just to get a resale buyer in there? It costs them money and almost none of them buy.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Some requalify their resales to get full benefit of system or want to trade resale for specific deeds that are unicorns or not available in resale eg penthouse units.

 

[TolmiePeak]

Some requalify their resales to get full benefit of system or want to trade resale for specific deeds that are unicorns or not available in resale eg penthouse units.

Are any those benefits or penthouses really worth that much?

 

[dioxide45]

Yeah but why are they going to shell out $300 to $400 just to get a resale buyer in there? It costs them money and almost none of them buy.

It seems odd, but it is all a numbers game and also reporting tour flow to investors. More tours = more revenue. Each tour is worth about $3000 to the developer. Investors see more tours, that means more money and hopefully higher stock price. Resale buyers sometimes buy developer. It happens. Just the odd way that timeshares work.

 

[brp]

If they have an open spot, they will take any body. A resale mark is better than no mark.

We were at W. 57th a couple of weeks ago. We got a call to stop by for our discount card and 250 HH points. We always do this. We have a permanent card, so don't need to waste the paper with another. And she added 1000 points instead of 250. She did note that we were resale and asked if that was true. When we said "yes," she said "it seems you don't qualify for an owner update." I said "And that's a good thing."

Very pleasant person. Very nice conversation and that was it. No pressure. But also no attempt to fill a slot with a resale person. Possibly more selective in NYC.

Cheers.

 

[x3 skier]

Not an HGVC owner but I was getting the deals for a stay at various properties if I listened to the Sales Pitch. Guess I've been to 10+ over the pat few years. 90 minutes of saying no was worth about a 50%-75% discount to the Rack Rate.

Last one was in DC and the Head Shark came in at the "close" attempt and asked why I was there if I wasn't going to buy. I told him, "You asked me to come and listen and I did". He said he was going to blacklist me and so far it looks like he did. Good ride while it lasted.

 

[fernow]

I really have to go a different direction on this one.
A few seconds of your time for a courteous no thank you, how is your day going? versus the negative energy of worrying about a question you know is coming and you have no ability to change along with the time ( longer than the time to say no thank you) to impart the negative energy to a manager about something they also have no ability to change all for something you ultimately want to have happening.

You want them selling timeshares.

Sorry for the run-on sentence but as Mark Twain said: I’d have written a shorter letter, but I didn’t have the time.

 

[brp]

I really have to go a different direction on this one.
A few seconds of your time for a courteous no thank you, how is your day going? versus the negative energy of worrying about a question you know is coming and you have no ability to change along with the time ( longer than the time to say no thank you) to impart the negative energy to a manager about something they also have no ability to change all for something you ultimately want to have happening.

You want them selling timeshares.

Sorry for the run-on sentence but as Mark Twain said: I’d have written a shorter letter, but I didn’t have the time.

Absolutely. Coming up with "creative" lies just to say no thank you seems like such a negative way to spend time on a vacation. Anticipating a confrontation that doesn't have to be one. I've yet to have one of the up-front people over-pressure when I am polite. No reason not to be pleasant.

Cheers.

 

[GT75]

Coming up with "creative" lies just to say no thank you seems like such a negative way to spend time on a vacation

I agree with you if they would take no and NOT call the room(s) while we are on vacation. The problem is that they do call all of my booked rooms throughout the week even when I have requested them NOT to during the initial NO. Now, that is the problem that I have.

 

[jp10558]

I haven't had HGVC try and wrangle me at check-in, but I also don't always show up "during business hours". I just disconnect the in room phone if it rings. I still remember the one real PITA with Wyndham at Bay Club II in Destin - I had to spend 10 minutes getting them to give me the wristbands / room keys saying no, no NO, no. I also had a cringe time at a Worldmark I rented at Grand Palms where they tried to work out my relationship with my mother who was with me checking in, my sister and her husband came a little later. Anyway, still said no.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

I have only felt they were overly persistent in trying to get me to agree to a presentation a couple of times. When we first bought, I was often trying to be polite and would say something like, "Let me think about it," already knowing the answer was no. In my mind, it was a closed deal, but of course, the agent would follow up. Now, I am polite but definitive in my decline of the offer.

Once at Marbrisa, I said no, as we were only there for a few nights and were not interested. Every time I walked through the lobby and the concierge noticed me; she would call out from across the room to try to convince me to sign up. After a couple of times, I stopped going near the lobby.

We had a similar experience at the Waldorf in NYC; at the time, HGV had a desk in the hotel lobby. That time, I finally agreed to a presentation at W57, which turned out to be one of the worst presentation experiences we have had.

 

[TolmiePeak]

I agree with you if they would take no and NOT call the room(s) while we are on vacation. The problem is that they do call all of my booked rooms throughout the week even when I have requested them NOT to during the initial NO. Now, that is the problem that I have.

Just unplug the phones.

 

[davidvel]

I really have to go a different direction on this one.
A few seconds of your time for a courteous no thank you, how is your day going? versus the negative energy of worrying about a question you know is coming and you have no ability to change along with the time ( longer than the time to say no thank you) to impart the negative energy to a manager about something they also have no ability to change all for something you ultimately want to have happening.

You want them selling timeshares.

Sorry for the run-on sentence but as Mark Twain said: I’d have written a shorter letter, but I didn’t have the time.

Absolutely. Coming up with "creative" lies just to say no thank you seems like such a negative way to spend time on a vacation. Anticipating a confrontation that doesn't have to be one. I've yet to have one of the up-front people over-pressure when I am polite. No reason not to be pleasant.

Cheers.

People here are talking about dong just that, but still being continually bombarded with calls and harassed to get parking passes, wristbands, etc. Your "solution" solves nothing for them.