anyone been on one?

apparently my wife filled something out somewhere, and now they calling all the time

so far i havent talked to them, just listened to the voicemails

(they havent said timeshare, but im pretty sure)

basically:

1) will they stop calling, or should i just talk to them?
2) say i do go on this ski trip that is "free," will they get all pissy when i dont buy what they are selling?
3) this is probably a scam once they get your credit card #, right?

1/17/2011 1:45:58 PM

I know a deposed regent in Nigeria who needs access to your bank for a most fortuitous deposit, but you must maintain secrecy regarding this one time special offer.

1/17/2011 1:51:30 PM

1. They won't stop calling. I had to ask to be removed from their list many many times and that I wasn't interested in whatever vacation they were going to give me. They thought I was crazy for not wanting this completly free trip to Florida.

2. One time in Vegas, I was walking around one of the casinos and got roped into going on a timeshare trip to look at some new condos near the Strip. The guy pretty much left me alone when he learned that I was 22, just out of college and on a very strict budget. So, they learn you are broke, they leave you alone. That being said, they do get very rude when they learn you are not going to buy. So don't expect any hospitality if you go on their free trip and don't buy the timeshare.

3. I've never given my CC# so I have no idea.

1/17/2011 1:55:14 PM

Yes, take their free ski vacation!
They'll stop calling you!
They really need someone to take their vacation badly!
It's a matter of life or death for them.
They care about you and don't want anything in return!

1/17/2011 1:57:31 PM

don't buy their "30 minute presentation" bullshit unless you are prepared to stay longer or be an asshole and tell them to fuck off

1/17/2011 1:59:31 PM

oh, they said 90 mins. Fuck.

1/17/2011 1:59:46 PM

^hahahahahahaha

1/17/2011 2:00:15 PM

1/17/2011 2:10:08 PM

it will end up being an epic waste of time

my parents went on a "free" vacation thinking we'd go, they'd waste a couple hours and in the long run it would be worth it bc of the freebie

its not

if it's a ski trip they're dangling, here it how it will prob go...

you can choose from 4 presentation times!!! all of them are incredibly inconvenient and will create a wasted day

you'll get your lift ticket or whatever they're giving away but you can't use it until like 2 days after the presentation and you have to sit through the WHOLE thing and get harassed by them for hours to get it

seriously not worth it

you'd rather spend full price on whatever they were giving away by the time you get out of there

and if you do end up going, def keep telling them how little money you have so they might leave you alone

1/17/2011 2:16:47 PM

I haven't been on one personally but I would prob go for a Disney one if I had the money. We go with ken's parents to stay at their Disney timeshares from time to time and I love it.

1/17/2011 2:55:56 PM

i went skiing to massanutten like 2 weeks ago for free. it's not a real great place, and the skiing isn't necessarily good, but since i've only been skiing once before it was fine. 2 nights free, paid one night of skiing ($17), and got the next day free all day. ended up spending like $65 on ski rentals, about $80 in other gear (gloves, goggles, socks), maybe $60 on gas, $17 on skiing, and whatever on food/beer.

i didn't have to sit through the presentation because i'm special, but i think once you sit through it you're pretty much the same as i was, and can do whatever you want. at least for the one i went on..

1/17/2011 3:12:46 PM

My parents have done this for disney/universal tickets a couple times. Generally annoying to sit through but they eventually give you the tix and I don't think they ever contacted us again.

1/17/2011 3:46:39 PM

I always think poorly of timeshares because the only time I hear the word is in those terrible commercials.

1/17/2011 3:49:02 PM

back when I went to ECU I had a friend who had a timeshare at massanuttin- or however you spell it.

Anyway, her family had a time share and one year they went up there and she got a bacterial infection from the hot tub...it was like a skin rash that she couldn't treat. And it cropped up all the time. Super gross. It's like a public vacation home- eff that.

1/17/2011 3:50:14 PM

not to mention, i totally judge people that own timeshares.

Also- I had a friend that had to pretend to have a "partner" on one of those trips- but he took a dood- so they actually had to pretend they were gay.

BHAHAHAHAHA

1/17/2011 3:52:26 PM

it's hit or miss with these kinds of things. my parents have owned a week at a timeshare for almost 30 years and they love it. they were never a part of the "get a free trip" scam though.

1/17/2011 4:54:26 PM

my parents did this with an orlando timeshare and w/out consulting me fell for the deal. I was so upset w/them and begged them to call the bank and stop payment on the check. The reason they can offer you the rooms/meals/tickets/whatever is because they make so much ripping off the people that actually do buy one they can afford to cover the next dozen or so that never purchase.

After my parents realized they were hosed they tried to sell the timeshare, I think they got one offer at about 1/3 the price of what they paid and my dad turned them down. So now we go to orlando every year.

1/17/2011 5:06:54 PM

ok so i finally talked to them

the want to give me a 3 day, 2 night stay at massanutten (during which i attend the "90 min information session")

then a 4 day, 3 night travel voucher in orlando to be used in the next year.

then on top of that, a $200 debit card to use for whatever.

i told them my wife wasnt home(she was right there, but still) and i had to think it over, they said this deal "may not be availible tomorrow" i told them i had a good feeling it would be, and she hung up on me

1/18/2011 5:44:02 PM

1/18/2011 5:47:48 PM

I have worked in timeshare sales/marketing for four years. Here's my advice:

Touring is fine depending on the company ... you can get some great freebies for a 90-minute tour. I've been on probably a hundred tours. Then again, I live in the timeshare capitol of the world. Please note, the timeshare product is a smart option for some, but not for people like me. So while I'd never buy, I'd sure as heck tour!

Here are a few good ones:

1) Disney Vacation Club
2) Starwood Vacation Ownership (same as Westin and Sheraton ... it's the parent company)
3) Hilton Grand Vacations
4) Marriott Vacation Club

Whatever you do, STAY AWAY FROM WESTGATE! They are sheisty! I worked for them briefly and there are so many things wrong with that company from an ethical standpoint.

It's a good idea to check the company's Better Business Bureau profile. If they have a lot of complaints--and a lot of unresolved complaints-- then run far, far away!

[Edited on January 18, 2011 at 5:57 PM. Reason : e]

1/18/2011 5:51:25 PM

I remember as a kid my family doing this twice.

As long as you sit through their stupid 90 minute spiel there's no catch other than having to sit through a mind numbing 90 minute spiel.

1/18/2011 5:53:06 PM

^ Yes, but it depends on the company. Some will keep you longer than 90 minutes and some are a bit more high pressure. Just do your research about the company before you go. And yes, the gifts can be quite nice and definitely worth the 90 minutes.

1/18/2011 5:55:12 PM

Well yeah like anything you need to read the fine print before agreeing to it.

The trick to not staying past the 90 minutes (or whatever the allotted time) is as soon as its up say, "Alright, we're done according to this agreement. KTHXBAI!!!"

It works.

1/18/2011 5:57:56 PM

^ Agreed! They'll forget about the clock, but be sure to hold them to the legalese in Details of Participation.

1/18/2011 5:59:07 PM

http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/153326/timeshare-conspiracy

1/18/2011 6:26:17 PM

nah, you always get what you pay for. timeshare vacations are awkward and inconvenient.

just pay for something. it is so much better

1/18/2011 9:07:00 PM