How to Survive a Timeshare Presentation
We were not looking forward to the timeshare presentation at Hacienda Tres Rios. If you have never experienced a high pressure timeshare presentation, count yourself lucky. The presentation usually goes something like this: They make promises to give you cash, travel excursions, trinkets, discounts, or whatever it takes to get you to agree to their “90 minute” presentation. Once you show up for the presentation you meet the sales person who acts like your best friend. They act interested in finding out all about your jobs, hobbies, and places you have visited. They take all of this information about you and turn it into a custom sales pitch to sell you the timeshare. You often go into these presentations knowing full well that you are not going to buy a timeshare and just want the free stuff. But as the 90 minute deadline approaches you find you cannot escape. For every answer you give them to say you are not interested, they have something to counter it and run off in a new direction trying to wear you down. If you do happen to hit upon the magic phrase, which is usually just saying you cannot afford it, then they introduce you to the manager. The manager comes out with a lower price and the brain beating starts all over again with further high pressure sales tactics. Once you say no enough times the sales manager introduces the closer. The closer will usually offer a discounted stay at a resort or something else in an attempt to get you back for a future timeshare presentation. If you happen to survive the timeshare sales presentation without buying anything, they usher you to another room where you fill out forms and get all that was promised to you. For many, this “90 minute” presentation turns into a half day of torture.
The one thing we were looking forward to was a free hot lunch. We had been surviving the last couple of days on sandwiches, cereal, and instant cup-o-noodle soups. Although it was food, we were ready for a change. After being introduced to the sales guy we were led up to the Tequila Bar where they had a buffet. The waiter came by and offered us margaritas. Getting a potential client drunk is always a good way to improve your chances of making a sale. So with cold margaritas and hot food the sales guy began his probing into our lives and looking for his angle of attack. During this probing we revealed to him that we planned to sell everything in a couple of years and travel around the world. He thought that sounded like a grand adventure until the realization sunk in that we have a five year old daughter.
“You are taking her with you?” he asked with a look of disapproval on his face.
“Of course we are taking our daughter.” we answered, “We want to experience the world as a family.”
Shaking his head, “But… but… what about the dangers?”
It is thoughts such as this that keep most people firmly planted in their comfortable and predictable lives. We assured him that we would avoid potential danger as much as possible and continued to enjoy our hot food and margaritas. What we had said really threw the sales guy for a loop. He immediately stopped the waiter and ordered a margarita for himself. He looked defeated.
After lunch we were led to another building that was timeshare presentation headquarters. Presentations were happening all over the room at small tables, and fortunately, they had a room with a television and toys to entertain children. Sydney happily went in there and plopped down in a bean bag chair in front of the television. We were escorted to a small table and the sales presentation continued. The sales guy had found an angle. He tried to convince us that buying one month at the Hacienda Tres Rios we could trade it for a full year of accommodations throughout Europe. Yeah right. So, as the deadline approached I informed the sales guy that he only had a few more minutes before his time was up and we would leave. He got the manager. The manager came over offering the timeshare at a reduced price of $10,000 for a week. Times up. I stood up shook the sales guy’s hand and told him he did a fantastic job, but we were leaving. We got Sydney and were escorted to another room with the closer. We quickly answered the questions without ever sitting down and were given the promised $50 and led out the backdoor.
Timeshares can be good deal if you travel often as they offer you luxury accommodations at a fraction of the cost. But if you are going to buy one, never buy one at a timeshare presentation. There are many places, including eBay, where you can buy timeshare resales at a fraction of the price offered at the timeshare presentations.
And if you do get sucked into going to a timeshare presentation, just remember that you only agreed to listen to their sales presentation for 90-minutes. The only thing making you stay longer than the 90-minutes is yourself. As the time approaches remind the salesman that his time is almost up and that you will be leaving. It really helps to have a watch. Once you hit that magic 90-minute mark, simply stand up and tell them you are finished and you are leaving. Do not worry about being rude. You are just wasting their time the longer you sit there, and the sooner you leave, the sooner they can get back to making an actual sale. And do not worry about not receiving your gifts. They will give them to you, but only after the sales pitch is over. But it is up to you to end the sales pitch, not them. They will keep you there half the day if you let them.
Caveat emptor!
About Jason
I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon and love photography, sailing, and of course travel. Before heading off to travel the world with my wife and daughter I worked in the Civil Engineering and GIS field.
April 7, 2010 Latin America, Travel Tips
oh my goodness, what a nightmare! i can understand why you guys sat through one though, considering the nice meal. i don’t know that i could do that!
loving this account of your travels, jason and kerri!
Hi Liz. I am glad you are enjoying reading about our travels.
The first time we experienced A timeshare presentation was in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We got suckered in for a few trinkets and it was a total nightmare. We were so confused with the tag team sales tactics that they did that we did not know what was going on. Knowing what to expect and how to get out of one makes the experience much more bearable. So, if you guys do go to one, make sure the gifts are worth it and remember how to get out of it… or it could be a REALLY long and unpleasant day.
How cool to show your young daughter the world at such a young age!
I’m in the travel bussines in PV use to be in T/S and always enjoy reading about people experiences in what I use to be my bussines.
Cheers
Israel
I”m so jealous – i’d love to sail around the world someday and travel nonstop.
Is your vacations that dull to where you wanna waste you and your families time. Sales is a process. I went to a presentation with an open mind and ended up joining. It’s the best thing I have ever done for my family and friends. So if your really cheap and you don’t mind wasting other peoples time, take a timeshare presentation.
Thanks for your comment. We were actually staying there through an RCI trade, so we have no need to purchase a timeshare there. Not that we would have if we had been in the market for one, as we did not really enjoy the place. We had not planned on going to a timeshare presentation as they are a big waste of time for us and them, but the Hacienda Tres Rios would not allow us to use their kayaks, kids club, or the shuttle van into Playa del Carmen, unless we did the 90-minute presentation. So, we went. And like I said above, buying a timeshare at the actual sales presentation is only going to cost you more money than if you had purchased a resale.
Jason, I’d be willing to bet money that Jabroni above makes his or her living by selling timeshares at presentations, as I’ve had these salespeople tell me flat-out that they enjoy badmouthing anyone who doesn’t buy from them, with various insults, especially accusing them of being “cheap”, or “moochers”, etc.
The truth is that most of these timeshares can be purchased on the resale market for a minimum of 1/2 the presentation price, and usually the savings is far more. Last timeshare presentation we attended, the presentation price was $20,000, when a little prior research revealed that identical units could be purchased resale for only $800 – $1,000.
Even after I showed the salesperson at the presentation this, he still tried tried to guilt trip and “shame” us into handing him an extra $19,000 of our hard earned money, just for the supposed honor of buying from him.
Hi Janet. This blog post has made a lot of timeshare sales people very angry. I have received some seriously nasty comments. I don’t mind criticism and people defending timeshare sales presentations, but attacking me through comments and accusing me of being a bad parent, etc, I don’t tolerate and delete those. And the reason they are getting so mad is that anyone who reads this will be informed about what to expect and how to escape a timeshare presentation if they are not interested in buying. They don’t like that. And they hate resales!
Thanks for the information. my husband and i really need a vacation so i booked the tres rios. We have 6 kids and have no interest in a time share. we just need a break. I booked through a sales rep. over the phone and we will have to do a 90 min. sales pitch. i am a very strong willed person and my husband has no time for games.
Hi Darlene. Have a great time in the Mayan Riviera. We really enjoyed that area of Mexico. There is a great little sandy beach where the river at Hacienda Tres Rios meets the ocean that is great for swimming. And the beach beds are perfect for spending a lazy day reading a good book! I wish I was still down there. And don’t forget that you only promised them 90 minutes for the presentation, and no more. They will keep you all day if you let them. Let me know how it goes!
Totally agree with Jason.
3 important things before you get to the presentation: (1) ask for more than what the “vendor” (who send you to the presentation) offer. In my case, they offer me $100 voucher, I don’t even show interested. The guy then offer me $100 cash, I said “No”. Then he tried $150. I said “No”, then he said “$200″. I said I want more, he asked how much I want. I said “$300″. It took few more minutes, but eventually he’s OK with that.
(2) Know how to end the presentation. Like what Jason and other have shared.
(3) Be able to shake off the rudes and unpleasant feelings once you get out of that door. Never thought or talked about it after you’re done with the presentation.
Some advices here: if you have a short vacation (3-5 days) better not try this. If you stay 1 week to 2 weeks then give it a try and it will give you some extra cash for your vacation. Remember this “drill” is not for everyone thought
I sadly bought into a timeshare and then lost my job. I needed to transfer it so I used http://www.directtransfers.com. It was easy and painless. Just thought I’d share for anyone out there who might be in a similar situation to what I was in.
thanks for this. i am 27, and my husband and I still havent been on our honeymoon. I am also a teacher so i can only go on break time. i have been looking to book a cheap vacation and im seeing everything is going to cost over a couple thousand. we just bought a home and are traveling this summer so im looking for a quick get away for CHEAP. that is when i started wondering if i should look for a time share opportunity somewhere….do you have recommendations where to find those deals? what have you found is the truely the best way to say NO. I dont care what someone thinks of me, but i can’t afford to buy a timeshare through them.
Hi Jennifer,
If you are looking to just try out a timeshare without actually buying one, you can find lots of them on eBay where the owners auction off their timeshare week. You might even contact RCI, Worldmark, or other timeshare companies to see if they will give you a free week just to see if a timeshare is right for you. If you do decide to buy a timeshare, don’t buy it at the sales presentation! You can always get better deals through the online resale places. If you are just looking for a vacation somewhere, call a local travel agent. They can put together great vacation packages from cheap to insanely expensive, depending on what you want. Good luck!
I know that some people can benefit from timeshares. In my case I can not benefit from them. I have gone to about six of them throughout the years and they all have the, you need to buy now” attitude. The play with your mind with the “so you do not like saving money.” I just came out of a presenation fron Bluegreen resorts. Terrible presenters. We are lucky that we have the internet and we can keep on posting information about how these companies work.
Jason,
(NOT my real name BTW) I am so happy I found your blog! We also bought a cheap vacation deal through a fax we receive all the time at work for vacation deals. I was not aware of anything we had to do until we booked this resort and they asked if we were aware that we would need to do a tour…no…but if we have to, ok? Over all I am very excited to stay at the Hacienda Tres Rios after reading reviews about it online. haven’t been told how long it will be…you say 90 minutes, is that still the case? After that time we can up and leave and not be charged for breaking any rules or anything? I have never attended a time share presentation and am really doing my homework on this. This will be our first time to Mexico, MY first time outside of the USA… ANY advice would be greatly appreciated!!
Hi,
If you only agree to 90 minutes, that is all you need to do. At 90 minutes, stand up, say goodbye, and walk out if you need to. Just enjoy your time and don’t get frustrated. They are not your jailers (although it may feel that way) and you can leave at anytime. They are pros at keeping you there and keep your head spinning. Humor them, but at 90 minutes, get out of there. Otherwise, they will keep you there all day. Good luck!
Nims-can you please tell me where you found the hacienda deal? Thanks! Also thank you jason for the tips!
Nims – how did you book the deal? I want to find a good vacation package and i am willing to sit through 90 minutes then get up and leave. I dont know where to find the deals though!
Lol I sell these for a living. Not proud of it, but I gotta eat to. Ill tell you guys what I tell everyone I get to go to these things. The sales pitch they make you sit through is really fun if you do it rite, and I’ve started going just for that 90 min bull sh*t pitch. I bring my phone and have it set to record the guy for the whole time. I wait for him to ask a question, then I pounce. I start trying to make him feel as uncomfortable and awkward as possible. My record so far is getting my free stuff after only 30 min. In March I’m going to one in Aruba, going to try for a personal best of 25 min or making the salesman cry. Wish me luck
Out in only 30 minutes? Wow, that is impressive! If you ever post a video of you in action, please share. I am sure everyone could use some pointers, plus some good laughs.
Also, jenni and john. If your looking for that kinda thing, just let me know and I can call you from the office this week, just let me know when you want me to call and what #.
Hey guys, I’ve since deleted the fax with the cheap vacation offer but I am sure we will get one again soon (we get them all the time) and I will post the info on here for you guys. It says it’s all inclusive deal for $199 a person..depending on the destination and resort, it’s 5 nights, 6 days, 4 nights, 5 days…etc. Well when we called and bought a package, we were later told to pay another $450 for ‘peak’ season fee. ok. We called the resort and paid another $199 in taxes and another $600 to add 2 extra nights, making our vacay 7 nights, 8 days. In total, it cost us $1448 + airfare. NOT a bad deal at all but not exactly as they advertised for ‘$199 per couple’ GREAT DEAL! anyhoot, I’ll give them their 90 minutes of glory and then go lay on the beach… our original destination desire was Hawaii and they said that was all sold out and Mexico was avail…so, no way in hell are we buying some timeshare in a foreign country we don’t even know.
Thanks for your reply Jason!
Buying from the resale market ends up costing about the same…By the time you catch up the maintenance fees and if you want to exchange thru RCI or II that cost money upfront to be a member. If you wanna go to the same resort every year on the same week and same unit then you are right buy from the resale market. If you wanna see the world and exchange then you must purchase a membership and after it all adds up you end up spending the same. Developers had to create agreements with the exchange companies that when a timeshare is tranfered none of the benefits and features go with the deed or right to use contract. Companies like DIsney, Marriott, Hilton, BlueGreen, Wynham, and Sheraton would not invest money in sales buildings to sell the same product and benefits for more than a cosumer could buy cheaper. They have invested too much thru out the years to ruin their reputations. Don’t you think?
We recently attended THE most unprofessional time share sales pitch of all time, on the beautiful island of Ko Samui in Thailand. Only 2 of the villas were complete, the rest was a concept based on piles of sand and small holes in the ground. My husband, who is in construction management, noticed loads of faulty work and errors in the building process that was taking place. They tried to sell us 1 week a year for $30,000!!!!
They were clowns and did not even have brochures or glossy handouts. They even used an angle that Lloyd’s of London would provide financing and give us 100% of our investment back after 10 years. “Where can you have a luxury vacation every year for 10 years AND get all your money back afterwards?!” was one statement. The sales guy even came up with a lame calculation and comparison that we would actually save $28,000 in future holiday costs by buying the time share “and that is as good as an investment”. Sorry, but even without 2 master’s degrees that one just doesn’t fly. The closer was very rude and mean and approached us aggressively with the comment “Is there a problem here?”. I said no problem for us, we are leaving now because as successful investors in real estate, your product held no interest for us.
The kicker was that we had been promised an i-pad for attending. When the 90 minutes was up (I did tell them we were leaving after 90 minutes), I went to collect the i-pad and was told that no, my prize was a 1 week all inclusive stay at a time share!!!!! Apparently in very fine print on our invitation was a scratch window next to the i-pad which revealed 1 of 4 prizes. DOH!!! In my humble opinion, don’t waste any hours of your precious life on these sharlatans. Go and pay $4 on the beach and enjoy your margarita!
Yikes! That does sound bad. Hanging out on the beach with a cold drink is always a better alternative!
Wow, great stuff here. I may as well tell you about our episode in Puerto Vallarta Mexico. As full time travelers we were offered 6,000 peso’s for a 90 minute tour from a fellow on the street. We said sure, why not. So we had him out it in writing on the presentation form along with breakfast and taxi. After the tour we said no and then we went through all of the usual channels I have read about on this page. The “closer” finally came over along with a security guard and escorted us to the parking lot where he began to get shouting mad and very rude with us, telling us we are not getting any gifts at all and we should feel lucky to have gotten a breakfast. The guard told us to get in the car NOW! So beware if you are ever asked to go visit Tau Resorts (Nahui)! Never again!
I have read the blog and find quite a bit true but the only enduring point that no one makes is that timeshares work for the people who have bought them and use them and the blog itself addresses more of the issue of the free gifts and the trade off for sitting for the information. I read a common thread and that is that most who commented were angered that they had to sit thru the presentation for the gift and it was an inconvenience for them to sit for a sales presentation that in effect they had no intention of keeping an open mind to that possiblilty that it would work for them in their lives. The people who have commented here seem to relish the idea of getting one over on the sales staff and companies which they agreed to see like it was a game or something. Is that what your promoting Jason? Is this a travel blog or a complaint sight about getting the best of Resort Companies and freebies? I read very little about the resort experiences you have had even so much more than the presentations you have been on? How often do you sit for timeshare presentations? Have you ever been on one that you took seriously? Is this just a means to travel at someone elses expense so that you can critique the sales performance? Please expound on these points? Also if you could include more information on the resorts and the amenities of the places you have toured I might better understand the blog.