MSE blog discussion: How a sales rep claimed timeshares prevent cancer

Former_MSE_Rose

Hi all, this is a thread to discuss the MSE blog:

How a sales rep claimed timeshares prevent cancer

"Pushy timeshare reps often use bribes to lure unsuspecting holidaymakers into parting with their life savings. But unfortunately for them, they’d picked up a MoneySaver…"

What timeshare sales tactics have you come across, and what were your survival tips? Just click 'reply' to share your thoughts,

Thanks,

MSE Rose

richardw

The best tip is when approached by a tout, just be negative, think Albert Tatlock and Victor Meldrew, it is very difficult to cold sell anything to somebody who can't be quickly warmed up. Don't worry about appearing unfriendly, they'll get the message and quickly move on to others.

They'll ask you an 'open question' and hope to get a response that can get a conversation going. If you reply with a No, they'll understand quickly your lack of interest.

Don't say you like the place or are enjoying the holiday.

stoneman

We always split up when approached. They only go for couples.

catchooky

I used to work in timeshare (please dont hate me as I was carp and naive) and one tip i could recommend is that every time they tell you about something be really enthusiastic! The amount of times I have couples who were nodding and agreeing all the time and then at the end just said actually no I cant afford it or something similar, if the rep is reasonably inexperienced theyll think they have a definiate sale and so not push as much (the more experienced ones will realise what youre doing tho). Say something like you're not able to take any more holidays as you're going bankrupt next week so thats why you signed on for the freebie........ never ever heard of the cash deposit tho thats shocking x

DUKE

When we were in Mexico last year we were offered a boat trip for £3 each, I knew that this would usually cost £15 each & realized that it was a timeshare. We were offered £90, free tickets for the boat trip, 1 bottle of teqila, & 1 bottle of coffee liqueur. The bloke told us it was a presentation & to just go along & play the game. I wouldn't normally have done a timeshare but my husband seemed very keen which surprised me. We were taken in a taxi to a hotel & shown around by a lovely man. Half way through I told him that I had no intention of buying, but he said that he still had to go through the motions. When he'd done he took us to the hard sell room & again we were asked if we wanted to buy. I told him no, so he passed us onto hardsellman. He said having no money wasn't an excuse not to buy as there were ways round this. I told him that I'd got no intention of buying & just kept repeating that. We were then passed on to a much friendlier man who offered us £600 to take a timeshare. I said no & he gave us a ticket to collect our freebies. We were in & out in an hour & a half. I did it all on my own too as my husband never said a word! I'm the mouth he's the muscle Actually I did get a little worried at one point as he said I couldn't just say no without an excuse, I told him he was a bully & not to talk down to me & I'd never buy a timeshare from him. I did think if he wouldn't let us go I'd've mentioned the fact that I was a cancer patient in remission (I am it's not made up), but I didn't think it any of his business & I didn't want the sympathy vote.

lobiga

Sat through a 'holiday club' presentation last year. When we told them we were emigrating to Spain in 6 months (a lie) it became really interesting seeing how they tried to sell us a holiday club share in the place we were emigrating to!
Still had to sit through it though to bag our free holiday but it took all the hard sell pressure out of it

thebillet

I've done a few freebie tours over the years. I liked the ones in the US as they are limited to 1 1/2 hours maximum. They would include breakfast to extend the time; so eat up kids it's free. They took us to places which I simply said I didn't like. "But you can exchange," they said "Oh good" said I "do you have time shares in the Vale of Kashmir," "No" was the reply, "not for me then". "Why don't you like them?" they asked, "Too neat and tidy" I said. The crestfallen look as we were passed to each stage cos they knew they couldn't sell us something we didn't like was priceless. So by 1030 am, family fully breakfasted and free tickets for Seaworld off we went. We did free Disney tickets next time around. Half way through one presentation the agent actually said to me "I know what you mean, I live outside the main towns an in a rural setting which is anything but manicured!"

tenuissent

We were repeatedly approached in Funchal by a couple who lay in wait on a road it was difficult to avoid. The husband had epilepsy, they said, and persuading us to go to a time share presentation was his only way of earning a living, and his wife had to be with him all the time in case he collapsed. Well, that's very sad......but we were there as guests of a friend with a very good time share, and it didn't matter how often she told them she already had a time share that she was perfectly happy with, they continued to approach us. We had to learn a different route into Funchal simply to avoid them.