Just Say "No" to Timeshare Reps

A growing annoyance that we're seeing for our clients has been the sometimes relentless attempts by time share reps to get our clients to attend the time share or "Vacation Club" presentation. These time share reps scour the very same resorts that we send many of our clients to. They are compensated based on their numbers and sales, so they are often very persistent, and they frequently offer incentives for guests to sit in on a presentation.

I'd love to be able to tell the resorts not to bother my clients, but since I can't, I'll offer a few things to think about before you agree to attend a time share presentation. Many of these cautions apply to the resort onsite re-booking programs as well.

• Attendance is optional. They may offer all sorts of incentives for your attendance - perks, free excursions, etc. You need to decide whether this is a good use of 3 to 5 hours of your hard-earned and well-deserved vacation time.
• If you do go, don't succumb to the pressure to sign on the dotted line to get some special offer. Once you return from your vacation, I can almost guarantee that if you decide it is something you want, you'll be able to negotiate a better deal on the resale market.
• They do not disclose everything in these presentations. Hard to believe, right? They rarely mention that you will be required to pay anywhere between $120-$200 per person/per night at check-in to cover the all-inclusive amenities (meals, drinks, etc). This is on top of what you're already paying for the reserved resort time, any maintenance fees, and the high upfront purchase cost.
• We spent quite a bit of time choosing just the right destination and resort for this trip. Who knows what your needs will be over the next 10 years or so? Do you really want to be locked into a single experience?
• The prices they show you to use for comparison (and to make you think you paid too much) are called "rack rates" - rates that are rarely used. These same resorts routinely offer 40-65% off with no strings attached. There are "early booking rates", "limited time offers", "resort credit offers" and many others used to entice vacationers to their properties. We stay on top of all of these offers to make sure that you're getting a fair price for your trip.
• Consider that once you're working with a resort directly, you will not be able to get the security and service provided to you at no additional cost from the specialists at Fun ‘n Sun Travel.
  
• Lastly, if you sign a contract outside of the U.S. for a timeshare or vacation plan in another
  country, you are not protected by U.S. Contract Laws. More tips about Timeshare ownership from the Federal Trade Commission can be found here. 

On your next trip, simply tell the timeshare reps that you're not interested and to please not bother you again.  And if they persist, tell them you're a travel agent. That should do the trick!

Fun 'n Sun Travel & Cruise provides friendly, personal, professional service in order to plan each and every client's dream vacation, destination wedding, or honeymoon at one of the best prices available. Call us at 1-855-557-5588, or visit us on the web for more information.