Larry vs the time share sales team

2013-02-07

Greetings,

We’re still at the Orlando Thousand Trails campground near Disney World. We’ve been busy, but mostly doing little projects to the motorhome. Some are needed do mostly to age of the RV and some are personal touches. None of it was very word worthy so I haven’t had anything to write about.

Millie has never been to Disney world, so of course we have to go. Its like a bucket list item, everyone needs to go at least once. There are discount ticket sellers everywhere and a few days ago we decided to see what the deal was.

When someone in a neon festooned storefront is offering tickets for ½ the $100+ prices Disney is charging just a mile away, you know there is a hook! For the uninitiated, the hook almost always involves Time Share Sales!

I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck but played the game and acted naive as the seedy looking hook man assured me it was just an informational tour. I once said no to a nun who was selling time shares, (strange but true) so felt certain I was up to the challenge.

Yesterday morning we drove to the Westgate Resort for our 90 minute tour. I must say my initial impression of the resort was very positive. It is very large, 300 acres I think, and almost surrounded by Disney property. After registering at the opulent welcome center we were assigned our host, DaVita, a tall slender very attractive and pleasant young lady. After our complimentary breakfast she began by getting to know us, asking the usual questions about lifestyle, family, likes, dislikes, etc.

Next we went on a golf cart tour of the property, driving by the many amenities and stopping to look at the villa and condo model units. After the tour, it was back to the welcome center for the sales presentation.

This post is getting long so I will abbreviate; first was the sales presentation with our host sales agent, the lovely DaVita, next we heard the better deal we could get from the business professional (forgot his name)inventory manager, and finally the deal from Angel the exit manager (Cuban Mafia?) which was the same price but with extra features added to the deal.

Did we buy?.............

No

After getting all the rubbers stamps on our prize form we still had to pick up our tickets at the gift center where they tried one more time and we again said no to returning for a travels club 90 minute presentation for which we would get yet another gift, this time a free meal at a local restaurant.

The whole process took almost four hours; it was predictable and at times interesting. In the beginning it was enjoyable but got tiring as time went on. Once I even felt guilty for taking up so much of the sales agent’s time, but heck they were taking up our time as well so all’s fair in love, war and time share sales!

Disney World here we come!

Disclaimer: While I am not saying anything good or bad about time share ownership, I am saying do not go to a sales presentation just for the free gift if you are not up to the challenge. You may go in anticipating a $100 something and leave many thousands of dollars poorer and obligated to pay annual fees for the rest of your life.