*Update - Anyone ever actually go to one of those "get a free trip if you listen to us talk for an hour" deals?

[TomC25]

I get these calls at least twice a year but I have never gone to any.

My wife has us going tonight to a suite in a building to listen to a guy talk for a hour.

We get to leave tonight with the trip in our hands, a choice of 3-day 2-night stay in Vegas, Orlando, Atlantic City, or New Orleans.

My question is about the hotel and flight that is free, are they el-cheapo or decent?

We are thinking we will take the Orlando trip because neither of us have been to Florida.

They say the talk is not about timeshares, and we have no idea what we have to sit through tonigh, but the wife wants this free trip.

I hope it is not about cooking products or something like that.

UPDATE

It was not too bad. We got the trip and we didn't buy anything.

We were there from 6:30 until 8:00 with the last half hour sitting with the rep who was trying to make the sale.

Real nice guy who was not a high pressure sales guy.

The first hour was a presentation on their services and how they can help you vacation cheaper.

They wanted us to drop 8 grand on a lifetime membership that would allow us to have week long trips at 8000 places around the world for $89 each trip.

Two trips like this a year can be done at VERY nice resort places with condos not hotel rooms.

Along with the $89 a week trips they have discounts on airfare, car rentals, and attractions.

So, for a deposit of $8,000 and a yearly fee of $350 week can take 2 one week long trips a year for $89.

We said no, so they wanted us to make $250/month payments for 3 years to pay off the deposit.

We said no thanks.

We got our trip voucher and left.

The trip will cost us about $300 if we take it with the taxes and stupid fees.

It is not really free but would be a LOT cheaper than retail prices.

 

[MrBond]

If it's not timeshares, it's probably Amway or it is in fact about timeshares, they're just not calling it that (because timeshares is kind of a tainted word, like 'Station wagon').

Just watch out for hidden fees. There might be taxes and "processing" charges you need to pay for the trip.

 

[littleprince]

ERg.... My mom went to one. No matter how much I bitched, she got talked into their damn agreement.
The part that scares me, is they say its transferable, so when she dies, I get the benefits (IE. I get to prepay them for my vacations)
Its pretty much a marketing scam. Your not gonna win the TV, or CAR or whatever. Your gonna win a free trip to one of their condos. Its not exactly free either.

 

[SyahM]

Originally posted by: MrBond
If it's not timeshares, it's probably Amway or it is in fact about timeshares, they're just not calling it that (because timeshares is kind of a tainted word, like 'Station wagon'). Just watch out for hidden fees. There might be taxes and "processing" charges you need to pay for the trip.

exactly, read every that they gave out to you and if you have any doubt, call and ask. Even call the hotel. There's no such thing as free trip after one hour talk!

 

[kranky]

Are you sure they said the flight is included?

 

[LordThing]

Could be one of those "Vacation Club" deals. Went to one backed by Radison while Jaime and I were down in Orlando. It was tempting, but alot of money goes into them (around 12k to start then per year fees). If I had more money, I definately would have been all over it. But it basically is time share, but a kinda time share you can move all over and use in alot of locations.

We got free Sea World tickets out of it.

 

[LordThing]

Originally posted by: littleprince
ERg.... My mom went to one. No matter how much I bitched, she got talked into their damn agreement.
The part that scares me, is they say its transferable, so when she dies, I get the benefits (IE. I get to prepay them for my vacations)
Its pretty much a marketing scam. Your not gonna win the TV, or CAR or whatever. Your gonna win a free trip to one of their condos. Its not exactly free either.

Oh yeah..it's tempting and you really have to say no to some real nice stuff over and over again. In fact they even tried to double team me with a manager and the sales dude. They even offered to ship us off to Atlantis for a week if we signed up right then. Jaime almost pushed me out of the way to sign. In the end, we didn't go for it. But the guys are slick.

 

[tweakmm]

"I've got a little place in Aspen", Say it!

 

[guyver01]

I went to two of 'em.. one in florida... one on the poconos...
you pay your own airfair/transportation... and they put you up "on site" in their property... use it for a few days.. then sit thru a 2 hour lecutre.

no biggie.
i listened... told 'em i was broke and couldn't afford the bedroom, let alone the timeshare..

 

[TomC25]

Thanks for the quick replies.


Yeah I was thinking the free trip was too good to be true.

I will ask them about every out of pocket cent I will have to pay and for what reasons.

 

[RossMAN]

Read this

If it's a call from a timeshare facility it's probably legit but there are of course "catches"

1) Sometimes transportation (airplane tickets) are not included
2) Usually travel is only allowed Tuesday through Thursday, read #4
3) The hotels are maybe 2 star hotels, read #4
4) We were able to upgrade our Las Vegas trip from Tue - Thu in a so-so hotel to 5 day stay (Mon - Fri) at a better hotel (Luxor) including taxes, security fees and gate fees for about $352 for 2 people. Not bad.
5) You can't always travel on the dates you want, so you usually get a choice of 3 dates
6) Their sales pitch is VERY high pressure and they are GOOD at what they do. Just say NO about 10000000 times and you will get the free trip

We're going to Canada early next year and Vegas again, it cost us about $30 each trip and that's for the taxes

All we had to do was sit through two 90 minute timeshare presentations.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

My parents went to one of those, not worth it.

 

[Encryptic]

Yes, my wife got a letter from a resort in Palm Springs one time. They put us up in a nice Holiday Inn for a weekend and we only had to pay $50 for the room. The room wasn't ready when we arrived, so the manager of the Holiday Inn gave us a voucher for a nice dinner at the restaurant next door. Went to a birthday party for a friend of my wife's out at his house in the desert and had a lot of fun, then we spent the night at the hotel and went to the resort on Sunday afternoon. Got a really nice guy who didn't pressure us into anything, just explained all the options we had for a bunch of timeshares. Took a drive out to Joshua Tree after the presentation and looked around for a while before we drove home on Sunday night.

All in all, it was a cool trip.

 

[illusion88]

My parents have. Got a free flight there and free hotel for 3 days. They really enjoyed it. I can't seem to remember where they went though....

 

[sciencetoy]

Sure, yeah, we do these. I'm pretty much immune to the sales pitches but the spouse gets hooked every time, so I say "we have to talk about this one" a lot.

I think they're great if you are good at saying no. These dudes are the slickest salespeople around. I view it as a project "what interesting techniques are these guys going to use this time" and don't get hooked.

Double ditto on the "read the fine print" advice.

Have fun.

 

[StageLeft]

Leave you wallet at home

 

[Aquaman]

I always got to the ones at Whistler/BlackComb. Ever since I bought my house they have been calling me 2-3 times a year. I just go up for the free room & then listen to the pitch but I say......... sorry.......... I have no money......... I just bought a house

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[DrPizza]

"Gee, I dunno.... we've vacationed in __fill in the blank with where they want you to buy__ before. After 10 years of vacations, we picked the place we liked best... ___their place___ wasn't even close to the top of the list. We already have a place in __place far away and quite unlike their place__. If we bought your place, we'd never have time to go there.

 

[Kev]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
"Gee, I dunno.... we've vacationed in __fill in the blank with where they want you to buy__ before. After 10 years of vacations, we picked the place we liked best... ___their place___ wasn't even close to the top of the list. We already have a place in __place far away and quite unlike their place__. If we bought your place, we'd never have time to go there.

i definitely did not understand that.

 

[codeyf]

Originally posted by: Kev

Originally posted by: DrPizza
"Gee, I dunno.... we've vacationed in __fill in the blank with where they want you to buy__ before. After 10 years of vacations, we picked the place we liked best... ___their place___ wasn't even close to the top of the list. We already have a place in __place far away and quite unlike their place__. If we bought your place, we'd never have time to go there.

i definitely did not understand that.

I feel dumberer after reading that post too.

 

It's Amway style setup.

 

[NorthRiver]

I have a trip to cancun, and have gone on a trip to vegas on these guys. Not really that bad of a deal. My Vegas trip was for Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon. We stayed at the Sahara. I won about 800 bucks on the sluts, and only had to pay 200 for the trip. Not bad if you ask me. 90 minute seminar was nothing!

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: NorthRiver
I have a trip to cancun, and have gone on a trip to vegas on these guys. Not really that bad of a deal. My Vegas trip was for Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon. We stayed at the Sahara. I won about 800 bucks on the sluts, and only had to pay 200 for the trip. Not bad if you ask me. 90 minute seminar was nothing!

 

[TomC25]

Originally posted by: codeyf

Originally posted by: Kev

Originally posted by: DrPizza
"Gee, I dunno.... we've vacationed in __fill in the blank with where they want you to buy__ before. After 10 years of vacations, we picked the place we liked best... ___their place___ wasn't even close to the top of the list. We already have a place in __place far away and quite unlike their place__. If we bought your place, we'd never have time to go there.

i definitely did not understand that.

I feel dumberer after reading that post too.

I understood it fine.

It is how I will handle the salesguy tonight.

Basically I should tell him that the place he wants me to buy is crap because I have seen it when I vacationed there and we plan to buy a place in that state but in a nicer place. So even if I did buy the place from you (salesman) then I would never use the place.

Did that make more sense?


Thanks again for all the great replies.

 

[Encryptic]

Originally posted by: NorthRiver
I have a trip to cancun, and have gone on a trip to vegas on these guys. Not really that bad of a deal. My Vegas trip was for Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon. We stayed at the Sahara. I won about 800 bucks on the sluts, and only had to pay 200 for the trip. Not bad if you ask me. 90 minute seminar was nothing!

I thought the idea of "sluts" was that you LOST money on them.