Is there such a thing as a free gift?

Would you or have you ever been persuaded in attending a timeshare sales presentation in exchange for a free gift or holiday?

If you have ever entered your details into a competition to win a free holiday or been approached by a sales agent in Tenerife or Spain (or any other timeshare hotspot for that matter) there is a very good chance you have come across a timeshare sales agent. They may have handed you a free scratch card and miraculously you won a prize or perhaps they offered free tickets to a tourist attraction. Whichever it is chances are you may find yourself easily persuaded into going along as the temptation to obtain a no string attached gift is too much to resist. However, just like all things that sound too good to be true, it usually is, and nothing comes for free. The price you pay for your free gift is hours of your precious time spent in a high-pressured sales meeting, that could end with you owning a timeshare you do not want.

There are many examples on the internet of people who attended presentations just to get their free gift and somehow managed to come out the other end unscathed. But a word of warning, this is rare and not many of us can withstand the relentless bombarding of information that seems to never end unless you sign up. After all, why would there be so many timeshare owners still out there and how did they fall for it? The product depreciates in value the very second you purchase it, and you have to keep paying through the nose just to own one. Not an attractive option for people looking to just take a relaxing holiday once or twice a year. If you do find yourself somehow lured into attending a timeshare sales presentation, there are some important aspects to think about to prepare yourself for the experience.

Ask lots of questions: When people talk about their experiences at timeshare sales meetings, most people say how lengthy and exhausting it was. A sales representative will be incredibly friendly with you and ask you loads of personal questions about your lifestyle and travel habits, they may even ask you about your family life and income. The aim is to get to know enough about you that they can persuade you into anything. On the other hand, if you stay in control of the conversation and only divulge what you want to, you will be less likely persuaded into purchasing something you had no intention of buying. Make sure you ask them questions, there is a reason there are so many unhappy timeshare owners and that is mainly because a sales agent will promise everything under the sun to make a sale and they definitely will not tell you what you won’t like about timeshare ownership.

Do the math first and research the company: This is incredibly important, make sure you know exactly how much this purchase is truly going to cost you. Do not let the sales agent bombard you with facts and figures. If you are taking out a loan to fund this purchase than make sure you include all the costs including interest rates, maintenance fees, price of travelling to and from the resort and any other associated costs. Then compare this to the cost of a package holiday, does it work out you are better off? Fully research the company whose presentation you are attending. A great place to start is to look at what other owners are saying about the resort, and a good place to find this is TripAdvisor. You can find tons of pros and cons on there and really get a feel for how actual timeshare owners feel.

Do not feel under pressure: A common trick used by timeshare sales agents is to put you under huge amounts of pressure to make a decision on the spot. A good way to avoid this is to explain from the beginning, you are not the sort of person to make important financial decisions quickly, you need time to go away and think about it. Of course, this will be seen as a challenge to a seasoned timeshare sales rep who will probably have an answer for everything you say. And remember just because you agreed to attend a presentation, does not mean you agreed to purchase a timeshare. If you decide a timeshare is not for you and does not fit your lifestyle, then you are in your rights to simply get up and walk away. You attended the presentation and now they must honour that and provide you with what was promised.