While a timeshare can be a good thing, more often than not, the sales pitch can make it seem as if the salesperson is in control. The good news is that that's not true. You are in control, despite all the training that they've been through, no sales person can make you buy anything.
I got my start in the timeshare business as a salesperson, way back in 2000. Since then, I've dedicated my work to helping people through the dizzying world of timeshare and to making positive changes within the industry. I'm pleased to report that I've been successful at the former and failed at the latter. The industry has made it crystal clear they have no interest in changing for the better.
Let's start with a basic fact: The industry believes that timeshare must be sold, rather than purchased and they play upon consumers' greed and hope of gain/fear of loss in order to sell as much as possible. That's actually good news for you! No one likes to be sold anything, so right away, you should know that if you're interested in purchasing a timeshare, there are many more, much less costly options open to you than giving up hours of your vacation time to listen to a salesperson rattle on.
The average price of a timeshare purchased from the developer last year was just above $21,000. More than half of that is eaten up in marketing and sales costs---someone has to pay for all those dinner show or theme park tickets that they bribe you with, right? In most cases, that very same timeshare can be purchased on the legitimate secondary market, without all the distractions and noise commonly found at the sales center, for thousands less. In some cases, for $100 or less! Don't you feel better already?
As with most purchases, knowledge is power. The less knowledge you have ahead of time, the more of a disadvantage you'll be at when you're confronted with a salesperson who is trained in telling you what they want you to know and not disclosing what they don't want you to know.
There are 4 words that don't exist when it comes to timeshare matters. Understand and master them and you'll be in control and more likely to make wise decisions.
FREE
Those free dinner show tickets or almost free accommodations, of course they're not free, you give up hours of your vacation day in exchange for them. Additionally, that free buffet breakfast you might get while at the sales center is a) assuredly built into the price of the timeshare and b) designed to make you feel obligated to buy. Don't fall for it. You're not.
PERFECT
Any salesperson has been trained to solve a problem. In the case of timeshare, it's a vacation problem. If there's no problem, there's no sale. No matter what vacation problem they uncover, the timeshare they're selling will be the perfect solution. Except it won't. Nothing is perfect.
ALWAYS
Who wouldn't like to always go on a dream vacations? Who wouldn't always like to have their perfect accommodations just waiting for them? Who wouldn't want to always be able to afford this dream vacation? Once you start down this path, it's tough to stop.
NEVER
'The timeshare will be a pre-paid vacation plan! Your cost will never go up!" Sounds great. Unfortunately, it's a lie. Don't fall for it.
Another thing to remember is that the person asking the questions is in control. The salesperson will ask you many questions during the 'Discovery' part of the sales pitch. That's fine. Let them do their job. And then, voila YOU start asking the questions! I've identified 19 questions you must ask before purchasing a timeshare. Shoot me an email at lisaschreier617@gmail.com to find out what they are.
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