Time Share Vacation Deals

[Auggie]

Just curious if anybody has taken up an offer on a free stay at a resort if you listen to a timeshare presentation. I won a 2 night stay in Rapid City from the SD Tourism booth that was at the Minot Boat Show last month. I don't plan to purchase anything, but if they want to put my wife and I up for a few nights, that would make a nice little summer vacation. Here's a link to the resort http://midwestoutdoorresorts.com/rushmore-shadows-resort.html
I'm just curious if anybody has done this and what their experience was. I am familiar with South Park's take on it.

 

[Ericb]

I used to do this in AZ as often as they would let me. They would have a guy at sportsman's wherehouse offering a $50 gift card if you'd come to there presentation. The sales people where hard core until you told them you were poor and only wanted the free stuff. Then they would give you a 2 night stay at there resort in Sedona. You would have to take a 1hr tour but then they would give you $100 restaurant gift card and a voucher to got to one of there further destinations. The sales people were pushy but not to bad if you told them flat out you there for the free stuff.

 

[sweeney]

Well me being a cheap ass and the old lady loving "good" deals we have sat through enough to know we won't ever do it again. On a two night stay you waste a majority of the day listening to something you know you won't buy, granted you usually do get some free crap and if you don't really have anything better to do than it is what it is. We sat through one in florida they wined and dined us, showed us all kinds of fancy property, then gave us a price of 100k, told them we have a 35ft 5th wheel and a lake cabin that takes up most of our time, price dropped, still not interested price dropped again, then it got down to 5k but we were losing this and that, but still could get all kinds of vacation stuff yada yada, finally they accepted NO, 4 hours later. The next one I told them I was filing bankruptcy and had no money, we were actually thinking about getting a divorce and giving the kids up for adoption, they let us go in 15 minutes. We still got our upgraded suite and VIP on the cruise and three free nights in Orlando, so maybe this is the way to go about things in the future.

 

[3Roosters]

Agreed with what has already been said. If you have a hard time saying no, you may not wish to listen to their presentations as they are paid to pressure.

 

[johnr]

mrs johnr and I purchased one in Cabo last month. She is the brains of the operation, and the banker for the most part. We sat thru the presentation, had dinner, toured, and then declined, they counter offered, we declined, they counter offered a 3rd time, and we declined.

We signed paperwork stating the offer was only good for the rest of our vacation, and then the original chick that did all the sales pitch came back out and offered a 4th time at 1/4 the original cost and we bought. My CPA brained wife calculated the frequency of our travel, the cost of what we spend, the quality of the nicer rooms being an owner, and the likelihood of coming out ahead. We scored with our purchase to the tune of double benefit for our cost. I was going to buy in at the 2nd offer. Glad she held out, and saved us a bunch.

If you travel frequently, or even just every other year they have some nice plans you can get. We are going to vacation every year, or twice a year anyway. Was a choice deal.

We sat thru one in Vegas about 15 years ago, was horrible, the pressure was intense, and all we wanted was some free shit. Swore I would never do it again. We did this last one as the friends we were with purchased 2 years earlier, and they had a way nicer bungalow, rounds of golf, and a certificate for an off resort excursion, and spent half what we did overall. We went in looking to possibly buy, it didn't seem as high pressure when we had a sense of wanting in anyway.

 

[guywhofishes]

holy horrible - I get nervous/pressure when the nice gal at the Scheels checkout asks me if I found everything - no thanks!

 

[Jigaman]

holy horrible - I get nervous/pressure when the nice gal at the Scheels checkout asks me if I found everything - no thanks!

or if you want to sign up for their credit card to save $25 dollars today.

 

[fnznfwl]

Just curious if anybody has taken up an offer on a free stay at a resort if you listen to a timeshare presentation. I won a 2 night stay in Rapid City from the SD Tourism booth that was at the Minot Boat Show last month. I don't plan to purchase anything, but if they want to put my wife and I up for a few nights, that would make a nice little summer vacation. Here's a link to the resort http://midwestoutdoorresorts.com/rushmore-shadows-resort.html
I'm just curious if anybody has done this and what their experience was. I am familiar with South Park's take on it.

And FTR, you didn't "win" anything.

amazes me what some people will do for a couple free nights in a hotel

 

[Wild and Free]

About 15 years ago My wife and I got a similar offer from something we signed up for at the Bismarck sports show. was at the hart Ranch south of RC, we decided to do it for the free stay and planned to be down there for a few extra days anyhow. got down there and signed in and they gave us the key to our "Cabin" which was about a 14 foot 1960's era camper, we gave each other the WTF look and decided to have a look and upon unlocking the door and swinging it open we both about blew the last days meals as the mouse piss and shit smell was so bad we slammed the door shut left the keys hanging in the door and left without saying goodbye and found a nice hotel room instead.
Have not looked into a timeshare thing again. I have several co-workers who have time shares through certain hotel chains and they gain points and can upgrade and trade for spots all over the place which they enjoy.

 

[Bed Wetter]

or if you want to sign up for their credit card to save $25 dollars today.

Dont use my Scheels card much anymore as it's gotten so crazy expensive. However, I opted to buy a cheap release and some arrows the other day and saved 10% for using my card. Unadvertised special.

 

[guywhofishes]

or if you want to sign up for their credit card to save $25 dollars today.

ha ha ha - I always whip it out and show them my Scheels VISA right away so I can avoid their two second sales pitch

 

[Bed Wetter]

Should clarify, Scheels is so expensive the gift cards are only worth 1/2 of face value because Scheels costs twice what I'd pay online.

 

[shorthairsrus]

I have several clients and friends that have them. Most are in a "I have to use them" mode. You go down to mexico or vegas with the timeshare owners --- they have to stay where they have a timeshare --- while everybody else usually choooses stays somewhere else. IMO it eliminates flexibility; not so sure about the saving money as they have fees that you run into later.

 

[Walleye Slayer]

My wife and I bought in to it about 9 years ago. I actually enjoy it. its a very nice campground located in a very nice area. If you like the touristy type stuff it puts you within a short distance of a lot of different things to do. We try to get there for a week each year. Bring the 4wheelers do some trail driving go to a cave, reptile gardens, go to the drive in movie theater in Hermosa, go on the winery tour, there's just all kinds of stuff to do. With a nice place to go and chill after you get back that's not in a town. I cant remember what we paid but since we joined they have added some campgrounds that we automatically get to use with our membership. There's a couple over in Minnesota but we haven't stayed in them yet. Hope to one day. Is it worth it; for me it was. But it may not be for other people. Just depends how you use it.

 

[3Roosters]

I believe there are some timeshares you can buy for $1 on ebay or amazon or whatever. People that for one reason or another want to get out of the yearly maintenance fee as they are unable to go to their timeshares anymore...death, divorce, elderly so they just dump their timeshare obligation. I have heard both good and bad about timeshares. One thing is certain...it pays to do your homework and read the fine print and work the numbers out to see if it makes cents.
Some of those Mexican time share sales people could even get the Mexican Govt. to build the wall bordering the U.S.!#$%^&>

 

[johnr]

We have zero maintenance fees, it's a use it, or gift it, or save it up for an extended stay, or not use it and pay nothing. Mrs johnr is shrewd with small print and loop holes