Your Vacation Planning Authority

Since you clicked this article, you are probably planning a vacation and are at least considering going to a timeshare presentation.

That’s actually a great idea! Especially if you are going to one in Las Vegas. You’ll be offered everything from free meals to free entertainment on The Strip.

In another post, I’ll talk about how you can get the best timeshare offers in Vegas.

But for now, what you want to know is how to say no to a timeshare presentation after you’ve listened to the pitch.

The best way to say no to a timeshare presentation is to be firm with your answer when telling the salesperson, No. You will have to do this multiple times with different people throughout the process. The salesperson will want to find out why you don’t want the timeshare. Don’t tell them. Just be determined to stick to your decision to say, No.

Perhaps you’re thinking, “that sounds like common sense. And pretty easy.”

I assure you. It isn’t.

Timeshare salespeople are trained in separating vacationers from their wallets. And unless you were the first one he talked to that day, the salesperson has already perfected the pitch on half a dozen other people before you.

So why isn’t it easy?

In another post, I break down the anatomy of a timeshare presentation. That will give you a good overview of what to expect from the beginning of the timeshare presentation to the end.

In this post, we’re going to zero in specifically on the last part of a timeshare presentation. What will be said. What to look for. And how they will try to make sure you walk away with the potential to buy the timeshare in the future.

I’ve been to timeshare presentations in Las Vegas, Mexico, Florida, Myrtle Beach, even The Poconos. What I’m going to share with you is from my experience going through those presentations.

Have a Plan in Advance to Say “No”

Most people who attend timeshare presentations go as couples. And believe it or not, this gives the salesperson a huge advantage.

The first thing the salesperson will do is try to figure out which one of you is more likely to influence the other.

Notice that I didn’t say that they will try to determine which one of you is the most likely to purchase a timeshare. That’s because the salesperson knows that the person who has the most influence is the ultimate decision maker.

Now, don’t take offence to that. It’s not about power or control. It’s about “influence”.

Let’s say the “influencer” in the relationship likes what is being said. That person will persuade the other to make the purchase.

On the other hand, if the influencer doesn’t like what they’re hearing, the salesperson knows they have to convince him or her that the timeshare is a good idea.

Either way, the influencer is the person the salesperson is going after. If they can convince the influencer to take the bait, the influencer will do the salesperson’s job for them.

That’s why it’s highly critical that both of you go into the timeshare presentation determined to say, No. If you aren’t, the salesperson is going to do everything in their power to make sure you walk out with a timeshare.

And they are more persuasive than you might imagine.

With that in mind, let’s break down what is going to happen to make sure you can walk out of a timeshare presentation saying No.

Prepare to Say No Multiple Times

The first thing that is going to happen when you stand your ground is the salesperson is going to want to know what’s holding you back.

They make sure that money isn’t a factor during the screening process.

When you get approached to go to a timeshare presentation, you’ll be asked if you have a job, roughly how much you make and if you have a major credit card.

All of this is to screen you to make sure you are in a relative financial position to afford a timeshare.

So, if you say it’s too much money, they’ll be ready to counter that objection.

Here’s why.

The number they scribble on the sheet of paper with lines pointing in all sorts of directions is way higher than what is reasonable to begin with.

This is a negotiation. The salesperson expects you to say the price is too high. And just like the used car salesperson, they’ll find a way to make it seem like they’re doing you a favor.

They’ll excuse themselves and say they need to talk to their manager. When they return, they’ll say they’ve been approved to give you a lower number. They also walk away to let the two of you debate the “virtues” of what was just presented.

And this, my friend, is the reason why you don’t use price as an objection.

Before leaving, the salesperson will cunningly try to figure out what number will make you comfortable. And wouldn’t you know it? Their manager approves a number that is exactly what you can afford.

After you say No to this offer (the response may or may not be aggressive), you’ll be told that you’re free to leave. “I just have to let you talk to my manager,” because, you know, procedure.

Enter Salesperson Number 2

You aren’t out the woods yet. Not even by a longshot.

The “manager” is going to come to your table full of understanding as he recaps what your salesperson went over with you. He might even address your objection to buying the timeshare.

This is all just an elaborate dance timeshare salespeople engage in so you have no objections. And the only option left is to buy their timeshare.

This second salesperson is going to let you in on a little secret.

The salesperson you were dealing with isn’t authorized to go below a certain number. But as the manager, he has more leeway. He can offer you numbers that the first salesperson cannot.

That’s not true at all. They simply hope another, less aggressive person will change your mind.

Here is where you really need to be alert. Even more than any time prior during the presentation.

These people already have a profile on you. They started it when you signed up to go to the timeshare. Then the first salesperson felt you out further.

That’s why you need to understand this point: They don’t expect you to buy from the first salesperson. In fact, it’s expected that you will say no.

This is because most people that go to a timeshare presentation were lured there with the offer of free stuff. Very few are like you that have the intention to attend a timeshare sales pitch.

So this second salesperson is going to come to you with this knowledge in hand.

At this point, what happens next varies.

Some timeshare presentations will let you go at this point. Others have yet another step.

To help you get a picture of what might take place at your timeshare presentation, I’m going to walk you through what happened to us on our very first timeshare presentation.

How They Try to Get Your Guard Down

The first one I want to tell you about is the very first timeshare presentation we went to. This one was in Mexico.

After we declined the previous offers, we were sent to the person who would give us the promised “gifts” for attending the timeshare.

In truth, he did give us what was promised without pulling teeth.

That doesn’t mean, however, he didn’t try to sell us on buying his timeshare one last time.

This timeshare was a fractional ownership timeshare. To keep it simple, what it means is that we would own a portion of the property.

So the offer was to get a studio unit instead of the 3-bedroom unit we had been discussing during the 90 to 120 minutes of the timeshare presentation.

And boy! Did he make it appealing!
He left us alone to “think about it”. This is a tactic timeshare salespeople regularly use. Not because they value your privacy. But so you can hash out each other’s disagreements.

Or said another way, letting the “influencer” of the couple do the selling for them.

My wife was seriously considering it. Remember, this was our first timeshare presentation. Everything sounded good. The property was brand new. So new, they were still in the process of building it.

The location was amazing. Whales and turtles could be seen from the units facing the ocean. The beach was pristine.

And all for the low, low price of $14,000.

This is how they get you to drop your guard.

“Don’t think about price. Imagine yourself being able to vacation in this very beautiful spot every year. Because you ‘own’ it.”

Don’t fall for it.

Be resolute in your stance that you don’t want to buy their timeshare. And if they try to imply that you won’t get your free “gifts” unless you buy, hold your ground.

What They Do to Get You to Purchase the Timeshare After the Presentation

To answer this, I have to tell you about what happened to us at a timeshare presentation in Las Vegas.

It was right across the street from Planet Hollywood. This was also in the process of being built. One tower was completed, and they were building the other two.

I won’t go through the whole presentation. They’re all more or less the same.

For this section, I want to talk about what this sales team did at the end of the presentation.

And the real surprise here?

We actually took advantage of it!

Crazy, right?

Let me explain.

We were experienced timeshare presentation goers by this point. We made a game out of it. Good cop, bad cop sort of thing.

When we got to the last salesperson in the chain, they came up with an interesting proposal.

“Leave a deposit today. Come back anytime in the next year and stay at the property. If you like it and want to buy into the timeshare, your deposit will go to that. And your stay will be free. If not, we’ll keep the deposit and it will be like a regular hotel stay.”

Now, THAT was a new one we hadn’t heard before.

But why would they present that creative offer?

Because unlike the one in Mexico, this one was not a fractional ownership. It was points based through RCI. So the more people they could get to sign up, the more money they made.

This is what some timeshare companies will do to try to get you to purchase after the presentation.

For us, we decided there wasn’t much risk to us. A $500 deposit got us 5 nights in Las Vegas literally one block from the Vegas Strip and across the intersection to reach Planet Hollywood.

We did come back within the next year. And we did stay at the property. Unlike many timeshare schemes, this one did exactly what they said they would.

At that time in our lives, we probably would have purchased the timeshare. It was something we thought at the time would have been a good idea.

For us, the reason we didn’t buy was because part of the enjoyment of being in Vegas is staying in the resorts on The Strip. When we came back to our two-bedroom unit, it was quiet. But if we wanted a drink, we had to get in the car and drive to one of the big Strip hotels. And the energy from of being on The Strip was something we liked.

Why am I telling you this?

Because some timeshares will come up with creative ways to get you to purchase their timeshare after the presentation. And some will be above board like this one.

The question you have to ask yourself is, are timeshares a waste of money? Or is a timeshare a good idea for your family?

The Choice Is Yours

The purpose of this post wasn’t to persuade you not to buy a timeshare. You’ll have to decide if it’s beneficial to have a timeshare.

Our goal was to show you what will happen during a timeshare presentation. With this knowledge, if you want to decline the offer, you will know what to expect so you don’t make an impulse purchase that cost you tens of thousands of dollars.

Whichever way you decide, I hope I’ve been able to shed some light on the inner workings of timeshare presentations so you can have an awesome vacation!

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