Whilst on holiday we all seem to come across one promotion or another, this could be anything from drinks promotions to timeshare holidays! During your holiday you will see advertisements everywhere. You will come across posters and bill boards alike with phrases such ‘final reductions’, ‘act now’, ‘don’t miss out’ and ‘for a limited period only’ these are to name only but a few and are frequently used in advertising to prompt consumers to reduce speculation about the actual purchase.
So many consumers return from their holidays asking the million-dollar question, ‘why did I buy a timeshare’, unfortunately in most cases consumers are victims of highly trained individuals who on most occasions use bully boy tactics to gain a sale.
We at TCA would like to expand on how these sales representatives work, and why consumers of all ages and income levels are enormously susceptible to the pressured sale tactics.
The Pitch
If anyone wishes to leave the sales presentation right away, they are sure to be told that they will miss out on a very special, very unique and a limited one day only opportunity, from the timeshare or resort. It’s likely they will also be informed that in fact, this ‘special offer’ has never been provided before, and that the whole group is pre-qualified for this exceptional exclusive deal. By the end of the presentation, most consumers feel like they are in a position of advantage compared to others.
So how can they pre-qualify you? The unsuspecting consumer will receive a gift to entice them to attend a mini presentation, whilst still on vacation the idea of owning a timeshare will be discussed, however briefly. Most timeshare consumers never intentionally seek to buy a timeshare, however when overcome by the timeshare sales team it can sometimes make the consumer feel that they are alone having received this exclusive offer, making it more likely for the consumer to want to take advantage of it, without even realising the ‘mind game’ that was applied.
The Close
The close always comes with a sense of urgency.
In a pressured sales environment, the last thing a timeshare representative wants are to have consumers having time rethink the purchase. We would advise anyone to compare this scenario to your biggest ever purchase, your mortgage or a loan for a car for example, once you sign the agreement it becomes legally binding, think about how long it took you to find your house or your car and the time that went into doing your research, surely that was not a decision taken lightly nor was it made in less than three hours?
Aftershock
Most consumers return from their holiday confused, upset and angry that they surrendered to the high-pressured sales tactics. Please remember it is not your fault, and you did nothing wrong.
Consumers must remember that timeshare representatives are highly trained professionals. They are scrupulous and earn incredible commissions on every successful sale.
When a concerned consumer contacts our team one of the first things frequently discussed is their confusion during the whole sales process, many describe it as stressful, even though they tried to decline from the offer several times.
We would recommend to anyone who is considering attending a timeshare presentation to do a quick search online for ‘timeshare sales training’ this will help you understand how influential the sales pitch is. Many attending think they are capable of saying ‘no’ and declining the offer, however, until they experience the psychology behind the high-pressure timeshare sale it can be a whole different story.
In every state in America, Consumer protection laws exist, and there are legal methods for cancelling your timeshare contract. Let’s hope the trend soon becomes worldwide.
For more information regarding this article or assistance in any other timeshare related issues please contact the TCA on 01908 881058 or email: info@TimeshareConsumerAssociation.org.uk