Marriott Vacation Club Pkg — How Much Pressure at Sales Presentation?

[amy241]

We were thinking of buying a MVC package as you see in the attached photo for $799 for 5 nights. The footnote indicates a 90 minutes sales presentation is mandatory. Has anyone ever attended one at Marriott Kauai Lagoons or Marriott Waiohai? I’m wondering how much pressure is involved and whether they try to prevent you from leaving at the end of the 90 minutes, etc. We are willing to sit through it but we already own 2 timeshares and don’t want anymore.

 

[dougp26364]

Depends on your definition of pressure and the salesman. We have NEVER had Marriott try to prevent us from leaving. We have had them blow past the 90 minute mark and keep going if they thought we were interested or had questions (my fault not theirs).

When we’ve shown no interest, we’re usually out quickly. If I get to talking or asking questions, it takes longer.

All sales teams are different and it depends on the sales manager IMHO as to how “persuasive” your salesman will be

 

[kds4]

Agreed. Each sales location/team has its own dynamic and style. I will say that the only time I have had a 'negative' experience was several years ago on HHI. Otherwise, they have generally not been uncomfortable but could run long as dougp posted (as much our fault as theirs sometimes). Only presentation we have done in Hawaii was at Ko'Olina and it was 'meh'.

 

[pchung6]

Just don't show any interest, they might let you leave early. If they feel you might be interested, they will keep you long. Last time I was at Marriott update, I told them I just bought a house 2 days before vacation and in the process of getting mortgage approval. They let me out in 30 minutes.

 

[CPNY]

My 90. Min presentations usually last 3 hours. I talk them in circles I have them sold on offering me a job.

 

[davidvel]

Just tell them you just lost your job and are planning to file for bankruptcy. 20 minutes, tops.

 

[amy241]

Just don't show any interest, they might let you leave early. If they feel you might be interested, they will keep you long. Last time I was at Marriott update, I told them I just bought a house 2 days before vacation and in the process of getting mortgage approval. They let me out in 30 minutes.

That’s just hilarious! What a great strategy!

 

[Dean]

Agreed. Each sales location/team has its own dynamic and style. I will say that the only time I have had a 'negative' experience was several years ago on HHI. Otherwise, they have generally not been uncomfortable but could run long as dougp posted (as much our fault as theirs sometimes). Only presentation we have done in Hawaii was at Ko'Olina and it was 'meh'.

As as rule I enjoy doing presentations, let's me talk timeshares and often see new properties and/or room types; my wife not so much. A significant portion have been uncompensated which are usually more pleasant and honest dialogue anyway. Most have been neutral to positive but I've had my share of negative ones as well. I've started getting a time commitment in writing though many locations we've gone the last few years are actually doing a verbal time commitment so the written option is not that far off. Nothing major, just an initial by the ASA or an inclusion in an email to that effect. I can only think of one of our negative times that was Marriott, Ko Olina last summer. I'm betting the salesperson regretted it as I tied up his office with the manager for one extra hour discussing his behavior and the system that pits the ASA vs the salesperson including that they asked us, not the reverse. But I don't play games with them, life's too short and that would be a reflection on me not them. When we weren't interested and at locations that require some type of contact with the ASA to get parking passes or the like, a couple of times I've used the "I'm with my mistress, don't tell my wife" them not knowing it's the same person.

 

[Fredward]

We don't necessarily "enjoy" going to presentations but a lot depends on what we're getting out of the 2 hours of our time. If you want to go to Hawaii or Aruba for 5 nights, its a pretty sweet deal to get a villa for $799. We have purchased encore packages 5 or 6 times, and the return mandatory presentation isn't that bad. They know you're there because its required so you're probably not really interested in purchasing. We've gone to St. John, Ko Olina, Westin Lagunamar, Westin Kierland and Hilton Head in prime seasons and added on a few nights using our ownership or points and its been a great cheap vacation. I can't read the fine print but there may be some points available on your return too.
As Dean said, we don't play games, just tell them we're happy with our current ownership situation and ask about their favorite restaurants in the area.

 

[SabresFan]

We just got back from one at Cypress Harbour in Orlando. The presentation ended after almost exactly 90 minutes (with the sales person, not the total time we were there) without any prompting from us. I'd consider it low pressure. Although we brought our two adult daughters with us (age 23 and 26) to gain experience with these kinds of sale presentations, and my older daughter thought it was a very high pressure situation. Mostly because she hates disappointing anyone.
Since you already have all the goodies promised (the cheaper vacation), once you have fulfilled your 90 minute obligation I don't see how they have any leverage to keep you there. Plus since we were in a room with other people (although each at our own table about 10 feet apart) I doubt they want you making a ruckus just as the couple at the next table is "this close" to signing up.
It would be different if you were promised a gift card and you don't want to leave until they give it to you and they want to hold off giving it to you - you are kind of stuck there until they get around to handing it over.
I did end up staying a little longer because their finance person gave us a kind of bounce back offer. We can get 4 nights for $895, and they will give us a $350 gift card in exchange for a 60 minute presentation. If we do buy, that $895 and the gift card apply to the purchase, or we can just say no and keep the gift card. And the offer they gave us at this presentation will stay the same at the next one, so even if the per-point cost goes up, we still keep this price.

 

[CPNY]

We just got back from one at Cypress Harbour in Orlando. The presentation ended after almost exactly 90 minutes (with the sales person, not the total time we were there) without any prompting from us. I'd consider it low pressure. Although we brought our two adult daughters with us (age 23 and 26) to gain experience with these kinds of sale presentations, and my older daughter thought it was a very high pressure situation. Mostly because she hates disappointing anyone.
Since you already have all the goodies promised (the cheaper vacation), once you have fulfilled your 90 minute obligation I don't see how they have any leverage to keep you there. Plus since we were in a room with other people (although each at our own table about 10 feet apart) I doubt they want you making a ruckus just as the couple at the next table is "this close" to signing up.
It would be different if you were promised a gift card and you don't want to leave until they give it to you and they want to hold off giving it to you - you are kind of stuck there until they get around to handing it over.
I did end up staying a little longer because their finance person gave us a kind of bounce back offer. We can get 4 nights for $895, and they will give us a $350 gift card in exchange for a 60 minute presentation. If we do buy, that $895 and the gift card apply to the purchase, or we can just say no and keep the gift card. And the offer they gave us at this presentation will stay the same at the next one, so even if the per-point cost goes up, we still keep this price.

Any promises of a new program?

 

[amy241]

They told me this was an “Owner’s Package.” I guess it is intended for anyone who already is a MVC owner. They asked me 4 “qualifying questions:” 1) Was I an owner already? 2) Was I married? 3) Was our household income over $100,000, and 4) Did we do another promotional package within the last year.

We booked a 2/2 villa for $299 for 3 nights, and we given the option to add 2 additional nights for $399 per night. That brought it up to 5 nights. Since we really wanted 7 nights (we live on the east coast and not much point in making the effort for 5 nights), I asked if there was any way we could add 2 more nights to the package. She said she had to put me on hold and get authorization. Then she got back to me and told me it was approved. So it was 299 for first 3 nights, 399 per night for the additional 4 nights, which totaled $1895 for the 7 nights. They said it included all taxes and resort fees but not the $15 per day parking fee. Still a good deal for a week I believe.

I’m glad to hear from people who have been through these 90 minutes sales presentations. I feel like I can get through it and that I just have to stick to my guns and be able to say no to them the whole way through it. I’m sure they will ask me why we bought resale and why we bought a legacy week and that they will do the best to convince us the DC points program is much better.

I’m excited to stay at Marriott Waiohai as I’ve never been there before and haven’t been to Kauai since about 1989. Thank you all for sharing your stories.

 

[kds4]

We just got back from one at Cypress Harbour in Orlando. The presentation ended after almost exactly 90 minutes (with the sales person, not the total time we were there) without any prompting from us. I'd consider it low pressure. Although we brought our two adult daughters with us (age 23 and 26) to gain experience with these kinds of sale presentations, and my older daughter thought it was a very high pressure situation. Mostly because she hates disappointing anyone.
Since you already have all the goodies promised (the cheaper vacation), once you have fulfilled your 90 minute obligation I don't see how they have any leverage to keep you there. Plus since we were in a room with other people (although each at our own table about 10 feet apart) I doubt they want you making a ruckus just as the couple at the next table is "this close" to signing up.
It would be different if you were promised a gift card and you don't want to leave until they give it to you and they want to hold off giving it to you - you are kind of stuck there until they get around to handing it over.
I did end up staying a little longer because their finance person gave us a kind of bounce back offer. We can get 4 nights for $895, and they will give us a $350 gift card in exchange for a 60 minute presentation. If we do buy, that $895 and the gift card apply to the purchase, or we can just say no and keep the gift card. And the offer they gave us at this presentation will stay the same at the next one, so even if the per-point cost goes up, we still keep this price.

Pretty consistent with past 'Encore' offers (although the $350 gift card effectively serving as a partial 'rebate' of your $895 purchase price is a twist I have not experienced). Anything you were told during the presentation that you want to share?

 

[SabresFan]

Any promises of a new program?

no mention at all of any upcoming changes

 

[taffy19]

no mention at all of any upcoming changes

Well, at least they didn’t make up a story or lied to you.

We have had better presentations at the Marriott than at the Hyatt.

When Marriott lowered the prices overnight by 25%, they asked us to do another presentation the next morning and that sales woman insulted us by telling us how she couldn’t understand that we weren’t smart enough to realize that we had already gained a 25% equity if we would add a second week.

A year later I did an update by myself so didn’t get any gift for listening to the update and they let me talk to the same woman again because she had made a sale already according to her so they must have felt that she was going to be on a roll or she wanted the challenge?

I found her a smart Alec and a fast talker too but she didn’t convince me to get my husband downstairs.

I wonder how many of these buyers felt when they heard of the 25% price drop after they came home but it was too late to rescind their contracts?

They must have felt awful unless the Marriott made an exception for the people who protested or complained right away after their return?

We know how we felt when the Hyatt sold us a week while a sale was pending with ILG and the Marriott but we were not told about it.

This is how these Corporations work when the CEOs and stockholders are more important than their customers (timeshare owners)!

Be aware because it can happen to you unless you buy where you like to stay most often. JMHO!

 

[Steve Fatula]

Been to more than 50 presentations. They pay for a lot of trips, like our recent Fiji trip. I consider them no pressure. My DW considers them medium pressure, she doesn't use the word "no", lol.

 

[StevenTing]

We booked a 2/2 villa for $299 for 3 nights, and we given the option to add 2 additional nights for $399 per night. That brought it up to 5 nights. Since we really wanted 7 nights (we live on the east coast and not much point in making the effort for 5 nights), I asked if there was any way we could add 2 more nights to the package. She said she had to put me on hold and get authorization. Then she got back to me and told me it was approved. So it was 299 for first 3 nights, 399 per night for the additional 4 nights, which totaled $1895 for the 7 nights. They said it included all taxes and resort fees but not the $15 per day parking fee. Still a good deal for a week I believe.

Wait, what?

Wouldn't you have been better off paying the $799 for the 6 day/5 Night in Hawaii? And then seeing if they could add on to that for $399 for the additional nights? That would put you at $1597. Plus, I don't see Hawaii as one of the options for the $299 package. Maybe I'm interpreting the document incorrectly?

 

[amy241]

Wait, what?

Wouldn't you have been better off paying the $799 for the 6 day/5 Night in Hawaii? And then seeing if they could add on to that for $399 for the additional nights? That would put you at $1597. Plus, I don't see Hawaii as one of the options for the $299 package. Maybe I'm interpreting the document incorrectly?

No, you are correct, but when I called to request the package you see in my photo, they said it was no longer available and said that they could offer me the $1895 package we purchased. I wish I had snapped a photo of the back of that card as it would have revealed terms and conditions and perhaps an expiration date. We were at Marriott Ko Olina in late April when a girl at the Aloha desk told me about the offer and I took that photo but I don’t recall how long it was good for. The $299 Hawaii option was part of the new promotion they told me about over the phone but it was very limited on days which is why I asked to add additional nights on. I still feel it’s a pretty good deal, just not as good as the original package shown to me at Ko Olina.

 

[Calba205]

Since you’re all much more experienced at this than me, I’d like to bounce this off of you. My husband and I visited the Westin Lagunamar in October on a promo to stay 4 nights for $269 if we attended a presentation, which we did. We didn’t purchase because that month we purchased a 2bd MVC at MGV in Orlando on the resale market which we haven’t even used yet. However, we did purchase an encore package to return to Lagunamar within 18 months. Anyway, since our return from Lagunamar, Vistana has called me 5 times insisting that I did not use the promo package that I purchased in July and they remind me that it expires in July 2020. I told them each time they called that I most certainly did use it and I attended the presentation. They say “well our records show you paid for it and did not use it.” Finally after 5 calls I said fine, I’m happy to go back but I thought the terms and conditions said that I could not tour within 1 year. They checked with their supervisor and said that you can tour every 6 months. I booked for Memorial Day weekend 2020. Is anyone aware if I can tour again after 6 months? I don’t want to get there with my family and find out it’s going to cost me thousands more.

 

[Steve Fatula]

You do realize you are in the Marriott forum?

 

[StevenTing]

Since you’re all much more experienced at this than me, I’d like to bounce this off of you. My husband and I visited the Westin Lagunamar in October on a promo to stay 4 nights for $269 if we attended a presentation, which we did. We didn’t purchase because that month we purchased a 2bd MVC at MGV in Orlando on the resale market which we haven’t even used yet. However, we did purchase an encore package to return to Lagunamar within 18 months. Anyway, since our return from Lagunamar, Vistana has called me 5 times insisting that I did not use the promo package that I purchased in July and they remind me that it expires in July 2020. I told them each time they called that I most certainly did use it and I attended the presentation. They say “well our records show you paid for it and did not use it.” Finally after 5 calls I said fine, I’m happy to go back but I thought the terms and conditions said that I could not tour within 1 year. They checked with their supervisor and said that you can tour every 6 months. I booked for Memorial Day weekend 2020. Is anyone aware if I can tour again after 6 months? I don’t want to get there with my family and find out it’s going to cost me thousands more.

YMMV. This year I toured in June, August, and October. 3 presentations within 4 months. Collected points and gift cards for each one.

 

[Calba205]

YMMV. This year I toured in June, August, and October. 3 presentations within 4 months. Collected points and gift cards for each one.

Wow, all with the same brand?

 

[Dean]

Wow, all with the same brand?

We toured back to back weeks in July last year with Marriott.

 

[VacationForever]

In 2019, we attended MVC owners update at every timeshare stay, January, May, September - 2 Back-to-back weeks and upcoming next week in December. The sales folks that said as long as you are a MVC owner, you can attend one every time you stay at a MVC resort.

To answer OP's question, there is no pressure. Occasionally you get a salesperson who asks "Why are you here when you don't want to buy? You do know that this is a sales presentation, right?" My answer is usually something along the line that they need to talk to the folks who set us up for the presentation. This kind of salesperson would typically leave the room for a long time while they get their closer. It is their way of punishing us for showing up without the intention to buy.

 

[frank808]

In 2019, we attended MVC owners update at every timeshare stay, January, May, September - 2 Back-to-back weeks and upcoming next week in December. The sales folks that said as long as you are a MVC owner, you can attend one every time you stay at a MVC resort.

To answer OP's question, there is no pressure. Occasionally you get a salesperson who asks "Why are you here when you don't want to buy? You do know that this is a sales presentation, right?" My answer is usually something along the line that they need to talk to the folks who set us up for the presentation. This kind of salesperson would typically leave the room for a long time while they get their closer. It is their way of punishing us for showing up without the intention to buy.

Hmm...If the offer was better here at MKO I would tour every week. The offer of 10k bonvoy points is not enough for me. Now if it was at least 35k bonvoy points it would get my attention.

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