Heading to Clearwater and Bonnet Creek: Which offers better "Gifts"

[bryjake]

In late September, we will be spending some time at Clearwater and Bonnet Creek. We are wondering which offers the better incentive for attending the "owner update".

Bonus Question: Can we attend both "owner updates"?

Just wondering if it is worth the pain and suffering...

 

[Rolltydr]

In late September, we will be spending some time at Clearwater and Bonnet Creek. We are wondering which offers the better incentive for attending the "owner update".

Bonus Question: Can we attend both "owner updates"?

Just wondering if it is worth the pain and suffering...

Only speaking for myself here, I wouldn’t go to an update unless I was actually looking to purchase or had some questions that I felt like I couldn’t get answered some other way. They can’t pay me enough with their “gifts” to steal hours of my vacation time. My wife used to think it was worth the gift to attend. She was recently offered $500 to attend on a trip that I didn’t make. She still refused.

 

[bendadin]

It depends if you want to buy. I got a fabulous offer at Clearwater but it was CWA and I don't want that so I turned it down. That was $50. I got $75 at Reunion. Nothing fabulous. It was enough to buy an iPhone 7 back up international phone for my guy. He was happy for my suffering. lol

I declined an update at Bonnet Creek. I've fallen into that trap before. A couple of years ago they offered an update. They said that my kids could go to a magic show by a magician from America's Got Talent. My boys were into magic tricks at that time so I said yes. We show up for this update and they tell me that my kids are NOT allowed to see the magic show because that perk is for NON owners and not for owners. We were planning on just hanging out at the resort but I was so aggravated with them that I ended up buying Disney water park passes instead just to be away from the place.

 

[jwalk03]

We got $150 gift card at Bonnet Creek the last time. I have never been to Clearwater.

You can likely do both if you really want to. They claim there is a minimum time between sessions sometimes, but then other times if they are desperate for bodies they will "waive it".

 

[55plus]

Attending a presentation isn't worth the aggravation of dealing with a lying sales weasel. Unless you go for the entertainment value of calling the weasel out over the lies it may be worth it. Have a few drinks prior. It's more fun that way.

 

[dgalati]

Attending a presentation isn't worth the aggravation of dealing with a lying sales weasel. Unless you go for the entertainment value of calling the weasel out over the lies it may be worth it. Have a few drinks prior. It's more fun that way.

I agree not worth the time. Most turn into a hard sell and selling you more points is their only intent. You can learn more about your ownership on tug then any Wyndham update.

 

[55plus]

I agree not worth the time. Most turn into a hard sell and selling you more points is their only intent. You can learn more about your ownership on tug then any Wyndham update.

Agree, but it's fun calling the weasels out when they lie and screwing with them.

 

[chapjim]

Crummy way to start a vacation.

 

[Anthony Coyle]

Crummy way to start a vacation.

My wife and I went to 3 in 2 weeks. They didn’t last long when they found out we knew the rules better than they did, especially my wife. That said I’ll never sit through another, the freebies aren’t worth the time and the food is usually subpar to a cheap hotel breakfast

 

[dgalati]

In late September, we will be spending some time at Clearwater and Bonnet Creek. We are wondering which offers the better incentive for attending the "owner update".

Bonus Question: Can we attend both "owner updates"?

Just wondering if it is worth the pain and suffering...

Crummy way to start a vacation.

Yea but what about the free breakfast?

 

[drepublic]

In late September, we will be spending some time at Clearwater and Bonnet Creek. We are wondering which offers the better incentive for attending the "owner update".

Bonus Question: Can we attend both "owner updates"?

Just wondering if it is worth the pain and suffering...

Skip the updates and live your life...not worth it...

 

[chapjim]

Yea but what about the free breakfast?

A crummy way to start a day -- scrambled eggs from a five gallon can.

 

[kaljor]

I just can't pass up the opportunity to begin my vacation with an extra $100 or more just for listening to a sales person for an hour or two. I consider it as reducing my Maintenance Fee by that amount. But I do completely understand those who feel exactly the opposite.

 

[dgalati]

I just can't pass up the opportunity to begin my vacation with an extra $100 or more just for listening to a sales person for an hour or two. I consider it as reducing my Maintenance Fee by that amount. But I do completely understand those who feel exactly the opposite.

And a free breakfast or lunch. Yum yum yum

 

[Braindead]

Yea but what about the free breakfast?

And a free breakfast or lunch. Yum yum yum

Do you really need to repeat yourself 4 post later?? Constant inane post

 

[dgalati]

Do you really need to repeat yourself 4 post later?? Constant inane post

Do you do the updates for the money or the free breakfast or are you really a agent of Wyndham as some have surmised?

 

[Braindead]

Do you do the updates for the money or the free breakfast or are you really a agent of Wyndham as some have surmised?

Agents like me get $1,000 for updates
That way everyone in the sales office can see & hear us celebrating our new phony purchase!!!!!!
It’s a blast conning others to buy!!!

 

[Braindead]

Seriously, We usually go to the updates.
We give the gift cards to the grandkids for souvenir shopping.
They get the biggest kick out of using the cards themselves!!! They’re all under 10
The salesman from one of our purchases said to always ask for him & we’ll BS for 10 minutes then you’re out of here with your gift card. He’s kept that promise

 

[Richelle]

Attending a presentation isn't worth the aggravation of dealing with a lying sales weasel. Unless you go for the entertainment value of calling the weasel out over the lies it may be worth it. Have a few drinks prior. It's more fun that way.

I've called out a salesperson on their lies on more than one occasion. I don't find it entertaining so much anymore. More like annoyed and insulted because they think I'm stupid enough to fall for their crazy claims.

 

[jwalk03]

I enjoy going sometimes, just to mess with the sales weasel and enjoy their lies. At Branson last year at one point they had three sales people all tag teaming to argue with me. My wife came back from the bathroom and couldn't believe there were now 3 of them, but it didn't matter, I know better than to buy from them no matter if its 1 of them or 100.

 

[OutSkiing]

We always go to the updates .. my wife likes accumulating points on her Wyndham Rewards card .. usually 20,000 Wyndham rewards points or $100 - $125 gift card. That many Rewards points are worth several stays at Wyngate type hotels en-route to destinations. Sometimes we are at multiple updates in different resorts on the same trip. You get immune to the sales lies after a while.

Bob

 

[donnaval]

Clearwater was relatively painless and had very good breakfast pastries and coffee lol. Salesman wasn't too pushy after realizing we knew the program well, had used Ovation to unload most of our points and were just riding out the remainder of our Mexico affiliate points until they expire in a couple of years. We got a towel, a blue insulated cup and a $150 Amex card.

Three days later, Bonnet Creek was awful. Because of our Ovation and affiliate points situations, they somehow couldn't figure out our membership status on their computers. They kept us sitting in the waiting area for 35 minutes trying to figure it out, NO BREAKFAST lol, and then came out and apologized, but we were not permitted to attend the presentation. I don't know if something was appended to our account after the Clearwater presentation, or if the sales reps at Bonnet were just incompetent, but it was a very aggravating and annoying situation. We had advised the parking pass person that we had just done Clearwater a few days earlier and she literally begged us to attend at Bonnet because she needed the credit, and she promised to match Clearwater's $150 Amex card. We had time to kill and we were hungry so we agreed. Then, we not nuthin' - just a glass of water out of the dispenser while we were waiting.

I have been solicited since then at National Harbor and Patriot's Place to attend so I guess our account wasn't flagged to not solicit - but I'm never attending again after what happened at Bonnet Creek.

 

[dgalati]

Clearwater was relatively painless and had very good breakfast pastries and coffee lol. Salesman wasn't too pushy after realizing we knew the program well, had used Ovation to unload most of our points and were just riding out the remainder of our Mexico affiliate points until they expire in a couple of years. We got a towel, a blue insulated cup and a $150 Amex card.

Three days later, Bonnet Creek was awful. Because of our Ovation and affiliate points situations, they somehow couldn't figure out our membership status on their computers. They kept us sitting in the waiting area for 35 minutes trying to figure it out, NO BREAKFAST lol, and then came out and apologized, but we were not permitted to attend the presentation. I don't know if something was appended to our account after the Clearwater presentation, or if the sales reps at Bonnet were just incompetent, but it was a very aggravating and annoying situation. We had advised the parking pass person that we had just done Clearwater a few days earlier and she literally begged us to attend at Bonnet because she needed the credit, and she promised to match Clearwater's $150 Amex card. We had time to kill and we were hungry so we agreed. Then, we not nuthin' - just a glass of water out of the dispenser while we were waiting.

I have been solicited since then at National Harbor and Patriot's Place to attend so I guess our account wasn't flagged to not solicit - but I'm never attending again after what happened at Bonnet Creek.

Same results here at BC. Very odd wanted to know what was going on with my account. After a few back and forth trips to back room said he need my Drivers license to be sure it was me. I gave it to him. Sales rep returned said we were free to go and he could not sell me if he wanted to. I said I couldn't leave and he inquired why with a shit eating grin. I said I needed my license back which he quickly returned from his pocket. I feel this was a intentional ploy to waste my time and/or aggravate. Without a drivers license many would have a hard time getting past TSA. I make it a habit to carry my passport in case I get robbed or lose my license while traveling.

 

[TigerDavid4Him]

I tell the person who checks us in that there is a 0% chance of me buying and we are just going over to get a free gift and if they can still want to send me over then I am good with it.

 

[rapmarks]

Seriously, We usually go to the updates.
We give the gift cards to the grandkids for souvenir shopping.
They get the biggest kick out of using the cards themselves!!! They’re all under 10
The salesman from one of our purchases said to always ask for him & we’ll BS for 10 minutes then you’re out of here with your gift card. He’s kept that promise

Very strange. Any salesman we have known has asked us not to ask for him, as they only get two or three shots at a sale a day, and wouldn’t want to waste oneon a no sale