Reply to: I appear to have 'won' a holiday.

[SantaClaus]

Hey, we're assuming it's a timeshare presentation when in fact...

...it might be an indoctrination session for Scientoligists.

[Old Greg]

Timeshare is sooo '90s.

It's all about holiday clubs these days.

Holiday clubs have the added bonus of a complete lack of bricks and mortar for your £'000s....

Sounds like a classic 'Sharetime with AndyW' offer. Consider it a retreat holiday and relax into it.

[NotAllThere]

Tip I heard was leave all cash, cheque books and credit cards at home.

They'll try to sell you a loan... well, maybe not nowadays...

We went to such a presentation nearly ten years ago, and did end up buying. But as a contractor, the outlay wasn't anything I couldn't afford, and it has turned out to be worthwhile for us - after our club was bought out by one affiliated with RMI. We use the points, and get decent holidays at about 50%-75% of the cost. ( One trouble is that many are noveau-riche chav resorts, but there's a few gems among them ). Once the kids have left home in a few years, we'll be using it to the max with holidays all over just for me and missus. You can also give holidays away, which is quite neat. Being based in central Europe makes it relatively easy to get to most locations.

Where people get screwed is where it doesn't suit them, and they've this loan to pay off. Don't pay the maintenance fees and you lose your holiday rights, and still have the loan to pay.

If you're interested in what they're selling, buy it second hand - you'll get a good deal. Also, make sure that the members of the club have a say in the running of the club - actual voting power.

Often, the product itself isn't too bad.

[Bob Dalek]

Tip I heard was leave all cash, cheque books and credit cards at home.

and make a will.

[Platypus]

Exactly. But how bad will it be? I know it's going to be 2hrs of hard selling.

Tip I heard was leave all cash, cheque books and credit cards at home.

[the_rangdo]

Few years back I got a 1 weeks stay in a villa in Nerja-Spain for attending a presentation.

Very pleasant holiday

[TheFaQQer]

I've won a few of these over the years - it's amazing what ticking the top box for your salary will do!

It depends on the people - the last one I did I said at the start "I'm not interested" and the rep accepted it and let us on our way after 10 minutes or so.

Of course, you may end up buying, which may or may not be a good thing

[BigTime]

i had a cheap couple of nights in a nice hotel last year with a points presentation thrown in. the last minute booking system for a week away somewhere nice looked very attractive plus all the incentives they kept adding over the 3 hours. i still walked away and almost went back to sign up in the afternoon. when i got home i checked the classifieds and found people were trying to resell their points for half the price of what was offered to me so even with all the incentives i would have been paying way over market price.

it's worth it to save a few quid and stay somewhere decent, if you don't mind chatting with someone who's usually pleasant for a couple of hours and getting too good to be true closing incentives. just remember to say no.

[Pondlife]

I'm just going to bin it. It's not worth the grief to be honest.

Plus as a (proper) contractor the 5 days of un-billable time sort of makes the 'free' element of the holiday pointless.

[swamp]

Free timeshare holiday deals are for permies.

[TykeMerc]

You will no doubt have to attend at least one presentation during the holiday.

I "won" one of these years ago and attended, went on the trip and attended the presentation in Portugal too, on walking in I stated very clearly that I wouldn't even consider buying any kind of holiday property and that they were wasting their and my time, left 5 mins later and wasn't hassled again.

If you're prepared to be fairly hard nosed it's a free accomodation trip with just air taxes and a few hours of your time to pay.

[Pondlife]

Good to see Timeshare is still alive and kicking in this day and age.

Exactly. But how bad will it be? I know it's going to be 2hrs of hard selling.

[Bob Dalek]

You will leave that presentation, days later, stinking of sweat, grizzled, shaking and penniless. Bon voyage!

[cojak]

Timeshare is sooo '90s.

It's all about holiday clubs these days.

Holiday clubs have the added bonus of a complete lack of bricks and mortar for your £'000s....

[Xenophon]

http://www.yourtravelrights.co.uk/wh...y-schemes.html

Personally, I'd stay clear of it.