Customer Reviews

Surviving a Timeshare Presentation

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Just completed reading Ms. Schreier's book, Surviving A Timeshare Presentation, and really appreciated her candidness--and humor. Having owned a timeshare in the past, I wish I had had this kind of information way back when I purchased my timeshare. And, those horrible timeshare presentations! I felt like they wanted my first born before I was asked five times to sign and buy THAT DAY! Now I know there is a better way to go about buying timeshare, the dos and the don'ts. I urge ANYONE who is going to one of those timeshare presentations to READ this book FIRST, so you know what to expect. I'm not knocking timeshare, per se, because I have enjoyed mine. But unless you really know what you're getting into, it can be a bad experience. This book will give you a look behind the curtain of the timeshare industry and can really help you make up your mind about whether timeshare is right for you. Way to go, Ms. Schreier, glad you had the guts to put all this down on paper. Your honesty and candidness is overdue on a subject that often hides behind smoke and mirrors. Congrats on a great book!

...and if you fail to take the author's advice with a grain of salt, you will get plucked. You don't need to go much farther than Ms. Schreier's own webiste, Timeshare Insights, to get a bead on how she views the timeshare consumer. Check out the FAQ on that site, specifically "The Timeshare Consumer and Timeshare Salesperson Mutual Bill of Rights". I particularly like #7:" The consumer has the right to not purchase anything at any time during the presentation IF AND ONLY IF the decision is make on solid information and not on some 'pact' that was made prior to walking into the sales center."

Pact, shmact. The #1 grievance with the timeshare industry is the do-or-die get-them-to-sign-NOW hardball tactics of their sales force. How are you going to make a decision on "solid information" if you can't review the contracts and literature at your leisure and outside of the salesperson's domain? I have a "pact" with myself that I don't even buy a $400 refrigerator without shopping around, but somehow prospective timeshare customers don't deserve the same courtesy of being able to "cool off" before they decide, as oppossed to later fighting for their "cool off period" rights (assuming they are doing business in a state that affords such consumer protections).

You don't have to work too hard to scratch the surface of this book's consumer "helpfulness".

The title of the book is wrong. It is not fair to the readers. Those who buy this book are likely seeking some "insightful" information to an industry they are not familiar with, but are about to step in with a major investment. Beware, there are many traps! ... This book is nothing more than a misleading sales presentation. Obviously the numbers were carefully manipulated, and purposefully misrepresented.

In one section, the author calculated the cost of vacation over a 40 year period. When she did the math for hotel, she put in a 10% annual inflation in calculation. On the same page when she calculated for timeshare, however, she assumed zero inflation for annual fees. Common sense will tell you both rates are at extreme, and indeed shall subject to the same in calculation. Once you factor this number in. Her conclusion does not stand.

When she mentioned rental, the author sited a rental of $1500 for a one bedroom unit. I am not sure the author ever tested the rental market. It is way off!

There is also no mention of resale, whereas timeshares are traded at more than 50% discount!

Typical to a sales presentation, there is also no mention how you should plan for your future vacations. If any thing happens, can you change your schedule?

Boy, do I wish I had read this book before sitting through my last timeshare pitch. Ms. Schreier writes in a clear, concise style and outlines exactly what SHOULD happen at one of these sales pitches. With what I've learned, I think that a timeshare is the way for our family to go...but where do I find a timeshare salesperon like her? Is she still in the business?

This book was written by someone who has spent a short amount of time in the business and probably did a fair but not large amount of sales. I am surprised she says she is a sales manager. In her mathematical example (20% of purchase price), she couldn't even get the answer correct. Having been in the business for 20 years, I found it very weak with substance and it appears to have been written by someone who thinks she is a trainer but isn't. Sorry. It was a waste of my money.

After "surviving" a few timeshare presentations, I found the book to be a good guide to coming through them with your money and dignity intact. Although the author shows some bias towards timeshare (as evidenced by the dollar amounts, inflation calculations, etc. through the book) on the whole, I came away with the thought that timeshares make perfect sense for those people who vacation and can afford to pay cash for the timeshare. If you're going to finance the timeshare, especially using the developer's financing, you will not save money for at least 7 to 10 years. I wonder how the industry is viewing this book...positively or negatively? I applaud the author for telling the truth.

I got this for my niece to help her feel more informed and empowered before going to a timeshare pitch. Since the author makes many points about why a timeshare is a good deal, the reader almost feels they are getting the sales pitch in the book. She does give some questions to ask and explains the general concept of timeshares.
She also gives some of the standard excuses that prospects give to wiggle out of making a deal. Then she shoots those down. I guess reading those gives you the opportunity to come up with better excuses before you go to the sales presentation. Often people are sitting through the pitch because they got some free deal. She reminds you that you are obligated to listen in that case and not to abuse the sales person.

Being a 25 year veteran of the timeshare industry I thought this would be a good read and would finally expose the timeshare industry and the games that are played during the sales presentation. Timesharing has become a tremendous value during the years, however some developers still use tactics that gave the industry a bad name in the early 70's and 80's. I found Ms. Scherier's inexperience in the industry very disheartening and understand why she chose to write this book because she obviously knows nothing about closing a sale, or of other companies besides the one she has worked for. I did find her honest approach in her presentation warming as more of this is needed in the industry, however, this is not a book on how to survive any presentation and in fact is a great sales tool. Some of the facts she presented were not accurate. I sincerly hope that everyone reads this before they come to my presentation as I believe it would ensure me a much higher closing percentage. If any publisher is truly interested in teaching consumers how to "survive a timeshare presentation", and to understand the emotional persuasion that's involved, they should cantact me.

If you are in the market for a timeshare this book is what you are wanting. If you are looking for reasons to not buy one (such as they are a bad investment) don't bother. Ms Schreier knows her business, but is obviously the victim of years of "brainwashing" that these "products" are a good deal for everybody.

Knowing Lisa and having read the book, there are a few misconceptions. First off is , someone does not offer a gift for nothing........the trade off is, you want the gift , you give up the time, basic economics. So really you do not have to survive anything. Why go, unless you have interest, or you need to underwrite the vacation cost. If you have interest determine ahead of time what you need. If you need to subsidize the cost of your vacation with tours, you probably should not be on vacation in the first place. So...to survive simply admit you have no money. Very simple. Not I left my check book.. I need to move money around, call my financial advisor, lawyer etc. The fact is you have no money. Period. No problem