World Hum’s Most Read: Aug. 30-Sept. 5

What We Loved This Week: Jose Feliciano, Rub’ al Khali and Raw Oysters

Don’t Be Cruel: Traveling ‘Elvis’ Draws Attention, Groans

It’s Not Easy Being Green and Crucified

A Tourist With a Shovel and a Hoe

When she arrived in Kenya to volunteer with the Maasai, Daniela Petrova looked down her nose at tourists there to have a good time. But was her own motivation much different?

How Should I Spend My Time in Spain?

Vagabonding traveler Rolf Potts answers your questions about travel

Paul Theroux: Invisible Man on a Ghost Train

Jim Benning asks the author of “Ghost Train to the Eastern Star” about his new book, aging and the challenge of disappearing in the age of the BlackBerry

Eat Ceviche in Lima

Grab a Cusqueña and get comfortable. As Nicholas Gill explains, a trip to a Peruvian cevichería can be an all-day immersion in good conversation and raw seafood.

Unsentimental Journeys: Wrestling With Paul Theroux

Bronwen Dickey considers “Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: 28,000 Miles in Search of the Great Railway Bazaar”

My Travels, My Feet

After taking one too many headless torso shots of herself, solo traveler Sophia Dembling started snapping photos of her feet around the world, from the Grand Canyon to Red Square

Seven Reasons to Have a Foreign Fling

Sure, having an overseas romance is fun. But Terry Ward points out seven other benefits to cross-border love, mon petit chou.

Going to a Time-Share Sales Pitch? You’ll Swim with Sharks.

Like you, I have never found the time share gift for 90 minutes of my time to be worth it.  I’m so bothered by the experience afterwards that I don’t even enjoy the gift.

Great story. That whole business is so shady and is built on such a crazy set of assumptions financially. It amazes me that anyone still buys them, especially since you can find a “used” one for 10 cents on the dollar. What’s funny though is the whole thing has moved upscale to “destination resorts” that cost you a few hundred grand to get in. Yet people are buying them. Are those people any different? Time will tell…

Once we got a free dinner at the Olive Garden.  Man, was that worth it!

I did the whole time share thing when I was in [url="http://wanderingchihuahua.blogspot.com/2007/03/im-sitting-in-soon-to-be-darkened.html"]Vegas.
[/url]It actually wasn’t as bad as I’d anticipated. You just have to be firm with the sales people and not let them make you feel guilty. I walked away with all my limbs and free tickets for Mama Mia (which was fantastic), a free cruise (which I’m not taking cause it’s shite), and a free return visit to a vegas hotel (which you have to sit through another presentation to get.) So, basically, I got free Mama Mia tickets. I did their presentation early in the morning so I didn’t feel like I wasted too much of my day. I guess it’s not for everyone, but overall, I felt like it was worth my time. Still never going to buy into it though.

We endured an abusive salesperson at Fairfield Atlantic City.  He basically, said we were stupid.  He, on the otherhand was the expert, very successful, blah, blah, blah.  Don’t go to a presentation there.

i went ona penn trip to buy time camp grounds . They feed us for three days it was great. None of us bought a time share. We were too young all about 18 nyrs old.

Not all timeshare pitches are as bad as the one you faced.  I sat through one just as determined to get out with a 1/2 price helicopter ride of the island.  In my case it definetly paid off.  I held stern to my “not buying” attitude and made it through the pitch in record time.  Then we enjoyed a wonderful ride touring the islands waterfalls and scenic views and, kept a few $$ back for more fun.  We eventually did buy a timeshare on the island from a much easier going individual who gave us a great deal on a wonderful location and, are heading back to use it next year.  We also made out with an expensive dinner and several other perks as well.

Please remember this....nothing is Free! 
You can good discounts on tours if you go to the tour company’s own website.
Also there are so many ads for low price vacations, just go when it is not peak season.

My brother & his family sat thru one in Hawaii just so all 5 in his family can take a plane tour for a big discount. Well 2 of them were sick from the flight.  You get what you well, don’t pay for.

Like I said, you can get discounts without sitting thru those sales pitches. Or plan before your trip & save.

Enjoy

I have found owning a timeshare one of the best decisions I have ever made.

hello, i went through a time share tour and presentation today and i walked away with 75 dollars and no signing of contracts. the sales person stated asking me how much money i had in my bank account and if i had a credit card when i kept telling him that this was not for me. so does timeshare loose when the offer is money to go through the presentaion and then you walk away with the prize?

I received something in the mail the other day to come and test drive a Buick and for my time, I would receive 2 movie tickets and free hot dogs and sodas at the dealership.  I still have the mailing.  Why?  Because I am not in the market for a Buick and feel that to waste another human’s time for my gain is a bad reflection on me, not them.  I am appalled at the number of people that have responded to this article and feel that they “got through the presentation” just to receive a free gift.  If you people knew before you even agreed to go to the timeshare presentation that no matter what was offered, that you’d be saying “No”, then shame on you.  We are supposedly a Christian nation, which calls us to serve other people.  That is no way of being of service to anyone but your own selfish needs.  Whether it is a timeshare or a car or any other product for that matter, all you takers out there should realize that you are a huge part of the reason that products in this world cost as much as they do.  Companies have to compensate in price because of all of the mooches taking things without any intention of purchasing.  I would think that your time would be more valuable than any free gift, but apparently, I am wrong.  The timeshare people you takers are criticizing have every right to be angry with you.  You are wasting their time and yours if there is no way you can be sold.  Have some self respect and say “No” to the marketer, not the sales guy or gal.  The only reason you aren’t doing that is because you are getting something for free and you are being mooches.  Shame on you, not the sales person trying to make a living.  If you aren’t interested, in the future, don’t go. But don’t accuse some guy or gal that is trying to make a living of being a shark.  When you consider the facts, you are the one being the shark.

I experienced what you had written above and in my case, the deal was sweetend further by a small gift, an inexpensive one at that, to show me that these people care about my happiness. What rubbish, all that they care about is my wallet and I most certainly did not buy into it.

nice and interesting story.but you will always have to keep in mind that if you like to enjoy something really good,you must pay for it.

Very interresting travel story. I felt as if i am experiencing that. Keep posting!!!

I can totally relate to this post.  I had a very similar experience.  When I got married at the resort we stayed at in Cabo they had something similar for a free deep sea fishing trip.  I was all over it and decided to go sit through the sales pitch for 30 mins (which turned out to be almost 2 hours)

I felt like i was being interrogated they kept switching people, bringing me water and stuff. Finally i got out of their & got my free fishing trip.  I would never do that again…

Agreed, Mooches in life are the true parasites in life. Why would someone complain about something they voluntarily agreed to participate in. Here are the facts with most sales. Everything that a person consumes has a sales pitch attached to it. Whether it is a can of soda or a timeshare. Most sales people are measured by their performance. Their job and livelihood are directly effected by their performance. So for those people that purposely take away from someone’s chance of making a living for their own greed are the sharks. This is sad. I personally would never waste someones time or livelihood if I had no intention whatsoever to have an open mind to the product. Mooches are jerks in my opinion.

This is a great post.  I experienced the same thing in Las Vegas, all for a promise of $100 in free gambling money.  That was (almost) not true.  I’m now fixated on how I can defraud time-share salespeople and just get free stuff!

I think people should stop complaining about the sales “pitch”
they know what they are getting into when they except the free gift. With all the name brands Westin, Marriott, Hilton, etc selling, people are buying faster then they can build these things. I think it use to be a raw deal 20 plus years ago not anymore. These owners are the ones going on great vacations while the rest of the world waits for that bonus or tax return to go on one vacation every few years or longer.
Oh and I heard most of the sales people in high demand locations make over 250,000 per year. So I guess people go in to save 100.00 but leave saving allot more on future vacations.
In responce to the last posting by Justin about defrauding time share sales people you must be a idiot to think that. Your the only one waisting your time for some trinkets. Get a life! Why don’t you gamble some more and see who is getting had.

I sell timeshare for a major hotel company.  We sell a real product without much pressure. I believe in my product.  The charlatans that come in and mooch tour gifts are laughed at every day by me and my coworkers.  You proud moochers don’t know how you hurt my image of the human race.  You really are scum.  Come to Hawaii and spend 3 hours on a TS tour for $100.  Real rocket scientist there.  Remeber, we do this 300 days a yer 2 times a day.  We’ve seen all your lame acts and alibis.  Come in with at least a cursory interest, or don’t waste my time.  How would you like it if I came to your work and pretended to be a customer, and wasn’t?

How long was the snorkling trip?  I have done a few of the time share meetings and it is rough.  Like you I did them when I was young and had no money.  Now that I have some cash I just pay for the trips.  If you need a free anything try offering some labor to the provider.  If you tell the provider you will clean all there customers equipment after trip they may let you go for in exchange.