Presentation Timeshare Gifts
Receiving a “thank you” for attending a timeshare presentation is standard procedure in the world of timeshare and vacation club sales. Genuine timeshare companies will offer realistic yet attractive gifts to tempt you to visit the resort on sale and most OPC (timeshare promoters) will select a gift according to your tastes and likes. The psychology behind free gifts is easy – we all like to get a bargain or something for nothing.
Free Gifts
Many people worry about whether timeshare gifts are actually free, or whether they depend on purchasing a timeshare. This is something you need to establish clearly with your timeshare promoter. Most reputable timeshare companies will honor your gift regardless of you buying a timeshare or not; however, timeshare scams have been known to charge a fee to receive your gift.
The truth of the matter is that in many ways your gift is not free, it is in exchange for your time. You give up 2 or 3 hours of your vacation to be wowed by a timeshare resort and receive the discounts in exchange. Perhaps that is a fairer way of looking at your presentation gift.
Gift Scams
There are some fraudulent companies that are renowned for gift scams. The ways these work is that you attend a timeshare presentation and then have to pay to enter a prize draw for a car or speed boat. Some scams charge the tax for a luxury product like a yacht and then you receive a toy version in the post. Nowadays, you are less likely to be involved in scams like these, but they are worth watching out for.
How to Tell a Genuine Company
The easiest way to avoid a gift scam is to judge the kind of gift the timeshare company is offering. The more outrageously generous the gift the less likely it is that you will be receiving the gift, especially if you don’t buy. Think logically about how cost effective it would be for the time share company to offer everyone the same gift and if it doesn’t make sense, then you are probably walking into a scam. Legitimate timeshare companies tend to give discounts of vacation accommodation, restaurants, tours and the like. In some cases you may be offered money, although this is becoming less common.
Presentations and Tours
One thing is sure, if you do not attend the presentation, your discounts will not be valid. Most timeshare companies will expect you to stay for the whole length of the tour and meet certain criteria, such as having a valid credit card, not being under the influence of alcohol or drugs while visiting the resorts etc. If you do not meet all of these conditions you may be in danger of losing your presentation gift or discounts. This can be very costly if you have purchased a highly discounted vacation package on the basis of attending a timeshare tour.