posted 01-07-2005 12:54            

We were staying in the Lagoon Tower in HHV and assumed that our tour would be out of this sales center, which seemed like a real factory; it was very acticve. Instead they told us we had to go to the Kalia Tower.

We went ot the Kalia Tower and met with our salesperson. She asked us if we knew why we were there and ovbiously we didn't know. She stated that it was a new experimental sales center where they are just selling to current HGVC owners and could avoid the hard sell and basic facts since we were already familiar with the system.

She also stated that this was the only sales center where they could sell all of the HGVC properties, although it semed that they were trying to push the new Hawaii property at the Bay Club. She said that they had five salespeople there and they were the tops.

She told us that until recently HGVC was a very small portion of the Hilton chain and as soon as they hit a certain goal Hilton would support them more with more properties. They recently hit this goal and would be moving ahead with up to two new properties a year on the drawing boards. The newest will be Bay Club, Maui and somewhere in Southern California.

She then got into our individual ownership and I think she was surprised about my knowledge of the system. She told me that Orlando is way over saturated and they'll never sell out Seaworld and Tuscany. She then tried to sell an additional unit in Hawaii. I told her we weren't interested in an additional ownership and maint fee and asked why we couldn't upgrade our unit. She stated that we could but the Hawaii unit was more powerful. I then asked don't we all have the same points and she stated yes, but we could get into a more popular location when we wanted to.

She also waved the "Elite" ownership book in front of us and summed it up briefly. I asked if I could look at the book and she told me we obviously weren't interested in it and it's not worth showing it to us because we won't be able to take advantage of it and covered the book up.

She then went through a bunch of ownership options options and left us alone to talk. When she came back we told her we weren't interested. She enquired why we were there and I said to get the free tickets. She really lost it then, telling me that most of her owner's don't waste there time for frivilous things like the freebies.

She tried on more final sell. She said for (I forget the exact prices and point #'s) something like $1,400 and $1,900 we could buy 3,000-6,000 extra points. This would also freeze all of the current prices for one year should we decide to buy another unit.
We told her we weren't interested and she showed us the door. She told us to go to the front counter to get our tickets. The ticket people told us to have a seat and they'd have them in a minute or two. The saleslady then arrived and said rather loudly to the ticket people, "don't give them and comps." (My wife said they were giving out small gifts.)

All in all it was pretty informative and we were out of there in about 70 minutes. I"m sure I've forgotten some, I'll add when I remember.

posted 01-07-2005 14:00               

I hope that Hilton does put more into our club and get some new properties, but I have heard this before, so won't hold my breath.

We did an "owners update" this past summer in Vegas and also recieved "higher level account executive" of some sort. He too was surprised by how much I already knew about the system and Elite status (thanks to TUG )

We will be at HHV in February and I am sure we will be contacted for another "owners update". But unless there isn't much else to do on that day or time, I just don't want to waste my time or the sales reps time with the sales presentation.

I am curious what you were told about buying more points. Are they now offering more points without buying another unit? I could go for that...more points and only one maintenance fee. But somehow I doubt it.

Anyway thanks for the good story and info!

Rick

posted 01-07-2005 17:05               

quote:

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Originally posted by howiemaurer:
two new properties a year on the drawing boards.

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My bottom hurts from all the times they have tried to blow that smoke up me.

posted 01-08-2005 02:54               

If I had taken their advice, I'd have screwed myself out of our Med cruise, cost myself another $20,000 +, moved down from Plat. to Gold and cost myself an additional $625 yearly MF. Plus I still wouldn't have qualified for "Elite" status. They were wanting me to trade my 2 bedroom Plat. unit for two 2 bedroom Gold units.

All they wanted me to do was pay $20,000 + and end up with only 3,000 more points per year AND have to pay $1,300 per yr MF's rather than the $625 I pay now. Over $20,000 for 3000 points? What did they think I was smoking before I walked into that room?

posted 01-08-2005 05:18               

But we had been on other timeshare promo's before including Marriott & we had always said no. But when we purchased it just seemed to work for us and the salesman was absolutley no pressure at all, and I don't remember any sales lies.

But this last owners update, the guy was doing nothing but selling heat. And he was supposed to be some executive type sales guy, just for owners.

Either Hilton has changed sales tactics, or because of TUG I am just a better consumer. Not sure which one, maybe a bit of both.

posted 01-09-2005 09:05               

We were at the HGVC Flamingo recently. They told us since we had bought "resale," our owner information tour would only be 60 minutes, not the usual 90 minute tour. We chose not to do it since our time was limited. But I think it's interesting that they are now distinguishing in their records "resale" purchases vs. developer purchases. Hope there won't be any negative consequences to "resale" purchasers in the future.

posted 01-10-2005 11:18               

Very low key.

I don't know what records she had to review but seemed to read us as none buyers right away.

posted 01-12-2005 06:34               

quote:

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Originally posted by HeartsLady:
How do you get Elite status?

Thanks

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I believe you need to own 14,000 points.