‘I’m gonna give you the sweet advice that I wish someone told me’: TikToker shares how to get free gift without buying a timeshare
Who could say no to free vacations and gift cards? Those who get roped into timeshare presentations that
offer "gifts" but end up dishing out large dollar amounts on vacation packages know the offer is hard to ignore.
In a stitched video on TikTok, Jonathan Wallace (@john_dubs) outlines tips for how to not fall for timeshare sales tactics after a woman called herself out for spending $30,000 on a vacation.
@jon_dubs #stitch with @summer #timesharepresentation #timesharetravellers #freevacation ♬ original sound - JonDubs
"Whatever you do, do not buy a timeshare!" the TikToker begins.
He also advises people to start by negotiating the best "gift" with marketers who invite them to timeshare presentations.
"If they were going to give you three to four days on a cruise or at a resort, you ask for seven," he says.
John goes on to explain that you should never give a salesperson insight into how you really feel about vacations or what type of hotels or trips you enjoy: "They're only going to use that later on to try to get you to sign."
Though the creator recommends pointing out the flaws of any resort or hotel a salesperson is trying to pitch to you, he also said it is important to be respectful.
"Be nice, be friendly," he instructs. "They're people too."
To guarantee that the salesperson finishes the sales pitch as quickly as possible, John says it is crucial not to ask questions whenever they are presenting "numbers" or the costs of the timeshare. Since they must run through all of the numbers anyways, asking any questions or interrupting at that point will only slow down the process.
In the end, the most important thing to do is simply say "no" to any offers and ask for your gift.
"You're so close to your free gift, just don't sign anything," he concludes.
The video garnered 2.1 million views and in the comments section, other users shared stories about their own timeshare presentation experiences.
"I was super nice and then when the manager came down, I took *great offense* to the manager’s pushiness and said that turned me off for the deal," one user wrote.
"They asked my dad if he enjoyed traveling overseas and he told them, 'Not since Vietnam,'" another added.
"The sales rep I had pulled out his phone to pretend [to] call his son to tell him they couldn’t afford food because we were wasting his time and not buying," someone else commented.
Though the idea of owning a shared vacation home may sound enticing, many have written about the pitfalls of purchasing timeshares. The typical cost of buying into the vacation model is about $22,000 for first-time buyers and that cost only covers about a week of vacation a year. There are also other hidden costs associated with timeshare "ownership," such as maintenance fees.
The Daily Dot reached out to John via TikTok comment.
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