Timeshare Promotions: Top Questions & Answers

What is a timeshare promotion?

A timeshare promotion can be a discounted trip or free gift given in exchange for listening to a sales presentation on vacation ownership.  Resorts and hotels are in the business of selling room nights and many have programs to sell future nights.  The selling of future vacation nights is called vacation ownership.  Each resort timeshare program is different and has its own resort set requirements.  The requirements are related to your level of income, marital status and age.  The idea is that the resort is prequalifying you as the type of prospect that may buy or can afford to buy their vacation products.  Consumers that meet those requirements can freely use the discount or get the free gift offered.  Simply qualify for the timeshare vacation offer and then give 90 to 120 minutes of your time.  No purchase is necessary beyond the package cost, just qualify and attend the presentation to get the gift or discount.  If the vacation products offered are of interest you can negotiate a deal.  If the vacation offers are not of interest simply say no.  You will most likely have to say no a few times as they are trying to sell you something and it is high pressure.  If it’s a discounted trip you most likely will attend the timeshare presentation the day after you arrive at the hotel.  If it’s a free gift (iPod, gift card, cash), you would attend a presentation locally and collect your free gift after you complete your part (no stay included).  The more valuable promotions (all inclusive) require a signed form or agreement between you and the resort.  Some timeshare promotions are almost worthless while others can save you over $2500 on an all inclusive family vacation at Christmas time!

What is an all inclusive timeshare promotion?

An all inclusive timeshare promotion is a discounted trip to an all inclusive resort.  These offers are mainly out of Mexico or the Caribbean.  All inclusive promotions can vary in quality and you should check to make sure you are getting the full retail version of their all inclusive program.  Some resorts have up to 10+ restaurants but will limit what you can use through a promotion.  Resorts like Sandos (4 all inclusive locations in Mexico) have long term established programs and offer a full all inclusive experience in trade for qualifying as a prospect.  Sandos allows you to dine freely across that resort destination and includes all their onsite restaurants (for dinner reservations) in their promotional offer.  So an all inclusive resort stay promo would include your families meals, drinks and even alcoholic beverages!  So a great example would be Sandos Playacar which has 10 restaurants.  Three are buffet style and seven that are specialty restaurants like a steakhouse and Mexican restaurant.  Having access to the nice restaurants is key to maximizing your vacation promotions overall value.  Ps. The difference in the cost of a promotion is in many cases just $100-$200.  Don’t lose out on fine dining by saving a few bucks!  The restaurants along with the destination are what makes your experience more valuable and memorable.

How long is a timeshare presentations?

A timeshare presentation is normally 90 to 120 minutes long but this really depends on you the consumer.  The sales person is trying to get a definitive yes or no.  If they feel you are on the ropes or not a solid no they will keep on pitching.  many of these vacation clubs are running dozens of couples every hour.  If you say no, mean no.  If you are interested then the time is really as long as it takes for you to get what you need to make a deal.  They will take you on a tour, show you suites and facilities.  They are in  the business of selling amenities and room nights.  Come see what a nice resort has hidden up their sleeves as far as inventory.  

Can a timeshare promotion be used over a holiday like New Years or Easter?

Yes, several high end resort offers do allow you to travel over peak holiday times.  Holiday travel (Christmas, New Years, Spring Break and Easter) can be very expensive.  Many families are forced to choose these dates simply because that’s when the kids have a break from school.  Resorts like Sandos, Krystal, Villa Del Palmar, Blue Bay, Oasis, Plaza Pelicanos, Melia and Barcelo all offer a high peak stay in trade for becoming a vacation prospect.  Remember to book early (6+ months) if you are interested in a holiday timeshare offer!  They do go quick, so if you find these dates available, book it.  The saving will be worth it!

Will there be hotel taxes or fees when using a timeshare promotion?

Yes, some offers do have taxes and fees beyond what you pay the vacation promotion vendor.  Each offer should have terms and conditions and you should read these completely!  In almost every case, you will have to sign physically or tick something.  In those terms, the travel offer should define any resort/hotel fees due at check-in or out.  The Sandos Resorts program includes the taxes and fees but is the hardest to qualify for.

Do any timeshare promotions include transportation from the airport to the resort?

Yes, many of the high end resort timeshare promotions do include some form of at least one-way transportation.  Resorts, in many cases have inhouse transportation and they will come pick you up.  There are several things here to note from experience!  First, you need to actually get your reservation confirmed, not just ordered.  Don’t think that booking a promotion is anything like booking retail.  You have to order and get the vendor to process through to the resort.  If that does not happen and happen quick, you are held up from buying your plane tickets.  If you buy plane tickets and your reservation is not confirmed, you could lose out big!  Second, you need to buy those flights and supply that info to the vendor or in some cases directly to the resort’s promotional intake team.  This rarely happens quickly.  Worse is making changes to pickup last minute.  Make sure you get this setup or you may have to find a paid way to the hotel.  Many programs have a cut off on when you can book this.  Sandos resorts offer free one-way pickup in private transport but you have to set it up at least 15 days before travel.  

How do I get on an email list or find timeshare promotions?

Call me or you can Google your destination and the word “promotion”.  Over the past 10 years I have been a serious student of this niche.  There are a lot of promotional offers and they are hard to find.  The biggest issue is these resorts don’t like to advertise these deals.  Worse, some of the biggest vendors are really bad at delivering an actual vacation and have horrible reviews.  My advice is to never buy an open dated promotional package.  These types of packages are not guaranteed by any resort and just a marketing trick some vendor uses to get your money.  remember, if the resort doesn’t have availability or they refuse your reservation, you don’t travel.  The marketing company can promise you things till they turn blue and it will have no weight with the resort or fulfiller of the promotion.  Common tactics include bait-switch and travel dates that are just never available.  There are also no refunds on promotional packages!  So if you are going to do a promotional vacation, book it when you buy it.  I highly recommend Sandos Resorts and if I can’t produce a reservation for the Sandos you choose on the dates you have chosen, you get your money back!

Is it worth using a timeshare promotion?

That depends on you!  Some people attend presentations for cheap gifts or a $100 gift card.  Timeshare promotions can be found just about anywhere you travel.  Next time you are in a popular travel destination look for information booths or people with id cards around their necks.  Those are most likely timeshare people looking for victims potential new clients.  Those offers are the low end offers but you can get free stuff!  The real money though is in the all inclusive timeshare deals.  I have personally saved a family over $3000 on an over Christmas stay where they booked two rooms for 4 adults and 4 kids!  The Sandos Resorts all inclusive peak holiday timeshare package is $999 for 5 nights and includes 2 adults with up to 2 kids under 13.  The extra room and travelers paid $180 per adult and $90 per child.  They also maxed the package out by booking 7 nights and 8 days!  Simply a crazy awesome deal!

Who has the best (highest rated) timeshare promotion?

To my knowledge no one really rates timeshare promotions.  The resort or hotel destination is rated and rated by sites like TripAdvisor, Hotel.com and Expedia.  In some cases, resorts like Sandos Cancun are rated by AAA and have what is called a diamond rating.  So to be clear…  A resort/hotel can have a star rating or a diamond rating.  If they have a diamond rating they have to reapply every year and pass a quality inspection.  The diamond rating is by Triple A (AAA) and solely by them.  The star ratings you see everywhere are not controlled and vary drastically by opinion!  So if you are looking for the best timeshare promotion deal, consider a diamond rated hotel that offers a full access all inclusive stay!  The Sandos Cancun is a 4 diamond resort with a full access all inclusive timeshare deal.  Unfortunately, kids are not included.  Fortunately, holiday travel isn’t!  Couples only on this offer.

Are there timeshare promotions with free airfare?

I have never seen a real offer for a timeshare promotion with free airfare.  If you google it you will find chaos.  I see coupon sites and when I click links it just wants my email address.  I would avoid these types of offers and it is most likely a scam.  If you are looking for an all inclusive vacation and you want free flights, what’s the cost?  Timeshare vacation packages range between $99 and $999 depending on how many nights and their overall quality.  I personally would avoid all inclusive deals that are under $399 for 4 or 5 nights.  I also would avoid resorts with low TripAdvisor ratings (3 stars or lower).  Flights are expensive.  The resort just can’t give you free food, drink, alcohol and a room plus free flights.  So if you see a timeshare offer like this I would be very skeptical!

Are there free timeshare promotions?

Yes, free timeshare promotions would be ones that don’t include a stay but rather give you a free gift.  At just about any major travel destination there are information booths.  These booths are there to generate leads for a local hotel.  We were on a cruise last year, when we stopped in Nassau they had an info booth and they were offering gifts for people to listen to a resort sales pitch.  Can you find free stays via timeshare promotions?  I have been offered them by resorts but always have to sell them in order to make any money.  Marketing companies don’t get paid by the resort, they get a trip to sell to a specific demographic that meets a certain set of criteria.  Remember the resort isn’t trying to give you a free stay, they are trying to sell room nights.  

Can couples or groups of family travel together, each using a separate timeshare promotion?

It’s called a quinellas (couples traveling together).  There are several resorts that allow this and this applies to all inclusive resort timeshare offers.  The walk in timeshare deals that offer a gift won’t mind if you bring Aunt Sally, they don’t have to feed or house her.  However, AM resorts (including Now, Secrets, Sunscape and Dreams) does allow couples to travel together.  Sandos resorts allows it but won’t allow you to use a second package, they give a sweet discount on a second room instead.  

What happens if you lie to get the discount and get caught?

You will be charged a full rack rate which will be above the cost of retail!  Note, in most cases they won’t let you book your appointment late in your stay.  You will most likely attend your presentation on the day after your arrival.  If they feel you are not qualified they will ask you to pay for your stay or ask you to leave.  The Sandos Resorts promo requires you to put down a $1200 deposit at check-in.  If you can’t do this you are already in violation of the signed agreement between you and the resort.  Plus, vendors can be held responsible which will end you up in a US court even if you do manage to ditch somehow.  I had a client that had this exact issue and they could not get the deposit to go through.  They swore it was the hotel’s broken system and the hotel claimed to be experts at getting money from cards and that their system was fine.  The couple had to pay for that night’s stay and were allowed to call their bank but never could get that deposit to go through.  They were asked to leave and were not allowed to stay a second night.  I also heard a story about several couples using fake marriage certificates they printed online.  I heard the resort had them arrested (not sandos) just long enough to really screw up their vacation!  So is it worth trying to get the discount and not really qualifying, I would think twice.  It’s one thing to screw around while at home in the United States where you have a solid legal system to back you. In a foreign country like Mexico, Jamaica or the Dominican Republic, NO WAY!!!

Do they require a credit card for all timeshare promotions?

No!  There are non-inclusive offers that will accept a debit card and packages are offered through several vendors in the USA.  These offers are normally 2 or 3 night stays in a furnished condo that includes a kitchen.  For travel with just a debit card you will be limited to off peak travel times and like two programs.  If you are planning to use a timeshare promotion consider getting at least a prepaid credit card.  Just having a basic credit card will allow you to get much better travel dates and access many more programs.  To access the bigger all inclusive promotions it is best to have at least a $1000 line of credit since you will be traveling abroad and the better resorts require a deposit at check-in.  In major travel destinations like Orlando or Las Vegas there are 3 to 5 players that offer stuff in trade for your time and consideration.  There are no all inclusive offers in the USA that I know of.  You can find basic accommodations, condos or day tours.  A day tour is a walk-in for a gift like $100 or free tickets to an event.  The value as a reward to the consumer for a day tour is about $100.  Most will want to see a credit card.

The offer says “personal major credit card and not a corporate credit card”?

For a normal retail check-in to a hotel a corporate card does work.  For a timeshare promotion they require a personal major credit card except for the worst times of the year when they will accept a debit card traveler.  The timeshare or vacation club (tour provider) wants to sell you something and you having zero credit means that they are most likely buying!  A corporate card doesn’t show you having credit.  The resort isn’t just trying to give free stays and stuff away.  They are trying to sell room nights and their hotel’s program to you and your family.  The more qualified you are the better gift they will offer to get you to consider buying into their program.  So resorts and hotels are using the credit card as a way to determine basic credit without a credit check.  Some programs like Sandos Resorts have the consumer put a $1200 deposit at check-in.  This is done on a major personal credit card and shows that the consumer has at least that in credit.  I know, why not just ask for a credit report?

Can my personal business credit card be use in a timeshare promotion?

Yes and no.  I recommend you ask this question twice if you don’t have the personal major credit card.  Sandos Resorts allows it if you are the sole owner of the business or if you and your partner (married) are the sole owners.  If it’s an unmarried partnership the card will most likely be rejected by the resort/hotels program.

Can I use a timeshare promotion to attend a special event?

Depends on the fine print.  If the terms and conditions don’t state it, you can.  Many high end promotions don’t allow it and will clearly say so.  Offers like the Sandos Promo exclude special event travel and in locations like Cabo San Lucas, specifically exclude the Bisbee golf Tournament dates.  Sandos does allow travel over those Bisbee dates.  In fact, you can attend Bisbee but you have to pay the holiday promotional rate of $999 for the 5 nights all inclusive.  So to be clear, special events would include marriages and local conventions.

Can I use two timeshare promotions during the same trip?

Depends on the type of offer.  If it is non inclusive, some in the states programs will allow it.  For the all inclusive resorts abroad, no.  People do do it, but if you get caught you’ll have to pay.  Remember, you have to sign an agreement or contract for the all inclusive deals.  Programs like Sandos will check your arrival ticket and even state that you must check-in on the day of your arrival.  Also don’t think you can just hide in the crowd of timeshare vacationers.  There are most likely at any given resort on any date only 10 families doing a deal.  So if you turn down the free airport to hotel transportation and rent a car they will most likely look twice at you!  Get caught and both resorts will charge you and may even detain you since you signed that agreement.

Can I upgrade my room when I use a timeshare promotion?

In many cases yes you can.  Many of the USA offers will allow for a basic, one bedroom or two bedroom condo.  Offers abroad especially the all inclusive resorts block upgrades through the vendor.  When you check-in to the resort they will offer you what they have as a way to offset what they are giving you for free.  Know that the money you pay for the promo less any extras (extra nights, guests) and a small fee, go to the marketer (call center).  The resort is out of pocket for your entire trip unless there are extras like an upgrade, extra nights or a sale through the program.

What else do they call timeshare promotions?

Timeshare promotions can be referred to as timeshare tours, timeshare deals, timeshare offers, timeshare presentations, timeshare holidays, day tours, minivacs, fly-n-buys, travel club offers, vacation club offers, travel/vacation certificates or travel/vacation vouchers.  

How long are timeshare promotions good for?

It depends on who sells it to you.  Buy through me and you can travel forever.  In many cases an expiration date on a timeshare promotion happens when a marketer is selling open dated vacation packages via a call center.  These types of packages have huge amounts breakage or fulfillment issues!  Consumers should always book travel at the time of purchase to avoid this.  Almost 3/4ths of the complaints about timeshare promotions are really about the marketing company and not the fulfillment by the resort.  Marketing companies sell thousands of promotions when there is limited availability.  Make sure you’re not one of the suckers and book travel when you purchase.

Where can I travel using a timeshare promotion?

You can travel as far as Thailand or Europe!  There are offers across the world if you can find them.  Some resort chains actually have dozens of locations and a perfect example is AM Resorts.  They have resorts that are all inclusive all over the Caribbean and Mexico.  There are offers in Hawaii but I have no idea how to get them or I would definitely sell that to you.  lol

What is the biggest savings a prospective vacationer can save using a timeshare promotion?

I have personally saved a family over $3000 on an over Christmas stay where they booked two rooms for 4 adults and 4 kids!  The Sandos Resorts all inclusive peak holiday timeshare package is $999 for 5 nights and includes 2 adults with up to 2 kids under 13.  The extra room and travelers paid $180 per adult and $90 per child.  They also maxed the package out by booking 7 nights and 8 days!  Simply a crazy awesome deal!  Their savings over retail exceeded $3000!

How many nights can you travel using a timeshare promotion?

In most cases the resort will allow you to book up to 7 nights under a special rate.  Many vendors like myself have access to travel agent rates should you need more than seven.  I have sent two families down to Sandos Playacar and Sandos Caracol for 10 night and 11 day stays!  I am sure that if you want more nights they will sell them to you.  Remember, they are in the business of selling room nights and room nights expire if they are not filled.

Can you take kids on a timeshare promotion?

Yes, but in most cases they will not go with you to the presentation.  The resort, hotel or program will have some form of daycare or the timeshare offer will exclude families with children in the terms.  Many of the all inclusive resorts are family driven and even have water parks!  In the all inclusive resort timeshare market it is 75% family and 25% couples only.

What do they mean by European plan?

A European plan has nothing to do with Europe!  A European plan is non inclusive and offers just a room for a few nights.  No food or drink is included in the offer.  These European or hotel only timeshare offers sometimes include free tickets to a show or amusement park as an extra incentive.

Can I get thrown out of a hotel while using a timeshare promotion?

Yes!  You can get thrown out of a hotel or resort for a lot of reasons.  One reason you can’t is if you say no.  If you do something bad like break the law or act like an ass, you could get thrown out.  If you lied about meeting the resort’s terms and conditions, you can get thrown out.  Do people flip out, of course!  Do they still get thrown out, yep.  Now let me say that good, honest people don’t have this kind of issue.  These resorts and hotels want people to invest in them.  They have those terms and conditions because that’s their prime target market.  I get it, I’m 25 and rich!  Heard it all and still you need to meet the terms and conditions of the offer you are going to use. 

What islands can I visit using a timeshare promotion?

Cozumel, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Hawaii, Nassau, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman islands, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten and the US Virgin Islands.  This is not a complete list by far.  There are islands all over the world where there are timeshare.  However, finding promotions that include your demographic super far away may not happen.  I do have access to a resort in Thailand but it is non inclusive and takes an 18 hour flight!  You can get two weeks at a nice resort for under $400 with a timeshare presentation.

What countries can I visit using a timeshare promotion?

You can visit many countries through a timeshare promotion.  A few would be the USA, Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Thailand, Indonesia, Turks and Caicos and many other islands in the Caribbean.  There are timeshare promotions all across the world.  The issue is finding them and actually qualifying for them.  The farther you are from a travel destination the less promos you will find.  That is because the chances of you traveling really far away more than once every few years probably won’t happen.  If the resort feels American or Canadian are good prospects, there will be a program to pitch them.

What timeshare promotions are available in Mexico?

You can find all inclusive and European (hotel only) timeshare offers all across Mexico.  The hotel only offers normally include golf discounts or some kind of resort dining credit.  I have seen a 7 night timeshare offer by Mayan Resorts that had golf and/or dining credits.  The package was also really cheap, like $150.  Mexico is one of the top all inclusive resort promotion countries for United States Citizens and Canadians Citizens because it’s close.  You can find promotions by all the large resort chains like Sandos, Am Resorts, Villa del Palmar and more.  Many of the all inclusive offers vary and offer different levels of dining.  Since the offer is all inclusive it would also give the couple/family free meals, drinks and even alcohol.  It is common to offer a 4 night stay and in some cases a 5 night stay for qualified couples.  

Vacation club or timeshare, what is the difference?

People call them timeshare promotions because that’s where these offers started.  Today resorts sell an assortment of vacation options.  Old school timeshare still exists but a bigger seller for resorts is points or an inhouse club.  Resorts not only have nights available but different levels of service/amenities.  There are private or members only areas to most bars and restaurants.  There are also top shelf liquors that are not available under regular retail.  Resorts want to sell these services to you for your future travels.  So timeshare would be the ownership of a specific week or time frame block (high, medium, low).  Vacation club would be some other spin off of a limited amount of room nights.  Keep in mind that a resort all inclusive may not be included in the vacation club membership.  I have seen clients get up to 50 weeks for $7000 but it did not include the all inclusive fee.