Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site cbscc.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!zehntel!ihnp4!cbosgd!cbscc!pmd From: pmd@cbscc.UUCP Newsgroups: net.consumers Subject: Re: Prizes for resort sales pitches Message-ID: <3638@cbscc.UUCP> Date: Wed, 5-Sep-84 11:25:04 EDT Article-I.D.: cbscc.3638 Posted: Wed Sep 5 11:25:04 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 16-Sep-84 04:26:55 EDT References: <1340@qubix.UUCP>, <1719@sdccs6.UUCP> <48@tekchips.UUCP>, <810@hplabs.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories , Columbus Lines: 43 My wife and I toss all that "you have definitely won one of the following:" stuff in the trash now. But we did bite at one once. We were told that we had won a prize from the list. All of them looked pretty good. Tops was a Cadillac (sp? You can tell I didn't get it.) The sales pitch was the real high pressure type, but we were armed with the excuse that we already owned 2 timeshare weeks in a condo at a very nice resort in Tenessee. They were pushing "campground" timeshares (where you get the use of a well equipped camping trailer in various campgrounds around the country during the timeshare weeks that you purchase). All we had to do to resist their sales pitch was compare what they were trying to sell us to what we already have. Their "product" didn't stack up at all. When the young lady trying to sell to use got tired, she called over the man who was running the operation. He told us that he just so happened to have some timeshares that were purchased, but the loans hadn't gone though (or something like that) and that he could let me have those at a reduced price with better financing. I explained to him why we weren't really interested and he was visibly upset, acting as if we had done something personally offend him. He just gave up in disgust and ask the sales woman to give us our prize and show us out. Needless to say, up until that point we hadn't been told which of the prizes we had won. It was the food processor. Now, what do you picture when you think of a food processor? Quisine Art? Osterizer? Robot Coupe? We did too. But what we got was a little plastic thing powered by a hand crank (an energy efficient model, no doubt). They would probably sell for $3.99 ea. at Kmart and they probably got a room full of them for much less than that. My impression is that if they have to lure you with such sales tricks their product must not be able to sell on its own merits. Which was true in this case. The timeshare condos we bought in Tenessee had an much more honest lure. They gave us $50 cash (*before* the sales pitch) for the trip and two free nights in their lodge to look the resort over. Also, we weren't pressured into buying. The place sold itself to us. -- Paul Dubuc {cbosgd,ihnp4}!cbscc!pmd The true light that enlightens every one was coming into the world... (John 1:9)