Building something and then selling it fifty-two times over, or timeshare as its conception saw it titled, could be lauded as the sales invention of the century.
Puerto Rico and Playa del Ingles are two of the main resorts in Gran Canaria and prime examples of where the irritating practice of constantly being offered timeshare causes a lot of holidaymakers a serious dose of vacation stress.
How Do They Rope You Into a Timeshare?
As nobody's queueing up to go to visit a timeshare resort and lose a day of their holiday while sitting through the requisite ninety minute sales pitch, their first approach to a prospective buyer is made out on the streets.
The people responsible for the introductory frontal attacks are known as touts or OPC's. The local councils have recently made spotting them easier by enforcing the wearing of t-shirts with the word promotion printed on the back.
The main requisite for being a tout is the gift of the gab. Their actual selling spiel is pretty impressive and most of them could quite easily make the career move to politician without adjustment. They’ll promise you the earth and believe every word they say. Give them a five star scratch card and an Oscar winning actor emerges.
Timeshare Giveaways
These huge companies, turning over millions of Euros a year, still need to give away sweeteners to entice customers to view their luxury resorts. Expect to be offered day excursion tickets, huge cash prizes or even free holidays before they bundle you in a taxi and speed you away for the day.
There are always at least three requisite rules to comply with before a timeshare tout can earn his commission. They may be well disguised, but they'll be in the chat somewhere.
- It only takes ninety minutes.
- Are you a couple?
- You have to go NOW to get your prize.
- Do you have a Visa card?
Types of Timeshare Promotions
Your credit status not being up to the mark won't deter the hardened sellers. If your bank says no, they'll arrange a credit plan which would give your bank manager a heart attack. At Anfi del Mar, once they get you there, the standard ownership deal is offered with prolific financial backing supplied by them and to which, they hope, you just won't be able to say no.
The Ambassador Club and Voyager who offer holiday packets and deals related to internet booking are a later, and cheaper addition, to the original concept of timeshare and consist of various ways of getting money out of you for advance bookings of certain select hotels or pre-bought discounts.
An interesting and informative article was published in a local free newspaper, The Canary News,on the subject of timeshare companies in Gran Canaria. It can be found on page four in issue thirty one and is viewable on their website.
Booking your holiday on the Internet
There are many legitimate, ABTA backed companies working to make Internet booking easy. Why pay in advance for your hotel and flight when you can get a good deal from home and keep your holiday money in your pocket while you're away?
Liz Correal - British born, but living in the sun-drenched Canary Islands for more than two decades, LizX is having her Hawaii year. No, she's not ...
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