In Reply to: bali time share posted by speedies on Thursday, 14. April 2005 at 08:00 Bali Time:
a typical scenario is being approached by "survey takers" in front of Matahari Kuta, or other locals anywhere who "aren't selling anything". The idea is to get you to go to a sales presentation at one of the hotels or resorts which promote the timeshare system.
You will be shown accomodation, ranging from an ordinary nice hotel room to an upmarket family suite. You will be told that you can purchase one week [or two or three etc] per year in this wonderful accomodation in this wonderful resort with all these wonderful facilities etc.
It will be pointed out to you that at current prices you would have to pay XXX dollars per week for such a wonderful holiday and this price is likely to increase annually with inflation and rising values [just like everything else does]. But if you buy now [right now!] then you will secure this wonderful offer for the once only, never-to-be-repeated bargain price of only XXXX dollars, which gives you guaranteed bargain price holidays for the next [say] 20 years.
Of course there will be an annual maintenance fee of only XX dollars [subject to increases in line with inflation of course], but this is to ensure that your investment continues to increase in value.
Other benefits include being able to trade your nominated week[s] with other times and/or your nominated resort with other resorts worldwide. You can sell your investment, or leave it in your will. Or you can let others use your week[s] either as a gift to family or friends, or as a money-making enterprise.
All very true, but do you really want to be locked in to taking your holiday at the same time and place every year for the foreseeable future? And for most of us, the possibility of swapping your Balinese holiday for somewhere on the other side of the world is hardly feasible, bearing in mind the related travel costs etc. And anyway, we would have to find someone willing to swap their timeshare accomodation for ours, maybe all too hard.
I have two separate friends who have had timeshare in Bali, in two different hotels, for several years and both seem happy with their arrangements. Despite what many people will say, the concept itself is not a scam. But just as in any other type of commercial enterprise, some of the operators are too smart for their own good and some are downright dishonest.
The sales presentations are designed to create the impression that you are actually buying the accomodation, but of course you aren't. It's the old "you sell the sizzle, not the steak" approach. The initial presenter will work to a pattern [easily spotted if you have worked in direct sales] and if necessary one of the big guns will move in to close the deal.
Don't get involved if you simply are not interested. If you do go along to a presentation then keep you wits about you, just as you would for any other deal involving thousands of dollars up front with ongoing costs. And don't allow yourself to get carried away by the "special discount this day only" stuff. They'll be offering the same deal [or maybe even better] tomorrow, next week, maybe even next year.
Incidentally there are people on this Forum who have "won" free holidays on the Gold Coast simply by going to a presentation and not even buying anything.
And now for a tongue-in-cheek disclaimer. I have nothing whatsoever to do with timeshare!