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  • Found Cheap Vacation Package

    So we are planning our family vacation trip to San Diego. Now i'm shopping online for some good deals. I found a great deal from Hotgetaways.com Hotel Package for 3 nights/4 days accommodation (2 adults/2 children) for only $292.00 which include 2 adult free tickets San Diego Zoo. Its on Grand Pacific Palisades Reshort & HOtel But there is a catch. The Catch: Attend a 2-hour timeshare sales presentation which we hate. Has anyone experience or attended this set up before?

    Here's the detail of whats being offered. We do meet the requirement guidelines. Our kids 2 and 4 and don't like left alone especially while on vacation. What do you guys think?


    Details of Participation

    This offer is sponsored by Grand Pacific Resorts, Inc. We are a member of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau. We invite all inquiries. However, to participate in this promotion we do require the following:

    Qualifications: Total individual or combined (partners or spousal) annual income of a minimum of $75,000. All participants must be at least 28 years of age, and if married or cohabitating (one party of the "couple" shall meet the age requirement); both partners must attend a two-hour walking tour and sales presentation about our brand new Grand Pacific MarBrisa, a Hilton Grand Vacations Club Affiliated Resort. One member of the couple must be a citizen and permanent resident of the United States, speak and understand English without the benefit of an interpreter. Proof of identification and resident address is required at the time of the presentation in the form of a valid driver's license and a major credit card.

    This offer is not available for employees of Grand Pacific Resorts or its affiliates, and guests who have previously toured or purchased at Grand Pacific Resorts after June 9, 2006. This is an advance purchase package and is nonrefundable. This offer is not transferable or valid for groups, families or friends traveling together or in conjunction with any other offer. This offer is limited to one per household. Guests with outstanding bankruptcies or tax liens are ineligible for this offer. Offer is subject to space and availability.

    Your Accommodations: You and your family will be staying onsite in the hotel wing of Grand Pacific Palisades Resort & Hotel or comparable accommodations nearby. Reservations are for a standard hotel room with a king size or two double beds. This offer is for up to two adults and two children sharing the same room. If you have more than two children please let us know. We will try to accommodate you. You are responsible for your own incidentals such as phone, food, movies, etc. A credit card deposit is required upon check-in.

    We need to know if you are not coming. The resort requires a minimum of 48 hours notice for all cancellations.

    Tour Information: You will be attending a two-hour walking tour/timeshare sales presentation regarding our brand new Grand Pacific MarBrisa, a Hilton Grand Vacations Club Affiliated Resort, scheduled to open early 2008. We are sorry but children may not accompany parents on the tour. Complimentary childcare is available for children at least 6 months of age. Occasionally, we may change your tour time. We will give you notice prior to your arrival. We make every effort not to reschedule your tour; however, if your tour time is changed you are required to attend at the revised time. All promotional items are given out after you have attended the presentation. If you do not complete the full presentation, do not meet the eligibility requirements listed above, do not show at the hotel or cancel your reservation within 48 hours of your arrival date, the current standard room rate ($165 - $460), plus taxes (10%), will be charged to your credit card.

    The retail value of our packages ranges from $350 to $850 depending on the season and length of stay. Management reserves all rights including the right to provide a raincheck or a like substitute incentive, if the offered accommodations are not available. In such event, you will be provided: a like incentive of equivalent or greater retail value or a raincheck for such substitute incentive. Any recipient who receives an offered incentive may request and will receive evidence showing that the incentive provided matches the incentive randomly or otherwise selected for distribution to that recipient. This special package is a solicitation to purchase a timeshare. This is not an offer to sell or a solicitation to purchase a timeshare directed to any person who is a resident of any state in which the registration requirements for sale of timeshares have not been met. Grand Pacific Resorts, Incorporated, is the oldest and largest California based timeshare developer and is located at Grand Pacific Plaza, 5900 Pasteur Court, Suite 200, Carlsbad, California 92008. Grand Pacific Resorts: Resort & Family Vacation Packages in Southern California. 800-365-7779
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  • #2
    My honeymoon was to Hilton Head. It was a discounted vacation my dad bought and gave to me. The catch was that we had to go to a timeshare presentation. Yeah I know, a great way to spend your honeymoon huh. Anyway, we got 4 days/3 nights on the beach in Hilton Head and $100 in vouchers to use for food. We went to the timeshare presentation and during the small talk we told our guy that we were on our honeymoon and that we weren't going to buy anything. He seemed ok with it and since it was super crowded he didn't even make us talk to his manager. So for us, 2 hrs during 4 days wasn't a bad deal I didn't think...plus since my dad paid for it ($150 I think) I must've only come out $200. I'm thinking about doing another one to go to Vegas.

    As long as you are a firm 'no' sayer you should be ok. Also, with your children being so young, I'd take them. I saw kids at our presentation and if in doubt you can always call and say kids being able to come is a must. Usually they'll work with you...they want you to come.

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    • #3
      sorry but these are usually a bigger pain than anything. We were talked into one when we went to Pigeon Forge and they try so hard to talk you into buying something you really don't want. I remember telling them, we don't spend this kind of money without serious discussion and they said well, you have to decide now. The thing that really irritated me was they said it was for cabins which we might have been interested in but then it turned out to be hotel rooms and small ones at that. We travel with 4 kids. I was so sorry I did this by the time it was done. I will never do it again. NEVER. I am sure that some people it doesn't bother, but the cost was outrageous! They kept trying to bury the cost with cute little finagling but the bottom line was more than we make in a month.

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      • #4
        I am not sure I would go for the pleasure of paying $300 for 3 nights (eh). But well worth it to get a free place for 2-3 nights. I'd look around more (if it were me anyway). We stayed at Hilton Vegas 3 nights free last time in exchange for a presentation. Didn't mind a bit. They are always rather amusing to us.

        The childcare thing would be a killer for us too. We've gone to them when we didn't have the kids with us. I am sure they would rather you attend with kids than not attend at all though...

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        • #5
          My family just got back last week from a timeshare presentation in exchange for a 2 night/3 day hotel stay and $50 gas card in Branson. The presentation was 90 minutes and while they encourage you to use childcare they provide for free it is not mandatory. We were the only ones who took our kids (3 and 10 months) with us into the room for the presentation. It was worth it for us as long as you and your spouse go into it knowing that the presentation will be long and high pressure and you know for sure both of you can say no to whatever they are trying to get you to buy!

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          • #6
            We're still unsure, but we are still looking. The idea of being sold a timeshare; your dream vacation and to make a decision right there and then seems outrageous anyway. It's not how we make our decision anyway. The only concerns we have are our kids.

            Anyway, we are pretty excited our a week down south. So our plan to stay in San Diego for 4 nights. Take the kids to SeaWorld, ZOO, and little sightseeing tour. Then later that week head north to Santa Barbara. We never stayed longer than 30 minutes before. So we plan to stay this time for a few nights and just enjoy ourselves while we're there. I'm looking forward checking out several nicest bar/restaurants before we head back to Sacramento.
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            • #7
              You couldn't pay me to sit through one of those things. Be prepared for EXTREMELY high pressured sales technique. My parents went to one in Hawaii (for free Luau tickets or something). They were gone all day. They took these people somewhere and they were stuck there for hours. My parents said it was like being kidnapped, lol.

              I would just spend the money and avoid the time share pitch myself.

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              • #8
                What happens if you dont go to the sales pitch? What happens if you have to leave because your kids are acting up? Just wondering

                Id sit through one of those for a free/cheap vacation! Let me know where I can find out more
                Last edited by MelC; 05-20-2008, 10:48 AM.

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                • #9
                  Thats a really good question. I would like to know the answer too.

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                  • #10
                    For our pitch we went to you had to check in the day you arrived for your vacation and they get a copy of your credit card at that time. If you fail to show up for the presentation you do not receive your gifts and in our case our hotel would have been billed to our credit card.

                    I'm not sure about the kid question. If your kids act up I guess you always put them in the daycare they have or better yet maybe you could just get out of the presentation quicker

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                    • #11
                      We would pay the normal standard rates anywhere costing $200 - $500 a night depending what type of accommodation we received. This according to their agreement.
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