If you haven’t noticed from my most recent posts, we recently visited Pigeon Forge. We had a wonderful time while we were there. Some of the things that we did were; dine at Margaritaville, go-cart racing, went indoor skydiving at Flyaway Indoor Skydiving, experienced 4 different attractions at Hollywood Wax Museum and encountered some the history of some of the United States crime at Alcatraz East Crime Museum. But how this trip came about was different than any trip I’ve ever taken. I found a great deal online, but there was a catch. I had to sit-in for a Wyndham time share presentation.
Wyndham Time Share Presentation
We’ve all heard the horror stories about being approached to receive tickets, gift cards or free stays at a hotel and all you have to do is sit thru a time share presentation. I’ve heard countless stories, and recently asked a few travel groups who responded with mixed reviews. During my research I found that sitting in on a Wyndham time share presentation was one of the best one’s to work with.
I checked out this link (HERE) and saw the amazing deals that they offer. With their deals you have to pay an amount up front, for myself that was $159 for a two-night stay in a Wyndham sister hotel and $150 gift card. Basically all that comes out-of-pocket is the taxes on the room + $9 as you’ll get $150 (in my case) back in a gift card. Sounds good, right? I thought so. I reached out to the designated number and set up my stay. One thing to know is that it has to be 7+ days to book your room between your call and your stay. The associate was very friendly, like overly friendly. He had A LOT of enthusiasm. Nothing wrong with that! He noted that I would participate in the presentation the day that I arrive so that I can receive my gift card. That sounded alright by me. I was set to go, excited and a little nervous thinking that I may be sitting in the presentation for an ungodly long time (the specify that it will be 120 minutes).
Arrival Day
Photo by Jordan Whitt on Unsplash
I arrived late morning of our first day and headed straight to the building where they told me to go. There I was told that my presentation would be the next day. That was frustrating because I just wanted to get it over with and I went in thinking it was going to be the first day. Luckily we were able to check into our hotel early, which was right across from The Island. Wyndham will only put you up in a 3.5 or higher hotel. The hotel we stayed in was clean, had a fridge, microwave and had free parking. It also offered breakfast (which we opted out from).
Presentation Day
Photo by Jonas Jacobsson on Unsplash
My presentation was set for first thing in the morning. It was at a location at The Island which was convenient for me since I was right across the street. First I had to verify that I was me, and then I waited for a representative to come and get me. Everyone had their own representative for the duration of the presentation. Initially we went to a huge room where everyone went to their own tables. Here is where my representative got to know me a little for a few minutes before we went to another room. The next room was an actual presentation room with just chairs and a screen. Only one of the representative gave the presentation, she was a senior rep, was very knowledgeable and funny. It was actually a very good presentation.
The Numbers
After the presentation you’ll sit down with your representative and they’ll go over what “deals” they can offer you to become a Time Share owner. With them it’s not a traditional time share that you typically hear about. You’ll get a certain amount of “points” that you can use throughout the year for stays at various properties. Of course if you stay during a busier season, the points per stay could possibly be higher versus staying during the off-season.
If you proceed with the time share, you will become an owner with a deed, but I am still unaware of the exact property one owns when becoming a time share owner with Whydham.
They offer financing but you can also choose to finance through your choice of bank or finance company. If you choose Wyndham, you’re going to pay a lot in finance charges. It does differ per case but regardless, it will most likely be up there. In addition, you’ll have monthly property dues that would have been a few hundred in my case (less than $300/month). That’s a lot to me, and honestly not worth it. I can see how some people get sucked into it. I mean they sell something everyone loves, vacations. And if you don’t know how to search for deals, then it will seem very appealing to you.
After I went through the representative and a more senior rep, I was then escorted to one last representative. They offered a deal that was close to a rental deal that I wouldn’t be tied into but could later purchase. It still was a lot per month, but lesser than the original deals. After I declined that deal I was given my gift card and on my way.
Would I do it again?
Initially I was thinking that I wouldn’t want to do a presentation again, but if the place is appealing and they’re offering a deal like the one I received then I totally would. You just have to keep in mind that you’re not obligated to purchase anything. If you can’t afford it, then keep that in mind. The whole idea of it is very appealing but that monthly price tag will have you regretting it in the future (unless you’re in the position that you can afford it outright).
I hope this post helps if someone is looking into either purchasing a time share or just sitting in during a presentation. We ended up having a great weekend in the Smoky Mountains, it ended up being totally worth the trip. 
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