I signed up for a prize (don't remember what) at a Rockets game a while back and my entry form was picked. I can choose a trip to Vegas, Orlando or Cozumel, but I have to take a 90 minute tour at KD Resorts in Galveston. I grilled the guy over the phone to see if this was a scam, but it presumably looks clear. Has anyone heard of these guys? Or has anyone else gotten a call? http://kdwestresorts.com/
I did something like this in Orlando 15+ years ago. Go ahead and sit through the pitch. It will be a very hard sell and hard close. You just have to say no at the end (likely several times, maybe forcefully). If you haven't been through anything like this before it won't be pleasant, but oh well. When you are in Orlando or Cozumel, it will have been time well spent. On second thought, if you are the type of person that has a hard time saying "no" to in-person hard sales pitches, maybe you shouldn't do it. You have to stay in control of the conversation when they sit you down at the end and do the hard close. I don't know if scam is the right word for it, though calling it just a "tour" is obviously misleading.
It's a timeshare pitch. You did not win anything. But they do pay you to sit through their pitch. SAY NO TO THE TIMESHARE. Even if it's something you might use....you can buy it for anywhere from 5% to 50% 'resale' on ebay or elsewhere if you really think it's for you. The trip may or may not be a good deal. You will have to sit through the high pressure sale, of course. "Change fees" or required flights/accommodation could render the 'deal' more expensive then a legit special. Or if you can use it exactly as they offer, it could be a sweet deal. But be VERY careful. Remember.....you did not actually win anything. I've sat through a bunch of these in the past. Generally, I found the trips were way too inflexible as offered, and too expensive to alter...but sometimes other incentives were worth it.
Thanks for the responses! Much appreciated. I'm leaning towards cancelling the appointment...not sure yet. I like free things as much as anyone, but if this is really that big of a headache I'd rather pass.
i've known a few people who have done this. if you know you'll be able to say no, then i'd go for it.
Got free passes to the HAWAII Polynesian Cultural Center by sitting through one of those sales pitches from some cool dude at the now closed Ilikai. I wasn't picked or selected. It's just a way to make you feel better. In Las Vegas they tried to get me to go to that Tahiti Village thingiemajiggie but I was there on business. If you ever go on vacation, make sure you have enough time to dedicate at least 4 hours to this. We used up time we could have had going somewhere else, but I did get the free tickets for my entire family. Otherwise I would have been out close to $300.
I got a call from these guys today asking me to bring a second form of ID..."a checkbook or credit card works fine." LOLLL
Like has been said, they will try very hard to close the sale. You haven't seen anything like this before. Maybe it's worth going just for the experience of sitting through it. BTW, the phone call is part of it too. It plants a message you WILL buy.
