Timeshare Street Touts Target Holidaymakers

Are you looking forward to a nice relaxing well earned vacation in one of Europe's top holiday locations?

A dip in the hotel pool or the Mediterranean, a walk along the beach, a stroll along the promendade perhaps?

Not much else could be better or relaxing. But in many of Europe's top holiday destinations the calm and serenity is often disturbed by salesmen and women pouncing unexpectedly to try to sell a timeshare unit in the vicinity.

Tactics can range from someone introducing themselves by holding a map and looking at first as if they are going to ask the unsuspecting holidaymaker how to get somewhere, but then launching into a sales pitch to try and get them to a timeshare presentation.

Another favourite is to offer a scratchcard, with a prize of a free round of golf, a bottle of wine, or something similar - every scratchcard is a 'winner' - the flipside being that it has to be claimed at a timeshare sales presentation.

Once at the timeshare presentation, the sales team go into overdrive, with a slick presentation promoting the virtues of buying a timeshare week.

Often included is the ultimate financial inducement - not only will you have your own holiday home in the sun - but it will be an appreciating asset than can be easily sold at a profit in years to come.

And if you like to vary the destination where you take your holidays? No worries, you can swap your timeshare week for another week at a similar resort in locations around the world easily, allowing you the freedom to vacation wherever you want.

But the truth is often far removed from what is claimed at timeshare presentations.

Timeshare units often plummet in value - do not buy a timeshare if you need the money and it forms a good part of your savings. Sometimes a week's timeshare is advertised as a re-sale at less than 20 per cent of the price paid.

And don't buy a timeshare week wherever you are, be it holidays in Malta or elsewhere on the premise that you can holiday amost anywhere in the world, often timeshare owners find it nigh on impossible to swap their week with a week elsewhere, especially if the week owned is in low season.

Timeshare weeks in many European holiday resorts are a poor investment, carry annual maintenance charges that can add up to the equivalent of two return flights, and the chances of swapping for alternative locations not guaranteed.

Next time you're approached by a timeshare tout, ignore them, and if they're persistent report it the local tourist authority - if you do go to one of their presentations expect to be there a very long time and to come out thousands poorer than when you woke up that morning in the holiday mood.

Article Source: TravelFreeGuides.com

About the Author

Malta flights and other information is available by visiting yourmalta.com

Hotels including 4 and 5 star Malta hotels are online too.

by: Osborne

Total views: 2 Word Count: 498 Date: Sat, 3 Apr 2010 Time: 11:04 PM - 0 comments

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