Many years ago the author of this article held a senior management position with a large financial services company. Said company decided to introduce an annual staff appraisal programme and then put all management through an appraisal training course. One point that sticks in the memory of the author is the tutor explaining the power of the negative.
In an appraisal, the appraiser makes 9 positive comments about the member of staffs’ performance and has only one negative comment. The trainer pointed out that upon leaving the appraisal meeting, the only comment the staff member would retain and dwell on would be the negative comment. The message was be careful how to phrase and criticize as negatives are far more powerful than positives.
When online shopping, potential buyers are now far wiser by viewing negative comments before positive comments to get a feel for the quality of the product. Too many negatives and they walk away.
Timeshare – positive or negative?
Given that we all pay greater attention to the internet nowadays, more than ever before, it would be extremely sensible for any company to pay notice to the reputation they are creating by reference to their customer reviews. Trustpilot has become one of the go to sites to gauge a company’s reputation. Trustpilot has rules that state no matter how good or bad the posting; the company commented on has a right to reply but has no power to remove the post, so the good bad or ugly will all appear.
Whilst researching this article we took a look at some of the reviews for a few of the major players in the timeshare industry and for sure, the negative outweighs the positive by some considerable margin:
Not a single review is above poor or bad, a pretty sad indictment of customer opinion. In order of fairness we need to point out two important factors. In the first instance, in some cases there are very few reviewers and secondly its human nature to moan before complimenting, that said there appears to be a considerable amount of work to be done by developers to improve customer perception.
“The first step to changing the public’s perception of your product is to acknowledge what the public’s perception of your product is.”
TCA certainly don’t have the time or resource to look at every developer and we are in no doubt that there will be a few that will shine way above the rest, but the vast majority will almost certainly languish at the bottom of consumer perception and sentiment.
Time was a luxury we couldn’t afford, but from the results we did scan the main complaints were sales lies, availability and maintenance fees, and so no real surprises there.
TCA comment
Unlike a purchase from the likes of Amazon, timeshare buyers don’t have the ability to research their potential purchase during a long high pressured sales presentation. Very few timeshare owners actually set out with the plan to buy a timeshare, most ended up in a sales presentation by accident having been induced to attend by some sort of free offer or gift. If they eventually buy, then apart from a cooling off period, 14 days in Europe but in the USA as little as 3 days in some States, once the contract is signed and in force there is no way back. Being aware after the event if you’ve spent £20 on a duffer online is annoying, but not life changing. Spending upwards of £20,000 when a mistake is discovered can be devastating, especially if the purchase was facilitated with expensive finance.
If you should end up in a timeshare presentation, don’t fall for the bluff that what’s on offer will only be available today. For sure the same offer or an even better one will be available tomorrow and the day after, in fact forever. Leave the presentation, do your research, look at Trustpilot and if in the States look at the BBB. If you still decide on a yes, then revisit the developer and ask for a better deal, believe us, it will be there.
The “tour” of a timeshare resort brings out all the positives, fantastic accommodation, nice gardens, great pool and super hospitality facilities, everything you could possibly want from a holiday. That said it has to be remembered that there is a vast difference between a resort and a timeshare ownership contract, as the expression goes “all that glitters is not necessarily gold”. For all the positives there are also negatives and for the price to buy in, you need to be fully conversant with both before you sign the contract. Crying over spilt milk and saying “I didn’t understand what I was getting into” simply won’t wash. Once your signature is on the dotted line, you’re in, and in for a very long time at that.
For more information regarding this article or assistance in any other timeshare related issues please contact the TCA on 01908 881058 or email: info@TimeshareConsumerAssociation.org.uk