My Chicago Garden

The family and I were wandering around Outdoor World a few months ago and couldn’t sneak past the free vacation people that are always there.  In fact, lately I’ve been upset that Outdoor World has associated themselves with them. Usually I wave them off with a grunt and move past as quickly as possible.  I don’t know why I decided to stop and listen to the pitch this time though…but I did.

Anyway…what the guy basically said was I pay them $49 right now and I get 2 nights at a resort of my choice (they have 40 to choose from) and after I arrive at the hotel I would get $50 in Visa gift cards.  What’s the catch?  You have to listen to a 2 hour presentation and take a tour of the resort.  Aha! Gotcha! It’s a timeshare proposition.  I figured with the $50 gift cards I basically get 2 free nights at a resort if I sit through a 2 hour presentation like a rock.  So I signed up.

 My family and my wife’s family have done this kind of thing before.  You listen to some sales weenie try and sell you on a time share, you say no about 60 times in the 2 hours and then they let you walk away, only after calling you a liar for having taken their money and not purchased anything.  I figured I have been called worse by better so what do I care.

Immediately after getting home I called their 800 number to figure out what the other catches were and on which screwed up dates I would be allowed to use my 2 free nights.  It actually went pretty smoothly.  I picked two off season nights (required of course) in February and was booked right away. No hassles.

When the day came to drive up to the Wisconsin Dells (Mt. Olympus Water park) for our 2 free nights, my wife and I laughed at how stupid this was and how we would have to be hard nosed and just keep saying no.

We pulled into the welcome center and were handed vouchers for our 2 hour presentation and our 2 free nights and our 2 x $25 gift cards.  We went over to the hotel and checked in with no issues.  Strange…I should have been accosted by now at least twice.  I found out later than we were in an ‘upgraded’ room.  The room was not 5 star by any means but it was at least average or better. We quickly checked in and the family ran over to the water park before it closed.

The next day we went over for the presentation and surprisingly we were NEVER asked to actually buy anything. I was completely astonished.  They showed us why they thought buying into their vacation club (which is not strictly a time share…you basically purchase "points" each year you can spend as you like) was a good idea for _some_ people.  We then went on a tour of the facility and they asked if we had any questions.  Being a glutton for punishment and not having actually heard the price of anything (the presentation was very high level) I sat down with one of their sales guys.  Later my wife said she noticed he had a 1million dollar sales ring on his finger.  He was very helpful, answered all my questions and never once pressured me to buy anything.  He obviously was showing me how everything was priced and trying to point out all the benefits.  And my wife did have to force a couple answers out of him by asking direct questions. But he never once tried to hide anything (that I could tell).  When I said I would need to think about it (eg: no thanks) he said no problem and walked me to the door and said if we had any other questions or wanted to sign up, just to stop by tomorrow and all those extra special bonuses would still apply…but not after.

My wife and I talked all the way back to the hotel about how that was the most amazing non-hassle sales pitch we had ever seen.  It might have actually worked on us…except for one small issue.  We don’t usually stay at resorts.  We are the kind of family that vacations by going hotel to hotel on a journey. Like driving through Yellowstone, or up and down the east coast or up and down the west coast.  Using most of my vacation time each year to stay at a resort for 7 nights just doesn’t do it for us.  Now if Bluegreen can get me a camp site in the valley of Yosemite National Park every year sign me up! (they can’t by the way, seems nobody can).

If you are the kind of person or family that vacations that way, I would highly recommend Bluegreen.  In fact my wife has already called her parents to tell them to go listen to the sales pitch (and get 2 free nights of course).  They tend to vacation that way.  I have no idea how they treat their club members, but if they treat them anything like how they treated me, they are nothing like the old school time share folks I know.

All I can say is Wow!  Thanks Bluegreen for a very nice vacation.  And good for you Outdoor World for only partnering with a vacation club that isn’t annoying!