Mexico vacation scam?

[Shiper]

uh, guess I got hustled by the time share people at the airport. Thought he was our hotel rep so we paid for an excursion. Anyone have experience with this? Is it a massive waste of time to show up for our cheap excursion presentation? Feel like I just learned a $100 lesson, anyone ever done this?
I actually really want to do the thing we paid for, hope it isn't a total scam

 

[Screw-Rice]

Hasn't happened to me, but almost fell for it once in Vegas. They set up shop in the hotel, and if you aren't paying attention you think they are affiliated with the hotel and not some side company.

 

[Shiper]

I paid them already, guess the only thing to do is go and listen to the stupid presentation to get the trip

 

[Blkss13]

My friend just did this the other day in Mexico (Puerto Vallarta) and she enjoyed it because they got a deal. Only thing they had to do was the time share presentation. Not sure how long it was.

 

[GOTSVT?]

Signed up first time I went
Spent $20
They came to resort to pick us up and we said **** that
Never went
They are like rats at the airport

 

[forbanger]

Go to Mexico every year...some times twice.

I just walk past them and just say no all the time.

BTW, how did you pay them $100? At the hotel they offer you money. Just came back on 7/6 and the place I stayed at was offering $250 and a bunch of other stuff.

Last year in FL they gave us $150 for coming out and listen to them talk for 30min...Included free lunch.

 

[99cobrablack]

When my wife and I flew to cancun they were crawling around trying to sell time share. Our travel agent used a company that had white shirts with real vest for easy identification. I did get suckered into talkin to one. They are smooth and quick. Somehow at 26 I wasn't old enough to have my own time share.

 

[99cobrablack]

Teal vests*

 

[Poppacapp]

They will want to get you away from your car to another location.. VERY HIGH PRESSURE sales tactics. If you dont fall for it they will come WAY down on the price. The kicker is they get you away from being able to just get up and leave.. they have to give you a ride back to the office or your car. Not worth it IMO.

 

[Kevins89notch]

Last year in FL they gave us $150 for coming out and listen to them talk for 30min...Included free lunch.

I got a free tablet earlier this year. It's a crappy one, but free is free. :banana:

 

[Shiper]

Lol sounds like I learned a lesson. We paid for the excursion cruise thing, but as soon as we left the airport everyone was telling us what a scam it was, got my wife all freaked out that we were going to be kidnapped and murdered so she was too scared to go. Live and learn boys!

 

[Torch10th]

If you paid money, you got had. That's not how the time share deal typically works. At least in Mexico anyway. More than likely the guy you talked to went home $100.00 richer that day.

A lot of people enjoy doing those timeshare deals though. You usually get a meal and some activities out of it just for doing a 90 minute presentation. If you are okay with being pressured in to a sale and being able to say no, you can get a lot of cool stuff for cheap or free.

In your case you are probably still signed up for a time share tour and you may still get some of those freebies. You certainly don't pay money to go take a look at something that somebody is trying to sell you on though. It works the other way around.

I own at Hacienda Encantada in Cabo San Lucas. Every once in a while I'll do a tour with some of the other places around the area, just to see what they are doing and to get some cheap activities. Normally though and ESPECIALLY when you're at the airport, just keep walking and tell them firmly "no." If you say maybe or tomorrow or anything other than no, they'll continue to hound you.

 

[Shiper]

Well as part of agreeing to go to the presentation, he gave us a"deal" on a cruise around the islands, dinner, etc etc. I didn't just give him a hundo to listen to his sales bullshit. Wife got too scared about it tho. Oh well, def spent $100 on less intelligent things in my life I guess ha ha

 

[CobraBob]

My wife and I were approached by time share sellers in Aruba. They were all over the place. We were assured it was short (around 30 minutes) with no pressure at all. For our time, we'd get dinner tickets, a free Jeep rental, and some other perks. About $300.00 worth of stuff. We went. The presentation was just as stated. Short with absolutely no pressure to buy. At the end of the presentation we were simply asked if we wanted more info on buying the timeshare. It was either a yes or no. We said 'no', were then given our promised awards and we were on our way. It was so easy, I'd do it again. I realize, though, that not all presentations go like this.