i guess i entered my name in to win some stuff at a restaurant or somewhere like that because we got a call from a timeshare place in lynden, asking if we wanting to come to a tour/presentation thing. obviously, my initial reaction was, 'heck no!' but they lured me in with the promise of a gift certificate for free gas and a free trip. we knew it was probably a scam but thought we'd check it out in case at least the gas part was true.
so off we went.
here's the thing with timeshare. if you work the system, and have good enough properties, you can make it work for you. *but* you really do have to work the system. i am not interested in timeshare, and am especially not interested in RCI - possibly because i worked there, and mostly had to deal with customers who were confused about why they 'can't get a week in the UK on anything other than a canalboat' and why they have to go to florida, the canaries, or if they're lucky, costa del sol every year.
as well as that, the rates for exchange are crazy and then there's the maintenance fees, and of course the initial payment, oh and the cost of being a member so that you can do the exchange. so, as long as you know that, you have nothing to complain about. the problem is that the people selling the timeshare do not tell you that. our 'tour guide' really tried some moves on us, and they were exactly what people would complain to me about when they were trying to book a holiday.
anyway, no, i'm not interested in timeshare, and yes the gift certificates were bunk. there are a lot of hoops to jump through, and a lot of taxes and service fees to sort through before you see the cost of the 'free' stuff they give you.
also, while the suites seemed okay there, they weren't worth thousands of dollars for one week a year and what the heck is there to do in lynden?
moral of the story? don't expect the free gifts to be free or gifts if you get asked to a timeshare presentation in lynden. great links resorts and their gifts are a total scam. well done to Don, who tried his best moves on us, and made us laugh all the way home. his 'thing' was asking the manager for extra special rates and stuff for us. oh boy... thanks for the laughs, great links.
