Invitation to visit a campground question..

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Icemaker

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 12, 2011
Posts
967
I got a call offering me a "free" 30 day stay if I went on a tour of a "resort".. no strings attached[??] and a free meal.
I had a weak moment and said I'd go on their tour..but now am wondering if that in any way implies any obligation on my part. I envision it as similar to taking a test drive..
I've never stayed at any "resort" park.. and the parks that have asked for the age of my coach have always been the ones that denied admittance..I now just avoid that chain of parks.
When I had a trailer I liked to put it on a site looking across the lake..I prefer the 9.9 ones..
But with the class A's I prefer to not let the tires take a set when I'm using them..
Sorry I'm rambling so..
I guess I'm asking if any one can shed some information as to what to expect when I go on this tour?
Will it be a waste of my time and gas to go?
I received this e-mail shortly after the call..."We are excited about you and your family?s upcoming visit at Wally World Riverside Resort, our premier, secure resort located in Loudonville, OH."

Thanks

George

 
I suspect like any "Stay for a day and take our tour", they are going to pressure you into buying into their membership.  But just because you accepted their invitation, does not obligate you to anything.  You will be pressured by the salesman, and he/she will try to make you feel guilty for not buying.  But if you hold your ground (if you indeed do not wish to purchase), there is nothing they can do. 

I always looked at those as a challenge to my ability to say no.  And in my moments of weakness, I always had my wife to whack me upside the head.  It works well for us.  Good luck!
 
Also make sure you do not believe anything they say.  I doubt any of them will outright lie but they will omit details and exaggerate everything that can help them make a sale. 
 
    We got a good friend that used to look for those types of presentations, particularly for Time Shares.  When in the meeting he would say to the presenters, I come to these because I love to see how good your sales techniques are.  You are selling something that has negative value, yet you are able to sell to many people who are well educated and smart individuals.  So, in supervising sales people, he wanted to pick up some new ways to improve their sales pitch.
  As stated above, they are trying to sell you a membership, or a site.  Usually, these can be obtained cheaper from individuals who no longer want to use their membership/site so don't jump at the pitch, do your research and then make a cool decision.

Ed
 
I am one of the people Ed spoke about, for years we visited timeshare ski lodges and took advantage of the three free days. Must have visited 20 or so places. Became fun to listen to the high pressure sales pitch. Like Ed's friend I had a sales firm and was amassed at the skill and ability to sell something below par value. They were right up there with the Baker TV preacher.
Seems to me if offered a free visit with a tour, all is fair in love and war.
Jim
 
went to one in floria for a time share. they were offering disney tickets for taking the tour.  i refused to give them a credit card so they could 'check my credit'.  after several attempts to get a credit card out of me by different sales reps no one would talk to me. i never did get the tickets because i couldnt get the tour without giving them a credit card.  i didnt see how having a credit card had anything to do with the situation and was wary of a scam.  if you have the time and dont mind sitting through the sales pitch, go for it. i wouldnt give them a credit card for any reason.
 
I think you are getting a real clear message here.  If you are uncomfortable in a situation like this which will become somewhat confrontational as they push and you resist, then you should not go.  If you look at it as a challenge, and if your wife is willing to hit you in the head if you waver, then it should be a fun time taking advantage of their hospitality.  And if you like what they tell you, come home and shop for a discounted  one on the Internet. Usually no more than $1000 for what they will want $5000+ for.
 
A free 30 day stay? Wow - the incentives sure have increased a lot since my last go-round with the RV site sales people. Last one we tried was just 5 nights and we lucked out when the sales staff got their calendar mixed up and there was nobody available to give us the aggressive sales pitch on the appointed day. Naturally I declined to come back another day just to hear the pitch.

If they are offering a true 30 days, I would expect multiple attempts to convince you to buy in, but if you don't mind playing the "hard sell" game you can make out ok. Just make sure you understand what you have to do to get the 30 days - there should be no obligation other than to listen to them blather for awhile. If they can't (or won't) explain that in simple terms, I would cancel.
 
They may very likely load you into the sales person's car and go for a tour of their property. You might anticipate being a "captive" for several hours. It will go faster if you make it perfectly clear that you absolutely will not be buying. Being polite could be counter productive.

Joel
 
Great Horned Owl said:
They may very likely load you into the sales person's car and go for a tour of their property. You might anticipate being a "captive" for several hours. It will go faster if you make it perfectly clear that you absolutely will not be buying. Being polite could be counter productive.

Joel

I am single and at this stage of life will remain so..it's all on my head if I succumb to their blather ..sigh..
I tried hard to explain that going to a resort was not my cup of tea...I like seclusion and do not use saunas or do the bingo thingy...
I'll definitely not give my CC info...they wanted me to very much bring a spouse...
I'll post my experience as I'm scheduled for a Friday encounter..

George
 
George
I googled thier site and it looks like a nice place, BUT: most of the pictures were probably taken when the membership was first introduced.
It without question is a membership club, and all of thier information and offers say 3 day stay for free.
If you have a strong will power and can say NO, go for it, just don't be surprised when you find out it's only 3 days stay.
We have been forced to move to a less prime location as soon as they knew we wern't going to buy.
Good luck.
Larry and Rita
 
This is a membership club cg offered through TRA (Travel Resorts of America), and yes, the 30 days of free camping is the real deal. As a single person this club membership may not be your thing; for us it works. We have a 'home' cg we can stay at for free in NC, and can visit any of their other CGS for about $10/night. We went to the one they just bought in FLA over Christmas and never had to pay a cent. I just feel this arrangement gives more options as we learn about our RV and still have 2 teens & grands we can take with us for long weekends during the school year. They also have 2 CGS at the beach so we have several options in that direction. We're pleased with our decision but as I said, this may be to everyone's taste.
 
Icemaker said:
...they wanted me to very much bring a spouse...
I'll post my experience as I'm scheduled for a Friday encounter.
George

Heh, yeah, Thousand Trails wanted me to bring my spouse also one time (I've done a couple through them).  At the time, I was in Houston (new job) and my wife was still in San Antonio with my youngest son.  I tried to tell them I was separated, but since it was not "divorced", they insisted I bring my wife.  I kept telling them I could not since we were separated.  They would not work with just me...not unless I was divorced.  Funny stuff.
 
edjunior said:
I suspect like any "Stay for a day and take our tour", they are going to pressure you into buying into their membership.  But just because you accepted their invitation, does not obligate you to anything.

I will second that, But did you say THIRTY DAY, Usually it is a 3 day invite.  They must think h highly about their "Resort".


I have taken a few of those tours (At least half a dozen) only bought 2, Glad I did, but .... Membership camping is not for everyone, Just now I need it, that should change soon.

Here is how most membership outfits work, For a set monthly or annual dues payment (Say 500/year, note this is an example and highly rounded) you can use the park for two out of 3 or three out of for weeks, EVERY 3 or 4 weeks,

So my memberships.

Winters I spend 2 weeks where I am now (one of the memberships) and one week in a government park (11/night) so for less than less than 150/month. I have parking.

Summertime I have two memberships I use 2 weeks in one and then 2 in the other, (The other gives me a bunch of parks clustered, but alas all in Michigan) I'm spending less than 100/month for full time parking, that's parking with water, sewer, electric (30 or 50 amps depending 30 where I am now) and Wi-Fi in the membership parks.

On the other hand.. I'm not travelilng as much as I'd like to.. That will change hopefully this year but I'm still going to use as many membership parks as I can.
 
My BIL bought  a camping spot just south of Rapid City.  They wanted $4600.00 but found a private sale and he offered $1000.00 which the staff scoffed at but to their surprise the owner grabbed it up.  They live in Rapid and now camp almost every weekend.  Actually for that price they got two camp sites so we can visit and pay only $5.50 a night to stay there.  I think they said something about Hart Ranch campground.
 
Icemaker my wife and I went to a show this past weekend in Indianapolis and the same people were there with the same pitch. The resorts looked nice and they offered us the same deal. 3o free nights but we had to pay $20 for each person but they would give us a $50 dollar gas card to drive over and listen to the pitch. We thought about it but this sales guy was too pushy. He wanted a credit card number to process the $20 fee per person. I just did not care for his pressure tactics. I found you had to listen to him very carefully. He asked us if we liked water parks? 4 wheeler trails? Shooting guns? Horseback riding? He showed us pictures of all this stuff real fast while pitching. I told him I would contact him later. I went home and pulled the park up online and found none of the ammenities at the campground but they were a close drive. He never said they were at the campground, he just made it appear that way in his little presentation. After reading Steve & Linda i feel a little more interested after reading his post. Please let us know if you go and check it out. Wally World was one of them and I think Rocky Fork Ranch was the other.
 
In sales, especially compulsive buying where they have only one chance to close the deal....there are no "we'll be back" or 'be backs' in that type of selling. They need both decision makers there in person. They have lots of what they call "one-leggers" and they are generally half of a couple who wants to hear the pitch just to find out the price, so they are alone and then try to sell it to their spouse. Or of course, the one legger has a built in reason for not buying now. They have to talk it over with the wife or husband. Many many years ago, I sold kitchen remodeling for Sears, and all appointments absolutely required both people home. Often, you would arrive at the home at 6 pm when husband and wife were supposed to be home, and find only the wife who would make some excuse as to why hubby was not home.  We were instructed to not stay, and to try to reschedule the appointment. In my 3 years of selling kitchen remodeling, I only closed 1 "one-legger".
 
Sounds like how I ended up with a timeshare. Lots of half truths and a few out right lies. We go now days just for the freebe's, cash or free resort nights. Then they get down to the sales pitch we tell them we already have a time share and know more about how they work then they do.
 
I chose to skip the wally World as the route there was pretty unsure w/the storm going thru and someone from there said the other "guests" had rescheduled..
While rescheduling I found out Rocky Fork is closer and larger.. I'm scheduled for a sat visit...
I'll keep my check book and credit card in my pocket...
I almost never buy on a spur of the moment...well... I did buy the Dolphin while waiting for the repair shop to bandage up my Elandan....and I'm in love w/the old Dolphin and putting the Elandan out to pasture.
I'll relay my experiences..

George
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
134,554
Posts
1,431,382
Members
140,125
Latest member
Schwabelectric
Back
Top Bottom