[net.consumers] Prizes for resort sales pitches

ir524@sdccs6.UUCP (ir524) (08/31/84)

Some things to be aware of when responding to this type of come on in
order to evaluate whether it is worth your time or not.
	1. Is the prize which appears to be the least valuable really
	the one you are most likely to get.  Read the odds (the very
	fine print).  One item will have odds approaching 99.9%. 
	This is the one you will get.  If it does not appear to be the
	cheapest it's probably because they are describing it in a way
	which makes it sound better than it is.  Ask yourself, what is
	the cheapest article made which could have this name?

	2. Depending on the group you will get from medium to very high
	pressure.  The best way of getting the 'tour' over with quickly
	is to be attentive but unresponsive.  They are all on commission
	and will not want to waste time.  Don't try to rationally
	explain why the deal is not as good as they say, this only 
	encourages them to try to explain it another way.

Summary:  If your going that way anyway and you have a thick skin drop
	  in, waste a half hour, and collect your wonderful prize.

-- 

UUCP  ihnp4\
      akgua  \     Peter Woodbury, UCSD
      decvax  >----!sdcsvax!sdccs6!ir524
      dcdwest/  
      ucbvax/ 

terryl@tekchips.UUCP (Terry Laskodi) (08/31/84)

     As Peter Woodbury at UCSD said, LOOK AT THE FINE PRINT!!! DO NOT
LOOK AT THE PRICES OF THE PRIZES BEING OFFERED!!!I went to one of these
resort-type pitches a couple of months ago, but I asked around and was
fully prepared and realized which prizes I would receive. After going to
this one, and getting a couple of more invites, it looks like the favorite
prize to give it is a "six piece matching luggage set". Boy, did they really
stretch the meaning of the word luggage!!! What the luggage consists of is
six pieces of nylon handbag-type luggage that is really cheap and tacky
looking. Another favorite prize is a "35mm camera". This is just a cheap toy
camera with a fixed-focus plastic lens. I now know that any time I get one
of these "you have already won" promotions, I don't even bother opening the
envelope.



				Terry Laskodi
				     of
				Tektronix

piety@hplabs.UUCP (Bob Piety) (09/05/84)

Just how bad are these high pressure pitches?  Anyone care to share the gory
details?  All I've heard were generalities about high pressure, guilt
feelings for not buying, etc.

I recently threw away a 5" B&W TV offer, but came close to saying "what the
heck" and going to the presentation, with no intention of buying.  Would I
have survived?  I've heard that these outfits train their people in a
new-type scientific sales technique that borders on brainwashing.  They
study subtle signs in your replies, actions, sitting positions, etc to get
feedback to their pitch.  Does it work?

Please share the details of your sales-pitch survival. (or tell why you were
pressured into it)


Bob

pmd@cbscc.UUCP (09/05/84)

My wife and I toss all that "you have definitely won one of the following:"
stuff in the trash now.  But we did bite at one once.  We were told that
we had won a prize from the list.  All of them looked pretty good.  Tops
was a Cadillac (sp?  You can tell I didn't get it.) 

The sales pitch was the real high pressure type, but we were armed with
the excuse that we already owned 2 timeshare weeks in a condo at a very
nice resort in Tenessee.  They were pushing "campground" timeshares (where
you get the use of a well equipped camping trailer in various campgrounds
around the country during the timeshare weeks that you purchase).  All we
had to do to resist their sales pitch was compare what they were trying to
sell us to what we already have.  Their "product" didn't stack up at all.
When the young lady trying to sell to use got tired, she called over the
man who was running the operation.  He told us that he just so happened
to have some timeshares that were purchased, but the loans hadn't gone
though (or something like that) and that he could let me have those at
a reduced price with better financing.  I explained to him why we weren't
really interested and he was visibly upset, acting as if we had done
something personally offend him.  He just gave up in disgust and ask the
sales woman to give us our prize and show us out.

Needless to say, up until that point we hadn't been told which of the
prizes we had won.  It was the food processor.  Now, what do you picture
when you think of a food processor?  Quisine Art?  Osterizer?  Robot Coupe?
We did too.  But what we got was a little plastic thing powered by a
hand crank (an energy efficient model, no doubt).  They would probably sell
for $3.99 ea. at Kmart and they probably got a room full of them for much
less than that.

My impression is that if they have to lure you with such sales tricks
their product must not be able to sell on its own merits.  Which was
true in this case.

The timeshare condos we bought in Tenessee had an much more honest lure.
They gave us $50 cash (*before* the sales pitch) for the
trip and two free nights in their lodge to look the resort over.  Also,
we weren't pressured into buying.  The place sold itself to us.
-- 

Paul Dubuc 		{cbosgd,ihnp4}!cbscc!pmd

  The true light that enlightens every one was coming
  into the world...		(John 1:9)