A multiple sinner!

This week I received some feedback from a reader of Trendwest Watch:

Hi Fabbo,

I love your work. I have been to 3 sales presentations so far. Each time I have only gone for the gift, and have always been told it would be my last chance to join. But they just keep calling every 12-14 months and my wife won't/can't say no.

The other day I was actually serious about joining, but again got out of there without paying, just on a promise to return to complete my decision making process. Couldn't believe I was in there for 3.5 hours -just had to go to get the kids from school.

What do you know about the transfer process? What do you have to watch out for when buying from someone else?

Each time the process has fascinated me too, as cynic. The sales lady had a real problem, until somehow she (and her manager that she kept calling every time I asked a question) actually got me seriously interested.

Well, it's nice to receive feedback -- thank you!

It is not my intention to be cynical -- I try to keep my posts objective, with lots of evidence for my opinions.

I love the idea of returning to the information evening to ask the really hard questions -- things like the 3-year points accumlator or sales commission they'd earn if successful. Of course, you could always try to get them to comment on the resale market and watch them sweat!

I have not been involved in the transfer process, but do know that both parties have to sign Trendwest documentation to complete the process. You'll need to have a level of trust between both parties since the transfer can take a few weeks to process. I'd suggest creating a bank cheque to prove the money is there, then processing the forms. It's a lot of money, so a form of escrow might be advisable.

Mind you, I'm now starting to think that rather than buying Holiday Credits, it's better to just rent them from owners who haven't used their allocation for the year. Good for the owners as a way of cashing out some of their investment and good for renters since they have no future liability. Just approach somebody trying to sell their credits via eBay and offer to rent some accommodation -- they'll probably accept!

Thanks for writing, and remember to tell all your friends about Trendwest Watch or, better yet, link to it to make it as popular as Boing Boing! :)

-- Fabbo

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