[USA] Massanutten’s « giveaway » stipulations

This is just my personal expirence if you want a summary go to the last paragraph I had entered their « giveaway » through Facebook when it said ‘3 days 2 nights + $200 visa’ no other text on the picture. When I clicked on the link to fill out my information there were no disclaimers or any information about it being a timeshare presentation.

A day later I get a call from them saying I was selected for the giveaway. They asked who all was coming and when I told them it was me and my boyfriend, they asked if my boyfriend was available to talk (which i found very strange) I told them no he was still at work. They scheduled to call me back ince he was available because apparently they like having both parties present to plan.

When they called back they asked the questions about our employment status, how much we made, and all that. Afterwards they asked us when we’d be available for a « tour » at that point I realized it was a timeshare presentation. After scheduling a time they asked if I wanted to plan my stay right then and there. I wasn’t ready to plan it yet so they got into the stipulations that basically you had to stay a certain time in order to get the $200 visa. Since I was just taking the certificate to plan another time I was offered 3 Waterpark tickets instead. After all of that they ask you to put down a $99 « refundable » deposit. They transfer you to a different number and you give them your card information. What they dont tell you is that you dont get that money back on your card you get a visa card after the presentation. You only find this out after they send you the agreement through an email.

We arrived at Massanutten for the actual tour and was told over the phone it should last 60-90 minutes. (Thats a whole load of bs) the salesmen told us right out the gate it would be 90-120 minutes (bs again) they bring you into this big crowded room and tell you to grab food. Our salesman kept mumbling at us and it became very frustrating. We made it very clear we had no children and couldn’t have any. He kept bringing up the point we could pass down to our children and every single time we told him NO CHILDREN. After 2 hours of mumbling and running the numbers on our normal travel expenses we were convinced it would be a good idea to get the RCI membership and their timeshare.

The salesman told us we could airbnb all these different resorts and we could stay any week anytime (lie) we thought it would work out for us giving our constant traveling. Once we got into the money part is where it got really bad. Another man came over and started talking us up, we brushed it off at first then it became insulting. The man kept talking me down and acting like my boyfriend was the only person that mattered in this situation even though the timeshare was in MY name. I asked multiple times to see how the website worked and how exactly the system itself worked, they wouldn’t. After multiple hours and headaches we signed all the paperwork and was on our way.

I started researching RCI and quickly learned that everything the salesman told me was a blatant LIE. I found multiple subreddits and Facebook groups calling them out on these lies as well. We immediately sent a letter canceling our timeshare and got our refund.

The « Giveaway » part- You receive a certificate for the vacation and whatever they decide to give you (visa or Waterpark tickets) on the certificate it says you have to request dates 45 days prior and you cant do weekends june-september. They also reserve the right to put you in a nearby hotel if they dont have the availability. So you have to send in this letter with 3 dates that you want and they’ll send you back saying if they work or not. If not they send you another request. After you agree to a date it is nonrefundable and cant be changed.

To summarize: They beat around the bush to tell you its a timeshare presentation. The salesman is extremely rude and lies. The 3 days and 2 nights is real but comes with a million stipulations. DO NOT EVER BUY A TIMESHARE