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Discrimination and Duplicity

 

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February/20/09

 

I'm on vacation in Hawaii, visiting a (male) friend who works here at one of the military bases. I'm downtown and obviously just "touristing" and a young man asks if I'm interested in a Luau or Whale-watching trip - which I am. I'm alone all day and looking for fun things to do.

So, the first thing he asks is if I'm married and I say "no, I'm visiting a friend who works at the base and I'm not with anyone". Then he says he works for Shell Vacation Club timeshares and he can give me free tickets to a Luau and a day-trip to go snorkling for sitting in on a presentation.

Well, it just so happens that my sister has 3 RCI timeshares and has told me that the presentations are great, the gifts good, and since my kids have finally moved away from home, I was actually open to the idea of finding a timeshare, so I said "Yes." So, then the young man goes through a list of questions, my salary, am I homeowner, etc. Then he has to go pass this info on to his supervisor and get a confirmation # for the next day's presentation - all told, probably 35-40 mins of talk and waiting.

SO, I get up the next morning, get dressed and go to the hotel where the presentation is being held. There is already quite a large group gathered, I'm obviously alone because the receptionist immediately asks me to step over to a different person. This person, who does not identifiy herself immediately says, "Are you traveling alone?" I said, "I'm visiting a friend that works here and he's at work" She then says (with an attitude already started),"Well in order to give you any gifts, your friend will have to attend with you or you can sit through the presentation and IF YOU BUY, we will give you gifts but we don't process individuals unless both parties attend".

I was taken-aback. I'm 43, have a secure job, own my own home, have raised two kids single-handedly and she's saying that I'don't qualify' because my friend isn't there holding my hand?!?! Then she got very snippy and just kept repeating that "that was the policy." I pointed out that their paperwork expressly says they don't discriminate based on marital status or household situation.

She basically made a scene of going to get my $20 deposit back and kept saying over and over, if you are visiting someone then they have to attend or you don't qualify. When I said, I'm on my own, financially able, not needing the assistant of my friend. She just kept repeating her mantra. Then, while I was standing there, she called the young man's boss that has signed me up and complained that they had sent her a "single, who was visiting". So I asked her if they did not sell to single people and she said, Yes, we sell to single people if they are traveling on their own.

How much BS. What a rude, obnoxious group of people!!!! I will eventually buy a timeshare but it would never be with this company and it makes me angry that they can get away with that kind of behaviour!

 

Submitted by: Deb McDonald

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