Dear Marriott Vacation Club,
Thank you for the invitation to take advantage of a New York City vacation where we can experience an inspired stay in the fun-filled Big Apple. Regretfully, we are going to decline, but I thought it would be impolite to decline without giving our reasons. These are listed below:
- We have no interest in attending a 90-minute timeshare sales presentation.
- In the past, compensation for such sales pitches was typically a short vacation wherever the pitch was taking place. But in this case your invitation to the New York City vacation indications that the package will cost $499.
- What you asking, therefore, is for us to pay nearly $500 for the privilege of attending a sales pitch. We are not masochists and would not be interested in shelling out five hundred bucks to listen to a 90 minute presentation.
- Fortunately, we have never been to Niagara Falls, which also happens to be in New York. We have decided to take a short vacation there this summer as a part of a road trip. Our stay there will cost less than $500, and the only presentation we feel obliged to attend is the one where millions of tons of water spills of a cliff. This is a much more dramatic presentation than I imagine a 90-minute infomercial would be.
- I note in the fine print that reservations have to be made 30 days in advance. I note that the location is “within walking distance” of Bryant Park. Out of curiosity, I checked out Marriott properties near Bryant Park for the first week in August. Interestingly, I can stay 4 days/3 nights (same as your offer) at the Courtyard by Marriott of Manhattan, Fifth Avenue for $402 (August 1-4) and do so without attending a sales pitch.
My question for you is: why would I pay $500 for a 4 day/3 night stay in New York City and be required to attend a 90 minute sales pitch, when I can stay there for the same period of time for $97 less and no sales pitch at all?
I wish you the best of luck with this offer, but if other people decide to put in 5 minutes of research the way I did, you may find yourself with an empty room to pitch to.
Sincerely yours,
Jamie Todd Rubin
P.S.: If you don’t want to receive commentary like this, you can take me off of your mailing list.
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