My husband and I have gone to two timeshare pitches: One in Hawaii on our belated honeymoon and one in Vancouver, Washington. I learned so much both times, and I’m happy to say my marriage is stronger than ever. That’s not by accident: We found ways to stay strong together in timeshare presentations and resist the wedges the salespeople are trained to drive between couples during their pitch. Now I’m sharing those timeshare sales tactics with you—so you can earn that free vacation, resist being manipulated into buying something you don’t actually want, and still have your partner to travel with!

Whether you’re a timeshare pitch veteran or are considering attending one for the first time (and for the promise of a free vacation, amirite?!), you need these tested hacks Hubs and I learned firsthand to survive a timeshare pitch.

Survive a timeshare pitch as a couple

Chances are, you or your partner has been approached by a timeshare company to attend a presentation selling points or owning a timeshare. Stats back this up: The timeshare industry has grown consistently over the last 8 years, and sales of timeshares has increased by more than a quarter since 2013, according to industry research.

That’s a lot of people buying timeshare properties and points.

In fact, industry insiders suggest that about 15% of people buy a timeshare after listening to a pitch—yet many feel pressured or intimidated into making the purchase.

All that confusion and hardball sales tactics can be hard on your relationship (and you’ll probably have to attend as a couple, as many timeshare companies require you to decide to buy together). Hard feelings are common especially if one person in your couple is more of a green light than the other.

But you don’t have to end a timeshare pitch with resentment, hurt feelings or a sense of #fomo. You and your partner can resist heavy-handed timeshare sales tricks and keep your bond as strong as ever. Here’s how.

8 timeshare sales tactics—and hacks to resist them

1. Know your goals and resources

The sales pitch: Playing to emotions. Salespeople use the timeshare sales trick of relying on your emotions to make a gut decision to purchase a timeshare. After all, you probably didn’t go into the timeshare presentation planning to buy (and they definitely know that); even still, timeshares are wildly successful—because they manage to sell them even to couples that didn’t intend to buy.

Beat the sales tactic: Take a hard look. Before you step into the sales presentation, know your resources: How much discretionary spending do you have in your budget? How much vacation time do you have? Knowing these facts ahead of time will help you resist the dream of staying in a timeshare property 6 weeks a year if you only get 2 weeks of PTO.

How it worked for us: We had recently bought a minivan (aka #swaggerwagon!) before we attended a timeshare presentation. So to survive a timeshare pitch, we just had to remind each other that any wiggle room in our budget was now caught up in the four wheels that would have to drive us to our more modest, budget-friendly vacations for at least a while longer.

2. Play as a team

The sales pitch: Playing couples off each other. When you have a tangled necklace, you start to tease the chain apart by starting with the looser end. The same goes for timeshare sales techniques: They approach the sale by targeting the more enthusiastic or susceptible half of the couple. Once they have one person convinced, he or she often persuades the hesitant person.

Beat the sales technique: Go in with an agreement. If you’re attending the timeshare presentation just for the free gift or vacation (no judgment!), be up front about that with each other—from the beginning.

How it worked for us: The promise of two free plane tickets and two nights’ stay in a hotel persuaded me to sign up for the timeshare presentation in the first place, and that’s how I convinced Hubs to come (though I also told him I’d cancel it in a heartbeat if he gave a hard no).

3. Have a kill switch

The sales pitch: Now or never. At some point, timeshare salespeople have to close—to make a hard sell. If a potential customer isn’t going to buy, they’ll have to cut their losses and move on, but they’ll use all their timeshare sales tactics to get you to say “yes.”

Beat the sales tactic: Establish veto power. To survive a timeshare pitch, agree that either person in your couple can say a hard no—and that will be the end of the story.

How it worked for us: I signed up for the most recent timeshare presentation while I was at a home show, and the way I got Eric to go to the pitch in the first place was to establish this rule. He knew he could say no and I would agree, regardless of how I felt about it. It cemented a sense of trust between us that neither of us would be pressured, and that we always had a way out if buying a timeshare wasn’t worth it.

4. Know your roles

The sales pitch: Appealing to the more enthusiastic partner. Timeshare salespeople know that one person in the couple is more likely to be open to buying a timeshare, so it makes sense that they appeal to the more gung-ho person. They’ll encourage that person’s enthusiasm or curiosity by encouraging them to imagine a family vacation in one of the wonderful spots they’ll show you.

Beat the sales tactic: It’s easy to get caught up in the possibilities of owning a timeshare property. Being aware that you may fall into this dream—in spite of your logic or any promises you made to absolutely not buy a timeshare—helps prevent some of the in-the-moment excitement.

How it worked for us: Based on our first timeshare pitch experience, we knew I’m more susceptible to the timeshare sales tactics; in Hawaii, I was ready to buy into the timeshare—even though we barely had enough money to pay our cell phone bill! So we knew that to survive a timeshare pitch this time, Hubs would have to stay strong and be the voice of reason during the “discussion time” salespeople leave you to have.

5. Don’t rush

The sales pitch: Claim the deal won’t last forever. Timeshare salespeople create a sense of urgency around buying a timeshare because they’re about a zillion times more likely to sell a timeshare while you’re there in the presentation room. They know they need to close the deal in that moment, and applying subtle pressure to buy immediately makes people more likely to buy a timeshare.

Beat the sales technique: Timeshares have been around for decades, and they’re not going anywhere. Salespeople will show you deals they have just for that day (which are way cheaper than the ones available on other days), but honestly, you’ll always be able to get a good deal if you want.

How it worked for us: Hubs, who was the more level-headed half of our couple and who definitely helped us survive the timeshare pitch, reminded me that we can always sign up for another timeshare presentation down the line if we do decide it’s a good fit for our family. There is no shortage of timeshare opportunities.

6. Evaluate your vacations

The sales pitch: Inspire huge vacation dreams. Timeshare salespeople will show you examples of the most beautiful, luxurious timeshare properties in the most desirable locations to make you imagine the best vacation ever. Bali! The Maldives! Tahiti! They’ll have you dreaming up vacations in places you’d never wanted to visit—until this timeshare pitch.

Beat the sales technique: Before even stepping into the timeshare pitch, you and your partner should talk through the kinds of vacations you take today and the kinds of vacations you want to take in the future. Those kinds of vacations might not match with buying a timeshare.

How it worked for us: During the timeshare presentation, Hubs and I used our family’s lifestyle as a touchstone to resist the sales technique. We do a lot of camping, we bring our dog on most vacations, and many of our trips center around visiting family in locations where the timeshare company didn’t have any properties. In this way, we were able to logically see that the timeshare didn’t actually make sense for our family.

7. Read body language

The sales pitch: Taking cues from body language. Salespeople of all stripes are expert at reading subtle cues from potential customers. Are they leaning forward? Are their hands on the table? Are they constantly looking at the clock? They use this body language to fine-tune their delivery.

Beat the sales tactic: Keep tabs on your partner’s body language, from how they are sitting to what they’re doing with their arms. This will clue you in to see if they’re digging the experience or getting defensive. That way you can mirror their attitude and present a united front to the salesperson.

How it worked for us: At one point in the most recent timeshare pitch we attended, Eric crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. This body language told me that he’d been triggered by something the salesperson said. Knowing him, I was able to figure out that the salesperson’s tactic—to suggest we were depriving our kids of family vacations if we didn’t buy—touched a nerve. Because I was paying attention, I could see that he was ready to be done.

8. Remember the free gift

The sales pitch: All or nothing. Timeshare salespeople design their presentations to make you feel as if you must buy in the moment—or lose out big. They focus on what you can have with the not-so-subtle suggestion that you’ll have wicked #fomo if you say no.

Beat the sales technique: When you’re caught up in the sales pitch, it can feel as if you lost when you say “no”—even if that was your goal to begin with. You also might leave feeling manipulated or put down. So when you leave, remind yourself of whatever free gift you earn when you survive a timeshare pitch. Having a free vacation to look forward to will help put a positive spin on even a negative experience.

How it worked for us: Before we attended the timeshare presentation, we talked about where we wanted to go. We decided on Phoenix because I’ve never been there, we wanted a destination that was relatively close to our home in Oregon, and we wanted a warm and sunny vacation to take in the winter. So when we left the timeshare pitch, we already had a fun plan to look forward to.

Finally, I hinted that I would buy some new lingerie for our free vacation—and that didn’t hurt either! #hubbahubbah

Are timeshares worth it? That all depends.

This post isn’t meant to be a guide on saying no to timeshare pitches—unless that’s what you want to do. If timeshares genuinely fit with your lifestyle, budget and travel goals, hooray! Buy a timeshare! (or two, ha!)

That said, I don’t love a lot of the timeshare sales tactics, and many of them put uncomfortable pressure on couples. The presentations are crafted to manipulate you into buying, regardless of if buying a timeshare is a right fit for your family.

Either way—if timeshares are worth it for you or not—I know these tips to survive a timeshare pitch as a couple will help you emerge with your relationship intact.

I’m curious: Do you have any timeshare pitch horror stories, or any that went surprisingly well? Do you have tips to survive a timeshare pitch? Share in the comments below!

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