A “luxury” upgrade. A “guaranteed” resale value.
Timeshare sales reps just seem to relish dangling irresistible…and false… promotions to tempt prospective buyers.
Most people would call these “pie-in-the-sky” promises.
Offers so tempting, one can practically taste it. But in reality, these “deals” float somewhere up in the clouds. Never actually land on the plate.
Now, there’s a new sales deception to watch out for: a “penthouse” with a “private balcony.”
This is exactly what Sarah says she was promised by Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV).
She copied us recently on a documented complaint she emailed to the Federal Trade Commission and the top
executives at Hilton Grand Vacations, Hilton Worldwide, and the American Resort Development Association.
Sarah laid out how this particular slice of pie from Hilton turned out to be entirely imaginary!
“I purchased a penthouse in Las Vegas, in The Boulevard…and was told when booking a reservation through HGV that no penthouses existed on the property.”
Come again?
“When I purchased the property, I was told by the sales representative that I was buying a luxury penthouse with a private balcony for the price of $31,250.00. I have paid in full for a property that doesn’t exist!”
Sarah’s Hilton Grand Vacations Club Membership papers confirm she purchased a “1-Bedroom Penthouse.”
So Sarah called the front desk of The Boulevard to check for herself.
“I was told they have no penthouses on the property, but rather upper floor standard, one, two and three bedrooms with no ‘private balcony.’”
No penthouse. No private balcony.
Just a very expensive standard room and a very unhappy owner.
“In fact, when I went online, I discovered that HGV neither ‘list’ nor ‘market’ The Boulevard property as having ‘penthouses.’”
You’d think Hilton might want to fix a mistake like that.
Instead, here’s what Sarah says happened when she complained.
“I contacted HGV Customer Service and was emailed a letter from Shanice saying they ‘consider’ The Boulevard property as having penthouses and were closing my complaint!”
That one word – “consider” – is doing a lot of heavy lifting.
Sarah shared HGV’s actual complaint closure email with us, and it’s a masterclass in pie-in-the-sky logic:
“Please note that all 1BP units at The Boulevard are on the highest floor and considered Penthouse. Your case has now been closed.”
Sounds like a “penthouse” isn’t a penthouse at all. It’s just whatever floor happens to be on top that week, retroactively relabeled the moment a customer notices the private balcony she paid for was never there to begin with.
That’s not a sales promise! The definition of “penthouse” was rewritten after the fact. So now Hilton is trying to call an empty promise technically true.
Sarah, for her part, isn’t buying it.
“Needless to say, I am outraged because of the fraudulent misrepresentation, outright lies, and indifference of attitude. This is a lack of business ethics that give ‘timeshares’ a bad reputation.” “I am a 76 year old, retired widow and have been enjoying The Hilton accommodations most of my life. It saddens me greatly to have experienced this very unpleasant situation. I trust that Hilton will correct this matter as soon as possible, by refunding payment in full.”
A lifetime of loyalty, repaid with a form letter and a made-up definition. That doesn’t seem like the way to treat a longtime Hilton guest.
So how would Mark Wang, CEO of Hilton Grand Vacations define “penthouse”? Let’s ask him whether his sales team should describe a regular room with no balcony as a “Penthouse,” and then charge a 76-year-old $31,250 like it’s a real thing. Mark’s email is mark.wang@hgv.com.
Chris Nassetta, President and CEO of Hilton Worldwide, might also want to weigh in on whether gaslighting a longtime, loyal customer before and after her purchase reflects well on the Hilton brand. You can email him at christopher.nassetta@hilton.com.
And Jason Gamel, the President and CEO of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), the trade association that represents the timeshare industry in Washington, DC, should probably be asked what place “pie-in-the-sky” promises have anywhere in the industry’s sales pitches. Jason’s email is jgamel@arda.org.
Has your own timeshare company served you a slice of pie in the sky? Use this list of ARDA VIPs to ask its leaders where that promise actually went.
Been handed a promise from your timeshare company that turned out to be entirely make-believe? Share it with us at info@timesharefacts.com.
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