THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH!

Day 230

LAS VEGAS NEVADA

Ever heard that saying, "There's no such thing as a free lunch?"

Well.....

We were offered a free lunch, two tickets to see the jousting tournament at the Excalibur for $10 only, a dinner voucher for two...AND...a 2 day cruise....IF we attended the presentation they had in store for us.

Who could refuse a free lunch..just for looking at a presentation..and all the goodies...ohhh...

NOT US.

We're curious people..who don't get conned...so we made a time to see the presentation. 10am at the Excalibur.

We walked briskly all the way there...to get there by ten..and we arrived at quarter to ten..to see there were many other couples waiting. We checked in...with our names and answered a few questions...like, "Do you earn over $50,000?" We replied, not at the moment....she said, "Tick the box anyway!" So we did. (How gullible is that..should that have been a sign?)

We handed over our credit card (another sign of stupidity) and then registered to catch the shuttle to go to this grand new hotel that was being built in Las Vegas!

By this time..we knew it was a timeshare. But we thought...it'll be interesting to see the hotel...why not. WHY NOT INDEED!

About 20 minutes later, the full bus approached a parking area...that looked like a small suburban shopping centre parking area. Shops surrounding the parking lot.

There was a sign of the hotel we were to go and see..on an office door. No hotel, just a sign.

We hop off the bus...after giving each other the 'we're not getting hooked look' and joined the rest of the 40 people and got ushered into a training room. Soon about 3 other busses appeared.

The chairs were positioned back to back..like we were going to play musical chairs or something. We felt like the only one's that were just going to 'look and don't touch'. The atmosphere was buzzing and all of the approximately 200 people in the room seemed keen.

Then we got called personally...by a guy that collected us and took us into another large room that was set up with about 50 tables. Coffee and biscuits were displayed on the side bench. The bickies looked appetizing...afterall, we hadn't had breakfast...thinking we'd save that for the 'free lunch'!

Our man....who was to tell us all about this great new hotel was HUGE. And jovial. We took to him. He was keen to know about Australia..and we got into a conversation about the US...and Las Vegas and Australia...then walked over, feeling quite happy and relaxed at this time, to the side bench, got our coffee and home made large chocolate chip biscuit and shuffled our way back to our table to devour our delicacy.

Other tables had personal attendance as well. But their man..or woman..had files, books, pens and animated faces that looked to me to be plastered with the 'sell look'. Our guy didn't look like that. He wanted to know about Australia!! I guess he was a keen traveller, given he was selling Time Units to travellers!

He was a good source of information. Told us Las Vegas has no shire or state tax....pay a low federal tax...cars are cheap (by our Aust standards) and cost of accomodation is expensive...which of course we knew. We've been paying good money for accomodation for the last seven and a half months.

After about an hour of relaxation......we had more coffee..and more biscuits.

Then it was down to business. You could tell he didn't really wanted to get onto that..he said it was more fun talking about other things..But i thinking..just GET ON WITH IT.

He did the maths. Which appealed to Greg.

If we had annual holidays....at a five star hotel (they seem like something in the past..but something that seemed very appealing for future holidays!) for the next 30 years, that we plan to be travelling it was going to work out in the hundreds of thousands!!

Realistically.....if we went away for a month...every year for 30 years...at say $200 a night for accomodation. Yes it would add up.

That won Greg over.

I was quietly thinking...this is FAMILIAR. I had one of these things....that Terry and i bought in Bali.... many years ago. I ended up with it in my settlement and never paid management fees because i never wanted it in the first place. I'd forgotten about it, until now. It was all coming back.

More facts. Greg's face was glowing.

It as all adding up in his brain to be the best thing since sliced bread!

Another fact got thrown at us.

Payment is easy.

We could just pay the deposit with our credit card and arrange finance when we get home.

Easy peasy, puddin pie.

I wasn't convinced. I wanted answers to quesitons regarding this other 'timeshare' i had participated in investing in years before...so i asked the question, "A good friend of mine had one of these and never paid management fees, what happens?" (What am i? Chicken? Didn't want to disclose that i'd already DONE THIS BEFORE..but had never taken advantage of it!)

Big boss comes over to answer all my 'difficult' questions. Another being, "Can we manage this online?" Which is impportant to us, being that we're travelling.

Pressure from big boss..me feelin like i wanted to disappear at this point..and ask for my freebies and get out of there.

ANOTHER BIG BOSS arrives..a lady.

More convincing.

THEN...the form comes out. Just sign here.

Not me. You're not getting me to sign anything...

So....big guns come out. HANDS APPEAR TO BE SHAKEN TO CLINCH THE DEAL.

Greg's hand firmly grips those of the big man boss....and that was that.

Deal clinched in his mind.

But not mine.

"Can we have a few words?"

So..they all disappear and leave Greg and i to discuss matters.

I tell him..I HAVE ONE...let's ressurect that.

He liked the gold class crown idea, the fact that the American dollar is low at the moment, owning on in Las Vegas, having lots of points so we could be more flexible and have up to six weeks (apparently) to go away 'anywhere in the world' with...

They come back.

Come and have a look at THE property!

Allan..Mr Big Fat Guy leads us out to his car, we drive to the property..and yes, it's very impressive. Has two apartments...all decked out...with the laundry service and dryer and fridge and the kitchen all hunky dory. It all looks VERY spectacular, a home away from home (which you can have at home..so why have it on holiday when you're meant to be out SIGHT SEEING!???)

Yes, it looks great. Plush. Set up. Not quite 'Travel Lodge' style.....which we've become used to!

No casino's at the hotel however..which is why you'd be in Vegas isn't it. His answer to that is...the Casiono licencee's hate timeshare's in Vegas....why we ask. Because they want you to gamble, not laze around a resort.

I'm thinking...yeah, of course, logical you wanna be in town....where the casino's are..why else would you BE in Las Vegas anyway!!!

Back to the room...where a sea of hundreds are absorbed in the people selling to them...

On our table, we sit.

With 3 of the big wigs at the other side of the table from us......(we need 3???)

Another question by big lady boss..."Why wouldn't you take advantage of this offer? Anything stopping you? If so, what?"

I quote the cost....$26,000 bucks to buy it! $590 a year maintenance! Interest! ALL THAT.....

And not an eyelid is battered. From anyone. Greg..or the man, or the Big Man Boss or the Bigger Lady Boss.

I'm outvoted.

I'm hungry..it's 4pm..and still no lunch.

They apologise and allow me to go feed my face! Turkey and Ham rolls...with orange juice...and a firm look on my face later...

I come back.

And i ask Greg..are you sure. Yes he thinks it's a good deal.

I SIGN!

Far..blimen..out!

I agreed.

Then we signed the preliminary agreement!

Nothing in concrete until they check us out and we're 'eligible'.

Then we got taken to another room..to get our credit checked out...our details sorted...our life signed away...with a confirmation that yes, we wanted this..

Everyone is rejoicing, including me..and we get a lift back to our hotel, with the Big Man, laden with our thick file..and a smile that says we're now proud owners of land and a share in a hotel in Las Vegas.

We go to eat..it's 7pm..and we're hungry again. It's been a long day. It makes you work up an apetite, this sort of things. We can't go to our jousting show...it's too late...

A two hour presentation took ALL DAY.

We go next door to our favourite steak house..are told to wait an hour.....so what to do while we're waiting?

Go on the slot machines to pay for our new acquistion!

NO LUCK.

AT ALL.

Dinner ticket is called..we eat..have wine..and another...

Then go back to the pockies..and i lose FIFTY BUCKS.

Greg can't believe my recklessness...because i was so down about this horrible thing we did. So I keep gambling..determined to win some money to compensate our complete insanity of chucking away so much money. (which is how i felt about it!) Greg doesn't see it that way. He sees in as an investment in our future vacation life.

I win back $44 and we head back 'home'. I felt a winner.

But i knew i was a loser.

And then....we have a sleepless night...

ANd woke up this morning..and i felt worse...

I knew it was wrong..

I read the thick file. Look at all the debt we'll be in. I think about the car i would like when we return. I think about the laptop computer would like.

I think about the fact that we get back home...we would have just been holidaying for a year!

Why would we want to go away AGAIN?????? (I know we will. We'll no doubt get itchy feet!)

I verbalise what i'm thinking.

Greg decides our marriage is too important to be suffering like this.

So..! Guess what...

A visit to the Las Vegas Post Office has revoked our agreement. We sent a signed notice to revoke our agreement to head office in Florida. Cost $16 by Certified mail.

We're out of the TIME SHARE!!!

The words, "THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH!" is not true in our case.

We got the free lunch.

But was it worth the whole day of selling pressure and a strain on our relationship to get it!!??

And do these things ever work anyway?