No matter how many times I try to block them, spam from companies offering me bargain trips to Bulgaria or Florida to view properties keep filling me in-box; it’s not unusual to get twenty or thirty a day. Holiday homes and timeshares and big business and sales techniques can be aggressive. If you are thinking about taking up one of these offers its best to have an idea of what in store.

Timeshare agents have two ways of luring potential customers. One is to approach people when they are on holiday and invite you to a meeting later that day when they’ll drive you out to a resort, ply you with some snacks and sangria and apply the hard sell.

The other is to offer you a “free vacation” during which time, they say, your only obligation is to attend a brief talk their definition of brief may not be the same as yours.

Of course, their definition of “free” may be open to some debate too. If you are thinking about accepting one of these offers be sure to check out the small print. Some companies offer only a free flight and accommodation costs may be inflated. Others offer free accommodation and you need to pay for your flights; chances are you’ll have no choice about the airline and you’ll have to travel on the flights the company tells you.

You need to know how long the vacation offered is for. Take into account traveling time and then decide if it’s worth it, the amount of free time you get to enjoy there may be minimal. The sales talk may be scheduled to last ninety minutes but it could (and probably will) overrun. Not only that but if you aren’t staying at the resort they want to sell they’ll probably transport you by bus and ask you to be ready half an hour before the bus arrives. Gradually your free time is whittled down and even if you aren’t interested in buying a timeshare, once you are there it may be impossible to make your own way back to the accommodation.

You also need to know where you’ll be staying. You may be staying in the resort they are trying to sell but in Spain you are more likely to be staying in a hotel. Often the quality of the hotel is pretty average which may seem fair enough if you are getting a free holiday but the aim is to make the timeshare look more attractive in comparison with the hotel.

You need to know who can go on the vacation. If you are a married couple, they agents will insist that both of you go on the holiday and that both of you attend the sales talk. They aren’t going to waste three hours work on Mrs Smith while Mr Smith is

on the golf course because they know that Mrs Smith won’t make a decision without discussing with her husband. Chances are you won’t be able to take the kids and even if you can, they won’t be welcome at the sales talk so who will look after them?

Do expect a hard sell. These people are professionals and they have an answer for every objection you can put in their way. Only take up one of these offers if you are in the market for a timeshare or you are one hundred per cent certain that you won’t succumb to the sales talk.

You have usually been chosen for a reason. If you have received an unsolicited approach by telephone, e-mail or letter it’s usually because they’ve identified you as being a good target. They may have done this by buying names from other companies, an approach that can usually indicate who has the potential income to make an approach worthwhile. Similarly they may ask for a credit card swipe when you arrive which they say will only be charged if you use room service or other facilities. In fact they can use this to find out your credit limit and will decide from the findings how hard to push you.

The presentation itself will consist of a viewing of a new resort of timeshare properties and a talk in which you’ll be bombarded with lots of numbers used to project the likely costs of other types of holiday you might take in comparison to those incurred by timeshare ownership. You’ll be discouraged from asking questions during the agent’s spiel. They prefer to answer those on a one to one basis at the end rather than risk someone damaging their sales talk with negativity.

If this hasn’t put you off, then good luck to you. I have known several people who have taken up these offers and had a thoroughly pleasant time. However, do find out as much as you can before agreeing to go. If you are asked to pay a processing fee find out whether it is refundable if you change your mind and make sure there are no additional cancellation charges. A reputable company will give you plenty of information whereas a less reputable agent will be vague on the details. The trip may sound like a bargain but remember it’s not the length of an average vacation and if you are certain you won’t be buying you may find that you’re better off just booking your own trip.