Hmm would it be wrong to fill the information in with the contact info of the local District Attorney?
Why nobody ever wins the car at the mall (2018)
31–40 of 264 posts
Re: Why nobody ever wins the car at the mall (2018)
#32It's unbelievable that showing a car when it's not being awarded doesn't fall under any sort of false advertising law.
Yeah, like those ads with "I am a doctor and I recommend ...", where the speaker is just an actor.
Re: Why nobody ever wins the car at the mall (2018)
#33How did timeshares become so deeply associated with slimy sales tactics?
Because the fundamental economics of time shares are a scam. They are pitched as "ownership" but what they really are are perpetual rental contracts with no way out. (The rent is called "maintenance fees" but it doesn't matter what label you attach to it. It's a sum of money that you are obligated to pay year after year after year. If it quacks like rent...) And you even have to pay a hefty sum up front for the privi…
Most of what you've described can also be applied to condominiums. The only difference is that you can occupy them year round, but I don't think that's a relevant difference. Are the "fundamental economics" of those also "a scam"?
Re: Why nobody ever wins the car at the mall (2018)
#34> Patrick collects a rolodex of her (fake) data — full name, age, marital status — then tells her she has to be at least 28 to enter the drawing. “Tell your parent to call me,” he says, and hangs up.
> Her “dad” (our writer, Conor) gives it one last try. Patrick tells Conor that in order to win the car, he has to go to a local Great Destinations office and attend a 90-minute timeshare presentation.
This is the only part I still don't understand after reading the article. Why do they limit this to people at least 28? Is this just a way of filtering out people unlikely to have enough money to scam into spending on a timeshare, or are they avoiding some esoteric regulation that somehow blocks them from marketing to younger people?
Re: Why nobody ever wins the car at the mall (2018)
#35Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because the fundamental economics of time shares are a scam. They are pitched as "ownership" but what they really are are perpetual rental contracts with no way out. (The rent is called "maintenance fees" but it doesn't matter what label you attach to it. It's a sum of money that you are obligated to pay year after year after year. If it quacks like rent...) And you even have to pay a hefty sum up front for the privi…
Most of what you've described can also be applied to condominiums. The only difference is that you can occupy them year round, but I don't think that's a relevant difference. Are the "fundamental economics" of those also "a scam"?
I have no idea what a timeshare is (sorry) but aren’t condos something you fully own? Like some of my friends live in condos, some lived in a condo for a few years and then sold them before moving into a house or some other city. Where I live the condos are usually similar in appearance to apartments (bed bath living room kitchen all on same floor) and there are townhomes which are a bit fancier and you might get an attached garage.
Re: Why nobody ever wins the car at the mall (2018)
#36It's unbelievable that showing a car when it's not being awarded doesn't fall under any sort of false advertising law.
Yeah, like those ads with "I am a doctor and I recommend ...", where the speaker is just an actor.
Even in that case it can be argued that the actual quote was written by a real doctor and the actor is simply reading it. This one sounds like a complete scam.
Re: Why nobody ever wins the car at the mall (2018)
#37> [You have to attend a] 90-minute timeshare presentation
Yeah that fact is worse than there being no car.
Re: Why nobody ever wins the car at the mall (2018)
#38Timeshares are implicated in so many unethical scams and schemes that at this point I think we should just outlaw them entirely.
Or at least they should require US accredited investor as a minimum.
Re: Why nobody ever wins the car at the mall (2018)
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because the fundamental economics of time shares are a scam. They are pitched as "ownership" but what they really are are perpetual rental contracts with no way out. (The rent is called "maintenance fees" but it doesn't matter what label you attach to it. It's a sum of money that you are obligated to pay year after year after year. If it quacks like rent...) And you even have to pay a hefty sum up front for the privi…
Most of what you've described can also be applied to condominiums. The only difference is that you can occupy them year round, but I don't think that's a relevant difference. Are the "fundamental economics" of those also "a scam"?
No because you buy a condo and get full ownership. You can use it 24/7, rent it out, remodel internally … hell you can even break down walls if they aren’t structural or add new walls if you want.
Depending on specifics you even get partial ownership of the whole building and a seat on its management board. At least that’s how it works for my mom, they run the building like a co-op and there is no other owner than the people who own the apartments inside.
edit: a timeshare in comparison is kinda like buying an NFT of an apartment. It gives you the right (obligation) to use the place for a period of time every year
Re: Why nobody ever wins the car at the mall (2018)
#40> Patrick collects a rolodex of her (fake) data — full name, age, marital status — then tells her she has to be at least 28 to enter the drawing. “Tell your parent to call me,” he says, and hangs up. > Her “dad” (our writer, Conor) gives it one last try. Patrick tells Conor that in order to win the car, he has to go to a local Great Destinations office and attend a 90-minute timeshare presentation. This is the only p…
Wouldn't people over 28 be more likely to have money for a timeshare?