Update: Offer no longer available.

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Timeshare presentation deals can be pretty lucrative. There may be a great rate on a stay and then credits to spend on property and even points in a loyalty program, and all you have to do is give up a bit of time on your trip to listen to a sales pitch.

When I was a kid my mother went to listen to a sales presentation that promised free video games. I was excited. There turned out to be just a couple of old games, and they were disappointing.

I’d far prefer a good deal plus points! But I don’t want to give up time on a trip. And you know you’re going to be hounded. These deals are offered because they work.

What if you could listen to the pitch, you steeled yourself against them in advance, and you didn’t even need to leave home to listen? Marriott has virtual timeshare pitches that you listen to when it’s convenient from home.

And Travel On Points lays out the incentives they’re offering, up to 50,000 Marriott points for a 90 minute pitch.

There are a few different offers people have been quoted once they get a Marriott Vacation Club representative on the phone. Let’s take a look at the different ones. All required a 90 minute virtual presentation (think over something like Zoom).

50,000 points for a married or cohabitating couple
40,000 points for a married or cohabitating couple (in California, no idea if that matters)
20,000 points for a single person

I haven’t heard of anyone being denied so far. If you are interested I would act quickly because the last time I broke this deal it only lasted like a week. Taking this deal will likely make you ineligible for any in person offers for 12 months which may be more valuable for some.

Prepare your objections in advance if you need to. These people know that virtually everyone coming in off an incentive is there for an incentive, rather than because they started off thinking they were going to buy. And they’re trained to overcome objections.

• Be honest that you aren’t going to buy, that you’re only politely listening for the points, maybe they will want to move on to the next sucker prospect.

• Tell them you have to check with your kids, who are in charge of your big financial decisions.

• Tell them you earn points and don’t need this.

• Just wait it out. At the end of 90 minutes, you were promised that’s all it would be, and you have a call to jump on.

You really really do not want to buy a timeshare, under almost any circumstance. There are edge cases that do make sense, but unless you can clearly articulate the actual worst case scenarios and show how the math still works out by a good margin, you should probably avoid them. John Oliver knows:

Still, 50,000 Marriott points are probably worth $300 or more and most people do not make $200 per hour, so this seems a lucrative use of 90 minutes.