Global Resorts Network

Pirie · Oct 20, 2010

I happened across a newspaper ad today that referred to great travel ooportunities at heavily discounted prices. The ad directed the reader to a web site that invites the reader to join the "Global Resorts Network".
Essentially, from what I can gather, Global Resorts Network (GRN) appears to be a business that offers exceptional savings on resort stays. The web site suggests that GRN buys huge numbers of surplus timeshare stays at 90% off list prices and then allows GRN members to buy these stays at the heavily discounted price. It also appears that GRN is a multi level marketing program for home based businesses - Members in GRN can make money by getting new members to join GRN and get some kind if residual income (not sure how this works).
Anyway, I had never heard of GRN and wonder if it is legitimate and/or if anyone would like to shed some light on this travel club / business.
Thanks and regards.

rickandcindy23 · Oct 20, 2010

Sounds like a scam to me. We have seen people hawking it here on TUG, and it's really and truly a multi-level-marketing company with not much product to go around. You would be stupid to sign up.

Amway is a better multi-level company with lots of opportunities to BUY their products, and a much cheaper buy-in. I would go with Amway, if you are considering that type of company.

DeniseM · Oct 20, 2010

Here are some TUG threads about them.

Their timeshares offices are upfront fee companies - and that's all you need to know, to know that they are scammers.

There is a simple rule of thumb here:

Any company that charges you a large upfront fee of any kind to sell or rent your timeshare, is going to scam you - period.

They make their money with the upfront fee and then they make no attempt to sell/rent your timeshare.

Legitimate resellers charge a commission after the sale, but the scammers all ask for a large upfront payment.

Here are some warnings signs with these kinds of companies:

1) Did you get an unsolicited sales call from them?

2) Do they say that they already have a renter/buyer for your timeshare? (or an established market like people attending conventions.)

3) Do they want you to pay hundreds/thousands of dollars for a title search, or transfer fees, or taxes, or a closing fee, or appraisal, UPFRONT?

4) Are they offering to rent/sell it for far more than the market value?

5) Do they want you to pay a large up front fee that supposedly you will get back?

6) Do they want your credit card number over the phone?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, then this is the usual scenario:

Once you pay the fee and receive the contract, you discover that the company has only promised to advertise your resort, not to rent/sell it, and they don't mention having a renter/buyer in the contract.

Then, you won't hear anything from them for a long time, and when you contact them, they will tell you that the renter/buyer backed out, but they will advertise your timeshare on their over-priced website.

Finally, when you try to get your money back, they will point out that you signed a contract, and it's only for advertising.

When you try to challenge it with your credit card company, they will tell you that you only had 60 days to dispute the charge, and that it's too late to do anything.

This is a bitter pill to swallow, but right now, most timeshares are selling for 0-20% of the original retail price. It's not a good time to sell a timeshare.

To see what your timeshare is really worth on the current resale market:

1) Register with eBay
2) Log into eBay
3) Search for the resort by exact name
4) Click on "completed listings" on the menu on the left

(Be sure you look at the completed listings - those are actually SELLING prices - you will find asking prices all over the place, but what really counts is what they actually sold for.)

Global Resorts Network

Pirie

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite

DeniseM