Seeking advice on a timeshare membership

[4ARedOctober]

It is great that you are on this board and doing your due diligence. Congrats on making a smart move...welcome.

Do not rush into a decision on this. This type of 'membership' will always be out there for you should you decide to join. Keep researching all aspects of timesharing and develop a profile of what will fit your needs and wants. Then find the best system to fit those needs at the best price and value to you.

Be careful...ask a lot of questions. Take your time. There are many many avenues to explore. Keep reading and watch out as there are many scams to avoid and a whole lot of hype about how good some programs are but with little substance.

Originally Posted by what-a-long-strange-trip

Hello,

I am seeking advice, thoughts, etc on the following timeshare membership opportunity. A friend of mine has brought to my attention that I can own a timeshare membership that is different than owning a typical timeshare.
He tells me that for a one time fee of $3,000 I would have the opportunity to select from a network of affiliated resorts (4 and 5 start resorts) all over the world and can go at any time. He told me a couple of other things that sounded pretty cool (ie: no trades, maintenance fees, etc).
I am highly considering this right now but wanted to do some due diligence. What I am wondering is...has anyone ever heard of this type of membership OR is this too good to be true???

I appreciate any feedback you can offer.
Thank you!

[what-a-long-strange-trip]

The article that Mshatty sent was a very positive ad for this company. I really appreciate all of the feedback and will certainly look into this further. I did know about the money making side of this as well but at first wanted to see the "value" of this product and if it is in fact a scam or a great timeshare opportunity with a solid payplan.

Confused as to what I'm going to do but it was great to hear some feedback from seasoned travelers with experience.

Thanks and any other feedback you may have, I'd love to hear it.
Best!!

[mshatty]

After reading another article about GRN, it is basically a travel agency that has access to timeshare rentals. If you join, the availability of timeshare condos will be subject to the same restraints that TS owners have to RCI Extra Vacation Rentals and Last Call rentals. You can go to Condo Direct, and rent the same thing without paying $3000 to join.

There are lots of other TS rental sites that do not require that you pay $3000 upfront to rent.

[Bill4728]

Originally Posted by mshatty

After reading another article about GRN, it is basically a travel agency that has access to timeshare rentals. If you join, the availability of timeshare condos will be subject to the same restraints that TS owners have to RCI Extra Vacation Rentals and Last Call rentals. You can go to Condo Direct, and rent the same thing without paying $3000 to join.

There are lots of other TS rental sites that do not require that you pay $3000 upfront to rent.

As Mike said, they are a Travel agency and you can rent the same condos for the same price and save the $3000 fee to join.


If you are interested in vacation membership (AKA points based timeshares), look into something like Worldmark. You'll buy a true "deed backed" vacation membership where you can travel to anyone of the 50+ resorts owned by the vacation club/points based timeshare.

[BocaBum99]

Originally Posted by mshatty

After reading another article about GRN, it is basically a travel agency that has access to timeshare rentals. If you join, the availability of timeshare condos will be subject to the same restraints that TS owners have to RCI Extra Vacation Rentals and Last Call rentals. You can go to Condo Direct, and rent the same thing without paying $3000 to join.

There are lots of other TS rental sites that do not require that you pay $3000 upfront to rent.

Yep, this is the same type of "false vacation club" I described above.

This is one of the ways that eBay sellers get their inventory. They get a deal with one of these vacation club owners and sell off the excess weeks.

[Spence]

Originally Posted by cheaptrips34

Edited to remove advertising

GRN SPAM

[shopgirl]

I think you are a one-time poster and you had personal motives for your post. Spence probably felt the same way.

We are getting used to shill posters on these sites lately. I keep seeing posters with negative information on timeshare that I find equally suspicious.

Gee. I doubt that many timeshare owners are going to leave the timeshare industry for whatever it is YOU are selling.

[what-a-long-strange-trip]

Shopgirl -

What is wrong with people asking around and trying to get information? Why are you so negative? I didn't do anything wrong. This was a very helpful thread with great info from knowledgeable people. If you want to be negative, that's fine. I was trying to find info on a program that I was being presented and I believed that this was the right forum to get some objective feedback. If you want to assume that I am trying to pitch something to you -that's fine but if I do end up doing this, don't you think I'd be better off posting on a forum site to people that are looking for opportunities to better their life (IE: a network marketing forum or biz opp forum, etc)??

I do my due diligence in one place and marketing in another. If I decide to market this product, I certainly wouldn't do it in this forum for 2 reasons. One - out of respect for the forum and its members who are here for other reasons, and two - this forum does not include opportunity seekers/wanters, you are timeshare enthusiasts. There's a difference.

I understand you've had your share of pitches coming at you but please don't assume that just because I left some info on the opportunity, that I want to pitch you on something. Network marketing is a completely different world.
It includes people who are open to these types of MLM/network marketing programs. This thread just proves my point that I'd be banging my head against the wall trying to get someone like you to consider an idea like network marketing. And even if you did join, your mentality (and this is not meant to be rude) would never allow you to succeed because you do not believe in it.

Anyway, Thanks to everyone who answered, I appreciate your responses and every response helped me in one way or another.

Have fun traveling and enjoying the world!
All the best -

[bigfrank]

Originally Posted by what-a-long-strange-trip

Shopgirl -

What is wrong with people asking around and trying to get information? Why are you so negative? I didn't do anything wrong. This was a very helpful thread with great info from knowledgeable people. If you want to be negative, that's fine. I was trying to find info on a program that I was being presented and I believed that this was the right forum to get some objective feedback. If you want to assume that I am trying to pitch something to you -that's fine but if I do end up doing this, don't you think I'd be better off posting on a forum site to people that are looking for opportunities to better their life (IE: a network marketing forum or biz opp forum, etc)??

I do my due diligence in one place and marketing in another. If I decide to market this product, I certainly wouldn't do it in this forum for 2 reasons. One - out of respect for the forum and its members who are here for other reasons, and two - this forum does not include opportunity seekers/wanters, you are timeshare enthusiasts. There's a difference.

I understand you've had your share of pitches coming at you but please don't assume that just because I left some info on the opportunity, that I want to pitch you on something. Network marketing is a completely different world.
It includes people who are open to these types of MLM/network marketing programs. This thread just proves my point that I'd be banging my head against the wall trying to get someone like you to consider an idea like network marketing. And even if you did join, your mentality (and this is not meant to be rude) would never allow you to succeed because you do not believe in it.

Anyway, Thanks to everyone who answered, I appreciate your responses and every response helped me in one way or another.

Have fun traveling and enjoying the world!
All the best -

Shopgirls response was to another member who's post was moved out because it was considered spam and you are unable to view it now because it was removed. Her post was not geared to you in any way.

[shopgirl]

Frank is right, I was responding to another person's post who was offensive toward Spence and all of us who get tired of shill posters.

There is a post missing between mine and Spence's, which is the one to which my post was referring.