Grand Resort Travel Scam? Batesville Arkansas

After a presentation in Nov 2009 and promise of 2 free plane tickets anywhere in the U.S., my husband and I joined Grand Resort Travel, mainly as we were assured that their vacation/condo offers would accommodate dogs as well. The plane tickets never materialized. When we inquired we were told by Grand Resort Travel to take it up with the company that was to provide it, which we did. We even paid them money; that turned out to be a scam company. After much hassle we were able to get the money we paid returned to us. But Grand Resort travel never made good on the promised plane tickets!

Since then we have tried several times to book a place with Grand Resort - once to the Daytona Area with our dog (no places available with dogs), then to San Francisco, Silicon Valley for Aug 2014 -- nothing available; our son tried also to get a place in Florida in Oct. 2013, which was unsuccessful. This all for paying an annual fee of $90 plus $25 if one requests their services to obtain a hotel/condo for vacation --- for which one already paid with the almost $4,500 initial fee.

The latest was a request for accommodation in New Orleans for April 2015. Twice we were offered other dates than the ones I had specified. After a week or so we finally got a quote for the correct dates, not within walking distance of the French Quarter as requested but we were ok with that. As I read the quote nothing was mentioned about availability of parking and/or WiFi. I inquired about those; a day later I was told that parking is $22/day. As I read the quote which I was to return and click on "accepted" (or something like that), I noticed that there is no way to cancel if necessary because of health reasons or whatever. After all, April 2015 is 5 months away. The entire week's accommodation was due upon receipt of their "invoice", i.e. the same or next day. They suggested to obtain travel insurance. That took another day. On 10/30 I was just getting ready to click on accept, got the message "quote no longer available". At the same time the phone rang and I was informed of that in person. When I asked, I was told I should have responded within 24 hrs. and I should have clicked on "hold"... which I never saw on the e-mail with the quote. The 24 hrs was not possible anyway - even though nobody had told me about it, nor was there a notice on the "quote" about it - because of the questions that were necessary re parking etc (which I should have been made aware of originally when they called me about the quote and when they sent the e-mail with the quote as it added another $150 or so to the cost).

 The point is: does Grand Resort Travel only have ONE unit in that condo building? I asked them to look for something else - got no response in the affirmative. Nor have I heard anything from them since.

This company is a rip-off. We had hoped to be able to use them once I retire, which I did a year ago but now realize we have been taken.