I am currently involved in a situation with Sell My Timeshare Now that time will soon tell if I've been ripped off. In September 2009, I responded to an online add of SMTN to rent (9) 2br/2ba suites for spring vacation 2010 at the Grand Mayan Acapulco. The booking agent, Renae, that I was dealing with was successful in securing all (9) rooms for the requested week. Within days, my group paid SMTN $14,000.00 (the asking price for all the rooms). My group has since spent nearly $40,000 on airfare for the trip. About a month after paying for the rooms, we still hadn't received confirmation numbers for the rooms, and when checking with the Grand Mayan, my group was not a recongizable reservation. I called SMTN requesting the numbers. I was told that the vendor that they had used doesn't usually issue the confirmations until 30 days from check in. They assured me that my booking was solid and that they were backed up with SMTN rental agreements. My group has been renting at various Grand Mayans for spring vacation for the past 5 years. This proticol was not only unheard of, but unacceptable, I said to the customer service representative from SMTN. They told me that they would make an effort to get me the confirmations and could understand my frustrations. A month or so went by and I still didn't have our confirmation numbers, which prompted more calls by me to SMTN. I also did some research on SMTN with the Better Business Bureau in New Hampshire and the Attorney Generals Office. The feedback was that there had been some complaints about the company, but that they had successfully resloved the majority of all complaints to the customer's satisfaction and were in good standing. The Attorney Generals office told me that the company was in good standing. A few other online inquiries indicated that they were a legitimate company and that my reservation was probably safe. So with that information, I was a bit more comfortable allowing them additional time to get the confirmation numbers that I was requesting. However, by February 2010 and after several promises to have the numbers within days, I still didn't have the confirmations. I stepped up my telephone calls and climbed the ladder at SMTN with who I directed my complaint to. Even though I haven't personally talked to the founder/ceo of SMTN, Jason Trembly, he's been well informed from his assistant, Kelly, whom I've spoke to serveral times. Throughout the several months, I've been assured by several SMTN representatives that my booking is solid and the company will stand behind it and my 40+ friends and family will have the accomodations they expect. By mid February and even more calls, and refererals to Jerome at SMTN (who has never personally spoke to me either), I was contacted by manager Lucas Lanigan. He like every other person I spoke to at Sell My Timeshare Now, assured me that we would have our rooms and the booking was solid. Within a few days I was very releived when I received (4) of the (9) confirmations. But when the rest of them didn't come I stepped up my phone calls again. Some times multiple calls per day. My calls were always received by SMTN people expressing understanding and committment to finding a solution to my situation. I was now within 30 days of scheduled check in at the Grand Mayan. Well, despite all of my phone calls, last week (just 2 weeks from our check in day) I received the horrible news from Lucas Lanigan that "there is a problem with the reservation". "NO DUH", I responded. He explained that the vendor that they obtained the inventory with, I Travel Companion, had failed to secure (5) of the requested rooms, and now SMTN was scrambling to find alternative accomodations. He assured me that they would get us comparable if not better accomodations than what we were expecting, but SMTN would not leave us high and dry. His words were, "we are not running away from the matter". With in a couple of days, Lucas presented me a few different options, none were ideal but better than nothing. The best option of the (3) (offer was presented in writing) involved SMTN renting a 15br/15bath private villa a few miles from the resort. We jumped on that offer right away. Over the next few days, they sent me details of the "rock star" like house, along with pictures and services included. Since we would have nearly 30 guests at the house and 14 or so still at the resort, SMTN also offered private transportation for our party to and from the resort and house daily. While the house sounded wonderful, the primary purpose of our trip was to spend time with our family and friends. So I kept looking for last minute availability of Grand Mayan Rooms. In the meantime, I still hadn't gotten any confirmation on the house either. Yesterday, I finally stumbled upon (5) 2br/2ba rooms that would be available at the Grand Mayan for our scheduled days. But they were asking $21,700 for all (5) rooms. We had paid $7,750.00 to SMTN for the same rooms 6 months earlier. But the house SMTN offered to us was going to cost $42,000. So I thought this would be a welcomed find. I had found the rooms directly through Wyndham (probably the most expensive outlet for GM rooms, but the only availability that I could find). With the Wyndham reservations still on the phone, I called Lucas to find out if they were locked into the house, or if they would prefer the Grand Mayan rooms. I was disappointed to hear that SMTN was having a difficult time obtaining a confirmation on the house. AND they had used the same company (I Travel Companion) that messed up the initial reservation. Lucas said that they were getting stone walled by I Travel. He said that he wanted to commit to the rooms that I found, but wasn't authorized to commit SMTN to that size of an expenditure. He said that if I could get a hold on the rooms until the end of the day, he would track down somebody that was authorized to approve the expense and get back to me before the end of the day. I didn't want to lose the rooms that I've tried for months to get, so I held the rooms on my personal credit card. By the end of the day, Lucas emailed me to inform me that he felt the house was a scam and he couldn't approve my rooms. So now we don't have the house, and the only way we will have the rooms at the Grand Mayan is if we pay the $21,700 ourselves. Then late last night, Lucas called me and told me that he has spoke with Jacqueline Russ, the CFO of SMTN. He said that he explained the situation to her and showed her the detail of charges for the rooms that I found at the Grand Mayan. He said that without hesitation, she approved to reimburse me for the additional expense. She acknowledged that unquestionably SMTN was ultimately responsible for the reservations. He told me that he would put the decsision to me in writing, which I received via email an hour or so later. He also stated that the reimbursement process wouldn't start until this upcoming Monday when Jackie and he are back in their office.
This is a nightmare come true. I've been the travel organizer for my group of friends and family for more than 20 years. I have never had plans backfire like this before. For the past 5 years, I've rented Grand Mayan weeks from FUNSUNMEXICO, without a single problem. We have 9 days before we leave. I am hopeful that SMTN will come through as promised. However, due to the series of events, my confidence in this company is very low. I have filed a complaint with the New Hampshire Better Business Bureau and Attorney General. If they do fail to perform, I have full intentions of litigating the matter that is a complete violation of the New Hampshire Consumer Protection Act. We have already spent $54,000, before the $21, 700!
