Vacation Network

They have a business model from the 60’s. You have tell them what you want and give them 3 — 6 months to find you a location. It’s 6 months during peak season. So, then at some point they might or might not get you a place in the location you requested. With the exception of Orlando, they have never found me anything at all. Good luck finding airfare or planning your trip when you have no idea if you have a place to stay. If they can’t find you a place, they are supposed to give you a refund of your booking fee (you pay every time you want to book). Too bad they «forget» to get me my refund EVERY SINGLE time. I have to remind them over and over agian and maybe a year later I finally get it. Of course, they say it never happens, it’s just an unfortunate mistake but it happens every single time! This place is a total scam. Don’t get sucked in. If you want a timeshare club, find one that is legit and you can access inventory and info from the web instead of working completely from fax/​phone/​email.

I joined VNI in 2003. Since joining we used about 4 vacations with them. None of them were ever at the places we requested. Well, that’s just it… you cannot request a place. So what you have to do is request certain amenities that you wish to have and make sure the place you would like to stay at only offers those amenities. That is what we were told to do when we signed up with VNI. It NEVER, EVER works out that way. The way it works is you have to book six months in advance and VNI has 45 days to come up with something matching what you requested in the area you requested. It NEVER happens. The excuses are always the same…“You chose a busy time” or «nothing matches your request» or they just select something not even remotely where you requested in the first place. When you write back to them they just ignore you for weeks and then one word answer you.
VNI is not cheap either. You pay a fee to join and in my case it was $ 3500 for 12 vacations. There is a yearly fee of $ 269. Then, each vacation is about $ 510 with a $ 75 insurance fee. I would have no problem paying that if I was getting what i paid for as they advertised.
I have NEVER received a request for what i have wanted and always have to settle on what they say they have. I did my part and paid them. I requested six months in advance as they request me to do. Why can’t they ever comply with their end of the bargain?
What prompted me to write this review was the vacations I requested this year (2014). We requested Aruba in or in close proximity to the strip of hotels. VNI had resorts on the strip as they advertise them. We also wanted a two bedroom unit and in the end after a long search we were forced to settle on a unit with one bedroom and a bed couch. The unit was a 40 minute walk to the strip or a ten minute cab ride which cost us extra money. My back is still killing me.
In June we requested a vacation in Vermont in the month of December. Again the full six months and we requested near Killington. I will paste the results of the emails from a VNI rep handling my request. Keep in mind it is long after the 45 days they were supposed to have something for us.
From VNI:
Mr. Soriero,
Below is an option we wanted to offer you in Vermont, Please advise if you are interested or not as soon as you can. We do not have the ability to hold any offers.
Villas at Tree
Dec 21 – 28
1bd
Thanks
Kim
Reservationist
Vacation Network, Inc.
3296 Summit Ridge Parkway Ste 1900
Duluth, Georgia 30 096
Phone: 888−889−9523 Ext 111

My Reply:
Hello Kim,
This web site comes up as the Poconos which is located in Pennsylvania and not Vermont near Killington.
Please let me know what is going on.
Thanks,
Scott.
Their reply:
Good Morning Mr. Sariero,
Yes, It is in the Poconos, PA we are just offer you this because it came up with your dates, but I can still look for you something in Vermont .
My reply:
Kim,
We only want Vermont near Killington. thank you
Their reply:
ok
My reply:
Kim,
Have you come up with anything in Vermont yet? As I explained to you earlier we booked six months in advance as we always do to try to have something in place by 45 days. Because we have to notify our employers so we can get the date and time as well. This process has been the same so far with every vacation we have booked through Vacation Network. All we ever hear is that it is the busy time and not much is available and this causes us to have to settle on something that we did not really want. This excuse is getting old. This has been the case so far with every single vacation we book through Vacation Network. This is unacceptable practices as we do our part and pay for a service but the same is not true on the part of Vacation Network.
Please get back to us soon Kim and thank you.
My Reply again:
Kim,
Keep in mind that the offer you sent us was stated to be in Vermont by you in your opening email. You never stated it was I’m PA. Did you get my last email?
Their reply:
I am looking for something in Vermont for your dates you are wanting to go New Years week .
My reply: (last i promise)
I know that Kim, but that is why we put the request in 6 months prior. This is the exact excuse we hear no matter what time of year we look to book a vacation. Please get back to us soon on this.
I joined VNI with good intentions and high expectations only to realize that they never, ever deliver on what we the customer wants. Can you imagine the nerve of that person offering me something in Pennsylvania and telling me it’s in Vermont? And then the snide replies on the emails. Now I get delayed responses and sometimes no response at all. I just want what i paid for! It is very frustrating.
My advice is to stay clear of this company and look elsewhere. I will be notifying the Better Business Bureau as well as every single business review site I can find.