There are 2 types of membership under the GRN, the first of which is a Platinum membership. The cost is US$2,995.00.

Membership Features: Lifetime membership, fully transferable and willable to one's estate, no yearly fees, unlimited vacations per year, offers guest weeks which allows members to offer stays for family and friends, resort weeks cost from US$298 - 699 per week in 5 and 4 start resorts (in rare cases, may be up to US$799 per week in Hawaii etc.)

The second type of membership is a Gold membership. The cost is US$ 1,495.

Membership Features: 3-year membership, 3 resort weeks per year and not exceeding 21 days, maybe consecutive and in same resort, no guest weeks allowed, resort weeks cost start at US$398 in 5 and 4 star resorts

It is actually Gold Crown Resorts which handles the membership. What the company does is purchase excess inventory from timeshares and resorts all over the world.

Advantages Over Time Share:

- timeshare requires annual maintenance fee; with GRN, no maintenance fee is required

- only 1 vacation per year usually with timeshare compared to an unlimited number of vacations with a GRN platinum membership

- GRN membership cost generally is less than timeshare's initial purchase cost

- the annual maintenance fee in timeshare is generally more than the cost per resort week in a GRN membership

Some Shortcomings of GRN:

- there is no guarantee that one's preferred vacation schedule and resort can always be accomodated due to fluctuations in resort vacancies; therefore, one has to be flexible as far as travel schedules are concerned.

- reservations cannot be cancelled because GRN is able to give its members very low rates is because when it makes a reservation request, it receives specific non-cancellable dates.

- the size of the inventory decreases with the increase in number of members; before, memberships were sold directly to customers through a personal sales presentation; but since the membership started to be sold online via network marketing, membership has increased and therefore, the available inventory decreased.

The Perpetual Leverage Compensation Plan

This is what makes the affiliate program so enticing to many. This is how it works:

Sale # 1: You don't earn anything yet on your first sale as this is passed up to your sponsor or upline to activate your first level

2nd Sale and thereafter: You receive US$1000 on each sale (if you sold a platinum membership) or US$500 (if you sold a gold membership). Your upline receives the same amount on each one of your sales as well

Sales of Your Affiliates: Each time your affiliate makes a sale, you also earn US$1000 or US$500 depending on what type of membership was sold.

So for example, you have 5 affiliates which sell 2 platinum membership per month, you earn US$10,000 monthly.

Marketing System (How Memberships Are Sold):

Aside from GRN itself which has its own official website, third party marketing systems have come out recently. They all offer a marketing site/landing page, information pages, contact or list management and autoresponders although some have additional features like a virtual assistant. Some of these third party systems are:

GRN System (by Priceless Possibilities) US$29.95/ month, Ty Coughlin's Reverse Funnel System US$299.00/month, GRN Biz Builder (run by QuickLister) US$34.95/month, GRN Team Buidler (run by B.O. S. S.) US$79.95/month, Global Pro Builder US$39.95 - 69.95/month plus set up

These third party systems attempt to make the marketing process easy for you so you can start right away. They have back offices containing many training materials, advertising and marketing guides, etc.

Customer Feedback:

"Global Resorts Network is also the first & only company I have ever seen were there truly is a product in place that is in demand & of real value unlike the majority of the 2 & 3 step money games with products that have no value. Meaning you can actually go out & sell this product / membership aside from the opportunity...." Source: http://www.work-at-home-forum.com/14_2845_0.html

"Well, I did everything step by step and used their exact key words and phrases for advertising. I utilized everything they suggested. $15,000.00 later still no sales! ..." Source: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/318/RipOff0318260.htm

"Global Resorts Network is for real...and a great deal. Where else can you get a lifetime membership for less than $3000 one time...no recurring fees, no exchange fees, no maintanance fees, and can book weeks at 4-5 star luxury condos for under $300 to $700 as many times as you want. The company that provides the condos has been doing this for 20 years very successfully. I'm a member and think it's a fantastic value...." Source: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php't=40329

"I do not have a problem with Network Marketing, and I am not calling this a scam. However, I do have a problem with reverse funnel system, and Ty Coughlin's screaming loud recordings on my answering machine ..." Source: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/308/RipOff0308997.htm

Here's Our Verdict:

Overall, the discount luxury travel membership is an excellent product. A member can stay in a luxurious resort with a shoestring budget. However, the member has to have a certain degree of flexibility when it comes to travel schedules.

The membership fee can be recovered easily from the savings earned from heavily discounted rates. So even if you just become a member and avail of the travel benefits, you will eventually recover the cost you paid for your membership fee.

If you like to sell memberships as an affiliate, please remember that while there are third party marketing systems to help you, you still need to acquire long-term skills on affiliate marketing. Most of these systems focus on practical implementation and step by step guide. But to acquire long-term skills is not to have you follow instructions like a robot. The world of internet marketing is always in a state of flux, trends emerge and disappear and if you haven't acquired long-term skills, your ability to make money online is only temporary or close to zero. You need to understand, acquire skills and practically implement techniques and at the same time see the overall picture and the significance of all the actions you are taking.

The GRN affiliate program is not a get-rich-quick scheme. You have to be prepared to learn, spend for monthly fees and other marketing-related expenses such as advertising which can be costly.