Business ProfileforGatlinburg Falls Resort

I have not stayed at any of the cabins, but had a reservation for Watchtower. I had paid the one-night deposit. I always look at reviews of everything before I spend money. Stupidly, I did not for this stay. One of my friends got extremely sick a month before our trip, and so I went online to cancel. While traversing the very confusing website, an online chat box came up, asking if I wanted help. I told it what I needed to do (cancel). She explained I would lose the deposit if I didn’t re-book within the next year (I later found that tidbit in some long winded and rather obscure part of the site). The deposit would be put in “escrow”. Who does that? Okay, crappy news, but I accepted it. Cancelled with chat person. I did not receive a Conf number, but didn’t think about it. A few days before the cancelled reservation, I got an email that it was time to check in. WHAT?!?!?!? So I called. I was told that because it was within 7 days of check in, I could not cancel. AND I had to pay for the whole stay if I wanted to put the four day stay in an escrow for one year. The friend that was going with another friend and I, is dying. We were not going to ever come within a year, maybe never. The customer service rep said that the chat box would NOT have cancelled the stay. (well, why did they tell me they could help me?) Plus I was told I only could use the escrow if they rented it out to someone for the same time we were supposed to be there. Guess what? Called today, said they didn’t rent it out, so I am out over ***** (I do not even know the exact amount, unless I look up my bank statement, because receipt is nowhere to be found on site or in email.) I am so disgusted. Of course, because I didn’t read every single rule, I am screwed. But from the reviews of The Watchtower Cabin, glad we didn’t stay there. But I cannot afford to be out all that money. I am so upset. (I would have even settled for a stay later in the year with family instead of a total loss).