Bluegreen Vacations review: timeshare rip off! 18

We bought our Bluegreen timeshare on March 25, 2006 after they told us we could go to Myrtle Beach this past summer by using 5700 points and buy 3 bonus nights. That is the only reason we bought. After we signed and tried to book was when we found out you cannot book Myrtle Beach in March it is all booked, and even if you could you can't purchase bonus nights until 45 days of check in. So the Vacation Reservation sheet they filled out and showed us was FRAUD. It may not mean a whole lot but I sure am glad I did not give that back to them so I have proof of the lies they tell.

Randy

Is there a lawsuit being filed against Bluegreen? My husband and I was pressured into buying. After being told to go eat and come back to sign documents. With 3 kids in toll we did.

Beware!

I agree, They are high pressure, non disclosure of all the above. Rude if you go to a meeting and don't upgrade.

I am in if there is ever a class-action!

I would love to hear from any and all disgruntled Bluegreen owners. The are not just rude, their practices are illegal. Jan.

RIGHT ON, THE SALES PRESENTATION REGARDING AVAILABILITY AND REALITY ARE VERY FAR APART. I TOO FELT I WAS MISLEAD, AND DEALING WITH RCI IS NO BARGAIN EITHER. AS AN EARILIER EMAILER SAID, IF THERE IS LEAGAL ACTION, I AM IN.

sadded to hear of all the complaints. my wife and i bought into bluegreen several years ago, and have been very satisfied! do not expect to be put up in a resort unit for a sales presention, as it would limit my chances as an owner to book the places that i want. we have been to many of these sales offers and bluegreen offered the best deal with the lowest pressure of all! since we bought we have upgraded twice, and are looking forward to anouther purchase as soon as we can get the funds. the kids are also glad we bought.

To R Byom.

I second that

Lies, high pressure, all the above mentioned negative remarks. Don't ever consider buying from Bluegreen...

My husband and I would also be eager to join in any suit, or would love any advise on how to get out of the bluegreen mess. We too have been unable to book any of the vacations that were promised, they conviently stopped buying back and/or renting the timeshares approx. 4months after we purchased. We realize this is a lesson learned, we were young...and too trusting. However, if anyone has any advise for us, we'd be very grateful.

Bluegreen is a rip off artist. They do not answer your calls and give out false information. I received my bill and found added items that I did not ask for but was told that I would get them at no addtional cost since I had never been able to use the time share. Please tell all your friends not to buy from Bluegreen. Westgate is a much more reputable organization. There are some truth and lending laws that need to be explored with these crooks.

Hey consumers:

File a complaint with your local Attorney General. Many states are now looking into the business dealings of Bluegreen. Tom Corbett the AG in my home state of PA has- as of Oct. 14, 2008, filed a lawsuit against them citing MANY violations to consumer protection laws. Not to mention they are not licensed real-estate agents but, are selling property ( a big no-no in PA. )

I personally would take the above action before considering a class action suit because you have a better chance of recovering more of your money if the suit is brought against them by the Government.

Class-action attorney's usually take huge sums of money for their services without making any guarantee as to the outcome. Even if you do win, which your chances are limited at best because of the creative wording in the contract, you may not recover much.

This was one of the violations stated in the lawsuit- the contract is not worded for the average person to understand. TRICKY? HUH?

Please read an abbreviated version of the suit below:

HARRISBURG - Attorney General Tom Corbett today announced lawsuits today against four Florida-based companies accused of illegally marketing vacation packages, using "free" airline ticket offers and other worthless prizes to lure consumers into aggressive and deceptive timeshare presentations.

Corbett said consumer protection lawsuits were filed against Bluegreen Corporation, Bluegreen Resorts, Bluegreen Vacations Unlimited, Inc. and Great Vacations Destinations, Inc., all of Boca Raton, Florida. Bluegreen contacted consumers by phone and through kiosks at shopping malls, fairs, and festivals throughout Pennsylvania, and also operates full-time sales facilities in Hershey and King of Prussia.

"Virtually any consumer with a checkbook and a pulse allegedly qualified as a 'winner' in these promotions, " Corbett said. "Unsuspecting consumers who believed they were contest winners were actually drawn into a high pressure bait-and-switch campaign designed to push timeshare vacation packages costing thousands of dollars."

Corbett said more than 5, 700 Pennsylvania residents purchased Bluegreen timeshares, with many paying $20, 000 to $40, 000 or more for packages that violated Pennsylvania's Consumer Protection Law, the Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act, the Telemarketer Registration Act and other consumer regulations.

Phony Prizes
Corbett said that Bluegreen representatives allegedly called consumers who believed they were entering contests and other promotions promising cars, cash and vacations.

According to the lawsuit, consumers were told that they had not won the "grand prize, " but had been selected to receive other items, like free airline tickets. Consumers were also promised free gasoline and meals when they collected their prize, if they attended a 90 minute timeshare presentation.

Corbett said the lawsuit alleges that consumers who were contacted by Bluegreen were not actually randomly selected prize winners. Instead, virtually everyone who entered the contests was contacted and falsely told that they were a prize winner.

In one case, Corbett said a consumer informed a Bluegreen representative that the person they were trying to reach did not live at that address. The consumer was told that it wasn't a problem - they would give her a prize too.

High Pressure Sales and False Advertising
Corbett said that in order to collect their "prizes, " consumers were required to schedule an appointment with a Bluegreen sales representative. In some cases, consumers who believed they would be attending a 90 minute timeshare presentation were actually subjected to relentless marketing pitches that lasted five hours or more.

According to the lawsuit, numerous deceptive statements were made to consumers during these presentations in an effort to get them to sign contracts immediately, including phony claims that prices would increase the next day, misrepresentations about when and where consumers could travel if they made a purchase and false statements about certain fees being waived.

Corbett said that some consumers bought vacation programs because they were told they were entitled to a one-week stay in Hawaii, only to learn afterward that the program they purchased could not be used in Hawaii.

According to the lawsuit, consumers who sat through the timeshare presentations received "prizes" that were nothing like what they had been promised. The "four free airline tickets" were actually booklets that offered two airline tickets with each hotel room reserved, at high prices, in a limited number of cities. In some situations, consumers were required to commit to a 10 night stay at overpriced hotel rates before being able to select a local airport for their flight.

Corbett said "free" gasoline and meals that consumers were promised turned out to be coupons or certificates with lengthy terms and conditions. For instance, consumers who were promised $40 in free gas were required to submit written requests to obtain a series of gas coupons. The coupons required consumers to pay for their gas first and then mail a receipt for reimbursement, with each coupon limited to a $5 purchase, with no more than one purchase per month.

Illegal Contracts
Corbett's said contracts used by Bluegreen failed to properly inform consumers of their right to cancel their purchase. Pennsylvania law requires that consumers have five days to cancel any timeshare or campground purchase. Bluegreen is also accused of violating a state law that requires all consumer contracts to be written in easy-to-understand terms.

Do Not Call Violations
According to the lawsuit, Bluegreen made numerous calls to consumers who were on Pennsylvania's Do Not Call list, allegedly basing those calls on referrals from other customers. Additionally, the companies are accused of making repeated calls to consumers who clearly told them not to call again.

"Bluegreen took advantage of hardworking Pennsylvania residents eager to find an affordable getaway, " Corbett said. "Using deceptive contests, relentless sales presentations and misleading contracts, consumers were pressured into paying thousands of dollars for vacation packages that don't meet their needs or their budgets."

Corbett said the lawsuits seek restitution for consumers who suffered financial losses because of these deceptive or illegal practices.

Additionally, Corbett says the lawsuit asks the court to void all illegal consumer contracts and give consumers the right to cancel any agreement that did not include the state-required notice of cancellation.

The lawsuit also seeks up to $1, 000 in civil penalties for each violation of the Consumer Protection Law, or up to $3, 000 for each violation involving a senior citizen.

The lawsuits were filed in Commonwealth Court, in Harrisburg, by Senior Deputy Attorney General David Sumner of the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Corbett says the investigation began after consumers contacted his office to report these practices. He encouraged other consumers who have problems with Bluegreen to file a complaint by calling the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Hotline at [protected] or submit an online consumer complaint.

www.attorneygeneral.gov/press.aspx?id=3999 LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD-NOW!

I agree with everyone's complaint. We were told that we could sell at anytime and get our money back. When we tried to, we were asked for more money to sell it. The next day someone called and offered us one dollar to take it off our hands. We were told when we bought our points that they were building many more resorts and we could use our points at any of the new ones. A year later we were told that we would have to buy extra points to be able to use the new resorts.

Bluegreen is one of the most unethical compaines I ever worked with. My wife and I were scammed into buying one what their sales people called, deeded properties. After the four hour sales pitch, they take you into a room and tape record the document signing. After fours hours of anything, especially with children, we were ready to sign and get out of town. We have tried to cancel our membership several times amicably to no avail. We have decided to file with an attorney to seek punitive damages and cancellation of the contract. Bluegreen has done nothing but give us the run-around. They have forwarded us to the corporate offices in Florida. The Florida offices sent us back to the Wisconsin Dells offices and so on and so on.

Bluegreen is an extremely unethical operation. They made promises of a beautiful resort in Las Vegas with high end shops, cobblestone streets...a very luxurious place. This is main reason we purchased this package. 1.5 later the reosrt was complete (now known as Club 36). Excitedely, we booked our vacation to see this grand place...we were complete appalled at what we found. It is built at the end of the LAS airport runway, so they couldn't have an outdoor pool (it would attract birds). So they have a sundeck on the roof outside of the indoor pool...where we had huge jets flying a few hundred feet over our heads all day. No one ever offered us a drink, though a poolside bar is advertised. We had to pay for internet access...what are we paying for evermonth as owners and maintnenace fees. Even the worst 1 star hotels today have free internet. The shuttle service (also advertised) was not working because they were caught operating a shuttle service without a license. The service was terrible! They call the decor "art Deco"...it's definatley more like "art cheapo". It was a complete embarrassment that I brought guests with me. It was not at all what was advertised to us! They are all crooks taking advantage of har working people just looking for nice vacations with their families. I have tried to complain a number of times, only to be transferred around to answering machines and no one is returning my calls. I guess they only want to talkl if you have money they can steal from you! for those that say they have enjoyed their experieinces with BlueGreen, they must work for them. Because I can't imagine anyone enjoys being taken advantage of and misled.

I have been a Bluegreen owner for 3 1/2 years and have been nothing but satisfied. We have even upgraded twice. I guess I'm lucky. I have booked a vacation at 4 different resorts in the last 3 years without any problems. These were all full week vacations, too. Every resort so far has been amazing. The staff is kind and considerate, and the resorts are beautiful. Anyone who has complaints, needs a better understanding of how this club works. I love my vacation ownership, and would gladly talk to anyone interested in selling points. My email is: scluckey@neo.rr.com

Our experience has been totally opposite... We have loved our bluegreen timeshare. We have found the reservation line to be accomodating and I have taken more vacations through bluegreen that I did in all the years before blugreen put together. Buying timeshare makes vacationing a family priority as it should be. If you think developer costs are unreasonably high you should checkout RESALE points. You don't get a lot of the VIP perks, but the points are just the same and just as usable. I have been to many sales presentations and ALL are pushy and you knew they would be before you entered the door. As for me and my family we have taken many great vacations that we would never have even thought about before becoming owners, and stayed in places we never thought we would be able to afford. Big Cedar Lodge is AMAZING! Gulf Shores is Beautiful and the rooms are HUGE and The Fountains resort in Orlando is a destination in and of itself. Resorts are so much better than staying in a hotel, we call them our small houses. I'll never go back to vacationing from a hotel.

If you had a problem then you should have rescinded the contract. You have ten days from the contract signing date to do your research and get all your money back. Just notify them in writing within that period of time. (remember the things you initialed when signing the doccuments? it was in there and probably said outloud by your sales agent. Yes it is high pressure and it is expensive but if you do your research, buy responsibly with reasonable expectations you can have a great investment in a lifetime of vacations.

We have belonged to Bluegreen Vacation Club for 5 years and do not have any complaints at all. We have been to 14 of the resorts from 3 nights to 7 nights- all were clean, nicely furnised, spacious, with excellent amenities. We have stayed in studios, 1 and 2 bedroom villas and 3 bedroom cabins. In the 5 years, they have added many new resorts, either their own or in a partnership with Shell Vacation Club. Some salespeople have been pushy, but I have done my homework and know how the system works. We have always gotten the vacation time we wanted but may have to adjust by a day or two and certainly do not expect to go to the beach in the summer or an autumn leaf area in Oct without planning ahead. We have not always been able to use Bonus Time exactly when we want where we want but can always find somewhere to go. Also, the staff have always been helpful and any repairs made promptly.Neither my husband nor I have ever been employed by Bluegreen nor do we know anyone who is.