do not buy a timeshare from Bluegreen
Complaint
Ben Travis
Country: United States
Do not...I repeat...do NOT buy a Bluegreen timeshare under any conditions. No matter how sweet it may sound, it is a rip-off. My wife and I bought one, and we are in a continual state of regret about it. It is virtually impossible to sell (the same amount of points we bought for $10,000 are selling for about $3,000 online), plus we have yearly fees of about $700 that must be paid for us to even be able to keep using it.
Here are some of the things you may not hear while you're in a Bluegreen presentation... we didn't:
-each year you will have to pay both "maintenance fees" and "club dues," which for us amount to over $700. If you don't pay, you can't use any of your points at all until you do pay.
-many of the resorts they tell you about can only be booked in 7-day increments, which means you'll take that trip and no others for two years because you'll use up all your points on that single trip.
-we just found this one out... if you don't have the points, you can't book a trip... for example, we get 12,000 new points in July, so I called to book something in August. Well, I can't do that until I "have the points." Of course, by the time the points actually show up, all the places will be booked for the summer. We're all paid up on maintenance fees and club dues, so we will definitely get the points, but too bad... we have to wait. The person on the phone even sympathized with me and said he understood what I was saying, but too bad.
-they say they will help you rent your timeshare, but this is a joke. Your timeshare will never rent for anything near what you need to maintain the fees on it, much less pay it off.
-take a look at this web site to see what points are actually worth if you buy them on eBay: http://popular.ebay.com/ns/Real-Estate/Bluegreen.html If you really desperately want Bluegreen points, don't buy them from Bluegreen.
-they tell you that you can book things just a day or two in advance, but this is almost never possible in real life. Things are booked up months in advance.
Owning a Bluegreen timeshare is like a weight that you have to drag around with you for the rest of your life. There are many places that will rent timeshares if you like that kind of thing, and you can usually get them fairly cheap and without any obligation for the future. When I imagine paying $700 a year for the rest of my life, it feels amazingly scary. Don't do it. You're locking yourself into something that will never end when there is absolutely no need to do so.
They give you the free trip, then take advantage of how little you've researched timeshares when you're in the presentation. They tell you this price can only be offered this one time, and that you can't take another trip. It's all cheap sales techniques, and they wouldn't be necessary if it were something people really benefited from.
We even looked on the internet during our sales presentation... if only I had come across a letter like this, we probably wouldn't have bought, and we'd be much better off. At least take a few days to think about it. If they can't give you that long to think, they're tricking you anyway.
Buying a Bluegreen timeshare is a terrible decision. They, like many salespeople, will tell you whatever you want to hear to get you to buy, knowing that they will not personally be accountable for any misrepresentations of the truth later on.
One thing they promised us is that we could rent our timeshare. Now they've done away with that aspect as well, so you either use it, keep paying about $700 in fees each year along with whatever you paid originally, or you just lose the points. Every letter we receive is something else they're taking away from us.
The most recent thing that happened was that we had tried to rent ours out for 10,000 points (most of our points) before they decided to stop letting people do that. So I called today, 10 days in advance, to check and make sure it was rented, since this is the cut-off for when I can cancel without losing points. So the guy on the phone told me that yes, it is rented. And I asked, "Well, what happens if the people cancel sometime in the next 10 days?" He said, "We don't have any control over that, sir." And I said, "I understand that, but I don't either. So what happens to my points if they cancel?" And he said, "Well, you lose those points."
So some renter I don't even know can decide to back out at the last minute, and I lose 10,000 points and don't get to travel or make any money from my timeshare for 2 years! That seems fair...
Everything Bluegreen does seems to be a way to get themselves more money and screw over their "valued customers."
And Bluegreen, if you're reading this, don't bother calling me trying to get me to revoke the complaint... we're trying to sell our timeshare as quickly as we can and hopefully never have any interaction with you for as long as we live.
Here are some of the things you may not hear while you're in a Bluegreen presentation... we didn't:
-each year you will have to pay both "maintenance fees" and "club dues," which for us amount to over $700. If you don't pay, you can't use any of your points at all until you do pay.
-many of the resorts they tell you about can only be booked in 7-day increments, which means you'll take that trip and no others for two years because you'll use up all your points on that single trip.
-we just found this one out... if you don't have the points, you can't book a trip... for example, we get 12,000 new points in July, so I called to book something in August. Well, I can't do that until I "have the points." Of course, by the time the points actually show up, all the places will be booked for the summer. We're all paid up on maintenance fees and club dues, so we will definitely get the points, but too bad... we have to wait. The person on the phone even sympathized with me and said he understood what I was saying, but too bad.
-they say they will help you rent your timeshare, but this is a joke. Your timeshare will never rent for anything near what you need to maintain the fees on it, much less pay it off.
-take a look at this web site to see what points are actually worth if you buy them on eBay: http://popular.ebay.com/ns/Real-Estate/Bluegreen.html If you really desperately want Bluegreen points, don't buy them from Bluegreen.
-they tell you that you can book things just a day or two in advance, but this is almost never possible in real life. Things are booked up months in advance.
Owning a Bluegreen timeshare is like a weight that you have to drag around with you for the rest of your life. There are many places that will rent timeshares if you like that kind of thing, and you can usually get them fairly cheap and without any obligation for the future. When I imagine paying $700 a year for the rest of my life, it feels amazingly scary. Don't do it. You're locking yourself into something that will never end when there is absolutely no need to do so.
They give you the free trip, then take advantage of how little you've researched timeshares when you're in the presentation. They tell you this price can only be offered this one time, and that you can't take another trip. It's all cheap sales techniques, and they wouldn't be necessary if it were something people really benefited from.
We even looked on the internet during our sales presentation... if only I had come across a letter like this, we probably wouldn't have bought, and we'd be much better off. At least take a few days to think about it. If they can't give you that long to think, they're tricking you anyway.
Buying a Bluegreen timeshare is a terrible decision. They, like many salespeople, will tell you whatever you want to hear to get you to buy, knowing that they will not personally be accountable for any misrepresentations of the truth later on.
One thing they promised us is that we could rent our timeshare. Now they've done away with that aspect as well, so you either use it, keep paying about $700 in fees each year along with whatever you paid originally, or you just lose the points. Every letter we receive is something else they're taking away from us.
The most recent thing that happened was that we had tried to rent ours out for 10,000 points (most of our points) before they decided to stop letting people do that. So I called today, 10 days in advance, to check and make sure it was rented, since this is the cut-off for when I can cancel without losing points. So the guy on the phone told me that yes, it is rented. And I asked, "Well, what happens if the people cancel sometime in the next 10 days?" He said, "We don't have any control over that, sir." And I said, "I understand that, but I don't either. So what happens to my points if they cancel?" And he said, "Well, you lose those points."
So some renter I don't even know can decide to back out at the last minute, and I lose 10,000 points and don't get to travel or make any money from my timeshare for 2 years! That seems fair...
Everything Bluegreen does seems to be a way to get themselves more money and screw over their "valued customers."
And Bluegreen, if you're reading this, don't bother calling me trying to get me to revoke the complaint... we're trying to sell our timeshare as quickly as we can and hopefully never have any interaction with you for as long as we live.
Comments
bg sucker...I am a happy bg owner...just saw the link on my google search and decided to check it out. At first I thought it may show me some problems...so far the problems I see are folks unhappy with a decision and blaming bluegreen. As an owner I'm interested in comments about BG, so your theory that only BG employees would read this is wrong...as are most of your other assumptions about folks like me.
I was a Marine for 20 yrs so I thank you for your professed service to the country (if true)...I now work in civil service...I have no ties to bg except as an owner. Would even post my ph# if some of you didn't appear to be nuts!
Why are some complaining about the interest rate...you had to acknowledge and accept it in the contract. If you got 20+%...you had to know your credit sucked and accepted that ridiculous rate for some reason. I had decent credit but still signed for a 15.9% rate...just paid it off quick or moved it to a lower interest loan. (credit card / HELOC)
Maint. fees are a necessary evil, and again, they were not a surprise unless you slept throught the entire purchasing process.
A class action lawsuit to sue bluegreen for holding you to the terms of your contract would be interesting to see. We were "scammed, fooled, bamboozled" etc. etc. basically means we fell for a sales pitch and signed a contract that we now want out of. BG does a better job than most of making you initial next to each paragraph of the contract....did you READ the WORDS??? Making sure you understood the terms and conditions of the sale was YOUR responsibility not theirs!
Nothing is available "today only" and if you bought because you thought you couldn't come back tomorrow...well I guess that's why some of you state on here you paid close to $3 a point. I'd be pissed too...but at myself for not finding out what a fair price is for the product purchased. Always best to go to a few presentations...take notes...and compare prices. You will never know what they're actually willing to sell for until you walk out a few times! If you upgrade...hold out for an even lower price that your initial purchase. I go to the presentation every time and have the rep that books it write "1 hr our less" on the appointment sheet. I tell them that I will leave in 1 hour, usually with a $100 visa gift card, and am not interested in buying. This is not only an easy $100, but they get to the details faster, you get usable numbers in your notebook, and you skip the part where the salesman tries to convince you that you share the same hobbies, etc. win/win
I go to Myrtle Beach for bike week....I stayed with a couple friends in a 2 br / 2 ba condo (about 1100 sq ft) with full kitchen, washer/dryer, etc. Friends paid $80/night for 2 double beds and a shower! Even if I don't use points...I can get a 1br condo with full kitchen/living/dining room for $59/night.
I'm sorry some of you truly did your best and still feel cheated. And if you were actually lied to that sucks...but what does the contract say??? We heard a couple offers that seemed great...and asked where they were in the contract at signing. If it wasn't in black and white...don't expect to see it later! I will be looking for even more points as I near retirement and sure hope I can find some disgruntled folks willing to make me a deal when I am ready to buy. For those who say you can't use the points or get any vacations in...I can only recommend you learn more about using the program. As stated earlier, I have stayed 17 times in the last 18 months. Some were planned, some were last minute, some were points, some were bonus time, some were extra vacations booked through RCI. ALL were fun! My total days booked for the last 18 months is 62.
No BGsucker...we are not all BG employees...some of us knew what we were getting, wanted it, and are now enjoying it. But this has been fun!
Long story short, this is a life-long investment in vacations. You are essentially "pre-paying" for all the vacations you hope to take from now on. My husband and I bought with the 11,000 bi-annual when we were in our early 20's. We have taken at least one 7-night and 3-night vacation a year since. We have even managed to rent some points out to friends here and there.
The is NOT a way to make money and don't let anyone tell you that it is. With some advance planning, you can really get some great vacation experiences.
These are the main factors why you do not have to buy from them.
1. You can not use your points as you wish and they expire (think about uncashed check expiring). You can not use your points from last year to this year peak times (vacation times) and they expire within 12 months.
2. Interest rates you pay on the mortgage is so high like a credit car (for 12000 points you pay about 2000 dollars, with this iterest expense you have an all inclusive vacation in a 5 start hotel in any resort area.
3. There are a club dues (about 150) and maintainance fee (about 800) every year - again this alone does not warrant a timeshare with Bluegree.
Lastly, do not be fooled by their offers, free points, $ 100 check, free nights etc...these are all skims to lure the unsuspecting prey.
Take My Words - This is not something you have to do!!!! You will regret it. If you hear/read anything different - that can only come from BG associates and their stake holders.
I'm a bit perplexed if you love Bluegreen so much why are you on a Bluegreen complaint site??? Do you work for Bluegreen?
Your help is appreciated.
It is ok just the fee is about $500.00 every yr., so we really buy our vacation every yr.
Im a very happy BG owner and actually looking to buy more points so we can bring more friends and family with us...