Business Profile

Travel Club

Bluegreen Vacations Unlimited, Inc.

Headquarters

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Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Bluegreen Vacations Unlimited, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Customer Complaints Summary

1,882 total complaints in the last 3 years.
827 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

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The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

Initial Complaint
Date:01/17/2024
Type:Product Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
BBB,We recently received a notice of termination letter from Bluegreen Vacations regarding our timeshare. We would like for Bluegreen to respond in writing confirming that our timeshare account has been completely cancelled and that we have no further obligations to their company. We would appreciate it if they could provide us with this information as soon as possible.Summer and *****************
Business Response
Date: 01/24/2024
January 24, ****

***************************
BBB Services Specialist
Better Business Bureau Serving Southeast ******* and *************
***************************************************************************************

RE: Consumer File No. 21156689

Dear ********************:

This message is in response to the Better Business Bureaus electronic mail correspondence received by Bluegreen Vacations on January 17, ****, regarding the consumer correspondence of ********************* and Mrs. **************** Thank you for reaching out to us on their behalf to apprise us of their inquiry.

Bluegreen is committed to providing excellence in customer service and to ensuring our owners and guests are satisfied with their overall experience. It is Bluegreens goal to provide a comprehensive and responsive support network,so our owners and guests can focus on enjoyable and memorable vacations.

Bluegreens records indicate that ********************* and Mrs. *************** purchased a Bluegreen Vacation Club timeshare interest on February 20, 2023. Mr. and Mrs. ***** timeshare interest conferred ownership of ***** Annual Vacation **** Points.

Upon receipt of your correspondence advising of Mr. and Mrs. ***** concern,and in accordance with Bluegreens desire to provide each owner with education,resolution, and ongoing service, our ************* ********************** Specialist reached out to Mr. and ************* by telephone on January 18, ****, resulting in being unable to leave a voice message as the voicemail was not set up. Our Specialist sent an email advising that we wish to speak with them regarding their Better Business Bureau correspondence and providing direct contact information. Our Specialist briefly spoke with ************ by telephone on January 22, ****, verifying their contact information, in which ************ then advised it was not a good time to speak. Our Specialist reached out by telephone again on January 23,****, still unable to leave a voice message. Although we have been unable to speak with Mr. and ************* in depth, Bluegreen wishes to respond to their concerns through the Better Business Bureau.

Mr. and Mrs. ***** primary concern is regarding the status of their ownership. Bluegreens ************* ********************** team has reviewed Mr. and Mrs. ***** ownership closely. After reviewing their ownership, Bluegreen would advise that Mr. and Mrs. ***** mortgage loan for their timeshare purchase on February 20, 2023, has been charged off due to nonpayment on November 28, 2023. Mr. and ************* are therefore no longer Bluegreen owners. Our Specialist would be happy to provide further information for Mr. and ************* if they wish to speak by telephone. Should Mr. and ************ have further questions or concerns, they have the direct contact information for our ***************************************************************************** **** Services
Bluegreen Vacations Corporation
Initial Complaint
Date:01/16/2024
Type:Product Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Better Business Bureau,We would like to file a complaint against Bluegreen Vacations. ******* and I have given Bluegreen a significant amount of money in just one year, but we have received minimal benefits in return. This is not what we were promised, and it is clear to us that the cost is overwhelming and was not properly explained to us.Initially, when we discussed using this timeshare, our best time to vacation was during the summer when the kids were out of school and the weather was warm. However, we quickly realized that the points required for a two-day trip during those months would exhaust all of our allocated points for the entire year.We are disappointed with our experience so far and do not wish to continue doing business with Bluegreen or timeshare ownership. We have sent letters by mail and submitted them via the website but never get a response to our complaints. Maybe because we have stated in writing we want our contracts canceled and they know they are in the wrong, they are taking the path of avoidance. We feel wronged by Bluegreens practices. We trusted the promises but have ************* repeatedly. It is our sincere hope that this letter will lead to a resolution that is fair to both parties.Thank you for taking the time to read our complaint, and we hope to receive support from your organization and a satisfactory response from Bluegreen as to the cancelation of our contracts. We also believe it is not unreasonable to request a partial refund. Regards, ******************* and ***********************
Business Response
Date: 01/24/2024
January 24, ****

***************************
BBB Services Specialist
Better Business Bureau Serving Southeast ******* and *************
***************************************************************************************

RE: Consumer File No. 21151333

Dear ********************:

This message is in response to the Better Business Bureaus electronic mail correspondence received by Bluegreen Vacations on January 16, ****, regarding the consumer correspondence of *************************************** and ***********************. Thank you for reaching out to us on their behalf to apprise us of their inquiry.

Bluegreen is committed to providing excellence in customer service and to ensuring our owners and guests are satisfied with their overall experience. It is Bluegreens goal to provide a comprehensive and responsive support network,so our owners and guests can focus on enjoyable and memorable vacations.

Bluegreens records indicate that *************************************** purchased a Bluegreen Vacation Club timeshare interest on June 17, 2022. ************ subsequently upgraded his ownership interest by purchasing additional Points on August 20,2022. Together with ***********************, ************ completed an additional upgrade on November 6, 2022. However, that upgrade contract has since charged off due to nonpayment of the mortgage, so ************ is no longer a Bluegreen owner. ************** remaining timeshare interest confers ownership of twelve thousand Biennial Vacation **** Points.

Upon receipt of your correspondence advising of ************ and Ms. ***** concerns, and in accordance with Bluegreens desire to provide each owner with education, resolution, and ongoing service, one of our ************* ********************** Specialists attempted to reach ************ and ************ by telephone and email on January 17, ****, leaving messages to notify them that we would like to speak with them further to address their Better Business Bureau correspondence. Our Specialist reached out to ************ and ************ by telephone and email again on January 18, ****, and by telephone on January 19, ****, again leaving messages that we are trying to reach them and providing direct contact information. Although we have been unable to speak with ************ and ************ directly, Bluegreen wishes to respond to their concerns through the Better Business Bureau.

************ and Ms. ***** first concern is regarding representations they state were made during the sales presentation. Bluegreen does not have documentation from the sales site that differs from the details in the contract documents. The Owner Confirmation Interview in Section 11 states that salespersons are not authorized to make oral representations, promises, or offers that modify the contract documents.Section 11 provided a space for ************ to write any promises or commitments that were important to his purchase decision that are not otherwise covered in writing. ************ completed this field by writing None, indicating no outside promises or commitments were made by Bluegreen. Furthermore, the Terms and Conditions of the Owner Beneficiary Agreement in Section 24 provide that ************,as a purchaser, should not rely on any oral or written representations that are not set forth in the contract documents.

************ and Ms. ***** second concern is that they feel they were not advised of the costs associated with the ownership. Bluegreen would advise ************ that the financing terms for his remaining timeshare contracts were disclosed at the time of purchase. The second page of ************** Owner Beneficiary Agreements advises the purchase price and financing terms for each contract. Maintenance fees are also discussed at the time of purchase and detailed in the Owner Beneficiary Agreement and the Owner Confirmation Interview. The Terms and Conditions of the Owner Beneficiary Agreement in Section 4: Common Assessment Fees and **** Dues set forth that maintenance fees are billed annually as a base amount plus an added amount per Vacation **** Point. Section 4 provides that Bluegreen has the right to increase or decrease fees from time to time.Owner Confirmation Interview Section 8 also advises that maintenance fees and **** Dues are owner obligations calculated based on the number of Vacation **** Points owned. ************ initialed next to Section 8, indicating his understanding and consent. In addition, the Purchase Proposal and *************** Summary both include a breakdown of annual maintenance fees and Vacation **** Dues, as well as loan financing terms. If he was uncomfortable with the financing terms, ************ could have departed the sales presentation without signing any documentation or completing a purchase. Moreover, ************ initialed the *************** Summary, indicating that he had reviewed all financial terms and that he could afford to make all payments connected with the timeshare purchase.

************ and Ms. ***** third concern is that they do not own enough Points to travel during their preferred times. Bluegreen is firmly of the opinion that all Vacation **** Points are valuable for reserving enjoyable and memorable vacations. As ************ initialed in Section 1 of the Owner Confirmation Interview, each of Bluegreens Vacation **** accommodations is assigned nightly and weekly Points values that vary depending on the day of the week, size of the unit, resort location, and season. The twenty thousand Biennial Points ************ currently receives cover fewer nights at some properties based on these factors, but at other resorts a full weeks stay can be reserved for four thousand Points or fewer. ************ also received for his review a Points Guide advising the number of Points needed for each accommodation. The Points Guide provides helpful information for owners to plan vacations with full knowledge of the times of year and types of accommodations their ownership allows at Bluegreens varied resort properties. For example, during the Blue Season in parts of December, January, and February, a one-bedroom suite vacation villa that sleeps four people at *********** Lights resort in ************, ************** is available for an entire week for just four thousand Points. At Harbour Lights, a hotel-style villa is only three thousand Points weekly for much of January, February, March, November, and December. Our ********************************************* resort in ************, ******** offers one-week vacations for as few as two thousand Points per week during the Blue Season in January and February, or up to four thousand Points in the White and Red Seasons during March, April,October, November, and December. Our Specialist would be pleased to discuss opportunities to reserve vacations with ************ and assist him in confirming reservations at resorts he has not yet been able to visit.

************ and Ms. ***** next concern is with the communication and response they received from Bluegreen as they attempted to cancel their timeshare purchase. Bluegreen strives to provide receptive,reliable, and timely communication to our owners. Bluegreens policy is to return owners calls and emails promptly and follow through on owners issues until a satisfactory resolution is reached. Our records do show that emails were received from ************ and ************ on October 8, 2023 and November 28,2023. However, since the start of COVID-19, all agents are currently available to assist owners in real-time via live chat or telephone. Our customer service inbox is therefore not routinely monitored, and this information is posted on our Contact Us web page to notify owners that emails are not being answered at this time. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this has caused, but Bluegreen is pleased to have this opportunity to assist ************ and ************ via their Better Business Bureau correspondence.

************ and Ms. ***** final concern is regarding their request to cancel their ownership. Bluegreen would advise that the statutory rescission period for the timeshare purchase contract provides the applicable cancellation policy for a Vacation **** purchase. The rescission period is included in the Owner Beneficiary Agreement for ************** review. The Owner Beneficiary Agreement states the rescission period on the signature page in bolded text and capital letters immediately above the signature lines where ************ signed to make his timeshare purchase. ************ had a physical copy of the Owner Beneficiary Agreement document in his possession when he left the sales presentation and purchase meeting; therefore, he had an opportunity to read through this document right away after purchasing or later at his leisure. If ************ had doubts about the Bluegreen product or its suitability for his personal vacation needs, he could have promptly reviewed the contract documents during the rescission period and followed the instructions to cancel, if desired. Our Specialist would be happy to discuss this rescission period and explain that this is the only time the contract provides for Bluegreen to cancel a purchase upon request. Unfortunately, Bluegreen did not receive a request to cancel from ************ and ************ during the rescission period.

Bluegreens ************* ********************** team has reviewed ************** ownership closely. After reviewing the account, ********************** finds that ************ remains responsible under the terms of the purchase agreements and promissory notes he executed for his timeshare purchases. Bluegreen will not provide the cancellation and refund requested by ************ and ************. As referenced above, the mortgage loan associated with ************ and Ms. ***** timeshare purchased on November 6, 2022 was charged off due to nonpayment on January 12,****, so ************ is no longer a Bluegreen owner as of that date. Similarly,************** mortgage loan associated with his timeshare purchased on June 17,2022 was charged off due to nonpayment on January 23, ****. ************** mortgage loan associated with his timeshare purchased on August 20, 2022 is 127 days past due, respectively. Bluegreens ******************* has called, emailed,and sent letters to ************ to advise him of the delinquency and provide an opportunity to bring his loan current. Should ************ elect not to continue mortgage payments, his loan may also be charged off due to nonpayment of mortgage. Should ************ and ************ have any further questions or concerns, they have the direct contact information of our ***************************************************************************** **** Services
Bluegreen Vacations Corporation
Initial Complaint
Date:01/16/2024
Type:Product Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Better Business Bureau,I need some sort of assistance in regards to the timeshares I have purchased from Bluegreen Vacations. Despite making several purchases, I no longer wish to be an owner of these timeshares and have been seeking all available options to cancel them. It is important to note that all mortgage loans have already been fully paid off and I am simply looking to exit my ownership.Unfortunately, my experience with Bluegreen has been far from satisfactory. I was misled and told many untruths about these timeshares that have left me feeling like I have invested a significant amount of my hard-earned money into something that has not provided me with an adequate return. After attempting to contact the company about my concerns and requests, I have received no response from them.As a result, I am seeking the assistance of the Better Business Bureau to help me get the cancellation and refund of my timeshare purchases, which I feel I am entitled to. I would appreciate any and all help that can be provided in this regard.Thank you,**********************
Business Response
Date: 01/25/2024
January 25, ****

***************************
BBB Services Specialist
Better Business Bureau Serving Southeast ******* and *************
*********************************************************************************************** RE: Consumer File No. 21151046

Dear ********************:

This message is in response to the Better Business Bureaus electronic mail correspondence received by Bluegreen Vacations on January 16, ****, regarding the consumer correspondence of Ms.*********************** Thank you for reaching out to us on her behalf to apprise us of her inquiry.

Bluegreen is committed to providing excellence in customer service and ensuring our owners, members, and guests are satisfied with their overall experience. It is Bluegreens goal to provide a comprehensive and responsive support network so owners, members, and guests can focus on enjoyable and memorable vacations.

Bluegreens records indicate that Ms.********************** purchased a timeshare interest with the Bluegreen Vacation Club on June 30, 2008. Ms.******* increased her Points ownership through an equity trade on December 10,2013. Ms. ******* timeshare interest confers ownership of ****** Annual Vacation **** Points and Premier Silver benefits.

Upon receipt of your correspondence advising of Ms. ******* concerns, our ************* ********************** Specialist reached out to Ms. ******* by telephone and email on January 16, ****, resulting in leaving messages that we wish to speak with her regarding her Better Business Bureau correspondence,requesting her availability to speak by telephone, and providing direct contact information. Our Specialist reached out again by telephone on January 17 and January 18, ****, resulting in leaving voice messages that we are trying to reach Ms. ******* and providing direct contact information. Ms. ******* replied by email on January 19, ****, requesting a telephone appointment. Our Specialist responded later the same day confirming Ms. ******* appointment date and time. Our Specialist spoke with Ms. ******* on January 24, ****,listening to her concerns, clarifying ownership information, and discussing potential resolutions. Ms. ******* stated she would consider the potential resolutions and reach out to our Specialist if she decides to move forward. In addition to speaking with Ms. ******* directly, Bluegreen wishes to respond to Ms.******* concerns through the Better Business Bureau as well.

Ms. ******* first concern is regarding exit options for her timeshare ownership. Bluegreen would remind Ms. ******* that she purchased a timeshare ownership that is intended to be a lifetime ownership. Bluegreen would advise that the Owner Beneficiary Agreement Terms and Conditions: Section 1(a) Trust Agreement indicates that Ms. **************** is intended to be perpetual creating a lifetime of vacations.Bluegreen would also advise Ms. ******* that Bluegreen does not offer a formal buyback program. Bluegreen makes no guarantees of providing any potential options for exiting a timeshare ownership.

Ms. ******* second concern is regarding representations she states were made at the sales presentation. Bluegreen does not have documentation from the sales site that differs from the details contained in the contract documents. The Owner Confirmation Interview at Section 12 states that salespersons are not authorized to make oral representations, promises, or offers that modify the contract documents.Section 12 provided a space for Ms.******* to write any promises or commitments that were important to her purchase decision that are not otherwise covered in writing. Ms. ******* completed this field by writing None, indicating no outside promises or commitments were made by Bluegreen. Furthermore, the Owner Beneficiary Agreement at Section 24 provides that Ms. ******** as the purchaser, should not rely on any oral or written representations that are not set forth in the contract documents.

Ms. ******* third concern involves Bluegreen as a financial investment.Bluegreen believes we sell a valuable vacation product. Still,the timeshare interest Ms. ******* purchased is for her and her familys personal use. Owner Confirmation Interview Section 13 provides that the ownership purchase is for personal use and enjoyment only. Owner Confirmation Interview Section 13 further states the purchase is made neither as a financial investment nor with an expectation of a financial return on an investment. Section 13 also provides that no one is authorized to guarantee that Bluegreen will repurchase or resell a timeshare interest. Ms. ******* initialed beside Section 13, signifying she agreed the purchase was for personal use and not for investment purposes. In addition, Owner Beneficiary Agreement Section 5: Purchasers Acknowledgments disclaims the investment potential of the ownership, affirms that the purchase is for personal use, and states there is no guaranteed buy-back of the timeshare. Bluegreen refers owners interested in resale to our authorized third-party resale agent. Our Specialist would be happy to provide contact information, if desired.

Ms. ******* final concern is with Bluegreens communication and responsiveness as she has attempted to cancel her timeshare ownership. Bluegreen strives to provide rapid and reliable communication for our owners. Bluegreen first received notification that Ms.****** wanted to cancel her ownership in March 2020. In response, our ************* ********************** Specialist spoke with Ms. ****** by telephone on May 7, 2020,listening to her concerns and providing information regarding resale and title transfer. Our Specialist also followed up immediately by email providing the direct contact information for our third-party resale agent and the web address for initiating a title transfer. Bluegreen also received an email from Ms.******* on February 7, 2021, requesting to cancel her ownership. An automated response was sent the same day advising Ms. ******* to refrain from emailing and to reach out directly to our online chat servicing team or to our telephone customer service contact center regarding her concerns. Our records also indicate that we received an email on November 8, 2023. However, since the start of COVID-19, all agents are currently available to assist owners in real-time via live chat or telephone. Our customer service inbox is therefore not routinely monitored, and this information is posted on our Contact ** web page to notify owners that emails are not being answered at this time. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this has caused, but Bluegreen is pleased to have this opportunity to assist Ms. **************** Bluegreens ************* ********************** team has reviewed Ms. ******* ownership closely, since receiving her Better Business Bureau correspondence. After review, Bluegreen finds that Ms. ******* remains bound to the terms of the purchase agreement she executed for her timeshare purchase.Bluegreen will not provide the cancellation and refund requested for Ms. ******** Bluegreen would advise that Ms. ******* contract purchased on December 10, 2013 is paid in full. Should Ms. ******* have any further questions or concerns, or decide to proceed with a potential resolution, we invite her to reach out to our Specialist at the direct contact information provided.

********************************************************** **** Services
Bluegreen Vacations Corporation
Initial Complaint
Date:01/16/2024
Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
To Whom It May ********** attended and made a timeshare purchase at one of Bluegreen Vacations sales presentations which was located in *********. Unfortunately, we were misled and taken advantage of by Bluegreen and their sales representatives during this presentation. We attempted to reach out to Bluegreen months ago and received no response, which is why we are now seeking your assistance to resolve this matter.The sales presentation was supposed to last only two hours but ended up lasting six hours. We had a show to attend and were almost made to miss it due to the long and dragged-out presentation. We said no multiple times during the presentation but the sales representatives kept lowering the price offer and tag-teamed us until we felt pressured to cave in and make the purchase.Our sales representatives' names were *******************, *********************************, and ***********************. They completely lied to us during the presentation. They told us that the timeshare was real estate and could be sold at any time. We later found out that this was a huge lie.Furthermore, they promised that our purchased points would gain us access to luxurious locations, but we soon found out that we only had enough points to stay at cheap, motel 6 type locations.The level of dishonesty and deceit displayed by Bluegreen Vacations is unacceptable.Their sales representatives are highly skilled at pressuring and misleading their clients into making purchases that are not in their best interest. We are extremely frustrated and disappointed with the entire experience, especially with the lack of response from Bluegreen Vacations when we reached out to them about these issues.We request that our timeshare be immediately canceled and all fees be refunded. We hope that your organization can help us reach a resolution regarding this matter.Sincerely,**** and *****************************
Business Response
Date: 01/24/2024
January 24, ****

***************************
BBB Services Specialist
Better Business Bureau Serving Southeast ******* and *************
***************************************************************************************

RE: Consumer File No. 21150894

Dear ********************:

This message is in response to the Better Business Bureaus electronic mail correspondence received by Bluegreen Vacations on January 16, ****, regarding the consumer correspondence of ***************************** and **********************************. Thank you for reaching out to us on their behalf to apprise us of their inquiry.

Bluegreen is committed to providing excellence in customer service and to ensuring our owners and guests are satisfied with their overall experience. It is Bluegreens goal to provide a comprehensive and responsive support network,so our owners and guests can focus on enjoyable and memorable vacations.

Bluegreens records indicate that ***************************** and ********************************** purchased a Bluegreen Vacation Club timeshare interest on December 28, 2021. *** and ********************** timeshare interest confers ownership of eight thousand Biennial Vacation **** Points.

Upon receipt of your correspondence advising of *** and *********************** concerns, and in accordance with Bluegreens desire to provide each owner with education, resolution, and ongoing service, one of our ************* ********************** Specialists briefly spoke with ******************** by telephone on January 17 and January 19, ****, in which ******************** advised that this is not a good time to speak. Our Specialist sent an email, those same days, offering to schedule a time to speak with them. Our Specialist reached out to *** and ********************* on January 24, ****, leaving a voice message advising that we are trying to reach them and providing direct contact information. Although we have been unable to speak with *** and ********************* in detail, Bluegreen wishes to respond to *** and *********************** concerns through the Better Business Bureau.

*** and *********************** first concern is regarding representations they state were made at the sales presentation. Bluegreen does not have documentation from the sales site that differs from the details contained in the contract documents. The Owner Confirmation Interview at Section 11 states that salespersons are not authorized to make oral representations, promises, or offers that modify the contract documents. Section 11 provides a space for *** and ********************* to write any promises or commitments that were important to their purchase decision that are not otherwise covered in writing. *** and ********************* by writing None, indicating no outside promises or commitments were made by Bluegreen. Furthermore, the Owner Beneficiary Agreement at Section 24 provides that *** and *********************, as purchasers, should not rely on any oral or written representations that are not set forth in the contract documents.

*** and *********************** second concern is regarding the communication and responsiveness in resolving the issue they have experienced. Bluegreen strives to provide rapid and reliable communication for our owners. Bluegreens policy is to return owners communications promptly and follow through on ownersissues until a satisfactory resolution is reached. As soon as we received ***and *********************** correspondence from the Better Business Bureau, our ************* ********************** team contacted *** and ********************* by telephone and email. Bluegreens records also show that we received *** and *********************** email on September 29, 2023. Since the start of COVID-19, Bluegreen would advise that all agents are currently available to assist owners in real-time via live chat or telephone. Bluegreen would advise *** and ********************* to reach out to our contact center through our online chat servicing or by calling the center to receive further assistance to their concerns. Our customer service inbox is not routinely monitored, and this information is posted on our Contact ** web page to notify owners that emails are not being answered at this time. At Bluegreen, we pride ourselves on our professionalism, communication, and support of owners. Once again, Bluegreen is pleased to respond to *** and ********************* through the Better Business Bureau. We hope *** and ********************* respond to our contact attempts and speak with our Specialist by telephone so that Bluegreen can address their concerns.

*** and *********************** third concern is regarding pressure they state they felt to purchase and the length of the sales presentation. Bluegreen would advise that *** and ********************* were not under any obligation to purchase or sign contracts and could have left our welcome center without purchasing if they felt the Bluegreen product did not suit their vacation needs. *** and ********************* also state the presentation lasted a long time.Our sales presentations impart a great deal of information to prospective owners. Due to the volume of information shared during the sales presentation,the time can be lengthy. Moreover, the sales presentation time estimate covers the time for the initial presentation only. This estimate does not include the additional time spent to answer follow-up questions, tour the property, find the Points ownership best suited to a prospective owner, or complete the paperwork for a purchase.
*** and *********************** next concern relates to resale of their ownership. *** and ********************* state they were told they could resell their ownership at any time. Bluegreen believes we offer a valuable vacation ownership but understands that some owners may come to an end with the Bluegreen product. Owner Confirmation Interview Section 10.c states that Bluegreen does not offer a formal buyback program and there is limited secondary market for timeshares. In addition, Owner Beneficiary Agreement Section 5: Purchasers Acknowledgments disclaims the investment potential of the ownership and states there is no guaranteed buy-back of the timeshare.While Bluegreen does not repurchase or resell timeshare interests, Bluegreen does allow owners to resell their ownership interests. Bluegreen refers owners interested in resale to our authorized third-party resale agent, Pinnacle Vacations. This third-party resale agent can advise owners regarding resale information, but Bluegreen is not party to that conversation.

*** and *********************** final concern is that they needed more Vacation **** Points for additional booking and travel opportunities. Bluegreen is firmly of the opinion that all Vacation **** Points are valuable for reserving enjoyable and memorable vacations. As *** and ********************* initialed in Section 1 of the Owner Confirmation Interview, each of Bluegreens Vacation **** accommodations is assigned nightly and weekly Points values. The Points *** and ********************* receive annually cover fewer nights at some properties based on these factors,but at other resorts a full weeks stay can be reserved for ***** Points or fewer. *** and ********************* also received for their review a Points Guide advising the number of Points needed for each accommodation. The Points Guide provides helpful information for owners to plan vacations with full knowledge of the times of year and types of accommodations their ownership allows at Bluegreens varied resort properties. For example, during the Blue Season in parts of December, January, and February, a one-bedroom suite vacation villa that sleeps four people at *********** Lights resort in ************, ************** is available for an entire week for just ***** Points. At Harbour Lights, a hotel-style villa is only ***** Points weekly for much of January,February, March, November, and December. Our ********************************************* resort in ************, ******** offers one-week vacations for as few as ***** Points per week during the Blue Season in January and February, or up to ***** Points in the White and Red Seasons during March, April, October, November, and December.Our Specialist would be pleased to discuss opportunities to reserve vacations with *** and ********************* and assist them in confirming reservations at resorts they have not yet been able to visit.

Bluegreens ************* ********************** team has reviewed *** and *********************** ownership closely. After doing so, Bluegreen finds that *** and ********************* remain responsible under the terms of the purchase agreement and promissory note they executed for their timeshare purchase. Bluegreen will not provide the cancellation requested by *** and *********************. Should *** and ********************* have any further questions or concerns, they have the direct contact information of our ***************************************************************************** **** Services
Bluegreen Vacations Corporation
Customer Answer
Date: 02/29/2024
We strongly disagree with Bluegreen Vacations' response to our concerns. Their statement that the salespersons are not authorized to make oral representations that modify the contract documents is simply not true and our experience proves this. We were promised certain benefits during the sales presentation, which were not included in the contract documents. This is a clear indication of deceptive sales practices that need to be addressed.
Bluegreens suggestion that we could have left without purchasing is not helpful. We felt pressured by the lengthy sales presentation and the promises made during it.
Regarding the resale of ownership, we were greatly misled into believing that we could resell our ownership at any time. Bluegreens disclaimer that Bluegreen does not offer a formal buyback program and there is limited secondary market for timeshares is not helpful. It does not address the fact that we were given false information during the sales presentation. We deserved to be informed of our options and not left in the dark about the true value of our ownership.
Bluegreen Vacations needs to take responsibility for the deceptive sales practices used during our sales presentation. Their response lacks empathy, understanding, and actionable solutions. It is time for Bluegreen to step up and address the concerns of its owners.
Initial Complaint
Date:01/15/2024
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Hello,We wanted to reach out and see if there is anything you can do for us. Our names are **** and *******************. We have been one of the unfortunate owners of Bluegreen Vacations since 2007. We have been made promise after promise with nothing coming to fruition. Every time we would try to inquire about our points they just pressured us to buy more and assured us that this will finally allow us to travel how we want. Now, looking back, we have spent $50,000.00 if not more and continuing to pay maintenance fees where we are not getting what we were promised.We havent had any vacation that was worth that much money. We place that blame on our sales representatives. A few of those names are ******************************** (VIP services,) *********************, *************************, and one with the first name ******. They told us we would always get a presidential suite and a cabin each year and that has never happened. We were even on vacation in ******** and the elevator was broken. You had 100s of people carrying coolers,bags, and luggage up and down stairs. We had just spent ******* on maintenance fees before we went. I could have used that to fix the elevator and then we would have KNOWN our maintenance fees were going to where they were supposed to go. We have not been satisfied since day one. Over 15 years of ownership and we feel we were sold a farce.Please, we are asking for help and we dont know where else to go.Looking forward to speaking with ********************************** Member #: ******
Business Response
Date: 01/23/2024
January 23, ****

***************************
BBB Services Specialist
Better Business Bureau Serving Southeast ******* and *************
***************************************************************************************

RE: Consumer File No. 21147384

Dear ********************:

This message is in response to the Better Business Bureaus electronic mail correspondence received by Bluegreen Vacations on January 15, **** regarding the consumer correspondence of Mr. ******************* and Mrs. ******************** Thank you for reaching out to us on their behalf to apprise us of their inquiry.

Bluegreen is committed to providing excellence in customer service and to ensuring our owners and guests are satisfied with their overall experience. It is Bluegreens goal to provide a comprehensive and responsive support network,so our owners and guests can focus on enjoyable and memorable vacations.

Bluegreens records indicate that Mr. ******************* and Mrs. ******************* purchased a Bluegreen Vacation Club timeshare interest on February 9, 2007. ************** and ***************, signing variously as ***** ******************* and ***************************,upgraded their ownership interest by purchasing additional Points on July 26,2013 and October 23, 2015. Mr. and ***************** timeshare interests confer ownership of thirty-five thousand Annual Vacation **** Points and Premier Gold membership.

Upon receipt of your correspondence advising of Mr. and ***************** concerns,and in accordance with Bluegreens desire to provide each owner with education,resolution, and ongoing service, one of our ************* ********************** Specialists attempted to reach Mr. and *************** by telephone and email on January 16,****, leaving messages to notify them that we would like to speak with them further to address their Better Business Bureau correspondence. Our Specialist reached out to Mr. and *************** by telephone again on January 17 and 18, ****,again leaving messages that we are trying to reach them and providing direct contact information. Although we have been unable to speak with Mr. and ************** directly, Bluegreen wishes to respond to their concerns through the Better Business Bureau.

Mr. and ***************** first concern is regarding representations they state were made during the sales presentation. Bluegreen does not have documentation from the sales site that differs from the details in the contract documents. The Owner Confirmation Interview in Section 13 states that salespersons are not authorized to make oral representations,promises, or offers that modify the contract documents. Section 13 provided a space for Mr. and *************** to write any promises or commitments that were important to their purchase decision that are not otherwise covered in writing.Mr. and *************** completed this field by writing None, indicating no outside promises or commitments were made by Bluegreen. Furthermore, the Owner Beneficiary Agreement in Section 24 provides that Mr. and ***************, as purchasers, should not rely on any oral or written representations that are not set forth in the contract documents.

Mr. and ***************** second concern is regarding attending owner update presentations. Mr. and ************************** they felt pressure to purchase additional Points during the presentations they attended. Bluegreen would remind Mr. and *************** that as deeded owners with Bluegreen, they are not under any obligation to attend owner update presentations when they vacation with Bluegreen if they do not wish to participate. However, Mr. and *************** are always welcome to attend a presentation should they wish to learn more about their ownership, hear Bluegreens current sales offers, or obtain the gifts given for attending a presentation. Our owner update presentations are designed to answer questions, provide information, and present offers for enhancing Vacation **** ownership. Owner update presentations impart a great deal of information about how to use the ownership, including information about how Vacation **** usage may be enhanced by purchasing additional Vacation **** Points. Mr. and *************** did not need to consider information presented about purchasing additional Points if they were not interested in expanding their ownership at the time of their upgrades.

Third, Mrs. and *************** are concerned because they were told they need more Vacation **** Points for additional booking and travel opportunities. Bluegreen is firmly of the opinion that all Vacation **** Points are valuable for reserving enjoyable and memorable vacations. As Mr. and *************** initialed in Section 3 of the Owner Confirmation Interview, each of Bluegreens Vacation **** accommodations is assigned nightly and weekly Points values that vary depending on the day of the week, size of the unit, resort location, and season. The twenty-one thousand Annual Points Mr. and *************** originally purchased would have provided a wide array of travel opportunities. Though they would have covered fewer nights at some properties based on these factors, at other resorts a full weeks stay can be reserved for four thousand Points or fewer. Mr. and *************** also received for their review a Points Guide advising the number of Points needed for each accommodation. The Points Guide provides helpful information for owners to plan vacations with full knowledge of the times of year and types of accommodations their ownership allows at Bluegreens varied resort properties. Each owner has varying reasons for purchasing additional Points. Naturally, additional Points afford an expanded ownership with more Points available to reserve vacations and alternatives for travel across Bluegreens resorts and through our partnerships. The most common reasons owners decide to purchase additional Points are to receive additional benefits, travel more often, and enjoy larger accommodations when vacationing.Bluegreen agrees that all of these are great reasons to purchase additional Points.

Mr. and ***************** next concern is that they were advised they would be able to reserve specific unit types every year. Mr. and *************** were advised during the sales presentation that Bluegreens business operates on a reservation booking window. This booking window offers owners the widest selection of vacations when an owner confirms reservations in advance. Owner Confirmation Interview, Section 1 describes the booking lead time. It states that reservations at Vacation **** accommodations can be booked from eleven months to two days in advance of the owners travel dates. Section 1 also states that reservations are based on space availability and are not guaranteed until confirmed. Mr. and *************** initialed beside Section 1, indicating they understood that vacations would be based upon availability at the time of confirming a reservation. Furthermore, as Premier Gold owners, Mr. and *************** have access to our Premier wait list benefit, which allows them to request reservations three months before the reservation booking window opens to the general ownership. While Premier wait list requests are not guaranteed until confirmed, this benefit would help Mr.and *************** to maximize Bluegreens availability by requesting specifically desired unit types in advance. Finally,if Mr. and *************** want additional information about reserving vacations or assistance with reserving a particular unit type, we invite them to call our customer service contact center. Our contact center is open six days a week to assist Mr. and *************** in getting the most out of their Bluegreen ownership. Bluegreen contact center agents do not have restrictions on their talk times, so an agent could stay on the telephone with Mr. and *************** for as long as needed to provide guidance, answer questions,and book reservations.

Mr. and ***************** final concern is regarding a broken elevator when visiting one of our ******** resorts. Bluegreen endeavors to provide a full range of services for owner and guest comfort and convenience. However, it is necessary at times for elevators to be closed, for instance, due to emergency repairs. Bluegreen sincerely regrets any inconvenience this caused during their stay. In addition to working with the resort team on site, we encourage owners and guests to call our customer service contact center about their resort service experiences, as our customer service agents can review their situation and assist with their concerns appropriately.

Bluegreens ************* ********************** team has reviewed Mr. and ***************** ownership closely. After doing so, Bluegreen finds that Mr. and *************** remain responsible under the terms of the purchase agreements they executed for their timeshare purchases. Bluegreen will not provide the cancellation and refund requested by Mr. and ***************. Should Mr. and *************** have any further questions or concerns, they have the direct contact information of our ***************************************************************************** **** Services
Bluegreen Vacations Corporation
Initial Complaint
Date:01/15/2024
Type:Product Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Dear Better Business Bureau Our complaint is against the timeshare company, Bluegreen Vacations. We were misled by their sales representatives in several ways at the presentation sales. They were extremely aggressive in their practice and would not give us time to review the contracts before making decisions. We were also told it was such a great investment they would buy back the timeshare at any time. We were also never informed about the rescission period. However, after signing the contract we found out this and many other things we were told at teh presentation were not true and that there were certain restrictions on when and where we could book. This lack of integrity from Bluegreen is unacceptable. We want our timeshare canceled, some sort of refund and this business investigated. Sincerely ******* & ***************************
Business Response
Date: 01/23/2024
January 23, ****

***************************
BBB Services Specialist
Better Business Bureau Serving Southeast ******* and *************
***************************************************************************************

RE: Consumer File No. 21146695

Dear ********************:

This message is in response to the Better Business Bureaus electronic mail correspondence received by Bluegreen Vacations on January 15, ****, regarding the consumer correspondence of ****************************** and ************************************. Thank you for reaching out to us on their behalf to apprise us of their inquiry.

Bluegreen is committed to providing excellence in customer service and ensuring our owners, members, and guests are satisfied with their overall experience. It is Bluegreens goal to provide a comprehensive and responsive support network so owners, members, and guests can focus on enjoyable and memorable vacations.

Bluegreens records indicate that ****************************** and ************************************ purchased a timeshare interest with the Bluegreen Vacation Club on February 4, 2014. Mr. and *********************** timeshare interest confers ownership of ***** Annual Vacation **** Points.

Upon receipt of your correspondence advising of Mr. and *********************** concerns,our ************* ********************** Specialist spoke with ******************** by telephone on January 16, ****, with ******************** advising that he wishes to cancel his ownership, but will not pay anything further. ******************** stated he did not want to discuss his concerns and disconnected the call. In addition to speaking briefly with ********************, Bluegreen wishes to respond to Mr. and ********************** concerns through the Better Business Bureau as well.

Mr. and *********************** first concern is regarding representations they state were made at the sales presentation. Bluegreen does not have documentation from the sales site that differs from the details contained in the contract documents. The Owner Confirmation Interview at Section 12 states that salespersons are not authorized to make oral representations, promises, or offers that modify the contract documents.Section 12 provided a space for Mr.and ********************* to write any promises or commitments that were important to their purchase decision that are not otherwise covered in writing.Mr. and ********************* completed this field by writing None, indicating no outside promises or commitments were made by Bluegreen. Furthermore, the Owner Beneficiary Agreement at Section 24 provides that Mr. and *********************, as purchasers, should not rely on any oral or written representations that are not set forth in the contract documents.

Mr. and *********************** second concern is regarding pressure they state they felt to purchase at the sales presentation. Bluegreen would advise that Mr.and ********************* were not under any obligation to purchase or sign contracts.Our sales teams share a wealth of information about our product. However, Mr.and ********************* could have left our welcome center without purchasing if they felt the Bluegreen product did not suit their vacation needs.

Mr. and *********************** third concern arises from the sales presentation they attended.They state they were not given time to review the contracts before purchasing. Our sales presentations impart a great deal of information to prospective owners. Due to the volume of information shared during the presentation, the time can be lengthy.Bluegreen attempts to abbreviate the lengthy process by summarizing the most pertinent details of the ownership during closing. If Mr.and ********************* wanted additional time to review the purchase information and documentation before signing, they were free to request additional time with the documents from a Bluegreen representative before executing the purchase paperwork.

Mr.and *********************** next concern involves Bluegreen as a financial investment and the buyback of their ownership. Bluegreen believes we sell a valuable vacation product. Still, the timeshare interest Mr. and ******************** purchased is for their and their familys personal use. Owner Confirmation Interview Section 13 provides that the ownership purchase is for personal use and enjoyment only. Owner Confirmation Interview Section 13 further states the purchase is made neither as a financial investment nor with an expectation of a financial return on an investment. Section 13 also provides that no one is authorized to guarantee that Bluegreen will repurchase or resell a timeshare interest. Again, Mr. and ********************* initialed beside Section 13, signifying they agreed the purchase was for personal use and not for investment purposes. In addition, Owner Beneficiary Agreement Section 5:Purchasers Acknowledgments disclaims the investment potential of the ownership, affirms that the purchase is for personal use, and states there is no guaranteed buy-back of the timeshare. Bluegreen refers owners interested in resale to our authorized third-party resale agent. Our Specialist would be happy to provide contact information, if desired.

Mr. and ********************* also state they were not informed of the rescission period by sales staff during the time spent purchasing their timeshare. Mr. and ********************* had physical copies of their Owner Beneficiary Agreement and Owner Confirmation Interview in their possession when they left the sales presentation and purchase meeting. Mr. and ********************* had an opportunity to read through these materials right away after purchasing or later at their leisure. If Mr.and ********************* had any doubts about the Bluegreen product or its fit for their personal vacation needs, they could have promptly reviewed the contract documents provided. Furthermore, the Owner Beneficiary Agreement clearly states the rescission period to cancel the contract in bold text and capital letters immediately above the signature line where Mr. and ********************* signed to make their timeshare purchase. This prominent text shows that Bluegreen was not attempting to conceal Mr. and *********************** right to cancel their contract.

Mr. and *********************** final concern is regarding availability to book vacations with their ownership. Mr. and ********************* were advised during the sales presentation that Bluegreens business operates on a reservation booking window. This booking window offers owners the widest selection of vacations when an owner confirms reservations in advance. Owner Confirmation Interview Section 1 describes the booking lead time. It states that reservations at Vacation **** accommodations can be booked from 11 months to two days in advance of the owners travel dates. Section 1 also states that reservations are based on space availability and are not guaranteed until confirmed. Mr. and ********************* initialed beside Section 1, indicating they understood that vacations would be based upon availability at the time of confirming a reservation. Moreover, if Mr. and ******************** want additional information about reserving vacations, we invite them to call our customer service contact center. Our contact center is open six days a week to assist Mr. and ********************* in getting the most out of their Bluegreen ownership.Bluegreen contact center agents do not have restrictions on their talk times,so an agent could stay on the telephone with Mr. and ********************* for as long as needed to provide guidance, answer questions, and book reservations.Bluegreen regrets if Mr. and ********************* have had any difficulty in booking reservations. Our records indicate that Mr. and ******************** have booked six Points reservations and booked one Resort ************************** (RCI) stay during their nine years of ownership.

Bluegreens ************* ********************** team has reviewed Mr. and *********************** ownership closely, since receiving their Better Business Bureau correspondence.After review, Bluegreen finds that Mr. and ********************* remain bound to the terms of the purchase agreement they executed for their timeshare purchase. Bluegreen will not provide the cancellation and refund requested for Mr. and *********************. Bluegreen would advise that Mr. and *********************** contract purchased on February 4, 2014 was paid in full at the time of purchase. Should Mr. and ********************* have any further questions or concerns, we invite them to reach out to our Specialist at the direct contact information provided.

********************************************************** **** Services
Bluegreen Vacations Corporation
Initial Complaint
Date:01/15/2024
Type:Order Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Better Business Bureau Our complaint is with the timeshare, Bluegreen Vacations. We have repeatedly sent letter and called to discuss our issues and expressed we want our contract canceled. They refuse to speak to us.They will not even listen. They do not want to try and help, they just want our money. This same company allows their sales people to lie and manipulate to make more sales. We are tired of wasting our time attending sales presentations and being constantly harassed to purchase more. What we were told is not what we have received. The sales people do not listen when we so no. The staff do not care to help. Anywhere we might want to go, there is a reason we cannot get that booked. Enough is enough. As consumers we believe we are owed a full refund and the contract cancelled, as tehy are not providing us the services we haVe been paying for. We want nothing more to do with Bluegreen or timeshares.Respectfully, ***** & *********************************
Business Response
Date: 01/23/2024
January 23, ****

***************************
BBB Services Specialist
Better Business Bureau Serving Southeast ******* and *************
***************************************************************************************

RE: Consumer File No. 21146662

Dear ********************:

This message is in response to the Better Business Bureaus electronic mail correspondence received by Bluegreen Vacations on January 15, ****, regarding the consumer correspondence of *********************************** and **************************************. Thank you for reaching out to us on their behalf to apprise us of their inquiry.

Bluegreen is committed to providing excellence in customer service and to ensuring our owners and guests are satisfied with their overall experience. It is Bluegreens goal to provide a comprehensive and responsive support network so that owners and guests can focus on enjoyable and memorable vacations.

Bluegreens records indicate that *********************************** and ************************************** purchased a timeshare interest with the Bluegreen Vacation Club on June 11,2007. Mr. and ************************* subsequently increased their Points interest through an equity trade on April 11, 2014. Mr. and Mrs. *********** timeshare interest confers ownership of ****** Annual Vacation **** Points and Premier Bronze membership.

Upon receipt of your correspondence advising of Mr. and Mrs. *********** concerns, and in accordance with Bluegreens desire to provide each owner with education, resolution, and ongoing service, our ************* ********************** Specialist reached out to Mr. and ************************* by telephone and email on January 15, ****, resulting in leaving messages that we wish to speak with them regarding their Better Business Bureau correspondence and providing direct contact information. Our Specialist spoke with ************************ by telephone on January 17, ****, listening to his concerns and offering to assist with their ownership,in which ************************ declined. Our Specialist advised that there is no provision for cancellation and advised their options for a potential resolution are through resale or a title transfer. Our Specialist also sent an email regarding this information to ************************. In addition to speaking with ************************,Bluegreen wishes to respond to Mr. and Mrs. *********** concerns through the Better Business Bureau as well.

Mr. and Mrs. *********** first concern is with Bluegreens communication and responsiveness in resolving the issues they have experienced. Our records show that we first received Mr. and Mrs. *********** letter received on November 27, 2023. Accordingly, our ************* ********************** Specialist reached out to Mr. and ************************* by telephone and email on November 28 and November 29, 2023, leaving messages that we are trying to reach them. Our Specialist spoke with ************************ on December 6, 2023, endeavoring to provide helpful assistance for ************************ during their conversation and provided all resolutions available for Mr. and Mrs. *********** ownership.Bluegreen desires to be responsive to Mr. and Mrs. *********** concerns and resolve this matter. However, Bluegreen believes that our sales documents adequately described the product and services Mr. and ************************* were purchasing and gave them the opportunity to cancel in a timely fashion if they so desired. Our Specialist remains devoted to assisting Mr. and ************************* with their ownership.

Mr. and Mrs.*********** second concern is regarding representations they state were made at the sales presentation. Bluegreen does not have documentation from the sales site that differs from the details contained in the contract documents. The Owner Confirmation Interview at Section 12 states that salespersons are not authorized to make oral representations, promises, or offers that modify the contract documents. Section 12 provides a space for Mr. and ************************* to write any promises or commitments that were important to their purchase decision that are not otherwise covered in writing. Mr. and ************************* by writing None, indicated no outside promises or commitments were made by Bluegreen. Furthermore, the Owner Beneficiary Agreement at Section 24 provides that Mr. and *************************, as purchasers, should not rely on any oral or written representations that are not set forth in the contract documents.

Mr. and ************************* also state that during each of their vacations with Bluegreen they are required to attend a presentation and felt pressure to purchase additional Points. Bluegreen would advise Mr. and ************************* that they are free to decide when they wish to attend an owner update presentation for their ownership. As deeded owners with Bluegreen, Mr. and ************************* are not under any obligation to attend owner update presentations when they vacation at Bluegreen resorts. However, Mr. and ************************* are always welcome to attend a presentation should they wish to learn more about their ownership,hear Bluegreens current sales offers, or obtain the gifts given for attending a presentation. As to gifts provided at upgrade presentations, these incentives are promotional offers given as a bonus for owners to enrich their vacation experience but are not intended to create pressure.

Mr. and Mrs. *********** final concern is regarding availability to book vacations with their ownership. Mr. and ************************* were advised during the sales presentation that Bluegreens business operates on a reservation booking window. This booking window offers owners the widest selection of vacations when an owner confirms reservations in advance. Owner Confirmation Interview Section 1 describes the booking lead time. It states that reservations at Vacation **** accommodations can be booked from 11 months to two days in advance of the owners travel dates. Section 1 also states that reservations are based on space availability and are not guaranteed until confirmed. Mr. and ************************* initialed beside Section 1, indicating they understood that vacations would be based upon availability at the time of confirming a reservation. Furthermore, if Mr. and ************************* want additional information about reserving vacations, we invite them to call our customer service contact center. Our contact center is open six days a week to assist Mr. and ************************* in getting the most out of their Bluegreen ownership.Bluegreen contact center agents do not have restrictions on their talk times,so an agent could stay on the telephone with Mr. and ************************* for as long as needed to provide guidance, answer questions, and book reservations.

Bluegreens ************* ********************** team has reviewed Mr. and Mrs. *********** ownership closely. After reviewing their ownership, Bluegreen finds that we will not provide the cancellation and refund requested for Mr. and *************************. Mr. and Mrs. *********** contract for their April 11, 2014, timeshare purchase has been paid in full. Should Mr. and ************************* have any further questions or wish to discuss potential resolutions,we invite them to contact our Specialist directly at the contact information provided.

Sincerely,

***************************
******** **** Services
Bluegreen Vacations Corporation
Customer Answer
Date: 02/28/2024
Again,we. Writing to expres our wish to cancel our timeshare. How can you run a business when you dont resonator your customers about their concerns and complaints.How can you allow your your your sales people to lie and manipulate to make more sales. Enough ia enough.Please bring the process to proivide us a full refund and lose our contract. We want nothing more to do with Bluegreen or timeshares.
Initial Complaint
Date:01/15/2024
Type:Order Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Dear Better Business Bureau, I am writing this letter to formally complain about our timeshare contract with Bluegreen, which was purchased on November 13, 2019, in *******, ********. We regretfully seek your assistance in terminating the contract due to several issues we have encountered since its purchase. Despite repeatedly expressing our disinterest, we were coerced into buying the contract by relentless representatives who disregarded our refusal. The attractive feature of affordable luxury vacations initially persuaded us, but shortly after the purchase, we experienced immediate buyer's remorse. Numerous problems have arisen since then: 1. Limited Usage: Despite owning the contract for a significant period, we have only managed to take one vacation. 2. Overcharging: We have been consistently overcharged on fees, and despite our attempts, your company still needs to rectify the situation. 3. Reservation Difficulties: We need more availability and points to make reservations. 4. Covid-19 Impact: Due to the ongoing pandemic, we have been unable to utilize the timeshare, yet we are still obligated to pay the exorbitant fees. I spoke with ********************************* from their ************* **********************. She was very adamant that my only option to get out was to resell, and then she gave me some information. I dont think its fair that we should be responsible for reselling in order to get rid of our timeshare. Bluegreen is at fault, and they should not make us do their work for them by finding a buyer. We were pressured into this by Bluegreen, and they have failed to follow through on the services they claimed they could provide by their sales team. They should find the buyer, not us. They should repurchase it from us. We firmly believe that our contract was obtained under duress and without adequate and accurate information. We kindly request the termination of our contract and the release from all associated obligations. Anything you can do on your end is greatly appreciated, and if you need any additional information from us, please let me know. and I will try to provide as much information as I can. Sincerely, ******* & ***********************************
Business Response
Date: 01/19/2024
January 19, ****

***************************
BBB Services Specialist
Better Business Bureau Serving Southeast ******* and *************
***************************************************************************************

RE: Consumer File No. 21146511

Dear ********************:

This message is in response to the Better Business Bureaus electronic mail correspondence received by Bluegreen Vacations on January 15, **** regarding the consumer correspondence of *************************************** and **************************************. Thank you for reaching out to us on their behalf to apprise us of their inquiry.

Bluegreen is committed to providing excellence in customer service and to ensuring our owners and guests are satisfied with their overall experience. It is Bluegreens goal to provide a comprehensive and responsive support network,so our owners and guests can focus on enjoyable and memorable vacations.

Bluegreens records indicate that *************************************** and ************************************** purchased a Bluegreen Vacation Club timeshare interest on November 13, 2019. Mr. and Mrs. ********** timeshare interest confers ownership of nine thousand Biennial Vacation **** Points.

Upon receipt of your correspondence advising of Mr. and Mrs. ********** concerns, and in accordance with Bluegreens desire to provide each owner with education, resolution, and ongoing service, one of our ************* ********************** Specialists spoke with *********************** by telephone on January 16, ****,listening to her concerns, reviewing the guidelines of their ownership, and reviewing all available options for the ********** account. These options were previously discussed with *********************** on December 15, 2023. In addition to speaking with *********************** directly, Bluegreen wishes to respond to Mr. and Mrs.********** concerns through the Better Business Bureau as well.

Mr. and Mrs. ********** first concern is regarding their request to cancel their ownership. Bluegreen would advise that the statutory rescission period for the timeshare purchase contract provides the applicable cancellation policy for a Vacation **** purchase. The rescission period is included in the Owner Beneficiary Agreement for Mr. and Mrs. ********** review. The Owner Beneficiary Agreement states the rescission period on the signature page in bolded text and capital letters immediately above the signature lines where Mr.and *********************** signed to make their timeshare purchase. Mr. and ********************** had a physical copy of the Owner Beneficiary Agreement document in their possession when they left the sales presentation and purchase meeting;therefore, they had an opportunity to read through this document right away after purchasing or later at their leisure. If Mr. and *********************** had doubts about the Bluegreen product or its suitability for their personal vacation needs, they could have promptly reviewed their contract documents during the rescission period and followed the instructions to cancel, if desired. Our Specialist has discussed this rescission period with ********************** to explain that this is the only time the contract provides for Bluegreen to cancel a purchase. Unfortunately, Bluegreen did not receive a request to cancel from Mr. and *********************** during the rescission period.

Mr. and Mrs. ********** second concern is regarding pressure they state they felt to purchase during the sales presentation. Bluegreen would advise that Mr.and *********************** were not under any obligation to purchase or sign contracts.Our sales teams share a wealth of information about our product. However, Mr.and *********************** could have left our welcome center without purchasing if they felt the Bluegreen product did not suit their vacation needs.

Mr. and Mrs. ********** third concern is that they have not used their ownership, with the exception of one vacation. Bluegreen firmly believes that traveling on their next vacation with Bluegreen is exactly the experience Mr.and *********************** need to remind them why they purchased a vacation ownership.We would advise Mr. and *********************** that our customer service contact center is available and eager to assist. Our contact center is open six days a week to help Mr. and *********************** get the most from their Bluegreen ownership.Bluegreen contact center agents do not have restrictions on their talk times,so an agent could stay on the phone with Mr. and *********************** for as long as needed to answer their questions and reserve vacations. Additionally, Bluegreen also offers Mr. and *********************** an opportunity to schedule an Understanding New Ownership call. An Understanding New Ownership call is scheduled at their convenience for a highly trained Bluegreen agent to call Mr. and *********************** and describe the countless benefits of their ownership. This educational call is an opportunity for Mr. and *********************** to receive personalized assistance and individualized care from a Bluegreen agent who can offer professional insights, experienced suggestions, and helpful service. This call is an excellent resource for new owners, as well as for longstanding owners who have not made frequent use of their timeshare and would like additional support in maximizing their vacation package.
Mr. and Mrs. ********** next concern is that they feel they have been overcharged for maintenance fees. Bluegreen regrets any confusion or frustration that has occurred. However, a review of Mr. and Mrs. ********** maintenance fee billing history shows that they were correctly billed for their nine thousand Biennial Points for all billing cycles since their purchase. This includes their six-month billing as new owners, which was billed to their account in May 2020, as well as all annual billing cycles beginning in November 2020 and going forward. However, Bluegreen would advise that Mr. and *********************** last paid maintenance fees in December of 2020. Therefore,their current account balance includes late fees, finance charges, and lockout fees. Additionally, because their account is currently with outside collections, additional fees may have been added by the collection agency. Should Mr. and *********************** have any questions or wish to review their billing statements in detail, they may do so via their online account.

Mr. and *********************** also state a concern regarding availability to book vacations with their ownership. Mr. and *********************** were advised during the sales presentation that Bluegreens business operates on a reservation booking window. This booking window offers owners the widest selection of vacations when an owner confirms reservations in advance. Owner Confirmation Interview, Section 1 describes the booking lead time. It states that reservations at Vacation **** accommodations can be booked from eleven months to two days in advance of the owners travel dates. Section 1 also states that reservations are based on space availability and are not guaranteed until confirmed. Mr. and *********************** initialed beside Section 1,indicating they understood that vacations would be based upon availability at the time of confirming a reservation. Furthermore, if Mr. and *********************** want additional information about reserving vacations, we invite them to call our customer service contact center for assistance.

Mr. and *********************** next state a concern that they do not have enough Points to travel. Bluegreen is firmly of the opinion that all Vacation **** Points are valuable for reserving enjoyable and memorable vacations. As Mr. and *********************** initialed in Section 3 of the Owner Confirmation Interview, each of Bluegreens Vacation **** accommodations is assigned nightly and weekly Points values that vary depending on the day of the week, size of the unit, resort location, and season. The nine thousand Biennial Points Mr. and *********************** receive cover fewer nights at some properties based on these factors, but at other resorts a full weeks stay can be reserved for four thousand Points or fewer. Mr. and *********************** also received for their review a Points Guide advising the number of Points needed for each accommodation. The Points Guide provides helpful information for owners to plan vacations with full knowledge of the times of year and types of accommodations their ownership allows at Bluegreens varied resort properties. For example, during the Blue Season in parts of December, January, and February, a one-bedroom suite vacation villa that sleeps four people at *********** Lights resort in ************, ************** is available for an entire week for just four thousand Points. At Harbour Lights, a hotel-style villa is only three thousand Points weekly for much of January, February, March, November, and December. Our ********************************************* resort in ************, ******** offers one-week vacations for as few as two thousand Points per week during the Blue Season in January and February, or up to four thousand Points in the White and Red Seasons during March, April, October, November, and December. Our Specialist would be pleased to discuss opportunities to reserve vacations with Mr. and *********************** and assist them in confirming reservations at resorts they have not yet been able to visit.

Mr. and Mrs. ********** next concern is that they continued to be billed for maintenance fees and Vacation **** Dues, even though resorts were closed due to the ******19 pandemic. Bluegreen would advise that while many locations were closed for varying amounts of time between March 2020 and June 2020, several resorts remained open and available for owner use during that period. In addition, the Terms and Conditions of the Owner Beneficiary Agreement in Section 4: Common Assessment Fees and **** Dues set forth that maintenance fees are billed annually as a base amount plus an added amount per Vacation **** Point. The base rate and the per Vacation **** Point rate are set each calendar year by the owners association of the Bluegreen Vacation Club properties based on the actual expenses for maintaining the properties. During the closures,Bluegreen continued to maintain our high standards of sanitation and safety at all resorts, in addition to regular upkeep, maintenance, and scheduled renovations, some of which went forward during the closures. Therefore,Bluegreen continued to collect maintenance fees as budgeted during the pandemic to cover these costs, as well as to cover the unforeseen increase in sanitation costs related to the pandemic.

Mr. and *********************** also state a concern related to resale of their ownership, as they feel that Bluegreen should buy back their ownership or locate a buyer on their behalf. Bluegreen believes we offer a valuable vacation ownership but understands that some owners may wish or need to come to an end with the Bluegreen product. Owner Confirmation Interview Section 14 provides that no one is authorized to guarantee that Bluegreen will repurchase or resell a timeshare interest. In addition, the Terms and Conditions of the Owner Beneficiary Agreement in Section 5:Purchasers Acknowledgments disclaim the investment potential of the ownership and state there is no guaranteed buyback of the timeshare. While Bluegreen does not repurchase or resell timeshare interests, Bluegreen does allow owners to resell their ownership interests. Bluegreen refers owners interested in resale to our authorized third-party resale agent who can advise owners regarding resale information, but Bluegreen is not party to that conversation.

Mr. and Mrs. ********** final concern is regarding representations they state were made during the sales presentation. Bluegreen does not have documentation from the sales site that differs from the details in the contract documents. The Owner Confirmation Interview in Section 13 states that salespersons are not authorized to make oral representations,promises, or offers that modify the contract documents. Section 13 provided a space for Mr. and *********************** to write any promises or commitments that were important to their purchase decision that are not otherwise covered in writing.Mr. and *********************** completed this field by writing None, indicating no outside promises or commitments were made by Bluegreen. Furthermore, the Terms and Conditions of the Owner Beneficiary Agreement in Section 24 provide that Mr. and ***********************, as purchasers, should not rely on any oral or written representations that are not set forth in the contract documents.

Bluegreens ************* ********************** team has reviewed Mr. and Mrs. ********** ownership closely. After doing so, Bluegreen finds that Mr. and *********************** remain responsible under the terms of the purchase agreement and promissory note they executed for their timeshare purchase. Bluegreen will not provide the cancellation requested by Mr. and ***********************. Should Mr. and *********************** have any further questions or concerns, they have the direct contact information of our ***************************************************************************** **** Services
Bluegreen Vacations Corporation

Customer Answer
Date: 01/29/2024

Complaint: 21146511

I am rejecting this response because:
We disagree with the businesss response.

1. How are you supposed to know the timeshare was a scam and cancel before the rescission period if we werent able to use it yet? Its only ten days. Doesnt that seem a little convenient for them?

2. Under section 13, were we but none, we werent very clear about what was going on at that point. A lot was going on in that room, and the people we spoke to were so pushy.

3. Why do you pay maintenance fees if youre not able to use the timeshare? It just seems like a scam.

My first regret about the timeshare started immediately after signing the paperwork. We werepromised gifts but only received the cash gift card initially. We had to explain and show the date we signed up for the tour to receive the cruise voucher. Another issue arose a month later when we unexpectedly received a $450 maintenance fee bill. When I questioned the fees and taxes, they said we were responsible for the amount since we bought the timeshare in 2019. The fees and taxes doubled the following year, and we faced challenges booking vacations through Bluegreen due to point limitations and mandatory owner meetings. Our cruise plans were disrupted by COVID-19, leading to further complications. We've definitely lost our desire to own the timeshare for many reasons. Not having it would bring many benefits, like being able to plan vacations when and where we want without searching for point sales or worrying about point affordability. We could diversify our vacation options and pay cash, freeing up money for other uses. The accumulating maintenance fees, taxes, and loan payments are draining our resources. Without the timeshare, we could pay off our house or my student loans much faster. We know now that traveling with a timeshare is inconvenient and more expensive. The agreement was that for all of the gifts, Bluegreen would get 90 minutes of our time. They went beyond that allotted time. They put us in a situation where we felt immense pressure. We were lied to. And now we have lost thousands of dollars because of it. No, we do not accept the businesss response.

Sincerely,

*********************************
Business Response
Date: 02/06/2024
February 6, ****

***************************
BBB Services Specialist
Better Business Bureau Serving Southeast ******* and *************
***************************************************************************************

RE: Consumer File No. 21146511

Dear ********************:

This message is in response to the Better Business Bureaus electronic mail correspondence received by Bluegreen Vacations on January 15, ****, regarding the consumer correspondence of *************************************** and **************************************, and Mrs. ********** rebuttal correspondence received on January 29, ****. Thank you for reaching out to us on her behalf to apprise us of her continuing inquiry.

Upon receipt of your correspondence advising of Mrs. ********** rebuttal, our ************* ********************** Specialist spoke with *********************** on January 30, ****, revisiting her concerns and clarifying the details of her ownership and purchase documents. In addition to speaking with *********************** directly, Bluegreen wishes to respond to her rebuttal through the Better Business Bureau as well.

Mrs.********** rebuttal correspondence expands on the same concerns stated in her original correspondence to the Better Business Bureau. Bluegreen reiterates the positions described in our earlier reply correspondence dated January 19, ****, on all subjects therein. Bluegreen would also like to respond to the additional concerns in Mrs. ********** rebuttal correspondence.

Mrs. ********** first new concern is regarding the rescission period for cancelling her and Mr. ********** timeshare purchase. *********************** expresses frustration that the rescission period expired soon after purchasing their timeshare and before their account was fully activated. Bluegreen would advise ********************** that she and ********************** were provided the state of ********* statutorily required rescission period of five days. Although Mr. and Mrs. ********** account *** not have been active online, they did have the opportunity to call our customer service contact center during the five days to research availability and get more information about their timeshare purchase. Our contact center is open six days a week to assist Mr. and ********************** in getting the most out of their Bluegreen ownership. Bluegreen contact center agents do not have restrictions on their talk times, so an agent could have stayed on the phone with Mr. and *********************** for as long as needed to provide expert guidance and answer all their questions.

Mrs. ********** second concern is regarding their understanding of the contract when they signed their paperwork and completed their Owner Confirmation Interview. Bluegreen attempts to abbreviate the lengthy sales process by summarizing the most pertinent details of the ownership during closing and in the Owner Confirmation Interview. If Mr. and *********************** wanted additional time to review the full purchase documentation before signing, they were free to request more time with the documents from a Bluegreen representative before executing the purchase paperwork. In addition, if they needed any further explanation of any terms, they were free to ask questions and request additional information before executing the contract. As Mr. and *********************** *** have experienced with other contractual purchases like houses or automobiles, these contracts routinely include legal description and terminology that consumers can review to their personal comfort level. However, as with any contractual purchase they might make, it is Mr. and Mrs. ********** responsibility to review their contract documents for understanding and request clarification as needed.

Mrs. ********** third concern is regarding the promotional trips that they received as a bonus for their purchase. At the time of a purchase, promotional gifts *** be provided to new and upgrading owners,including certificates from our exchange partner RCI, cruise vacation certificates, or certificates for other resort or hotel stays. These vacation certificates are given as incentives for new owners to use without needing to utilize their Vacation **** Points to take a vacation. Bluegreen sincerely regrets to hear of the difficulties the ********** originally experienced in redeeming their cruise voucher. However,Bluegreen is pleased to hear that our team was unltimately able to assist with this.

*********************** is also concerned regarding their maintenance fees increasing. Once again, maintenance fees are discussed at the time of purchase and detailed in the Owner Beneficiary Agreement and the Owner Confirmation Interview. The Terms and Conditions of the Owner Beneficiary Agreement in Section 4: Common Assessment Fees and **** Dues set forth that maintenance fees are billed annually as a base amount plus an added amount per Vacation **** Point. Owner Confirmation Interview Section 8 also advises that maintenance fees and **** Dues are owner obligations calculated based on the number of Vacation **** Points owned. Mr. and *********************** initialed next to Section 8, indicating their understanding and consent. Regarding Mrs. ********** concern about being billed one month after purchase and that their maintenance fees have since doubled,Bluegreen would advise Mr. and *********************** that their first billing for maintenance fees was only for the last six months of their first year of ownership. Bluegreen often includes incentives with new contract purchases. Accordingly, Mr. and *********************** received a certificate to waive maintenance fees for the initial six months of their ownership, as long as qualifying criteria were met. The certificate provided at the time of purchase states that the maintenance fee waiver is for six months. Mr. and ********************** met the qualifying criteria, so their first billing statement, billed to them in May 2020, reflects the six-month waiver of maintenance fees and **** Dues. Bluegreen offers this waiver to our new owners as a reprieve from the fees associated with the ownership so new owners can use their Points for vacations prior to paying fees. This information was addressed at the time of purchase so that Mr. and *********************** would not be surprised when their first bill for maintenance fees and Vacation **** Dues came due six months after their purchase. The next billing statement that Mr. and *********************** received in November 2020 was for their first annual billing for a full year of maintenance fees and **** Dues. Therefore, the difference between the ******** is that the first is for a time period of six months and the second is for a full year. Bluegreen endeavors to make maintenance fees manageable for owners by offering several payment options for maintenance fees, including installment plans of three months, longer payment plans, and prepayments before the maintenance fee bill is due.

Mrs. ********** next concern is regarding attending owner update presentations, as she feels it is mandatory to do so. Bluegreen would remind Mr. and *********************** that as deeded owners with Bluegreen, they are not under any obligation to attend owner update presentations when they vacation with Bluegreen if they do not wish to participate. However, Mr. and *********************** are always welcome to attend a presentation should they wish to learn more about their ownership, hear Bluegreens current sales offers, or obtain the gifts given for attending a presentation. Our owner update presentations are designed to answer questions, provide information, and present offers for enhancing Vacation **** ownership. Owner update presentations impart a great deal of information about how to use the ownership, including information about how Vacation **** usage *** be enhanced by purchasing additional Vacation **** Points. Mr. and *********************** do not need to consider information presented about purchasing additional Points if they are not interested in expanding their ownership.

Additionally, *********************** states she feels it would be less expensive to vacation outside of Bluegreen. While Bluegreen offers discounted rates to travel around the globe through our resorts, Traveler Plus,and RCI, it is possible that our rates *** not be the least expensive way to visit a specific location. However, Bluegreen believes our rates remain very affordable for the caliber of accommodations and amenities we provide.

Finally, *********************** states their sales presentation went longer than the ninety minutes expected. Our sales presentations impart a great deal of information to prospective owners. Due to the volume of information shared during the sales presentation, the time can be lengthy. Moreover, the sales presentation time estimate covers the time for the initial presentation. This estimate does not include the additional time spent to answer a prospective owners follow-up questions, tour the property, find the Points ownership best suited to a prospective owner, or complete the purchase paperwork.

Bluegreen desires to be responsive to Mrs. ********** concerns and resolve this matter. However, Bluegreen remains firm that we will not cancel and release Mr. and *********************** from further financial obligation. Should Mr. or *********************** have any further questions or concerns, they have the direct contact information for our Specialist.

********************************************************** **** Services
Bluegreen Vacations Corporation
Initial Complaint
Date:01/13/2024
Type:Order Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
BlueGreen has chosen to ignore our communications for years now, or just offer bare minimum, unacceptable customer care responses that do nothing to help us, showing complete disregard for our predicament. Purchased in August of 2015, our timeshare has remained unused which is just a clear testament to the misrepresentations and deceit presented to us during the sales process. We believe BlueGreen provided incorrect information on purpose, manipulating us and our understanding and leading us to make an uninformed purchase decision. We were assured that maintenance fees would not be something wed have to worry about if we werent vacationing, a lie that has been repeatedly contradicted by substantial and unexplained fee increases over the years. They even started their threats to send our account to collections for a mere 10-day payment delay despite us NEVER using this timeshare. This is far from the worry-free experience we were promised. The escalating costs and the burden of a lifelong financial commitment is something we do not wish to impose on our loved ones or continue to maintain, which is why weve been firm in our decision to terminate our contract. However, everything weve tried to resolve this with BlueGreen has failed because they've shown blatant disregard towards us as customers. We request that our contract with BlueGreen Vacation Club be terminated in full and without penalty because we've been victims of deceitful sales tactics. And we hope others will see what doing business with BlueGreen really looks like before they make the same mistake that we did.
Business Response
Date: 01/19/2024
January 19, ****

***************************
BBB Services Specialist
Better Business Bureau Serving Southeast ******* and *************
***************************************************************************************

RE: Consumer File No. 21143041

Dear ********************:

This message is in response to the Better Business Bureaus electronic mail correspondence received by Bluegreen Vacations on January 14, ****, regarding the consumer correspondence of *************************. Thank you for reaching out to us on her behalf to apprise us of her inquiry.

Upon receipt of your correspondence advising of Ms. ****** concerns,our ************* ********************** Specialist reached out to ************* by telephone on January 15, January 17, and January 18, ****, resulting in a busy signal and being unable to leave voice messages. Our Specialist also reached out by email on January 15, ****, advising we wish to speak with ************* regarding her Better Business Bureau correspondence,requesting her availability to speak by telephone, and providing direct contact information. Unfortunately, we have received no response from **************. Although we have been unable to speak with ************** directly, Bluegreen wishes to respond to ************** through the Better Business Bureau.

Bluegreen would advise that Mr. ******************************* and ***************************************** directed the same consumer matter to the ******* ************************* Please find enclosed the response that Bluegreens **************** sent directly to Mr. and ********************* after receiving their correspondence through the ******* ************************* Bluegreen reiterates the positions described in our earlier correspondence to Mr. and ********************* dated September 14, 2022, on all subjects therein.

Bluegreens ************* ********************** team has reviewed Mr. and Mrs. ********* ownership closely, since receiving Ms. ****** Better Business Bureau correspondence. After review, Bluegreen finds that Mr. and ********************* remain bound to the terms of the purchase agreement and promissory note they executed for their timeshare purchase. Bluegreen will not provide the cancellation and release from further financial obligation requested for Mr. and *********************. Should ************** have any other questions or concerns, we invite her to reach out to our Specialist at the direct contact information provided.

********************************************************** **** Services
Bluegreen Vacations Corporation
Initial Complaint
Date:01/12/2024
Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
6/19/23, our stay at a Bluegreen resort, more than an hour away from our intended destination, was inconvenient due to lack of availability elsewhere. Despite frustrations, we booked at Christmas Mountain but couldn't get the desired units. The unit's appearance didn't match the slick website pictures, and the view was disappointing. The lack of insulation between units led to noise issues, making the stay less enjoyable. Complaints were voiced to various staff, leading us to attend a new owners meeting after multiple apologies. Though uninterested in buying more points, we were encouraged to share our grievances. The meeting took an unexpected turn when they praised our low price per point, highlighting the upgrade to Silver just months before. A manager suggested purchasing another owner's deed at the same price per point, leading to an eventual purchase.Issues arose concerning missed opportunities to upgrade during a phone call after our ******* stay. We claimed never to receive the call, and they acknowledged the lapse, promising to rectify it. A letter was requested to register our grievance, making us feel pressured.Emphasizing the benefits of upgrading to Gold. The exclusivity of being an owner was questioned as some guests appeared unable to afford ownership. The solution to our problems consistently seemed to be an upgrade.During the sales pitch, discussions about financial considerations were lacking. Unlike a real estate agent, Bluegreen didn't inquire about our ability to afford the purchase, debt-to-income ratio, or potential sacrifices. The increased loan payment was downplayed in actual dollars, contributing to a rushed decision.The rescission period, meant for thoughtful consideration, was glossed over, taking advantage of the post-vacation rush. The inability to schedule vacations far in advance to use points effectively and the lack of transparency regarding realistic vacation planning further fueled dissatisfaction.
Business Response
Date: 01/22/2024
January 22, ****

***************************
BBB Services Specialist
Better Business Bureau Serving Southeast ******* and *************
***************************************************************************************

RE: Consumer File No. 21138901

Dear ********************:

This message is in response to the Better Business Bureaus electronic mail correspondence received by Bluegreen Vacations on January 12, ****, regarding the consumer correspondence of ******************************* and ********************************. Thank you for reaching out to us on their behalf to apprise us of their inquiry.

Bluegreen is committed to providing excellence in customer service and to ensuring our owners and guests are satisfied with their overall experience. It is Bluegreens goal to provide a comprehensive and responsive support network,so our owners and guests can focus on enjoyable and memorable vacations.

Bluegreens records indicate that ******************************* and ******************************** first purchased a Bluegreen Vacation Club timeshare interest on August 23, 2022.Mr. and ***************** subsequently increased their ownership interest through multiple equity trades on December 10, 2022 and June 19, 2023. Mr. and Mrs. ******* timeshare interest confers ownership of ****** Annual Vacation **** Points and Premier Gold membership.

Upon receipt of your correspondence advising of Mr. and Mrs. ******* concerns,and in accordance with Bluegreens desire to provide each owner with education,resolution, and ongoing service, our ************* ********************** Specialist reached out to Mr. and ***************** by telephone and email on January 17 and January 18,****, resulting in leaving messages that we wish to speak with them regarding their Better Business Bureau correspondence and providing direct contact information.Our Specialist reached out to Mr. and ***************** by telephone again on January 19, ****, leaving a voice message that we are trying to reach them and providing direct contact information. Our Specialist received an email response from ****************, later that same day, advising his availability to speak. Our Specialist confirmed an appointment with ****************, via email, and is schedule to speak with him on January 26, ****. Although we have not yet been able speak with Mr. and ***************** directly, Bluegreen wishes to respond to their concerns through the Better Business Bureau.

Mr. and Mrs. ******* first concern involves the multiple experiences they have had while vacationing at Bluegreens resort villas at **************************, The *************** and the view at The ***********, which did not meet their expectations for resort accommodations.Bluegreen aims to provide beautiful vacations and exemplary customer service for our ********************** **** owners. While special requests for accommodations are never guaranteed at Bluegreen, our resort staff and contact center agents are pleased to assist with any challenges our owners experience with reservations or accommodations. It is standard practice for our team members at resort properties to assist owners during their stays, such as by offering to repair broken items, clean areas needing attention, or move Mr. and ***************** to another resort villa accommodation if one was available. We encourage Mr. and ***************** to call our customer service contact center about their resort service experiences, as our customer service agents can review Mr. and Mrs. ******* situation and assist with their concerns appropriately.

Mr. and Mrs. ******* second concern is about their experience at the owner meetings. Mr. and ***************** state each owner meeting that they attended focused on trying to sell them more Points rather than address their concerns. Bluegreen would advise that our owner meetings are designed to answer questions, provide information, and present offers for enhancing Vacation **** ownership. Owner orientation meetings impart a great deal of information about how to use the ownership, including information about how Vacation **** usage *** be enhanced by purchasing additional Vacation **** Points. Still, Bluegreen is firmly of the opinion that all Vacation **** Points are valuable for reserving enjoyable and memorable vacations. Mr. and ***************** did not need to consider information presented about purchasing additional Points if they were not interested in expanding their ownership. Moreover, Bluegreen would remind Mr. and ***************** that as deeded owners with Bluegreen they are not under any obligation to attend owner update presentations when they vacation with Bluegreen in the future if they do not wish to participate.

Additionally, Mr. and ***************** mention when they expressed their concerns regarding their accommodations during their resort stays they were encouraged to attend an owner meeting to express their concerns. Again, Mr. and *****************, as deeded owners with Bluegreen, are not under any obligation to attend owner presentations when they vacation with Bluegreen if they do not wish to participate. However, Mr. and ***************** are always welcome to attend a presentation should they wish to learn more about their ownership, hear Bluegreens current sales offers, or obtain the gifts given for attending a presentation. We encourage Mr. and ***************** to call our contact center regarding their concerns so that our agent to review and address Mr. and Mrs. ******* concern appropriately.

Mr. and Mrs. ******* third concern is regarding representations they state were made at the sales presentation. Bluegreen does not have documentation from the sales site that differs from the details contained in the contract documents. The Owner Confirmation Interview at Section 11 states that salespersons are not authorized to make oral representations, promises, or offers that modify the contract documents. Section 11 provides a space for Mr.and ***************** to write any promises or commitments that were important to their purchase decision that are not otherwise covered in writing. Mr. and **************** by writing None, indicated no outside promises or commitments were made by Bluegreen. Furthermore, the Owner Beneficiary Agreement at Section 24 provides that Mr. and *****************, as purchasers, should not rely on any oral or written representations that are not set forth in the contract documents.

Mr. and Mrs. ******* next concern is that they were not told that they were purchasing a timeshare during the sales presentation. Bluegreen would advise that the Bluegreen Vacation Club is made up of a group of owners who share in the right to access,use, and enjoy vacations at a wide variety of resorts, sites, and amenities owned or operated as Bluegreens exclusive vacation ownership club. The Bluegreen Vacation Club offers owners flexibility as an expansive vacation plan and differs from a traditional timeshare providing only a fixed, deeded one-week interest in a single resort development. Our Specialist would be happy to discuss the many benefits of the Bluegreen Vacation Club with Mr. and ***************** when they speak by telephone.

Mr. and ***************** further state they were told that Bluegreen does not offer Biennial Vacation **** Points ownerships. Bluegreen wishes to advise that potential owners are able to purchase biennial contracts. However, we would remind Mr. and ***************** that Bluegreens sales proposals can vary and the offers presented to prospective owners are good for that date only. Bluegreen would advise Mr. and ***************** that both Biennial and Annual Points can be used to book reservations. Our Specialist would be happy to provide further information for Mr. and ***************** when they speak by telephone.

Mr. and ***************** also mention that they thought they would be able to go anywhere they wanted with their ownership. Mr. and ***************** were advised during the sales presentation that Bluegreens business operates on a reservation booking window. This booking window offers the widest selection of vacations when Mr. and ***************** confirm reservations in advance. Owner Confirmation Interview Section 3 describes the booking lead time. It states that reservations at Vacation **** accommodations can be booked from 11 months to two days in advance of the owners travel dates. Section 3 also states that reservations are based on space availability and are not guaranteed until confirmed. Mr. and ***************** initialed beside Section 3,indicating they understood that vacations would be based upon availability at the time of confirming a reservation. If Mr. and ***************** want additional information about reserving vacations, they are welcome to call our customer service contact center. Our contact center is open six days a week to assist Mr.and *****************. Bluegreen contact center agents do not have restrictions on their talk times, so agents can and do stay on the telephone for as long as needed to provide guidance and book reservations. Furthermore, Mr. and **************** had additional vacation options outside of Bluegreen resorts such as resort exchanges through Resort ************************* (RCI), hotel stays with our ************************** and cruises through our Traveler Plus benefit.

Mr. and ***************** also state that they were not aware how much the maintenance fees and other expenses would cost until reviewing their contract documents days later. Bluegreen offers discounted rates to travel across the country and around the globe through our resorts, Traveler Plus, and RCI. It is possible our rates *** not always be the least expensive way to visit a specific location. However, Bluegreen believes our rates remain very competitive for the caliber of accommodations and amenities we provide.Moreover, Mr. and ***************** initialed Section 1 of the Owner Confirmation Interview that each of Bluegreens Vacation **** accommodations is assigned nightly and weekly Points values. The Points Mr. and ***************** earn annually cover fewer nights at some properties based on these factors, but at other resorts a full weeks stay can be reserved very affordably. For example, during the Blue Season in parts of December, January, and February, a one-bedroom suite vacation villa that sleeps four people at *********** Lights resort in ************, ************** is available for an entire week for just ***** Points. At Harbour Lights, a hotel-style villa is only ***** Points weekly for much of January, February, March, November, and December. Our ********************************************* resort in ************, ******** offers one-week vacations for as few as ***** Points per week during the Blue Season in January and February, or up to ***** Points in the White and Red Seasons during March, April, October, November, and December. Our Specialist will be pleased to discuss these opportunities to reserve affordable weeklong vacations with Mr. and *****************.

In regard to refinancing, Mr. and ***************** state they were told that they would not have pay the higher interest rates because they could refinance or they could use their home equity to refinance for a lower interest rate. Nowhere in Bluegreens marketing materials or sales documents does Bluegreen represent that a purchaser *** be able to refinance their timeshare purchase. Bluegreen sales agents would not make guarantees of refinancing opportunities or rates,as we are not the financial institution providing that service to the owner. If they were uncomfortable with the financing terms disclosed at the time of purchase, Mr. and ***************** could have departed the sales presentation without signing any documentation or completing a purchase. Moreover, Mr. and ***************** initialed beside Section 10(d) of the Owner Confirmation Interview,indicating that they had not been given a commitment of refinance or been provided with information to assist with a refinance. Mr. and ***************** also initialed the second page of the Owner Beneficiary Agreement, indicating that they have reviewed and agreed to the Purchase Terms.

Mr. and ***************** continue to state concern from the Bluegreen sales presentation they attended, stating the presentation went longer than expected.Our sales presentations impart a great deal of information to prospective owners. Due to the volume of information shared during the sales presentation,the time can be lengthy. Moreover, the sales presentation time estimate covers the time for the initial presentation. This estimate does not include the additional time spent to answer a prospective owners follow-up questions, tour the property, find the Points ownership best suited to a prospective owner, or complete the paperwork for a purchase.

Mr. and ***************** further state that during the presentation our sales staff did not give them time to discuss their purchase alone. As mentioned above, the sales presentation time estimate covers the time for the initial presentation only.This estimate does not include additional time to tour the property, answer a prospective owners follow-up questions, or complete the paperwork for a purchase. However, if Mr. and ***************** wanted additional time to discuss the purchase, they could have requested this extra time from a Bluegreen representative. In addition, if they needed more time to review the purchase information before signing, they were free to request additional time with the documents before executing the purchase paperwork. Bluegreen also provides the rescission period for Mr.and ***************** to review the contract documents at their leisure.

Mr. and ***************** then express concern with the Bluegreen-branded credit card that is made available to allow purchasers an option to complete the down payment or full purchase of the Bluegreen ownership. Mr. and ***************** state that they do not recall giving authorization for a credit check during their purchase. Bluegreen would advise that the application for the credit card is optional and not required as part of the purchase. The Bluegreen-branded credit card is simply one option Bluegreen offers new owners for partial or total payment of their timeshare purchase. Additionally, Mr. and ***************** initialed beside Section 9 of the Owner Confirmation Interview, which acknowledges credit card application and describes that the credit card will bear a monthly payment and begin accruing interest after any applicable promotional period. Any discrepancy with the credit card, interest rate, or promotional period should be addressed with the issuing bank.

Mr. and ***************** continue to state concern regarding the location for the majority of Bluegreen resorts. Bluegreen is continuously looking for ways to expand in resort locations that would appeal to Bluegreen owners and enhance the way people vacation. Bluegreen always aims to deliver the latest innovations and offerings for our owners. For those destinations that do not yet have a Bluegreen resort, Mr. and ***************** have additional vacation options outside of Bluegreen resorts such as resort exchanges through RCI, hotel stays with our ************************** and cruises through our Traveler Plus benefit.

Additionally, Mr. and ***************** have concerns regarding using the Choice Reward Points, that were presented at the time of purchase, for stays at ************* properties. At the time of purchase, incentives are provided for new and upgrading owners. The vacation certificates are given as an incentive for use without utilizing Vacation **** Points to secure a reservation. The terms and conditions of the certificate are not established by Bluegreen. The certificates explain any fees and restrictions for the owner to review prior to activating the certificates. However, as Mr. and ***************** stated, they do have the option to convert Bluegreen Vacation Club Points into Choice Privileges Points for stays at ************* for a fee. Once converted, the Choice Privileges Points can be used with ************* customer service center or on the ************* website to reserve hotel rooms instead of paying cash. Our contact center agents are happy to answer questions or assist with the conversion of Bluegreen Points into the Choice Privileges program.

Mr. and ***************** also state that they were never told that they had alternative options to use their Points before they expire. Mr. and ***************** further state that since *************** is a veteran, they have additional option to travel with low rates through the Armed ******************* Bluegreen would like to thank **************** for his years of service and his commitment to our country. Bluegreen values our service men and women and because Mr. and ***************** earn their Points every year, their Points are good for bookings in any travel season for the first year of use. At the end of the first year of use, Mr. and ***************** have the option to save their Points and roll them over for another year of use through paying an administrative fee online or by telephone with the contact center. Bluegreen would advise Mr. and ***************** that once their Points are rolled over, they become Saved Points that *** be used for one additional year to travel in the Red, White, or Blue **************. This information is provided in the Owner Confirmation Interview at Section 2, which Mr. and ***************** initialed indicating knowledge of Saved Points. Additionally, Saved Points *** be booked with RCI for travel within 180 days and no additional fees are charged above the standard RCI exchange fee. Another option would be for Mr. and ***************** to convert Bluegreen Points before they expire with Bluegreen into Choice Privileges Points for stays at *************.Lastly, Mr. and ***************** can elect to allow their Points to expire, as no fees are associated with expiration of Points. Our Specialist would be happy to speak with Mr. and ***************** about these options.

Mr. and ***************** then mention concern with Bluegreens customer service and expresses how our agents,during their sales presentation at The ***********, was rude. Bluegreen strives to provide receptive, reliable, and speedy communication and service for our owners. Bluegreen regrets that Mr. and ***************** did not receive our characteristic high-quality customer service and communication when speaking with one of our agents. Bluegreen agents routinely provide helpful information,supportive suggestions, and outstanding service for our owners. We encourage Mr. and ***************** to reach out to our contact center agents regarding their concerns. These calls are also an opportunity for an owner to receive personalized assistance and individualized care from a Bluegreen agent who does not sell Points but instead offers professional insights, experienced suggestions, and friendly service.

Mr. and ***************** are also concerned that their children will become financially responsible for their timeshare interests should something happen to them. Bluegreen would remind Mr. and ***************** that there is no legal requirement that an owner must pass on a timeshare interest to the owners children, heirs, or designees.Additionally, there is no obligation that an intended recipient must accept a timeshare interest. Mr. and Mrs. ******* children would not be legally required to assume financial responsibility for the ownership if they do not wish.

Mr. and ***************** then express that use the Bluegreen-branded credit card has cost them a lot and further states that the Rewards accumulated for using the card is insignificant when paying their maintenance fees. Making purchases with their Bluegreen-branded credit cards is one way Mr.and ***************** can earn Bluegreen Rewards to help offset their maintenance fee bill. Mr. and ***************** would receive two Rewards per dollar spent on a Bluegreen purchase with the credit card. Mr. and ***************** would earn one Reward per dollar spent on a non-Bluegreen purchase with the card. Once Mr. and ***************** receive these Rewards on their credit card statement, they can utilize the website or call the contact center to apply the Rewards toward their maintenance fee balance. Bluegreen would also advise that as a Premier Gold owners, Mr. and ***************** can utilize their Points toward payment of their maintenance fees and Vacation **** Dues, if they wish. Premier Silver, Gold,and Platinum owners *** elect to use their annual or borrowed Points toward the payment of their maintenance fees and **** Dues instead of credit card, cash,or check payment. As such, the Premier benefit allowing for Points payment of fees was available to Mr. and ***************** as Premier Silver owners before their most recent upgrade. Information regarding the exchange amounts for Points to dollars is listed in the Premier Owner Guide and on the Bluegreen website.

Mr. and Mrs. ************ then state that they were under the impression that the Silver level benefits had many of the same benefits as the Gold level. Bluegreen is firmly of the opinion that all Vacation **** Points are valuable for reserving enjoyable and memorable vacations. With the recent addition of the Diamond level, Bluegreen has five tiers of Premier owners, each with increasing benefits commensurate with their increasing Points owned. Our Premier ownership tiers are Bronze, Silver, Gold,Platinum, and Diamond. A full description of the unique ownership benefits included with each level of ownership are made available to Mr. and ***************** in their Premier Owner Guide and is accessible on the Bluegreen owner website.As always, Mr. and ***************** *** call our customer service contact center six days a week for any additional information they desire. As mentioned, Mr. and ***************** own ****** Annual Vacation **** Points, which entitles them to additional privileges as Premier Gold owners. As Premier Gold owners, Mr. and ***************** have access to our Premier Wait List benefit that allows them to request reservations three months before the reservation booking window opens to the general ownership. While Premier Wait List requests are not guaranteed until confirmed, this benefit could help Mr. and ***************** maximize Bluegreens availability by requesting vacations in advance of most owners.

Mr. and ***************** further mention concern with trying to find availability with RCI for vacation after exchanging their Points. Bluegreen would advise that the benefits and use of RCI to exchange Bluegreen Vacation Club Points for vacations at other destinations are detailed in Mr. and Mrs. ******* contract documents. The Owner Confirmation Interview at Section 6 states that RCI is a separate company from Bluegreen with its own availability, and exchanges with RCI have fees associated with each exchange transaction. The number of Points required varies based on the location and other factors determined by RCI.Bluegreen also offers the option to exchange through the Direct Exchange Program that is one component of Traveler Plus. Direct Exchange through Traveler Plus offers Mr. and ***************** resort exchanges for only $39 per reservation because they are Premier Gold owners. These exchange fees are significantly lower than the exchange fees associated with an RCI transaction and *** provide a ***************** option for Mr. and *****************.

Mr. and ***************** are also concerned that Bluegreen does not allow guests to take notes, photos, or recordings during our sales presentations and purchase meetings. Bluegreen presents proprietary information during our sales presentations and purchase meetings. All information pertinent to Mr. and Mrs. ******* purchase is contained in the contract documents and the new ownership materials provided at the time of purchase. Bluegreen would advise that the Owner Beneficiary Agreement, Terms and Conditions, and Owner Confirmation Interview are the facts of Mr. and Mrs. ******* Bluegreen timeshare ownership along with the ownership materials. As with any contract purchase there are terms and conditions, whether it is purchasing a home, car, or computer. These purchases,like a Bluegreen Vacation Club ownership, require a purchaser to read and understand the terms and conditions. As with a new computer purchase, there is an amount of time required to read instructions and learn how to navigate the new device to get the most benefit. Bluegreen would advise that Mr. and ***************** had ample time since their timeshare purchase to go over the documents provided and to request assistance with the facts and benefits pertinent to their Bluegreen ownership.

Mr. and Mrs. ******* final concern relates to resale of their ownership. Mr.and ***************** state they were told Bluegreen would help resell their ownership. Bluegreen believes we offer a valuable vacation ownership but understands that some owners *** wish or need to come to an end with the Bluegreen product. Owner Confirmation Interview Section 10 provides that no one is authorized to guarantee that Bluegreen will repurchase or resell a timeshare interest. Mr. and **************** also acknowledged in Section 10 that the secondary market for timeshares is limited. In addition, the Terms and Conditions of the Owner Beneficiary Agreement Section 5: Purchasers Acknowledgments disclaim the investment potential of the ownership and state there is no guaranteed buy-back of the timeshare. While Bluegreen does not repurchase or resell timeshare interests, Bluegreen does allow owners to resell their ownership interests.Bluegreen refers owners interested in resale to our authorized third-party resale agent who can advise owners regarding resale information, but Bluegreen is not party to that conversation.

Bluegreens ************* ********************** team has reviewed Mr. and Mrs. ******* ownership closely. After reviewing Mr. and Mrs. ******* ownership, Bluegreen finds that Mr. and ***************** remain responsible under the terms of the purchase agreement and promissory note they executed in connection with her timeshare purchase. Bluegreen will not provide the cancellation and refund requested for Mr. and *****************. At this writing, Mr. and Mrs. ******* mortgage loan in connection with their timeshare purchase on June 19, 2023 is currently 125 days past due. Bluegreens ******************* has called,emailed, and sent letters to Mr. and ***************** to advise them of the delinquency and provide an opportunity to bring their loan current. Should Mr.and ***************** elect not to continue mortgage payments, their loan *** be charged off due to nonpayment of mortgage. Should Mr. and ***************** have any further questions or concerns, they have the direct contact information for our Specialist.

********************************************************** **** Services
Bluegreen Vacations Corporation
Customer Answer
Date: 02/02/2024

Complaint: ********

I am rejecting this response because:
Please see included .pdf document to view in a more readable format. This is rebuttal of statements made Bluegreen in response to my filed complaint.
Sincerely,

******* and ***************************

February 2, ****
Dear *******************************
BBB Services Specialist
Better Business Bureau Serving Southeast ******* and *************
**************************************************************************************
RE: Consumer File No. ********.
This message is in response to the Better Business Bureaus electronic mail correspondence I received after Bluegreen Vacations, on January 12, ****, submitted their comments regarding the complaint I lodged. Please add what I have written to the Consumer File, Number ********. I am refuting statements added by Bluegreen Corporations on January 12, ****. I am noting mischaracterizations, omissions of facts, and responses taken out of context, etc.
On 12/08/2023, we connected with *********************, a Bluegreen customer service representative. Following that email exchange, she notified us that she did not have available appointments to speak with us until the 26, 27, or 29th nearly three weeks later. We gave her many dates prior to those she offered. She said she was unable to make those dates, because they conflict with other owners' appointments. She scheduled us for a call on the 26th.
During the call on the 26th, we discussed our concerns we laid out in 14 pages of a Word document. During that call, she admitted that she did not read all 14 pages. To be fair, she said the text in the email ended abruptly in mid-sentence, but she did not request that I send the message again with the full text or that I send it in a different format. Had she done so, the call would have gone better, because we had to discuss with her what was already in that document. We did address some of our concerns, however, and she let us know she would investigate and get back to us. She rushed us off the phone stating she had a call with another owner in just a few minutes. We scheduled a follow up phone call for 01/09/****. I sent her the information she requested, and, in addition, I sent her a new copy of the original letter we wrote. I checked it in several ways to be sure it was readable on different platforms.
On the 9th, at the agreed upon time, we were ready to take her phone call. She did not call at the agreed upon time. We waited 5 minutes, and then I sent an email message to her. We did not get a response. We waited for about 20 minutes before concluding she was not calling. It was after this missed appointment and no follow-up message that we filed a Better Business Bureau report. It was short too short but the goal was to begin the process of resolution.
About 10 days later we reached out to her again. She replied that because we filed a complaint with the BBB, her case with us was closed. She gave us the name of a new agent with whom we did connect. We scheduled a call for the 26th of January. We spoke to him then, for just a moment, before he told us Bluegreen had terminated our contract. Had this process not dragged on so long, a matter of just a day or two, then he could have spoken to us about our concerns, but, since the contract was canceled, there were not any concerns left to address. He said he would send a copy of the letter from Bluegreen outlining their decision. Later, he sent a message saying he could not due to a computer issue. To this date, he has not sent that letter, nor has a copy arrived in the mail. We indicated to him that we were upset, because we were hoping to work out a mutually agreeable compromise that both addressed our concerns and kept our relationship intact kept us as customers.
Our only reason for withholding payment was to get the attention of the right people at Bluegreen, to get to talk to the people who could listen and help. The people at Bluegreen who called were only tasked with collecting payments. Finally, we were able to speak to someone who could help in December. This person however, did not call us at the agreed upon *************. Then we did not hear from her. Then when we did communicate with her, she told us she could not help us. Then we spoke to the new agent, who could not help us because too much time had passed. **************** has been anything but exemplary.
In the lengthy reply from Bluegreen to the BBB, there were many mischaracterizations and points taken out of context. There were misstatements, as well as ambiguities. In general, the tone, we believe, was condescending and somewhat adversarial, not conducive to reaching a conclusion outside of public view. Now, no such amicable conclusion can be made. This makes little sense to us, and it was not our intention. If we walked away, we wanted to walk away as friends, so to speak.
I do not intend on going through each paragraph and rebutting every inaccuracy or making clarifications and commentaries. Printed, the response from Bluegreen was 8 pages. However, I do plan on picking out a few things. Originally, I drafted a letter to Bluegreen 14 pages long. I could have written 46 more pages, easily, but others advised me it was long enough; though, one person told me it read easily, for what thats worth. The reply from Bluegreen to the BBB was in response to my 14 page letter to Bluegreen and not simply my text included in the BBB complaint.
Prior to our stay at ******************, in *********, I requested a different accommodation, but I was told on the phone, by a customer service representative, there was not one available for the time I requested. Once there, the accommodation consisted of a nice, but nothing special to look at, unit that had paper thin walls in which we could here the neighbors as well as if they were in the next room in our unit. That was not in the brochure, as the saying goes.
Later, in the new owners meeting (sales pitch), we complained (vociferously) about our dissatisfactions. We were told by the sales people (not customer service people at all) that the unit was more of a double unit that can be partitioned into two separate units for a smaller groups of guests. Not in the brochure. Further, we were told that the units were not, usually, actually full and there were units reserved for others. In many cases, these are for people and families who are there for free weekends or the like (sales pitches). Not everyone shows up or what have you, and there are usually units still available. Finally, we were told that Bluegreen usually takes care of their Gold members a little better, and we could expect that experience at the Gold level.
Since then, after speaking with *********************, she assured us that was not the case, and all Bluegreen members are treated the same except for the perks outlined at specific levels. If someone tells us otherwise, that person or people are wrong. Nonetheless, that is what the salespeople told us. I believe *****. However, we were told otherwise at ******************. Whether it was stated outright or strongly implied, is irrelevant. The meaning of the statements was clear to us or any rational person. I am being kind and choosing not to disparage anyone.
During our stay, we were asked by nearly every Bluegreen staff member who spoke to us how our stay was going. Being honest, I briefly discussed our concerns. To a person, each told us to attend the new customer meeting where they would love to talk to us about our issues. They do bribe you to go with the promise of gift cards, which I might ordinarily just accept and leave. I was chomping at the bit to unload all our complaints. Bluegreen is expensive but is purported to be superlative. The former is true; the later is not. What we experienced next was a splendid sales job with a well trained staff that would leave a used car salesperson in awe. We were expertly handled. I am embarrassed to be sure, but remember, I implied there was mis-truthfulness involved in the many hours long process. More details were included in my original letter.
In the Bluegreen letter to the BBB, the writer states, Bluegreen does not have documentation from the sales site that differs from the details contained in the contract documents. I am sure this is the written policy. However, during this sales pitch, there were probably a half dozen 8.5 by 11 sheets of paper used during the several hours, many with writing and diagrams on front and back. These notes were used extensively to answer questions and guide the conversation. These papers were, in fact, whisked away at some time during the process and never seen again, despite our request that we keep them. So, in fact, this was our experience, despite what the writer states is Bluegreen policy.
Also, during this sales presentation (and those previous), we were explicitly told to not ask questions during the closing. If we did, there was a likelihood that the paperwork would need to be restarted, and that would take time. To be fair, the salespeople told us to get our questions out of the way prior to closing, but we were instructed to not ask questions during closing. We felt like we had been told everything, but, in fact, we were really just told what they thought we needed to hear to proceed. We were there for hours; the thought of having to wait longer before we could eat a proper meal, was not an appealing prospect.
In the initial Bluegreen sales presentation we attended, the man beginning the morning went to great lengths to convince us Bluegreen was not a timeshare company. Timeshares have a bad reputation, so the real and supposed differences were referred to many times. That is disarming. However, I have found that there is really not much difference these days with consolidations and mergers with companies with different, though similar, business models. I believe, at one time, Bluegreen was different from the competition, but the overall experience is basically the same as evidenced by the sale of Bluegreen to a ************* On paper, there are differences between Bluegreen and some others. The practical differences, Ive found, are few. Not as the brochure would have you believe.
The availability of locations at the times we stated we needed were touted as being available almost all the time. However, we found that locations are booked quickly for the times we needed. We have children, and they have children; we simply cannot align schedules that far in advance. We clearly indicated our needs, and we were repeatedly told we would be able to take advantage of what Bluegreen offers. This was not at one meeting, this was at all the meetings. When complaining of the problems we had with getting what we want when we need it, the answer was always upgrade.
That never improved things for us. They never listened to us, to be kind, or they just told us what they needed us to hear so that we would buy. What is printed is often only the minimums or the maximums, while the ordinary day to day process is actually the rule of the day. One may indeed pour over the details of what is actually stated: the daily experience for most things is squarely in the middle. Where there is a difference, it is easy to defer to the experts who tell you that it shouldnt be a problem to do what you need to do. Of course this is believable if you believe the Bluegreen people in question actually listen to you.
Also, we did speak to customer service on more than one occasion. I had text and phone conversations. I will admit the people I communicated with were nice and patient. It doesnt change the problems we had getting what we wanted what we thought we bought based upon needs specifically described during our meetings (sales pitches). RCI exchanges did not help us in June ****. The travel club did not help us in June. The travel club may, in fact, offer great last minute deals, but that doesnt help us, and that was never much of a selling point for us. There is a fee to do an RCI exchange; though it might not be as high as it is with some other companies, it is a fee on top of fees to use points we had already paid for. In any event, RCI locations close to where we wanted to go were unavailable.
Close to where we wanted to be when we want to be there is key. Perhaps, for many totally retired people, tied to no work schedule, some of the Bluegreen locations, described in the Bluegreen BBB letter, and the points associated with those times and locations are great values. That is not our situation. We clearly described our lifestyles and our travel and stay needs. These many options, mentioned in the Bluegreen reply, simply do not apply to us, and we did not base our purchase upon using these locations and off peak times.
Again, had the salespeople truly listened to us, our experience with Bluegreen would have been different. Either all the various salespeople with whom we spoke at all the various locations where we spoke did not hear us unlikely or it simply did not matter what we said and all their replies would have been the same regardless of what we had relayed to them. We repeatedly heard phrases such as, This would be perfect for you. and, This is what you need to be able to do all the things you said you wanted to do. and You can do all these things with Bluegreen.
We investigated accommodations as soon as we were sure we could go to the event in *********. Most people have to compete for the same vacation days within a company or division or department or site. It can be very costly to purchase expensive non refundable tickets only to find out that requested leave is not approved. Upon complaint at Christmas Mountain, they said we should upgrade, and that would help us get what we needed. It most certainly did not. It only allowed us to purchase more points than we would ever be able to use.
That brings me to, perhaps, my greatest point of contention: Choice Rewards Points.
At the sales pitch in *******, the representative neglected to delineate the differences between the benefits of Gold and Silver. Essentially, except for just a couple differences, we felt like Silver was Gold-lite. After we were satisfied ****** offered us enough points for what we wanted to do, he made no effort to explain to us that Silver was not Gold-lite. ****** did not offer essentially the same benefits as Gold with only fewer points.

For example, we were not made aware (At least he did not clarify.) that moving Bluegreen points to Choice Rewards points was at a different exchange value between Gold and Silver. If we fully understood that, it definitely would have been a factor in our decision. Again, we understood the Silver level to be, in effect, a Gold-lite level, Gold with fewer points. I felt like transferring points at the Gold level was a great option: transferring points at the Silver level, I suddenly discovered later, is not even a good option. That difference is significant enough that it should have been clearly explained. After a phone call to a Bluegreen representative to inquire about transferring the points we were not going to be able to use before August to Choice Rewards points, we found out that we were not able to transfer those at a favorable level. We thought we could transfer unused Bluegreen points at the same conversion ratio as with the Gold level when we left the sales pitch in *******.
At Christmas Mountain, while speaking to the salespeople, I complained that I felt misled if not outright lied to about the points conversion. He, in *******, knew that was important to me, and without the favorable exchange rate from Bluegreen points to Choice Rewards Points, there would not have been a sale. To add insult to injury, for all intents and purposes, the Christmas Mountain saleswoman went into great detail about the points conversion rate difference between Silver and Gold. Despite being told by ***************** this is not nor ever was the case, I left ********* believing I had a Bluegreen to Choice Rewards Points ratio of 1 to 16. This was discussed at great length; the Christmas Mountain saleswoman **** this out for me on one of those sheets of paper that mysteriously disappeared. Only later well past three days did i learn the ratio was not 1:16; in fact it is not even close, about half that. I left that table fully believing that I had that ratio of one Bluegreen point equalling sixteen Choice Rewards Points. I would not have signed had I believed anything else.
Additional points of contention: we can read, do math, and interpret diagrams. It is hard, though not impossible, to graduate college without being able to do so. Neither of us went to law school however. I have a degree and background in information technology; I can, and did, navigate the Bluegreen website. We both have a background in psychology and my wife also in sociology, and yet we were expertly manipulated. Certainly, adept people are hired, well trained, and well coached and thus retained by quickly learning the tricks by experience. There are both lies of commission and of omission.
Further, we know how to manage credit cards: the Bluegreen writers response to the BBB certainly mischaracterized what I wrote about the Bluegreen credit card. In fact the writer mischaracterized much of our 14 page letter, the letter that could have easily been 20 pages with added content and a little more additional clarity throughout. Again, just because Bluegreen has policies, some that she outlined in the BBB response, doesnt mean they are followed. In many cases, they were not, because we experienced it. Despite Bluegreens assertions that things did or did not happen, it doesnt mean these discrepancies we have documented and outlined here are not truth. The fact is that these things happened to us.
I am sure there are many Bluegreen customers who have purchased points in the past couple years who are very happy. To those, I wish them well and contentment after the Hilton Grand Vacations merger. It is our belief, based upon what we witnessed first hand, that Bluegreen is aware of these widespread loose interpretations of their rules, and, indeed, the knowledge these policies are violated as a matter of course across their many locations, and Bluegreen turns a blind eye to it all until someone complains. I cannot prove this, but we believe our experiences are not unusual.
******* and ***************************

Business Response
Date: 02/14/2024
February 14, ****

***************************
BBB Services Specialist
Better Business Bureau Serving Southeast ******* and *************
***************************************************************************************

RE: Consumer File No. 21138901

Dear ********************:

This message is in response to the Better Business Bureaus electronic mail correspondence received by Bluegreen Vacations on January 12, ****, regarding the consumer correspondence of ******************************* and ******************************** and Mr. and Mrs. ******* rebuttal correspondence received on February 5, ****. Thank you for reaching out to us on their behalf to apprise us of their continuing inquiry.

Upon receipt of your correspondence advising of Mr. and Mrs. ******* rebuttal,our ************* ********************** Specialist reached out to Mr. and ***************** by telephone and email on February 6 and February 7, ****, resulting in leaving messages that we wish to speak with them regarding their rebuttal correspondence and providing direct contact information. Our Specialist received an email response from Mr. and *****************, advising that he does not wish to speak if alternative resolutions are not available than what was previously offered. Our Specialist emailed Mr. and ***************** on February 8, ****, thanking him for his response and advising that Bluegreens position remains that same. Although we have not been able speak with Mr. and ***************** directly, Bluegreen wishes to respond through the Better Business Bureau.

Bluegreen desires to be responsive to Mr. and Mrs. ******* issues of concern and resolve this matter. However, Mr. and ***************** raise no new issues in their recent correspondence. Bluegreen reiterates the positions described in our earlier correspondence dated January 22, ****. Bluegreen remains firm that we will not cancel and refund Mr. and Mrs. ******* ownership. At this time,however, Bluegreen would advise that Mr. and Mrs. ******* mortgage loans for their timeshare purchases on June 19, 2023, has been charged off due to nonpayment on January 31, ****. Mr. and ***************** are no longer Bluegreen owners. Our Specialist sent an email to Mr. and *****************, on February 6 and February 7, ****, providing a copy of the termination letter for their records.Our Specialist would be happy to provide further information for Mr. and ***************** if they wish to speak by telephone. Should Mr. and ***************** have further questions or concerns, they have the direct contact information for our Specialist.

********************************************************** **** Services
Bluegreen Vacations Corporation
Customer Answer
Date: 02/21/2024

Complaint: 21138901

I am rejecting this response:

February 21, 2024

***************************
BBB Services Specialist
Better Business Bureau Serving Southeast ******* and *************
**************************************************************************************

RE: Consumer File No. 21138901

Dear ********************:
I feel the reply from Bluegreen Vacations is less than sincere and mischaracterizes the conversations we have had with Bluegreen and the customer care specialists.

Our Specialist received an email response from Mr. and *****************, advising that he does not wish to speak if alternative resolutions are not available than what was previously offered.
There was no offer, of any kind, made to usnone. We desired (and, in fact, are still willing to consider) a resolution that was mutually beneficial to both Bluegreen and ourselves. We attempted to negotiate, in good faith, and were led to believe, at one or more points, that an agreement could have been achieved. However, apparent foot dragging by Bluegreen, telephone appointments scheduled weeks into the future by *********************, and her failure to call at an agreed upon date and time led to significant delays. There was no lack of effort on our part to communicate: we were motivated to communicate quickly and resolve this issue favorablyto both parties.

Bluegreen remains firm that we will not cancel and refund Mr. and Mrs. ******* ownership.
We did not insist in this process that our initial purchase be cancelled and refunded. Our initial purchase was paid in full. It would be foolish to forfeit $12,000 and get nothing in return.

Mr. and ***************** are no longer Bluegreen owners.
Bluegreen, and Bluegreen alone, cancelled our membership.

Of course, after all this additional frustration, our objections plainly laid out in this complaint, and the grievances we documented in our lengthy letter sent to Bluegreen months ago, we would prefer to get a full refund and be done with the whole experience. Bluegreen cancelled our membership, without our input, and pocketed the whole sum we paid for our initial purchase. There was no loan that we failed to repay on that purchase as it was purchased outright. Bluegreen has, in fact, appropriated (to be kind) roughly $12,000 we paid to them, in full, in the fall of 2022.

At this time, however, Bluegreen would advise that Mr. and Mrs. ******* mortgage loans for their timeshare purchases on June 19, 2023, has been charged off due to nonpayment on January 31, 2024.
This was not our desired outcome. We only withheld our payment to get the attention of the proper Bluegreen department that could actually work with us. And it worked. Previously, the only people we were able to speak with were representatives trying to collect payments. While it is certainly understandable and proper that Bluegreen wanted to receive payment, talking to these people was not at all helpful or productive. Eventually, new payments would have been arranged to address the balance.

We were attempting to negotiate in good faith. ********************* did not call us at the agreed upon time, nor did she respond to our subsequent messages. Only then did we initiate this complaint. Finally, after many days, she contacted us. Later, she indicated she was no longer going to be able to handle our concerns; she wrote that *********************** would reach out to us.

We did speak to ****** at the agreed upon *************. It was during this conversation that he revealed to us that Bluegreen canceled our contract. If this could have been resolved perhaps even a day sooner, he said he might have been able to help. This whole issue could have been resolved in a satisfactory manner. We are reasonable people and expected a reasonable outcome.

****** said that he would send the letter from Bluegreen concerning the cancelation he revealed to us. We indicated we would like to have that letter before scheduling a follow up call. Later, he indicated he was unable to email us copies of those letters. We did not receive a letter in the mail for many days, perhaps more than a week. This is the text of the email communication I sent to him following the receipt of that letter.
I have viewed your emails and listened to your messages. Upon careful consideration, we have determined that if you cannot assist with providing a refund of roughly $12,000 we paid Bluegreen for our first purchase, I am not sure there is anything we can discuss.
That purchase was paid in full; therefore, there was no balance from our first purchase included in any subsequent loan. In essence, we feel that we have been robbed of roughly $12,000. Remember, we wanted to negotiate a settlement that was both fair to Bluegreen and to us. Despite our best efforts, we were never given that opportunity.
If there can be some sort of restitution, then we would, of course, like to discuss that with you. Otherwise, we will need to leave our BBB complaint indicated as unresolved. We bear no ill will towards you personally, as you have been very available and communicative.
Our dissatisfaction is with Bluegreen Vacations, specifically the others with whom we interacted. We believe the corporation, as a whole, is culpable however. Though, if you believe we have further business we can discuss, then please reply accordingly.

This is the text of the email reply from ***********************:
Thank you for replying to my message and for your comments. I am sorry we were not able to reach an agreeable resolution to your concerns and I confirm that Bluegreen Vacations would not offer any options for restitution at this time. We will respond to the Better Business Bureau over the next coming days as well.

I am not sure there is anything more we could have done to affect a positive outcome here. With the benefit of hindsight, of course, we would have adjusted our approach, but the goal was to reach a solution that satisfied both parties and even fostered a continued relationship. I have to believe Bluegreen Vacations is quite satisfied with this outcome: the company walks away from this relationship having taken our hard-earned money while depriving us of our vacation experiences the company and their salespeople promised. Bluegreen seized the vacation points we purchased lien-free, and now the company will resell them. Its a win-win for Bluegreen. Therefore, understandably, we are completely unsatisfied.
Respectfully.
******* and *******

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Bluegreen Vacations Unlimited, Inc. is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.