Complaint Review: Bluegreen Time Share - Nationwide

Last May in Orlando my family purchased a blue green timeshare...We bought a timeshare a year ago (end of May 2013) and again we were forced to add to our points May 31, 2014. At our initial purchase numerous things were misrepresented to us when signing up.  Of course we didn’t find that out until after we started trying to take advantage of all the “benefits” we were promised.  All those “perks”…. well….we were flat lied to.  None of them have been valid.  We have been on two vacations and not been able to take advantage of any of the things they said we had access to, i.e. (Free water park, Free golf, day passes to another facility, just to name a few) and oh by the way it wasn’t in the contract so they deny they ever told us any of the information we confronted them with.  This last trip we took (May 30-June 6) we were forced to attend yet another meeting because Bluegreen was “bought out” and told we needed to be updated on the “new” rules.  We were told we didn't have the same amenities & benefits as when we signed up a year ago and were basically put in a position to have to upgrade to get what we originally paid for a year ago.  In the meeting they covered all the changes from maintenance fees to last minute reservations because “these things have been the biggest complaint with our Bluegreen customers, so the new owners wanted to make it a better experience for the customers” Wow we bought it hook, line and sinker.  After asking why we weren’t grandfathered in because we were already members, and complaining that we shouldn’t have to pay more for what we already are paying for, our salesman’s response…… in classical car sales mentality, “we can’t control what the new owners do…. But we have much better benefits with the “new and improved” system with the new owners.  Obviously with all my questions and concerns there was always an answer giving us a better “Bluegreen experience now”.  Because I was such a hard nut to crack our “salesman” basically told us if you don’t upgrade we lose out on the “new and improved” system and all it new benefits.   We were basically given no chance to think about it, research it, talk about it nothing but a forced situation is what we were in.  We had 3 kids in the play room waiting to go on vacation.  The meeting (we were told would be an hour)  HA….WHAT A JOKE….we got there for our 10:00 and finished up after 2:00 our first day of vacation ruined because of their pushy sales pitch and wasting our time on a mountain of lies.   

We went on about our vacation and then realized when we got home and started looking into everything, that once again everything they told us was a lie.  The “extra” points we bought were suppose to be good to pay our maintenance fees transferring the 3000 points into $100 for 1000 points so we could always be able to pay our maintenance fees with our points.  When we tried to do just that to pay our maintenance fees with our points so we could go on our 2^nd vacation (end of July) we found out we were lied to again.  The transfer rate is $100 to ever 10,000 points not ever 1000 points.  Dropping that one zero made a big difference of course with all the lies we realize now it was deliberate. What do I need with 140,000 points.  Duped again.  Now I know why our “salesman” wouldn’t let me have the paper he was scribbling on to show us how the point system worked because he was flat lying to us he wrote down $100 for every 1000 points.  If I had that paper he would be caught in his own lies. Well played Mr. Salesman.  (Mr. Salesman is a nicety, trust me I have his name & phone number)  There has to be a law against telling customers so many lies to make a sale. 

Here is the Irony….. Isn’t  this a hospitality company….all about hospitality?  Isn’t that the whole reason for people to go on vacation, to get pampered and taken care I mean we are paying a good price to get these “benefits”.  (Which don’t exist) Where is your company on “the Customer is always right”  According to the facebook page “Angry Bluegreen timeshare customers”, you have failed miserably according to the pages and pages, pages and pages, pages and pages, pages and pages of really bad reviews (and that’s just on facebook.)    Look at ripped off and other social media outlets,  I understand now why the sales pitch is so high pressured.  “If you don’t buy today you won’t get the benefits we are offering and the price will be going up” BECAUSE…. If we all went home and did our homework on this company it would have folded long before now.  Nobody in their right mind would buy from a company where the maintenance fees go up every year and the service, benefits and “perks” are edging on non-excitant. 

I am contacting all major TV and Radio outlets as well as sending letters to BBB, all Attorney General offices throughout the US and anyone else who I will listen.  This letter along with email addresses and social media sites I have mentioned above will accompany my letter.  The social media outlets have names and phone numbers.  All of my information can be found on these sites with others that are just as disturbed and dissatisfied as we are.   I am posting this letter to all the sites as well so they can follow up with their take on all this.  Get a blog going, Including emails, phone numbers and addresses so they can send any complaints and correspondence to stop this madness, stop the lying and stop the deception.

Below is a collection of just some things that have gotten me to this point.

• We were told there was a new system, new company, new rules so a new way of doing things because of the buyout and that what we already purchased no longer gave us the “benefits” we bought into.   A  LIE!!!
• Our “salesman” says he was traveling all over the US to introduce this new system to customers. Later when I inquired about his travels I found out (from his supervisor, I have his name and phone number too), our “ salesman” hasn’t gone anywhere. ANOTHER LIE!!
• Were told we needed to upgrade because the new owners weren’t honoring the old way of doing things.  Asked why we weren’t grandfather in and he said it didn’t work that way.  We needed to upgrade to get the better benefits.  ANOTHER LIE!!
• After calling and complaining, after finding out about all the deception Our “salesman” told us we could get out of our contract by calling Owner services and talk to Jen.  When we called we were told they would submit the paperwork but it would probably be denied.  ANOTHER LIE!!
• Our “salesman” told us by upgrading we would enjoy exceedingly more benefits than what we have now.  When we called and talk to his supervisor we were told that the only way we would have benefited from a better package is if we had upgraded to Gold.  We were already silver members & he said all we did was buy more points and have nothing more than what we already bought into a year ago.  (Oh except Traveler Plus) which we could have purchased for $69 for a year.   So we spent $6000 for 3000 points to get better “benefits” and all we got was a $69 Travelers Plus upgrade, getting the benefit of booking 13 months out, really….. we could already do that because we were silver members.  WHAT A SCAM.   From the onset of the meeting we told our “salesman” we were not even interested in the travelers plus program and that’s when he told us there was much more than that, that was just something tucked into the package of “benefits”.  ANOTHER LIE!!!
• Our “salesman” explained how we could pay our maintenance fees with our points, i.e. 1000 points equaled $100 so for 14,075 points we could pay our maintenance fees.  This was not true he left out a zero.  We needed 140, 000 points.  ANOTHER LIE!!! 
• I was told by our “salesman’s” supervisor that we would not be able to get our contract canceled because the recording that we went thru at the time of the signing of the contract did not state any of these “benefits” and that there was nothing on the recording indicating we were dissatisfied with the terms or were being forced to go thru with the contract.  Of course he didn’t mention the fact that we were lied to REPEATEDLY, so we went into this under lies and a false pretence.  At the time of the recorded contract signing someone rattles off about 17 or more sentences and paragraph items we WERE TOLD (by our “salesman”)  to just answer yes or no.  We were also told (by our “salesman”) before we went in to the meeting that when they ask why we decided to buy just reply because of the benefits. Before we went in to the signing I asked our “salesman” if I could get the stuff he told us in writing at the table (when he was lying to us) with everything that was promised and he said he could not do that but not to worry about it should all be covered in the contract, GUESS WHAT all the benefits we were promised by (Our Salesman) were in fact not ANYWHERE included in the contract we signed.  ANOTHER LIE!!!
• Maintenance fees at $1465.00 for (1) year (which is outrageous to begin with) we are left a list of things that need to be done before we leave the condo…believe it or not we have to vacuum and make sure the place is clean and tidy.  Really when I stay in a hotel (for a lot less I might add) I can just pack up and leave, but not Bluegreen owners we have to do half the job the housekeeping people should be doing.  What are we paying for?  I go on vacation not to have to worry about “Chores”.  I understand making sure the dishes are done, that I don’t have a problem with but really vacuuming, stripping the beds, really…...  Unacceptable.
• We were promised an additional 4000 points when we signed up this time.  Never received.   ANOTHER LIE!!!!   
• Words, but nothing in writing and nothing to back it up.  When our “Salesman” was confronted by all of this it would be no surprise I’m sure to tell you he denied it ALL.  
• LIES….LIES…..AND MORE LIES……

I want to point you to facebook – Angry Bluegreen timeshare owners.  Google it…..It is amazing how they have duped and scammed their way to financial success and what’s more are still getting away with it.  We need to stop these people from becoming successful on the backs of hard working people, taking peoples hard earned money, Stop the madness….Stop the deceit….Stop the lies

Below are many email addresses to send complaints too.

Ripoff report – Google it, it has several places to post complaints.

Better business Bureau (in your state, the state you purchased it, & the state your property is located)

Attorney Generals offices (in your state, the state you purchased it, & the state your property is located)

ABC network – Use Google “How do I contact ABCNews.com (Has several areas to send information)

CBS Network – Use Google “How do I contact CBSNews.com (Scam alert)  

Fox Broadcasting Company – Search Google

NBC Network –Search Google “How do I contact NBCNews.com (NBC Nightly news: Contact us)

PBS Network – Search Google “How do I contact PBSNews.com

CNBC Network – Search Google “How do I contact CNBCNews.com (several helpful searches to choose)

CNN Network – Search Google “How do I contact CNBCNews.com - Contact us – News tips

Chicago Tribune Newspaper – Search Google (has a couple of places to post letters)

Any local or large city newspaper has an area in there paper to send complaints.

Same with Major raid stations.  Look up major stations around the country and it information for places to post complaints.

Let’s BOMBARD the networks, airwaves, papers, social media and internet with our complaints.  Above are just a few that I have used to send my complaint off too.  There are so many more.  Use your imagination and search Google for complaint areas to send things off.  

DON’T FORGET: Facebook – Angry Bluegreen timeshare customers, Bluegreen site itself and any other Bluegreen related sites you can find.  The more people that are outraged by this and send complaints the more feedback we can expect.