Complaint Review: Bluegreen Vacation Club - Boca Raton Florida

I have been a Blue Green member for 4 years, and yes they are hard to use. but once you understand them it does get better. Someone said to me just book a vacation and it gets easier over time. And it does. There is a company called Pinical vacations that will sell your time share for you but you must be willing to loose more money. I know I was there. and decieded to learn how to use it rather then loose  a ton of money invested.

Contact the BBB of Florida and file an official complain here's the address

BBB of Southeast Florida and the Caribbean
4411 Beacon Circle suite 4
West Palm Beach, FL 33407

Contact ARDA (American Resort Development Association) which Bluegreen is a member of. Read there code of ethics, and find the ones Bluegreen broke when they sold you the timeshare. Here's the website. www.arda.org

Also contact your attorney general and the attorney general of the state where you signed up. If we don't all file complaints, it boils down to a "he said she said". But if everyone files complains, it becomes 100's are saying similar things against this 1 company. It gives more credibility to all of us who were scammed.

Take your time and write a good letter. Not a 3 minute deal. Sit and try to remember what was said, when it was said and how it was said. Tell your story in full.

IF YOU ARE READING THIS ASK YOURSELF THIS QUESTION....WHY, IF YOU ARE A "HAPPY OWNER" WOULD YOU HAVE BOTHERED TO FIND THE TIME TO COME TO THIS WEBSITE, TAKE THE TIME OUT OF YOUR HAPPY OWNER DAY TO PLAY CHEER LEADER FOR THIS TIMESHARE COMPANY....SHORT ANSWER - YOU WOULDN'T.  THESE PEOPLE ARE SHILLS!!!!!

EVERY SINGLE POST BY ANYONE CLAIMING TO BE A "HAPPY OWNER" IS COMPLETELY BOGUS.  WHY IN THE H**L WOULD YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT COMING TO THIS WEBSITE AND THEN POSTING? 

1.  No avaliablity...UNLESS you are a CASH PAYING CUSTOMER!!!!

3.  No customer service.  Bluegreen does not care about you as an owner - only your money.

Yes folks, it's a fact.  Democracy7 and Mike1 are the same person. 

Seriously, why, if you are a lover the evil Bluegreen demon would you bother to visit Ripoff Report and post your ooey gooey love note?

You wouldn't.  These scum bags....especially that vermin Mike1 from Pigeon Forge is nothing more than a sales vulture.  The lowest form of life there is. 

Run people, run as fast and as far as you can from Bluegreen if you can.  If you've already been snarred in their web....hire an attorney.  It's the only way out.  There are hundreds and probably Thousands of people out there who are victims of this unbelievable scam.  With enough effort we'll find each other.

Mike....Kharma is going to have it's way with you.  People who steal from others like yourself are destined for a life of misery and pain.  Enjoy it you scum bag.

Good for those who say they had "wonderful experiences" with Bluegreen.  But it really doesn't change the fact that they have scammed thousands of consumers for years (and still doing so).  I'm so glad that AG Tom Corbett filed suit against them.  I heard that 2 other state AG's are soon to follow.  My wife and I were victims of BG and we're currently calling them to cancel our timeshare.  We had the same exact experience as those who complained about BG.  One guy from BG told me (in one of my many calls) to send them proof like a video or any recorded material so they would give us our money back.  I told him, if we have known that we're going to be scammed, I would have called Dateline to investigate them (and I'm currently working on that).

To those who have been victimized, call and send complaints to your state Attorney General's offices, and the FTC.  Write to your state representatives, too.  The more complaints they receive, the better results we will get.

My husband and I purchased through Blue Green our time share approximately 7 years ago. I have to say we have had many wonderful vacations and have also upgraded our points to expand our vacationing times. You say that you have only been able to go on one vacation in 4 years, that is a shame, but perhaps you have tried to go to the same place all the time, or you expected a quick reservation. My husband and I book a lot of times 11 to 12 months in advance. When you reserve, they always tell you if the unit you want is availabe, if its not choose another resort, have another vacation destination in mind. Vacation is about fun and relaxation. Change your plans and be flexible, that's part of the beauty of Blue green. Read your contracts, and that book you received, there is a world of ideas in that book. Sign me one very satisfied Blue green custromer.

If anybody knows the way to get rid of this "good investment" please let me know, all their promises during sale presentation were bs, i want to get every penny i paid, if i would have known the truth about the product, i would have NEVER bought it. They promised as to buy it back when they don't want it, they seid they will rent for ut and we will make money, now it turns out they don't offer rent program, it's discontinued and they don't buy it back. Please help, i read somewhere there is outstanding law suit against them please call.

I am not an employee and I have never been an employee of the Bluegreen Corp. We just got back from our vacation at The Fountains. It was awesome. I still have a very hard time understanding why you feel (and others feel) they have been ripped off. Never have we had a problem booking a vacation. It's called planning ahead. We plan all of our vacations 11 months in advance, just like we were told to. We are not bronze, silver or gold owners. Besides using points to pay for maintenence fees- there really isn't too much of an advantage to becoming a bronze, silver or gold owner. If you are retired, and you are able to vacation for more than 5 weeks of the year, then those options are good for you. We have just read the manual and asked LOTS of questions so we knew what we were getting into. You have to read the fine print. Class action lawsuits in my opinion are 90% unneccessary. Seriously, the lawyers win those cases. You should really consider selling if you are that unhappy.

Most of the people that say they are happy are either Bluegreen employees acting like owners, or people have silver, gold, or platinum ownerships. If a posting has too much detail on how perfect everything has been with their ownership and sounds a little too good to be true, or like the one below uses the word "sales pitch," it is an employee. For the people who are actually owners....How many of you plan your vacations a year in advance??? During the presentation they will tell you can book a vacation 3 or 4 months before the date and will have no problem getting a reservation. Try it. We do not need to tell you that the program is s**t. Try to use it. There are too many Bluegreen employees pretending to be owners for this site to even be of value. If you are happy with your ownership, great!!!! However, there are many, many, many people who are not.

I agree with Leanne from Michigan. It is nearly impossible to reserve anything. I have gone down the list of resorts, with as many ten different dates and nothing is ever available! When I've called Bluegreen to complain the response is "if you buy more points it will be easier." Why would I buy more points if I can't even use the points I have! Buying Bluegreen was one of my bigger mistakes - I would not recommend them to anyone!

You cannot get a reservation with this company unless you are a silver, gold, platinum owner. During the presentation they will tell you that you can use bonus nights on weekends and pay for the nights rather that use your points. Oh, how about paying your maintenance fee by referring your friends and family or go through the phone book and just write down names. If you can actually talk one of your friends and family to go on a tour, it is not enough to even come close to paying your maintenance fee. Good luck... You cannot. When I worked at Bluegreen, we were told to tell "Guests" that they could use their points during the week and use bonus nights on the weekend and pay for the nights. You can only use bonus nights if the resort has open rooms that they need to fill. During the presentation, in Sevierville, the Senior managers Ute Over and Dallas Smith ([email protected] and [email protected]) told us to tell all "guests" that purchased small packages that you use your points during the week, and use bonus nights on the weekends. During manager training the managers are told that bonus nights are very hard to use. This is misleading, actually it is a blatant lie that we as reps were forced to tell people in order to get them to purchase. During the presentation we were "trained" to tell people that the Lodge Alley inn used to be a civil war hospital; however, if you look on the internet, it used to be a cotton warehouse. Although this is not really significant, it is a lie none the less. Why would managers tell reps to say this???? Before I "left", we were told not to say this anymore. Ute always tells this stupid story about a mom giving her son an RCI certificate so he could go to Australia when he graduated. If she tells you this "third party story," tell her to f"*k off. If you go to a Bluegreen presentation...Yes, the maintenance fees go up $40 to $100+ a year. They will tell you they don't go up that often or that most owners use referals to pay for the maintenance fee. It is a LIE!!! In order to get you to buy, they will give you 4,000 bonus points; however, they don't tell you that you can only use them during blue and white season only. Heads up... The lowest package price they can sell you is "8900." They will tell you that they renovate the resorts every few years. WHATEVER... If they con you into buying...ask to go to the resort and talk to a random owner and see what they say. The sales center in Sevierville is about to go under anyway...I can't wait until these "managers" try to get jobs at other timeshare companies. They already know how degrading, manipulative, condescending, and humiliating that Philip Hicks, Dallas Smith, and Ute Over treat their employees. Yes I am a pissed off former employee!!! However, I speak the truth. They keep cutting employee benefits and pay but keep telling them that they are the best in the company. If people show you who they are, believe them...Don't believe what they say. They will tell you that you cannot cancel a sampler...You can cancel it. They will tell you they are going to build a resort at the preview center. They are not. They will tell you they are one of the top 5 timeshare companies. They are not. These people and this company has been so deceptive and surreptitious with their management and sales tactics. What you give always comes back.

I understand it can be very frustrating not to know how or what to do with something you have invested a lot of money into. The timeshare world was a blur to me before the 4 week training class I attended to be able to assist you all when you try to book a vacation. I know it is very confusing with all the "points" and "flex weeks", but in the defense of EVERY vacation specialist that you have called and cussed at and told they were worthless~ we did not make you sign on that horrible "dotted line!" Most of you can book your vacations 11 months out. I would suggest planning ahead and learning about the timeshare. You will never be able to give it back, because it is a mortgage, just like owning a house. Make the best of what you have and figure out how to use it. Believe it or not, for every 1 angry customer, there are 35 happy ones.

I have owned a timeshare w/ bluegreen for about 4 years and have been able to book a vacation every year. This year we have booked three. I dont understand what the problems are that everyone on this post is having.

I am from Indiana. We bought 6000 points of time share in 2006 and upgraded to 10000 bi-annual points this year. We've been to Puerto Vallarta Mexico on a free exchange trip from RCI Wisconsin Dells and Branson MO so far in 2008 We are booked for Orlando in May. In my personal experience, I would agree the maintenance fees are a little high, and that calling Bluegreen can be a real hassle. However, we have never had a problem reserving points, or going anywhere we wanted. I'll agree the interest rates are high, but we make double payments so it will be paid off in no time at all. It's sad to see all of the negative on this site about Bluegreen. Maybe the people who are having problems need to sit down and read the manual. Reserving points can be tricky, but when we did our sales pitch in Hershy PA (on the discounted vacation trip we purchased at the sports store) we asked tons of questions and by the end of 3 hours we were very familiar with how to book vacations and how to get the most out of our points. I wish everyone the best of luck :)

That is exactly what they do (Bluegreen). They don't technically admit to any wrong-doing, however, they do settle out-of-court. One of the last major class action lawsuits that was filed against them was settled without a trial. (in New Jersey) They awarded the people who bought in a few thousand dollars and the first 25 non-purchasers got something like $1200. Then they even gave all of the consumers a free week at the resort of their choosing. HOW FREAKIN' GENEROUS?? Then the Judge awarded the attorneys involved their fees to be paid by Bluesh*t at a sum of no more than $300,000.00. Maybe you should get familiar with this area of law as it seems to be EXTREMELY lucritive!! ( HAHAHA) No, seriously. If you google in bluegreenlawsuit dot com you can view the lawsuit in its entirety. I read it all and found it to be very interesting. The way they tried to weasle out of it by paying-off everyone involved but at the same time being careful not to accept blame or responsibility for their actions! It's a scream~ go and read it. It's entertaining to say the least. Maybe that is why you couldn't find out much about past lawsuits because I know there have been PLENTY. Now, the Attorney General in PA is suing them BIGTIME! They estimate that they have scammed OVER 5,700 Pennsylvanians out of more than $$$ 1 MILLION DOLLARS$$$ I can't imagine Tom Corbett's Office letting them off that easy. He is an EXCELLENT Atty. Gen. and is very conservative. He is a no nonsense kind of guy and brings great honor to his office in Harrisburg,PA. In fact, he just won re-election so, we can rest assured that the charges will NOT be dropped by a new administration. Call the AG in Illinois and file a complaint ASAP or you could probably file your own (after becoming a registered member of the bar, ofcourse). They did all the legwork. Use theirs as a guide~although not verbatim. Best of luck,ALWAYS Congrats on your accomplishment, My hubby is an Atty. and I know the level of commitment involved, it is tremendous. Hours are too long. Pay is great!!

I have been a member for a few years now, I'm in the U.S., don't have any huge plan with them, and have none of the problems that I have been reading about with this company. This past year we called and reserved a room in Daytona beach (During bike week, which is the busiest week of the year down there) and got in with no problem, then half way through the trip we decided we wanted to take a trip down to orlando, we called and checked in down there the very next day! So how is it that you guys can not seem to get a reservation? I've used the thing like 6 times now and have yet to be dissappointed. We went on our honeymoon in the Wisconsin Dells, and the place was beautiful. I couldn't be happier with the program.

I am a Bluegreen owner, I have been scammed just like everyone else. They have told me that I need to be more open with my vacation availability and places that I want to go. So basically, they are saying let us pick your time and the place for your family to vacation. I have also been told that if I would purchase more points, more options would be available for me. Seriously, who would do this. You scammed me once, why would I ever do it again. As for the suit, I am a recent law school graduate. I have no experience with this type of case, but I do know that attorneys take on class action suits, because most the time, attorney fees are awarded, and with all of our frustration punitive damages seem appropriate as well. I have been searching on Westlaw all day for cases filed against Bluegreen, either not many have been filed, or most have settled out of court, because there are not that many listed. If anyone hears of a class action suit, let me know. I will more than willing get involved. I will even help with the research. Little busy right now studying for the Bar, but I still want to take Bluegreen down. If you have not noticed the ones that are happy with their experience, are those that can afford to purchase a lot of points, and schedule their vacations way in advance. Bluegreen is obviously not a good investment for anyone that can not plan their vacation a year in advance or can not afford to purchase more than 20,000 points. But for all of us who are broke and can not afford to pay Bluegreen for something we never get to use, It is a SCAM. I fell victim of all the empty promises and the cruise, which I never receIved. (fraudulent inducement) And NO MATTER how many of you devoted Bluegreen owners post on here, it does not change the fact that this is a rip-off site, and MOST of us our here, because we feel we have been RIPPED OFF. I know I defintely have not receIved $12,000 of benefits. NOT EVEN CLOSE. I have only used the service 1 time in 6 years, because everytime I call it is not available. So if you are a GOLD member or a Preferred customer Congratulations. BUT US PEON'S ARE PISSED OFF AND WANT SOMETHING DONE ABOUT IT. KC

I am a Bluegreen owner, I have been scammed just like everyone else. They have told me that I need to be more open with my vacation availability and places that I want to go. So basically, they are saying let us pick your time and the place for your family to vacation. I have also been told that if I would purchase more points, more options would be available for me. Seriously, who would do this. You scammed me once, why would I ever do it again. As for the suit, I am a recent law school graduate. I have no experience with this type of case, but I do know that attorneys take on class action suits, because most the time, attorney fees are awarded, and with all of our frustration punitive damages seem appropriate as well. I have been searching on Westlaw all day for cases filed against Bluegreen, either not many have been filed, or most have settled out of court, because there are not that many listed. If anyone hears of a class action suit, let me know. I will more than willing get involved. I will even help with the research. Little busy right now studying for the Bar, but I still want to take Bluegreen down. If you have not noticed the ones that are happy with their experience, are those that can afford to purchase a lot of points, and schedule their vacations way in advance. Bluegreen is obviously not a good investment for anyone that can not plan their vacation a year in advance or can not afford to purchase more than 20,000 points. But for all of us who are broke and can not afford to pay Bluegreen for something we never get to use, It is a SCAM. I fell victim of all the empty promises and the cruise, which I never receIved. (fraudulent inducement) And NO MATTER how many of you devoted Bluegreen owners post on here, it does not change the fact that this is a rip-off site, and MOST of us our here, because we feel we have been RIPPED OFF. I know I defintely have not receIved $12,000 of benefits. NOT EVEN CLOSE. I have only used the service 1 time in 6 years, because everytime I call it is not available. So if you are a GOLD member or a Preferred customer Congratulations. BUT US PEON'S ARE PISSED OFF AND WANT SOMETHING DONE ABOUT IT. KC

I am a Bluegreen owner, I have been scammed just like everyone else. They have told me that I need to be more open with my vacation availability and places that I want to go. So basically, they are saying let us pick your time and the place for your family to vacation. I have also been told that if I would purchase more points, more options would be available for me. Seriously, who would do this. You scammed me once, why would I ever do it again. As for the suit, I am a recent law school graduate. I have no experience with this type of case, but I do know that attorneys take on class action suits, because most the time, attorney fees are awarded, and with all of our frustration punitive damages seem appropriate as well. I have been searching on Westlaw all day for cases filed against Bluegreen, either not many have been filed, or most have settled out of court, because there are not that many listed. If anyone hears of a class action suit, let me know. I will more than willing get involved. I will even help with the research. Little busy right now studying for the Bar, but I still want to take Bluegreen down. If you have not noticed the ones that are happy with their experience, are those that can afford to purchase a lot of points, and schedule their vacations way in advance. Bluegreen is obviously not a good investment for anyone that can not plan their vacation a year in advance or can not afford to purchase more than 20,000 points. But for all of us who are broke and can not afford to pay Bluegreen for something we never get to use, It is a SCAM. I fell victim of all the empty promises and the cruise, which I never receIved. (fraudulent inducement) And NO MATTER how many of you devoted Bluegreen owners post on here, it does not change the fact that this is a rip-off site, and MOST of us our here, because we feel we have been RIPPED OFF. I know I defintely have not receIved $12,000 of benefits. NOT EVEN CLOSE. I have only used the service 1 time in 6 years, because everytime I call it is not available. So if you are a GOLD member or a Preferred customer Congratulations. BUT US PEON'S ARE PISSED OFF AND WANT SOMETHING DONE ABOUT IT. KC

I am a Bluegreen owner, I have been scammed just like everyone else. They have told me that I need to be more open with my vacation availability and places that I want to go. So basically, they are saying let us pick your time and the place for your family to vacation. I have also been told that if I would purchase more points, more options would be available for me. Seriously, who would do this. You scammed me once, why would I ever do it again. As for the suit, I am a recent law school graduate. I have no experience with this type of case, but I do know that attorneys take on class action suits, because most the time, attorney fees are awarded, and with all of our frustration punitive damages seem appropriate as well. I have been searching on Westlaw all day for cases filed against Bluegreen, either not many have been filed, or most have settled out of court, because there are not that many listed. If anyone hears of a class action suit, let me know. I will more than willing get involved. I will even help with the research. Little busy right now studying for the Bar, but I still want to take Bluegreen down. If you have not noticed the ones that are happy with their experience, are those that can afford to purchase a lot of points, and schedule their vacations way in advance. Bluegreen is obviously not a good investment for anyone that can not plan their vacation a year in advance or can not afford to purchase more than 20,000 points. But for all of us who are broke and can not afford to pay Bluegreen for something we never get to use, It is a SCAM. I fell victim of all the empty promises and the cruise, which I never receIved. (fraudulent inducement) And NO MATTER how many of you devoted Bluegreen owners post on here, it does not change the fact that this is a rip-off site, and MOST of us our here, because we feel we have been RIPPED OFF. I know I defintely have not receIved $12,000 of benefits. NOT EVEN CLOSE. I have only used the service 1 time in 6 years, because everytime I call it is not available. So if you are a GOLD member or a Preferred customer Congratulations. BUT US PEON'S ARE PISSED OFF AND WANT SOMETHING DONE ABOUT IT. KC

Leanne, Just like to point out to you that all 36000 points are well and truly PAID FOR, so that shoots that out of the water. Please join the Bluegreen group on Yahoo which has 1095 members who can get reservations without any problems. And as for living in another country I have googled and looked at all the law suits that are listed and cant help but smile at all the money these lawyers are going to make out of you all, but then that somthing maybe someone from another country can only see. well must go got to sort out what I am taking on my next Bluegreen trip in 3 weeks time Bye

Leanne, Just like to point out to you that all 36000 points are well and truly PAID FOR, so that shoots that out of the water. Please join the Bluegreen group on Yahoo which has 1095 members who can get reservations without any problems. And as for living in another country I have googled and looked at all the law suits that are listed and cant help but smile at all the money these lawyers are going to make out of you all, but then that somthing maybe someone from another country can only see. well must go got to sort out what I am taking on my next Bluegreen trip in 3 weeks time Bye

I have read your response, and have also read several others. It appears to me now, that if you live in another country, you obviously have an advantage over us Americans. If you read most of the positive comments, you will find many of them from abroad. Glad you have had luck with your points. I however, have not. And, I do know how to use my points. It doesn't matter. There is never, ever, a property available, period. I wish I could record the next conversation I have with what you describe as a wonderful vacation club. You would then have proof that what I speak is the truth. So, thanks for informing us of your great experiences. Now, why don't you take a general Google look around the internet for Bluegreen lawsuits, you may figure out what I'm talking about. It's not just me, but many, many people who have been ripped off and scammed. Maybe you did not pay cash for you purchase, and they are still reeling you along. But, you are satisifed, so that's great. But, like I said, peruse the internet, you will find just the opposite of your rebuttal. Wake up in the UK, and smell the bluegreen rotting....

Good evening from across the Pond, We have been Bluegreen owners since 2004 but have owned TS since 1999 and have never had any problems with making a reservation. 2005 2 weeks (school Holidays) in Myrtle Beach 1 week (end of Sept) The Fountains in Orlando 2006 9days (memorial weekend ) The Fountains 4 days (june) Miami 14 days Aruba (school Holidays) 2007 19 days Aruba (school holidays) 2008 7 days (last week May) in Orlando 7 days Ann Marie Island FL (first week June) 11 days (school Holidays) Myrtle Beach 2 days Charleston. So please dont tell me that you cannot get any reservations It is not a scam and just beacuse YOU do not KNOW how to use what your bought it should not cost any other members of the BGVC any money. You may ask why I say cost money , if BG have to defend stupid court cases from people like you who dont know what you have or how to use your points then there is less money for them to develop more resorts. So please look at what you have find out how to use what you have and start to enjoy what you have like so many very happy BG owners. If you think I am telling "porky Pies" then join the Bluegreen Group on Yahoo and they will all tell you the same. And before the idiot in a previous post spouts up I must work for BG I can assure you that I dont I am a Textile Colourist who works in the UK for Standfast and Barracks Fabric printers