Bluegreen Corp. Reviews

When I requested a substitute until a manager could address it, staff claimed no rooms existed—yet I found them on Expedia.com, available to the public at nightly rates. The front desk admitted these were reserved for third-party bookings, contradicting their pitch that the resort was private for owners and denying us use of our points or Bonus Time Rates. When pushed they told us the price would rise if we didn’t buy that day, urged us to inflate our income for the financial calculations, and, after consulting his manager, instructed us to lie during the recording by saying “no” when asked if the upgrade was for consolidation.

Confused, we asked for clarification; he insisted this deception was necessary to proceed. This pattern of manipulation spans our ownership. We upgraded twice, each time pitched as a real estate investment we could pass on to our children or use it as rental income. Sales reps claimed a “buy back” or “take back” program existed, giving us a false sense of security should we want out. Yet booking reservations is impossible due to a clunky website and lack of availability, hardly the exclusive, owner-friendly experience promised. It is best to steer clear of this company, if “deception” is necessary to see the product. If I could have put a zero star I would have!

The long presentation we attended pressured us into making a hasty decision, and we were told we could sell the timeshare if it didn't suit us, which was not true at all. The number of points we purchased, 4000 per year, proved useless. More often than not, we found that our points only covered a night or two or that the resorts were unavailable altogether. Attempts to voice our concerns with customer service were met with suggestions to buy more points, which was frustrating and unhelpful.

Bluegreen Vacations has been disappointing and not at all like we were told it was supposed to be. We strongly advise others to consider alternative vacation options that offer more flexibility and reliability.

The sales environment was overwhelming. After the presentation, we were placed in a room with numerous salespeople at each table. Our representative was new, which might have contributed to the confusion, and a more experienced salesperson frequently interrupted to push us towards pricier vacation packages. Despite repeatedly explaining our budget constraints, we were subjected to a prolonged negotiation process, with the sales team continuously returning to their so-called "finance department" to adjust the offerings.

The seven-hour ordeal left us exhausted, hungry, and feeling pressured into making a decision that was touted as a lifelong investment. While they showed us impressive amenities and accommodations, the experience was anything but enjoyable. Now that we are trying to get out of this, the company won’t even answer. Bass Pro is not to be blamed, but Bluegreen Vacation Club is not what it seems.

During the presentation, they made their “vacation packages” sound incredibly appealing, emphasizing how much money we could save while enjoying high-quality vacations at beautiful destinations. I don’t recall them ever explicitly saying it was a timeshare, which feels deceptive looking back. The presentation was polished, convincing, and honestly, a bit overwhelming. Once that main presentation was over, we met with the sales representative assigned to us. He was friendly and personable, and his job was to walk us through the cabins and lodges, showing us what we’d supposedly have access to if we signed up.

After the tour, we were taken to a room with booths and tables, where our sales guy presented us with several options for their vacation packages. I remember being shocked at how expensive they all were. But then, almost conspiratorially, he leaned in and said, “Confidentially, there’s a basic plan they don’t want us to tell you about.” He stressed that he could get fired if anyone overheard him, which honestly added to the pressure. The “basic plan” was for 5,000 points every two years, and he assured us we’d still receive the benefits of their premier packages, like borrowing points and purchasing additional points at a reduced rate. It seemed like a good entry point for us to see if their system would work for us, so we decided to purchase the basic plan. That’s when the real issues started.

For a whole year, we tried to book our owner orientation to learn how to actually use the points. It was nearly impossible to get it scheduled, and when we finally managed to book it, we were excited because we had been promised that we’d stay at the lodge with the arcade and attractions. Since we planned to bring the grandkids along, this was a big deal for us. But instead of being placed at the promised resort, we were sent to a standard hotel that wasn’t even on the property. To say we were disappointed would be an understatement.

When we attended the Orientation Meeting to learn how to use our points, we were hit with another shock. We were told that with the amount of points we had purchased, we couldn’t really do much of anything. It felt like we had been completely misled from the start. But at that point, we had already invested over $14,000 into this, and we didn’t want that money to go to waste. The sales representatives at the meeting convinced us that upgrading to the Bronze Package would be the solution. They assured us that with the upgrade, we’d finally get the benefits we were hoping for, such as more flexibility to book vacations and better access to properties. The price, though, was nearly $44,000. Feeling like we had no other choice if we wanted to salvage our investment, we agreed to the upgrade and took out a loan for $24,061 to cover the cost.

Now after all this time and money, we are still struggling to feel like we made the right decision. Instead of enjoying “hassle free” vacations we have been left with a sense of regret and adding to this..frustration. What started as a simple weekend getaway turned into an ongoing disappointment for me and my wife, and we can’t help but feel misled by the entire process.

Since then, it has been nothing short of a nightmare. Booking vacations is nearly impossible because everything is always "unavailable." On the rare occasions when we do secure a booking, we are constantly harassed by aggressive salespeople trying to upsell us or push us to buy more, which ruins any chance of enjoying the trip. And don’t even get me started on the properties themselves; basic issues like chaotic parking at night only add to the frustration.

We reached out to Bluegreen to end this disastrous contract, but of course, they refuse. We have already paid them in full through a third-party loan. Additionally, we paid the $1,190.70 they demanded to cancel our contract, only for them to decide that they weren’t done with us. Thankfully, they refunded that money, but they didn’t even inform us about it! They won’t release us unless we completely pay off the loan. How does that even make sense? They have already received their money, yet they conveniently use the loan as a reason to keep us locked in, even though it has nothing to do with them. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if they found another excuse even after we've paid off the loan.

What’s even worse is their refusal to take responsibility for the lies they told us. When we called to discuss these issues, one of their representatives, Keshia, dismissed our concerns and essentially blamed us for falling for their trap. It was both insulting and infuriating. We feel robbed, manipulated, and completely disrespected. Bluegreen’s predatory and dishonest practices need to stop. We are begging for an end to this nightmare, free of any strings. It’s time they are held accountable for the harm they’re causing, and for the sake of others, we hope no one else falls victim to this scheme.

I am now in my upper 70s, physically unable to utilize the vacation properties, and facing burdensome annual maintenance fees totaling $3,617.80 ($2,740.20 for Daytona Seabreeze and $877.60 for the biannual Innsbruck ownership). My children, who have occasionally used properties, have experienced numerous service deficiencies, including unclean accommodations, missing amenities, and extremely hostile treatment during mandatory "owner updates." They have explicitly declined to inherit this financial obligation, rendering their promise of a "legacy" investment false.

After an estimated $84,000 spent on initial purchases, upgrades, and yearly maintenance fees, I own nothing but an ever-increasing annual financial burden for a service I can no longer use. My fixed retirement income cannot sustain these excessive fees, especially considering the declining quality of service and accommodations reported by my family members. I’m open to suggestions or an opportunity to share with others in a similar situation.

Their deceptive practices are unconscionable. They falsely claimed we "owned property," promised refinancing options that never materialized, and pressured us into purchasing additional points for "exclusive perks" that proved worthless. Even achieving Diamond status brought none of the promised benefits. The "exclusive" resorts? Available to anyone. The "special" cruise and airline perks? Inferior to deals found directly through those companies. Their website displays inaccurate loan information, while "saved points" dramatically lose value without proper disclosure. The recent Hilton partnership has only added confusion, with unauthorized charges and double-billing that remains unresolved despite promises to the contrary. Avoid Bluegreen Vacations at all costs – unless you enjoy being misled, overcharged, and trapped in a perpetual cycle of disappointment.

We were also promised bonus points and two certificates for round-trip plane tickets, so we ultimately purchased the smallest package offered. However, the maintenance fees were downplayed and not fully explained, because we didn’t realize our children would be responsible for the fees if we passed the contract to them. Rather than offering a solution to either issue, they started pushing us to purchase more points, which we agreed to do. However, the terms of this offer weren’t explained transparently, and it wasn’t until we saw the contract that we realized this would have been a second loan with a separate monthly payment. We asked if we could combine the two contracts into one or at least redo the original contract, but they said it wasn’t possible. We spent nearly four hours only to be trapped into more debt.