Bluegreen Corp. Reviews

The presentation was filled with misrepresentations about availability, booking processes, and investment value. We were rushed through signing without adequate time to review the contract details, only to discover numerous undisclosed terms including a perpetuity clause and inheritance of maintenance fees by our heirs. After investing nearly $50,000, we've found it impossible to book stays as promised, with properties perpetually "fully booked" and an unusable online booking system. The company's deceptive practices have caused significant financial hardship during our retirement years, and we strongly caution other seniors about their predatory sales tactics targeting vulnerable individuals. Please be careful if you are going to give them your business!

We had no intention of purchasing but we were subjected to intense psychological pressure, including emotional manipulation using our family. The sales representatives used our children as leverage, suggesting this would be a valuable asset to pass down to them. We reluctantly purchased and boy was that a mistake.

Since the purchase, there’s been nothing but issues. They opened a credit card that we never authorized, they told us if we were unhappy we could use their "buyback program" which doesn’t even exist, and they have charged us fees upon fees. They told us we could redeem a coupon for 6 months' worth of maintenance fees and when we went to use it, they said it had already been cashed!! This is just a never-ending nightmare and I hope this review stops other people from making the same mistakes we did.

We ended up buying the voucher and traveled to Arizona for the trip and sales meeting, however we were not given the fabulous accommodation they showed us in the brochure. Rather, they put us up in a standard hotel that was 30 minutes away. I was told the sales meeting was to only take 2 hours but ours ended up being 5. Had the check-in rep not taken my driver’s license, I may not have stayed for 5 hours and gotten roped into this purchase. The sales rep was very pushy in all that she and Bluegreen were offering if we were to become members. She pushed and pushed and finally I wanted to see rates, pricing, benefits, etc. 

Reflecting on the closing of my purchase, I recall being rushed through everything. Just a “sign here, sign there” process while the loan officer made small talk and congratulated me on my investment. What I’ve come to realize is this was a distraction to keep my focus off the financial aspect of this purchase. The loan terms were completely glossed over; I was aware that the interest rate was high, but what was not disclosed was the enormous finance charge of more than $15,000 which effectively doubled what I agreed to pay. I find this to be a sneaky way to bilk consumers for more money than they are willing to pay. I regret ever walking into Cabela’s.

The emphasis on the supposed investment benefits and inheritance potential seemed aimed at convincing me of the timeshare's long-term value, which was grossly misrepresented. I have not used any part of the timeshare, nor have I been shown any specific condominium or designated unit. The deceptive and high-pressure sales tactics, combined with the lack of transparency, have caused financial and emotional distress. Generally, Bluegreen should be avoided at all costs, or you will be paying for it forever.

In 2020 we accepted another promotion through Bass Pro Shops and decided to go as a family to Williamsburg, Virginia and we had to attend another meeting. As we went in, we told ourselves, “We’ll sit through the 90-minute meeting, get our promised gift cards, and give a solid ‘No’ to the offers so we can get back to our kids and mother, who were patiently waiting.”

The presentation dragged on for hours! We expressed our disinterest multiple times, mentioning that we needed to get back to our children. Each time we said “No,” they countered with new offers. Managers came over, offering what felt like “the sun, moon, and stars” with even more enticing deals. At that point, we were exhausted, hungry, and feeling very pressured to accept an offer. Long story short, they wore us down to the point we caved in.

We’ve only been able to use our timeshare once. There is never availability. Our Maintenance fees increase every year. It quickly became clear that we were paying for something we can’t even use. We were misled about the maintenance fees and their potential for an increase. We realize this was one of the worst financial decisions of our lives. Bluegreen has been a nightmare, draining our finances without delivering on their promises. We are beyond disappointed and completely dissatisfied with Bluegreen. The misrepresentations and false promises were made at the expense of our family.

The lies we were sold were all designed to get our money. The most deceptive claim was that we were making a real estate investment—one that would be passed down to our children and eventually our grandchildren. What we were never told was that our children would inherit not only the property but also the mortgage and all future maintenance fees. Furthermore, we were never informed that our account would be divided into separate, individual accounts based on the upgrades we were manipulated into making.

In sum, our entire experience with Bluegreen Vacations has been nothing short of deceptive and frustrating. From the misleading promises about the exclusivity of their resorts to the high-pressure sales tactics designed to manipulate us into multiple upgrades, we have been misled at every turn. The lies told to us about making a real estate investment for our children and the false assurances regarding point usage have caused significant financial strain. The sales practices we endured were intended to extract as much money from us as possible, without regard for the truth or our best interests.