Bluegreen announced upcoming changes to guest certs

[tschwa2]

https://www.bluegreenowner.com/Search/FAQ/Guest-Certificate-Program
$99 after your allotted included certs up to 20 max per year and in addition a $50 expedition fee if you add a guest cert within 30 days of check in whether you are using a free one or not.



guest certificate program
What is the Guest Certificate Program?
The Guest Certificate Program is being implemented to manage name changes on reservations. Our goal is to protect the exclusivity of inventory for Owners within the Vacation Club while still allowing for flexibility of your account usage for family and friends.

Why is the Guest Certificate Program being implemented?
To safeguard your access to the Bluegreen Vacation Club, we are implementing this program to reduce owner-lead commercial rental activity that is on the rise. These new checks will hinder further abuse of owner privileges without negatively impacting typical reservation behavior. Additionally, this program strengthens our non-owner guest identification from reservation through arrival which is important for the safety and security when you stay with us.

How many guest certificates will I receive each year?
Guest certificate allotments have been tiered based on ownership levels as follows:

Foundation: 2 free certificates
Bronze: 4 free certificates
Silver: 5 free certificates
Gold: 6 free certificates
Platinum: 7 free certificates
After the above certificate threshold is used, additional certificates can be purchased.
What if I run out of guest certificates?
Additional guest certificates can be purchased for $99.00 per certificate with a maximum of 20 per calendar year. If the guest certificate is being used within 30 days of check-in, there will be an expedited fee in the amount of $50.00. The expedited fee is applicable regardless if you are using one of the free allotments or purchasing one.

How does this impact existing reservations?
Existing reservations that remain unchanged are not impacted by your Guest Certificate allotment. If you need to change the name on an existing reservation after the program is live, it will utilize a guest certificate and be deducted from your allotment.

If I cancel my reservation, will my guest certificate be returned?
Once a guest certificate is applied to a reservation it expires. If you cancel a reservation that utilized a guest certificate, your guest certificate will not be credited back to your Bluegreen account.

When will this go into effect?
This exact program launch date is still being determined. Updates will be provided via email and on bluegreenowner.com.

 

[rad.travel.dad]

...I love how salespeople repeatedly tell you to "buy more points and just rent out stays to cover your maintenance fees" meanwhile management is now effectively banning that option. With their "20 guest certs max", this appears to be aimed at the commercial rental people but I foresee them enforcing this on everyone, especially with the recent affidavit threats I've seen thrown around.

Even more concerning and annoying is their changes to the points protection plan – increasing the price by $10 and moving the cancellation window out to 72 hours prior to the check-in date. They're already the most restrictive timeshare I own when it comes to cancellations and now they're making it more expensive and more restrictive... mind-boggling.

 

[xzhan02]

I look at this as can potentially be beneficial to average BG owners. Commercial rental at popular resorts by a few mega owners is a problem for regular owners in terms of availability. In addition, guest certificate has been used in other point programs such as Worldmark and Wyndham for a few years. In comparison, the number of free guest certificate BG allows members is relatively generous. For example, Worldmark members only get 1 free GC for 10,000 points, which is roughly one 2 br red week. For BG, you would get at least 2 maybe 4. It should be sufficient for the vast majority of owners who rent out some or even all of their points, except the maga owners.

 

[dioxide45]

I look at this as can potentially be beneficial to average BG owners. Commercial rental at popular resorts by a few mega owners is a problem for regular owners in terms of availability. In addition, guest certificate has been used in other point programs such as Worldmark and Wyndham for a few years. In comparison, the number of free guest certificate BG allows members is relatively generous. For example, Worldmark members only get 1 free GC for 10,000 points, which is roughly one 2 br red week. For BG, you would get at least 2 maybe 4. It should be sufficient for the vast majority of owners who rent out some or even all of their points, except the maga owners.

It won't really impact mega renters. The new fee will just cut into their margin and make BG more money. BG now gets a share of their profit.

 

[scootr5]

It won't really impact mega renters.

Until (since they seem to be following Wyndham's example) they introduce "Owner Priority Time" and only allow you to use 2 guest certificates per year during times you are not travelling with the guest.

 

[dioxide45]

Until (since they seem to be following Wyndham's example) they introduce "Owner Priority Time" and only allow you to use 2 guest certificates per year during times you are not travelling with the guest.

True, but for right now the current change won't do much. Does BG have as big of a mega renter problem as Wyndham did/does?

 

[scootr5]

True, but for right now the current change won't do much. Does BG have as big of a mega renter problem as Wyndham did/does?

If I had to hazard a guess, maybe for a couple of resorts such as Big Cedar in the summer or Hammocks and Solara in the snowbird season.

 

[tschwa2]

I think it is going to hurt a lot of regular owners that try to get rid of their leftovers. The system is set up with a base fee that makes the more points you own the less per point you pay. So a lot of owners bought excess points, not to become a mega renter but to bring down their own cost and then rent the excess at and sometimes below cost if they didn't plan well. $150-$400 rentals of fairly small chunks of points are common between owners. Mega rentals can just easily adjust to those hard to get full weeks or longer and add in the of the certs.

 

[xzhan02]

I kind of doubt many owners with <15,000 points would have enough points left to rent out more than 2 reservations after their own usage. It'd be more of a problem for those who routinely let other family members to use their points.

 

[rapmarks]

I look at this as can potentially be beneficial to average BG owners. Commercial rental at popular resorts by a few mega owners is a problem for regular owners in terms of availability. In addition, guest certificate has been used in other point programs such as Worldmark and Wyndham for a few years. In comparison, the number of free guest certificate BG allows members is relatively generous. For example, Worldmark members only get 1 free GC for 10,000 points, which is roughly one 2 br red week. For BG, you would get at least 2 maybe 4. It should be sufficient for the vast majority of owners who rent out some or even all of their points, except the maga owners.

This reminds many years ago when Bluegreen took away bonus time from non vacation club owners and so many people got on the various sites and said how good this was for owners. Shortly thereafter, resale value went in the basement. I recently had to rent our two weeks, due to my husbands illness and death. Very difficult to cover my maintenance fees let alone pay for extra fees.

 

[tschwa2]

I kind of doubt many owners with <15,000 points would have enough points left to rent out more than 2 reservations after their own usage. It'd be more of a problem for those who routinely let other family members to use their points.

The 2 rentals I did this year from an owner were a 1050 point one and a 1250 point one.

 

[WManning]

It won't really impact mega renters. The new fee will just cut into their margin and make BG more money. BG now gets a share of their profit.

Follow the money trail. It's like Uncle Sam no way to not pay the tax man.

 

[bnoble]

It adds a little bit of friction, but not enough to really deter anyone. At most it will encourage renters to focus on higher-value rentals to soften the blow—and it’s not clear that’s actually helpful to owners.

As mentioned above, the moves that have really put a dent in renting have been much more drastic than this.

 

[csxjohn]

I look at this as can potentially be beneficial to average BG owners. Commercial rental at popular resorts by a few mega owners is a problem for regular owners in terms of availability. In addition, guest certificate has been used in other point programs such as Worldmark and Wyndham for a few years. In comparison, the number of free guest certificate BG allows members is relatively generous. For example, Worldmark members only get 1 free GC for 10,000 points, which is roughly one 2 br red week. For BG, you would get at least 2 maybe 4. It should be sufficient for the vast majority of owners who rent out some or even all of their points, except the maga owners.

The lack of guest certs is one reason I chose Bg.

Mega renters no longer have an advantage to get reservations over us small pts owners since they straightened out the waitlist where they don't fill them until the 11 month mark.

I only have 11,000 pts but make short stay reservations and my friends often get there before me so for them to check in I have to use a guest cert, and if we finalize plans within 30 days and I have to make a change I have to pay an extra $50.

This is not helpful to me at all. And it hurts on the other end when I'd like to rent a reservation or two from those who bought retail on the advice of sales to rent out the excess.

This is just another money grab that will not stop the mega renters at all and will hurt the rest of us

 

[tschwa2]

It adds a little bit of friction, but not enough to really deter anyone. At most it will encourage renters to focus on higher-value rentals to soften the blow—and it’s not clear that’s actually helpful to owners.

As mentioned above, the moves that have really put a dent in renting have been much more drastic than this.

The 20 guest paid guest certs total will hurt mega renters but the $99 and $50 fee will hurt more regular owners. And by hurt, since they are small owners the hurt will be $50-$500 per year but for some that is a real hurt over the already fairly high cost of MF''s.

 

[bnoble]

Maybe. I’m not sure how many owners routinely use more that two guest reservations in a year.

 

[xzhan02]

Maybe. I’m not sure how many owners routinely use more that two guest reservations in a year.

That's what I thought too, especially for owners with <15,000 pts. Upon 2nd thought, I think it might significantly hurt owners who bought large amount of resale points thus didn't qualify as premier members. Will they only get 2 GC? If they bought to rent out or let friends and family use, it would hurt a lot.

 

[hcarman]

...I love how salespeople repeatedly tell you to "buy more points and just rent out stays to cover your maintenance fees" meanwhile management is now effectively banning that option. With their "20 guest certs max", this appears to be aimed at the commercial rental people but I foresee them enforcing this on everyone, especially with the recent affidavit threats I've seen thrown around.

Even more concerning and annoying is their changes to the points protection plan – increasing the price by $10 and moving the cancellation window out to 72 hours prior to the check-in date. They're already the most restrictive timeshare I own when it comes to cancellations and now they're making it more expensive and more restrictive... mind-boggling.

They aren't even close to as restrictive as our Hyatt and Marriott - those you have to cancel 30-60 days out depending if using points or weeks and whether you want your points to be in a penalty (holding account). I too liked being able to cancel up until the check in hour - but honestly never had to do that. And what was happening was people would cancel so late that no on else could book that room last minute so it sat vacant.

 

[rapmarks]

I am having a memorial for my husband at Bluegreen Christmas mountain. A friend of my daughters let us book two three bedroom townhouses, two nights each. Each was two thousand points. So there is his two gift certificates if. The new rule was already in effect.

 

[MasterDisaster]

There is a board meeting vote soon I noticed when I logged in. I wonder if we can vote this Guest Cert idea out with the right person up for election? Although, I don't know. Maybe the idea is to keep the rentals going and for the main company to make money on rentals ... and stay afloat to build more properties? I guess if I get 4 certificates, that is fine for a few rentals, but what if my family is signing in?

I think there should be a "close family" option where we can list our extended family ... perhaps 5 to 8 people ... who get free/discounted "Guest Certificates." Otherwise, they are hurting the big family/friends who aren't renting.

Maybe I should call up Big Cedar and tell them that their Timeshare partner is ruining things for the Big Families that they were marketing to.

 

[Wingo99]

More and more reasons I'm so relieved I was able to rescind.

 

[tschwa2]

Has there been any further restrictions on BG Guest certs?


For those with Christmas mountain or other deeded non points ownership, do the restriction of 30 days prior still apply? I own EOY deeded at Hershey and usually split the reservations and rent half and was wondering if anything has changed since 2023.

 

[rapmarks]

Has there been any further restrictions on BG Guest certs?


For those with Christmas mountain or other deeded non points ownership, do the restriction of 30 days prior still apply? I own EOY deeded at Hershey and usually split the reservations and rent half and was wondering if anything has changed since 2023.

No change for Udi, but they take down all information and add it to a list whenever you have a guest check in.