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I recently discovered that I have been blocked from my online membership site at bluegreen.

old_pilot

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When I couldn't change my password, I was given a phone number to call. The answer given was I was considered not in compliance with their rules and directed me to a supervisor. He told me they considered me not in compliance and sent me an email back in February (7 weeks ago) about this. I checked my email history and there was no email from them. I was given an email addy to resolve this dispute and am awaiting response. They certainly jumped on me without notice and never bothered to investigate my dispute to their charge. I am a Premier member and paid a good deal of money for this timeshare. Anyone else have this problem?
 

samuelson7

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I found out today I was blocked as well (no warning emails) - for renting a reservation I couldn't use personally. I spoke with Account Services who said the matter was in Compliance. They will not take calls in Compliance nor would the phone rep escalate my call to her supervisor. I was told I would have to wait - and that there was a backlog in Compliance. I don't wait well. Would you mind sharing the email address? I'd like another way to contact them.
 

hcarman

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How did they know you were renting? Did they see it on a rental site? We sometimes let friends or family use ours so hope that isn’t an issue since it sounds like they don’t ask your side of the story.
 

dioxide45

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When I couldn't change my password, I was given a phone number to call. The answer given was I was considered not in compliance with their rules and directed me to a supervisor. He told me they considered me not in compliance and sent me an email back in February (7 weeks ago) about this. I checked my email history and there was no email from them. I was given an email addy to resolve this dispute and am awaiting response. They certainly jumped on me without notice and never bothered to investigate my dispute to their charge. I am a Premier member and paid a good deal of money for this timeshare. Anyone else have this problem?
When you say "dispute to their charge", did you do a credit card chargeback against a payment they had processed against one of your credit cards?
 

outofbody13

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Hi all, we have Bluegreen 60,000 points and we have had our online access blocked. They said we were in violation of our contract because we rented out our BG timeshare. We were told by the Bluegreen salesperson to do just that to help pay for the high maintenance fees and he even gave us the name and telephone number of the man to contact to rent out the timeshare. They now act like they don't know about that but I had the names of the sales people and everything written down. We just want to get rid of it now. The maintenance fee are exorbitant! Not sure how we should go about getting rid of it but researching now.
 

Passepartout

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Hi all, we have Bluegreen 60,000 points and we have had our online access blocked. They said we were in violation of our contract because we rented out our BG timeshare. We were told by the Bluegreen salesperson to do just that to help pay for the high maintenance fees and he even gave us the name and telephone number of the man to contact to rent out the timeshare. They now act like they don't know about that but I had the names of the sales people and everything written down. We just want to get rid of it now. The maintenance fee are exorbitant! Not sure how we should go about getting rid of it but researching now.
DO NOT sign up with ANY upfront fee exit company. They are ALL scams designed to separate you from more of your money. Once they have it, they do nothing and wait for BG (in this case) to foreclose. They don't care about any hit on your credit, and they consider foreclosure, 'a successful exit'.

Jim
 

BG_Watchdog

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When you say "dispute to their charge", did you do a credit card chargeback against a payment they had processed against one of your credit cards?
dispute to their charge = objection to their claim. Not a disputed charge on a credit card.
 

Lady Bug 23

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When I couldn't change my password, I was given a phone number to call. The answer given was I was considered not in compliance with their rules and directed me to a supervisor. He told me they considered me not in compliance and sent me an email back in February (7 weeks ago) about this. I checked my email history and there was no email from them. I was given an email addy to resolve this dispute and am awaiting response. They certainly jumped on me without notice and never bothered to investigate my dispute to their charge. I am a Premier member and paid a good deal of money for this timeshare. Anyone else have this problem?
We are having the same issue as you. We are blocked from the website, told we worked with a third party to rent out our timeshares, shared our password and was sent a declaration by email this week to sign, along with instructions to gather other info for them. BG wants a Notice of termination with the 3rd Party and wants to know when began working with them.
I have heard there are a large number of people this has happened to as well. Also heard there is a class action suit begun against BG. I have been doing research for 2 days and haven't found anything regarding a recent suit filed against BG. I'm not exactly sure where to look. I've heard someone inside BG is the one that messed up and is why BG is now going after Owners. Think about it. They are the ones who told us to rent in order to pay maintenance fees. They are the ones that gave us the name and number to call in order to rent. There was a similar situation in 2019 and 2013 I found discussed on this site. I am interested in gaining more information.
 

rickandcindy23

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Wow, so it's the same as Wyndham. We have had to get rid of over half of our Wyndham points, either by certified exit directly through Wyndham, and some we gave away.

This is not at all surprising because they have the power and you don't, and that is basically what Wyndham said ot us when we said we we told we could rent.

I am grateful for the years we had that arrangement with Wyndham, but it was 15+ years of income for our daughter.

Bluegreen just saw the success Wyndham had with kicking out the rental businesses.
 

dioxide45

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told we worked with a third party to rent out our timeshares, shared our password and was sent a declaration by email this week to sign,
Did you do any of these things? Answer truthfully. I know there are companies out there (point brokers) that help facilitate rentals between owners and guests and they gather the owner's login credentials in order to make the reservations.
 

dougp26364

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Over the years we’ve had so many salesmen tell us to buy more weeks/points and rent them out. On more than one tour we’ve even been shown how to use Vacation Candy and told of the great rental prices the salesman was getting for his owned weeks. The most recent was at a Marriott presentation in South Florida. This sales scam runs all the way back for us to a Sunterra presentation we attended while on vacation in Williamsburg, VA in 2005.

When DRI put the hammer down on Sunterra mega points owners several years ago, it should have sent shockwaves through TUG that renting could be a risky proposition. In this case it’s difficult to tell if BG has been overzealous in their actions to owners just trying to rent the occasional week or if renting high value weeks for profit to cover expenses or as a cottage industry is what’s happening.

If owners are renting to cover fee’s as instructed by BG’s own sales staff, then BG could find themselves on the wrong side of a deceptive sales practice charge. All it might take is a reasonable number of owners to come together with the same story of a salesman’s lies to bring them down. Simply getting a group together in one or two states and pressing that states AG on the matter might be enough (I’m not a lawyer so I’m not certain).

I know there were a few DRI mega owners on TUG who were caught up in DRI’s attempt to shut down rentals. I wonder if any action was taken by those renting as a cottage industry against DRI? If I were a BG owner I might go onto the DRI forum as seek out advice on what they were able to do to fight DRI.
 

GTLINZ

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Over the years we’ve had so many salesmen tell us to buy more weeks/points and rent them out. On more than one tour we’ve even been shown how to use Vacation Candy and told of the great rental prices the salesman was getting for his owned weeks. The most recent was at a Marriott presentation in South Florida.

Marriott allows their points owners to do rentals. Not sure about weeks owners but I suspect they can also.
 

dougp26364

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Marriott allows their points owners to do rentals. Not sure about weeks owners but I suspect they can also.
Mother Marriott is beginning to slowly crack down on rentals as well. Apparently there is now a form that must be completed for each rental and members are only allowed to rent a limited number of points.
Because I don’t rent, I haven’t followed the subject closely.
My policy has been never buy to rent. I’ve stated this policy to more than one salesman.
 

GTLINZ

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Wow - i guess that depends on the actual rules. I assumed it was not explicitly stated about rentals ... which is what really matters.

I know that Hilton Grand Vacations and Hyatt Residence club do have explicit rules. With HRC, you do own a specific week and can rent that - but not points reservations.
 

old_pilot

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When you say "dispute to their charge", did you do a credit card chargeback against a payment they had processed against one of your credit cards?
No... the statement "dispute to their charge" was meant to convey that they charged me with a compliance violation, but did not say what it was specifically, and when I called to speak with someone I was simply told I had to contact compliance department. No name, no phone number, just an email addy.
 

bnoble

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then BG could find themselves on the wrong side of a deceptive sales practice charge.
Maybe. I'm going to bet a dozen donuts that the sales contract includes a "no commercial use" clause--and that's the clause on which the other developers have been hanging their "you can't do that" hat. You can rent, but you can't do it commercially, and the developer has first-move in defining "commercial." For example, Wyndham has in at least some cases taken the position that publicly advertising for renters is "commercial"---as opposed to renting to someone you had a prior relationship with.

Marriott allows their points owners to do rentals.
In the words of Lee Corso: "Not so fast, my friend." Marriott also has a no-commercial-use clause, and has been recently flexing its muscles on the topic.
 

dougp26364

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Maybe. I'm going to bet a dozen donuts that the sales contract includes a "no commercial use" clause--and that's the clause on which the other developers have been hanging their "you can't do that" hat. You can rent, but you can't do it commercially, and the developer has first-move in defining "commercial." For example, Wyndham has in at least some cases taken the position that publicly advertising for renters is "commercial"---as opposed to renting to someone you had a prior relationship with.
True enough. However, I have been advised by more than one TS salesman to purchase strictly to rent for profit ie: as a commercial enterprise. If it could be proven that salesmen were actively deceiving clients, regardless of if they knew the wording was in the contract, you still have deceptive sales practice and there is enough potential there to at least consider a class action against BG.

Of course most class actions end in settlement where the lawyers get compensated in cash and the plaintiffs get an ice cream sandwich, but that’s an entirely different subject.
 

GTLINZ

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Maybe. I'm going to bet a dozen donuts that the sales contract includes a "no commercial use" clause--and that's the clause on which the other developers have been hanging their "you can't do that" hat. You can rent, but you can't do it commercially, and the developer has first-move in defining "commercial." For example, Wyndham has in at least some cases taken the position that publicly advertising for renters is "commercial"---as opposed to renting to someone you had a prior relationship with.


In the words of Lee Corso: "Not so fast, my friend." Marriott also has a no-commercial-use clause, and has been recently flexing its muscles on the topic.

Interesting. And as usual, the definition is up to them .....
 

old_pilot

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We are having the same issue as you. We are blocked from the website, told we worked with a third party to rent out our timeshares, shared our password and was sent a declaration by email this week to sign, along with instructions to gather other info for them. BG wants a Notice of termination with the 3rd Party and wants to know when began working with them.
I have heard there are a large number of people this has happened to as well. Also heard there is a class action suit begun against BG. I have been doing research for 2 days and haven't found anything regarding a recent suit filed against BG. I'm not exactly sure where to look. I've heard someone inside BG is the one that messed up and is why BG is now going after Owners. Think about it. They are the ones who told us to rent in order to pay maintenance fees. They are the ones that gave us the name and number to call in order to rent. There was a similar situation in 2019 and 2013 I found discussed on this site. I am interested in gaining more information.
I just contacted a law firm today that specializes in debt collection protection under the new consumer laws. Helpsishere.org . I responded today to BG's demand for payment for a mortgage on some extra points I was fraudulantly roped into, and told them to cease and desist from contacting me. At this point they are required to contact my attorney of record and not bother me any more. The attorney says seniors have protected income if on Social Security, etc. ... meaning that they can't collect. Helps sends out a letter citing the new law and say that most, if not all, timeshare companies have no recourse. My next step will be to sue them for FRAUD. I would join a class action if given their contact info. The more victims of their unethical business practices get together on this, the better our collective effort to nail them against the wall.
 

VacationForever

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I just contacted a law firm today that specializes in debt collection protection under the new consumer laws. Helpsishere.org . I responded today to BG's demand for payment for a mortgage on some extra points I was fraudulantly roped into, and told them to cease and desist from contacting me. At this point they are required to contact my attorney of record and not bother me any more. The attorney says seniors have protected income if on Social Security, etc. ... meaning that they can't collect. Helps sends out a letter citing the new law and say that most, if not all, timeshare companies have no recourse. My next step will be to sue them for FRAUD. I would join a class action if given their contact info. The more victims of their unethical business practices get together on this, the better our collective effort to nail them against the wall.
You just wasted money on an attorney. It changes nothing. When you are delinquent on any portion of your ownership, they have the right to shutdown your access. An attorney cannot do anything about it. If you want to abandon all of your BG ownership, then just let them foreclose on you. Your credit history may get a hit.
 

old_pilot

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Again, maybe. There's always the ever-present clause that you did not rely on any verbal representations in your purchase.
Maybe not to EVERY misleading promise, but I have at least one document from a BG sales office that spells out in writing a promise that was not enacted.
 

old_pilot

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You just wasted money on an attorney. It changes nothing. When you are delinquent on any portion of your ownership, they have the right to shutdown your access. An attorney cannot do anything about it. If you want to abandon all of your BG ownership, then just let them foreclose on you. Your credit history may get a hit.
HELPS is a non-profit law firm and does not charge seniors if money is tight. My income qualifies me for a very small monthly payment that can be stopped without penalty. Yes, I realize I will surrender my Premier benefits, but I am faced with a financial crisis if I continue with BG. This is my only out, but at least it is a positive step for me. Next step will be to sue for FRAUD. .... and as to my credit score.... pfft!!! My scores on all my cards are over 800 presently. I am 80 years old.... I don't need no stinkin' credit.. :)
 
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dioxide45

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HELPS is a non-profit law firm and does not charge seniors if money is tight. My income qualifies me for a very small monthly payment that can be stopped without penalty. Yes, I realize I will surrender my Premier benefits, but I am faced with a financial crisis if I continue with BG. This is my only out, but at least it is a positive step for me. Next step will be to sue for FRAUD. .... and as to my credit score.... pfft!!! My scores on all my cards are over 800 presently. I am 80 years old.... I don't need no stinkin' credit.. :)
If you don't need credit, then all is good. Having them not contact you means they will just move forward with filing a lien on the timeshare and going into foreclosure. If there was a mortgage loan they could report the delinquency which would severely reduce the 800 credit score. A foreclosure, depending on the state, may likely be non judicial and non recourse. So they just take back the times and can't come back for any deficiency judgement (again that depends on the state the timeshare is in). I would say that in most cases, the timeshare companies don't bother to try and collect if it is under recourse where they could collect deficiencies. However, there is also the chance of triggering a 1099-C which could have tax obligations.

A credit score may or may not be important, but there is more to it than just taking out a credit card or a loan. Will you ever need to move in to assisted living? They may check your credit.
 
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