Original Message:
Re: BlueGreen Vacations Timeshare Scam Warning!!! (by Jerry M.):
The biggest complaint about BlueGreen (as a system) is the difficulty of getting into the resort you want on the dates you want. The BG system has about 220,000 owners who all want to use their points, usually about the same time, so expect competition. That's both the advantage and disadvantage of the points-based system.
I give an example: BG has an Associate resort in Hawaii that is relatively inexpensive. Almost always is fully booked. Been there twice in 8 years. First time I had to splice together 4 reservations to get a week which worked (also meant we had to change rooms a couple times). We had a great time there anyway. Second time: I just accidentally found a full week in 1 unit available, so I booked it - a full 11 months in advance. It was the only availability they had for the entire year's calendar, and I found it. Sometimes the blind pig finds the acorn, I guess.
They have many VERY popular resorts which are almost always 100% booked a year in advance. That's a good question to ask for potential buyers into any timeshare system - how many of your resorts are 100% booked for the year?
They also have some resort locations which usually have availability (if you are looking far enough in advance).
Yes, the salespeople are financially incentivized to make a sale to you. Go into your meeting with that in mind.
The points system of timeshare usage advertises "flexibility" as an advantage. That very "flexibility" sometimes works against owners who have time or travel constraints.
In general, even with the frustrations, we have been satisfied with our BG ownership for the last 8 years. The BG reservation system does take some getting used to, and they do have work-arounds for tough reservations (wait lists, etc)
They do use high pressure sales tactics. But I do not consider them a scam.
They are also a publicly traded company (symbol BVH on NYSE) and you can view their legally mandated public filings on the corporate website (BVHcorp.com) which is different than the customer-facing website (BlueGreenVacations.com or BlueGreenOwner.com)
Your mileage (or happiness) may vary...