Cancellation of trial membership?

[jmrenner Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jmrenner]

I was gullible and naive and purchased a trial membership of BlueGreen timeshare. I purchased this in Las Vegas for 950 dollars and did sign a paper saying that I can't cancel my membership--so is there any way legally that this trial membership can be cancelled since I'm quite sure I won't get $950 worth of vacation out of this and have no intention of purchasing a full membership. I have never been is such a high pressure sales environment in my life--never again will I be so stupid. Any advice or am I stuck swallowing a $950 mistake?
Thanks for any help,
Michelle

[aliikai2 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close aliikai2]

You own this trial package,

So learning how to get the most out of it is your best bet.
These Samplers don't get covered by the rules and laws that cover the purchase of a timeshare, as such they are a final sale. If you spend some time learning, I am sure you will manage to get your $950's worth, or more.

fwiw,

Greg

I was gullible and naive and purchased a trial membership of BlueGreen timeshare. I purchased this in Las Vegas for 950 dollars and did sign a paper saying that I can't cancel my membership--so is there any way legally that this trial membership can be cancelled since I'm quite sure I won't get $950 worth of vacation out of this and have no intention of purchasing a full membership. I have never been is such a high pressure sales environment in my life--never again will I be so stupid. Any advice or am I stuck swallowing a $950 mistake?
Thanks for any help,
Michelle

[jmrenner Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jmrenner]

So--give me some tips on how to get my moneys worth--from everthing I've seen online Bluegreen is nothing short of scam. I'm still kicking myself for purchasing, but if I'm stuck with it--I am definitely going to get all I can out of it. The biggest problem is the fact that we can't travel during the summer months as June, July, and August are excluded in the sampler version. Thanks for any help and/or advice.

[VA_Traveller Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close VA_Traveller]

So--give me some tips on how to get my moneys worth--from everthing I've seen online Bluegreen is nothing short of scam. I'm still kicking myself for purchasing, but if I'm stuck with it--I am definitely going to get all I can out of it. The biggest problem is the fact that we can't travel during the summer months as June, July, and August are excluded in the sampler version. Thanks for any help and/or advice.

To help, we would need to know when you can travel, where you want to go? I'm sorry you feel BG is a scam, there are thousands of very happy owners. The secret is to use the system to your advantage, not the other way around. If you understand the system, it can be a very worthwhile experience.

[jmrenner Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jmrenner]

OK--well when I can travel is mostly around holidays which is already out in the trial membership. I have 2 young children who are in school, so I will not be pulling them out of school to take a week long vacation during the non-peak season. I would love to go to a beach area, but not thinking that will happen from the stories I've heard on how hard it is to get something there. I would most likely be able to travel during the middle of March during my children's Spring Break from school and maybe some long weekends. We would like to go to Big Cedar Lodge (name??) the resort in Branson and would maybe be able to do that on a long weekend since it is within travel distance, but I was dissapointed to know that the Lazy River is only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day during the time that we are not allowed to use our points. I just feel as if I won't be able to get my dollar value out of this deal and feel that I was really pressured into making a decision on the spot, where if I had the chance to think more about it in a relaxed atmosphere with a full stomach (we arrived at 9:00 am and didn't leave the sales area until 3:00 pm and had not ate before we arrived, as we were under the impression we would be out of there in a couple of hours at the most) I would probably have not even purchased the sampler program after really considering the reality of our abilities to travel. We are not big travelers and have only taken 2 major vacations in the last 13 years--one a cruise and the other the trip to Vegas in which I encountered the hard sale tactics of Bluegreen. Now, I will be the first to admit that I made a mistake by purchasing before I thought it through completely, but I know that I am not the first and won't be the last--so if I am stuck with this "vacation" sampler package, I would be thrilled to at least get 1/2 of my money back out of it. The sales people really acted interested in my husband and I as people which I would guess they probably could care less in all honesty as long as they made the sale. That is the first time in my life that I have ever felt duped and really regreted a purchase I've made. I am a very frugal person and very careful with my money--so of course I am kicking myself and beating myself up over a careless decision (and yes I do have the money to pay for this and paid it all up front as I try never to finance and pay interest on purchases). I must hand it to these people---they really know how to do their jobs! Anyhow--any tips on how to get the vacation that I want out of this mess would be appreciated and sorry that I had to vent.

[Hobbitess Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hobbitess]

I'm sorry you feel it's a scam, as well. The Sampler isn't the cheapest way to explore Bluegreen resorts, but we thought ours was well worth it. We went to four different resorts for three or four days each on ours, and that's sleeping 8 for all but one of them. $63 a night isn't the best deal out there, but it's a pretty good deal for a 2 BR with full kitchen. As owners we do better, of course, but we'd never even bothered looking in to TS before getting the Sampler because we'd only heard of weeks-based Timeshares.

If the limitations on the Sampler combined with your schedule means you can only use it on weekends, you won't be able to stretch it as far as we did, but you should be able to get some use out of it. One benefit of the Sampler is that it's essentially a list of resorts you can get into pretty easily, but one key to getting what you want is reserving early, so the sooner you can get some times and dates pinned down the better. We got reservations at all the resorts we asked for, although one resort was out of the units we wanted and they suggested a substitute we ended up liking just as well. But I think I had all our requests in within a month or two of getting the necessary paperwork, which tipped the odds in our favor.

If you got it months ago, it's going to be tougher to get the reservations than if you just got it. If you can't go off season, ditto, unless you're in Florida or somewhere else with a fair selection of resorts you can drive to pretty easily. But you've paid the money, so it's worth trying to make use of it, don't you think? And while you can't get out of a Sampler, you can only get out of the ownership contracts within a few days of signing them. And those cost thousands of dollars, so if you're going to pay a "learner's fee" in terms of getting into Timeshares, the Sampler is the way to go.

[whiteheadfisher Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close whiteheadfisher]

We purchased a sampler back in Dec. 2004. We did not use it until Oct. of 2005. We were able to book a partial week at Big Cedar in a 1 bedroom lodge and were pleased except for the ultra firm mattress. Big Cedar is a premier resort in the Bluegreen System, and would be well worth your while to try and book it. Fall break is an excellent time to go. Call the reservation number that came with your package. They are very willing to help you get the most out of your time. After all, they want you to become a full owner. Contact Boca Bum on this forum. He has all of the answers.
By the way, we are now Silver owners with 20,000 points per year and have been to many of the Bluegreen resorts. We will be headed to Mountainloft in Gatlinburg, TN next month. You just have to learn how to work the system to your best advantage. Happy trails.

[motomem Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close motomem]

I also purchased a sampler pkg and used it. I now have Bluegreen points and own a floating week in Orlando also with Bluegreen.

Study the sampler pkg and know what you can do with it. Also look at the points charts for the various resorts to know what the color coded times are and how many points it takes. Make reservations as early as you can.

Timesharing can be a great way for a family to vacation. There are less expensive ways to get into it. I started with a fixed week purchased off eBay. Total purchase price was around $1500.00.

Now, I love going to Club 36 in Vegas at Thanksgiving.

[jmc Member Find all posts View Profile Close jmc]

Big Cedar still had availablity in March 2011. So if the spring break plans need to be made yet you will be very please with your stay at Big Cedar. There is an indoor pool and I think there is a heated outdoor pool but not sure of when that opens. We have gone in March and there is ample things to do at the resort or nearby. If you stay Sunday through Friday morning you can stretch your points for another long weekend.

[akparsa Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close akparsa]

Big Cedar is great at spring break time!

You can also check your kids' school calendars and see if there are any long weekend options for Big Cedar since it is driving distance, and you might check the beach locations for spring break. Last time I checked Solara Surfside had March reservations available. If you avoid Fri / Sat stays you can stretch your purchase.

I know how you got the impression that Bluegreen is nothing but a scam. The high pressure sales people leave you feeling icky afterward, then you google and find all the unhappy people -- it feels awful!

However, you'll be happy to learn that there are many happy Bluegreen owners out there. It is a well run company with a few great resorts and lots and lots of very nice ones. The fees are reasonable for what you get, and they don't nickel and dime you like a lot of other companies. You can stretch your points by staying a partial week.

And best of all, since you were clever enough to avoid buying directly from Bluegreen, you'll have the option of buying very inexpensive resale points should you decide to stay with Bluegreen after your sampler package expires.

FYI, we travel to Big Cedar 5-6 times a year. We have gone spring, summer, fall and winter and it is a great vacation no matter whether the lazy river is open or not. Fall and spring can be fabulous because the weather is milder, and really the lazy river is the only thing you miss out on.

Good luck -

[jmrenner Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jmrenner]

Thanks for the ideas and suggestions. We just purchased our sampler last week on Friday, so I'm still waiting to be put into their system--but I will take your advice and pin down dates ASAP and try to get reservations--and yes the salespeople do leave you feeling icky! LOL

[kcbedo Member Find all posts View Profile Close kcbedo]

At Big Cedar, there's about a week or so after Memorial Day where the rates are still Red and not Utlra Red like the rest of summer. I would guess that it fills up fast, so you would want to check as soon as you are able.

[Hobbitess Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hobbitess]

I will take your advice and pin down dates ASAP and try to get reservations--and yes the salespeople do leave you feeling icky!

The salespeople are the only thing I don't like about Bluegreen. Happily, as owners we don't have to deal with them much.

As a Sampler owner, you won't have access to the on-line reservations system (unless they've changed things), but you can ask here and people will most likely check availability for you. If Big Cedar still has availability during spring break your odds of getting into the resort you want are excellent, although some particular units (like the cabins at BC) may be gone.

[amoljac Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close amoljac]

Michelle
As you have read, there is a vast dislike for the Bluegreen sales. Unfortunately, this is the first encounter for many with Bluegreen which leaves a bad taste in many peoples' mouth. I think I would like a root canal verses the sales presentation. We purchased a couple of times with the developer through their sales prsentation because I did not know about the resale. Resale is the way to go!!! We have gone to Premier status which I really like. I have attended too many "owners updates" and have horror stories of OUR OWN from the sales staff presentations bordering on illegal detention. However, the rest of resort staff are great and work to make your vacation the best vacation ever!! Front desk staff right down to the maintanencece and house keeping staff have all been wonderful in all our vacations. Through resale you can vacation first class in a frugal way. In the last 8-9 years we have stayed over 50 times at Bluegreen. I figure it is difficult to stay in a motel for under $60/night. With getting 3 meals a day for a family it is another $40-$50(and wait till the kids become teenagers their appetite increases?) Big Cedar is about 16 hours from us and we plan to visit next May. Big Cedar is wonderful with plenty to do without a lazy river. It takes a while to learn all the benefits of the Bluegreen system and I am still learning through posting here. I am sorry for your experience but there are wonderful memories to have through Bluegreen. Read here, plan your vacations ahead early, and purchase resale. Your initial sampler will have paid you dividends many times over. OH, avoid the sales staff like you would the plague!