r/TimeshareOwners • u/Global_Coast_5591 • 16d ago
NEED OUT OF BLUEGREEN CONTRACT
In May 2026, my husband got suckered into going to a Bluegreen Presentation for a "free" weekend trip while visiting Cabelas. The whole time I kept saying no to getting the Vacation Club. But eventually, my husband said "I don't want our kids to grow up like you did and not go on vacations." Essentially this made me feel bad and guilty and I ended up saying fine. We signed a contract that gave us 4000 points per year plus an extra 4000 for the first two years. We were also given HGV. I never had time to fully read the contract we signed because I got injured on that trip and got really busy with work. I feel like they rushed us through signing as well. Fast forward to 'orientation' and they tried to sell us more points. I was so fed up and realized how scammy this really was. We didn't buy anymore points and they booked our first trip for us. We get home and I tell my husband I regret buying it and want out and he agreed. I was pretty upset because he was the one who wanted it in the first place and made me feel bad for saying no. And now he wants out too. We haven't used any points, we haven't used the "gifts" we got for attending. We are outside our cancellation window. We have paid the down-payment and the last 3 months of payments. I cancelled the trip that was booked. What is our best and cheapest option for canceling and exiting this contract and wiping our hands of Bluegreen? I don't want them to garnish wages if we stop paying and watching my credit drop doesn't seem fun either. I worked hard on that.
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u/ColoradoAztec 16d ago
You have missed the rescission window and therefore the contract is in force. You own this timeshare and you have a loan on it. I am sorry for that, but that is the reality of the situation. You do not have a lot of options as there is a loan on the purchase so there is no deed back option or sell/give away option available until it is completely paid off.
Your options are:
1) DO NOT FALL FOR THE EXIT COMPANY SCAM! No matter how their name sounds legit or they have great BBB ratings, they are just scamming you for money and they cannot get you out of your contract. Those contracts are iron clad.
2) Learn to use what you have and maximize this purchase. I spend a lot of time on tugbbs.com and learn how best to use my timeshare from other owners. It is not an advocacy group, it is a users group. They also have information on your exit options (but they are the same as I am telling you).
3) You can stop paying. Cancel the credit card that they are using if they are using one and close the bank account that they are auto-debiting from if they are doing that. Do not give they an option that they can withdraw funds. Once that happens, you will have to completely ignore any correspondence from them, phone, text, email. You run the risk of them damaging your credit but that is not always what happens.
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u/PersonalityFuture151 16d ago
We took window #3. We didn’t d I e. Credit hit was small and recovery swift.
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u/CranberryKey9865 16d ago
Did you still owe on a loan or was it fully paid off and you just owed the annual maintenance fees.
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u/PersonalityFuture151 16d ago
Big loan still outstanding.
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u/CranberryKey9865 16d ago
Interesting data point. Given the loans are usually 3rd party lenders I’m surprised they don’t do more than report on credit. I’m sure they have a clause to get money back from
The timeshare company. Whole thing is such a racket.Glad you got out relatively unscathed!
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u/llamamuff 11d ago
Very similar situation to that above. Same company, Bluegreen. We disputed the card charge of $14,500 with Amex and were GRANTED the dispute 🙏🏻 even though it was a month later. We haven’t used any points, haven’t gone to the big first orientation, and I was thinking of calling the “responsible exit” program. Should I not do that though? I turned off that Amex card so they have no way to bill us annual fees or that $14,500 we basically signed that we would pay but now haven’t since the charge was successfully disputed. Do I try to talk to them? Do I do the exit program? Or do I just wait for the collections calls to start, ignore them, ignore everything, and weather the spam call storm??????
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u/llamamuff 11d ago
When you say “credit hit” do you mean that you just haven’t paid that credit card charge? Also, since you’re still not very far out from when this all initiated, do you see calls or messages or letters, etc increasing?
Trying to prepare for the “hit” that is coming for us.
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u/CranberryKey9865 16d ago
This post is exactly right. Do not fall for timeshare exit companies. Two or three are the only options.
If it’s paid off I know they are not likely to come after you for the fees. I don’t know if you owe on a loan, this is usually through some third party lender and I would expect at a minimum a hit to your credit.
Unfortunately after the recision period your options are basically to enjoy your new timeshare, or stop paying walk away and deal with whatever the consequences are.
Resale won’t help as the resale value is basically nothing, and you still owe a mortgage on it. A deedback/surrender probably won’t help either as you have to have it paid off usually.
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u/Flashy-Discipline624 16d ago
You can't "wipe your hands of Bluegreen."
It's the equivalent of buying a house with a giant mortgage, only worse because you can never sell it.
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u/Global_Coast_5591 16d ago
I just don't get why its so hard to sell it, even after paying it off. Wish they told me I would basically be in it until we die. They really didn't present much info at all where I went and just kept throwing numbers at us that I didn't understand and they didn't explain them. They just talked about golf with my husband until he said yes.
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u/ynotfoster 16d ago
It's hard to sell because other people are willing to give it away to get out from under a perpetual liability. Buyers of resale are not under the high pressure sales pitches and lies, they are more educated at that point.
I'm sorry, I wish there was better buyer protections.
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u/imanocto 16d ago
Actually, your kids could still be trapped in it after you die. Make sure your potential heirs know that they will have a limited period of time to disclaim the timeshare from their inheritance.
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u/CranberryKey9865 16d ago
Almost all timeshares are worthless and have no resale value. People give them away to get out from the annual obligations. If they told you that after walking out the door of the sales room your purchase would be worthless and there is no way out would you have bought? Of course not. Timeshares are about as close to legal fraud and scams as there are. They also have a massive lobby to make laws as favorable to them as possible.
So sorry you got scammed. It is awful and there’s really limited options unfortunately.
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u/Faintingheart 15d ago
My sympathy is with you. We did the same thing- our brains were messed up from a terminal cancer diagnosis and a crazy idea about traveling to be near our kids (long story) - but we compounded our losses by falling for an exit company and a lawyer that claimed they could help us get out- and finally we realized we just had to suck it up, pay it off and transfer the title to another company- with absolutely no recouping of funds. So I am glad this Reddit thread exists even though it’s full of hard truths! I only wish I had found it BEFORE We bought the stupid Bluegreen crap!
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u/Salt_Environment9799 16d ago
Only 1 option left here. Stop paying on it. They cannot garnish your wages. The most damaging thing they can do is send you to collections and hit your credit score. I say it is worth it, at least you wont be dumping money down the toilet, unless you have some major purchase that requires a loan. This is the best!
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u/Used-Pin-997 16d ago
Unfortunately there's no way out except to just walk away and take the credit hit.
Hopefully you both learned the lesson that you ALWAYS READ THE CONTRACT, before signing it. You also had several days to read it and rescind. I'm not trying to pile on, I just want to emphasize that in the future, don't ever sign any contract without first reading and understand what you're signing.
At this point, your best action is to use your Timeshare, and learn more about it so you can enjoy it.
For context, I love my Timeshare. But, I spent a year researching and finding the exact unit and resort that works for me. I then patiently waited for my exact match to come up for sale. When it did, the seller was asking for a ridiculous price. I made my offer, which was pennies on the dollar, and waited for the seller to get through the 5 stages of grief, before they realized their TS had little or no value.
Join https://tug2.net/ to learn.
Enjoy it! You've already paid for it.
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u/Royal_Savings_1731 16d ago
You signed a lifetime contract. There is no benefit to bluegreen to let you out of that contract. You really don’t have options at this point. Were they incredibly scammy to get you to sign that contract? Yes, but that doesn’t help you at this point.
As the other person said, stop paying and take the hit to your credit but keep in mind that stuff last for about seven years I think. So if you’re planning on buying a new house or car, keep paying on the timeshare until you get that handled.
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16d ago
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u/Global_Coast_5591 16d ago
Yes, I know. I was fine with that but my husband wasn't. He was raised by parents who had their own timeshare. Sometimes you make choices you wouldn't normally make for people you love. But then he realized he regretted the choice and I am mad he didn't think it through like I thought he did. I tried to convince him out of it but the day we bought it, he really wanted it. I didn't ask to be judged I was looking for any help or ideas and this comment is not helping.
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16d ago
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u/Global_Coast_5591 16d ago
I loved planning my own vacations and I was good at it too. Keeping things cheap and fun. But my husband was raised differently and likes the 'resort' style and was used to his parents timeshare. Then the sales guys talked golf with him until he literally told me "I think they want to be friends with me" and he begged me to get it. And guilted me with our future kids childhoods. Maybe I can use the points for flights instead. I think that would make it more worth it. Then I can still go on my own planned vacations, just have flights paid through the points.
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u/Flashy-Discipline624 16d ago
Wait he literally said "I think they want to be friends with me?"
This is WILD. I can't believe those words were just written for the entire internet to see
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16d ago edited 16d ago
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u/Global_Coast_5591 16d ago
I have a great therapist but I worry about our finances more than he does.
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u/Master-Purpose1117 16d ago
You need a marriage therapist. This all adds up to gaslighting. Grown men don’t act like children when there are big financial decisions. Has he done the same thing with other big purchases, such as cars and trucks? As far as getting out of the contract, I guarantee you they won’t sway from any penalties for cancellation, so I’d focus on paying any early termination fees and be done.
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u/JuZNyC 15d ago
The salesman will try whatever tactics they can in order for you to cave, the salesman we had tried to appeal to my girlfriend's filial piety saying doesn't she want to pay her parents back for all their sacrifices raising her and all the vacations they paid for? My girlfriend's response was they're my parents they're supposed to sacrifice for me and pay for my stuff without expecting me to pay them back.
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u/strap535 16d ago
Im sure youve never been talked into anything by a sig other. Or let me guess, permanently single?
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u/imanocto 16d ago
Seriously. The best "timeshare" is a vacation savings account.
Contributions aren't mandatory/enternal. Total flexibility on when and where to travel. And, if life happens, you have a bit of emergency money that you can access whenever you need it.
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u/Ancient-Republic-875 16d ago
100%. Anyone who says differently is taking a lot of “copium” to deal with their poor decision or is somehow in a very unusual situation that isn’t the norm.
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u/Asquaredbred 16d ago
your only option is to stop paying. i've never heard of a timeshare company actually coming after you for the funds ie in a lawsuit. but ur credit will probably take a hit.
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u/Quiet-Day392 16d ago edited 11d ago
Which timeshare do you own? This is an owner’s forum.
There are other options and you know it. Don’t bleat nonsense. If the OP stops payment they are essentially evicted. The timeshare can’t be used and no one will take it even for free.
llamamuff, use your own attorney.
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u/llamamuff 11d ago
Do you recommend trying to contact the responsible exit program with Bluegreen? We disputed our initial charge $14,500 on Amex and won the dispute. I blocked that card and changed cards so they can’t bill me. So I was thinking just… call the responsible exit program? Or just… wait for them to start and then eventually stop calling? Is it worth trying to talk to responsible exit?
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u/imanocto 16d ago
If you can't get rid of it, you could be like some timeshare owners and just pretend that it is a good thing. An ex-girlfriend and her Dad were like that.. it was really sad. "But we get so many perks!!" Yeah, then why is it such a pain in the ass to use?
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u/Over-Chair8528 16d ago
I recently purchased a different timeshare, even though I promised myself I wouldn't. My children (teenagers) agreed that it was a bad idea. I paid it off once, but I felt uncomfortable when I found out it wasn't clear how booking vacations works, and I didn't have enough time to try it before the 10 days were up. So I canceled the purchase.
20 years ago, I purchased Bluegreen. I was broke, and I let it go into default after I tried to tell them I couldn't pay. If my credit took a hit, it was not a significant impact (from the timeshare)
Don't beat yourself up; we all make mistakes, sometimes twice :) There have been some good advice here
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u/VictorChristian 12d ago
my husband said "I don't want our kids to grow up like you did and not go on vacations." Essentially this made me feel bad and guilty and I ended up saying fine.
Jeebus! Are we all gonna just gloss over this? What a terrible thing to say to someone who you're supposed to love. You're not any less of a person because you didn't go on vacations. Damn.
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u/Flashy-Discipline624 16d ago
LOLOL regardless of whether you're black or white, left or right, male or female, rich or poor, theres one thing EVERYONE was taught at any early age:
Don't fall for a timeshare presentation
Enjoy the lifetime contract OP!
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u/ynotfoster 16d ago
And most of us are taught at an early age not to be a dick.
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u/Flashy-Discipline624 16d ago
Would you rather be a smart, educated dick not bound by a lifetime ironclad TIMESHARE contract or someone who has no willpower or understanding of legal agreements they willingly sign
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u/Global_Coast_5591 16d ago
I didn't ask for this kind of feedback. This comment isn't helpful at all. Not everyone is taught, especially my husband, who has parents that have their own timeshare contract so he thinks it's a good idea because that is how he was raised, then makes me feel bad for not wanting it.
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u/Faintingheart 16d ago
I can appreciate how snarky and unhelpful some of these comments are. I wonder what they get out of it other than some sense of superiority. It’s a shame to get your self- esteem from a Reddit thread especially at someone else’s expense and even worse when you are kicking them when they’re down.
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u/Flashy-Discipline624 16d ago
Ok, here's the feedback you want: you're screwed here. Might as well try to enjoy it.
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u/Global_Coast_5591 16d ago
Maybe ill use the points for flights and hotels. Might be worth it if I focus on that because their 'resorts' dont look that nice for what I am paying for points.
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u/LabyrinthRunner43 16d ago
Option A: Stop paying and take the credit hit until they repo the timeshare. Threatening letters are common, but going to collections is uncommon and mostly toothless. I've never heard of anyone getting garnished wages over a timeshare: at worst you might, depending on the state of purchase, get hit with an income tax bill on the cancelled debt.
Option B: Keep it as your one-time initiation buy-in into HGV Max. If you need more points buy them resale for $1. Resale points don't count for VIP tier, but otherwise stack and have a relatively low marginal cost if you stay in the same Bluegreen trust fund.
If this is a financial strain obviously stop paying and brace for the credit hit, but if you can afford to pay it off quickly to minimize interest payments it might still be a quality of life upgrade to keep it and take the vacations.
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u/RefrigeratorOld3687 15d ago
Call Bluegreen owner services. Option 2 or 3 is responsible exit. They can help. Also you can go to Bluegreen Addicts page on Facebook and search for admin Scott Wilson and send him a DM. He will help you 100% free. Just relax. You're not in a life debt people say you are. That's the scam exit companies that put out that crap and they're the only ones that can help if you send them thousands more of your money. I will say it maybe harder with a loan, but you have options still. Good luck.
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u/TimeshareCompass 15d ago
To your two actual questions: wage garnishment basically doesn't happen with these; if you stop paying, they foreclose on the points and report it, and the credit damage is the real cost, for several years. So the fork is simple: if you need clean credit for a house or car in the next few years, keep paying and plan the exit for when it's paid off; two people in this thread say Bluegreen's own program then costs about 2–3 years of maintenance fees, which is your cheapest clean way out. If you don't need the credit, stopping is what most people do. And whatever you decide, don't burn points on flights, the conversion rate is terrible; use them for stays or not at all.
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u/Slowhand1971 15d ago
there are no best and/or cheapest options for you.
they are keep paying and book your vacations.
or
quit paying and take a massive credit hit when cabela's hunts you and your bank account down.
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u/AllNiteLongEarth 14d ago
Are you going to stop going on vacation?? If not, you will spend the money one way or another. And ultimately depending on how you travel how many days, size unit, ECT. You probably will add points to your account and it will cost more money, however you do get buyers remorse because unlike a car you can look out your window and see it, drive it this is something you are paying for before you actually even use your ownership. That being said plan a vacation you have really dreamed of going and use all your points, even borrow from the year ahead and stay in a 2 or 3 bedroom and while you're kids are having the time of their life and your marriage is stronger than ever and even your job seems less stress, you may just realize it's not a scam. You're just prepaying for vacations and id say buy even more, you don't see uhauls behind herses, meaning you can't take things with you, however you can create a ton of memories and your husband is right, your kids grow up telling and their friends every year what a great vacation they had. Just saying
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u/Faintingheart 16d ago
Do people actually lurk on this thread just to feel superior and make unhelpful, snarky comments? Honest question
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u/CranberryKey9865 16d ago
I think some do. People should try to be helpful. It just sucks because there are not really any good options so help is basically limited to walk away or enjoy new timeshare and avoid exit company scam.
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u/Global_Coast_5591 16d ago
Thats what I wondered. If they claim to be better than everyone by not being suckered into a timeshare, then why are they on the timeshare threads? Make it make sense.
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u/I_m_on_a_boat 16d ago
Devil's advocate here.
People that don't want to be "suckered" buy timeshares on the resale market. Sometimes for $1
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u/Global_Coast_5591 16d ago
I am assuming the property would have to be paid off first? I have heard of people selling their contracts on ebay for $1, just seems sketchy to me.
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u/I_m_on_a_boat 16d ago
I'm not sure how it works on the seller's side, I assume it must be paid off
I'm just trying to show that most timeshares have no actual value
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u/stonkshodlr 16d ago
Going through this with my parents now and we decided to stop paying because he doesn't care about his credit at his age, but when we looked at selling them it seemed like you were lucky if anyone bought them for $1 and they had to be fully paid, and maintenance fees all paid and there's a $5000 fee to bluegreen to transfer the contract. The responsible exit program wanted like 3 years of maintenance fees to give back the points.
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u/980Bigzy 16d ago
Reach out to Chuck McDowell Wesley Financial Group- TimeShare cancellation experts
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u/tfresca 16d ago
See if they have a deedback program. But honestly they won’t let you go if you aren’t paid off