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Bluegreen Vacation Club Class Action Lawsuit Overview:
- Who: Bluegreen Vacations Unlimited, Inc. has been hit with a class action lawsuit in Florida by current and former members of the military.
- What: The plaintiffs claim the vacation home financing company overcharges current and former service members in violation of federal law protecting them.
- Where: The plaintiffs want to represent military members nationwide.
Timeshare company, Bluegreen Vacation Club, overcharges members of the military and veterans in violation of federal law, a new class action lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit was filed in Florida on Tuesday by lead plaintiffs Emmanuel G. Louis, Jr. and his wife Tamarah C. Louis. They allege that Bluegreen Vacation Club failed to disclose the true interest rate they and other members of the military were charged when they took out financing with the company — a violation of the Military Lending Act (MLA).
Bluegreen Vacations is a company who finances loans for consumers to purchase interest in its vacation timeshare memberships nationwide.
According to the claim, Bluegreen failed to determine whether Louis was a covered borrower, and failed to disclose a Military Annual Percentage Rate (MAPR), disclosing to the couple and other Class Members an annual percentage rate (APR) that was significantly lower than the true MAPR.
The MLA and MAPR that is part of it were enacted to protect members of the United States Military from an epidemic of predatory lending that endangered military readiness and impacts service member retention, the claim reads.
Service Members Pay More Than They Should for Bluegreen Vacation Club
In December 2020, Louis, Jr. — an active-duty member of the United States Army — and his wife Tamarah Louis obtained financing to purchase a “Bluegreen Vacation Club” membership, which is a timeshare interest, from Bluegreen in Florida.
To obtain the financing, they entered into the Bluegreen Owner Beneficiary Agreement with Bluegreen, that was subject to MLA requirements. However, they allege, Bluegreen failed to provide any of the mandatory MLA disclosures to the couple of their rights pursuant to the MLA.
In the “Purchase Terms” in Bluegreen’s standard form Owner Beneficiary Agreement with the couple, the total amount Bluegreen financed was $10,350.00 and the annual percentage rate was stated as 16.990%, the claim shows. No MAPR was stated on any document provided to the couple.
“Bluegreen’s failure to provide the MAPR resulted in Plaintiffs’ MAPR being higher than the APR that they thought he was paying,” the claim reads.
“As a result, Plaintiffs thought they were paying an interest rate of 16.990%, but in reality, their concealed MAPR was much higher.”
As a result of Bluegreen’s MLA violations, the couple has suffered actual damages because they paid money to the defendant based on an illegal contract without the benefit of the MLA disclosures and are entitled to rescission of contract, the allege.
“Upon information and belief, Bluegreen’s business practices that fail to comply with the MLA are not limited to its Florida locations, instead, it is a nationwide scheme in that it fails to make any inquiry to determine a borrower’s status that would prescribe MLA protections,” the lawsuit alleges.
The plaintiffs want to represent anyone covered by the MLA that entered into an agreement with Bluegreen Vacations Unlimited. They are suing for violations of the MLA and seek certification of the Class, damages, enjoinment, interest, legal fees and costs, and a jury trial.
The timeshare company is no stranger to legal action. In 2016, a class action lawsuit accused Bluegreen Vacation Club of using “hard sell” tactics and misinformation to convince consumers to enter into timeshare contracts.
Have you signed up for Bluegreen Vacation Club? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below!
The plaintiffs are represented by Janet R. Varnell and Matthew T. Peterson of Varnell & Warwick, P.A.
The Bluegreen Vacation Club Class Action Lawsuit is Louis, et al. v Bluegreen Vacations Unlimited, Inc. Case No. 0:21-cv-61938-XXXX in the U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida Fort Lauderdale Division.
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61 thoughts onBluegreen Vacation Club Overcharges Military, Vets, Class Action Alleges
I too am a veteran. Not once was I told there is a different rate for Military. We do try to use our timeshare each year but it is slim pickings. We never go to the owner updates anymore because of the lies and high pressure sales. We are low on the totem pole with points and really just want to relax but that’s hard to do when everytime you ask a question about the area they are trying to get you in to do the update. I don’t want to spend 4 hours listening to the garbage.
We have had Bluegreen for years, but recently we bought more points, to 100,000 points, because Bluegreen said we can put kids on deed. When we did this it was 2001 and we were promised that any unused points could be switched to Choice at a 1 to 4 ratio and that includes saved points. In fact not true. I called and they said it’s not 1 to 4, but 1 to 1, and you cannot use saved points. They also said we could book 15 months in advance but the fact is you have to be on a waiting list. They also said once on the deed our kids would get Grandfathered in as Elite owners and get three free weeks themselves per owner. I doubt this will happen. We will see we have a meeting with Bluegreen later this month. In fact even as elite owners everything is booked before we can use our points. Yet Travelocity and other hotel booking site have availability to rooms before members are…….Why…….Another thing is we were never offered a Military rate.
We have had similar issues. Lying. Pressured sales. They say just come in for a one hour owner update and four hours later…
They act all nice and caring and then get mad if you don’t fall for the sales pitch. I wish they would just buy back the points. It’s not even worth the maintenance fees each year! There is always a maintenance issue.
I was a Bluegreen timeshare owner from 2002-2015- while serving in the army on active duty and deployed, i only used it under 6 times total maybe for the entire time I was an owner because i was never able to find anything i wanted available-I paid off the timeshare only to have the maintenance fees go up. I spent more than 60 K over the years for nothing and lost it to a deed in lieu because I could not sell it nor would Bluegreen help me in anyway.
A number of years ago I made the bad decision to get involved with Bluegreen. I am retired veteran and was never informed about the military rate, just the rape rate. I was told as everyone was that you can go wherever you want when you want, which has turned out to be the biggest bunch of damn lies ever! I am not gold, or even bronze (just short of bronze) and when we DO get a chance to go on vacation its 90% not where we want to go, its what’s left over at that time which in itself is a crock of shit. They promise you the moon and you get nothing. Went to one place in Orlando and did the update meeting, before it was over, I was so angry with this fake lips and boobs woman, I was about to snatch those silicone tits off her ass. The pressure they put on you is way over the top (been told we are listed as a PITA, Pain In The Ass). Found the best way to avoid going to jail for assault is, make the meeting for the morning then leave and go somewhere else and don’t answer the phone. I hate the lies we’ve all been told and the maintenance fees that were never to go up (all lies, they go up every year) and the BS of, you can go wherever you want….BS. I would love to sell and take my maintenance fees and go wherever I want when I want and tell Bluegreen to kiss my ass.
Just sayin.
Everyone needs to come together and push for another class action law suit. I too have my own story about bluegreen vacations and it is very similar to all of the ones listed on this site. If anyone has any information on how to go about filing a class action suit against this company I’m all in. Thank you
My husband is a veteran and at no time were we told anything of military rates. They really need to raise above the level they lower themselves to. They are some nasty people I could not believe the tactics they used with us. They acted like most uneducated low class persons I have ever met. WHERE DO THEY GET THESE PEOPLE
I am not a military vet but I am disabled. I was pressured to purchase a presentation for 299.00 at the pro bass shop, in 2018 or so. I had planned on hoping to use it but unfortunately, life had other plans. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that cause deterioration in my lower extremities. The package I purchased had an expiration date on it and the first time they extended it for me due to my illness. Then in 2020, all my hopes to travel came to a halt with the Covid-19 pandemic which its harder for me to travel being that I have an autoimmune disease. Well at this point because I can’t travel every three months I have to pay them $25.00 if I want an extension. I asked them why am I paying the $25.00 and who is the fee going to. I’m in the property management field and the law states we can charge a late fee, convenience fee, or service fee if we can’t show where and why those funds are being charged or that we as management incurred those charges and now are passing them to the consumer for having to pay those fees. I asked the lady how am I inconveniencing you by asking to defer my reservations and she couldn’t answer, I then asked can you show me how you are incurring $25.00 every three months by me moving my reservations. I also mentioned me not taking a vacation only opens up reservations for other members or possible members that want to travel. The simple fact is that there is no policy that prevents them from even forcing them to disclose the purpose of the charges. Also, they completely ignore the fact that I told them I am disabled and it interferes with my traveling abilities. I just feel like they have no customer service and completely have left out those who suffer from harsh disabilities that may affect their traveling abilities. There should be a class action suite on that purpose alone. They are constantly taking money and are not suffering any loss.
same here we purchase the gold membership almost 70thousand cash and 3,500$ for maintenance every year went up and points just not used expired!!!! if you will ask me and my husband its bad decision to get this TIMESHARE!!! promises promises and all lies!!!! take advantage of your money never had a good vacation !!!! because always none of your dates is AVAILABLE ANYWAY!!!! ITS NOT A GOOD CHOICE TO GET THIS TIME SHARE AND NOT GOOD PEOPLE TOO!!! they will tell lies on you all the time just for you to get it, but after that NONE are good
Me and my wife were in Virginia after our first go around in Wisconsin Dells on vacation with these individuals from Bluegreen. We wasted over 1 and half days spending talking to them before we were pressured into these lies and hidden costs. Never once was anything ever mentioned in regards to the higher maintenance fees, military rates, told us its worth something in thr future, etc. I’m so sick of this. What’s the answer to getting out of this without giving all my money to bluegreen?!?!
My wife and I have purchased Bluegreen and we were not told about military rates either they also hard sold us and lied to us a couple times please add us to this lawsuit
Please add me to the list, I am active duty military and misled during our agreement to enter into a blue green vacation contract.
Please add me to this list