Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/05/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My family and I were visited in our room by an owner at Oakmont Resort (sister resort of Tree Tops). She asked what we paid for timeshare maintenance fees. We told her up front we had a son with special needs and lived paycheck to paycheck. We had been taken advantage of by a large timeshare company and struggle to pay the maintenance fees and loan. This saleswoman then told us she could help us with our situation. She wanted to sell a timeshare with TreeTops in conjuction with RCI with the promise that an exit company they (TreeTop) work with would "immediately" stop our payments and obligation with the other large timeshare company. We told the lady that we could not afford to pay for two timeshares as it would ultimately bankrupt our family to which she replied again, "They will take care of everything and STOP the payments immediately". After speaking with the exit company, they told me that they DO NOT stop our payments with the other timeshare company. They will negotiate and "attempt" to get us released. After speaking with the exit company, (very nice and professional gentleman) I drafted a Notice of Rescission Letter. I emailed and sent a certified mailed letter to Tree Tops Real Estate. I received a call a few days later from Larry ********. Mr. ******** told me that my time period had passed to get out of the contract. The letter was emailed within the 10 - 15 day period. Mr. ******** told me that he was willing to help us though. After a week passed, I received a call from ******** stating that we need to just listen to the exit company; There's nothing he can do. AGAIN were were not informed of the specifics of the cool off period. We did not take a tour of the property nor were we offered a tour of the facilities. I have sent two letters to Tree Tops with no help as of yet. They continue to try to collect payments. I have requested a refund of my down payment (approx $4,000) with no resolution. All we want is to be treated fairly.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/10/2025

  This customer tried to cancel his purchase after his legal time frame because he does not understand the law as written. Although we are under no legal obligation to cancel his purchase we are in the process of doing so anyway. His credit card will be credited with what was charged as soon as he gives me that info.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/03/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  October 21, 2024 I was told by ******** **** she could get me totally out of time share and to give her $12,399.00 and she would sell Oakmont property she was selling me within a month purchase was closed. Well she quit returning my calls I was sent to ***** ******** who has told me for a month now he was sending paperwork to me for them to sell property. I don't know how many others they have used this scam on

  Business Response

  Date: 02/03/2025

  Ms. ****** owns a week at Oakmont Resort in Pigeon Forge so I am confused as to why this complaint was sent to ****** ******* at Tree Tops Resort. Ms. ****** purchased her week through a resale company in October 2024. Now she is leaving messages at the homeowner association office asking if her week has been sold. The homeowner association does not sell weeks and did not sell her the week she owns. Duties of the homeowner association are to collect maintenance fees and oversee resort operations. If she has questions regarding her purchase or conversations she had with the person who sold her the week she now owns, she will need to contact Larry Musgrove, Project Director of Tree Tops Real Estate for any and all questions concerning her purchase. Homeowners own their weeks and receive a deed of public record. Until Ms. ****** sells her week and transfers to a new owner by a new deed, she is the owner of record at Oakmont Resort. The homeowner association will not return calls regarding buying or selling weeks. 

  Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/22/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On Sept. 30, 2023 my wife and I attended a sales presentation for Condos Plus at Tree Tops Resort in Gatlinburg, Tn. Condos Plus is a vacation club that offers weekly vacations rentals at various resorts. We were told that the price for these weeks was **** or less. This price was a major selling point for us coupled with them eliminating our maintenance fees at our two timeshares by cancelling our contracts. During the presentation the price of **** was mentioned multiple times and each time it was followed by the statement that some were only **** leading us to believe that **** was the maximum price. In fact at one point I stated the **** amount and was quickly corrected that some were only ***** This seems to be a common deceptive practice of the business since in one brief phone conversation with the sales director he also corrected me immediately by saying that some were only ***** Apparently they have a script they follow and this seems to be part of that script. On the website many prices are in the **** ** **** range with some more and some are less….information that should have been provided at the time of the sale. In addition the elimination of the contracts never happened. I received a call shortly after the transaction from the salesman who said he “had just found” out that one of the contracts was with a company that offers an option to take the contract back so we mutually agreed that it would be better for us to pursue that option and not Tree Tops. However on the second contract I ask twice for an update on the progress and was told I would be hearing from the company, Switch It, the next week. What I received was the application that should have been filled out the day of the sale. I confirmed that nothing had been done in a conversation with Switch It who said they had no record of my application obviously Tree Tops has not provided what they promised and we want a total refund.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/30/2024

  Mr. and Mrs. ******* purchased a travel club while staying with us in September 2023. During their presentation they were told vacation rentals started at **** and went up from there which is true and sometimes they could get hot weeks for **** which is also true. Mr. and Mrs. ******* also stated they had two timeshares they wanted to get rid of. We told them we knew of two companies we believe to be honest and gave them that information. After their purchase their representative found out about a program at one of the resorts they owned and helped them start the process to give the ownership back and keep three years of points use at no cost. To my knowledge Mr. and Mrs. ******* have not sent the needed information to be absolved of their other timeshare. Shortly after Mr. and Mrs. ******* found out they could get out of their Wyndham timeshare they claimed they had been lied to and wanted a refund which we would not do. We went so far as to offer them a free week of timeshare to make them happy. I feel Mr. and Mrs. ******* are trying to take advantage of my company after we did everything we could do to try and help them.

  l

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/12/2024

   I apologize for missing the deadline for responding   Can you reopen case ********  Thank you for your attention to this

  February 12, 2024
  Better Business Bureau Greater Tennessee
  
  
  RE:   Tree Top Resort
           ********* ********
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau
  
  
       The complaint we have with Tree Tops is not resolved.  In the first paragraph of their letter they state that we were told that “vacation rentals started at **** and went up from there”.  At no time in the presentation was anything said about prices going up from ****.  In fact any time the price of **** was mentioned the sales representative quickly corrected us saying that some were even cheaper.   We did not hear the term “Hot Weeks” until a phone call some time  later.  The RCI exchange fee is **** so the **** price point at the Vacation Club Condos Plus was what made the whole deal attractive so we only proceeded because we  believed that **** was the only price, except for the **** rentals.  
       We have included a copy of the summary the sales representative used to close the deal.  This is from a photo I took and I do not have the original copy.  The left side summarizes what our situation is now and the right side is a summary of the deal we were about to make.  It includes no maintenance fees, no RCI dues, no Exchange fee and the price is ****, and again they always correct that price to say “and some are as cheap as ****” never mentioning that most are much more.  It should also be noted that Hot Weeks are not mentioned.
       The second paragraph states that we were given information about the time share exit companies.  The sales representative was going to take care of the exits and we did not have to do anything.  At least that was our understanding at that time. I called twice to see how that process was going and asked for an update but only after the second call when I was assured, as in the first call, that things were going well and I should hear from them the next week.  What we received after the second call was in a envelop postmarked Dec. 8 that only had an application to a company called Switch It which deals in time share exits.  This is the full extent to which Tree Tops informed us of exit companies and it came more than two months after the sale.  I called the company and talked to Alan Griffin and he said our timeshare was not in their system and the application should have been filled out the day we made the purchase.  Tree Tops had done nothing to exit our timeshare.  At that point in time we had realized we were better off keeping what we had since Condos Plus was not what we were told so we did not submit that application that should have been done on day 1.  In addition we were hesitant to pursue anything with Tree Tops since we felt we had been taken advantage of and were afraid to deal with anything associated with Tree Tops.  The second timeshare was resolved by mutual agreement for us to pursue the exit on our own since that company has a program to deal with exits.  This is the only thing promised to us on Sept 29 that has been fulfilled and the only thing Tree Tops did for that was to inform us of this option.
       Nothing has changed for us except we are paying off a loan.  We are getting no benefits from this deal because we were misled about the price of vacation rentals at Condos Plus and nothing has been done to remove the time share. We would like to have a full refund otherwise we will be considering other action.
  
  
  Thank you 
  
  
  William T and Catharine E *******
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/31/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We are writing to express our extreme dissatisfaction with the services provided by this company. My wife and I decided to invest in a timeshare with Treemont Resorts based on the promise of flexibility and access to a multitude of travel destinations using RCI points. We were assured that these points could be utilized for hotel stays as well, and were guided on how to do so via a dedicated website. However, our experience has been far from what was promised. We have found it extremely challenging to secure a vacation spot, even when attempting to book 3 or 4 months in advance. The only available options required us to schedule a year in advance, which is not feasible due to our unpredictable work and family schedules. Using our points for hotel stays has proven to be more expensive than booking directly with hotels, after considering all the base costs, booking fees, and other charges. This is contrary to what we were initially told and is extremely misleading. Over time, we have found that booking vacations through other methods is easier, less expensive, and more accommodating. Had this ownership been presented to us in an accurate light, we would never have made this purchase. Now, at 70 years old, we need to exit this arrangement as soon as possible. Unfortunately, despite reaching out to this company over the past few years to discuss our dissatisfaction, we have received no assistance or acknowledgment of our concerns. We find ourselves unable to sell or even give away our timeshare, and we are left feeling trapped in a situation that is causing significant stress and financial strain. This company needs to take responsibility for our experience and allow us to sign this timeshare back to their company. We look forward to hearing from someone soon.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/31/2023

  Looking at the account of John and Mary *******, in 2015 they purchased a flexible use week at Tree Tops Resort in Gatlinburg and enrolled that week with RCI Points in order to travel to other resorts. RCI is independent from Tree Tops Resort. If M/M ******* are having difficulty making reservations or reserving their home week at Tree Tops with RCI, they need to contact RCI by calling 877-968-7476.  If they prefer to cancel their enrollment with RCI, they call RCI at the same phone number and ask for a supervisor and tell the supervisor they want to "opt out" of points. RCI will send them paperwork to sign and return. Per RCI, the *******'s have used their RCI account. RCI will also determine the release date, the date the *******'s will have use of their Tree Tops week.

  We are the homeowner association for Tree Tops Resort. Once RCI notifies the association that M/M ******* are no longer enrolled, then the *******'s will make all vacation reservations directly with the resort by calling 865-436-6559 under flex week protocol. 

  In the State of Tennessee, a sale can be cancelled within 10 days of purchase. The *******'s have owned for 8 years. Ownership of their week at Tree Tops is by a deed of record, the same as any real estate in Tennessee. The deed entitles M/M ******* to use, sell, rent (when not enrolled with an exchange company as they are now) exchange, or transfer their ownership thru their will(s). The homeowner association does not have an owner resale division. The association emailed M/M ******* a packet on how to market their week for sale in July of 2023. The association receives many owner transfers but it does require marketing effort and patience. Resale companies are available but the association cautions homeowners to research each company thoroughly. Reputable companies should not require large upfront fees. 

  Larry ********, the project director for Tree Tops Real Estate has spoken with Mr. ******* and he is happy to speak with him anytime, however, he cannot assist them in selling their week. They can reach him by calling ************ ********* ****

  Thank you. 

  Sandy Breeden, C.O.O.

  TREE TOPS RESORT CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION INC. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/15/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
      This company does have the option to take responsibility for our experience if they choose to do so. If they can sell these ownerships then they can take ours back and do so again on their end. This company does not care about the way in which owners are treated. 
  Sincerely,
  John *******

  Business Response

  Date: 11/16/2023

  As stated before, Mr ******* is sending these complaints to Tree Tops Resort, and Tree Tops Resort did not sell him anything. He should recheck the paperwork associated from his purchase. 

  M/M ******* hold ownership of their week by a deed of record. The deed entitles them to use, sell, rent (when not enrolled with an exchange company) exchange and transfer by their will. 
  As stated previously, Tree Tops Resort Condominium Association Inc.is the homeowner association for Tree Tops Resort and did not sell him his week in 2015, does not have an owner resale program nor any obligation to assist homeowner resale and cannot accept his week. The duties of the homeowner association are to collect maintenance fees and oversee the resort. If he is unhappy with RCI, the company he enrolled with at time of his purchase, he will need to cancel his membership by calling RCI ************.  As of today, his week remains enrolled with RCI. 
  New note on their account on 11/6/23, "Larry ******** tried to give Mr. *******  information on how to market his week for sale but he kept insisting he just wants to give it back which is not an available option".
  We suggest he contact companies that do facilitate owner resale if he is unwilling to market his week for sale. On the ARDA/responsible exit website are the following resale companies that ARDA recommends:  Timeshares Only: ************: Fidelity: ************

  NOTE: this will be the same response to all future correspondence. 

  Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/29/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Not that any resolution will occur. A representative of a time share for Tree Tops told many untruthful things regarding trading our Blue Green Timeshare. First he stated I would be relieved of my Blue Green Timeshare after purchasing a new points program 35,000 plus (which don't even represent a full week at the very time share property, Tree Tops he was representing. He promptly processed our payment of $6,500 plus with RCI Barclayes Credit Card. He told us our documents would show up in a few weeks, in which they did requesting maintenance fee's for the current 2022 year, plus doc fee's of $175. He stated that the company he represents would assume my Blue Green timeshare, come to find out that was a bold faced lie. I called said representative today and he stated that I would received a transfer document from Blue Green by Monday coning, August 28th 2022, if not call him back. This entire process took place on June 29th, 2022. I called RCI to book my Flex week which according to the salesman and Tree Top office was no points, just must reserve out one year. RCI stated they have no idea of such a plan. Further to book a week was in excess of 47,000 points. Part of the sales pitch was by me purchasing with Tree Tops was how much more points and flexibility I would have by going to 35,300 points versus the 8,000 points I have with Blue Green. Total fabrication and inflation if their point worth at the properties they are representing. It's too bad we seniors are so gullible to fall for such unethical practices. I'm a disable Veteran as well, not that should give me any special consideration, But in light of how he kept thanking me for my service, makes its especially detesting an almost criminal. Naturally they are protected by their attorneys and the nature of covering their shady practices. A day will come for these scoundrels. This is beyond the BBB ! It needs elevated to the Federal level in order to protect citizens. Yes, you took another sucker !

  Business Response

  Date: 09/13/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/08/29) */ It appears Mr. G.purchased his week through Tree Tops Real Estate Inc. and he was referred to another company to assist him in getting out of his Bluegreen week, if he desired. I suggest he contact ***** ********, Project Director of Tree Tops Real Estate Inc. at XXX-XXX-XXXX, extension 222 so ***** can assist him on how to use his RCI points. Thank you.