ComplaintsforMassanutten Resort

• Initial Complaint

  07/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Great Eastern Resort ****** ******* Loan # ************** Owner ID: ****** I know my “right” to cancel my contract has “expired”. However, I was lied to and scammed by ****** at Massanutten Resort on Jan 24th 2022. My sister and I did the timeshare tour with him that morning and I agreed to purchase this contract SOLELY because ****** and I discussed my grandpa, who owns a condo at a resort in ***** ********. All year round he profits off the rentals of his condo. ****** told me this contract with Great Eastern Resort was the same. I would receive a free vacation of some extra money when my condo was rented out throughout the year. It was not until March 7th that ******** ****** informed me that I can ONLY profit off my one week. This is not residual income like ****** discussed. I will not and am not receiving the “rental” checks me and ****** discussed, he said I could rent it myself or Massanutten will and they will keep 25%. I was told I would get a check each time the condo was rented out. My loan is to be canceled and if Massanutten tries to charge me on May 25th, I will sue for credit card fraud. Information was clearly withheld from me on January 24th and your employee ****** twisted the truth to make this sale. As of the date you receive this letter, I am no longer an owner of Woodstone at Massanutten. I expect this contract to be voided as it is not the same verbal contract/agreement me and ****** discussed on January 24th, 2022. Any further communication is to solely be through email or postal services to have 100% documentation of everything, as I was already lied to and scammed by this company. ****** *******

  

  Business response

  07/23/2024

  Hi ******,We have passed your comments and concerns to the sales management team.We are sorry to hear that your sales experience was not positive. There is a tremendous amount of information conveyed during the tour and sales process. The staff breaks down the information throughout the sales process and makes every effort to answer any questions you may have.Unfortunately, the Owners Association does not have a deed-back or buy-back program. There are only three ways we take back property: take advantage of the seven-day rescission period from date of purchase, trade your current property in on another property, and in the event of a foreclosure on the property for non-payment.Your options are to use your time, rent your ownership, sell the property, or have it transferred into someone else’s name once all the fees are brought current and the mortgage is paid off.Sincerely, Massanutten Owners Association

  Customer response

  07/23/2024

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. Regards, ****** *******

• Initial Complaint

  06/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Better Business Bureau, I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out to you in a desperate plea for assistance with a matter concerning a timeshare company that has become a considerable burden on me both financially and emotionally. As a disabled veteran and I find myself faced with a mounting financial burden due to this timeshare with Massanutten. My work necessitates frequent travel, hence I find myself unable to utilize the timeshare whilst simultaneously being made to sustain high maintenance fees. Efforts to resolve this issue have been met with empty automated responses and dismissive conduct from the company. They have stopped responding entirely to my pleas for help. Thus, I am in dire need of your wisdom and guidance to navigate this situation and hopefully terminate the timeshare contract. To further compound the issue, I have come across a review on your website that contradicts the information I have been provided by the company. According to the company, the only methods of termination are through the 7-day cancellation option initiated at the start of the contract, or to engage in a sale independently. However, the review on your site states that the company offered to take back the deed to the timeshare. There is a quote from the a review on your website that details a situation strikingly similar to mine, where an individual asked Massanutten to take back their timeshare due to chronic family illness/disability. Why does this company engage in such unethical practices? Offering some people outs while trapping others? They refuse to acknowledge this complaint when I bring it up. Your assistance and guidance would be invaluable to me and I eagerly await your response to this matter. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, ******** *****

  

  Business response

  06/28/2024

  Hello,I have reviewed your ownership and found you have owned at Massanutten since January of 2017. We have had several correspondences since June of 2023 providing information and resources for using, renting, exchanging, and selling the timeshare you own.Your options are to use your time, exchange through ***, rent your condo, sell the property, or have it transferred into someone else’s name. We have Owners that transfer ownership to family members and are able to transfer the Gold Card benefits, as well as the entitlement to the free bonus week. If you sell the property outside of family, these benefits are not transferrable.If you wish to sell your property, here is a wonderful resource* *** ******** ****** ********** *********** * ****** ******* ********* ***** *****We have processed many of these transfers and know that this program works. If you choose not to work with **** there are other avenues to help assist you in selling your timeshare such as social media, newspaper, friends, and family as well as other sources that can be found on the world wide web. There is more information in the Billboard section of the Owners website.Sincerely,Massanutten Owners Association

  Customer response

  06/28/2024

  I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. This is not an adequate resolution as every option that you provided costs money that I do not have. Secondly, you stated that you advised me that I could rent the timeshare out which is not accurate. It’s actually the opposite as your employees strongly advise against renting out the timeshare. Thirdly, selling the timeshare is not an option for me as it costs money to sell a timeshare which I do not have the money or resources to do such a thing. Additionally, you stated that you advised me that I could transfer ownership to a family member or a friend, unfortunately that also is not an option because in today’s world economic times people can barely afford the basic necessities and again there are fees associated with transferring a timeshare that I do not have to spare. Finally, I am asking for a cancellation and/deedback of this timeshare because it is a financial burden that I can no longer bear. Regards, ******** *****

• Initial Complaint

  06/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have an ongoing issue with my timeshare contract and the difficulty I have encountered in communicating with this company. Despite multiple efforts to engage them, I have been met with resistance and an unwillingness on the part of Great Eastern to have a conversation about canceling my contract.At the end of March, I called and spoke with ****** in an effort to connect with ***** ****, who has been handling all the correspondence I have received to this point. Unfortunately, I never managed to speak directly with ***** **** and instead received yet another letter that failed to address any of the questions I had posed in my previous correspondence.During my conversation with ******, I was informed that the board of directors reviews cases individually. My specific question for Ms. **** was why my particular case did not meet the criteria for a cancellation. Instead of addressing this inquiry, Ms. **** merely suggested that I sell or rent the timeshare – options that are impossible given the current market conditions. This response did not address my core concern, which revolves around the criteria used to determine when a situation is 'bad enough' to warrant someones case be reviewed by the board at the timeshare. It seems entirely unreasonable for Great Eastern to decide without merit when the conversation is over, especially when my problem remains unresolved. We are being unfairly pushed to the side, and it raises serious concerns about the methods and policies they use with their owners. The last communication I received from ***** **** included the statement, "we don't plan on responding to this matter further." This is entirely unacceptable. It is a minimum requirement that any company engage in a transparent discussion with anyone who has spent thousands of dollars with them to address all legitimate concerns. Not just arbitrarily toss someone aside because they don’t feel like responding anymore.

  

  Business response

  06/20/2024

  Hello Ms. ******,We have corresponded with you since September 2023 and have provided information and resources for using, renting, exchanging, and selling the timeshares you own. We have also offered to send copies of your paperwork, contracts, and acknowledgements to assist you in making informed decisions regarding your ownership.Your options are to use your time, exchange through RCI, rent your condo, sell the property, or have it transferred into someone else’s name once all of your financial obligations are met. We have Owners that transfer ownership to family members and are able to transfer the Gold Card benefits, as well as the entitlement to the free bonus week. If you sell the property outside of family, these benefits are not transferrable.Currently your account is with the In-House Collections team for past due maintenance fees. We will ask them to reach out to regarding your account. We have also asked the mortgage company to reach out to you in regards to your mortgage. Unfortunately, these are contractual obligations that need to be addressed for your ownership.  Sincerely, Massanutten Owners Association

  Customer response

  06/26/2024

  I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. I choose to deny the response the timeshare has provided. They have only reiterated what they have already said before! My complaint was about the issues I have had in communicating with them, and this is a prime example of exactly how they reply. They have 1 template and that is all they use. I cannot sell or rent this, there isn't a market for it. I've even signed off in the contract with them that I won't be selling or renting it. Its a backwards suggestion! They do not communicate, they do not converse, they do not extend anything besides this regurgitation. I want clear communication from them about what makes someone’s situation ‘bad enough’ to warrant cancellation, and I feel as though the person who I spoke with who mentioned this board of directors being the only people who could review and determine that is the only person who has been forthright with me so far! I have to PRY information out of them. At this point, I do not believe that there is any parameter that indicates when someone should or should not be released from their contract, and that is why I’m getting the same responses. They don’t know, and so they have nothing to offer me by way of explanation. Its incredibly infuriating!  Regards, ******* ******

• Initial Complaint

  05/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We made the purchase in 2021 I believe and we had some concerns about the weeks and how it was explained to us. Our concern to date is the lack of information that was provided to us during the time of purchase that the timeshare would be an ongoing purchase and that it would never be paid for. We were not aware that we could possible be paying for the timeshare twice with the payments and that the transfer to another week would be so costly. We were also not aware that the timeshare we purchased can also be purchased online at a significantly cheaper prices with much better week options. We were also not aware that once ****** and myself have passed the timeshare would then be a burden to our children of payments and or maintenance fees. We are requesting to be released from our timeshare with no penalties reported to our credit.

  

  Business response

  06/20/2024

  Hello Ms. ******* and Mr. *********,I have reviewed your ownership and found you have owned at Massanutten Resort since September 2022. Based on your posting, I am not sure you understand how your ownership can benefit you.The Owners Association is here to assist you in using your ownership. Once all financial obligations are met, your options are to use your time, exchange through RCI, rent your condo, sell the property, or have it transferred into someone else’s name.We have Owners that transfer ownership to family members and are able to transfer the Gold Card benefits, as well as the entitlement to the free bonus week. If you sell the property outside of family, these benefits are not transferrable. For more assistance and more information on your ownership please call ************ to talk with the Owner Relations Team. Please check out the owners’ website for more resources. Owner’s Website for Massanutten (*********************)Sincerely, Massanutten Owners Association

  Customer response

  06/24/2024

  I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. We were not aware of the debt/timeshare being transferred to our children when we pass. We are willing to pay what is owed to bring the timeshare current, minus the late fees, and we would like to have the timeshare closed and transferred back to Massanutten. The timeshare was sold to us without this notification of transfer.  Regards, ************ *****************

  

  Business response

  06/28/2024

  Ms. ******* and Mr. *********,The Owners association does not have a deed-back or buy-back program to assist you. Your options are to use your time, exchange through RCI, rent your condo, sell the property, or have it transferred into someone else’s name once all financial obligations are met.We have Owners that transfer ownership to family members and are able to transfer the Gold Card benefits, as well as the entitlement to the free bonus week. If you sell the property outside of family, these benefits are not transferrable. Here is a wonderful resource for selling your property. We process transfers from these companies and know that these programs work. The ******** ****** ********** *********** * ****** ******* ********* ***** ***** **We have asked a representative from our engagement team reach out with more information regarding your inquiry.Thank you,Massanutten Owners Association.

• Initial Complaint

  05/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On March 17th I was at a festival in ********, ** and signed up for some raffle. I got a call this past Thursday (May 9th) saying I “won” a free trip to Massanutten resort. All I had to do was attend a 90 minute tour and pay a $129 deposit which was refundable upon completion of the tour. Ok no problem. We booked for today (May 11th) at 1pm. We had an engagement later on in the afternoon but figured we could make it work if the tour was only 90 minutes. We drove 2 hours from ******** to the resort and were there right on time for our tour. After mentioning to the guide that we did have to leave at the required 90 minute mark he immediately went to speak with his manager and came back and told us the tour “takes longer than 90 min and he didn’t have the required time to do the full tour and that we would have to reschedule.” I am upset because we did everything we were told and they didn’t give me my money back because I didn’t complete the tour but I wanted to do the tour I signed up for, which was 90 minutes and I drove 2 hours to be there for it. This screams a scam to me and I am concerned I won’t get my deposit back. At this point I don’t care if I get my “free weekend” or not but I they shouldn’t get to keep my money after they straight up lied about how long the tour would take. Please help.

  

  Business response

  05/15/2024

  Hi Ms. *******,We provided this information and your contact number to the appropriate team and requested a representative reach out to you regarding this complaint.Sincerely, Massanutten Owners Association

  Customer response

  05/21/2024

  I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. The company promised to have an associate reach out to me to help resolve my complaint. Unfortunately, it has been 4 business days since they have made this promise and they have not reached out yet and I do not think they intend to do so.  I have tried reaching out to speak with someone and have left messages, and no one has bothered to call me back.   Regards, ****** *******

  

  Business response

  05/25/2024

  Hi Ms, *******,We have reached back out to the appropriate team and requested a representative try to reach out to you again regarding this complaint. Sincerely, Massanutten Owners Association 

• Initial Complaint

  04/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My complaint with Great Eastern is on the timeshare side of things. I know they have other pieces of property. I’ve spoken with ******* **** and ****** ******** recently regarding my situation and have been met with absolutely 0 help. I think it's important to publicize everything that the timeshare will do in order to rope you in and keep you there. I have experienced it firsthand. I have been ignored by them on multiple occasions, despite being an owner and paying them thousands of dollars. Supposedly, these are the supervisors at the timeshare. And yet, they can do nothing about my situation? What other contract exists where a company can pull something like this? Why isn’t it regulated? You would think as the supervisors at such a huge company they would have some sort of system in place to help their owners. I think everyone should know.

  

  Business response

  05/15/2024

  Hello Ms. ******,I have reviewed your ownership and found you have owned at Massanutten Resort since November 2013. We have had several conversations providing information and the resources to help use, rent, or sell your ownership.In regards to deeding back your ownerships, ******* **** and ****** ********* provided you with the accurate information. As they explained, your options are to use your time, exchange through RCI, rent your condo, sell the property, or have it transferred into someone else’s name. We have Owners that transfer ownership to family members and are able to transfer the Gold Card benefits, as well as the entitlement to the free bonus week. If you sell the property outside of family, these benefits are not transferrable.Here is a wonderful resource for selling your property. The ******** ****** ********** *********** * ****** ******* ********* ***** *** We process transfer from these companies and know that these programs work. We also caution you not to pay anyone a set amount of money in advance if they promise they have a buyer lined up for your timeshare, as we have seen a rise in the number of scams of this nature.Sincerely,Massanutten Owners Association

• Initial Complaint

  04/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The main reason we want to cancel is medical and financial issues. I had some health issues which directly stops him from being able to enjoy the mountain resorts. Monthly fees increase every year, which we were not told about. We also didn't know these timeshares are available to non-owners to stay at. Looking for option to cancel. I have sent letter back and forth and they seem like they just want us to be stuck with them forever some sort of malpractice hostage situation.The number of misrepresentations we were subjected to should be considered criminal. Financially we are no longer able to afford all of the monies we pay out in the year since it has been ever increasing. The mortgages and maintenance fees are impossible for us to keep up with on our fixed incomes and these annual fees will only continue to rise and continue to be out of our means. We also made the purchases for family vacations, but our family is getting older and they have too many obligations to vacation with us on an annual basis. Our children also want nothing to do with the timeshares. In conclusion, because of all the aforementioned reasons we feel that we have the right to have our contracts canceled. There are many things we were promised that have not come to fruition, many details that were not pointed out to us at the time of purchase, and we simply are not able to use them to our full advantage now or in the future.

  

  Business response

  05/15/2024

  Hello Mr. *******,I have reviewed your ownership and found you have had multiple ownerships at Massanutten Resort since October 2011. We have had several conversations and correspondence providing information and resources for using, renting, exchanging, and selling the timeshares you own.Your options are to use your time, exchange through RCI, rent your condo, sell the property, or have it transferred into someone else’s name once all of your financial obligations are met. We have Owners that transfer ownership to family members and are able to transfer the Gold Card benefits, as well as the entitlement to the free bonus week. If you sell the property outside of family, these benefits are not transferrable.We have also offered to send you copies of your contracts in order to assist you. We have asked the mortgage company and the in-house collections team to reach out to you to update you on your ownerships.Sincerely, Massanutten Owners Association

• Initial Complaint

  04/27/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  My wife and I attended a timeshare presentation, hosted by the resort while on vacation at Massanutten (4/20/2024). At the end of the presentation, we were asked to purchase a timeshare, and were told that we had only that day, while in the office, to take advantage of what great offer they were promoting. If we walked away, the offer would not be available any longer. After hearing the sales pitch, we accepted and signed with the sales team. Upon reviewing the paperwork after leaving the resort, my wife and I realized that a lot of what was stated in the sales pitch, was not in writing, anywhere in the contract. We have sent our letter, legally exercising our right to cancel/rescind on 4/23/2024, after going through the entirety of the contract and realizing that most of what was conveyed verbally, during the presentation, was in fact not true and not in writing. This is a terrible business practice, along with their sales tactics. They stated that we had only the time of their sales presentation to make a decision to buy their timeshare offer, and could not step away to converse or think about it. We realize now, that this was part of their predatory tactics to make people fear that they will miss out, if they do not say yes, right there, and right then. I have reached out to the company, by phone. But they only stated that if I sent my paperwork via certified mail, that cancellation would occur. They are unwilling to notify me as to whether they have received the mail, nor any action taken on their behalf. I have attached the following evidence to this complaint to show we are rescinding within our 7 day window: - Letter acknowledging my request to cancel/rescind the contract. - Contract overview and cancellation instructions/acknowledgement pages. - US Postal Service certified return/requested receipt with tracking information and timestamps. - Second Mail of Documents, Return Receipt Requested.

  

  Business response

  04/30/2024

  Hello Mr. ********,We were able to confirm your request was honored on April 26th, 2024.We will have a representative from our engagement team reach out with more information regarding your inquiry.Thank you,  Massanutten Owners Association.

  Customer response

  05/02/2024

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. Regards, ****** ********

• Initial Complaint

  04/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Better Business Bureau, This company has trapped us in a timeshare contract, claiming the only escape is during the rescission period. They insist there's no buyback or deed-back program, urging us to sell it ourselves. Yet, there's no market for such sales, and they're fully aware of that fact. If demand existed, they'd offer a buyback option. While browsing reviews on your website, we stumbled upon one where a person got out of their timeshare by paying just $200 plus a $750 maintenance fee. This contradicts the information provided by the timeshare company. They're withholding other exit options from us despite their existence. We never used this timeshare and have no intention to do so. We felt pressured into purchasing it during a meeting at the waterpark, a place our family didn't even enjoy. We urgently seek liberation from this situation. Unfortunately, the company has been unresponsive to my numerous emails for months. We've already invested a substantial amount of money and require immediate assistance. Your help in resolving this matter promptly would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, ******* *** ****** *********

  

  Business response

  04/30/2024

  As we have stated in these previous correspondences, the Owners Association does not have a deed-back or buy-back program to assist you.If you continue to feel your ownership will no longer work for you, we suggest exploring the resources found on the ******** ****** ********** *********** * ****** ******* ********* (**** ***) website, ******************************************************directory. We have processed many of these transfers and know that this program works. If you choose not to work with **** there are other avenues to help assist you in selling your timeshare such as social media, newspaper, friends, and family as well as other sources that can be found on the world wide web. Your options are to use your time, rent your ownership, sell the property, or have it transferred into someone else’s name. Sincerely, Massanutten Owners Association

• Initial Complaint

  04/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 04/02 I called and spoke with one of the associates at Great Eastern resort, *********, about needing some relief from my timeshare contract. ********* refused to hear me out when I explained my personal situation, and that I was very misled during the purchase of this timeshare. I told her I can’t afford it and that I was never told it would continue to have fees that go up every year. It should be mandatory to disclose this information to anyone buying anything. I don’t expect there are many property, or property-adjacent type businesses where this isn’t mandatory. I was told I could sell it to ‘whoever I wanted’, but there isn’t a market for these! They go for 1$ on eBay. I asked that I speak with someone higher up than *********. I spoke with her supervisor, ****** *********, days later during a callback. I again took time out of my day to explain my situation, in addition to how I was misled during the entire sales process. I even went over how much of a struggle it is to even use it! We have 0 desire to go there. She wouldn’t budge about the “buy-back policy.” I feel as though this whole company is phrasing this in such a way that they get to say they “have no buy-back policy” without explaining what they DO have. It's just one more run-around for a business that’s already so scammy. How can these places even exist anymore?!

  

  Business response

  04/19/2024

  I have reviewed your ownership and found you have owned at Massanutten Resort. While we have had several conversations and correspondence in March of this year providing information and resources to sell your ownership, I have asked management to review your file. In regards to deeding back your ownerships, the staff did provide accurate information. Your options are to use your time, exchange through RCI, rent your condo, sell the property, or have it transferred into someone else’s name. We have Owners that transfer ownership to family members and are able to transfer the Gold Card benefits, as well as the entitlement to the free bonus week. If you sell the property outside of family, these benefits are not transferrable. Here is a wonderful resource for selling your property. We process transfers from these companies and know that these programs work. *** ******** ****** ********** *********** * ****** ******* ********* ***** ***** *******************************************************Sincerely, Massanutten Owners Association

  Customer response

  04/23/2024

  I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. I would like to issue my rejection of the timeshare’s response. Just like before, they refuse to acknowledge that I cannot continue to afford my ownership. They do not address an owner's inability to pay due to a change in circumstances. The reference they provided at **** also charges a fee to sell or rent the timeshare. As I stated in my initial complaint, there is no market for these. They want me to pay **** a fee to post it on some kind of sales or rental board where I have to pay them to get 0 hits on any buyers. People at **** also work for this timeshare, and it feels like they’re just passing the buck - literally and figuratively- back and forth between themselves. Stating that it's a ‘wonderful’ resource just means it's wonderful for them, who are always looking out for the bottom line and not their owners. Look anywhere online, and this is the consensus. Something needs to be done about this business model.  Regards, **** *****

*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. ↩