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:11/22/2022

  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.

  My husband and I have been having trouble with Massanutten Resorts about our timeshare. We are hoping that you can help us with this matter. My husband and I have been having financial difficulties and we do not have the funds to continue to keep this timeshare. We have expressed this to the company but they respond so selflessly and does not provide any help at all. We’ve been having this timeshare since 2019 and things took a turn after we bought the timeshare. In the year of 2020 and 2021 we brought in two precious lives to this world. Sadly, after that we lost the engine in our car so we had to purchased a new car with a car payment. We also had to replace our 12-passenger van which was also very expensive. We had to replace our hot water tank which is another bill that we have to pay. We have racked up on our credit card debt that we have to pay attention to. Our financial situation has taken a turn for the worst and we can no longer keep this timeshare that’s basically making the financial hole even bigger. We have a family that we have to care for and make sure our household is good. Again we have told the company all of this and they haven’t offered anything to help us get out of our timeshare. We went to great lengths to reach out to Attorney General and American Resorts Development Association and neither entity helped us at all. This is very discouraging for us because we are already struggling as is and this company has no empathy for our situation. We are hoping that you can empathize with us and assist us with getting out of our timeshare agreement.
  
  
  
  Thank you for your time and consideration,
  
  
  
  ******** *** ****** ***** 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/25/2022

  I have reviewed your
  ownership and see that you purchased your property in 2019. I see where Great
  Eastern Resort Corporation is in the process of executing the right of reverter
  on your property. This process started on October 07, 2022. Should you have
  further questions in relation to this process please call Owners Association at
  ************ option 1 and someone will be happy to answer any questions you may
  have in relation to this process. Regards,****** * *********Customer Service Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/17/2022

  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.

  We are submitting this complaint against Massanutten Resorts. Since our purchase in ****, we have only successfully used the timeshare twice. However, we have tried many more times. It is not as easy to book a stay through *** as they made it seem at purchase. We have tried to use it several different times and in locations. For the most part, we have been very disappointed because we are constantly told nothing is available. We have upgraded to try and make the timeshare work in our favor, still, nothing is available. The timeshare is much more expensive than what we agreed to. At the time of purchase, we were assured by the sales representatives that the maintenance fees would not increase. However, they have skyrocketed. We realize now it would be much cheaper to book our own vacations. The timeshare has no value. We have tried to rent and sell our timeshare, but no one is interested. It is clear to us that we will not make any of the money back that we lost during our purchase. Massanutten needs to take responsibility for the shady business practices of its sales representatives. Nothing that was promised to us during the time of our purchase has come to fruition. We are done with Massanutten. It is obvious that this company is not to be trusted. This is something that we feel strongly about. We have reached out to Massanutten multiple times to request a termination, but they continue to send us the SAME templated response. We are highly disappointed about their lack of customer service and lack of concern for the issues we have has with our timeshare. They continue to shrug us off and do not take our concerns seriously. We need assistance on this matter, and we need this taken care of immediately.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/25/2022

  I have reviewed your
  purchase and it looks as if you made your original purchase in August of 2003.
  I see that our Director of Hospitality Administration **** ***** has been in
  communication with you since May of 2022, since May he has written 4 letters
  giving you information to help assist you in utilizing and well as selling your
  timeshare if you are no longer interested in owning the property.With regard to your
  maintenance fees, you initialed and signed the Buyers Acknowledgement that
  details and outlines all aspects of the purchase including that fact that the
  annual maintenance fee is subject to change. This documents also goes into
  detail that *** is a separate independent company and is not related to Great
  Eastern Resort Corporation that manages all exchanges. This document also
  explains that we do not have a re-sale, deed-back or buy-back program. The Buyers Acknowledgement also outlines the fact that you
  have the right to sell or transfer all rights of ownership. It also states that
  no representation oral or written have been relied on and that the contract
  document is the only binding agreement between you and Great Eastern Resort
  Corporation.I suggest that you call ***** ****** our in house
  *** representative at ************ to gain a better understanding of your
  contract with them. I also will provide you with our New Owner Vacation
  Advisors at ************ to help you get the most out of your ownership.Please know that though we have empathy for you however we do
  not have a program to remove you from ownership. In order for you to no
  longer be responsible the deed would have to be transferred into someone else’s
  name. Again, we suggest exploring the resources found on the American Resort
  Developers Association – Resort Owners’ Coalition (ARDA ROC) website, **************************************************************** We have
  processed many of these transfers and know that this program works. If you
  choose not to work with ARDA 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. 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.Regards, ****** * *********Customer Service Specialist

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/02/2022

  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 are not interested in using the timeshare. We are only interested in exiting the timeshare. Yes, we signed the contract, but what ****** fails to acknowledge is the fact that we were lied to and pressured into signing the contract that was entirely misrepresented by the sales representatives. ****** ignores the fact that the entire timeshare program is base on lies and false promises just so the sales representatives can make a sale. ****** claims that that Massanutten Resorts has empathy for us, but if that were the case, then we would be having an entirely different conversation and we would not be in the position that we are in now. We have had enough and we need to exit the timeshare NOW! 
  Regards,
  
  ***** *** ****** ****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/17/2022

  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.

  We have been doing some digging on your company and wanted to address our findings with
  the public since we cannot seem to gain any response from Great Eastern. On ***********, they
  have 3,990 reviews. Complaints are almost all identical. “Scam” “Misled” and “Lies”, are all
  words you will see used throughout every review. Some clients complain of cleanliness,
  amenities being closed, and fees not being reimbursed.
  There is a blog post at this link that addresses what it's like to stay at Great Eastern
  *****************************************-reasons-why-it-was-distressing-stay.html
  On a separate consumer rating site, this resort is listed as a 1.4 star.
  This establishment is a scam and the state is allowing this to happen. This company pays no
  repercussions for its actions against customers.
  We are ready to share our story and our experience and be heard. Maybe in numbers, we can
  find a change in this company!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/01/2022

  Mr.
  *****,I have researched your account and it looks like ******* ***** our
  Director of Hospitality Administration has written you several letters that
  started in September of 2021, advising you that we do not have a deed-back,
  buy-back or re-sale program. Mr. ***** has offered you suggestions to help you
  sell your property if you no longer want to own. While you seem to be focusing
  on the negative let me advise you that we have over 80,000 owners and less that
  5 percent have a complaint. Here at Massanutten we do all that we can to keep
  our owners happy and using the products that they have purchased. Massanutten
  Resort has a rating of 4 out of 5 start on the Better Business Bureau and as
  per *********** we are 3.5 stars out of 5. I am sorry you are unhappy
  with your ownership, but we will not cancel your contract with Great Eastern
  Resort. We urge you to honor the terms of your contract and your timeshare
  ownership obligations.Regards,****** * *********Customer Service Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/15/2022

  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.

  We have made over 9 years of payments to Great Eastern Resort but have never been able to book a single vacation. They never mentioned the points we purchased reduce over time. They practically go away if we don't use them. It is hard to book anything with them so overall it is a scam. They make the property unavailable and then take the points away if you don't use them. It is contradicting and a waste of money! We have no desire to pass the property along to our children since we haven't been able to use it. We would be placing them in a financial predicament that is flawed. They have sent us letters to reach out to certain people to schedule a vacation but when we do reach out to those people no one answers or return our calls.
  
  We have yet to receive an apology for their lack of professionalism. They will not take the timeshare back although we have stated all of the reasonings above and more. They lied about the property being available and the extent of how much you would actually pay to be an “owner.”

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/18/2022

  I have researched your ownership
  and have found that you purchase your property in December of 2012, and you
  have an outstanding mortgage on your property. With this being said you have
  the right to sell your property once the account is paid in full. As we have
  mentioned in the correspondence you have received from ******* ***** our
  Director of Hospitality Administration, we do not have a deed-back, buy-back
  program to assist you. Mr. ***** offered you avenues to help you sell your
  property. With this being said we cannot cancel your contract. With regard to your points program, RCI is a
  separate company that is not related to Great Eastern Resort Corporation. I would
  like to again suggest calling ***** ****** our on-site RCI representative. Ms.
  ****** will be happy to address your concerns and help you find a resolution to
  your issues. I would also like to suggest you visiting our New Owners Vacation
  Advisors at ********************************* or by calling
  ************. This is a department that can also help you understand your
  ownership.In regard to passing the property onto your children,
  your property is not in perpetuity. Your deed of ownership is in the name of ****** ** ***** and **** ** *****, Husband, and Wife as tenants by the entireties with
  the right of survivorship as in common law. With this being said it simply
  means when one of you pass away the ownership is then owned by the survivor.
  Once both have passed this ownership would go into the estate at this point if
  your children wanted the property they would have to fill the proper paperwork
  and have a new deed drawn up in their name. If they do not want the property,
  then they would not do anything and Massanutten would take the next legal steps
  as deemed by law.Again, we are sorry you are still unhappy with your purchase
  at The Summit a Massanutten timeshare ownership, but we will not cancel the
  contract you have entered. We again urge you to honor the terms of your
  contract and your timeshare ownership obligations. Regards,****** * *********Customer Service Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/10/2022

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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 have sent in our cancelation request for our timeshare with Great Eastern Resorts based on many discrepancies we have encountered since we signed up for it. One of the main benefits we saw of this purchase was being able to rent it out when we are not using it with the assistance of Great Eastern Resorts doing that part. ******* ***** with Great Eastern has told us that is not something they do. So were we lied to about that amongst other things? I believe so. He went on to tell us they will not cancel our contract because the papers we signed stated we only had so many days (a week or so) to put in that request. I’m not so sure the timeshare benefits were even available for us to use within that week he stated we had to let them know we did not want to keep the timeshare. How were we to know we would not be able to rent it out through Great Eastern Resorts? How were we supposed to know we were not going to be able to give this back to Great Eastern Resorts? When we bought this, they told us we were purchasing a timeshare package that was returned to them by a previous owner. They proceeded to tell us that we could do the same if we ever wanted to end our ownership. Today is that day, and Mr. ***** has told us that Great Eastern Resorts does not do that and never has. He told us we would have to find someone to buy it off of us to get rid of it once all of the fees associated with it are paid off. To say that we feel conned from this experience is an understatement. We bought this with the promise we could give it back and also rent it out to make a profit, both of which are lies. So how do we get rid of it now? We are not selling it and we are not paying any more fees.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/15/2022

  Ms. ********,I have reviewed your account
  and see that you originally purchased a Woodstone unit with us in January of
  2018, then in May of 2019 you purchased the Summit which you currently have an
  active mortgage on. I also see where ******* ***** our Director of Hospitality
  Administration has replied to your request to terminate your contract twice
  since May of 2022. Within his correspondence he stated that you initialed and
  signed the Buyers Acknowledgement which directly refutes what you are stating.
  Should you like a copy of this document we will be happy to provide it to you.The seven-day right of
  recission has expired on your contract and is no longer available. You can however
  exercise your right to sale the property that you own at any time you choose
  once the account is paid in full. Mr. ***** made suggestion for you to use **** but if you chose not to use them that is your right as a consumer. As you know
  there are many ways to advertise and sell property. You mention that you cannot
  rent the property please know that you can do this thru ********* they can be
  reached at ************ as they are a rental agency not owned or operated by
  Great Eastern Resort Corporation. Should you need additional time
  to pay your past due maintenance fees please call ******** ********* ******** ** ************ and someone will be happy to work out a plan with you. I am sorry you are unhappy with your ownership, but we
  will not cancel your contract with Great Eastern Resort. We urge you to honor
  the terms of your contract and your timeshare ownership obligations. Best Regards,****** * *********Customer Service Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/07/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  Hello! I was contacted stating my name was chosen for a 3 day 2 night stay at your resort and to make a day trip first for a tour. It was not explained upfront that this tour is for a time share which I rather not get involved in. What is not explained is if you can’t make the day trip you will not get your refund that was made upfront for $99 and also I will be responsible for other fees that the resort will not cover as well which is not explained to you and should be. I wish not to get myself wrapped up in this kind of situation and be responsible for fees that should be explained upfront with full honesty so a person knows what they are getting theirselves involved in. Times is to hard out here for someone to just take your hard earned money if you can’t attend a one day trip. I see where this situation can go with reading all the reviews and I rather not participate with this kind of situation. So all I’m asking is for my refund please of my $99 no contract was signed or anything I would just like my refund issued back to be done because I see they can’t even be honest. Thank you!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/09/2022

  Ms. ******, I will have someone from marketing reach out to you to resolve this matter. Kind Regard, ****** * *********Customer Service Specialist

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/14/2022

  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 rejected because their going to keep trying to make me keep the reservation for a time share that I’m not interested in and that should of been explained upfront. Also I  will charged additional fees for not attending a time share and that doesn’t sound right to me. I just wish to have my $99 refunded back to me please and be done with this situation and not let it linger. Thank you! 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/18/2022

  Ms. ******,During my research I have found that Ms. ********** tried to
  call you, but you never responded back to her, and Ms. ********** stated that
  you never reached out to us before filing the BBB complaint. Ms.
  ********** feels that you do not want to speak with us, again.  Therefore Ms.
  ********** has gone ahead and cancelled your reservation, refunded your
  deposit, and sent you a copy of the refund transaction receipt.  Regards,****** * *********Customer Service Specialist

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/18/2022

  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

  Date:10/26/2022

  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.

  In May this year, we reached out to Great Eastern, letting them know we weren’t happy with the ownership and wanted to part ways. We received a response from ******* ***** in the Hospitality Department stating we could not end the contract. We responded, in July, outlining and discussing his reasoning but have yet to receive a response. We have called to find out what is going on just to be told they have no idea what we’re talking about. It has been paid in full, even after upgrading twice at the behest of their company, with more promises that it would be an excellent investment and make vacationing and travel so much easier. It’s unacceptable for customer service to reach out for an open discussion and blatantly ignore our issues. We want the account closed as soon as possible.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/31/2022

  I have reviewed you account
  ownership and see that we have been exchanging correspondence sine June of
  2022. The last correspondence was from ******* ***** our Director of
  Hospitality Administrations that we have sent was in August of 2022. With that
  being said if you did not receive a copy of that correspondence, we will be
  glad to provide you with a copy. Should you like a copy please call Owners
  Administration at ************ ****** * and someone can email you a copy.You mention having difficulty utilizing your ownership
  and we have resources dedicated to assist owners to get the most out of their
  ownership with us. If you would like to speak to someone to gain a better
  understanding of your RCI membership, please contact our on-site RCI
  representative, ***** ******, at ************. Please know that you may be able
  to rent out your owner week by contacting ********* ** ************. If you
  have additional questions regarding how best to utilize your ownership, please
  feel free to contact our New Owners Vacation Advisors at **********************************.As stated previously in our correspondence with you, the
  Resort does not have a re-sale, deed-back, or a buy-back program to assist you.
  If you continue to feel this ownership will no longer work for you, you are
  welcome to find a third party to purchase your timeshare from you once your
  account is paid in full. We suggest exploring the resources found on the
  American Resort Developers Association – Resort Owners’ Coalition (ARDA ROC)
  website, ***************************************************************.  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. Again, we are sorry you are unhappy with your ownership
  at this time and would like to help in any way we can to make your ownership
  experience a better one. Regards,****** * *********Customer Service Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/26/2022

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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 looking for a fair way to end our contract with Massanutten Resorts. We have been owners since **** and have remained current up until this year. While the contract is most likely legally binding, since it basically copies and pastes the Virginia Real Estate-Timeshare Act, the sales practices used to convince us to purchase are likely illegal and definitely amoral. The sales representatives made promises that were outright contradicted in the contract that we ended up signing. Some of those promises were - a set annual maintenance fee, a return on investment based upon deeded property, ease of transfer with an RCI membership (no mention that it required a membership and a $250.00 transfer fee), the ability to pay the set annual maintenance fee early (we paid early several times just to be charged a late fee, because unbeknownst to us the maintenance fee had been increased), and at every stay, where we traded our stay, being inconvenienced by additional high pressure sales pitches. We have been told that there is no buy-back program and to use ARDA-ROC to help us sell our resort. We looked into this and we should not be the ones assuming risk in selling our timeshare. We say this is risky as evidenced on both the Massanutten Owners website and ARDA ROC website there are numerous warnings about the risks of unscrupulous companies offering to sell timeshares. We also hold moral principles that wouldn't allow us to knowingly entrap another person in these burdensome timeshare contracts. Therefore, we are not looking for a buy-back program, we are looking for an exception. We can't understand why any business that wants to maintain a positive image would want unhappy customers. We initially were seeking to have everything that we had paid toward Massanutten returned to us. We now just want to end our contract, be forgiven our past due maintenance fee and simply complete a deed back.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/27/2022

  Mr. ********,I have taken the time to
  research your account and I see that you purchased your property in November of
  ****. I also see where we exchanged correspondence on April 06, 2022, with
  regard to termination of your contract. I had advised you that we do not have a
  deed-back or buy-back program and suggested that you explore the resources
  found on ******** ****** ********** ************ ****** ******* ********* to
  assist you in advertising and selling your property. There are only three ways
  in which we take back property and they are 1, you use your right of recission
  that is 7 days from the date of purchase, 2, you trade for another property and
  3 we have to foreclose due to nonpayment of either mortgage or maintenance
  fees.While we sympathize with you there is no person,
  department or program that can assist you in canceling your contract. As long
  as the deed is in your name you are responsible. In order for you to no longer
  be responsible the deed would have to be transferred into someone else’s name.
  Again I will suggest that you explore the resources found on the ******** ****** ********** *********** * ****** ******* Coalition (ARDA ROC) website, **************************************************************** We have processed many of these transfers and know
  that this program works. If you choose not to work with ARDA 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. 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. If it would be more palatable for your finances to set up
  a monthly payment of your annual maintenance fees, please call ******** Financial
  Services at ************ and someone will be glad to assist you. Regards,****** * *********Customer Service Specialist

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/28/2022

  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.
  There are more than three ways to end this contract and this business is choosing to ignore one of them. The business lists 3 options to terminate this contract, the third being foreclosure (which at this point I am willing to do). The forth option is a deed in lieu of foreclosure, commonly referred to as a deed back. This forth option saves both the business and the unhappy customer time and money. If the business has not already put a lien on this deeded property I would also ask that this step be taken so the foreclosure process can be expedited. When a customer willingly asks for foreclosure to end a contract - something is obviously wrong with that business. I understand it may be legal - it is definitely amoral.
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/23/2022

  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.

  We purchased a timeshare on **** ** ****, with Massanutten Resorts, and we upgraded it on ******** *** ****. During our entire ownership, I think we have used the timeshare about 12 times. We were offered a 3-night stay in Massanutten, Virginia, and a future 3-day cruise for $99 if we would attend a 45-minute presentation of the Massanutten Resort. We were told that Trading Power would allow vacation trade virtually anywhere and any time, second to Disney World only. As we went through the presentation, the salesman would lower the price. He stressed that this was deeded property but said nothing about perpetually escalating maintenance fees that would never go away. We were also told that if we needed to see the property at a later date, it would not be a problem. The resort is declining, and the unit on our last visit to Shenandoah Valley had a hole in the floor and mice droppings in the kitchen cabinet. It was embarrassing. To think about the amount of money we have paid for the timeshare is ridiculous. Where do the maintenance fees go? The timeshare is paid for, and the maintenance fees are current. We want this timeshare closed, and we want our money back.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/31/2022

  I have taken reviewed your property ownership and
  see that the last time you stayed was February 23, 2020, thru February 27,
  2020. Since your stay The Summit has been totally renovated. This project was
  completed in the first quarter of 2022. Covid slowed our renovations down as we
  were not able to get the materials needed. Your maintenance fees have been held
  in reserve until the point that we were able to renovate the entire Summit association.As stated in our email dated September 06, 2022,
  we do not have a re-sale, deed-back, or buy-back program to assist you. Within
  that correspondence we had made suggestions to help assist you in the sale of
  your property. Again, we are sorry you are still unhappy with your The
  Summit at Massanutten timeshare ownership, but we will not cancel the contract
  you have entered. We again urge you to honor the terms of your contract and
  your timeshare ownership obligations.  Regards,****** * *********Customer Service Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/12/2022

  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.

  We are writing to explain the reasons why we need to move forward with the cancellation of our membership with this company. Our sales representative, ******** *******, directed our purchase at Massanutten Village Resort for a total of $19,573.20. Since the initial purchase, our maintenance fees have increased exponentially with no return for the investment. At the time of our initial visit, maintenance fee increases were never discussed. When we initially agreed to a 90-minute presentation, imagine our surprise to spend an entire day being pressured to make some sort of purchase. During the presentation, we were assured that by signing up on this specific week—and this week only—increased benefits would be available to us. Including attractive destinations outside the USA that we could trade up to. This explanation was not true. None of these things transpired. In fact, in order to score a vacation in Aruba, for example, we would have had to book nearly 2 years in advance. We also were unable to book an off-season value vacation. Our sales rep did not review or give us time to review the contract before we signed it.
  Since the signing of this contract, our finances have drastically changed. We are not able to keep up with the payments as we could when this contract was signed. We have to date been completely ignored by this company and have not been offered any real assistance. We were not set up properly for this purchase so this company needs to do the right thing and allow us out of this contract.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/14/2022

  I am sorry to hear that you are unhappy with your purchase
  made in December of 2000. You signed and initialed an Acknowledgement of Representations
  that Great Eastern Resort Corporation does not have a deed-back, buy-back, or re-sale
  program. This document also states and that the maintenance fees previously known
  as Common Expense Charge is subject to change. This document also explains that
  RCI is an independent company offering exchange services and that they are no
  related to Great Eastern Resort Corporation. I suggest that you speak to ***** ****** our on-site RCI representative at ************ to gain a better
  understanding of their programs. This document also stated that you have the
  right to sell or transfer all rights of ownership at any time. Within my research I see where ******* ***** our Director of
  Hospitality Administration has written you several letters in regard to your
  request to terminate your contract. These letters are dated September 30, 2021,
  November 04, 2021, and June 09, 2022, each of these letters inform you that we
  will not cancel your contract and he offered you suggestions to explore for
  ways to sell your property. We will be more than happy to supply you copies of
  said letters for your review and files. In order to obtain them please call
  Owners Administration at ************ option 1 and we will email you all
  correspondence. I stand behind the fact that we do not have a program to help alleviate
  you from ownership. I will refer you back to the letters that ******* ***** has
  sent and suggest that you explore the options that was presented within those
  correspondence.  Regards,****** * *********Customer Service Specialist