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Travel Bargain Or Travel Scam? How To Know The Difference

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Congratulations!!! You have been selected to win an excitingluxury vacation to....... Where have you heard that one before? Although there are manygenuine travel offers, there are also many travel scams thatdefraud innocent travelers out of millions of dollars eachmonth. Travel is a big ticket item and most people would like tosave some money or even travel for free. Unfortunately, it opensthe door to some unscrupulous individuals and companies who tryto take advantage of this. Travel packages turn out to be very different from what wasoriginally offered or what the "winner" expected. Sometimes, thecompany just takes the money and runs! So if you get a phonecall or email offering a free or extremely low-priced vacation ,keep these tips in mind: The Most Common Travel Scams - Emails, phone calls, or snail mail advising that you have beenselected to "win" a free vacation, free airfare, or a hotelstay, especially when you haven't entered anything. - Ads for great travel deals or discounts with the conditionthat you agree to a time share presentation. You will besubjected to a high pressure sales pitch that is really notworth your time - unless of course you really are interested inbuying a timeshare! - Travel clubs that charge a fee for their great traveldiscounts and offers. There are of course may legitimate travelclubs but there are just as many that are not. Do your researchwell to make sure it is worth it. - Contests which do not post or provide rules or requirements oreven any details about the company running it. A legitimatecontest will provide rules to participants and if it does not,it is probably just a ploy to get information on you. How to Spot the Red Flags - Does the price seem too good to be true? If so, it probably is. - Are you pressured to make a decision on the spot? - Did you get the call after business hours. Legitimatebusinesses normally operate between regular business hours.- Didthey require you to pay before you receive any details about thetrip, or ask you


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to pay for more information.- Are you told youcan't leave for two months? This should be cause for concernbecause the deadline for disputing a credit card charge is 60days. - Is the supplier simply identified as "a major airline,"or a "popular hotel" without getting into specifics? - If you have won a free vacation, you should not be asked topay hundreds of dollars in order to "claim" your prize. How to protect yourself from Travel Scams - Determine the complete cost of the trip in dollars, includingall service charges, taxes, processing fees, etc. - Pay by credit card, if you don't get what you paid for, youmay be able to dispute the charges with your credit cardcompany. - Don't be pressured into buying anything, legitimatebusinesses don't pressure you to make a purchase. - Get a receipt in writing. If you make reservations online,print out the itinerary and receipt. - Find out the exact names of the hotels, airports, airlines,and restaurants that your package includes; if they tell you a"major hotel chain" or "major airline" ask for specifics - Always ask for a copy of the cancellation and refundpolicies.- If you are told that you've won a free vacation, askif you have to pay any money in order to get it. - Be aware of what "subject to availability" means may not getthe accommodations you want when you want them. - Be aware that if you have been "specially selected to receiveour Super Duper Travel Deal offer" doesn't mean you'll get itfree, it means you'll be offered an opportunity to pay for atravel deal! And last but not least, be skeptical. Read or listen tocarefully what is being said, not what you want to hear. Wewould all like to win that all expenses paid dream vacation toHawaii, but like everything else, you get what you pay for ifyou don't pay attention first. About the author: Jolana Klobouk is a former travel agent who has traveledextensively for work and vacations with her family. She iscurrently the editor of Best FamilyBeach Vacations and Fly From Canada

Written by: Jolana Klobouk

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