Login | Register | Subscribe to the GG RSS Feed

Online Travel Fraud

1
2
3
4
5
Julia Rosien | 02/27/2008 - 10:48 | 2 comments

Fraudsters book trips to the cleaners, not paradise

Imagine booking your dream vacation online but instead getting the holiday from hell. In the most elaborate case of its kind, a travel company that booked vacations between July 2003 and August 2006 has been prosecuted for advertising and selling vacation packages that didn't exist.

Online Travel FraudOnline Travel FraudThe phony companies convinced thousands of online customers to pay for bogus holidays. While most of the cash was refunded to customers through credit card companies, the victims lost out on their vacation.

If you're looking for the best price for your next trip (and who isn't), know how to protect yourself from fly by night companies pedaling their wares online.

Instant travel agent: You send money for travel agent training books and they send you an ID to qualify for insider discounts. Trouble is, the travel industry doesn't recognize the ID, and you're left with useless training materials and a lighter wallet.

Vacation certificates: Buy a special certificate that guarantees a bargain-priced holiday. But, the certificate doesn't figure in all the extra fees. Your airfare may be free, but your $50 hotel room racks up an additional $400 in hidden costs.

Free for a price: You get a bargain basement trip, but your room is cramped and dirty, the food is worse than cafeteria fare and your miles from where you really want to be. Complain and you'll likely be offered an upgrade - at a substantially higher price.

Down-payment lock-in: You win a super travel bargain - but only if you secure your spot with an immediate deposit. When you try to firm your dates, the promoter strings you along with one excuse after another until your deposit expires - or he disconnects the phone and moves onto another sucker.

Protect yourself against travel fraud

  1. If it's too good to be true, it is.
  2. Never make a decision without comparison shopping.
  3. Ask lots of questions - the only stupid ones are the ones you don't ask.
  4. Get all the details before signing on the dotted line.
  5. Never give credit card information on the phone unless you've met the travel agent.
  6. Buy travel services only from companies you know and trust.
  7. If you're in doubt, say no and move on.

Got any tips for avoiding travel fraud online?

Related Stories

7 New Airline Websites We Love
Top 5 Flying Secrets
Travel Insurance - Work-Related Cancelation
SeatGuru Shares Top 10 Tips for Holiday Air Travel
Travel Alerts - Preempting Vacation Disaster
The High Cost of Flying

Rate This Post

Average: 3.3 (3 votes)

Bookmark This Post

  • Delicious
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Magnoliacom
  • Newsvine
  • Furl
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Yahoo
  • Technorati

Comments

Seems logical that to avoid

Submitted by Anonymous Travel Agent (not verified) on Fri, 02/29/2008 - 13:19.
Seems logical that to avoid most of these issues, you should go to a travel agent who will guide you to that perfect vacation and protect you from all the pitfalls encountered in this article. The price will not be that much more, if any different. The agent receives most remuneration from the vendor although special extra planning can incur fees for time. Remember the old proverb: Don't be Penny wise and Pound foolish. This applies to travel more than anywhere else!

Great tips! One thing I

Submitted by Elizabeth R. (not verified) on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 12:17.
Great tips!

One thing I would add is to do a little research on the company before you book by looking them up on the Better Business Bureau website (http://welcome.bbb.org/). The reports they offer outline the company's record and customer complaints. You can even contact the BBB for help in resolving a problem. It's worth taking a look.

I've written more about this issue here: http://informedtravel.blogspot.com/2008/02/how-reliable-is-your-travel-c...

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Image CAPTCHA
Copy the characters (respecting upper/lower case) from the image.
Register

Membership is free and with it you can set up a profile, vote on stories and post your opinions.

Already a member?
Login
Not a member? Join!
Register

Most Recent Comments

  • On Flying the Online Skies for the Best Travel Advice, Hotel Santa Barbara said "Thanks for giving us such great information constantly. It is awesome to have such a great travel resource like you!"

  • On Surviving a Hurricane While Traveling, HSB said "I am a little concerned about this situation, as we are traveling to Florida in October and boarding a cruise to the Bahamas. I'll be bookmarking this page!"

  • On Surviving a Hurricane While Traveling, Julia Rosien said "Thanks for visiting Lisa and for such great advice! Hope that Earl doesn't linger and cause any trouble. Good luck! Julia"

  • On Surviving a Hurricane While Traveling, Lisa S. said "Growing up in good ole NC, I have survived my share of storms. Actually, where I sit currently (on a barrier island) has been under water many times. Staying on an island is scary. We leave if it is over a CAT 1. The most important thing for us is to fill our gas tanks at the first inkling that there may be a storm. Water, medicines, non perishable food, they're all really important. Honestly, if it is a big storm, alcohol later serves as pay for work. We stock up on EVERYTHING. We start eating out of the freezer days before (like we did tonight, getting ready for Earl). You don't want much to go bad. Then we tie up all the trash cans, secure grills, and hold on for dear life :)"

  • On American Tourist Kidnappings on the Rise in Mexico, Roger said "Better not to drive if you can travel by bus. Buses are not apt to be targets like cars with US plates that also can be stolen. The buses in Mexico are very comfortable like flying in a plane they often have movies and it is safer.Plan your trip and don't travel alone especially if you are female.Women traveling alone are a target Good luck and stay alert."