Raulandpinboy
<font color=blue>Table-dancing auctioneer<br><font
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2001
- Messages
- 1,705
OK. Let's get right to it... This one is for Dana who taught me so well Love you MEAN IT!!!
Avoiding Travel Scams -- Getting a Good Deal Without Getting Ripped Off
Since we're in the travel season, it seemed like a good time
to focus on avoiding travel scams.
If you've been working too hard, the thought of a free (or
ultra-inexpensive) vacation might sound pretty appealing --
and scammers know that.
Travel scams are becoming much more common, and potential travelers need to become more wary.
Here are ten things you really need to know to avoid getting taken by travel scams:
1. If you are offered a travel deal by email, it's almost certainly a scam. Just about all bulk email travel deals (or free vacations) are scams.
If you are offered the travel deal by phone, be very
skeptical. If you're unfamiliar with the company, get its
name, address, and local telephone number. Check their track record if you can. (Unless you can find a legitimate local or regional office for the company, it's probably bogus.)
2. "If it sounds too good to be true..." Wouldn't we all
love to believe that we just won an all-expense-paid trip to the Bahamas or a weekend at Disneyland?
Listen for the details -- or read the 'fine print.'
In many travel scams, your airfare may be free, but there
could be a clause in the contract that says you must stay in particular accommodations -- which turn out to be outrageously expensive.
Another type of 'too good to be true' pitch is winning a contest or lottery. If the agent claims you've won a contest, get more details. Public contests and lotteries have rules and regulations -- and you normally have to 'enter' to win.
If you didn't enter, you didn't win anything. You'll just be asked to pay lots of fees. Don't -- it's a scam. If you've won a legitimate contest or lottery, it shouldn't cost you anything to get your winnings or prize.
3. Never give your credit card number over the phone unless
you made the phone call and you know that you're dealing with a reputable company. And you should never have to disclose any other personal details, like your checking account or social security number.
4. If you think you are interested in the offer, always ask what's NOT included: 'service charges,' 'processing fees,' and taxes are typically added on after the fact -- and you'll be expected to pay for them.
Ask for specific details, too. Many travel scams are based
on really vague information -- for example, they'll use
phrases like 'major airline' without naming it.
5. Know that you can only dispute credit card charges within
60 days of acquiring them. So while it's a good idea to pay with your credit card (so that you can dispute the charge if it turns out you've been scammed), be wary of travel deals in which the 'availability' is more than 60 days away.
6. Never dial a 900 number to reach a travel agency or club.
No legitimate company requires you to pay for a 900 call to phone their customer service desk.
Also, beware of calling numbers with 809, 758, or 664 area codes. Many phone numbers seem ordinary, but are actually like unregulated 900 numbers located in the Caribbean -- and you could be charged exorbitant per minute rates.
7. Make sure you get copies of everything -- for example,
your receipts, your itinerary, and the company's
cancellation and refund policies.
8. Don't give in to high pressure tactics that perpetrators
of travel scams use to push you into making rash decisions. They may use lines like, "This offer expires at midnight" or "This is the last day that we'll be making this offer."
This doesn't give you time to check into the background of
the company making the offer, and they know it.
If it's such a great deal, why should they pressure you to decide without checking it out?
9. Don't ever make a payment before you receive all the information -- or even worse, some travel scams require you to pay to get the information.
Legitimate travel businesses will make sure you have all the details before you have to pay for anything.
10. Ask for references -- and contact them. Then be wary of references who simply seem to be parroting everything the travel company has told you.
These tips should keep you from being taken by travel scams
in the future. If you think you may have already been
scammed in the past, your state Consumer Dept. or Attorney General may be able to help.
You can find links to your state Attorney General's office
here:
http://www.findlaw.com/11stategov/indexag.html
We hope you have had -- or will have -- a great vacation
this summer!
Avoiding Travel Scams -- Getting a Good Deal Without Getting Ripped Off
Since we're in the travel season, it seemed like a good time
to focus on avoiding travel scams.
If you've been working too hard, the thought of a free (or
ultra-inexpensive) vacation might sound pretty appealing --
and scammers know that.
Travel scams are becoming much more common, and potential travelers need to become more wary.
Here are ten things you really need to know to avoid getting taken by travel scams:
1. If you are offered a travel deal by email, it's almost certainly a scam. Just about all bulk email travel deals (or free vacations) are scams.
If you are offered the travel deal by phone, be very
skeptical. If you're unfamiliar with the company, get its
name, address, and local telephone number. Check their track record if you can. (Unless you can find a legitimate local or regional office for the company, it's probably bogus.)
2. "If it sounds too good to be true..." Wouldn't we all
love to believe that we just won an all-expense-paid trip to the Bahamas or a weekend at Disneyland?
Listen for the details -- or read the 'fine print.'
In many travel scams, your airfare may be free, but there
could be a clause in the contract that says you must stay in particular accommodations -- which turn out to be outrageously expensive.
Another type of 'too good to be true' pitch is winning a contest or lottery. If the agent claims you've won a contest, get more details. Public contests and lotteries have rules and regulations -- and you normally have to 'enter' to win.
If you didn't enter, you didn't win anything. You'll just be asked to pay lots of fees. Don't -- it's a scam. If you've won a legitimate contest or lottery, it shouldn't cost you anything to get your winnings or prize.
3. Never give your credit card number over the phone unless
you made the phone call and you know that you're dealing with a reputable company. And you should never have to disclose any other personal details, like your checking account or social security number.
4. If you think you are interested in the offer, always ask what's NOT included: 'service charges,' 'processing fees,' and taxes are typically added on after the fact -- and you'll be expected to pay for them.
Ask for specific details, too. Many travel scams are based
on really vague information -- for example, they'll use
phrases like 'major airline' without naming it.
5. Know that you can only dispute credit card charges within
60 days of acquiring them. So while it's a good idea to pay with your credit card (so that you can dispute the charge if it turns out you've been scammed), be wary of travel deals in which the 'availability' is more than 60 days away.
6. Never dial a 900 number to reach a travel agency or club.
No legitimate company requires you to pay for a 900 call to phone their customer service desk.
Also, beware of calling numbers with 809, 758, or 664 area codes. Many phone numbers seem ordinary, but are actually like unregulated 900 numbers located in the Caribbean -- and you could be charged exorbitant per minute rates.
7. Make sure you get copies of everything -- for example,
your receipts, your itinerary, and the company's
cancellation and refund policies.
8. Don't give in to high pressure tactics that perpetrators
of travel scams use to push you into making rash decisions. They may use lines like, "This offer expires at midnight" or "This is the last day that we'll be making this offer."
This doesn't give you time to check into the background of
the company making the offer, and they know it.
If it's such a great deal, why should they pressure you to decide without checking it out?
9. Don't ever make a payment before you receive all the information -- or even worse, some travel scams require you to pay to get the information.
Legitimate travel businesses will make sure you have all the details before you have to pay for anything.
10. Ask for references -- and contact them. Then be wary of references who simply seem to be parroting everything the travel company has told you.
These tips should keep you from being taken by travel scams
in the future. If you think you may have already been
scammed in the past, your state Consumer Dept. or Attorney General may be able to help.
You can find links to your state Attorney General's office
here:
http://www.findlaw.com/11stategov/indexag.html
We hope you have had -- or will have -- a great vacation
this summer!
