specially selected to receive
our SPECTACULAR LUXURY
DREAM VACATION offer!
Have you ever been
tempted to sign up to win
a "free" trip at a fair, trade
show or restaurant? If so,
you may get a phone call,
letter, unsolicited fax, email
or postcard telling you that
you've won a vacation. Be
careful. It may be a "trip
trap." The vacation that
you've "won" likely isn't
free. And the "bargain-
priced" travel package
you're offered over the
telephone or Internet may
not fit your idea of luxury.
While some travel
opportunities sold over the
phone or offered through
the mail, Internet or by fax
are legitimate, many are
scams that defraud
consumers out of millions
of dollars each month.
The word "offer" can be a
clue to hidden charges.
When you get the phone
call, or place the call in
response to a postcard,
letter, fax or Internet ad,
you also get a sales pitch
for a supposedly luxurious
trip - one that you could
pay dearly for.
The salesperson may ask
for your credit card
number to bill your
account for the travel
package. Once you pay, you
receive the details of the
"package," which usually
include instructions for
making trip reservation
requests. Your request
often must be
accompanied by yet
another fee. In addition,
many offers require you to
pay upgrade costs to
receive the actual
destinations,
accommodations, cruises or
dates you were promised.
Some offers may require
you to pay more for port
charges, hotel taxes or
service fees.
See a pattern developing?
New charges are being
added every step of the
way. You may never get
your "bargain" trip because
your reservations may not
be confirmed or because
you must comply with
hard-to-meet hidden or
expensive "conditions."
Telemarketing travel scams
usually originate out of
"boiler rooms." Skilled
salespeople, often with
years of experience selling
dubious products and
services over the phone,
pitch travel packages that
may sound legitimate, but
often are not. These
pitches usually include:
Oral Misrepresentations.
Particular schemes vary, but
all fraudulent
telemarketers promise you
a "deal" they can't possibly
deliver. Unfortunately, you
won't know it until your
money's gone.
High Pressure/Time Pressure
Tactics. Scam operators
often say they need your
commitment to buy
immediately or that the
offer won't be available
much longer. They typically
brush aside questions or
concerns with vague
answers or assurances.
"Affordable" Offers. Unlike
fraudulent telemarketers
who try to persuade
people to spend thousands
of dollars on an investment
scheme, fraudulent travel
telemarketers usually pitch
club membership or
vacation offers in a lower
price range. The offers
sound reasonable and are
designed to appeal to
anyone who is looking for
a getaway.
Contradictory Follow-up
Material. Some companies
may agree to send you
written confirmation of
your deal. However, it
usually bears little
resemblance to the offer
you accepted over the
phone. The written
materials often disclose
additional terms,
conditions and costs.
How To Protect Yourself
Unpleasant surprises can
ruin a vacation, especially
when they cost money.
That's why it pays to
investigate a travel package
before you buy. But it can
be difficult to tell a
legitimate sales pitch from
a fraudulent one. Consider
these travelers' advisories:
Be wary of "great deals"
and low-priced offers. Few
legitimate businesses can
afford to give away
products and services of
real value or substantially
undercut other companies'
prices.
Don't be pressured into
buying. A good offer today
usually will be a good offer
tomorrow. Legitimate
businesses don't expect you
to make snap decisions.
Ask detailed questions.
Find out exactly what the
price covers and what it
doesn't. Ask about
additional charges. Get the
names of the hotel,
airports, airlines and
restaurants included in
your package. Consider
contacting these businesses
directly to verify
arrangements. Ask about
cancellation policies and
refunds. If the salesperson
can't give you detailed
answers, hang up.
If you decide to buy, find
out the name of the travel
provider - the company
that is getting your
reservations and tickets.
This company usually is not
the telemarketer.
Get all information in
writing before you agree to
buy. Once you receive the
written information, make
sure it reflects what you
were told over the phone
and the terms you agreed
to.
Don't buy part of the
package - the air fare or
hotel stay - separately from
the rest. If the deal is not
what you expected, it may
be difficult to get your
money back for the part of
the package you
purchased.
Don't give your credit card
number or bank
information over the
phone unless you know the
company. One easy way for
a scam operator to close a
deal is to get your credit
card number and charge
your account. Sometimes
fraudulent telemarketers
say they need the number
for verification purposes
only. Don't believe them.
Don't send money by
messenger or overnight
mail. Some scam artists
may ask you to send them
a check or money order
immediately. Others may
offer to send a messenger
to pick up your payment. If
you pay with cash or a
check, rather than a credit
card, you lose your right to
dispute fraudulent charges
under the Fair Credit Billing
Act. If you charged your
trip to a credit card, you
may dispute the charges by
writing to your credit card
issuer at the address
provided for billing
disputes. If possible, do this
as soon as you receive your
statement. In any case, the
law gives you up to 60 days
after the bill's statement
date to dispute the charge.
Check out the company
before you buy. Contact
the Attorney General in
your state or where the
company is located to see
if any complaints have
been lodged against the
travel firm or the travel
provider. Be aware that
fraudulent businesses often
change their names to
avoid detection.
If in doubt, say "no." Trust
your instincts. It's less risky
to turn down the offer and
hang up the phone.
Where to Complain
Several organizations can
provide additional
information and help you
with complaints.
Your state Attorney
General or the Attorney
General in the state where
the company is located
probably has a division that
deals with consumer
protection issues.
The American Society of
Travel Agents, Consumer
Affairs, at 1101 King Street,
Alexandria,VA 22314, may
be able to mediate your
dispute with an ASTA
member.
The FTC works for the
consumer to prevent
fraudulent, deceptive and
unfair business practices in
the marketplace and to
provide information to
help consumers spot, stop,
and avoid them. To file a
complaint or to get free
information on consumer
issues call toll-free, 1-877-
FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357);
TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The
FTC enters Internet,
telemarketing, identity
theft, and other fraud-
related complaints into
Consumer Sentinel, a
secure online database
available to hundreds of
civil and criminal law
enforcement agencies in
the U.S. and abroad.
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