One of the seasonal occurrences that always happens around Fair time is the incessant travel scams that become rampant about this time of year. The Abilene Better Business Bureau had a little heads up notice about that a week or so ago, and I thought I’d alert our readers to some of the travel scams that are out there. It is important to take notice because travel scams cost consumers more than $10 billion annually... that’s a lot of chicken feed!!!
So here you go. . . . watch out for those calls or cards that claim that you’ve won a “free” vacation. These deals are fully packed with a bunch of hidden fees, and a lot of time, the trip doesn’t even exist. They say that the trip is free, but you have to pay an administrative fee of $49.95 up to $99.95 to be able to have access to your award. Hang up, or throw that “come on” away!!
Have you received an e-mail from someone you know, a good friend, who is in London or some other foreign n location and their identification along with all their money has been stolen? They need you to send them some emergency cash through a bank wire transfer, and as soon as they get back home, they will certainly reimburse you. If anyone asks you to wire them money, that is a red flag as big as the giant flag that flies in front of a local car dealership.. . .don’t do it!!!
Here’s a good one that for some reason, a lot of folks fall for. You get a proposal to have “travel agent credentials” for only $99, and the card they will send you will give you deep discounts that are only available to travel agents. All you would need to do is visit with a professional travel agent and you would discover that we get the same discount any other traveler gets. For example, I asked for an agent discount at a hotel chain a while back and they quoted to me an agents rate of $129 a night plus tax, so I asked if there was a better rate than that and they then quoted a regular weekend rate of $99. . .a rate that anyone could get!! Don’t fall for that scam unless you want to throw away $99.
How about those travel clubs that some are touting? Travel club memberships may claim to offer deals on lodging, airfare, cruises or vacation packages, but the cost of membership often exceeds the perks you receive.
Here’s the best travel tip of the day. Like the Abilene Better Business Bureau suggests, exercise extreme caution when booking travel. You can protect yourself against travel-related fraud by doing business only with businesses you know and trust. black onexox
The professionals at The Travel Factory have been helping clients in the Big Country with their travel needs for over 25 years, some for 30+ years, so you can certainly allow us the pleasure of helping you with any travel preparation or question. We are here to serve the traveling public and are truly encouraged when you give us a chance. Call us at 698-1421 or toll-free 800-760-4040.