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Top Document: FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 2/4 [Monthly posting] Previous Document: [2-8] Companion Tickets Next Document: [2-10] Missed Connections See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge
When planning a trip, here are some tips for avoiding travel scams.
+ Beware of unsolicited travel opportunities.
+ There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. If a travel
opportunity sounds like a "great deal", it probably isn't.
Either they'll take your money and run, or there are hidden
charges. For example, many so-called "free vacations" or
"vacation giveaways" require you to stay at a specific hotel --
at exorbitant rates.
+ Beware of extremely low-priced offers, unsolicited offers
involving Florida or Hawaii, and opportunities that try to pressure
you into buying on the spot.
+ If you're elderly, be especially careful. Scam artists will try
to confuse and manipulate you.
+ Ask detailed questions (e.g., what is covered by the price and
what isn't, whether there are any additional charges, the names
of the hotels, airlines, airports, and restaurants, exact dates
and times, cancellation policies, and refund policies), and get
it all in writing before you buy anything.
+ Never give personal information, including credit card numbers,
social security numbers, bank account numbers, or similar
information to an unsolicited telephone salesperson. If you
must, ask for a telephone number and call them back the next day,
after you've had time to check them out. Call the Better
Business Bureau and use the telephone number to verify if
they're a legitimate business, and if so, whether there have
been any complaints. You can also check out the company with the
state attorney general's office and the local consumer
protection agency.
+ Pay for purchases with a credit card, never with a check or
money order. When you pay for purchases with a credit card,
you're protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act against
fraudulent charges.
+ Never give out your frequent flyer number over the phone, unless
you initiated the call.
+ Don't assume that just because a company places advertisements
in a newspaper or has a toll-free 800 number, it must be safe. It
takes time for a company to generate enough complaints for a Federal
Trade Commission to start an investigation. Moreover, not all
800 numbers are toll-free these days, and its possible for an
individual to get their own toll-free number.
+ Do not give your tickets to anyone other than an agent of the
airline at the ticketing/check-in counter, the gate, or the
airlines offices. A common scam is for someone wearing a uniform
similar to that of the airline to provide some excuse for taking
your tickets (e.g., claiming there is a problem with the tickets).
If you're not sure that someone is an airline employee, check
their ID with the airline.
+ If you've encountered a problem, or are suspicious of an offer,
call the National Fraud Information Center, a hotline operated
by the National Consumers League. The number is 800-876-7060 and
can be reached from 9 to 5 EDT during the week. You can also
call the local Better Business Bureau, the State Bureau of Consumer
Protection, and the Attorney General's Office.
A good booklet to read is "Telemarketing Travel Fraud", a free
publication of the Federal Trade Commission. Call 202-326-2222 for a
copy, or write to Federal Trade Commission, Public Reference Branch,
Room 130, Sixth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580.
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Last Update March 27 2014 @ 02:12 PM
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