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"....Be careful.....
.....travel, phone, fraudulent, usually, credit, charges, package, credit card, company, information, offer, card, offers, receive, consumer, legitimate....."


"..... Be careful. Be careful.....
.....travel, phone, fraudulent, usually, credit, charges, package, credit card, company, information, offer, card, offers, receive, consumer, legitimate....."

Hello...you have been particularly 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. And the 'bargain-priced' travel package you're offered over the telephone or Internet may not fit your conception of luxury. It may be a 'trip trap.' The vacation that you've 'won' likely isn't free. When you get the phone call, or dot 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.

While some travel opportunities sold over the phone or offered through the mail, Internet or by fax are legitimate, several are scams that defraud consumers out of millions of dollars each month.

The word 'offer' can be a clue to hidden charges. Once you pay, you receive the details of the 'package,' which usually include instructions for making trip reservation requests.

The salesperson may ask for your credit card number to bill your account for the travel package. In addition, myriad offers demand you to pay upgrade costs to receive the actual destinations, accommodations, cruises or dates you were promised. Your requisition oft must be accompanied by yet another fee.

See a pattern developing? New charges are being supplementary every step of the way. Some offers may desire you to pay more for port charges, hotel taxes or service fees. These pitches usually include:

Oral Misrepresentations. You may to no degree get your 'bargain' trip behind the scenes your reservations may not be confirmed or you must comply with hard-to-meet hidden or precious 'conditions.'

Telemarketing travel scams usually originate out of 'boiler rooms.' Skilled salespeople, perpetually with years of experience selling dubious products and services over the phone, pitch travel packages that may sound legitimate, but every moment are not. Unfortunately, you won't know it until your money's gone. Particular schemes vary, but all fraudulent telemarketers promise you a 'deal' they can't in harmony deliver. Scam operators oft say they need your commitment to buy immediately or that the offer won't be available much longer.

High Pressure/Time Pressure Tactics.

'Affordable' Offers. They typically brush aside questions or concerns with vague answers or assurances. The offers sound reasonable and are designed to appeal to anyone who is looking for a getaway. 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 cost range. Some companies may agree to send you written confirmation of your deal.

Contradictory Follow-up Material. The scribbled materials perpetually lay open supplementary terms, conditions and costs. However, it usually bears little resemblance to the offer you accepted over the phone. That's why it pays to investigate a travel package before you buy.

How To Protect Yourself

Unpleasant surprises can ruin a vacation, especially when they cost money. Consider these travelers' advisories:
Be wary of 'great deals' and low-priced offers. But it can be troublesome to tell a legitimate sales pitch from a fraudulent one.

Don't be pressured into buying. Few legitimate businesses can afford to give away products and services of correct survey or undercut other companies' prices. Legitimate businesses don't expect you to make explosion decisions. A service offer today usually will be a weal offer tomorrow. Find out exactly what the cost covers and what it doesn't.
Ask detailed questions. Get the names of the hotel, airports, airlines and restaurants included in your package. Ask about added charges. Ask about cancellation policies and refunds. Consider contacting these businesses directly to verify arrangements.

If you decide to buy, find out the name of the travel provider - the company that is getting your reservations and tickets. If the salesperson can't give you detailed answers, hang up.
Get all information in script before you agree to buy. This company usually is not the telemarketer. If the deal is not what you expected, it may be hard to get your capital lumbar for the part of the package you purchased. Once you receive the scribbled information, make sure it reflects what you were told over the phone and the terms you in conformity to.

Don't buy part of the package - the air fare or hotel stay - in the abstract from the rest. One tractable way for a scam operator to plug a deal is to get your credit card number and charge your account.

Don't give your credit card number or bank information over the phone unless you know the company. Don't them. Sometimes fraudulent telemarketers say they need the number for verification purposes only. Some scam artists may ask you to send them a check or wherewithal order immediately.

Don't send assets by emissary or overnight mail. 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. Others may offer to send a legate to pick up your payment. If possible, do this as soon as you receive your statement. If you charged your trip to a credit card, you may dispute the charges by manuscript to your credit card issuer at the address provided for billing disputes.

Check out the company before you buy. In any case, the law gives you up to 60 days the bill's statement date to dispute the charge. Be aware that fraudulent businesses oft change their names to avoid detection. Contact the Attorney General in your mood or where the company is abode to see if any complaints have been lodged against the travel firm or the travel provider. It's at the bottom risky to circumambulate down the offer and hang up the phone.

If in doubt, say 'no.' Trust your instincts.

Your aspect Attorney General or the Attorney General in the category where the company is lodging seemingly has a division that deals with consumer protection issues.

Where to Complain

Several organizations can make provision information and help you with complaints. To deduction 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 American Society of Travel Agents, Consumer Affairs, at 1101 King Street, Alexandria,VA 22314, may be able to arbitrate 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 forage information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, self theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a guarantee online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S....'

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