5 Ways to Avoid Travel Scams

What are the (Travel Scam) Odds?

Raise your hand if you have been a victim of travel scams!

I can recall a ‘small instance’ in comparison to some of the stuff I’ve seen as of late.

Ironically it didn’t happen on a solo trip.

There’s no doubt that if all my steps were applied, we could have avoided being duped.

I had a friend come along with me to Essence Festival. She was excited about a pool party added to the weekend’s festivities.

The Faint Voice of Reason (In avoiding travel scams)

I was hesitant about attending this new event. I like to have reviews or some type of reference.

It was her first time and I didn’t want to ruin the trip in any way.

We selected the VIP tickets.

We didn’t want to be ‘standing around looking cute’. Our preference was to be ‘sitting’.

The party had a 4^th Of July theme to match the weekend. Bathing suits and accessories were carefully selected to adhere to this.

I Told You So!

Once we arrived, no one was present for check-in. There were others already waiting to do the same.

None of us were too happy with standing outside waiting!

I refused to say “I told you so”. Even then, I tried to remain positive.

Once the promoter showed up he took our tickets and gave a vague description of where to go.

Strike two for organization/professionalism.

We found our way to the pool area which looked more like a jacuzzi.

Though we hadn’t planned on swimming, we still wanted access to the area.

A pool of endless disappointments

The pool was already small and a crowd had gathered around it.

No pic opportunities there!

Since the promoter had just showed up, we couldn’t tell if these people were a part of the event or hotel guests.

We ‘asked around’ for the VIP area.

As we walked up long and wide steps, I began to get hopeful that things would get better from here on out.

I’m no expert on VIP sections but I know they don’t consist of three chairs and a bartender’s cart. Only one chair was empty.

At this point, I wasn’t going to ‘rub it in’. We both decided to make the best of things and get the almost $100 each ticket’s worth.

“V.I.” What?

We stood in line for drinks only to hear that they were out of cups, juices and certain alcohols. The party had just started.

It was hard to comprehend why a paid event that didn’t even have food was so chaotic!

We waited to get our ‘whatever you have left’ drink and made our exit.

The picture above was my attempt to have some type of good memory of that day. It was a big waste of time and more importantly money.

Things can go wrong with any event but if you don’t have transparent communication where you admit fault and try to fix it, then this is defined as a travel scam.

This and two other recent travel scams have happened in New Orleans.

Heavily touristed areas can be a magnet for opportunists. It’s wise to be careful wherever you go.

Follow my steps below to avoid being deceived on a small or large scale.

The Five Steps to Avoid Travel Scams

1. Book your own travel

This is the best way to avoid scams as long as you’re using reputable companies. I can’t vouch for your aunt that just started her own travel business or even your FB friend who’s always offering her services.

Many like the convenience and ‘perks’ that travel agents may offer.

That’s not my preference! Be very careful if it’s yours!

Trip Advisor, Booking.com, Priceline (especially for cruises), Skyscanner and Expedia have worked well for me. As with any booking please read and make sure to understand the terms/conditions/fine print.

By choosing this option, you can also book directly with the merchant. In some cases, I’ve found airline tickets for less because only their website offered a certain type of seat.

Most of these websites have customer service phone numbers. It’s comforting to know I can call someone to dispute a matter with these companies.

Most of them have social media accounts where your voice can be heard.

They will usually try to settle matters directly with the customer.  No one likes to receive negative press!

Seek and you shall find

2. Research, Research, Research

Reviews are your best friend. If you’ve never read through them, you’d be surprised at how detailed they are.

They are usually dated with the most recent on top.

If there’s not a way to review this business or read the previous reviews, you may want to reconsider.

Check the Better Business Bureau’s website. If a disgruntled customer has an unresolved issue most likely they will file a complaint there.

One of the accused travel scammers I referred to had multiple reported offenses on this site. A quick website check can save you a lot of pain and suffering down the road.

A need to know

As I did with the pool party, ask yourself how experienced this person/business is. I’m not saying you can’t work with a new company but the risks are greater for travel scams.

What is this person’s reputation?

Many times, we want to believe the best about people/businesses and ignore what their reputation is saying.

I’m a part of a few travel groups.

I have read comments from moderators tagging event organizers that were not fulfilling their promises.

I never followed up to confirm if these were isolated incidents. Now that the story has gone viral, I’m seeing they weren’t.

These were important clues I could have innocently overlooked!

Also, travel groups on social media like Facebook, will many times show you what they want you to see. The travel group being investigated did not approve any comments that had negative views about their practices.

If travelers wanted to vent about a negative trip experience, those weren’t allowed either!

One way ticket to prison

One travel agent scammed Essence Festival attendees out of $80k with fake promises of hotel bookings, transportation, event tickets, etc.

You can read of her travel scams and conviction here. These travelers showed up to fully booked hotels with no reservations under their names.

TIP: For group bookings, always confirm directly with airlines and hotels before travel.

Some that did get rooms, did not get event tickets and so on. The male being accused also had ties to allegedly defrauding Essence Festival goers.

It’s helpful to get familiar with your state travel laws. I found out recently that California, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Nevada, and Washington require that you have a seller of traveler registration regardless of where you do business.

This is a license that must be displayed online or at the business’ physical location.

Reading is Fundamental

3. Read Terms and Conditions

I mentioned this under research. It needs repeating.

Read the terms and conditions! There are usually deadlines to receive deposits back or to get full refunds.

You don’t want to give money until you’re familiar with the rules. If you have any questions, you should be able to call and get clarity in a timely manner.

TIP: Screenshot the terms and conditions page for future reference.

Observe the Signals

4. Don’t Ignore Red Flags

I’ve pored over victims’ accounts from recent travel scams and there seems to be a pattern. Once initial payment is received, communication slows down.

Or there may a lot of problems with payment processing. The website may not be professional or equipped to handle large volumes.

If you have made a travel deposit and are now pursuing this person/business this may be a bad sign. Most of the accusers recalled unanswered voicemails, extremely delayed responses and no clear answers to valid questions.

TIP: From #3, if there are no rules in place for refunds, you may want to consider this a red flag.

TIP: Go with your gut to avoid travel scams!

Don’t bank on it

5. If you still want to book after doing all of the above: Use a Credit Card

The second alleged travel scam story making the news involves an online travel group leader of over 300k members.

There are numerous accounts of travelers calling foul, fraud, and theft.

The largest amount in question is $550k.

Many of their stories speak about ongoing disputes with banks since personal debit cards were used.

Credit cards are more equipped by design to handle these matters.

They may offer travel protection insurance. You can get this on your own.

I mentioned injuring my ankle in this blog and the travel insurance was very helpful.

For peace of mind and to not have a dispute in limbo indefinitely, please use a major credit card.

If you don’t have one consider that as a sign to get one or not take the trip.

I have heard success stories of people getting refunds and court wins from this alleged travel scam.

It involves a lot of legal paperwork and “back and forth” with these banks/courts.  

You don’t want to be in their shoes!

TIP: Never pay with cash unless you get a detailed receipt.

Time is Money

Traveling can be one of the most worthwhile and fulfilling parts of life. I would even go as far as saying addictive!

It requires money.

Time IS money. Don’t waste your hard-earned money without due diligence.

Your traveling time should be used on vacation, not to chase thieves!

You want to get everything you paid for and beyond! Never below!

I hope that these tips will help you. If you can think of any more, let me know below.

~Poof…Bee Gone

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