BBB Warns Travelers to be Wary when Using Travel Agencies

Anchorage, AK–April 15, 2008—Your taxes are filed and you are awaiting your return. You would like to use that extra money you will receive to help pay for that much needed vacation. Well, your BBB has a warning about the many travel scams that emerge this time of the year.

Travel agency scams come in many forms—postcards, faxes, phone calls, or via the Internet. They commonly offer stories from consumers who have won vacations, found bargain-priced travel packages, or other great deals. The savings these agencies promise are extremely tempting to consumers because of the high cost of travel and the difficulty of coordinating vacations on their own.

The BBB warns of the sales tactics used at some travel agencies. Many times, travel agencies will ask consumers for a credit card number and then bill the account for a travel package without the consumer’s full approval. After paying, consumers may receive a variety of forms requesting them to make arrangements for the dates, locations, and almost every detail of the trip. Each request brings an added fee and consumers often have to pay “upgrade costs” to reserve the specific dates and locations they were originally promised.

In order to avoid these situations, your BBB offers the following advice when considering travel packages:

• Contact your BBB to receive free reliability reports on travel agencies in your area. Also, get referrals from friends and family on who they have used.
• Request all paperwork from any agency you intend to use and read the rules carefully to determine all costs involved. It will be your responsibility to pay for anything not specifically mentioned in the contract.
• Until you receive complete details of total costs, terms and conditions in writing, do not offer any payment to the company. Don’t be pressured by a “limited time offer.”
• Find out what the company will do if it can’t match your request for a specific vacation time. If they offer refunds, get information on how and when you will receive it.
• Before traveling, confirm arrangements directly with the airlines, cruise lines, hotels, timeshare resorts, restaurants and attractions that are included in your trip.
• Protect your Social Security number (SSN), credit card and debit card numbers, PINs, passwords and other personal information. Never provide this information in response to an unsolicited phone call, fax, letter or email.

About the BBB serving Alaska, Oregon, and Western Washington
Your BBB is a not-for-profit organization funded by BBB accredited businesses. The BBB's mission is to be the leader in advancing marketplace trust. For more information about the services and products provided by your BBB, call 907-562-0704 in Alaska, 206-431-2222 or 253-830-2924 in Washington, 503-212-3022 in Oregon, or visit our Web site at www.bbb.org.