Don't Get Taken by a Tricky Travel Scam

March 31, 2006 — -- Spring break is winding down and summer vacations are right around the corner, so as you're starting to make those summer travel plans, you should know tricky travel offers are consistently among the top five consumer complaints. Americans lose $12 billion every year to travel fraud.

I think it happens because we're so hungry for rest and relaxation that we're vulnerable to promises of paradise. The most common come-on makes it seem as if you've won a free vacation. I fell for this once myself back in my college days. If you pay attention, you'll notice that the trick is in the wording.

Clare E. thought she had won a free cruise to the Bahamas. After all, she received a "certificate of authenticity" in the mail --complete with a confirmation number. Luckily, Clare contacted me to ask if she should pack her bags. I read her offer and noticed that it didn't say she had received a "fabulous vacation." It said she had received a "fabulous vacation offer." In other words, Clare was being given the chance to spend her own money on a cruise! That is absolutely typical. Poor Clare. The company had gotten her hopes up, so she didn't want to believe me. She ignored my advice and called the salesman back. Sure enough, he asked her for $1,200 to pay for the trip she had "won." That's when Clare wised up.

What if she hadn't? What would have happened? Some travel offers are run by creative con artists who just take your money and run. But many do result in a trip for you -- often a trip to hell and back. Some consumers report that their dream vacation turned out to be a week's stay in a crime-ridden neighborhood across a freeway from the beach in a cockroach-infested motel. Other travelers have complained that they got to their destination only to find that the travel promoter never made a reservation and the hotel didn't have a room for them.

Some travel-offer promoters make it almost impossible for you to book the trip you've paid for. They pile on the conditions and restrictions so you can't go anywhere, but then they refuse to give you a refund. Other vacation peddlers don't disclose upfront that almost nothing is included in their offer --