Travel Tips

Travel Tip: Avoiding Travel Scams

rentalHere’s the scene: you get an email or a call that you’ve won a free vacation. Great news, right?

Not really. You’re probably dealing with some of the oldest travel scams in the book.

Your first tip-off should be an obvious one: if the person on the phone tries to get personal information.

They may be subtle at first, but eventually they will ask for your credit card number to so called, “hold a reservation.”

In some cases, they’ll mail you a package to claim your prize but won’t send it until it’s too late to dispute the credit card charge.

And if you go on your trip, you might have to deal with time-share presentations, or terrible conditions, or you’re forced to pay for an upgrade.

So here’s some advice: never give out your credit card number unless you have a confirmed reservation in writing, including specific names of hotels and cruise lines, your booking numbers, what’s included in the total price and a copy of their cancellation and refund policies.

Remember, if it’s too good to be true, well, you know the rest.

For more advice on avoiding scams, check out Avoiding Classic Travel Scams.

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