10 ways to protect yourself from spring break scams
By Terreece Clarke
Bone-chilling cold has many students thinking ahead to a warm, sunny spring break destination. Before sinking your Christmas money from Grandma into a fabulous getaway, read these top tips to keep Spring Break from becoming a busted spring.
1. If it’s too good to be true… Time and time again travelers are warned against the flyers! Touting! Great! Prices! And tons! Of! Exclamation! Points! If the only way you can get to Cancun is by hoping Slick Eddie’s $200 all-inclusive package is legit, you need to re-evaluate your trip.
2. Get it in writing and read it. The price, what’s included in the package, refund policies, itinerary — get it all in writing and be sure to read the fine print. Spring break scams rely on the fine print to insert huge fees, take away student’s rights to sue, etc., so bust out the magnifying glass.
3. Have mom or dad call. When sorority sister Kylie books a package, the extra fees are slathered on like self-tanner. When Bob J. Responsible Dad calls in, the booker is less likely to pull a fast one. Ageism sucks.
4. Avoid the squeeze. Don’t get it twisted: travel agents want to book the sale and they’ll use their sales training to get you to commit. There is a difference between trying to make the sale and high-pressure sales people who use guilt, lies and four different credit cards to book the trip — right now, before they will unlock the door.
5. Avoid last minute bookings. It’s going to cost a bundle — a big no-no in the Making Cents world; and it also increases the likelihood of being scammed. Nothing like the smell of desperation to bring out the sharks.
6. Get travel insurance. The ordeal of standing in the airport for three days waiting for your non-existent charter flight to appear will be less heartbreaking when you realize you can get your money back.
7. Check your charter flight. “…Call the Department of Transportation Public Charter Licensing Division (202-366-2396) to make sure the charter operator has properly filed to operate charter flights from your departure city to your destination,” the Federal Trade Commission’s Web site states. “Charter packages cannot be sold until the charter filing is approved by the DOT.”
8. Understand and don’t sign away your rights. Avoid any contract that asks you to sign away your right to sue. Standard Department of Transportation rules state “you have the right to cancel a charter package without penalty if the operator makes a “major change.” Major changes include a change of departure or return date or city, a hotel substitution to a property not named in the charter operator/participant contract, or a package price increase of more than 10 percent.”
9. Pay by credit card. Students have more protection from fraud using their credit cards than by paying with cash or check. Also, paying with credit card will expose any extra fees the company may charge for using a credit card, but smart students will have already read the contract.
10. Check out the tour operator. The Better Business Bureau, friends and Consumer Affairs Department of the American Society of Travel Agents (703-739-8739) are all great places to research travel and tour companies. Use more than one resource before settling on a company.
Spring break is a time of fun, friends and making memories; all it takes is a little planning and a bit of patience.
Originally Published: Issue 620 - January 30, 2008
 |
Share on Facebook |
