Buy
vacation travel from an online business you can
trust!
Use the Florida Tourism Board website
to conducting a search using the company name. You
may be at a disadvantage if you are dealing with
a telemarketer who has no responsibility to you
after the sale. Avoid buying from a firm that wants
to send a courier for your payment or asks you to
send your payment by overnight delivery - the business
may be trying to avoid detection and charges of
mail or wire fraud.
Verify arrangements before you pay by credit
card or check:
Get the details of the vacation plan
in writing (via email) and a copy of the cancellation
and refund policies. Get the names, addresses, and
telephone numbers of the lodgings, airlines or cruise
ships you’ll be using. Use a credit card to make
your purchase, should you not get what you paid
for, it will allow you to dispute the charges with
your credit card company.
If it sounds too good to be true…
"You have been specifically
selected to receive a SPECTACULAR LUXURY DREAM VACATION
OFFER" doesn’t mean that you are going to get
a free vacation - it means you have the opportunity
to pay for a trip. Whether the trip is a luxury
or not is a matter of definition. "Subject
to availability" means that you may not be
able to get the accommodations you want when you
want them. "Blackout periods" are blocks
or dates, typically around holidays or peak season,
when no discount travel is available.
Don’t be pressured into buying today!
A good offer today will be a good
offer tomorrow. Legitimate businesses don’t expect
you to make snap decisions.
Beware
of unsolicited travel opportunities.
If a travel opportunity sounds too
good to be true, it probably isn't. Either they
will take your money and run, or there are hidden
charges. For example, many "free vacations"
or "vacation giveaways" require you to
stay at specific hotels, which offer high rates.
Beware of low-priced travel bargains.
Unsolicited offers involving Florida
or Hawaii, and opportunities that try to pressure
you into buying on the spot.
If
you are a Senior Citizen, be especially careful.
Travel scam artists will try to confuse and manipulate
you.
Ask detailed questions (e.g., what
is covered by the price and what isn't, whether
there are any additional charges, the names of the
hotels, airlines, airports, and restaurants, exact
dates and times, cancellation policies, and refund
policies).
Never give personal information,
including credit card numbers, social security numbers,
bank account numbers, or similar information to
an unsolicited telephone salesperson. If you must,
ask for a telephone number and call them back the
next day, after you've had time to check them out.
Check the status of the company using the Florida
Tourism Board Public Information Database.
