The travel industry has reported a huge increase in the number of complaints related to scam Florida vacation packages. Following this report the Florida department of Agriculture and Consumer Services issued a consumer alert warning. The department recommends consumers to be cautious of automated calls or emails offering promotional holiday packages looking to have been marketed and offered by legitimate travel agencies, such as Expedia, Travelocity, TripAdvisor and more.
Adam H. Putnam, Commissioner of Agriculture, said;
“Consumers should always be cautious when receiving unsolicited phone calls or emails saying that they’ve won a ‘special promotion’ or ‘free luxury vacation, An educated consumer is the best defence against fraud and deception, and I encourage consumers to access our tips and resources at FreshFromFlorida.com.”
The department recovered nearly $3 million for Florida consumers last year from moving companies, vehicle repair shops, pawn shops, health studios, telemarketers, sellers of travel and more.
All consumers can help protect themselves against travel and holiday scams with the following tips:
- If the offer sounds too good to be true – it probably is.
- Never give your credit card information on an inbound call. Call the legitimate travel company back on their ABTA / ATOL registered details, not by the telephone number the cold caller may have given you.
- Read the entire terms and conditions thoroughly, ask questions and do not sign it if there is any doubt.
For more information regarding this article or assistance in any other timeshare related issues please contact the TCA on 01908 881058 or email: info@TimeshareConsumerAssociation.org.uk