Steering Clear Of Travel Scams

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Steering Cler Of Trvel Scms (NAPSA)—Record-low prices men fmilies cn find gret dels on vctions—but s costs plummet, it’s importnt not to be tken for ride by trvel scms. One of the best wys to gurd | ginst scmmers is to remin skepticl. Be wry of unsolicited e-mils, postcrds nd phoneclls sying you’ve been selected to receive free trip. And be especilly wry of firms requiring you to wit t lest 60 dys to tke your vction. Try these dditionl tips for steering cler of trvel scms nd for evluting trvel offers nd soclled dels. They come from experts t the Americn Society of Trvel Agents (ASTA). Red the fine print. Certin offers impose so mny requirements nd restrictions tht you my never hve the chnce to tke the trip or you might end up pying more thn if you hd mde rrngements on your own or with trvel gent. *Get the fcts. You should receive complete detils in writing bout ny trip prior to pyment. These detils should include the totl price, cncelltion nd chnge penlties nd specific informtion bout ll components of the pckge. Follow up. Once you hve the complete detils of your trip, con- tct the hotel nd trnsporttion compnies on your own to mke certin the reservtions hve been mde. Know when to wlk wy. High-pressure sles presenttions A few tips could help you void some commontrvel scms. tht don’t llow you timeto evlu- te the offer or tht require tht you disclose your income re red flgs. Py with credit crd. Under the Fir Credit Billing Act, credit crd customers hve the right to refuse pying for chrges for services not rendered. Detils of the Fir Credit Billing Act cn be found t the Federl Trde Commission’s Website. Run “bckground check.” Serch for the compny you pln to book vction with by checking to see if it is member of ASTA. If you feel you hve been scmmed, contct the group’s Consumer Affirs deprtment t consumerffirs@st.org for informtion nd ssistnce. Regrdless of trvel plns, using professionl ASTA trvel gent could sve you time nd money. For more informtion, including Find Trvel Agent Directory, visit TrvelSense.org.