[schild=15 fontcolor=000000 shadowcolor=C0C0C0 shieldshadow=1]Watch Out for Travel Fraud[/schild]

OK, I see there is a lot of people who became victim of a fraud related to Bahamas. How can we prevent it or at least not fall for it?
This is a big problem and I think such a nice place has so much to lose because of this kind of comments.

Irene wrote:How can we prevent it or at least not fall for it?

Irene,

Good topic to discuss. Here is my advice as a traveler and webmaster for CaribbeanMag.com.

1.) If it sounds too good to be true it's probably masked by a scam or some other "gotcha" after you show up at a hotel - sales pitches, hard sales tactics, hidden fees/costs etc. (Also, sometimes these offers are masked by limited availability making very hard to redeem your trip/hotel room.)

2.) I get calls all the time for "free trips" "prize trips" "cheap trips" "discounted trips" ... etc. I never accept any of these "special offers" and politely say no thank you and hang up.

I know it's tempting sometimes to accept a great offer when it's presented to you. And not ALL offers are a scam though most telemarketed ones are - to some extent.

If you are interested in an offer that sounds respectable do research on the company and all parties involved in the offer.

1.) Check out the sales agent selling the trip - internet searches & BBB.
2.) Check out the hotel/resort/condo where you will be staying.
2.) Check out a chartered airline if one is involved.
4.) Check out a car rental company if one is involved.

If the "special offer/deal" is ONLY available while you are on the phone with the sales agent it's a SCAM.

Personally the only free trip I would accept would be from a reputable company where I had "registered" for a sweepstakes. Many online travel sites do offer random sweepstakes where they give away a free trip. Usually this is a co-promotion with a hotel looking to market/promote their hotel.

Where to find the best deals?

On average .... --->

1.) For smaller hotels and properties I have found working directly with the property can get one the best deals. Also, specialized travel agents that market to a specific island or The Caribbean only can get good deals from small hotels and pass savings on to travelers.

2.) For larger hotels/resorts/all-inclusives I find that dealing with a third party/agent gets the best deals. Most large resorts have "set" rack rates, that by contract with there wholesale agents, do not change. At times I have found fantasic offers on Expedia. Other times working with a large travel wholesale company like Apple can be very advantagous.

Either way I always try to find a hotels website to compare rates with what's being listed with Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz and other Caribbean websites that offer hotel reservations.

Meta Travel Engines also offer a quick comparision of rates (http://publications.mediapost.com/index ... an&s=30131):

- http://www.mobissimo.com
- http://www.kayak.com
- http://farechase.yahoo.com/

Also:
http://www.smartertravel.com/

i have sent out mass emails to everyone i know and those i don't telling them about the scam run by this company. i was charged aprox 1000$ for vacation pkgs i've never recieved. My partner accepted this offer thought it was a great deal but gave our credit card number to reserve this an hour later i called back told them i didn't want this promo pkg they had already put it on the credit card. I'm still fighting this, with no intent to stop. Worst part is i'm a bank manager. but once a number is given out it's hell to try to get it back hope it doesn't happen to you. All of the customers at the bank i run have been informed of these people as well as the other banks hope it saves some.

some info
i managed to capture some info off the add
here it is
One winnder per household. Today's winner will receive a cruise for up to four persons. No purchase necessary to receive cruise.
All winners are responsible for port and service fees and appropriate taxes at the time of travel. Travel Shopping Spree cannot be
transferred to third parties and cannot be redeemed for cash money. Travel Shopping Spree can be used as a discount on our
promotional vacations only. $2100 represents the discount value you can receive at time of purchase. Void were prohibited by
law! Special-T-Travel.com Seller of travel #ST23944

T-Travel.com Seller

I can't stress too much the importance of checjking things out on sites like tripadviser

I've never been to the Bahamas but I guess you have to check things out thoroughly before signing up and give away your credit card. I remember in the past I got some exciting phone calls from people claiming that I won a prize and I have to sign up to go on a free vacation... Well I am not that stupid...There are no free lunches! Just hang up on them; of course they are pushy - they are sales people. If you can't get rid of them, hang up.