Kiwis warned of overseas online travel booking scams

Cheapest deal not always a done one

Kiwis warned of overseas online travel booking scams

With the holiday season in full force, one of New Zealand’s leading travel companies is urging Kiwis to use travel outlets approved by The Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) when planning holidays, following reports of several online travel scams originating overseas.

House of Travel Retail Director, Brent Thomas, says the best way to avoid falling prey to these threats is to deal directly with travel consultants represented by TAANZ. By doing so, customers receive competitive travel deals and invaluable advice from some of the most experienced travel consultants in the country.

“We’ve been told that many New Zealanders and Australians have been targeted through social media, direct mail and websites purporting to be genuine travel sites, enticing customers with cheap deals and requesting credit card details,” Thomas says.

While some of these websites may be legitimate, Thomas says there are still risks in booking via offshore websites.

“There are examples of misleading website images, so called ‘cheap deals’ where the real cost significantly differs once the exchange rate is taken into account – and bookings that don’t mirror the required itinerary due to confusion around time differences.

“If this happens and people haven’t booked through a TAANZ certified travel consultant, they end up out of pocket and worse still, may have to deal with the situation on their own in a foreign country.

“It’s worth bearing in mind that when people purchase travel from an offshore website, consumer rights are governed through the country of origin so if anything goes awry, any legal action must be taken through foreign courts.

Thomas also highlights that the risks are no less when booking travel than when travelling itself and stresses the importance of purchasing travel insurance before embarking on overseas travel.

“Your certified Travel Consultant will always recommend you purchase travel insurance - it can be the difference between an average holiday and a great one. And although it’s an added cost, the potential benefits far outweigh the additional budget.”

A Kiwi family recently discovered the perils of a lack of travel insurance when their young son came down with chicken pox and had to be flown home suddenly from family Christmas celebrations in Rotorua to Christchurch.

The van Gelder family had to pay an extra $300 for the new tickets - a cost that may have been avoided for an extra $40 for travel insurance.

“Unfortunately, unexpected incidents like this do happen – and can end up costing people added money, time and stress during their holidays. Things don’t always go according to plan when travelling, but booking through a professional travel consultancy like House of Travel definitely helps minimise the effect it has on your holiday and the risk of being stranded without help,” adds Thomas.

ENDS