Tis The Season To Be Merry and Wise

The holiday travel season is upon us.  Tis the season to be merry and cautious.  Scammers love  the holiday season because they know that you are often too distracted with holiday shopping, traveling  and family gatherings to pay attention to their sneaky tactics. Travel scams vary  widely, from pickpockets to legal resort charges–don’t assume that legitimate businesses can’t legally scam you, because many can and will. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) reports that Americans are tricked out of $10 billion per year in travel-related scams. From shady cab drivers that take you “the long route” around town  to the  “too good to be true” vacation packages, here’s what to be aware of: Surprise “Extra”  Fees Travel companies often quote ridiculously low prices and then tack on huge fees for things you expected to be included, such as the use of the pool, gym or even electricity (a hotel in Las Vegas tried the electricity thing with me once).  Even if you don’t use the gym or pool, resorts can require all guests to pay their “resort fee,” which can make your vacation a lot more expensive than you expected. Rental Car Scams When you rent a car, you are given the opportunity to look for and report damage before you drive it off the lot so that you aren’t charged for damage you didn’t cause. However, some shady companies count on you being to busy to not notice  hidden damage such as under the car so that they can charge you for it later. Cabbies Some rogue cabbies will  set  the meter for the night/weekend rate during a weekday.  Another cabby scam is the well know taking the longer  “scenic” route to people who are not familiar with the area. Imposters A typical way travelers get scammed is by people pretending to be someone they’re not. For example, it’s becoming increasingly common for scammers to call hotel guests in the middle of the night claiming to be the front desk attendant. They say there was a problem with your credit card and need the number again, counting on the fact that you’re too sleepy to be suspicious and just give them your number.   If you have been the victim of a scam or hotel “hidden fees” please give my office, The Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman a call today at (877) 449-8898