travel dance denuncias

• Mis Empresas
• Dólar BNA $ 964,00 0,05%
• Dólar Blue $ 1.350,00 -0,37%
• DÓLAR CCL $ 1.301,96 0,98%
• Dólar Tarjeta $ 1.542,40 0,05%
• DÓLAR MEP $ 1.283,64 0,03%
• DÓLAR MAYORISTA $ 962,07 0,05%

Tras la polémica con Travel Rock, otra agencia de viajes de egresados suma cientos de denuncias y es acusada de estafa

En distintas provincias, padres de alumnos de primaria y secundaria argumentan que la empresa se esfumó y dudan que sus hijos puedan viajar. en algunos casos, hubo cambios en los itinerarios programados.

Agustina Devincenzi

Tras la polémica de los últimos días con Travel Rock, otra agencia de viajes de egresados es acusada de estafa y suma cientos de denuncias judiciales por parte de padres que contrataron el servicio. Argumentan que London Travel les vendió los paquetes, pero 'desapareció' , por lo que no saben si sus hijos de primaria y secundaria podrán viajar.  

Los reclamos se intensificaron el fin de semana en distintas provincias. En Río Negro , hay afectadas familias de once primarias y secundarias de diferentes municipios. La firma será investigada por el Ministerio Público Fiscal de Roca en el marco de una causa por "presunta estafa ", según informó el medio local  Río Negro. 

Los padres denuncian que son víctimas   porque la compañía de turismo estudiantil se esfumó, no contesta los mensajes, abandonó su local en el centro de la ciudad y desapareció sin aviso . Todo comenzó cuando un coordinador de viajes que les comercializó los paquetes les envió una nota comunicando su renuncia a la empresa. 

Algunos pagaron varias cuotas del contrato, con un desembolso promedio de $ 90.000 por alumno para viajes a realizarse en noviembre. En viajes pautados para 2024 y 2025, los valores ascienden a $ 650.000. Y si se agrega el pasaje aéreo, hay que sumarle unos $ 100.000. A otros, ya les habían cancelado las reservas , previo al suceso. A eso se sumó que el hotel elegido para  la estadía negó una vinculación con la agencia.

London Travel tiene antecedentes penales.  Uno de los primeros fallos en Río Negro, de San Antonio Oeste, hace poco más de un año, condenó el 5 de julio de 2022 a la firma con razón social Bienes G y G S.A.  a abonarle a una usuaria damnificada $ 50.000 en un plazo de 10 días desde su notificación. Lo resolvió el juez de paz subrogante, Federico Garriga Lacaze.  En el Juzgado Civil N° 3 de Roca, ya hay un expediente abierto contra esta empresa , del 17 de agosto de 2021. Dos años más tarde, el caso aún no tiene sentencia.

A clientes de la localidad bonaerense de Olavarría, les ofrecieron cambiar el viaje a Bariloche que sacaron con PreViaje a Córdoba y sin reintegro del 50%. " La empresa no daría el reintegro de la mitad del valor porque hay una actualización del sistema", indicaron algunos padres. El año pasado, la agencia ya había sido imputada por la Dirección Provincial de Defensa de los Derechos de las y los Consumidores por dejar a 20 chicos sin viaje.

Travel Rock suma denuncias

Travel Rock está en la mira también en varias provincias. En La Rioja, estudiantes de varias escuelas aseguran que debieron cambiar sus planes y viajar a Bariloche en colectivo , cuando la agencia prometía que había sacado un charter y que iba a llevarlos en un vuelo directo. 

En otros distritos, como Formosa , también saltó a la luz el tema, con 160 alumnos perjudicados, respectivamente.   Chicos de distintos colegios tenían que salir rumbo a Bariloche.  Sin embargo,  el vuelo se suspendió. La empresa les explicó a los padres que se trató de una "reprogramación" y no de una "cancelación". 

Según la versión de los padres, se les informó que el vuelo saldría de Resistencia hacia Bariloche, pero anteriormente les habían dicho que despegaría directamente desde Formosa con Andes Líneas Aéreas , aerolínea que volvió a volar luego de interrumpir sus servicios antes de la pandemia. Travel Rock cambió el itinerario alegando que el aeropuerto de Formosa no estaba apto para un avión de tal magnitud. 

#LaRioja - ¡PAGASTE AVIÓN PERO TE LLEVAN EN COLECTIVO! %uD83D%uDE8DPagaron un viaje estudiantil a Bariloche en avión, pero deberán ir en colectivo porque el vuelo no está disponible. Padres reclamaron en la empresa Travel Rock, a donde adquirieron los paquetes pic.twitter.com/zsfcmZQrdm — Laboranti News (@LaborantiNews) July 5, 2023

En Misiones, 180 estudiantes se quedaron sin vuelo de vuelta y sin una fecha confirmada para su regreso. Por eso, padres de los afectados denunciaron falta de atención así como deficiencias en la calidad de los servicios brindados. También hubo inconvenientes en Río Negro, Chaco y La Pampa.

El Cronista intentó comunicarse con Travel Rock, pero no consiguió respuesta. Según pudo constatar con fuentes vinculadas al Ministerio de Turismo y Deportes de la Nación , la semana pasada se llevó adelante una reunión con la Dirección de Agencias , donde autoridades de la empresa se mostraron predispuestos a dialogar y aclararon que están intentando solucionar los problemas con el servicio de varios contingentes. 

A su vez, en ese encuentro, la empresa destacó que incumplimientos de años anteriores ya fueron   subsanados en línea con lo previsto en la Ley Nacional Nº 18.829, que regula la actividad de los agentes de viajes, así como las normas nacionales 25.599 y 26.208, y la Resolución Nº 23/14 referida a turismo estudiantil.

Entre las compensaciones que la compañía asegura haber dado, se encuentran vuelos de Andes, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Flybondi, American Jet y Lade para personas que viajen directo a Bariloche ; además de contrataciones con nuevos hoteles y devoluciones de diferencia de dinero en los casos en los que se cambió el traslado de avión a micro por problemas climáticos.

Recientemente, Neuquén emitió un comunicado sobre turismo estudiantil en el marco del Programa de Fiscalización y Habilitación Turística de la provincia. Indicó que todos los viajes de egresados, estudios o excursiones que organicen instituciones educativas públicas o privadas con destino dentro o fuera del país deberán ser contratados a través de una agencia de viajes debidamente registrada y habilitada por la cartera a cargo del ministro Matías Lammens. En ese sentido, se reforzó la importancia de ofrecer datos de contacto.

• agencias de viajes
• viajes de egresados
• denuncia judicial

Empresas apuestan a sostener los viajes corporativos para incentivar a sus equipos

Ignacio ortiz, las agencias de viajes contra el dnu: harán un registro privado para evitar estafas, empresas de turismo prevén que este mes no se recuperarán del golpe de la devaluación, las más leídas de negocios, se duplicó la demanda de argentinos para viajar a brasil, con el real devaluado, una minera canadiense desembarca en el país con la compra de 7 proyectos de cobre por u$s 7 millones, el auto 0 km más barato del mercado ya se vende en las concesionarias.

• Variación Venta Compra
• Dólar Blue → -0,37% $ 1.350,00 Compra $ 1.330,00
• Dólar BNA → 0,05% $ 964,00 Compra $ 924,00
• Dólar CCL GD30 48HS → 0,98% $ 1.301,96 Compra $ 1.288,35
• Dólar Tarjeta → 0,05% $ 1.542,40 Compra $ 1.478,40
• Dólar MEP → 0,03% $ 1.283,64 Compra $ 1.283,05
• Dólar Mayorista Bancos → 0,05% $ 962,07 Compra $ 922,15

Las más leídas de Apertura

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16 °C La Plata Miércoles 28 de Agosto, 2024

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Escuelas de La Plata preocupadas por la reprogramación de los viajes de egresados

Estudiantes del Normal 1 de La Plata aseguran que están indignados y denuncian a la empresa Travel Rock por "un incumplimiento del contrato" con su tan esperado viaje de egresados. Pero también se sumaron en las últimas horas reclamos del Colegio Santa María de Los Ángeles, ubicado en 8 bis entre 80 y 81.

Voceros de la compañía aseguran que "no hay incumplimiento de contrato porque hubo razones de fuerza mayor", al tiempo que sí reconocieron que reprogramaron los viajes pero que habrá "compensaciones" para los chicos.

Quejas en La Plata

Según le contaron a EL DIA los padres y alumnos de 6to año de ambas instituciones platenses, habrían sido perjudicados por la supuesta reprogramación del viaje "por fuera del contrato", por lo que se manifestarán a la sede de la compañía esta tarde.

Tal como manifestaron los voceros de la escuela ubicada en 51 entre 14 y 15, "firmamos y pagamos por contrato que viajaríamos la segunda quincena de septiembre, pero en la reunión previa al viaje, que debería haber sido en agosto, nos dijeron que viajamos el 24 de octubre". En ese sentido explicaron que "la excusa que nos pusieron es que en los aeropuertos hubo paro de maleteros que duró 22 días". Los afectados, en este caso, serían 90 chicos de 8 cursos diferentes.

Los denunciantes aseguraron que "no solo es un incumplimiento del contrato total, sino que hay gente que tiene compromisos asumidos, como viajes al exterior y otras cuestiones que asumieron organizándose según el contrato firmado". Por otro lado contaron que "no presentaron los documentos correspondientes para demostrar que el paro de maleteros duró 22 días" .

¿Qué les ofreció Travel Rock?

Pese a los reclamos por la fecha estipulada que no se habría cumplido, los estudiantes recibieron una oferta de Travel Rock a modo de "compensación". Según dijeron, "la compensación que nos ofrecen es un hotel de lujo, chocolate, y entre otras cosas pequeñas que no recompensan el hecho de que haya gente que no pueda ir por otros compromisos".

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Asimismo pusieron énfasis en "la falta de respuestas y desorganización de parte de la empresa, que viene desde hace mucho tiempo". En ese marco organizaron para este miércoles movilizarse hasta la sede de la empresa, en calle 49 entre 12 y 13, a las 14, en donde exigirán "respuestas concretas" a su problemática y "no sumarle más inconvenientes a un viaje que tiene que ser soñado", destacaron.

Desde el colegio ubicado frente a Plaza Moreno indicaron que el encargado de la empresa de viaje solo les ofreció dos salidas: “El viaje en otra fecha o la plata pero la plata nadie la quiere porque lo que pagamos el año pasado vale mucho menos”. 

“No vamos a tener una respuesta inmediata, no hay algo rápido que podamos hacer para tener una solución. Nos ofrecen viajar fuera de temporada, sin las excursiones que pagamos y en cualquier fecha. La organización fue cualquier cosa”, añadieron.

Reclamo en otro colegio de La Plata

En tanto, desde, el colegio Santa María de Los Ángeles, de Villa Elvira, sostuvieron que los chicos debían viajar a Bariloche a principios de septiembre pero siguen esperando el llamado de Travel Rock para la reunión de previaje. 

El padre de un alumno, que prefirió mantener en reserva su nombre, dijo que "estamos preocupados porque no tenemos información. Ya debían haber viajado pero desde Travel no nos llaman". Además contó que "fuimos a preguntar qué pasaba con el viaja pero no responden y además te sacan con el personal de seguridad”.

El viaje de egresados y la explicación de la empresa

Este diario se comunicó con Travel Rock para dar su versión de lo sucedido y voceros de la empresa indicaron que "no hay incumplimiento porque el contrato avala que por condiciones de fuerza mayor, entre ellos una huelga, se pueda reprogramar tanto los viajes como los servicios".

Sobre el caso del Normal 1 explicaron que "ayer tuvimos una reunión, se les explicó que podían salir hasta el último día de septiembre por contrato pero que saldrán el 24 de octubre, que es la primera fecha disponible por las reprogramaciones. No es lo mismo reprogramar dos pasajeros, que grupos de 20 a 120 chicos, y en este caso son más de 80. No es fácil".

Además manifestaron que "hubo huelgas de maleteros y otros factores que sucedieron, y eso hace que tengas que reprogramar. Pero cuando hay que mover un grupo entero hay una catarata de reprogramaciones que es inmanejable. Hoteles, viajes, excursiones... son muchas cosas a tener en cuenta". Además "tienen un montón de gente que se quiere incorporar al viaje y les dijimos que haremos lo posible para incorporarlos a todos".

Respecto a los beneficios que les otorgarán a los estudiantes del Normal 1 informaron que "se les dieron liberados que no les correspondían por contrato porque no llegaban a la cantidad de gente que pagó el viaje. Se les va a dar una noche extra en Bariloche, chocolates, se les bonifica un tramo de las tasas de aeropuertos y absorbemos la mitad del depósito del hotel. Así estamos compensando con un montón de cosas".

Por otro lado, sobre el Colegio Santa María de los Ángeles adelantaron que el fin de semana mantendrán la reunión de previaje, en la que les explicarán los motivos de las reprogramaciones.

Desde Travel Rock destacaron que "ya viajaron 40 mil chicos este año y a muchos de ellos se les tuvo que reprogramar el viaje", y agregaron que "volvieron felices, muy contentos".

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10 Things To Know As A Traveling Dancer

You see them all over YouTube: Videos of your favorite choreographers teaching in Germany, Japan, Russia, etc., and you think to yourself, “ Man, it would be awesome to be paid to teach and dance in another country! ” So you train, take classes , join cyphers , try out for teams ... and if you play your cards right, you could end up being able to live this dream.

If you’re looking for some tips, I’ve written an article on how to accomplish such a task . But once you do accomplish this feat, what next? What is it like traveling to another country where you most likely have no idea how to speak the language, what sort of customs to expect, or what to do when you get there?

After traveling to a couple of different countries doing different gigs for dance, whether it be touring or teaching, I’ve run into some common themes that I think the aspiring traveling dancer should know prior to their trip into the unknown.

1. Don’t wait until the last minute to get your travel papers:

The first thing you should do is make sure your passport is in good order and current. If you need to get a Visa for the country you are going to, it's important to do it ASAP. It has always taken me roughly two weeks to a month to get this done, and I’ve had to pay a pretty penny to get it expedited when I procrastinated.

2. Do some research before adventuring out:

This might come as a no brainer, but do your homework before traveling to another country. Find out what the weather is currently like, or if you will need to watch out for certain bugs (some things people don’t consider are the little things). Is the water safe for drinking, or is it better to spend the money on bottled water to avoid getting sick? Consider the time differences and location. Some countries/cities could have weather changes like night and day. The more you know going in, the less stress you will have by being prepared, and less stress = more fun.

3. Know your place:

I’ll say it: Being born in America, we have a tendency to feel ‘entitled’; it seems to be a common thing I’ve noticed traveling with other Americans or meeting others from America. Just remember, you are a foreigner to their country. Anything that could lead to trouble could lead you to be deported - know the consequences. It’s a great idea to keep your head on straight when you encounter troubling situations. Better yet, avoid these situations completely .

4. Make friends with the locals and performers:

Of all the amazing things I’ve experienced traveling, the top of the list are the people I’ve met. Being a dancer means meeting other dancers on your travels , and the best part is dancing is universally understood in any language. Building those bonds with people across the world is a surreal experience, something that merely adding people on social media can never really accomplish. Life is about making experiences and the people you share it with, so use every opportunity to create some lasting ones.

5. Be extremely careful:

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it's still very important to note - we’ve all seen the movie Taken. Take it from someone who has actually been kidnapped on one of their trips to a different country, that stuff actually happens. It goes hand in hand with doing research on the place you are traveling to, but be sure to know what is safe or not. Common things to be aware of are not to go anywhere at night alone if you can avoid it, only take clearly marked taxis and public transportation, and know where the U.S. Consulate and police stations are located in case of emergencies.

6. Pack accordingly:

What type of trip are you going on? Are you going to be staying in one location for the most part, or are you going to be on tour? It might seem like a good idea to bring everything you own just in case, but touring becomes really difficult having to lug around three different bags plus two carry ons everywhere. Try to get good at packing one good sized carry on. It might sound crazy, but trust me, you’ll be thanking me for it later. Know what type of adapters for your electronics to bring, universal adapters aren’t usually very expensive. Bring medicine, first aid equipment, any travel sized sanitation and bug spray.

7. " Hold on, let me take a Selfie ":

I’m absolutely terrible at documenting experiences. I’ve always been more of a live-in-the-now type of guy instead of snapping away memories to keep. Ditching this mentality on my last trip around the world was a welcome change. Living in a digital age where even your toothbrush seems to have a camera, it makes it easy to take all the pictures of everything. These are things you’re going to enjoy long after your trip is done. And let’s face it, how else are you going to brag to share with everyone else about what you’re doing?

8. Stay connected:

Sometimes it’s hard to stay connected with friends and family when you’re traveling. It can be worrisome to them when you can’t be reached. Get an international sim card for your phone if you can, and download apps to stay in contact (WeChat is one of the best texting apps for traveling, and it has the added perk of being free!). Skype is always a go to application to stay in touch. Most places have some sort of access to WiFi, so utlizing these locations is nearly a must. One of the most helpful phrases I’ve come to find out is, “what is the password to the wifi?” It’ll make your life so much easier; it's practically right up there with “where is the bathroom?”.

9. Know how to get around:

The first time I was in Japan, I had to take the train to get to my destination after getting out of the airport. Anyone that has tried to read the train schedule and routes for the first time knows where I’m going with this. Reading the train routes is like trying to decipher hieroglyphics. Some stations make finding the route to your destination easy, but don’t rely on these to be everywhere. Know in advance how to tell someone your destination if you need to take a taxi or bus. It can save a ton of headache by saving the address on your phone, because sadly, Siri isn’t much help here.

10. Be responsible with your finances:

A lot of things can happen while you’re away from home. Having access to an account at home might be out of the question, so knowing how much your trip might cost you is essential. I recommend plotting out how much each day is roughly going to cost and go from there, adding a bit more for recreational activities..... SIKE - we’re all broke dancers!

But in all seriousness, the best case scenario is to be smart with the money you have, or the money you receive. Know when to spend your money, and when to save it.

Have you had to travel somewhere else to dance or teach? What advice would you give to those who are about to do so? Leave a comment below to share your opinions! We can't stress the importance of #4 enough - but to help us with this task, check out this article about networking - or neTWERKing as dancers !  

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Dance/USA Statement on the Recent Travel Ban

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 31, 2017

CONTACT:  Johanna Tschebull 202.833.1717

Dance/USA believes that international cultural exchange is essential to support a flourishing and vibrant dance scene in the U.S. The travel ban, signed under an Executive Order on January 27 limits the opportunity for dancers from the U.S. and abroad to learn from each other and closes the door to new opportunities for cross-cultural understanding.

In the U.S. and around the world, dance has a history of merging diverse backgrounds to create new styles and increasing our own awareness of diverse cultures, strengthening our ties to other countries. Dance is universal, occurring in religious institutions, in nightclubs, on the streets, and in our own homes. Dance communicates in a way that the written word cannot and plays a vital role in strengthening national security, creating common connections both within the U.S. and abroad.

Dance/USA and the broader performing and visual arts communities have long valued international exchange as a fundamental element of our artistic work and service to our communities. Dance/USA has actively advocated to Congress, the White House, and U.S.  Citizenship and Immigration Services to reduce and make more efficient the artist visa process.

• When artists are unable to come to the U.S. for guest engagements, the American public is denied the opportunity to experience international artistry.
• The absence of international guest artists costs American artists important employment opportunities when a scheduled performance is canceled.
• Delays and unpredictability in the visa process create high economic risks for U.S. nonprofit arts organizations and the local economies they support.
• Soft power diplomacy, that includes cultural exchange, plays a vital role in strengthening U.S. national security by strengthening cross-cultural understanding with other countries.

Dance/USA remains committed our core values and believes that increased opportunities for cultural diplomacy support the goals of positive international relations, foster respect for artistry, and create access to new ways of thinking.

Dance/USA  would like to hear from you on this important matter. If you or your organization anticipates repercussions from this executive order, please contact our Director of Government Affairs .

Dance/USA will continue to update the field about the most effective ways to advocate.

Calling All Dance Advocates: Visit Dance/USA’s advocacy page  for steps artists and arts organizations can take to respond to recent reports about plans to de-fund the National Endowment for the Arts.

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Agencia de viajes en Bogotá es acusada de estafa y prácticas ilícitas para captar clientes

La empresa de turismo tiene varios locales y bahías en prestigiosos centros comerciales de la capital. SEMANA consultó con la SIC y tienen varias demandas en pie.

Encuentra aquí lo último en Semana

1 . natalia ponce de león destapó cómo conoció al hombre que la atacó con ácido: “me dijo que no me metiera con él”, 2 . las últimas palabras de juan izquierdo antes de desplomarse y morir: “el partido de mi vida”, 3 . sacan a la luz confesión que hizo maduro sobre petro y por la que sigue sin condenar el “fraude” en venezuela, 4 . habla dueña de empresa a la que juan fernando petro llamó para reclamar por servicio de cejas a su esposa. dice que se sintieron intimidados, 5 . semana por colombia hace su primera parada en medellín y su área metropolitana. conozca la agenda del evento.

Algunas empresas de viajes son denunciadas por medio de redes sociales o ante la Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio por fraude, publicidad engañosa y demás delitos. En este caso, la agencia Resort Travel Club es señalada por decenas de personas de inducir a sus clientes a comprar paquetes turísticos bajo presión y bajo la modalidad de estafa.

En su descripción de Facebook se catalogan como una empresa que “está certificada por las entidades competentes, quienes se encargan de velar por el correcto funcionamiento en el sector del turismo, garantizando así excelentes precios y servicios con el mejor respaldo ”. Cabe mencionar que esta agencia ofrece el servicio de intermediación, es decir, no contrata servicios directamente con operadores aéreos u hoteleros.

Las quejas más frecuentes contra esta empresa radican en que no incluyen dentro de sus paquetes la posibilidad de reservar en fechas diferentes a las que dicen ellos —precisamente porque son intermediarios— dejan de comunicarse con los compradores y a la hora de las devoluciones nadie responde por dinero.

SEMANA conoció de primera mano el caso de algunas personas, entre las cuales muchas se encuentran pagando un crédito por una membresía que allí les vendieron bajo el nombre de “Programa de Fidelización Vacacional”. Sin embargo, esta opción de compra no le permite a sus ‘beneficiarios’ acceder a algún plan vacacional o descuento . Por el contrario, si quieren viajar o adquirir un paquete deben pagar un costo adicional, fuera del crédito que allí le gestionaron.

Uno de los casos corresponde al de una persona que se afilió a la agencia, bajo el nombre de ‘asociada’ desde marzo de 2021 y cuando fue a cotizar un viaje, nadie respondió por los beneficios que supuestamente había adquirido. SEMANA conoció varios casos, pero las personas afectadas prefirieron mantener su identidad bajo reserva.

Al revisar las redes sociales de la empresa se da cuenta que estas no permiten visualizar los comentarios de sus clientes.

Modus operandi

Algunos de los casos denunciados coinciden en dar cuenta del método mediante el cual son abordados en diferentes centros comerciales. Por ejemplo, en el Centro Comercial Salitre Plaza, en Bogotá, un vendedor se acercó a una persona, la invitó a jugar con una ruleta; esta no ganó, pero aun así se le hizo la invitación para que se llevara algunas cortesías en un local de la agencia ubicado dentro del centro comercial. Allí, dentro del lugar, aseguran que la persona recibió una aromática y, luego de ello, terminó comprando un plan todo incluido con la agencia.

“ En ningún momento desde que uno entra allá lo dejan solo. Yo les dije que nos dejaran solos con mi pareja, además nos sentíamos muy presionados. Les dijimos que no íbamos a adquirir el paquete y nos respondieron que podíamos ser acogidos con la ley 1480. (...) Mi esposo pasó la tarjeta y fue de inmediato que aprobaron el crédito, sin ningún estudio previo”, señaló una de las presuntas víctimas a SEMANA .

Otro de los casos que conoció este medio fueron bajo la misma modalidad. Las personas fueron captadas por vendedores y ganaran o no el juego referido, los invitaban a las oficinas para adquirir planes vacacionales. Todos terminaron comprando membresías por crédito. “ Ellos no cobran por el servicio que ellos supuestamente brindan, sino por el cupo que uno tenga en la tarjeta ”, señaló una de las víctimas. Por esa razón, el valor que cada persona denunció varía, y el número de cuotas también. Hay rangos de entre 1′200.000 hasta 4′000.000 de pesos.

Solicitudes de retracto

De acuerdo con el artículo 47 de la ley 1480 de 2011, del estatuto del Consumidor, “en todos los contratos para la venta de bienes y prestación de servicios mediante sistemas de financiación otorgada por el productor o proveedor, venta de tiempos compartidos o ventas que utilizan métodos no tradicionales o a distancia, que por su naturaleza no deban consumirse o no hayan comenzado a ejecutarse antes de cinco (5) días, se entenderá pactado el derecho de retracto por parte del consumidor. En el evento en que se haga uso de la facultad de retracto, se resolverá el contrato y se deberá reintegrar el dinero que el consumidor hubiese pagado ”.

Los denunciantes señalan que para radicar dichas solicitudes procedieron a acercarse a las sedes, llamaron, enviaron correos y no obtuvieron respuesta. SEMANA conoció el caso de una persona que en agosto de 2021, y luego de insistir en reiteradas ocasiones, pudo radicar su retracto. Esta obtuvo una respuesta, inclusive Resort Travel Club le dijo, en ese entonces, porqué no atendían al teléfono. “En lo referente al de la demora para las respuestas de correos y llamadas , es prudente rescatar que el término de estas respuestas se haya medido en horas hábiles, motivo por el cual en ocasiones se considera un tiempo excesivo por parte del cliente , aun cuando se está cumpliendo con los términos establecidos”.

Sin embargo, según algunos denunciantes, la agencia estaría dilatando el proceso de algunas solicitudes de este tipo para exceder el tiempo estimado y así responder a los requerimiento de sus clientes. “De acuerdo a lo estipulado legalmente en el Estatuto del Consumidor, el término de tiempo para ejercer su derecho al retracto es de cinco (5) días hábiles, razón suficiente para que sea desestimada su pretensión de devolución del dinero, pues tal como se le indicó con anterioridad, se halla fuera del término de tiempo legalmente conferido para tal fin”, señala una respuesta a una solicitud de retracto conocida por SEMANA y emitida por una presunta víctima de esta agencia.

Denuncias ante la SIC

SEMANA conoció que dicha empresa tiene, hasta el 4 de febrero del presente año, los siguientes registros de demandas ante la Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio:

Además, la entidad señaló que hay tres denuncias radicadas “en la delegatura de protección al consumidor, cuyo motivo es: Abordaje intempestivo para participar en concursos y posteriormente ofrecer servicios turísticos ”. Cabe mencionar que la agencia Resort Travel Club no se ha pronunciado sobre las denuncias de sus clientes ni ha dado declaraciones a los medios de comunicación. SEMANA los consultó, pero no obtuvo respuesta.

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Help! I’ve Been Ripped Off. I Want My Money Back!

Our columnist addresses a case of wire fraud, a credit card scheme and a dubious website — just three examples of the types of reader woe that regularly surface in the Tripped Up inbox.

By Seth Kugel

Dear Tripped Up,

I took a 7.95-euro taxi ride in Paris and charged it to my Citi credit card, but the driver refused to provide a receipt, and my card was charged $795.85. Citi would not reimburse this obvious fraud. Can you help? Ann, Philadelphia

We booked a $5,500 stay at an apartment in Amsterdam via Vrbo, and soon after, the property owner contacted us requiring that we wire him the full cost of the rental. We were reluctant but had successfully wired money before for a stay in Italy, so we went ahead with it. The owner canceled at the last minute, and the refund he promised never came through. Vrbo is stalling. Can you help? Kevin, Seattle

I wanted to enroll my two college-age children in Global Entry , the program run by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, so they could speed through passport checkpoints with me. So I Googled “Global Entry application” and clicked on the top link, which looked at first glance like an official government site. I filled in the forms and was charged $249 per application. When I realized my mistake — the actual government fee is $100 — I asked for a refund and eventually got everything but the $100 fees back. The applications did go through, but these people were super sketchy, and I’m worried about identity theft. Doesn’t Google have an obligation not to promote a fraudulent site? Christine, New York

Dear Ann, Kevin and Christine,

You are all experienced travelers, and yet you were caught in three schemes that, unfortunately, regularly surface in the Tripped Up inbox of reader woe.

The Olympics are underway in France, so let’s start with Ann. The taxi driver took your credit card, overcharged you and didn’t supply a receipt.

In the last few months, I’ve received multiple reader complaints specifically about Paris taxis, but such things happen just about everywhere. In fact, we covered a similar scam in Mexico in June. Doubly frustrating in situations like these is that the fraudsters are individuals or small businesses that are hard to track down, especially in a country where you don’t speak the language. So Ann, like other victims, you turned to your credit card issuer’s fraud department.

But that’s a crapshoot, as you learned. Different card issuers have different policies, not to mention inconsistent applications of those policies. And if you didn’t actually lose the card, and the transaction happened through a chip, you may be out of luck.

I intervened on the behalf of three victims of the Paris taxi scam: Ann, Nabeel from Atlanta (also a Citi customer), and Ronald from Sarasota, Fla., who used a Chase card. I had mixed results. Two days after I got in touch with Citi, Ann received an email with what sounded like a very final denial, “respectfully” declining to reimburse her because she did not provide a receipt. In a happy coda, Laura Barganier, a spokeswoman for Citi, then told me that after further review Ann would be reimbursed.

Nabeel turns out to have filed the wrong kind of claim, Ms. Barganier said, and Citi has reached out to him for further information. And a spokesman for Chase said that Ronald was denied correctly because he did not provide a receipt or other evidence.

While there’s no singular solution for this type of fraud, the best policy to prevent it is to avoid handing your physical credit card to anyone. Americans have long been accustomed to parting with their cards, particularly in restaurants, but break the practice by insisting on tapping (or better, inserting) the card yourself. Then keep a careful eye on the screen, require a receipt and cause a scandal if you don’t get one. If you suspect fraud, call your credit card company immediately.

As a backup, always carry cash, so if the merchant insists that you hand over the card or the machine isn’t wireless, you can avoid using a card at all. (Of course, you must then be sure you are very familiar with the denominations of local bills and triple-check your change.)

If you booked a car or hailed a taxi, take a photo of your driver’s hack license when you get in, if there’s one visible, so if you do get scammed, you can report the crime to the local authorities and help prevent such crimes in the future. According to the Parisian police, such incidents should be reported via an English-language site called Signal Conso . (I learned the very cool French word for scam: “escroquerie.”)

Now over to Kevin and the all-too-common travel fraud using money wires. Good news, Kevin — Vrbo agreed to reimburse you for the rental, as well as the two nights you spent in a hotel as you arranged another rental.

You were covered by Vrbo’s Book With Confidence Guarantee , which, according to a statement from Mel Fish, a company spokeswoman, includes “safeguards against fraudulent listings, lodging assistance if travelers are unable to check in, and rebooking support if a host cancels at the last minute.” You will receive $7,079.

But all travelers: Pay with your credit cards whenever possible. Wiring money to individuals is the reddest of red flags in travel, as it’s almost impossible to claw back international wire transfers. Kevin’s long fight for reimbursement was ultimately successful because some blame lay on a deep-pocketed intermediary like Vrbo, part of the Expedia Group. But if he had booked directly through the company offering the Amsterdam rental, Grand Stay BV, he would have been out of luck. When I checked it out last week, its website was bare on details (and not surprisingly, the company didn’t respond to my requests for comment through its listed WhatsApp number). Vrbo told me that it had actually removed the company from its listings months ago, and the website has now been taken down.

That brings us to Christine and her desire to help expedite her children through passport control. Christine, in your online search for Global Entry, you said you received a page of Google search results and clicked on a sponsored website — Globaleny-travelus.com — that appeared, you told me, above the official Global Entry site, hosted by Customs and Border Protection.

When I checked a few weeks later, that site was no longer advertised on Google, but a very similar site was — one that even used the same email addresses, according to other complaints I found on online message boards. Then that one disappeared and another took its place. There are countless other sites that look very similar and purport to help you with the application form, though all they do is have you fill out a similar form.

The ad violated Google’s rules, said Nate Funkhouser, a Google spokesman. The only entities that may advertise government services like this one, according to Google policy, are the government sites themselves and companies explicitly authorized to do so by the government.

“Our team is always working to prevent scams on our platforms and removed the ads violating our policies,” Mr. Funkhouser wrote, but added, “Sometimes bad ads can temporarily evade our detection.” He said Google encourages users to report any possible violations. It appears that, at least for now, Google has expunged dubious ads from searches for Global Entry applications.

But sketchy travel companies everywhere purchase ads on Google and other search engines, and then book reservations for travelers, charging them fees or charging commissions to the companies with which they book.

One example of a typical complaint came from Rebecca, a reader in Pacifica, Calif. She booked a room at the Cambria Hotel Calabasas in Malibu after clicking on an ad that prominently displayed the URL, or web address, cambriacalabasas.guestreservations.com.

But the actual web address for the hotel is cambriacalabasas.com . The company Rebecca booked through, GuestReservations.com, had set up a subdomain on its own servers to mimic the hotel’s web address, as it does for countless other hotels.

GuestReservations.com has the veneer of a legitimate website, with a media contact listed at the bottom. (No one responded when I wrote to it.) It operates by booking rooms for clients through Priceline Partner Solutions , a business-to-business service that allows small agencies to book Priceline inventory.

When Rebecca arrived at the Cambria, hotel staff members said it was overbooked and that she could go to a nearby Marriott. They initially told her she would be reimbursed — yet when the Cambria realized she had not booked directly, they said she would have to seek reimbursement from the third-party site. It created a frustrating and confusing situation for Rebecca, as she thought she was booking directly in the first place.

The Cambria and other hotels can’t do much about it without spending a huge amount on Google ads themselves: Mr. Funkhouser, the Google spokesman, told me that such ads generally do not violate its policies (unless the company does not deliver the services).

“It’s very frustrating,” said Kylie Chen, the senior digital marketing manager for 24seven Hotels , which owns the Cambria. She told me that sites like GuestReservations.com pull photos from the hotels’ own sites, but when the hotel group reaches out to them to remove them, “it’s always hard to find any point of response or contact.”

“I feel like Google will let anyone advertise,” she added.

This is, of course, not true . But to be safe, travelers should skip right past sponsored results and pay careful attention to the web address of the site they are clicking on, whether it’s on Google or any other search engine.

If you need advice about a best-laid travel plan that went awry, send an email to [email protected] .

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Seth Kugel is the columnist for “ Tripped Up ,” an advice column that helps readers navigate the often confusing world of travel. More about Seth Kugel

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

D enver: The city is undergoing a rebirth , with a newly refreshed Union Station and the gradual reopening of the mile-long, pedestrian-friendly 16th Street Mall to go along with views of the snow-capped Front Range.

Amtrak’s Empire Builder Route :  Most people who take the 4,000-mile journey from Chicago to Seattle will just watch the heartland whiz by. Our writer hopped off to explore six places you might otherwise miss .

Provincetown, Mass.:  Located at the tip of Cape Cod, P-town (as locals call it) has overlapping — and sometimes competing — identities : one of America’s oldest art colonies, nature preserve, thriving L.G.B.T.Q. resort and historic Portuguese fishing village.

Lake Como, Italy:  Stars like George Clooney frequent this scenic corner of northern Italy, but you might be surprised by how affordable it can be. Here’s an insider’s guide .

South of France:  Horses, bulls and birds of all types live among the pink marshes of the Camargue, a rugged landscape shaped  by the relentless push and pull of sea and river.

clock This article was published more than  4 years ago

How to get a travel company to respond to your complaint

Airlines, car rental companies and hotels claim that they’re responsive to customers’ problems, but who are they kidding? Too often, they answer your emails with pre-written responses and your tweets with canned one-liners. Or they don’t answer at all. So how do you get a travel company to respond to your complaint?

People like John Dignam want to know. He recently tried to redeem two “free” flight vouchers on Spirit Airlines. He and his daughter had received them when they volunteered to give up their seats on a flight from San Francisco to Baltimore. But when Dignam, a federal manager from Catonsville, Md., tried to use the vouchers for a new flight, Spirit only lowered the cost of each ticket by $12.98.

“Thinking this must be an error, I called and spoke to a Spirit representative,” he says. The airline confirmed that the vouchers had a combined value of about $26. “The remaining $188 was my responsibility.”

Dignam emailed Spirit asking if he had misunderstood the meaning of “free.” The response? Crickets.

It turns out that Dignam was talking, but no one was listening. I contacted Spirit on his behalf. The company said it hadn’t heard from him, blaming an “IT issue that we can’t replicate.”

It refunded Dignam’s ticket.

Choosing the right channel of communication is important. Most travelers pick up the phone to resolve a problem, but that is hardly ever the right move. A carefully written, rational complaint sent using the company’s online “help” form is far more effective, at least to start. If patience isn’t your thing, you could also ping a company on social media. Sometimes a tweet or a Facebook post can get things moving in your direction.

Another often overlooked route to a quick resolution: a travel agent. You can often leverage that relationship to get a company’s attention. “A true travel professional is going to have a direct relationship with the hotel, airline or cruise line and can be your voice to get the issue resolved,” says Jennifer Achim, a vice president of marketing for Ovation Travel Group, a travel agency in New York.

If you want a travel company to respond to your complaint, you also need the right approach. Nancy Friedman, whose St. Louis consultancy, the Telephone Doctor, trains call center workers, recommends what she calls “CPR.”

First, she advises, stay calm. “Raising your voice usually will not get you better service — or any positive results,” Friedman says.

Next, prepare yourself with information — dates, times, names. The more specific, the better. And, finally, remember that the person you’re talking to normally isn’t the person who created the problem.

“The agent, the hotel clerk, the car rental person is usually not the reason for the issue,” Friedman says. Blaming them for your misfortune can hinder your chances of getting a company’s attention.

The right words can help, too. Be sure to use what Joshua Dorsey, an assistant professor at California State University at Fullerton, calls the “language of business” to describe the problem.

“Keywords like ‘service failure,’ ‘switching costs’ and ‘cost of retention’ will always resonate with managers and customer service representatives, whether they admit it or not,” Dorsey says.

At larger companies, sophisticated software analyzes almost every customer service interaction, including phone calls. When phrases like “service failure” and even less jargony words like “disappointed” pop up, complaints are flagged and reported to managers.

Of course, you can do everything right and still fail to get a company’s attention. That’s probably because businesses have developed methods to more efficiently process — but not necessarily address — customer complaints. You can see that in the scripted online chats and endless phone trees that you have to negotiate when you want help. And you can’t help but feel that companies want customers with problems to just go away.

No surprise, then, that travelers are taking more extreme measures to get a company’s attention. One remarkable development is the power of online reviews.

“I have seen travelers place multiple online reviews to get a quicker response,” says Elaine Rose, a spokeswoman for Review Inc., a Woodland Hills, Calif., reputation-management company. “The fact is, the travel industry lives and dies by their online reviews. Even hotels and major airlines are managing their online reviews with software that will notify them when a customer has left a review — either positive or negative.”

A classic tactic for getting a travel company to respond to a complaint, threatening to sue, can backfire. That’s because companies normally refer lawsuit threats to the legal department. There, in-house attorneys must decide whether it’s a credible threat. If it is, they’ll respond to the complaint. But more often than not, they’ll write it off as an empty threat and close the case with no resolution.

If you have a consumer complaint and the company is being dismissive, maybe it’s time to adjust your approach. Consider another strategy or shift to a different channel. And remember, you can always take your grievance to social media.

Ideally, companies would answer every complaint promptly and politely. Fortunately, there are more ways than ever before to ensure that they do.

Elliott is a consumer advocate, journalist and co-founder of the advocacy group Travelers United. Email him at [email protected] .

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The 15 Biggest Travel Scams, and How to Avoid Them

The Editors

We are the editors of SmarterTravel! Together we have appeared in countless travel publications including ABC News, Huffington Post, Travel + Leisure, USA Today, and more. We dedicate our days to creating and producing expert travel content, including packing tips, general travel advice, destination inspiration, and helpful videos. Follow us across social media on YouTube , Pinterest , Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter or drop us a line to say hi at [email protected] !

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You know that old saying “there’s a sucker born every minute”? Don’t be one of them. Stay ahead of these surprisingly effective travel scams to keep your vacation plans from falling apart. The schemes below may be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to travel cons, but preparing yourself for these common swindles is a good place to start.

Vacation Clubs

Wholesale travel clubs claim that you’ll have access to incredibly cheap vacations if you join. However, once you pay the joining fees, you find that the deals offered aren’t any better than what you can find for yourself online—for free. Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott , whose book Scammed lays out a helpful roadmap for being a responsible and effective shopper in a world of corporate swindles, has told SmarterTravel: “I’ve never come across a legitimate travel club. My advice is to run, don’t walk.”

Elliott advises that anyone considering joining a travel club do research with a very critical eye beforehand. Simply doing an internet search for the name of the travel company plus “travel scam” will usually reveal a host of problems experienced by other members. Also check the Better Business Bureau for complaints about the specific service before you buy.

Timeshare Sales

Ed Perkins, a longtime contributing editor at SmarterTravel, calls the up-front fees for selling your timeshare the biggest travel scam out there.

“Scammers promise to get you out from under, saying they have buyers, but all they really do is take a fee, upward of $400, and do nothing,” says Perkins.

Never pay up front to have someone help you sell your timeshare. If you want out, go to a licensed company and check them out with the Better Business Bureau before listing with them. If you’re having trouble getting out of your timeshare , work with a rental company and rent it out to recoup some of the money until you can sell.

Vacation Certificates

Ed Perkins also warns against prepaid vacation certificates: “Travel scams promise really great prices but deliver nothing. The idea here is to get the up-front money, then keep stalling: ‘Sorry, these dates are sold out; try again soon.’ They delay until people just quit trying.” Or the company charges huge additional fees to redeem the certificates, and the trip is considerably less luxurious than promised. Before prepaying for a vacation package, be sure to research fees and blackout dates, as well as the company’s reputation.

“Travel-Agent” Card Mills

Ah, the life of travel agents. Cheap hotels and airfares are thrown at their feet once they pull out their travel-agent ID cards, right? Wrong. Don’t believe the hype from outfits that promise to issue you a travel-agent ID that provides access to discounts. Scammers charge hundreds of dollars for these cards, but victims who shell out will quickly find that no place will accept the fakes, and they never see any discounts. The only way to avoid this travel scam is to not buy a travel-agent card if you’re not a travel agent—there’s really no legal way to get around it.

Car-Rental Collision Damage Waivers

Rick Steves calls the car-rental collision damage waivers (CDW) a “collision damage waiver racket” for a reason. When you rent a car, the company often pressures you to buy a CDW supplement, which will prevent you from having to pay a high insurance deductible if the car is damaged. (The deductible can be thousands of dollars before insurance kicks in.)

But most major credit cards already include deductible collision coverage for free , so check your credit-card terms and pay for the rental car with your credit card. Then you’ll be covered without having to shell out extra cash for phony insurance. Most credit-card collision coverage is secondary, meaning you have to claim from your regular insurance first. If you don’t want a claim on your insurance, you can buy third-party primary collision coverage from the booking agency for about $10-$11 a day. Or, if it’s pricey, you can instead buy coverage from an independent outlet; sites like Bonzah.com offer rental coverage from $7.99 per day. That’s about one-third of what the rental companies charge.

“You Won a Free Trip!”

If you’ve ever dropped your business card in a “win a free trip” drawing at a restaurant or signed up to win at a fair, you may have gotten a phone call, letter, or email claiming you’ve won a free vacation. These days, the hustle is often via robocall. Be wary—many of these “prizes” are actually booby traps in which you’ll have to pay hefty fees to claim the vacation or give your credit card number to “verify your eligibility,” resulting in identity theft. After a recent lull in monitoring these robocalls, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is again cracking down on them. If you’re scammed, get the names of resorts and airlines included in the prize and call them independently to verify the trip. Never give credit card information to someone who cold-calls you, and be sure to get details of the prize in writing before accepting.

Fake International Driving Permits

The FTC also warns against fake International Driving Permits (IDPs) . Some countries require tourists to have an IDP in addition to a U.S. driver’s license. However, there are only two American associations that are legally authorized to issue IDPs—the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA). Fraudulent companies sell fake IDPs over the Internet, but you’ll pay hundreds of dollars for a permit only to face legal problems for using the imposter IDs in another country.

The Bait and Switch

The hotel you’re thinking of booking is suspiciously cheap, but the property’s website makes it look beautiful and centrally located. When you arrive, the hotel is run-down, missing amenities, and in a deserted part of town—and it won’t refund your money. Avoid this travel scam by using websites like Oyster (one of SmarterTravel’s sister sites) and TripAdvisor (SmarterTravel’s parent site) to read real customer reviews and see honest photos of the property.

“Grandparent” Travel Scams

Even if you’re not currently traveling, you can still be the victim of a travel scam: The State Department warns that scammers will call an older relative or friend of someone who’s away on vacation and pretend to be the traveler in desperate need of help. The scammer usually poses as the traveler or a foreign government official and directs the victim to wire a large sum of money, citing an array of things: They have been robbed and need money to return to the United States, or they have run into legal trouble and need bail money. Sometimes the scammer will even pretend to be someone from the U.S. embassy calling on behalf of the relative for money. Never wire money in response to a suspicious phone call; instead contact the State Department to ask if the situation is legitimate, or call your relative directly. If you encounter this scam, the FBI advises you report it to local authorities or a state consumer protection agency. You can also file a complaint with the FCC .

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) offers the following advice to prevent “grandparent” travel scams:

Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mothers’ maiden names, passwords, or other identifying information in response to suspicious calls or to callers demanding immediate action. Scammers can spoof the caller ID of their number to make it appear to be from a trusted source. If a caller claiming to represent a company or a government agency asks for personal information, hang up and verify the authenticity of the request by contacting the company or agency yourself, using information found on its official website or through other means such as the phone book. If a caller claims to represent a company with which you have an account—such as a utility or a bank—hang up and check the contact information on a recent bill or statement, then call the company back yourself.

Rental Property Scam

Rule of thumb: Never go to Craigslist (or anything similar) for a rental home. Scammers will place an ad and ask the victim to wire money to secure the vacation rental—and then disappear. Or they’ll have you send money to them rather than to the actual property owner. Avoid the rental scam risk by going through a reputable vacation rental site with protections and insurance guarantees such as Airbnb , HomeAway , or SmarterTravel’s sister site FlipKey , all of which will protect your money from fraudsters.

Bogus Travel Agents

Don’t trust a tour operator or packager you don’t know of or can’t find reviews of easily online—especially with a big payment. An even more worrisome version of these travel scams in the U.S. is fake versions of websites: You search for a hotel or tour and get through to what looks like a legitimate website from a known company. But it isn’t: It’s a copy-cat version run by a scamster who paid a lot of money for a good search engine position. At best, after you make a payment, the hotel will honor your reservation—but probably at a higher price than you should have paid. At worst, you get nothing.

Take a close look at the website’s URL. Unsure if it’s right? Do a new search to find the company’s homepage and compare it to the first half of the link—any rogue characters, numbers, or symbols might mean it’s a fake. You should also never pay for a service via wire transfer, or any other irreversible money-transfer system.

Currency Short-Changing

A longstanding travel scam relies on tourists’ unfamiliarity with a foreign currency. This can take various forms: counterfeit bills, miscounting change, mixing smaller bills into what should be a pile of larger notes, etc. Get to know the bills of any country you visit, and limit the amount of foreign currency you exchange and have with you at any time. Get your foreign currency from an ATM, and put all your big-ticket purchases on a credit card.

Counterfeit Event Tickets

These days, high-tech forging can make almost any piece of paper or cardboard look authentic. Don’t buy a high-priced ticket (or even a low-priced one) to a sold-out event from someone on the street or via an unfamiliar website. You might be turned away at the gate. Buy from an authorized source—the box office or an online dealer that’s a verified reseller.

Fake Tour Guides

Have you ever been walking in a tourist-frequented area and had someone approach you offering to be your guide? Of course, you would have no idea in this situation whether this person has any useful knowledge of the city, but you may be coaxed into a nearby store that they claim offers the “best” prices on local specialties.

Pre-arrange a guide through an official tourism office or a local travel agency so you can compare prices and know what you’re getting. I once arranged the best local guide I ever had through an American Express agency. A university history professor showed us the fantastic National Museum of Damascus in Syria.

Credit Card Fraud

One of many potential credit card fraud risks is the familiar “verification call” gambit. In this travel scam, within a few hours of checking into a hotel, you get a call from someone claiming to be at the front desk to “verify” the details of the card you used. Of course, that caller is a scammer with no connection to the hotel who just wants to get your card data. In this and any other situations, be highly suspicious of anyone who calls you asking for credit or debit card information, no matter how plausible the excuse may seem. Tell the caller you’ll be right down to settle the problem, and instead call a known number, like the hotel’s direct line, to settle whatever account is involved.

More from SmarterTravel:

• How to Avoid Counterfeit Money While Traveling
• 6 Cruise Scams You Should Never Fall For
• Europe Travel Scams to Watch Out For

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2012. It has been updated to reflect the most current information. Caroline Morse Teel and Ed Perkins contributed to this story.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

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Travel Complaints and Travel Refunds

Never make a scene at the customer desk.

Mark Kahler

It isn't our favorite aspect of budget travel, but there are times when we must make a travel complaint.

The majority of interactions between traveler and agent go the way of what you see pictured here -- professional courtesy and efficiency.

But when things go poorly, travel complaints often have a sense of urgency attached: you need to get on the next plane out of town or you need that hotel room you were promised. Under stress, many of us raise our voices and quickly lose patience when we sense someone is less concerned about our problem than we would prefer.

No one is suggesting you become a "pushover" and allow the system to trample you. But make your points with a calm politeness rather than a shrill, demanding tone. Ask for a manager. Be clear about what you think would resolve the situation on the spot. If you need a free room or a refund, ask for it. Don't wait for it to be offered.

Remember that whatever an employee tells you does not need to be the last word. But if they can say truthfully that you were loud, rude or even threatening, you might face even more trouble. At the very least, human nature kicks in and the person on the other side of the counter decides there is no reason to help you.

Save Every Document, No Matter How Small

The picture above shows counterfeit rail tickets. If you want to prove you were ripped off, you'll need to show that ticket. But look how small they are -- easily lost in your luggage or among larger travel documents.

It is important to save all the paperwork from the transaction(s) in question. If someone at a complaint desk takes that documentation from you, get their name and job title, and ask if they can make a copy of whatever you're surrendering to them.

Another tip: save receipts from meals or lodging you had to purchase because of your travel problem. You'll need these things to document your losses. They not only show how much extra money spent, but also verify your time line. With all of your paperwork, you are ready to contact the company.

Don't Plead Your Case to the Wrong Department

When you're dealing with multinational companies or government consumer bureaus, it's easy to get lost. There is a natural tendency to unburden yourself of the sad story, but don't waste time and energy telling it to someone who can't help you.

Ask for the specific person(s) responsible for addressing customer complaints. Search for the contract of carriage in your ticket or make a few calls before you spill your troubles.

Resource: Airline phone and web site directory.

Take Detailed Notes

At first glance, this seems like painfully obvious advice. But logic fails us when we're in a difficult situation and perhaps holding back anger or battling fatigue.

You'll need details when you make a formal complaint. Save every correspondence with the company, and take notes while on the phone. Ask the name of each person with whom you speak, and keep a log of your contacts by date and time, including what they promised you or how they treated you. Use the same firm but friendly resolve that you attempted at the ticket counter. Continue as long as there appears to be a possibility of resolution.

As with a travel journal, it pays to write down the details right away, as many are quickly forgotten within a few hours.

Travel Complaints against Airlines

An airline ticket is really a contract between you and the company that they will transport you to a certain place at a certain time. The more formal name is "contracts of carriage." You won't be surprised that much of this information is in very fine print, but pull out some magnification and read it. It is important to know what the airline has promised (or failed to promise) before you go forward with a formal complaint.

If you don't have a ticket handy, go online to the airline's web site. For example, Delta Airlines contract of carriage information is plainly displayed. It's a simple matter of performing a search for it.

Exhaust Internal Appeals Before Going to an Outside Agency

When an airline experiences system-wide problems, you can bet there are hundreds of consumers in your predicament. There is bound to be an internal appeals process in place that will deal with your concerns, or at least attempt to do so.

But there are times when you are butting your head against a stone wall. No one you've contacted will help resolve your problem, despite repeated attempts.

Complaint bureaus and consumer services operate mainly for victims who have done the work and run into that wall. Now is the time to take your documentation and seek the help of a third party. But don't expect an outside agency to help you until you've done everything reasonable to help yourself.

Consumer Protection from the U.S. Government

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) maintains an Aviation Consumer Protection and Enforcement Division . Within it, you can file complaints about safety and security, airline service, as well as disability and discrimination concerns. Outside the U.S., many other countries maintain similar operations that will vary in name but operate under the umbrella of consumer protection.

Discrimination and safety issues will get a lot more attention here than poor service, but the government keeps tabs on complaints, and it never hurts to let the offending company know that, if necessary, you're prepared to notify the appropriate consumer agency.

Note that there are procedures for airline ticket refunds and baggage issues .

Small Claims Court

The USDOT offers an outline of steps that might be required if you need to go to small claims court.

These courts are operated by state and local governments. As the name implies, this is recommended only for relatively small claims. In these situations, you are your own attorney. Unless you're trained in the law, don't go into this kind of court if the outcome is crucial.

Learn from the Bad Experiences of Other Travelers

Unfortunately, some airlines and travel companies have recurring problems with consumers. Consult their track records before you consider doing business again.

This holds true for all transactions, but especially larger expenditures necessary for bigger trips. Consult the Better Business Bureau or respected studies of consumer satisfaction: J.D. Power and Associates issues annual ratings for hotels and airlines; The American Customer Satisfaction Index compiled at the University of Michigan provides quarterly report cards.

Don't be Discouraged

When wrapped in red tape, it's easy to feel isolated.

Don't allow yourself to be worn down or discouraged. Remember that your perseverance might help someone else avoid a similar problem.

Of greatest importance, however, is the need to pay as little as possible in time and money for your travel. If you think someone has wasted your resources, call them on it.

More resources:

Airline Escape Clauses

Air Travel Resources

Yapta: Refunds for Overpaying on Airfares

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