VACATION

Is this a scam? A vacation package never received

the-oceanThe offer looked like an incredible bargain. For just $1,749, Judy Citko and her fiancé could fly from California to Florida and enjoy a three-day Caribbean “cruise and stay” package.

But that’s not all. The price covered three adults and six children – a total of nine travelers.

The catch: Citko had to pay for it with a wire transfer from her bank. No credit cards accepted.

No surprise that the tickets never came and that the vacation didn’t happen. (What gave it away? The wiring money or the too-good-to-be-true price?)
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216 comments

My dog needs to have surgery. No, seriously.

Pixellating Dachshund. / Photo by Mr. T - Flickr
Question: I booked a trip a few weeks back to Regent Palms in the Turks and Caicos through a website called SniqueAway. It didn’t allow for any refunds or changes. The booking appears to be made through a company called Classic Vacations.
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87 comments

Nothing says “I’m sorry” like airline miles

Not something special in the air. / Photo by Simon Sees - Flickr
Question: My family of four flew from Chicago to Salt Lake City on American Airlines during spring break. About a half-hour into our outbound flight, we were told that the landing gear did not come up and that we had to return to O’Hare.
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114 comments

Vacation rental scams are a growing problem

Tania Rieben thought she’d scored a bargain on a one-bedroom condominium in Maui for spring break. She’d found the vacation rental through a popular Web site called VRBO.com and then negotiated directly with the owner.

But after she wired $4,300 for a six-week rental, the person claiming to represent the property stopped answering her e-mails, and she soon made a stunning discovery: The “owner” was actually a scam artist who had obtained the real owner’s e-mail password and assumed his identity.

“Now the money’s gone,” Rieben says. “And I don’t have a condo.”
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54 comments