How To Detect A Fake Travel Agency
(Tips on how to know that they’re not legitimate)
Classes are currently over, along with also the summer rest in sight. However, before we can “Dive-in into our dream vacation,” we need to book to get a promising tour package first. To make it easier, we buy tickets or tour packages online. We willingly reserve our epic trips through countless online travel services worldwide, especially in our country.
Why not? Luckily, we no longer need to waste booking through a ticket office; we can do that in front of our desk without leaving home.
Everything seems to be somewhat straightforward. I understand because whenever my mom travels from time to time, She always asks me to reserve her tickets online. My mother would like to book her travel a month beforehand. Airlines consistently give reasonably substantial Promo discounts for an excursion booked a month or two ahead of their scheduled flights. As every great story goes, a “knight in shining armor” plus a Beautiful Prince waiting for a “Happily Ever After” end, there’s obviously, and should always have a “Villain,” correct? Well, your road to Online-Ticket Booking is distinct from this beautiful fairy tale you can read in a book. While you wish to make your life much simpler and more comfortable, somebody wants to make money from it.
Well, that is life! Long gone are the days when the internet was only “Friendster,” “MySpace,” or “Red-Alert” in case you never heard of them, well request your Kuya (big brother) relating to this. Today’s net & sites are so advanced they can easily take cash out of you at a split second! If you don’t know how to defend and protect yourself, out of it, of course. Or should you lack the knowledge and skills to deal with “Online Frauds”? But the simple fact that you landed here now, I congratulate you! After you get to the finish paragraph of this article, I can assure you that you’ll learn something that you could use to shield yourself from “Online-Scammers.”
Let us begin, which means you’ll understand how to find fake travel services. You can start reserving your travel plans and tickets for the destinations you wish to see. These Tips might not come so, so you can readily recall them without fearing missing something. They are…
1.) Travel Agency Should have an Office
It doesn’t matter what size the traveling service you’ll be dealing with, so long as they’re a booking, travel, or ticketing agency. They ought to have a concrete distance, possibly a little booth on fries, a tiny store-front kind on the roads, or even a designated room in business buildings. Adding a physical area or office is one of the main hints that they might be a set of hackers. They are awaiting one to type in your charge card advice in an apartment anywhere in the nation. And trust me, I’m an internet developer and web designer, and I could easily replicate any sites made by a Legitimate Travel service. Anyone with sufficient skills could do this if I could get it done. Therefore, as a good TIP, constantly look for their actual address and research it on Google Maps. Usually, all valid agency always lists their company on Google-Business. Therefore, it will look on Google maps when someone searches for these online. Remember, a fake travel agency does not have a bodily office. Even just a little space on any building, they only exist virtually. You’ll have no idea where they are working on this massive planet.
How to detect fake travel agencies; Ok, so let us presume that scammers do not understand anything about building sites. However, they can still easily hire anybody with sufficient skills to make a great-looking website. That could easily beat any valid Travel agency on the internet. So as another TIP on this matter, never estimate it from how the site looks; any website can be a “BAIT” for you. However, we will be covering that topic just a bit later. There are particular markers on the Website which can state, “WE ARE SECURE & WE ARE LEGAL.” If you know the best place to look for this symbol, it will be a lot simpler than identifying which one is legal or imitation.
2.) If the offer looks too cheap to be accurate, it is a hint!
After you realize that the Traveling, Vacation, or Tour Package offer is too affordable to be authentic, it is probably not. Most of the time, it is a lie. We are not stating that “all economical and cheap Tour-Offers are imitations.” What we’re saying is, in case the Tour-Promo is too economical to be true. To discover a fake travel service, you want to pay attention to the Tour-Package they are giving. For example, suppose a Traveling Agency will offer you a $30 (approximately P1,500) Package to Singapore per head without lodging nonetheless, well. That is probably correct because, due to a competitive business, Airlines typically raise the cheapest and cheap tickets, especially for overseas destinations. However, suppose there is a Travel Agency that will offer you a “Trip into Singapore” plus a Sentosa Island experience plus a Universal Studio tour for just P1,500 (approximately $30) a head. In that case, that is far beyond accurate and acceptable, as a Universal Studio (Singapore) entrance alone will cost you about $70 Singapore Dollars or approximately P1,500 pesos per head.
Whenever you see a Travel or Tour Package promo offered by almost any Travel Agency, do a bit of research before leaping to reserve it straight away. Search for the present ticket expenses, location-entrance expenses, transportation,… In case your closing total of all costs is near or slightly less than what they’re offering. Then most probably, it may be accurate. However, when your calculations are way more costly than what they offer, odds are, it’s a bait that you book that imitation offer and stay away from it.
3.) Contacts, Contact Numbers & Contacts
All good travel agencies have not just one but many contact numbers or other ways to contact them. If you’re operating a legitimate organization, you want all customers or possible clients to get in touch with you. On the flip side, if you are a Scammer, you probably won’t give them a chance to get in touch with you after you take all their cash. You see, so first and foremost, if you land on a Travel agency website, immediately look to their Contact Page. Usually, you can find it in the site’s top menu or the underside footer; at least, that’s how I design a website, but it may vary in the programmer. Also, use the form or info (such as the email address) to get them. If they could respond through your email (which you entered in their site’s form) in an hour or even 2, that is a perfect hint they’re legal and someone is used to taking that touching message on their sort. You should examine their online contact form to find a fake travel agency when it won’t send any material. In case you won’t receive any telling your message has been delivered to them, that’s a great sign: “The contact form is not working.” It’s just for the display, and that’s a warning sign for you. Why? After you cover your booking by example, you ought to have a way to speak to any of the workers’ right? So if their Contact Form isn’t functioning, and their Email Speech can send a Return-To-Sender telling, it means it is “INTENDED NOT TO WORK in any respect!”
However, of course, there’s always the telephone number; never miss any chance to fall a message or call through the contact number they provide n their Website. If the Travel Agency is Legitimate, all of the numbers they provide, particularly the Landline, should be working correctly. And if they give a cell number, try to contact that. Almost all fake travel agencies do not have landline phone numbers. As a Tip, attempt to get them many times, pretending to be different customers for each call and inquire in their package promo. When there’s an inconsistency in the info, they give for every inquiry you created, that is an excellent sign that the Promo is a Hoax or Bait!
4.) What’s on Their Social-Media Fan Page?
There is a modern 21st-century slogan that states, “Your company Today, is Not a Business without a Social-Media” account. And that is true! One legitimate way to discover a fraud company like a Travel Agency is through their Social-Media account. Many bogus travel agencies do not have Social-Media accounts. Even if they possess, it might look recently constructed, with no pay pictures, no profile images, inconsistent posts, etc. So today, how do you understand their Facebook, Twitter, Google+Plus, or YouTube Social-Media accounts? That is very simple, head over to Google. Then kind at the Travel Agency’s name example, “Shopbycards,” on Google search, and discover everything about us in the Google results. Google will even give a lot of info about us on the right-side panel of the Google outcome, and our official websites button and other Social Media hyperlinks like our Facebook account, Twitter, and Flickr. If the effect you searched regarding the Travel Agency will not offer you any Social-Media account. That is a massive HINT for you that it could be a fraud. When searching at Google for all Business’ Websites and many notably Legitimate Travel services, the first pop-up effect will likely be a Facebook enthusiast page. So in case, they don’t have a Facebook Fan Page, that is an excellent RED signal for you.
Ok, so they have a Social Media account. Are they legal now? Nope, not too quickly. To find a fake travel service, you really must investigate further. Click here that Google provides you about their Social-Media account. For example, if it’s on Facebook, click this, and it shall open Facebook using their fan page. Facebook might ask you to Log-In into your Facebook Account before you can see every detail about that bureau, so do so. Log in to your FB account, then look at their Fan webpage. Watch their most recent post, see the dates, and see the comments of the users and customers posted on their Timeline as you’ve got to learn from LESSON NUMBER 3 (previously ). Attempt to see them about Facebook messenger. There should be a reply in an hour or two. If not, that is a sign.
And finally, upon assessing their Social-Media enthusiast page, such as Facebook Page, see the subjects, the descriptions, and the About-Us part of their FB page. Most fake travel agencies do not care about their social media accounts. They understand their Possible Victim (like you… before you read this article) will invest additional time on their Website than on their Facebook Fan Page. Suppose their Facebook Page says nothing about traveling or tours. It increases your doubt if it’s all about Marketing or Shopping rather than Travelling or tour packages. Their solutions are different from what they are offering. Hence you have the motive to mark them as frauds.
5.) The Official Website’s Legitimacy and Safety
By LESSON NUMBER 1, I have said something about the site’s security symbol or markings which could be found in their site’s URL (Universal Resource Locator). Also, this is all about it. To detect a fake travel service, you will need to watch and look out for their “URL’s (Universal Resource Locator) “DOMAIN-NAME STRING” All sites that has a terrific concerns regarding their customers and customers, and most notably those who takes “PAYMETS ONLINE”, should possess a bonded sockets (secured net connection)or some kind of encryption protection on their “DOMAIN NAME (the www.businessname.com)” and also you should be able to see it until their domain name before this “www”. Normal, average or unsecured websites has an “http” facing their domain name such as “https://www.shopbycards.com/” while procured and “ENCRYPTED” sites , such as Legitimate Travel Agency must possess an “HTTPS” facing their domain name like such as https://cebupacificair.com.ph/. Why they have to have an ENCRYPTED domain name title? Well that’s because they “accept payments online”, the Credit Card advice of their customers will soon be exposed on the web so there should be a way to hide it by the hackers, and with the support of the “Secured Socket” domain name (the “HTTPS”) that advice that will pass via the internet will be ENCRYPTED upon passing it online hence the hackers cannot read it at an Encrypted mode.
Everything about the internet Payment will be dealt with by PayPal, which will bring security to our customers or customers (if any). So as a lesson, HTTPS secure socket domain is for companies that accept Payment Online directly through their site. However, Blogs, News, or Personal sites do not need to have one because they do not process payments online. A few of them, like Shopbycards, utilize a 3rd Party companies like PayPal International to procedure Payments from customers. How to detect fake travel agency 008
6.) Always pay attention to reviews, comments, and complains
How to detect fake travel agencies 08 — Conduct a study before conducting transactions or business deals with any Traveling Agency. Just search online about the Travel Agency involved. Look for forums, social media sites, or some other community discussion websites and read about the background of the Travel Agency. The fake travel agency will always leave negative footprints on the internet. It is simple to find them using a small search. Generally, if they’re Legitimate and established, you can observe things afterward, even on YouTube. People usually post their pleasures and whines concerning their experiences with a specific agency or company. So if you’re fortunate enough, you could find an excellent review of the travel agency you picked. Never always believe in any great comments and ratings you can see about the Travel Agency’s Facebook Fan Page. In this case, the Travel Agency is new and not well established. The odds are they just hired somebody to tweak their resumes or paid some companies to take action for them to have an excellent rating even though they are Frauds. So as a great rule-of-thumb, look for different sites, forums, or videos on YouTube relating to them. See if somebody whined or commented about their solutions. To discover a fake travel agency, you need to be curious about what people say about it. The best place to search for that is via Google. Type in their names on Google, and then see the descriptions of the results. Start looking for the reports that say Complain, Bad Rating, Bad solutions, etc., and then read about it. Some people, particularly bloggers, might Website their complaints. If you are fortunate, you might see a website that talks explicitly about the travel agency you are considering conducting business with.
7.) Be mindful of the Travel / Tour Promo source
Ok, so you’re planning a Hong-Kong holiday tour with your loved ones, friends, or loved ones just like several months ago. Then suddenly that an email Popped-Up in your Inbox. Enjoy magically; you receive a text message on your smartphone seeing a great Tour-Package to Hong Kong. All of this at an unbelievable cost and points you to a Traveling Agency’s Website. Be careful about this; perhaps you will find a few times in your social media post that you mentioned the Hong-Kong holiday tour to your buddies. Even though a scammer using a Fake Travel Agency site picked up your article. It rarely occurs, but it can happen, so be aware of the information resource.
Fake travel service has “internet search-hounds” (an internet term I made up myself). They are individuals hired by this bogus agency to sniff a possible sufferer. And they look for their helpless, unaware victims on Social-Medias sites like Facebook, Twitter, or even Instagram, so be careful about what you’re uploading and posting on your Timeline! A few months ago, my sister tried to convince me to start an Online Booking website business. She gave me the exact email address and the Official site mentioned in the email. Upon assessing everything by using and applying the lessons, I printed over (from LESSON 1 TO LESSON 7). I found out the Business Package was a complete “hoax.” The email address they gave sent a “Return to sender” Mailer Daemon Notification” this usually means that the email was just inserted in there. Still, it wasn’t even an email address. And when I checked their Social-Media account, it did not state anything regarding Online Ticketing Business; it was other things. So we canceled; my sister was about to pay out already,” I told her that I needed to investigate it first, and therefore, the fact was unraveled. Suppose it happens to an Online-Business offer, for sure. In that case, it may also be possible for any Traveling or Tour package.
8.) A little help from the Authority
Who would be the legitimates, and who will be the scammers? The legitimates are Government’s Company Registration offices. And in the country, that would be the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry), the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue), or both the SEC (Security and trade Agents ). Well, these enormous men of these authorities would be the ones you will be dealing with whenever you need to start a company in the Philippines. Essentially, they have the entire idea of which is listed or registered lawfully and which one is already expired. Then one of these services is not written whatsoever. How to detect a fake travel agency? It may not require much of your time to shed an email to these Government offices to discover. If a particular small business agency is still enrolled, expired, or never enrolled. And the majority of the time, you will get their answer within one hour or two. Based on expertise by “Contacting a Government Offices,” DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) has the fastest speed, followed by the “Bangko Central ng Pilipinas” and “Department Of Justice.” They reacted almost immediately to my email inquiries; perhaps some Government Offices also possess precisely identical response rates. But if you do not have much time to save, or in case you want to have an instant reply, you will quickly shed them a telephone at their customer service hot-line. They will forward one to the designated department in charge of your matter. And you’ll instantly get your answer. From seasoned as what I’d men tined on authorities customer’s service, all emails will have a tremendous impact on your inquiries as they can really sort it out to the section involved. On the flip side, they can also comprehensively study your queries. It is not wrong to do each transaction online, most notably if we are too occupied with our career or company. I understand how difficult it’s to go to the town to purchase a ticket or a tour package, especially if you still have lots of stuff to complete and deadlines to meet. But one must not always be in a rush when doing any online transactions. You want to be careful always; doing little research on the Travel Agency, you will be dealing with will not waste a lot of time. Most notably, today that you got a 24-hour internet connection. You won’t even have to leave your place to find out if the business association has a physical office or does not have one.
