Attorney General: AG Nessel Reissues Summer time Travel Tips

LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is reissuing her Travel Tips alert to assist shoppers keep away from frequent journey scams and keep knowledgeable about their rights whereas vacationing. With many Michiganders planning journeys through the hotter months, Attorney General Nessel additionally released a video last year urging travelers to remain vigilant when booking and taking vacations.

“Don’t let financial headaches and travel scams ruin your vacation,” mentioned Attorney General Nessel. “Before you book, remember to do your research and always read the fine print. A little caution can go a long way to protect your plans and your wallet.”

Whether reserving on-line or by way of a journey agent, Attorney General Nessel encourages vacationers to:

• Research brokers and reserving websites: Verify telephone numbers and web sites independently reasonably than counting on internet search outcomes. Check evaluations, search private suggestions and seek the advice of the Better Business Bureau in addition to the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team for data.
• Get guarantees in writing: Before offering your fee data, request that each one agreements be offered in writing, together with any particular requests or phrases.
• Read contracts rigorously: Pay shut consideration to nice print, charges, and repair costs, particularly for “all-inclusive” offers. Make copies of all paperwork to dispute any surprising charges.
• Pay with a bank card: Avoid paying for journey with money, checks, or pay as you go playing cards. Use a bank card, if potential, ideally a delegated journey bank card for reserving flights, resorts, and different bills. Credit playing cards provide higher fraud and cancellation protections than different fee strategies.
• Beware of fraudulent listings on trip rental websites: Scammers can hijack official listings or create pretend properties on trip house rental web sites like Airbnb and Vrbo to lure vacationers into sending funds for leases that don’t exist. Always e-book by way of verified sources.

Attorney General Nessel’s alert lists some frequent journey scams that vacationers ought to keep away from, corresponding to:

• Online Booking Scams: Ensure you’re reserving immediately on the lodge or trip rental’s official web site. Third-party reserving websites could cost hidden charges, fail to honor particular requests, and even fail to make a reservation altogether.
• “Pizza Flyer” Scam: Flyers slipped beneath lodge doorways that publicize native meals supply could also be fraudulent. When ordering, by no means give your bank card data to unknown sources.
• Fake Front Desk Calls: Scammers could name your lodge room claiming to be from the entrance desk and request your bank card data attributable to a “computer glitch.” Always confirm by calling the entrance desk immediately.
• Bait-and-Switch Tactics: Be cautious of gives with unrealistically low costs that lead to further costs or stress to purchase costlier companies.

Attorney General Nessel additionally encourages shoppers to observe for elevated charges and surcharges this season, as some travel-related companies regulate charges to offset inflation and tariffs. Check all prices rigorously, together with transportation fares, ferry and parking passes, and guarantee season passes bought previous to any fee enhance are nonetheless honored.

Because of the busy journey season through the summer season, some delays on bridges and airways are to be anticipated. However, airline passengers are entitled to a refund for:

• Canceled or considerably modified flights: Passengers might be entitled to a refund if their flight is canceled or considerably modified, and they don’t settle for various transportation or journey credit supplied. Significant adjustments to a flight embody: departure or arrival occasions which are greater than 3 hours domestically and 6 hours internationally; departures or arrivals from a unique airport; will increase within the variety of connections; situations the place passengers are downgraded to a decrease class of service; or connections at totally different airports or flights on totally different planes which are much less accessible or accommodating to an individual with a incapacity.
• Significantly delayed baggage return: Passengers who file a mishandled baggage report might be entitled to a refund of their checked bag payment if it’s not delivered inside 12 hours of their home flight arriving on the gate, or 15-30 hours of their worldwide flight arriving on the gate, relying on the size of the flight.
• Extra companies not offered: Passengers might be entitled to a refund for the payment they paid for an additional service — corresponding to Wi-Fi, seat choice, or inflight leisure — if an airline fails to offer this service.

Airlines are additionally required to offer automated, immediate and full refunds in the identical methodology of fee utilized by the patron to buy their tickets.

For further sources, go to Pure Michigan for journey suggestions throughout the state. The Transportation Security Administration and the U.S. State Department additionally present invaluable data for home and worldwide vacationers. 

If you consider you’ve been handled unfairly by a enterprise whereas touring in Michigan, or have been the sufferer of a journey rip-off, contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team at:

Consumer Protection Team
P.O. Box 30213
Lansing, MI 48909
517-335-7599
Fax: 517-241-3771
Toll-free: 877-765-8388
Online complaint form

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