Planning a getaway or have work travel coming up? You’ll want to ensure it’s a relaxing or productive trip by paying close attention as you book your hotel and secure related plans. The Better Business Bureau has heard from travelers who’ve been tricked by convincing lookalike hotel booking websites through “sponsored” hotel ads. Once they have your money, these fake sites can vanish faster than your vacation budget!
While the tactics used in these schemes can vary, as seen in submissions to BBB Scam Tracker, the lesson is the same: always double-check the website before entering your payment details and information.
Here’s an example of how these scams can work:
You search for hotels in the city you plan to visit. Among the top search results is what appears to be an official hotel website or a legitimate travel booking agency. When you click the link, the website has professional photos from the hotel and reasonable pricing.
Everything looks normal, so you decide to book a room. You enter your credit card information and finalize the reservation. However, when you review your credit card statement later, you notice you’ve been charged ahead or for a much higher rate than you agreed. This is usually when you learn that you accidentally clicked on a third-party site that holds no affiliation with the hotel.
When you contact the company to cancel your reservation, you may not be able to get through to anyone. And even if you do, they’ll likely tell you you’ve made a non-refundable reservation, claiming that the best they can do is cancel your reservation and charge you for it anyway.
Another twist on this scam was shared by a consumer who reported via BBB Scam Tracker that they lost $600: “The scammer accepts hotel reservations at one rate over the phone and then changes the rate with a new amount in an email confirmation. Reservation desk also adds hundreds of dollars in taxes and fees on top of the changed rate and then refuses to make any changes or offer a refund once the customer realizes what has changed. When attempting to dispute the rate, Reservation Desk also will make the customer wait five to seven business days per request to draw the process out longer while never offering any resolution.”
Here’s BBB’s tips to help you steer clear of shady hotel booking scams:
Only book hotels through official websites. The best way to avoid this kind of scam is to check and double-check you are on an official hotel website before you enter your credit card information. Scammers are pros at building fake lookalike websites to fool you into giving up your information. Look closely at the URL to ensure you’re on the hotel’s official website or a booking agency you know and trust.
Only make reservations through secure websites. You’ll also want to ensure websites and their payment pages are secure before entering data. This means the URL start with https:// and displays a padlock symbol. If a web page isn’t secure, don’t enter your personal information. Instead, close the tab.
Contact the hotel directly. If you’re unsure about a booking site or deal, call the hotel directly to confirm the offer is real and your reservation is in their system.
Look for red flags in communication. Be wary of unusual payment requests, such as wire transfers, prepaid cards or payment through untraceable methods. Also, be on the lookout for typos and grammatical or spelling errors. Legitimate hotels typically do not have these errors.
Watch out for misleading ads. Look at search results carefully. Just because a website is the first result on the page doesn’t mean it’s legitimate. Watch out for high-ranking ads that scammers could sponsor.
Research businesses you aren’t familiar with. If you find a booking site that looks professional, but you haven’t heard of it before, proceed with caution. Search for reviews on third-party websites, and keep a close eye out for reports of scams. Never share your personal information with a person or business until you know they are trustworthy.
Check the cancellation policy. Review the hotel’s cancellation policy carefully. Scammers might not provide clear information on this, making it difficult to get a refund.
Search BBB.org. It’s always best practice to search hotels near you on BBB.org to check reviews, ratings and BBB accreditation.
For more information, visit BBB’s Travel HQ. You’ll find more tips on best booking practices, staying safe during travel and avoiding scams.
Michele Mason is president of the Better Business Bureau in Chattanooga.
