“Your travel dollars are an investment, and you shouldn’t trust that money to just anyone”
Verify that a tour company is a member of a professional association such as the Student Youth Travel Association (SYTA).
If you work with a tour operator, make sure the company is covered by a consumer protection plan. Tour-Rific has established a trust account into which all customer deposits are placed until final payment to vendors.
Carefully read the company’s cancellation and refund policies.
Verify that your tour has Consumer Protection Plan, Errors and Omission Insurance and Professional Liability Insurance – all professional tour companies should have this.
Ask for a reference from a client with whom you are familiar.
Avoid high-pressure sales with a limited time to evaluate the offer.
Beware of companies sending a courier for a check or requesting a direct bank deposit or certified check.
Prior to payment, review complete details about any trip in writing.
Request specific hotel and airline names, addresses and phone numbers – broad terms such as “all major hotels” and “all major airlines” are a warning flag.
Insist on a local phone number if given an 800 number – this will establish that the tour company or travel agency has a central office from which it operates.
Call the National Fraud Information Center (202-835-3323), the Federal Trade Commission (1-877-FTC-HELP), or local and state consumer protection agencies to report all incidences of travel-related fraud.
Customers who value professional advice expect to pay for it and will willingly do so, assuming the quality exceeds what is available for free.
Contact Tour-Rific® of Texas for all your travel needs!