Think about the pros and cons of using your credit card.
When you pay with cash, a check, or a debit card, you may not be as safe as when you use a credit card. Some credit card companies also offer perks like trip insurance or concierge service while travelling, and they may offer extra protections if the trip is cancelled. Check with your credit card company to find out how to get reimbursed for travel costs.
Look over your travel plans. The New York State Truth in Travel Act protects people from fraud, false advertising, misrepresentation, and other kinds of wrongdoing. Within five days of a customer buying or agreeing to a travel service, the agent or promoter must give the customer a written list of all the terms of the service.
When consumers get their agreements, they should read them carefully and make sure the terms match what they bought. Consumers can cancel the agreement until midnight on the third business day after receiving it. Consumers can also cancel at any time during the first five days before they get the disclosures.
Use reputable travel agents/tour companies. Before choosing an agent or company to work with, people should do a lot of research. Keep track of agreements and contracts, and read the terms and conditions, especially the cancellation and refund policies. A deposit is often needed to make a reservation, and it may not be refundable.
If the trip gets cancelled, the deposit might only be good for another trip or it might be lost. Before putting down a deposit, a customer should make sure they understand the policy.
Think about getting trip insurance and if you need a “Cancel for Any Reason” policy.
Travel insurance can help people in case of an emergency before or during their trip. It can cover things like lost luggage, missed connections, and even medical emergencies. But most standard travel insurance policies don’t cover trip interruptions or cancellations caused by COVID-19 because they don’t cover epidemics, pandemics, or other public health events. Some trip insurance plans offer “Cancel for Any Reason” coverage for an extra fee. This coverage is often much more expensive than regular travel insurance and usually only covers up to 75% of the traveler’s costs if the trip has to be cancelled.
Before you buy a plan, look over the policy’s terms and ask your insurer about any coverage that might not be included.
When all or part of a trip is cancelled, the cancellation policy and a customer’s right to a refund depend on the laws that govern the company’s industry, who makes the cancellation, when it is made, and the company’s own policy.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, if a flight is cancelled or significantly delayed, the airline must give a full refund, including the price of the ticket and any extra fees that were paid. This is true even if the flight problems were not caused by the airline.
If an airline doesn’t do that, customers should tell the U.S. Department of Transportation about it. If a customer cancels a reservation for any reason, they will have to follow the refund policy they agreed to when they bought the ticket, which may mean they get no money back at all.
Cruise Lines.
Different cruise lines may offer different ways to get your money back. The cruise ticket contract tells you what your rights are and how the company handles cancellations.
For example, you might get a refund, credit, or voucher for a future cruise. If you choose a credit or coupon, make sure the date it expires is far enough away that you can still use it. Learn more about your rights as a consumer and what you might be able to do about it from the Federal Maritime Commission.
Cancellation policies for hotels, motels, and online marketplaces for accommodations can be very different, even within the same company, depending on the time of year, type of room, or length of stay. Some may let you choose between a rate that can be refunded and one that can’t be. Before you make a reservation, make sure you know the cancellation policy inside and out.
If a customer is having trouble getting a refund for all or part of a cancelled trip, they are encouraged to file a complaint with DCP.
The Federal Trade Commission warns about scams that happen often when people travel.
When booking a trip, here are some signs that you might be getting ripped off:
You “won” a free trip away. Scammers will sometimes offer people free trips, but then tell them they have to pay fees or make deposits to get access. A prize shouldn’t have to cost money, and if it does, it’s probably a scam.
Not much is known about your trip. Consumers may be offered a stay in a five-star hotel or a cruise on a luxury line, but not much else is said about the trip. Always make sure you know the name of the company and where the trip is going.
You don’t have much time to say yes to the offer. Scammers often put pressure on people to decide quickly about a deal, which makes it likely that the person won’t have time to look into the deal. Don’t ever feel like you have to agree to terms you haven’t read for yourself.
You have to pay in a strange way. Cryptocurrency, wire transfers, and gift cards are hard to track, which makes them ideal for scammers who want to take advantage of people. When consumers get these kinds of payments, it’s hard for them to get their money back. If a travel company insists on one of these ways of payment, you should refuse and report the company.
When a consumer hasn’t been able to solve a problem on their own, the New York State Division of Consumer Protection can act as a mediator between the consumer and the business.
Consumer complaints can be made at any time at www.dos.ny.gov/consumerprotection or by calling 1-800-697-1220, which is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (except on state holidays).
The Department of Financial Services is in charge of travel insurance.
Consumers with complaints about travel insurance policies or “Cancel for Any Reason” coverage issued in New York or by New York companies should contact DFS at www.dfs.ny.gov/complaint or by calling the DFS Consumer Hotline at (800) 342-3736, (212) 480-6400, or (518) 474-6600. (Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM).
