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Starting September 19th, many accounts have been selling Bamboo Airways vouchers worth 1.6 million VND, valid for all domestic flights (except Con Dao), with priority seat selection and extra free baggage allowance. The vouchers are valid until August 31st, 2023.
However, these accounts raise many suspicions when providing information about vouchers. Many experts in the tourism industry say that just by looking at the posts, it's easy to confirm they are scams.
Suspicious points
Ms. Hoang Tuyet, Director of Top One Travel, said that just looking at the price of 1.6 million VND/round trip, applicable to all routes even during peak season, is enough to show that it's not trustworthy.
"This price is unreasonable. There's no way it would only cost about 1.6 million VND/round trip to fly even during peak season," according to Ms. Tuyet. "This person must have taken the images from somewhere and used them to deceive people who are looking for cheap deals."
One photo, but shared by many people.
Looking at the profiles of the individuals, Ms. Tuyet also noticed that they all shared the same photo. Therefore, this could be a scam group. The photo also doesn't clearly show the front or back of the voucher and only shows the usage information.
In a social media exchange, a person named VN explained that electronic vouchers are only available if the buyer requests a paper voucher with photos of both sides.
A Bamboo Airways employee stated that they manage vouchers by code. The vouchers are strictly controlled and have a red stamp on them. Therefore, without photos of both sides of the voucher, it is difficult to determine whether it is genuine or fake.
In the image this person shared on their personal page, the terms and conditions of the voucher state, "To use the voucher, you must book your ticket at least 7 days before the departure date."
However, when the buyer inquired, the seller stated that only a 3-day advance order was required. Furthermore, the voucher, valued at 1.6 million VND, was the final price, with no peak season surcharges.
Another issue that can be easily noticed on the personal pages of Vietnamese people and those sharing these voucher images is that they often tag themselves in posts from large travel companies such as Hoan My Travel, VietSense, Vinpearl, etc. This is a way to build credibility with inexperienced users.
Furthermore, a price of only 1.6 million VND/round trip/flight for all routes except Con Dao is extremely low. Therefore, if you actually possess this voucher (valid until August 2023), the seller almost certainly won't have to worry about it going unsold.
One photo, but shared by many people.
According to many people in the tourism industry, if a voucher at that price actually existed, they would readily buy it because it's so cheap. Accepting a discounted price is highly suspicious.
Don't be tempted by cheap prices.
Some people with years of experience in the tourism industry say those accounts are quite "fake." Despite claiming to work for many large travel companies and frequently tagging themselves in their posts, these individuals have virtually no mutual friends in the tourism industry.
Furthermore, regarding the information that the price is 1.6 million VND/round trip/flight for all routes except Con Dao and no surcharges during peak season, Mr. Nguyen Tien Dat, General Director of AZA Travel, commented that it is "unbelievable".
According to Mr. Dat, the process of exchanging vouchers for airline tickets is not as simple as those individuals advertise. For example, a flight with about 200 seats will only have about 3-5 seats reserved for people with vouchers, let's call them class A tickets.
There may still be seats available on the plane, but the number of people who can book class A tickets is very limited. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese seller said that customers can use the 15 vouchers they purchased at any time, provided they booked at least 3 days in advance and before the deadline of August 31, 2023.
"Many people also own those vouchers, and the number of seats available for voucher users is limited. Therefore, it's impossible for 15 vouchers to be used up in one flight. When booking tickets on the website, the airline will ask customers whether they want to use a voucher or pay in cash. If paying in cash, you can book different seat classes depending on the cost. Meanwhile, if you choose a voucher, the system will automatically categorize them. Vouchers are just an opportunity to buy airline tickets at a lower price, not a guarantee. This is a type of marketing used by the airline," Mr. Dat shared.
In general, when purchasing services at these incredibly low prices, tourists should keep the following points in mind:
Check the seller's profile to verify their credibility. Compare the seller's price with the general market price; don't be tempted by cheap prices. Request to see the seller's personal information (transactions through a company are safer than through an individual). And ask carefully about the terms and conditions of using the voucher.
