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Vietnam's tourism industry reopened after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to a surge in visitors during the summer. Taking advantage of this, many individuals are using social media to offer cheap travel packages, thereby defrauding consumers.
Turning yourself into an easy target.
Ms. Le Thi Huong, residing at 79 Pho Hue Street (Hai Ba Trung District), and her husband planned a summer vacation in Phu Quoc in early July 2022. Instead of going on a tour, Ms. Huong chose to purchase a cheap Phu Quoc travel package from an online agency on Facebook for 2.5 million VND per person.
However, closer to the departure date, when she called to confirm with the airline and hotel, she received a notification that her booking had been canceled due to non-payment within 24 hours. "When I called the seller, they immediately blocked all communication, preventing me from calling or texting them anymore," Ms. Huong shared.
Ms. Huong is just one of many victims scammed when buying travel packages. On June 7th, Vietnamese tourism businesses collectively shared information about a group of 144 tourists who bought travel packages to Phu Quoc (Kien Giang province) but only discovered they had been scammed at the airport and did not receive their plane tickets. Two years ago, a similar incident occurred where the owner of a travel agency in Nui Truc alley (Ba Dinh district) suddenly disappeared after selling tens of billions of dong worth of cheap travel packages to destinations such as Da Nang, Con Dao, Phu Quoc, and Quy Nhon...
Tourists experience scuba diving at Phu Quoc Island.
According to Pham Dinh Ha, Director of Vietnam Unique Tours, one of the tricks used by scammers to defraud tourists is offering super cheap packages with supposedly 5-star services. Besides this tactic, these scammers also use various other methods such as cheap combos, voucher liquidation, or packages of 10 airline tickets per year at incredibly low prices.
Additionally, there's a scam where customers are tricked into buying tickets that are 1-1.5 million VND cheaper than the market price, but are still usable because the scammers register for installment plans. After using the tickets, customers are then charged money by these installment travel apps.
"To evade law enforcement after committing fraud, perpetrators often lock social media accounts, block or cancel communication. Customers only realize they've been scammed after losing money or receiving services that don't live up to the advertising," Mr. Pham Dinh Ha explained.
What can I do to avoid being scammed?
Nguyen Duc Viet, director of We Travel, shared that cheap travel packages do not necessarily mean scams. This is because they combine two or more travel services, most commonly transportation (air tickets) and accommodation (hotels, resorts). The price of a package is also lower than a tour because the services included are more limited.
However, customers are easily "trapped" by sellers with vague information. "In recent years, travel packages have become a flagship product of travel agencies due to their high efficiency, saving tourists time and effort, and allowing them to choose a reasonable travel itinerary. However, like many other products, some travel packages are good, and some are not, so customers need to be vigilant and consider carefully before choosing," shared Mr. Nguyen Duc Viet.
Tourists visiting Yen Island, Nha Trang
Agreeing with this opinion, Nguyen Van Tai, Director of Vietsense Travel Company, advises that customers should carefully check the price of a service combo if it is unusually cheap compared to the general market price, and should not rush to purchase it. Furthermore, customers need to understand that a combo is only a group of services, not a complete package like a tour. Therefore, it is necessary to thoroughly investigate what services are included in the combo, their quality level, the number/duration of services used (number of nights/days of stay, one-way or round-trip tickets, etc.).
“Customers must retain all relevant information during the combo purchase process, such as payment details, emails, and messages. When making a transaction, buyers must request a contract from the combo provider detailing the terms regarding flights, hotels, ticket prices, and other incidental costs, as well as liability for contract violations. In particular, if any irregularities are observed, buyers should promptly report them to the police for assistance in protecting their legal rights,” Mr. Nguyen Van Tai stated.
Similarly, Trinh Thi My Nghe, Vice President of the Hanoi Tourism Association, advises that there are many companies and individuals selling cheap travel packages on the market. To have a quality trip, before purchasing a package, consumers need to find out about the services included, such as the expiration date, whether the package is for a family or a single person, what kind of accommodation services are included, whether transportation is included in the package or if customers have to arrange their own transportation, etc.
"Before purchasing a travel package, consumers should visit the seller's website to carefully review information and customer feedback from those who have previously purchased packages from these companies. This will help them understand the quality of service the business provides before spending money on a travel package," suggested Ms. Trinh Thi My Nghe.
Sharing the same viewpoint, Mr. Pham Duy Nghia - CEO of Vietfoot Travel, analyzed that cheap travel packages are created when sellers make very little profit, perhaps only 50,000 VND per package, so they focus on quantity. The prices are ridiculously low but cut out basic services, omitting entrance fees to scenic spots; there are also cases where sellers accept selling at a loss for other purposes.
"To curb the phenomenon of defrauding consumers through the sale of cheap travel packages on social media platforms like Zalo and Facebook, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has issued a directive to localities to review and inspect all tourism business activities, ensuring the quality of services for tourists and prioritizing the needs of tourists. Because of the sophisticated nature of these scams, perpetrators set up ticket sales channels and then, after achieving their goals, self-block or delete their websites, making it difficult for authorities to manage and penalize them. To protect themselves, tourists should be wary of cheap tour packages and choose reputable and trustworthy travel brands," said Nguyen Quy Phuong, Director of the Travel Department (Vietnam National Administration of Tourism).
