My concerns about booking holidays on eBay
Tonight a friend asked me what I thought about booking a holiday off eBay. It had me wondering if many people use auction sites to book any aspects of their holiday and is it safe. I think you are protected if you make a payment on eBay with PayPal but how safe is it.
Anyone can create an advert
For a start there’s so little information on most of the ads to identify if the seller is a genuine seller. I was browsing and found one ad for a holiday in Las Vegas, it mentioned that they act as The Global Travel Group but to be honest anyone could create such an advert.
The ad didn’t break down the price, i.e. the flight details and accommodation. There’s a mention of the ATOL bonding number but anyone can find that online. The seller only has one review. I am not suggesting that this is a scam ad, but, it does not give me enough confidence to book this holiday.
eBay checks are a must
I do not use eBay so I am unsure if any checks are made when someone submits a holiday/travel advert, but there needs to be some level checking. Wouldn’t it be safer for travel agents or companies to be vetted before being able to submit their deals and offers?
Care should be taken
I found an interesting news article on TTG about someone who copied and pasted holiday deals from travel agents and put them up for auction at a different price. I am not trying to be a scaremonger but I do think consumers have to be very careful and make sure you do your research and get contact details.
Have you used eBay to book a holiday? If so, what was your experience? Would you book a holiday on the auction site? I am also interested to hear from anyone who has had experience of opening up a dispute for a booked holiday or accommodation.
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This post was syndicated from the Travel Rants Consumer Blog.
My concerns about booking holidays on eBay
