Spring break is coming soon for most Treasure Valley students. The Better Business Bureau shares some safety advice when it comes to booking travel.
"In 2016, consumers nationwide filed nearly 2,300 complaints with BBB about online travel agencies. This is a 28% increase over the year prior. The leading cause for complaints are issues with guarantees, followed closely by problems with refunds or exchanges and poor customer service," BBB's Emily Valla said.
According to BBB, travel and vacation scams are also a problem. Valla says consumers have reported booking hotels through online third party sites and discovered upon arrival the hotel simply did not exist.
Valla says when it comes to booking trips with third party websites double check the URL.
"Make sure you are on the legitimate site and spelling is correct. Before entering any payment information, look for the 'S' in the web address. The 'https' indicates the website is more secure. And pay by credit card whenever possible, there are more fraud protections that way," Valla said.
To make sure your reservation is legitimate, BBB advises calling the company directly to double check.
"To be extra safe, call the hotel or airline directly to confirm your reservation. You can make sure the third party site properly booked your accommodations. Always read the fine print. Make sure you understand any extra fees or cancellation policies before booking," Valla said.
For more tips and information visit www.bbb.org.
