Making sure you are on the correct vacation company website ! Beware of the internet tricks !

Have you noticed, when you go online and do a search for a particular travel company, that often, many sites come up ?    Why ?

Today, many agencies buy shortcut URL’s, that will include that company name you are looking for.  That agency is in hopes, by buying this shortcut URL, you will “see them as” that true company and contact them and buy.

Unfortunately, they are not the “true site” nor are they the direct company.

Example when searching Uniworld, one of the short URL’s that comes up is Uniworld.RiverCruise.com.

This is NOT Uniworld.

What should a consumer be looking for ?  Normally, the consumer needs to look for the word “official” when glancing over the options !

However, today, when I did a search for Uniworld, not only did I see Uniworlds “official” site, I also see that RiverCruise.com is claiming they are the official site.

So beware !

Nothing is wrong with searching the internet for answers to your questions.  Doing your homework before you call your agent and buy.  But unless you are getting your answers from “your agent”, the only other company you want to talk to is the “official” company. 

Talking to an unofficial company, portraying themselves as that company, is not where you want to get your answers !  I don’t care how much they say they are the experts ! 

Call your agent !  Get your answers from someone you trust and can go back to !  A specific person. 

Again, beware !