Bogus holiday club scam warning

[y2krog2000]

A new drive is under way to stop thousands of Scottish tourists falling victim to bogus holiday club scams while visiting Spain.
The Office of Fair Trading said holidaymakers lose on average £3,000.

The scam involves scratchcard touts who persuade "winners" to sign a contract for a so-called exclusive club at resorts in Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

An OFT "scambuster" team will be handing out information at Glasgow Airport throughout October.

The OFT said the scams affect 400,000 UK tourists every year with a total cost of more than £1bn.


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The scratchcard given by touts will always be a winner.

To collect their prize, tourists need to attend a lengthy presentation after which they are persuaded to sign a contract for a club.

After spending thousands of pounds, consumers find they have bought little more than access to an internet booking service offering a service they could get at a High Street travel agent.

Mike Haley, head of consumer protection at the OFT, said: "Every year holidaymakers are deceived by the false promises and sophisticated high-pressure selling of bogus holiday clubs and their marketers.


"For thousands of consumers these breaks become holidays from hell when they realise they have paid thousands of pounds for worthless contracts."

The awareness campaign is being carried out in association with Spanish authorities.

María Luz Peñacoba, director of the European Consumer Centre in Madrid, said: "In Spain we will be handing out information and advice to holidaymakers arriving at resorts warning them of the dangers of these distressing and expensive scams.

"The authorities are continuing to enforce the law and looking to tighten restrictions on bogus holiday clubs."

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Glasgow, Lanarkshire and West | Bogus holiday club scam warning