Son of Scam
© Diane Goldberg under the original topic name
A scam is a deliberate attempt to obtain money from you by fraud. Ms Budget Travel has often booked a bed and breakfast or taken a day trip on the advice of friends and strangers --- often she's been pleased, occasionally she's been disappointed --- but those disappointments were not scams, merely differences of opinion --- one traveler's terrific bargain is another backpacker's horror. Having said that Ms Budget Travel will mention some more things to look out for along the road.
Time Share sales pitches, annoying though they may be are not scams - you frequently get something for your time, as to whether it's worth it? Ms Budget Travel trod that path awhile ago --- Gentle Readers who missed it may refer back to http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/budg... for a bit about time shares sales stuff.
A travel agent not booking you the best hotel for the price in Cancun or Quebec is not a scam artist--- the agent or person who knows everything does not exist. Years ago Ms Budget Travel traveled to Montreal with her parents and we all stayed in an efficiency apartment that seemed quite a bargain back home when we made our plans. During our stay we found we could have had lodgings that would have pleased us more for the same price. Rip off? No. Simply a case of a local agent here not really being knowledgeable about there. If perfection is critical you might want to: Use an agent who is hooked into a local agent where you are going. Use an agent who specializes in your destination. Check hotel search engines such as http://www.lodging.com or http://www.hotelnow.com and view hotel websites and particulars. You may even want to do Ms Budget Travel's favorite obsessive-compulsive ritual for when you only have a few days in a city:
List the sights you most want to see. Find them on a city map and figure out the best public transportation routes to between the sights. (If you love subways as much as Ms Budget Travel does you'll find http://www.subwaynavigator.com/subway_si... an invaluable aid.) After selecting your possible hotels, find them on the city map and then choose your ideal location vis a vie transport and sights.
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