OFT crack-down on fake holiday clubs

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has moved to crack down on rogue dealers who purport to be offering Brits abroad the opportunity to enjoy substantial discounts on holiday deals.

British tourists have reported a high incidence of encounters with individuals from these phoney organisations in popular tourist destinations such as Spain, the Balearics and the Canary islands this summer, the Telegraph reports.

The groups' aim is to pressurise people into subscribing to 'club membership', signing away up to £3,000.

Bargain-hunting holidaymakers are duped into putting down a deposit in the expectation of receiving major discounts on future deals, but they often receive nothing in return.

OFT officials have even appeared at airports such as Heathrow Airport to distribute leaflets advising travellers on how to behave if they are approached by one of these unauthorised salespeople.

Customers in any doubt as to the authenticity of the offer are advised to avoid parting with any money.

In February, the OFT reported that a total of as many as 400,000 Britons had been taken in by the groups' claims to offer cut-price holiday deals.

Posted by Graham Greenaway on the 03/09/2007 17:57:15
Read more news from FHR