The National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC) recently reminded the public to exercise caution when travel fares are too low as they are probably a scam.
However, many more people will still fall victims unless travellers become wary and regulators step up enforcement. The NCCC had received 3,458 complaints in 2016 against licensed and illegal tour operators, and the number increased to 3,590 in 2017.
These figures may not include those handled by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac), Consumers Claims Tribunal (CCT), Royal Malaysia Police Commercial Crime Division and bodies such as the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta).
Unless given sound advice, most cheated consumers would waste time and effort trying to seek redress when they are not sure what they want and may even be barking up the wrong tree.
If they have been scammed, they should immediately make a police report upon discovering intermediaries that received payments online for travel arrangements could no longer be contacted, and similarly for brick and mortar companies that closed shop overnight without notifying customers who have made advance payments for services.
Any delay would make it harder for the police to trace as trails quickly diminish over time. Although the chances of recovering the payments are close to zero, victims may find solace in the fact that the scammers are caught and jailed.
But many victims delayed or did not make police reports, bringing their complaints to NCCC, Motac, TCC and travel trade associations, as all licensed tour operators must be a member of one of these bodies.
These organisations do not have the resources, expertise and power of the police to act against those who have absconded. Those who were short-changed or dissatisfied with the services provided by existing tour operators should be specific on the amount of compensation sought.
If not, much precious time would be wasted attending to their complaints as victims were more eager to air their grouses without knowing or telling what they want in return. It could quickly come to a closure if the amount of compensation was reasonable or reach a compromise.
If their verbal demands are not met, it should be followed up in writing, either by email or in a formal letter, giving the tour operator a week to respond. Otherwise, the matter could be brought to the CCT, Motac and the travel trade association which the company is a member.
Consumers who can show proof they have good reasons to be dissatisfied can easily issue a “summons” by filling up a form at the nearest CCT office, pay RM5 and serve a copy of the completed form to the tour operator, giving two weeks’ notice to appear at the tribunal.
If warranted, Mocat may suspend or cancel the tour operator licence or the trade association may expel the member for not adhering to the code of ethics. As for NCCC, it can provide valuable advice and record complaints, and perhaps compile those attended by other agencies and bodies.
As for those who shop for bargains online, it is the risk they chose to take. Even seasoned travellers accustomed to Do-It-Yourself (DIY) arrangements can get cheated after they have been emboldened by a series of incident-free arrangements.
We ought to remember that confidence tricksters don’t always strike the first time. The more professional ones prefer to win your confidence initially and strike hard when they receive a much bigger payment that may include a big group of people you brought in, Umrah scams being a classic example.
People have been cheated since the dawn of civilisation and will continue until the end of time. Victims may know the scammers and swindlers very well or total strangers recommended by people they trust.
Many individuals browse online for information and options but are inadvertently sucked in by irresistible bargains. With Industry 4.0 looming in the horizon and artificial intelligence booming, many people would be cheated by robots in the future.
Granted that cheating cannot be eradicated, the least we could do is to introduce measures to bring scams under control. The first step is a concerted and coordinated effort by all relevant government agencies and non-governmental organisations, instead of working in silos.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the New Sarawak Tribune.
