4 days and 3 nights in Beijing for only 750 yuan? Beware of the "low-cost tour" trap
2024-08-11
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This article is transferred from [Beijing Release];
4 days and 3 nights tour in Guilin for 40 yuan
4 days and 3 nights in Beijing for only 750 yuan
……
This summer
Low-cost travel attracts attention again
Limited time special offer, free food and accommodation, free tickets
Low-cost tours seem attractive
In fact, there is a hidden trap
When consumers choose travel products
We should maintain a rational and cautious attitude
Don't be fooled by low prices
Journalist visits
4 days and 3 nights in Beijing for only 750 yuan
A Beijing Evening News reporter opened a short video platform and searched for "Beijing 4 days and 3 nights tour". The first five posts were all "guides plus tour guide contact information". Through the contact information left in a "guide", the reporter added a tour guide "Jingjing", who gave a 4-day, 3-night "family companion free travel" plan, which cost 880 yuan, including attraction tickets, special car transfers, hotel accommodation, breakfast and dinner, 3 days of excellent gold medal tour guide services and travel liability insurance. The reporter was asked to leave his name, contact information and a 100 yuan deposit.
When the reporter asked if it could be cheaper, "Jingjing" first said 800 yuan, then said "I'll ask the manager", and finally quoted 750 yuan.
"This is a typical traffic business. Most of those who sign up for a tour group by searching for keywords on web pages or short videos are elderly people." Lu Qiang (pseudonym), the owner of a travel agency in Beijing, told reporters that most elderly people are not very good at using online travel platforms, nor can they play in live broadcast rooms. When they cannot find the formal entrance, they often choose to contact the "tour guide" directly by phone or WeChat, and they can pay a deposit by scanning the code to sign up for a tour group.
After paying the deposit to join the tour, the old man found that the actual itinerary was not the same as what was said online.
In June this year, the mother of tourist Mr. Li signed up for a low-cost tour through a web search. As soon as she left the train station, she was taken to a suburban hotel by the station attendant. After arriving at the hotel, a local tour guide asked the elderly woman to sign a "domestic tour contract" and pay the remaining balance.
The itinerary went awry from the second day. According to previous WeChat communication, the second day's itinerary was supposed to include Tiananmen Square, Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven Park, and Shichahai. However, Shichahai was directly cancelled from the actual itinerary. The third day's itinerary changed from attending the flag-raising ceremony, visiting the Badaling Great Wall, and taking a close look at the Olympic Park to going to a jade shop, visiting the Yellow Emperor City, and finally visiting the Badaling Great Wall.
"I got up at 5:30 in the morning and was taken by the tour guide to a shopping spot. I shopped until noon and then visited the scenic spots in a hurry," said Mr. Li.Afterwards, I looked through the travel contract and found that four shopping spots, including a jade shop and a specialty shop, had been quietly added to the itinerary, as well as two "Voluntary Shopping Activity Supplementary Agreements" and one "Voluntary Payment Item Supplementary Agreement".This shows that shopping and payment are all voluntary actions of tourists.
"The old man didn't know how to think about these things. When he saw that the total price was the same, he signed the contract in a hurry." Mr. Li said that they had contacted the tour guide, who said that the online communication content was for reference only and the itinerary was subject to the actual contract.
The platform assumes regulatory responsibility
Significantly increase the cost of breaking the law
There are already legal regulations at the national level to regulate unreasonably low-priced tours.
Article 35 of the Tourism Law of the People's Republic of China
Travel agencies shall not organize tourism activities at unreasonably low prices to lure tourists, and shall not obtain kickbacks or other improper benefits by arranging shopping or other paid tourism projects.
Travel agencies organize and receive tourists.No specific shopping places may be specified and no additional paid tourism programs may be arranged.However, this does not apply if both parties agree or the tourist requests it and it does not affect the travel arrangements of other tourists.
If any violation of the preceding two paragraphs occurs,Tourists have the right to request the travel agency to process returns and advance payment for the return of goods, or refund the fees for separately paid travel items within thirty days after the end of the travel itinerary.
Should the platforms bear relevant responsibilities for the large number of suspected unreasonably low-priced travel product promotions on local life platforms and short video platforms?
In terms of regulatory responsibility, local life platforms and short video platforms have regulatory responsibilities for the information they publish. The platform should establish a sound review mechanism to strictly screen and evaluate the low-priced travel products submitted by travel agencies to ensure that their prices are reasonable and the service content is authentic and reliable, and avoid false propaganda and misleading consumers. The platform should also actively formulate and implement strict regulations and standards, and punish travel agencies that violate the regulations, including removing products from the shelves, restricting promotion, and even terminating cooperation. At the same time, the platform should also establish a complaint reporting mechanism to promptly handle and resolve consumer complaints.
If the platform fails to fulfill its supervisory obligations and causes consumers to suffer losses due to purchasing low-priced travel products, the platform should bear the corresponding compensation liability. The platform should increase supervision, improve the review mechanism, and formulate and implement strict regulations and standards to protect consumer rights and the healthy development of the market.
How to avoid old people
Being attracted by the low price trap
Accompany and communication
Family members should spend more time with the elderly, communicate with them about their travel plans and needs, plan travel itineraries with them, understand their interests and preferences, and recommend suitable travel products and routes to them.
Rational consumption
Don't blindly pursue low prices, but choose suitable travel products based on your actual situation and needs.
Choose a regular travel agency
Give priority to qualified travel agencies with a good reputation, and avoid choosing unlicensed or unreputable travel agencies.
Avoid private transactions
Remind the elderly not to trust low-cost travel advertisements on the streets or on the Internet, and avoid private transactions with private or illegal travel agencies.
Read the contract carefully
Before signing up, you must carefully read the travel contract to clarify the itinerary, items included and not included in the fees, and other terms.
Preserve evidence
During your travels, you should keep all evidence materials such as receipts and contracts so that you can protect your legal rights in case of disputes.
Other things to be wary of
Cheap tourist trap
Fake membership system
Some illegal travel agencies or institutions use the "membership system" as a cover, claiming that members can enjoy low-priced or free travel services, and promise high rebates or dividends. These institutions often do not have legal qualifications, and once the membership fee is paid, it is difficult to recover, and the so-called travel services and rebate promises are often not fulfilled.
Prepayment Trap
Under the guise of selling prepaid "travel packages", they collect prepayments from users using the gimmick of "low-cost travel".
These advance payments are often used for illegal fund-raising or misappropriated elsewhere, causing tourists to face the risk of reduced service quality or inability to complete their itineraries during their travels.
Outbound margin trap
Under the guise of outbound travel deposits, high deposits and guarantees are collected. These deposits are often used for illegal fundraising or misappropriated elsewhere, and tourists eventually face the risk of not being able to get their deposits back.
Fake promotions
Some illegal travel agencies or institutions use fake promotions to attract tourists to sign up, such as "buy one get one free" and "special offers". These promotions often have many restrictions or additional fees, resulting in tourists ultimately paying no less than the original price.
Source: Beijing News
