Beware of Hotel Reservations on Fake Websites!

Especially in the summer months when holiday and tourism activities are intense, it is seen that consumers are victimized by some malicious people by copying the photos and names of the websites of popular hotels and tourism facilities, and with attractive offers via e-mails and text messages.

In order that our consumers who will make hotel or accommodation reservations do not suffer from reservations made on fake websites;

• In particular, it should be wary of cheap holiday and accommodation offers through communication channels such as social media, text messages or e-mail.
• The accuracy of the facility pictures, corporate logos and signs in the content of the incoming offer should be questioned. In addition, it will be beneficial to confirm the phone number and contact information in the advertisement and advertisement regarding the offer by calling or by querying them on the internet.
• Before the purchase decision, whether the preferred tourism facility is certified by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, how many stars the tourism facilities have http://www.kulturturizm.gov.tr ve https://yigm.ktb.gov.tr/TR-9579/turizm-tesisleri.html Information on travel agencies from their addresses http://www.tursab.org.tr It is important to query the internet addresses.
• Checking that the address, title and contact information are included in the websites of the travel agency or tourism facility, and also that the websites are registered with ETBİS (Electronic Commerce Information System), especially in the contracts signed by distance, especially the sales made through social media or advertisements transmitted by text message. It is considered that travel agencies should prefer their own website instead.

On the other hand, these fake websites, which are designed to deceive and mislead consumers, often do not include a reservation engine for that facility, and consumers are directed to phone calls directly. It is important for our consumers to be skeptical of this situation and to check the specified phone number from other pages and sources. It would be beneficial to request a brochure or information form regarding the accommodation contract purchased for both face-to-face sales and distance sales.

It is important that our consumers notify the judicial authorities by copying the logos and names of the tourism facilities or by creating a fake website with small changes that cannot be understood in their names or internet addresses, which also constitutes the crime of fraud.

In the disputes whose value is below 10.390-TL (for the year 2020), in order to eliminate the grievances of consumers and compensate their losses, the consumer arbitration committee, applications with a value above 10.390-TL fall under the jurisdiction of the Consumer Courts, and Article 6502 / A of Law No.73 In accordance with the lawsuit requirement, it is necessary to apply to the mediator before filing a lawsuit in the Consumer Courts.