Have you been a victim of travel scams or abuse? The OCU explains what you should do to report it.

The arrival of summer is a special time to plan getaways and trips to destinations we've always wanted to visit. But in many cases, amidst our hectic daily lives, we forget to plan ahead and make a last-minute reservation—just when cybercriminals take advantage by displaying misleading travel package ads to grab consumers' attention.

In this regard, 20minutos contacted the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), and through its spokesperson Enrique García, we were able to learn about the mechanisms available to victims of these online abuses or scams in Spain to report the various cases to the authorities.

How to report a travel scam or abuse

First, the OCU spokesperson explained that if the issue is a scam perpetrated by a tourism company or service, the affected person should contact the Directorate General for Consumer Affairs or the Directorate General for Tourism, both at their destination and at their place of origin. He also maintained that from the moment a user receives a service that does not correspond to what was contracted, it is immediately considered a violation of their consumer rights , and is therefore protected by law.

"The first thing to note is that advertising is part of the contract. That is, if an accommodation with a view is promised, then it must have one. Otherwise, the contract is breached, and the consumer can demand recovery or compensation ," García explained.

He also emphasized that the most important thing to successfully file a complaint is to gather all possible evidence, both of the tourist service contract and the conditions under which it was received, so that it can be processed correctly. "You must bring all possible evidence. Advertising, services, contracts that prove these circumstances, even receipts for payment made at the time. The better a claim is substantiated, with more evidence, the more viable it will be," stated the OCU spokesperson.

Similarly, García maintained that in the case of vacation home rentals, if they don't match the listing, audiovisual evidence must be created to support the complaint to the authorities. " For example, the condition of the home, whether it's dirty or broken. A video is recorded or a photo is taken," he concluded.