Finnish consumers have received offers of free holidays to Venice from a Swedish company called NaturaMedPharma, reported the European Consumer Centre last week. The Centre has now investigated the matter in more detail.
The travel operator is Universal Tours Scandinavia from Norway. According to the information received from Norwegian authorities, Universal Tours Scandinavia does organise the above-mentioned holidays. The company is registered in Norway’s package holiday business register, but it has not registered in the Finnish Consumer Agency’s register. Therefore, the company does not have a guarantee which secures the advance payments paid by Finnish consumers or the accommodation and return transportation at the destination in case of bankruptcy or insolvency.
In order to receive a free holiday, the consumer must pay an advance payment of €100, which the company promises to return to the consumer at the travel destination. Even though the consumer will get the advance payment back, the holiday is not free. In any case, the consumer must pay an airport fee (€55) and a possible cancellation insurance fee (€30).
It must also be noted that the offer only concerns the person who received the invitation, and he/she will be accommodated in a double room with another person who has received an invitation. If the traveller does not want to stay in the same room with another traveller who he/she does not know, he/she will have to pay an additional fee of €279 to stay in a single room. If the traveller wishes to bring a friend along, it will cost an additional €549 + €55. Additional costs include a possible cancellation insurance fee (€30) and a credit card handling fee (€19).
The European Consumer Centre recommends that consumers considering going on this holiday should pay any additional payments with their credit card, despite the fact that it will cost €19. This means that the consumer can claim his/her money back from the credit card company should a problem arise.
Additional information: Director Leena Lindström, tel. (09) 7726 7826