Wisconsin BBB sheds light on travel and vacation scams

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- From 2020 to 2022, BBB received nearly 30,000 business complaints and almost 10,000 negative reviews on travel companies, with the timeshare industry accounting for $32 million in disputed funds.

Jim Temmer, President of the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau, joined us on Monday, May 1 to discuss the prevalence of travel and vacation scams.

More than 1,100 BBB Scam Tracker reports showed that con artists used high-pressure tactics, similar to timeshare sales, to deceive consumers out of $3.5 million in three years. Fake debt collection on allegedly unpaid timeshare fees was also a common scheme.

Temmer provided tips for those considering timeshares or exit companies, such as conducting thorough research, steering clear of high-pressure sales tactics, contacting resorts directly for resale or buyback programs, setting realistic expectations about timeshare returns and being cautious with timeshare exit companies that demand upfront fees.

The BBB's full recent study on these scams can be found by clicking here.