|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
MESL
Joined: 23 Jul 2006
|
 Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 7:53 pm Post subject: Ticket scam - Zed travel agent in Itaewon |
 |
|
| I went to the police station in Itaewon and said, "I have a problem with a travel agent here in Itaewon." The police officer interrupted me. I didn't need to tell him my story and I didn't need to tell him the name of the travel agent. He told me the name of my travel agent and he described the scam method. The police have received many complaints about Zed Travel. I went to the Itaewon tourism office and discovered they have received many complaints about him also. He sells you what looks like a ticket. You get to the airport and discover it's not a ticket, it's only a reservation. You call him and he gives you the first of many explanations and promises. You don't want to miss your flight, so you buy a ticket. You never see the guy again because you have a job waiting for you in a another country. Or you return from your visa run or your vacation and go to his office expecting a refund. More explanations, more promises. All the while, you're assuming he's incompetent or unreliable. The fact is, he sold you a fake ticket, he knew it was fake when he sold it to you, and he has done this to many other people. He has been doing this for a long time. He has stepped up this kind of activity lately because he needs financing for the two new restaurants under his office, one serving African food and the other serving Korean food. He's Nigerian. The police say he is very familiar with Korean laws and regulations. He has been in Korea for 13 years, he has his family here, he has several businesses (including Africa Magazine, http://www.africamagazine.com/ ), and he is bilingual, so he obviously has good survival skills. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
tzechuk
Joined: 20 Dec 2004
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 10:30 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Why hasn't he been prosecuted? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
MESL
Joined: 23 Jul 2006
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 10:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| Why hasn't he been prosecuted? |
Good question. The police say it's a civil matter, not a criminal matter. They referred me to the civil affairs office of another police station. A man is known by the police to repeatedly sell fake travel tickets, yet he is allowed to live in Korea, bring his family here, send his children to school here, and operate several businesses in the heart of Itaewon. He goes to his office every day and sells more travel tickets. He walks the sidewalks hobnobbing with shopkeepers. Doesn't make sense to me. Didn't make sense to the checkin manager at the airport either. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
MESL
Joined: 23 Jul 2006
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 11:07 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| This Zed Tour from Korea , please what happen you did not use our ticket yet? Are you now in another country already if you do not travel tell us so that we can refund you immidately, you are not traveling with ticket let us know immidately your plain is important, If you have decided to travel without using our ticket will shall refundy all money back with you loosing only 20,000 korea money. |
| Quote: |
| Please remember that your ticket is still valid, i know that i speak with Philipine air line, I am sure that your ticket is no trouble even untill today, Any well still you are confirmed even today, I will keep on confirming it again unless you travel today, Your ticket is OK. |
Hey, take 40, 000. Immediately, that's pretty fast. I'll camp out in front of the nearest Western Union office. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tzechuk
Joined: 20 Dec 2004
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 11:23 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I am just surprised. This is fraud.. it IS a crime!!! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
MESL
Joined: 23 Jul 2006
|
| Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 12:37 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
Beware of ZED Travel!
When planning my visa run in preparation for my current job I ended up booking a plane ticket to Fukuoka with Zed Travel in Itaewon. They were a little more expensive than some of their competitors, but they were the only company to actually call the Embassy in Fukuoka to make sure they would be open, since I would be going over there during the Chusok Holiday week. I had a slightly bad feeling about dealing with Zed from the start, but I decided to book anyways. I paid with my credit card mostly because they wanted me to pay with cash (cash is not a good thing when you are uncomfortable to begin with...). They gave me the ticket folder and the owner said that was all I needed, I could just show the piece of paper to the ticket people at the airport and everything would be fine. I made sure to clarify that this piece of paper, not an e-ticket, was all that I was needing and he said it would be fine. So I left for the 30min trip back to my apartment from Itaewon. When I got home they were calling me asking me to come back, something had happened and they were worried that they would not get the money from the credit card, seems they should have processed it on their other machine. Ridiculous mistake if you ask me, but I wasn't working then so I agreed to go back the next day, slightly unhappy. Despite telling them when I would arrive, the owner was not around so one of his trainees helped me. After a long, long time, they finally told me that they had cancelled my previous transaction and ticket, and subsequently booked a new ticket for me, along with a new transaction on my card. I made sure to ask them if they had cancelled the previous transaction and they assured me that they had. So I left once again, a new piece of paper in my hands hoping that this would be the last problem I would have to deal with.
A couple days later I was off to my early morning flight from ICN to FKK. I get to the airport and go through the baggage check process and, after they had taken my baggage, ask for my ticket. So I gave them them the piece of paper Zed had given me and they look at me again and ask for my ticket. I explained to them that this was my ticket, or at least it was the ticket my travel agent had given me. Nope. Not a ticket, just a seat reservation, no proof of purchase. So they asked me to go see another person. The next person told me to go and see my travel agent (despite it being about an hour till departure now). So I went and talked to someone else who said that she would look into it and, in the meantime, gave me a boarding pass. I went through security and everything and waited for the boarding call, anxious to move on from this nightmare, completely pissed at Zed Travel. Boarding time came and I got to the front of the line and they said, ticket please... I explained the situation and was asked to step aside until everyone had been processed. 5 minutes before the flight was scheduled to leave, someone else comes and explains to me the situation. My ticket had not been paid for. Luckily I had my credit card on me and I was able to purchase a ticket directly from the airline. You know that you've been screwed over when the steward who has heard your story tells you to "Go kick some ass" when you get back home.
So I went and did my trip (Fukuoka is a really cool city!) and came back with minimal problems. When I got home, I found an email from Zed asking what had happened with my ticket - somehow they had heard about my mixup. Seems they had booked the ticket under someone else's name for some reason. Not only that, when I checked my credit card statement online, it showed 2 purchases from Zed Travel. Not only did I not get a single ticket from them, I was billed twice for that non-existent ticket. I've been in to see them a number of times, I've called them, I've emailed them and it's always promises and more promises. I don't know how many Monday mornings I have been guaranteed to be paid by, but it's getting ridiculous.
And hear I stand. I don't mind a mistake, but this is getting bloody ridiculous. I fully expect to get my money back and don't feel as though I am getting scammed (in its truest sense). However, I do feel as though I am getting the run around and perhaps some of the worst service imaginable. Therefore, I could think of no better way of getting back at these idiots than to tell my story and, in the process, hopefully save someone an enormous headache. To use a marketing tool - when thinking of Zed Travel in Itaewon, think of being stranded and helpless early in the morning in a busy foreign airport where people don't speak your language enough to understand what's going on.
Darryl |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Nemo
Joined: 28 May 2006
|
| Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 7:51 pm Post subject: |
|
|
It's kind of obvious (just like this scam), but if you paid via credit card, chargeback through your credit card company.
People, please do not be suckered into this scam. Get an e-ticket, physical ticket and go through a reputable travel agency.
This guy should be done for fraud.
His scam is primitive at best.
BTW, if anyone's interested, I have a oceanfront property I can sell you for a discount price, in Arizona. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
contrarian
Joined: 20 Jan 2007
Location: Nearly in NK
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 4:07 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Its about time for someone to go visit that fellow in the company of a couple of friends, and toting some sporting equipement. He's a big guy, but I think a few smacks around the head and shoulders might get his attention. The police won't do anything since he's not Korean. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SuperFly
Joined: 09 Jul 2003
Location: In the doghouse
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 12:35 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Nemo wrote: |
| BTW, if anyone's interested, I have a oceanfront property I can sell you for a discount price, in Arizona. |
That's funny because I've met a few people in Phoenix who believe that when the big one hits Cali, parts of Arizona east of Yuma will be oceanfront property!! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
