Category: Travel

Trading Standards Bulletin – Spot the Signs of Holiday Fraud

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In May 2022, Action Fraud launched a national awareness campaign to urge the public to think twice before handing over money and personal information when booking holidays.

As travel restrictions became more relaxed, Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cyber-crime is warning the public to remain vigilant against holiday fraud when booking flights and accommodation online.

In the financial year of 2021/22, Action Fraud received 4,244 reports of holiday and travel related fraud – a substantial increase of over 120% when compared to the previous year.

Victims reported losing a total of £7,388,353 – an average loss of £1,868 per victim.

Whilst many accommodation providers who make use of online booking platforms are legitimate, some criminals will use these platforms to defraud victims by advertising counterfeit accommodation.

Over 7% of victims reported falling victim to suspects impersonating legitimate travel companies, including clone comparison sites, airline websites and holiday accommodation websites.

In some cases, victims have searched for flight tickets online and have found a website they believed to be the company’s genuine website. In other cases, victims reported responding to an approach or advertisement on social media or using what they believed to be legitimate flight comparison websites to search for flights.

The fraudster may completely end contact after receiving payment or provide the victim with fake booking information.

Sadly, some victims have only become aware that they have been the victim of fraud when they arrive at the airport and are unable to check-in.

Top tips to avoid falling victim to holiday fraud

Stay safe online – check the website address is legitimate and has not been altered by slight changes to a domain name – such as going from .co.uk to .org.uk

Do your research: don’t just rely on one review – do a thorough online search to ensure the company is credible. If a company is defrauding people, there is a good chance that consumers will post details of their experiences, and warnings about the company.

Look for the logo: check whether the company is an ABTA Member. Look for the ABTA logo on the company’s website at https://www.abta.com/abta-member-search. If you have any doubts, you can verify membership of ABTA online on their If you’re booking a flight and want more information about ATOL protection, or would like to check whether a company is an ATOL holder, visit the CAA website at https://www.caa.co.uk/atol-protection/consumers/checking-for-atol-protection/.

Pay safe: wherever possible, pay by credit card and be wary about paying directly into a private individual’s bank account.

Check the paperwork: you should study receipts, invoices and terms and conditions, and be very wary of any companies that don’t provide any at all. When booking through a Holiday Club or Timeshare, get the contract thoroughly vetted by a solicitor before signing up.

Use your instincts: if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Get free expert advice: for further advice on how to stay safe when booking or researching travel online, go to Get Safe Online.

For a full list of tips to avoid becoming a victim of fraud, please visit https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/planning-and-booking-a-holiday/how-avoid-travel-related-fraud.

If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.

Flight Compensation

Flight delays and cancellations have been in the news recently for the past couple of years and have recently increased due to the return of people travelling post-covid and the airports and airlines seemingly being ill-prepared.

There are rules and laws in place to protect consumers and Martin Lewis of Money Saving Expert has put together a comprehensive guide as to what you are entitled to if you experience delays or cancellations.

Please visit his website www.moneysavingexpert.com or use the link below to read his recent article following the highly publicised issues faced by consumers in recent weeks: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2022/05/easyjet-british-airways-cancellations-compensation/.

Road Closure – Shirley Church Road 3-5 August

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Croydon’s Highways team together with its principal contractor FM Conway, will shortly be commencing resurfacing works on Shirley Church Road.

These works are scheduled to commence on 3rd August 2022 – 5th August 2022 and are due to be carried out between 08.00 – 17:00. Traffic management will consist of a road closure.

Gully cleaning will take place on 6th August 2022 with parking suspension only.

Due to the location and nature of these works, some disruption will inevitably occur.

If you need vehicular access during the above period it may be advisable to find an alternative route and allow additional time for your journey.

Croydon’s Highways team wishes to apologize in advance and welcomes your co-operation to ensure the work is executed safely and efficiently.

Every effort will be made to minimise the inconvenience that may be caused during the works.

Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) Expansion Consultation

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Transport for London are consulting on proposals to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) London-wide on 29 August 2023. We want to hear your views on our proposals. These proposals are part of the commitment by the Mayor of London and TfL to help improve air quality and public health, tackle the climate emergency and reduce traffic congestion across Greater London.

See the consultation brochure for more details.

These are our proposals for the London-wide expansion of the ULEZ from 29 August 2023. The new boundary would cover almost all (96 per cent) of Greater London, up to the existing Low Emission Zone (LEZ) boundary.

Details of the proposals:

  • It would cost £12.50 per day to drive anywhere within the London-wide ULEZ area for drivers of non-compliant vehicles. Check whether your vehicle is already ULEZ standards compliant using the ULEZ vehicle checker.
  • It would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 364 days a year, excluding Christmas Day.
  • We would remove the £10 annual per vehicle registration fee for Auto Pay for the ULEZ, LEZ and Congestion Charge from 30 January 2023. It would then be free to register for Auto Pay. You would still have to pay the ULEZ charge if your vehicle is not compliant. (Auto Pay is a mechanism for automatic payment of the ULEZ, LEZ or Congestion Charge that ensures that drivers will not receive a Penalty Charge Notice)
  • The penalty for non-payment for ULEZ and Congestion Charge would increase from £160 to £180 from 30 January 2023. If paid within 14 days, the amount would reduce by half.

HAVE YOUR SAY
Transport for London would like your views on the proposals to expand the ULEZ London-wide from 29 August 2023, removal of the annual Auto Pay vehicle registration fee, increases in the penalty charge notice levels for non-payment of the daily ULEZ charge and the Congestion Charge, changes to the Mayor’s Transport Strategy (MTS) and your thoughts on how we shape the future of road user charging.

TfL would also welcome your views on minor operational changes we propose making to the Congestion Charge and ULEZ schemes.

You can do this by completing the online survey. You will need to register with our Have your say platform to take part in the online survey. Your details will be kept secure . The consultation will close on 29 July 2022 at 23:59.

If you prefer not to complete the survey, then please submit your response to us in writing to cleanairyourview@tfl.gov.uk or FREEPOST TFL HAVE YOUR SAY (no stamp required). You can also phone this number 0343 222 1155 to leave your feedback or ask a question about our proposals.

Trinity School Triathlon – 26 June 2022

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On Sunday June 26th 2022, Trinity School is, organising its tenth youth triathlon.

.One of the main objectives behind the London 2012 Olympics was youth involvement in sport, and so the Trinity Triathlon was created as a legacy event to help stimulate the future involvement of young people in sport, in Croydon and beyond.

How might it affect you?
Triathlons have three phases: swimming, cycling and running. The swim and run phases will take place on site at Trinity School and the cycle phase will be on the Addiscombe Road. To comply with British Triathlon Federation rules, the road will be closed from the Shirley Road roundabout to just before Sandilands and Ashburton Roads, both of which will remain open. All buses will be diverted via the Lower Addiscombe Road.

The closure will be from the junction with the Shirley Road, westward to just before Sandilands and Ashburton Road. The agreed closure will be in effect from 6.00am until 11.00am on Sunday, at which point Transport for London and Croydon Council have instructed that normal traffic flow must resume. The first cyclist will be on the road at 7.15am, and the last at about 10.25am, at which time the process of re-opening will take place.

If you live on the closed section of the Addiscombe Rd or Whitethorn Gardens, during the closure access will only be possible in an emergency or under special circumstances. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.

If you live in the side roads adjacent to the Addiscombe Road:
There will be no restrictions on traffic movement; you will not be able to use the Addiscombe Road from Upfield Road or Mapledale Avenue to the south and Green Court Gardens, Birch Tree Way, Fryston Avenue, Cheyne Walk or Northampton Road to the north. By taking other connecting roads you will be able to get westwards towards Croydon or eastwards toward West Wickham and Beckenham.

Can I watch the race?
We hope this will be an event which the whole community can enjoy, and local residents are encouraged to come and watch the cycling and cheer the athletes on; you may even spot some future Olympic stars! Your support will be appreciated by all who are involved.

I hope that any disruption or inconvenience to you is minimal and that the positive aims of the day help make this worthwhile.

If you have any further queries, please email mdr@trinity.croydon.sch.uk

Transport for London – Roadworks on Wickham Road (A232) by Langland Gardens from 18 April to 29 April

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Transport for London will shortly be carrying out work to modernise the traffic signals on Wickham Road (A232), by Langland Gardens.

This work is planned to take place from Monday 18 April to Friday 29 April. The works will be taking place each day from Monday to Saturday from 09:30 to 15:00.

Transport for London will be replacing the signals with the latest extra low voltage and low carbon technology to ensure they are operating as efficiently as possible.  They will also be updating the signal timings to ensure the junction is working as well as possible and reviewing the layout of the signals.

There will be a need for some single lane closures during the works.

While Transport for London intend to complete the work on time, poor weather conditions can occasionally lead to delays.

This work forms part of Transport for London’s programme to build a safer, more reliable road and cycle network across London. Visit tfl.gov.uk/roads for more information.

Transport for London apologise in advance for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience while they complete these improvements.