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REVIEW: Unpacking My Experience with the Wowcher Mystery Holiday- Everything Answered!

Are you looking for a way to escape the everyday? Then why not try Wowcher £99 Mystery Holiday ? The mystery holiday offers an affordable and exciting opportunity to explore new places without breaking the bank.

We booked our holiday during a special promotion where the cost was only £89 per person. Due to the price being based on two people sharing a room, you will need to purchase two vouchers. There are no child prices. It is the same price for everyone. The fine print won’t be covered by me. Please make sure you read it yourself as there is no going back after you have redeemed your voucher. No refunds will be given!

I went on to Google to see if I could get any money off and found a code to get an extra 10% off so I paid £160.20 in total rather than £178. The code is “ EXTRA10 .”

Once you’ve booked you’ll receive your Wowcher code and the link to redeem it. It will look something like this .

You fill everything in then you, the draw will take place, then you have to wait for someone at Weekender Breaks to call you and tell you all about your holiday. I had 0 patience and called them a couple of days after the draw took place.

They offered me Verona and a bunch of other cities. I was quite happy with Verona but I didn’t like the look of the hotel and the timing of the flights, so I asked them to look at the other cities, flights and hotels and after an hour of going back and forth I was finally happy with my holiday.

While you’re on the phone make sure you’re also checking the flights and the hotels they’re trying to give you. The first hotel they gave me was 2 hours from the airport. I wasn’t having that. The hotel I eventually chose was 27 minutes away from the airport.

They’re going try their best to try and charge you for extras. Changing the flight times, changing the airport, changing the date etc. Stand your ground! It took me an hour and a bit but I was not about to be charged anymore than £160.20 and I was successful.

The flights

We only bought hand luggage which kept the cost down. I used the same hand luggage I use on our Ryanair flights which you can find here .

If that’s out of stock then you can try this bag .

We stayed at Hotel Rincón Sol and it wasn’t bad. Our room was pretty basic and it was a little disappointing that the hotel didn’t have a pool, but I loved that it was right on the beach and it had a great kids playground a short walk away. It’s also very close to the airport which is always a bonus. 

I used National Express to get to Gatwick which cost me £19.50 one way. I booked through TopCashback to of course get cashback. We got the train back to London from Gatwick and I used my Family and Friends railcard to get the train tickets from £21.15 to £11.95.

I just used Uber in Malaga for the airport transfers.

FYI : You still need to wear a mask on public transport. This wasn’t enforced on the plane or taxi rides but it was on the buses.

What we got up to in Malaga

We didn’t have a plan so we just spent two days eating, walking, going to playgrounds, checking out the beach and shopping.

• Seeing Teatro Romano de Málaga.
• Going on a mission to find as many playgrounds as we could.
• Hanging out at The Port of Málaga.
• Little miss was excited to see there was soft play inside Burger King.

It was just nice to get away from London and actually have some sun! I enjoyed not having a plan for once. Sorry that I can’t give any recommendations but it’s nothing a simple Google search can’t fix.

I thought the Wowcher Mystery holiday was great. The whole holiday was perfect with no issues but I’m definitely one of the lucky ones as I’ve seen that other people haven’t had good experiences. I recommend having a search on Twitter and TikTok before you book.

You may also enjoy:

Immersive experiences abroad: mundo pixar in madrid, the budapest quest: unraveling elevenpark’s charms ….

Hi! Loved to read about your experience. When I was reading about they trying to push extra costs I was wondering how can you not pay extra and still change the flights and hotel? Aren’t the charges explained in their fine print so you have to pay it?

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Wowcher   Reviews

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Company activity See all

Write a review

Reviews 4.4.

98,953 total

Most relevant

The best deals!

Wowcher literally has THE best deals! You can find anything & everything on their site & it’s even easier with the app! If you’re looking for something then check wowcher first because they’re almost certain to have it & at the most competitive price!

Date of experience : June 05, 2024

Reply from Wowcher

Thank you for your review, we are very pleased to hear you are happy with the service you received. Many Thanks Wowcher

A very pleasant stay

A last minute booking and hoping for a couple of warmer dry motorcycling days. Took us a while to find the hotel as we missed the sign and it's quite hidden away. A little apprehensive as there's quite a few industrial units in the area. Very pleasantly surprised when we eventually arrived - quiet and no sign of any industry. Lovely hotel with a nautical theme. Nice big room, comfy king bed, clean bathroom with a good shower, plenty of sockets for phones, tablets, etc. We enjoyed our complimentry bottle of a very nice red wine with dinner - husband had the lamb an I had king prawn and chorizo pasta. Breakfast was also very good - choice of cerial, fruit, croissants, juice, tea or coffee and a good choice of cooked breakfast. Last but not least, all the staff were very pleasant, friendly and helpful. No complaints about anything.

Date of experience : June 02, 2024

Going back already. Fab, fun and filling

visited Sapporo last week with my mum and enjoyed it so much that I’ve booked for Father’s Day with my family. It’s really fun and the food was much more filling than I’d expected. The chefs are really engaging and enthusiastic. The overall atmosphere was lovely with great service. I’m looking forward to visiting again with my girls.

Thank you for taking the time to write us a review. We are pleased to hear you’ve had a great experience! Many Thanks Wowcher

I got the grey circle of doom after I…

I got the grey circle of doom after I had a notification the payment had been taken but no confirmation email. This has now been received hence why the slight mark down on Score. The competition looks amazing!

Date of experience : June 04, 2024

Thank you for taking the time to review your experience using Wowcher. We are delighted to hear you are satisfied with our service and will be sure to pass on this feedback! Many Thanks Wowcher

Isaw my item ordered it and redeemed…

I saw my item ordered it and redeemed it, then wowcher it was delivered next day. Don't think you could get a better customer service than that. Go on why are you wasting time reading this!?

Date of experience : June 06, 2024

Excellent service

Excellent service and very helpful, always ready to help you sort out any problems. I must say I was pleasantly surprised how quick any problems are sorted out for you .

I absolutely love Wowcher

I absolutely love Wowcher. Used it once as a recommendation then couldn’t stop using it. I use it now probably on a weekly- fortnightly basis! Amazing prizes and I love that you can use clearpay too!

So easy to book anything and feel…

So easy to book anything and feel confident paying on line with you I'm 65 and some times struggle with technology but I will definitely be buying again thank you so much

Really easy to find a good deal for a 1…

Really easy to find a good deal for a 1 night stay in Manchester. Easy payment using instalments and downloading voucher to keep in my files.

Great experience quick & easy to use

Great experience quick & easy to use , i was scared of going on wowcher as had no idea how to redeem what you buy, but dont know why i was because it is soooo easy , great shopping site .

Fast, smooth and value for money

The value for money on the item I purchased based on the possible items I can be sent is brilliant. The process was fast, simple and smooth. I needed to update personal details which also proved to be extremely easy.

Wowcher really easy to deal with

Wowcher really easy to deal with, vouchers ready quickly to redeem. The booking at Bannatynes a little more difficult to do that need be

Taken to many payments from my PayPal

Still very confusing, but I think I've managed to pay And order garden hose , but PayPal a payment of £12 has gone through need to check this as hose was £8 , & delivery £ 3.99, 3 separate payments ,should only be 2 payments

Thank you for your feedback, I'm sorry to hear of your experience, we will get back to you through whatsup. Kind regards Wowcher

It was a little confusing for me on…

It was a little confusing for me on redeeming voucher , I got there in the end but had to keep reading it over and over to make sure I wasn’t signing up for other things

Hello, We can confirm this order is still currently within the 13 working day delivery period and is due to be delivered by 25-06-2024.

It’s was so easy and quick.

It’s was so easy and quick to purchase. I do think that the postage should be included though as it was a bit of a surprise that I had to pay again for postage as I thought it was included.

Good site but hidden information purchased a 4 set garden set and then found out its 40 pound for postage

Date of experience : June 03, 2024

Hello, We can confirm that postage is charged on a per voucher basis. You can locate this information on your voucher under the 'Important information' section, as well as under 'The Fine Print' section of the deal advert at purchase.

Very confusing …

Very confusing could not redeem the voucher code. Did not know how to redeem code. The forms very confusing for me as I am filling in the same information more than once Spent money to get a code which I cannot redeem

Thank you for your feedback, I'm sorry to hear of your experience, we will get back to you through email. Kind regards Wowcher

Found a good price.easy to pay easy to…

Found a good price.easy to pay easy to redeem the woucher.only thing is the price of postage should be made visible.only found out it was £39 to deliver my order.after I had redeemed my voucher

Web site is confusing

Web site is confusing, pressure to buy vouchers is extreme. I think I have bought something, but have no way of knowing. It gets worse. My email to them asking for help at marketplace.wowcher.co.uk bounced back because "the recipient's mailbox is full" After giving all credit card details to the company selling the product, Wowcher asked me for them again. I am very surprised that Amazon lead me to this company

EASY ENOUGH TO DO

EASY ENOUGH TO DO BUT IF YOU ORDER MORE THAN 1 OF ITEM YOU WANT THEN YOU HAVE TO DO IT INDIVIDUALLY AND PAY LOADS OF POSTAGE TOO

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Wowcher   Reviews

Visit this website

Company activity See all

Write a review

Reviews 4.4.

98,953 total

Most relevant

The best deals!

Wowcher literally has THE best deals! You can find anything & everything on their site & it’s even easier with the app! If you’re looking for something then check wowcher first because they’re almost certain to have it & at the most competitive price!

Date of experience : 05 June 2024

Reply from Wowcher

Thank you for your review, we are very pleased to hear you are happy with the service you received. Many Thanks Wowcher

A very pleasant stay

A last minute booking and hoping for a couple of warmer dry motorcycling days. Took us a while to find the hotel as we missed the sign and it's quite hidden away. A little apprehensive as there's quite a few industrial units in the area. Very pleasantly surprised when we eventually arrived - quiet and no sign of any industry. Lovely hotel with a nautical theme. Nice big room, comfy king bed, clean bathroom with a good shower, plenty of sockets for phones, tablets, etc. We enjoyed our complimentry bottle of a very nice red wine with dinner - husband had the lamb an I had king prawn and chorizo pasta. Breakfast was also very good - choice of cerial, fruit, croissants, juice, tea or coffee and a good choice of cooked breakfast. Last but not least, all the staff were very pleasant, friendly and helpful. No complaints about anything.

Date of experience : 02 June 2024

Going back already. Fab, fun and filling

visited Sapporo last week with my mum and enjoyed it so much that I’ve booked for Father’s Day with my family. It’s really fun and the food was much more filling than I’d expected. The chefs are really engaging and enthusiastic. The overall atmosphere was lovely with great service. I’m looking forward to visiting again with my girls.

Thank you for taking the time to write us a review. We are pleased to hear you’ve had a great experience! Many Thanks Wowcher

I got the grey circle of doom after I…

I got the grey circle of doom after I had a notification the payment had been taken but no confirmation email. This has now been received hence why the slight mark down on Score. The competition looks amazing!

Date of experience : 04 June 2024

Thank you for taking the time to review your experience using Wowcher. We are delighted to hear you are satisfied with our service and will be sure to pass on this feedback! Many Thanks Wowcher

Isaw my item ordered it and redeemed…

I saw my item ordered it and redeemed it, then wowcher it was delivered next day. Don't think you could get a better customer service than that. Go on why are you wasting time reading this!?

Date of experience : 06 June 2024

Excellent service

Excellent service and very helpful, always ready to help you sort out any problems. I must say I was pleasantly surprised how quick any problems are sorted out for you .

I absolutely love Wowcher

I absolutely love Wowcher. Used it once as a recommendation then couldn’t stop using it. I use it now probably on a weekly- fortnightly basis! Amazing prizes and I love that you can use clearpay too!

So easy to book anything and feel…

So easy to book anything and feel confident paying on line with you I'm 65 and some times struggle with technology but I will definitely be buying again thank you so much

Really easy to find a good deal for a 1…

Really easy to find a good deal for a 1 night stay in Manchester. Easy payment using instalments and downloading voucher to keep in my files.

Great experience quick & easy to use

Great experience quick & easy to use , i was scared of going on wowcher as had no idea how to redeem what you buy, but dont know why i was because it is soooo easy , great shopping site .

Fast, smooth and value for money

The value for money on the item I purchased based on the possible items I can be sent is brilliant. The process was fast, simple and smooth. I needed to update personal details which also proved to be extremely easy.

Wowcher really easy to deal with

Wowcher really easy to deal with, vouchers ready quickly to redeem. The booking at Bannatynes a little more difficult to do that need be

Taken to many payments from my PayPal

Still very confusing, but I think I've managed to pay And order garden hose , but PayPal a payment of £12 has gone through need to check this as hose was £8 , & delivery £ 3.99, 3 separate payments ,should only be 2 payments

Thank you for your feedback, I'm sorry to hear of your experience, we will get back to you through whatsup. Kind regards Wowcher

It was a little confusing for me on…

It was a little confusing for me on redeeming voucher , I got there in the end but had to keep reading it over and over to make sure I wasn’t signing up for other things

Hello, We can confirm this order is still currently within the 13 working day delivery period and is due to be delivered by 25-06-2024.

It’s was so easy and quick.

It’s was so easy and quick to purchase. I do think that the postage should be included though as it was a bit of a surprise that I had to pay again for postage as I thought it was included.

Good site but hidden information purchased a 4 set garden set and then found out its 40 pound for postage

Date of experience : 03 June 2024

Hello, We can confirm that postage is charged on a per voucher basis. You can locate this information on your voucher under the 'Important information' section, as well as under 'The Fine Print' section of the deal advert at purchase.

Very confusing …

Very confusing could not redeem the voucher code. Did not know how to redeem code. The forms very confusing for me as I am filling in the same information more than once Spent money to get a code which I cannot redeem

Thank you for your feedback, I'm sorry to hear of your experience, we will get back to you through email. Kind regards Wowcher

Found a good price.easy to pay easy to…

Found a good price.easy to pay easy to redeem the woucher.only thing is the price of postage should be made visible.only found out it was £39 to deliver my order.after I had redeemed my voucher

Web site is confusing

Web site is confusing, pressure to buy vouchers is extreme. I think I have bought something, but have no way of knowing. It gets worse. My email to them asking for help at marketplace.wowcher.co.uk bounced back because "the recipient's mailbox is full" After giving all credit card details to the company selling the product, Wowcher asked me for them again. I am very surprised that Amazon lead me to this company

EASY ENOUGH TO DO

EASY ENOUGH TO DO BUT IF YOU ORDER MORE THAN 1 OF ITEM YOU WANT THEN YOU HAVE TO DO IT INDIVIDUALLY AND PAY LOADS OF POSTAGE TOO

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Consumer Advisory

Advice For Business & Consumers

Is Wowcher Legit? Here’s The Facts

If you’ve seen a great deal come up on Wowcher, you might ask the question ‘is Wowcher legit?’. Yes, Wowcher is a completely legitimate company that offers some amazing deals on everything from food and drink to days out and weekends away. However, as with any deal site, there are a few things you need to be aware of before you sign up.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the most common questions people have about Wowcher, including ‘is Wowcher safe?’, ‘how does Wowcher work?’ and more. We’ll also give you some top tips on how to get the most out of Wowcher, so you can be sure you’re getting a great deal.

Is Wowcher Genuine?

Yes, Wowcher is a perfectly legitimate company that has been running in the UK since 2010. Wowcher is owned by DMG Media, which also owns companies such as the Daily Mail, Metro and ThisisMoney.

Thousands of customers buy vouchers safely through Wowcher every day in the UK, so you can rest assured that this is a genuine company.

How Does Wowcher Work?

Wowcher works by teaming up with businesses to offer huge discounts on their products or services. For example, you might find a deal for 50% off a meal at a local restaurant or £10 for a month’s gym membership.

When you sign up for a Wowcher account, you’ll be able to browse through the deals and choose the ones you want to buy. Once you’ve bought a deal, you’ll be given a unique voucher code that you can use to redeem your discount.

Is Wowcher Safe?

Yes, Wowcher is a safe and secure way to buy vouchers for products and services. The company uses the latest SSL encryption technology to ensure that all of your personal and financial information is safe.

You will also be able to get a refund from Wowcher if the company you have bought through does not deliver.

How To Use Wowcher

To use Wowcher, simply browse through the deals on the website and choose the ones you want to buy. Once you’ve bought a deal, you’ll be given a unique voucher code that you can use to redeem your discount.

How Long Does Wowcher Delivery Take?

Wowcher delivery times can vary depending on the deal you have purchased. Most digital deals will be delivered instantly to your Wowcher account, but some physical products may take a few days to arrive.

If you have not received your voucher code within the stated time frame, you can contact Wowcher customer service for help.

Wowcher Deals

Now that we’ve answered the question ‘is Wowcher legit’, let’s take a look at some of the amazing deals you can find on the site.

Some of the most popular deals on Wowcher include:

– Discounts on food and drink

– Deals on days out and weekends away

– Money off your next holiday

– Cheap gym memberships

– Discounts on beauty treatments

Thinking of booking a Wowcher mystery holiday? Find out everything you need to know here

Top Tips For Using Wowcher

To get the most out of Wowcher, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Here are our top tips:

• Make sure you read the fine print before you buy a deal. This way, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting and won’t be disappointed.
• If you’re buying a voucher for someone else, check that the voucher is valid for the recipient’s age and location.
• Vouchers usually have an expiry date, so make sure you use them before they expire.
• If you’re not sure whether a deal is right for you, take a look at the customer reviews before you buy.

With these tips in mind, you can be sure you’re getting the best possible deals on Wowcher.

What Is Wowcher?

Wowcher is a UK-based company that offers massive discounts on products and services. The company works with businesses to get the best possible deals for their customers.

How Does Wowcher Make Money?

Wowcher makes money by teaming up with businesses to offer huge discounts on their products or services. For example, you might find a deal for 50% off a meal at a local restaurant or £10 for a month’s gym membership.

The businesses then pay a commission to Wowcher for every voucher that’s sold. This means that Wowcher can offer amazing discounts without losing any money.

What Happens If I Don’t Redeem My Wowcher?

If you don’t redeem your Wowcher within the stated time frame, you will lose your voucher and will not be entitled to a refund. So, it’s important that you redeem your Wowcher before its expiry date so that you don’t lose out.

What Is The Wowcher Return Policy?

The Wowcher return policy varies depending on the deal you’ve purchased. For some deals, you may be able to get a refund if you’re not happy with the product or service. However, for other deals, such as restaurant vouchers, all sales are final.

It’s important to read the fine print before you buy a deal, so you know exactly what you’re getting.

Other Websites Like Wowcher

If you’re looking for other websites like Wowcher, there are plenty of other discount voucher sites out there. Some of the most popular include:

• Living Social
• Vouchercloud
• myvouchercodes.co.uk
• vouchercodes.co.uk

These websites all offer similar deals to Wowcher, so you’re sure to find something you like.

Can You Get A Wowcher Refund?

The Wowcher refund policy varies depending on the deal you’ve purchased. For some deals, you may be able to get a refund if you’re not happy with the product or service. However, for other deals, such as restaurant vouchers, all sales are final.

How To Contact Wowcher

If you need to contact Wowcher for any reason, there are a few different ways you can do so. The easiest way is to fill out the contact form on the website. You can also give them a call on 0800 085 8989 or send an email to [email protected].

Wowcher is a company that offers great deals on products and services both in the UK and across the globe. Many people see these fantastic deals and ask the question ‘is Wowcher legit?’, thinking that it is too good to be true. However, Wowcher is a safe and legitimate UK company with many happy customers. So, why not give Wowcher a try?

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Wowcher mystery holiday 2024 reviews & booking info.

Disclosure : This site contains affiliate links & commission may be earned from purchases. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Fancy Trying a Wowcher Mystery Holiday? The £99 Getaway that everyone's talking about! Find out where people ended up, real reviews & how to get it cheaper.

A post on Twitter by user 'Liam Mcmahon' went viral recently when he told his followers about the luck he had when purchasing a 'Wowcher Mystery Holiday' - He had spent just £99 for a luxury holiday to Dubai! 

Wowcher Mystery Holiday

As you can imagine, this soon went viral with millions of people purchasing these mystery deals. So we wanted to take a look at Twitter a few months after the hype and see if, or how many other people hit the jackpot with their mystery getaway purchases. 

We love a good Wowcher deal and this one was no exception.  I was expecting there to be UK destinations, and to end up somewhere like Skegness for the weekend, but all of the destinations are abroad which is a bonus. 

Book a Wowcher Mystery Holiday Deal  

This is the Tweet that went viral and got everyone purchasing the £99 deal...

What is a Wowcher Mystery Holiday?

Wowcher is offering a mystery getaway deal, which is £99pp with flights included to one of 60 destinations worldwide. The deal is based on a competition/draw-type system, whereby you purchase your holiday and wait until the given end date when you will then be informed of where you're going. 

Departures are from London Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Southend and Heathrow.

Mystery Holiday Deal

What does Wowcher Mystery Holiday include?

The deal includes return flights from one of six major UK airports (London Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Southend and Heathrow) and a 3*+ hotel stay.  Your break will range from 2 - 7 days depending on location.

Are Wowcher holidays ATOL protected?

Yes, all Wowcher breaks are ATOL protected, including the Mystery Holiday deal. 

Wowcher Mystery Holiday Destinations 2024

There are over 49 different worldwide locations on offer.  

Long-haul holidays:  Maldives, Barbados, Bali, Thailand, Florida and Las Vegas!

City breaks:  Venice, Rome, Amsterdam, Disneyland Paris, Madrid, Porto, Lisbon, Krakow, Budapest, Prague, Lake Como and more.

Beach holidays:  Crete, Ibiza, Portugal, Cyprus, Malaga, Malta and more!

How do you Redeem a Wowcher Holiday?

Firstly, purchase your Wowcher Mystery Holiday here , and once Wowcher has emailed you your unique voucher code,  then with Wowcher's new instant redemption method, simply enter your details and Seasonal Picks to find out your holiday destination instantly.

Is the Wowcher Mystery Holiday for 2 people?

Price is based on 2 people sharing so you must buy 2 vouchers to be able to participate.  You have 14 days to change your mind for a refund, or you can have credit to put towards another Wowcher deal.  

Wowcher Mystery Holiday Reviews

After the hype of the Dubai tweet, millions of mystery holidays were sold by Wowcher, so we decided to check out Google and the hashtag #mysterygetaway to see if anyone else had hit the jackpot, or if people were disappointed in their purchase and here's what we found out...

#mysterygetaway

The first post on Twitter was from a user who was currently soaking up the sun in Milan - which was exciting!

There are 100s of posts from people saying they had booked and asked for reviews.  There are also a lot of people posting from some exotic locations that they got lucky with.  Malta seemed to be very popular within the Tweets, so I'm assuming that's a popular giveaway destination. 

There were also some complaints, it seemed to be around 50/50 once you had filtered through the people asking for advice. I could only find one complaint about poor accommodation.  A lot of the peeves were from people who must have changed their minds and were annoyed at waiting a long time for refunds.

Another large source of complaints seemed to come from poor customer service on weekender breaks behalf, which is disappointing.

Encouragingly though, people were happy with their holiday destinations.

Google Reviews

Next, I tried a Google search to see what people were saying. The first couple of articles in Google are from national newspapers and are complaints saying the deal is a ripoff. 

A few customers paid extra to go in peak months, to be told the firm had overbooked, yet they still wouldn't be refunded the difference and would have to pay MORE to change to a date they didn't want - which I would be furious about. 

I searched weekender breaks on Trustpilot , and they have an excellent trust score.  I filtered the bad ones and almost all are from the £99 Wowcher deal. Saying the customer services are poor again and high costs to make changes. 

I really couldn't find many good stories via Google, but then again I do believe people are far more likely to moan to the papers and post on forums about bad experiences, rather than good, which is why it seems so one-sided.

How to Get a Wowcher Mystery Holiday Cheaper?

Wowcher has finally started (as of 2021) offering customers Seasonal Picks. When you click on the link to purchase your mystery holiday, you will see a popup if one is available. it's usually EXTRA10 on getaway deals. 

Groupon also does a similar Mystery Getaway deal , and luckily, they are generous with their Seasonal Picks, so to shave a minimum of 15% off your deal, check out the current Groupon Seasonal Picks before you purchase, and you can get between 15 + 50% off if you're a new customer, making this deal even more exciting.

Mystery Holiday Conclusion

Booking a holiday is always scary because it can be a very expensive mistake to make when things go wrong.  But with this deal, it's affordable and you're knowingly and willingly taking a gamble.

If you're flexible on time and aren't fussy about where you end up, it's a fun gamble with the potential to end up as a fantastic luxury getaway. It's also a great present to get that person who has everything or is difficult to buy for.

I would purchase this deal, and if it's still going on when my kids are older and I can get a sitter for a few days, I will give it a go.

Wowcher Mystery Holiday Deal

If you're a savvy traveller on the lookout for bargains you need to join our Facebook Group Cheap Holidays, Travel Deals & Days Out

Lastly, if you have purchased a mystery getaway, please let us know your experience (good or bad) in the comments below...

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Claire roach founder & ceo @ money saving central.

Claire is the UK's #1 'Online Shopping Expert', she is best known for creating sale date tracking to  reveal UK sale dates so her followers are first to know when the next sale is due to land for their favourite stores - making her unpopular with major UK retailers!

Featured in major news outlets and TV shows such as 'This Morning', 'The Times Money Mentor' 'Closer magazine, 'The Guardian' and many more for posts such as the viral 'Kids Eat Free' and 'Supermarket 25% off Wine Deal Dates' promotions she features.  Read More  

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£99 Mystery Holiday 2024 Guide

• Mystery Holidays

Latest holiday deals to Tanzania

£99 mystery holidays with wowcher - our complete guide.

We get so many questions about the Wowcher Mystery Holiday deal. What is it? How does it work? What are the reviews like? Where can I go? Are they worth it? How do I book? So we thought, why not create a handy guide that answers all of these useful questions and more. And we've even tried the mystery deal ourselves using our own money, so we can genuinely review it too!

Below you'll find heaps of information about the Mystery Holiday offers in 2024, and hopefully the answer to all of your questions about the holidays and city breaks so that you can decide if a Mystery Holiday is for you or not.

It's important to note that we paid for our own Wowcher Mystery Holiday and the review of our experience is our honest opinion, however, we do partner with them and the informational content below is sponsored by Wowcher.

100 Possible Destinations!

Including: las vegas dubai barbados greek islands venice costa del sol algarve berlin and many more from £99pp, jump to a section.

Find Out More

What Are Mystery Holidays

Mystery holidays abroad are an exciting way to take a break, potentially on a cheap budget, without necessarily knowing where you are going. In this guide, we're diving into the £99 Mystery Holiday with Wowcher (or £129 during peak summer months like July and August), however, there are others out there with companies , as well as secret holidays where you don't find out where you're going until you get to the airport!

Not knowing where you are going when you get to the airport can seem a little scary so you might prefer to go with the Wowcher deal, allowing you to plan ahead, and make sure you're not suddenly spending hundreds of pounds while you're away, which, based on our own experience and reviews from other customers, can happen.

So we're here to help you work out whether a mystery getaway is the right break for you, and how you can keep to a budget while you're away.

How It Works?

Seems a bit complicated. but it's actually quite straightforward. Let's breakdown how the Wowcher Mystery Holidays actually work...

• 1. Understand that you're buying a voucher from Wowcher, not yet a holiday.
• 2. Once you've bought the voucher, you redeem it online using the instructions provided in the email you receive.
• 3. The holiday company (not Wowcher) will be in touch within 5 days to tell you where you can go and find out more details about availability.
• 4. All trips are subject to availability, and you may need to pay extra if you want to choose a different destination or travel on different dates and flight times.
• 5. Any extra fees or fare differences need to be paid to the holiday company (not Wowcher).
• 6. Once paid and booked, the holiday company will send you all the confirmation details.

Ready To Try It?

Possible Mystery Holiday Destinations

There are 100 potential destinations you could travel to within this promotion, but you don't find out until after you've bought the voucher. There are 2,000 holidays in total up for grabs for each promotion which are split into three tiers of mystery destination: Tier 1 - Long haul destinations like the Maldives, Thailand, Las Vegas, New York and Mexico - 11 holidays available Tier 2 - Multi-stop trips and beach holidays like an Iceland & Northern Lights tour, all inclusive Crete holiday, and a Swiss Alps train experience Tier 3 - Short city breaks to places like Munich, Rome, Paris and Amsterdam

Think You Might Like It?

Mystery Holiday Reviews

Simply Google "Wowcher Mystery Holiday Reviews" and you'll find loads of people who have detailed their experiences of a mystery holiday, on review sites like Trustpilot, in Reddit forums, on social media and even video reviews on YouTube and TikTok.

You can check out our review below, but one thing you'll find is that there may be extra costs to improve your holiday options such as departing from outside of London, such as Belfast, Birmingham or Glasgow airports, or choosing better flight times so you don't arrive at midnight and need to pay for expensive taxis.

Many reviews also talk about the "forgotten extras" like food & drink, travel costs when you get there and any check-in luggage you might want to take.

There are currently two Mystery Holiday deals, one with Weekender Breaks and one with Travelodeal. We recommend the Travelodeal offer.

Our Experience

We were intrigued and wanted to try it for ourselves, and here's what our team genuinely thought...

"It's a little daunting to book somewhere, anywhere, when we didn't know where we were going, but the opportunity here is awesome! We had a lovely time in Portugal, great hotel, lovely area, but, there are definitely some things to be mindful of for the best experience.

It's a voucher you're buying, not yet a holiday, and essentially credit you have with the holiday company. This means your £99pp holiday may have a couple of extra costs once you've changed flights to better dates or times.

Also be mindful about all the other extras you might need to consider, like airport transfers. When we went to the Algarve, a private transfer would have cost £80, but we took public buses and trains.

If you can be flexible and fancy an exciting adventure, it can be really fun!"

Mystery Holiday Frequently Asked Questions

How does the wowcher mystery holiday work.

You essentially buy a voucher which acts as a credit with another holiday company such as Travelodeal or Weekender Breaks. The holiday company contacts you to book your holiday which can cost £99pp but other charges for better flights, etc. can mean you have to pay a bit more. This could be anything from a 7 night holiday in Bali to a 2 night beach escape in the Algarve, however the majority of trips are European city breaks.

Is it legit?

Yes, the mystery holidays are legitimate. And you can get away from just £99, however, be prepared to spend a bit extra for more suitable travel times and hotels.

What does a mystery holiday include?

A Wowcher mystery holiday includes the cheapest return flights and budget accommodation during your stay. You can pay extra to get better flight times or upgrade your hotel. Airport transfers, check-in luggage and other fees are not included. Hand luggage allowances will depend on the airline you fly with.

Are they worth it?

If you're super flexible they can be worth it to get the best deal. If you are restricted quite a lot by travel dates, flight times and where you go, you might want to look at other packages available.

Can you cancel a mystery holiday?

No, you cannot cancel a mystery holiday. Once you have been told your destination, if you don't want to take it, you will forfeit your money. If you are unhappy or concerned, you can always contact Wowcher for advice or help at [email protected] or via their Whatsapp service .

How do I get to the hotel?

Airport transfers are not included in the price. You will need to budget extra for this, which could be as simple as a bus, train or other public transport, or it may require a longer private transfer which can cost significantly more (especially if you arrive at an odd time of day).

How do I contact the company?

It's important to note that your booking is not with Wowcher, it is with another tour operator, likely Travelodeal or Weekender Breaks. They are a separate travel company and you can contact them directly. If you need to contact Wowcher to discuss your purchase, you can do so via their Whatsapp service .

Can I book for one person?

You can book for one person, however, there will be a single supplement fee, because the £99 per person or £129 per person is based on two sharing a room (and therefore sharing the cost).

Is my booking protected?

Yes, both Weekender Breaks and Travelodeal who provide the packages are both ABTA and ATOL protected, so you have added financial protection, however, you should always take out comprehensive travel insurance for any trip abroad.

How long do I get in the destination?

Within the terms and conditions of the offer, it says the minimum amount of time you will have in destination, e.g. 30 or 40 hours. If what you are offered is less than this, you can remind the tour operator of the terms and conditions, however, the "subject to availability" clause may be their response.

Once I am told my destination, how long do I have to make a decision?

When you just find out the destination and hotel, it's nice to spend a little time doing some research to find out how you'll get there and what there is to do. All bookings are subject to availability and the flights won't be held until you make your decision. Because of this, the sooner you confirm, the more chance you have of securing the price. The longer you wait, there is more chance that the flights or accommodation price will increase and you'll have to pay extra.

What happens if I have a problem on holiday? Who do I contact?

Once you've booked and you're on holiday, if you have any problems with your booking, you should contact the tour operator it is booked with. The contact details will be on the documentation you receive by email when you book.

What happens if the company cancels my holiday?

If the tour operator cancels your booking before you travel, you should contact them to either rearrange or to discuss credit note and refund options.

Are there local tourist taxes to pay?

If your destination or hotel requires you to pay additional taxes on arrival, this will need to be paid in addition to your holiday when you arrive. Ask the agent when booking your holiday if you will need to pay any extra fees when you arrive.

How do I book a family of 4 people?

To book a family of four people, you will need to buy 4 mystery holiday vouchers from Wowcher. When it comes to booking your holiday, you can then discuss the options for your family with the travel agent.

Can I request a particular room type or accessible room?

You can request a specific room type when you book, however, this isn't always guaranteed. If you need to make sure the hotel suitable for people with additional accessibility needs such as a wheelchair, the agent can advise on the hotel options available to you.

How likely am I to get a holiday in Las Vegas, Dubai or other longhaul destination?

Of the 2,000 holidays available in each draw, 11 holidays are longhaul, so you have an 11 in 2,000 chance of getting a longhaul destination like Florida, Barbados, Bali or Maldives.

Based on our experience, we thought we would also provide a couple of top tips for the best chances of a £99 holiday:

Read The Terms & Conditions

You might not normally, but this is no ordinary trip. Read through the terms and conditions here before you book to fully understand how it works and what to expect.

Be Flexible

The more flexible you are, the better your chances of not paying any extra. Sometimes that's easier said than done, but worth thinking about before you book.

Document Your Trip

Go with an open mind and an adventurous spirit, and be sure to document your trip online and on social media so that others can better understand what it's like.

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Wowcher   Reviews

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Write a review

Reviews 4.4.

98,953 total

Most relevant

Wowcher, quick, easy and saves money

Wowcher is a great way to order practically anything with amazing discounts It is quick , easy, and customer service is great. Would truly recommend to anyone

Date of experience : 06 June 2024

Straightforward to put order in gr8 …

Straightforward to put order in gr8 deals I hope my order has been accepted as I've had no confirmation or email

WOW WHAT A DEAL

I cannot believe the deal i got.4 piece rattan outdoor furniture.A massive big thankyou WOWCHER

Reply from Wowcher

Thank you for taking the time to write us a review. We are pleased to hear you’ve had a great experience! Many Thanks Wowcher

Dangerous Air Fryer

Purchased an Air Fryer in August 2023. It now has an electrical fault. Everytime I try to use it the downstairs electrics trip out. I have informed Wowcher who replied by saying “I am sorry to hear of the issue you are facing with your order. Unfortunately due to the order being delivered over 6 months ago we are unable to assist further.” This I feel is unacceptable. I am sure there is a law with reference to dangerous goods.

Date of experience : 15 August 2023

Thank you for your review. I am sorry to hear that, I can see your case has been passed over to the dedicated team, they will contact you on your case in the next 24 hours. Many Thanks Wowcher Team

Scale and polish

The dentist it self is very old and needs up dating,but the 2 members of staff that cleaned my teeth was excellent.

Date of experience : 05 June 2024

Thank you for your review, we are very pleased to hear you are happy with the service you received. Many Thanks Wowcher

Wowcher always have brilliant deals in…

Wowcher always have brilliant deals in loads of departments and the price suits me to a T. Love this shop for q lot of thing I need, wanted or just get it.

Great product selection

Great product selection. It’s a little misleading with shipping but otherwise I’m happy.

New to wowcher!

Came across a Wowcher deal on Facebook. Clicked the link. Downloaded the voucher which was easy to redeem!

Thank you for taking the time to review your experience using Wowcher. We are delighted to hear you are satisfied with our service and will be sure to pass on this feedback! Many Thanks Wowcher

Wish I could give them 0 stars.

Ordered a giant jar of sweets on 15th may for our grandson doing so well in year 7 exams at school.it is now 6th June and still no sign of them!!!would rather cancel order but so complicated,maybe they will arrive for his school leaving day.always have so much trouble with WOWCHER,vow never to use them again.

Date of experience : 15 May 2024

Thank you for your feedback, I'm sorry to hear of your experience, we will get back to you through email. Kind regards Wowcher

Ordered the quick way didn't even have…

Ordered the quick way didn't even have to put my bank details in presume they took payment from last way I payed

Date of experience : 03 June 2024

Wowcher warning ⛔️

Bought an Emma matttress after purchase learnt delivery economical is E25.00 only one pound cheaper than quick delivery not that I needed quick ! Then Ups sent email with date and never turned up !!! That’s what you get for paying over the top !! Btw living social did same mattress for ten pound delivery wont rush to use wowcher again

Date of experience : 04 June 2024

Thank you for your feedback, I'm sorry to hear of your experience. If you can provide more information, we will be more than happy to assist further. Kind regards Wowcher

I was given a£5 voucher but didn’t see…

I was given a£5 voucher but didn’t see it clearly when I placed my order. Technology isn’t my strong point so it may have been my fault.

I have never booked hotel stay before but have found the whole experience very easy.

Great range to choose from

Lots of different gift types to choose from always something for whoever you are buying for.

Good value. Free carriage. Hopefully good quality. Would have liked email confirmation of purchase.

Avoid, avoid, aviod. Funny how all the posicitive comments are all "invited". I myself, following an ad in "The Mrror" atttempted to buy some bedsheets, only to be emailed I had to subscribe and give my bank details to authourise a debit of £15.99 per month. I wasn't about to throw good money after bad, and, even though I complained, I was offered a refund to my basket which I could only access if I subscribed! They get you every which way. They should be banned from trading, and given the fact that I have seen very few ads from them on TV lately, I think they will not be in business for very much longer. Don't waste your money lining other people's pockets for nothing.

Date of experience : 06 May 2024

Quick to sign up to and order what I was looking for. Lots of communication from the site to which seems very good up to now.

Goods not received (yet?)

I never received the product and there wasn’t much communication on this. I have received copious amounts of marketing emails (too many to filter) and unless I’m mistaken the only Comms on the product was 2 emails on 27 April (timed at the same time it seems).

Date of experience : 27 April 2024

Thank you for your review. I am sorry to hear that. I am afraid this Wowcher voucher was not redeemed in time and therefore no delivery was arranged. If the voucher is not redeemed, eventually it will expire and it will no longer be able to be used. This information was given prior to purchase, however I will refund credit to your Wowcher account as a gesture of goodwill. This is for 100% of the value and this can be used immediately. Many Thanks Wowcher Team

No issues booking

No issues booking, however had an extra £20 charge for Monday check in.

Simply logged on

Simply logged on found what I was looking for with plenty to choose. Few clicks later my order is being processed 👏👏 and at a great price

Suggested companies

Travelodeal.

Wowcher   Reviews

Visit this website

Company activity See all

Write a review

Reviews 4.4.

98,953 total

Most relevant

Wowcher, quick, easy and saves money

Wowcher is a great way to order practically anything with amazing discounts It is quick , easy, and customer service is great. Would truly recommend to anyone

Date of experience : 06 June 2024

Straightforward to put order in gr8 …

Straightforward to put order in gr8 deals I hope my order has been accepted as I've had no confirmation or email

WOW WHAT A DEAL

I cannot believe the deal i got.4 piece rattan outdoor furniture.A massive big thankyou WOWCHER

Reply from Wowcher

Thank you for taking the time to write us a review. We are pleased to hear you’ve had a great experience! Many Thanks Wowcher

Dangerous Air Fryer

Purchased an Air Fryer in August 2023. It now has an electrical fault. Everytime I try to use it the downstairs electrics trip out. I have informed Wowcher who replied by saying “I am sorry to hear of the issue you are facing with your order. Unfortunately due to the order being delivered over 6 months ago we are unable to assist further.” This I feel is unacceptable. I am sure there is a law with reference to dangerous goods.

Date of experience : 15 August 2023

Thank you for your review. I am sorry to hear that, I can see your case has been passed over to the dedicated team, they will contact you on your case in the next 24 hours. Many Thanks Wowcher Team

Scale and polish

The dentist it self is very old and needs up dating,but the 2 members of staff that cleaned my teeth was excellent.

Date of experience : 05 June 2024

Thank you for your review, we are very pleased to hear you are happy with the service you received. Many Thanks Wowcher

Wowcher always have brilliant deals in…

Wowcher always have brilliant deals in loads of departments and the price suits me to a T. Love this shop for q lot of thing I need, wanted or just get it.

Great product selection

Great product selection. It’s a little misleading with shipping but otherwise I’m happy.

New to wowcher!

Came across a Wowcher deal on Facebook. Clicked the link. Downloaded the voucher which was easy to redeem!

Thank you for taking the time to review your experience using Wowcher. We are delighted to hear you are satisfied with our service and will be sure to pass on this feedback! Many Thanks Wowcher

Wish I could give them 0 stars.

Ordered a giant jar of sweets on 15th may for our grandson doing so well in year 7 exams at school.it is now 6th June and still no sign of them!!!would rather cancel order but so complicated,maybe they will arrive for his school leaving day.always have so much trouble with WOWCHER,vow never to use them again.

Date of experience : 15 May 2024

Thank you for your feedback, I'm sorry to hear of your experience, we will get back to you through email. Kind regards Wowcher

Ordered the quick way didn't even have…

Ordered the quick way didn't even have to put my bank details in presume they took payment from last way I payed

Date of experience : 03 June 2024

Wowcher warning ⛔️

Bought an Emma matttress after purchase learnt delivery economical is E25.00 only one pound cheaper than quick delivery not that I needed quick ! Then Ups sent email with date and never turned up !!! That’s what you get for paying over the top !! Btw living social did same mattress for ten pound delivery wont rush to use wowcher again

Date of experience : 04 June 2024

Thank you for your feedback, I'm sorry to hear of your experience. If you can provide more information, we will be more than happy to assist further. Kind regards Wowcher

I was given a£5 voucher but didn’t see…

I was given a£5 voucher but didn’t see it clearly when I placed my order. Technology isn’t my strong point so it may have been my fault.

I have never booked hotel stay before but have found the whole experience very easy.

Great range to choose from

Lots of different gift types to choose from always something for whoever you are buying for.

Good value. Free carriage. Hopefully good quality. Would have liked email confirmation of purchase.

Avoid, avoid, aviod. Funny how all the posicitive comments are all "invited". I myself, following an ad in "The Mrror" atttempted to buy some bedsheets, only to be emailed I had to subscribe and give my bank details to authourise a debit of £15.99 per month. I wasn't about to throw good money after bad, and, even though I complained, I was offered a refund to my basket which I could only access if I subscribed! They get you every which way. They should be banned from trading, and given the fact that I have seen very few ads from them on TV lately, I think they will not be in business for very much longer. Don't waste your money lining other people's pockets for nothing.

Date of experience : 06 May 2024

Quick to sign up to and order what I was looking for. Lots of communication from the site to which seems very good up to now.

Goods not received (yet?)

I never received the product and there wasn’t much communication on this. I have received copious amounts of marketing emails (too many to filter) and unless I’m mistaken the only Comms on the product was 2 emails on 27 April (timed at the same time it seems).

Date of experience : 27 April 2024

Thank you for your review. I am sorry to hear that. I am afraid this Wowcher voucher was not redeemed in time and therefore no delivery was arranged. If the voucher is not redeemed, eventually it will expire and it will no longer be able to be used. This information was given prior to purchase, however I will refund credit to your Wowcher account as a gesture of goodwill. This is for 100% of the value and this can be used immediately. Many Thanks Wowcher Team

No issues booking

No issues booking, however had an extra £20 charge for Monday check in.

Simply logged on

Simply logged on found what I was looking for with plenty to choose. Few clicks later my order is being processed 👏👏 and at a great price

Suggested companies

Travelodeal.

Wowcher   Reviews

Visit this website

Company activity See all

Write a review

Reviews 4.4.

98,953 total

Most relevant

The best deals!

Wowcher literally has THE best deals! You can find anything & everything on their site & it’s even easier with the app! If you’re looking for something then check wowcher first because they’re almost certain to have it & at the most competitive price!

Date of experience : 05 June 2024

Reply from Wowcher

Thank you for your review, we are very pleased to hear you are happy with the service you received. Many Thanks Wowcher

A very pleasant stay

A last minute booking and hoping for a couple of warmer dry motorcycling days. Took us a while to find the hotel as we missed the sign and it's quite hidden away. A little apprehensive as there's quite a few industrial units in the area. Very pleasantly surprised when we eventually arrived - quiet and no sign of any industry. Lovely hotel with a nautical theme. Nice big room, comfy king bed, clean bathroom with a good shower, plenty of sockets for phones, tablets, etc. We enjoyed our complimentry bottle of a very nice red wine with dinner - husband had the lamb an I had king prawn and chorizo pasta. Breakfast was also very good - choice of cerial, fruit, croissants, juice, tea or coffee and a good choice of cooked breakfast. Last but not least, all the staff were very pleasant, friendly and helpful. No complaints about anything.

Date of experience : 02 June 2024

Going back already. Fab, fun and filling

visited Sapporo last week with my mum and enjoyed it so much that I’ve booked for Father’s Day with my family. It’s really fun and the food was much more filling than I’d expected. The chefs are really engaging and enthusiastic. The overall atmosphere was lovely with great service. I’m looking forward to visiting again with my girls.

Thank you for taking the time to write us a review. We are pleased to hear you’ve had a great experience! Many Thanks Wowcher

I got the grey circle of doom after I…

I got the grey circle of doom after I had a notification the payment had been taken but no confirmation email. This has now been received hence why the slight mark down on Score. The competition looks amazing!

Date of experience : 04 June 2024

Thank you for taking the time to review your experience using Wowcher. We are delighted to hear you are satisfied with our service and will be sure to pass on this feedback! Many Thanks Wowcher

Isaw my item ordered it and redeemed…

I saw my item ordered it and redeemed it, then wowcher it was delivered next day. Don't think you could get a better customer service than that. Go on why are you wasting time reading this!?

Date of experience : 06 June 2024

Excellent service

Excellent service and very helpful, always ready to help you sort out any problems. I must say I was pleasantly surprised how quick any problems are sorted out for you .

I absolutely love Wowcher

I absolutely love Wowcher. Used it once as a recommendation then couldn’t stop using it. I use it now probably on a weekly- fortnightly basis! Amazing prizes and I love that you can use clearpay too!

So easy to book anything and feel…

So easy to book anything and feel confident paying on line with you I'm 65 and some times struggle with technology but I will definitely be buying again thank you so much

Really easy to find a good deal for a 1…

Really easy to find a good deal for a 1 night stay in Manchester. Easy payment using instalments and downloading voucher to keep in my files.

Great experience quick & easy to use

Great experience quick & easy to use , i was scared of going on wowcher as had no idea how to redeem what you buy, but dont know why i was because it is soooo easy , great shopping site .

Fast, smooth and value for money

The value for money on the item I purchased based on the possible items I can be sent is brilliant. The process was fast, simple and smooth. I needed to update personal details which also proved to be extremely easy.

Wowcher really easy to deal with

Wowcher really easy to deal with, vouchers ready quickly to redeem. The booking at Bannatynes a little more difficult to do that need be

Taken to many payments from my PayPal

Still very confusing, but I think I've managed to pay And order garden hose , but PayPal a payment of £12 has gone through need to check this as hose was £8 , & delivery £ 3.99, 3 separate payments ,should only be 2 payments

Thank you for your feedback, I'm sorry to hear of your experience, we will get back to you through whatsup. Kind regards Wowcher

It was a little confusing for me on…

It was a little confusing for me on redeeming voucher , I got there in the end but had to keep reading it over and over to make sure I wasn’t signing up for other things

Hello, We can confirm this order is still currently within the 13 working day delivery period and is due to be delivered by 25-06-2024.

It’s was so easy and quick.

It’s was so easy and quick to purchase. I do think that the postage should be included though as it was a bit of a surprise that I had to pay again for postage as I thought it was included.

Good site but hidden information purchased a 4 set garden set and then found out its 40 pound for postage

Date of experience : 03 June 2024

Hello, We can confirm that postage is charged on a per voucher basis. You can locate this information on your voucher under the 'Important information' section, as well as under 'The Fine Print' section of the deal advert at purchase.

Very confusing …

Very confusing could not redeem the voucher code. Did not know how to redeem code. The forms very confusing for me as I am filling in the same information more than once Spent money to get a code which I cannot redeem

Thank you for your feedback, I'm sorry to hear of your experience, we will get back to you through email. Kind regards Wowcher

Found a good price.easy to pay easy to…

Found a good price.easy to pay easy to redeem the woucher.only thing is the price of postage should be made visible.only found out it was £39 to deliver my order.after I had redeemed my voucher

Web site is confusing

Web site is confusing, pressure to buy vouchers is extreme. I think I have bought something, but have no way of knowing. It gets worse. My email to them asking for help at marketplace.wowcher.co.uk bounced back because "the recipient's mailbox is full" After giving all credit card details to the company selling the product, Wowcher asked me for them again. I am very surprised that Amazon lead me to this company

EASY ENOUGH TO DO

EASY ENOUGH TO DO BUT IF YOU ORDER MORE THAN 1 OF ITEM YOU WANT THEN YOU HAVE TO DO IT INDIVIDUALLY AND PAY LOADS OF POSTAGE TOO

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Wowcher ‘mystery holiday’ branded a scam by customers as ‘it’s so overbooked there aren’t enough trips to go round’

• Kara Godfrey
• Published : 16:04, 17 Jul 2019
• Updated : 6:46, 10 Mar 2020

A FURIOUS customer has accused Wowcher of running a "scam" after booking a £99 mystery holiday deal - only for the destinations to be sold out.

Twitter user Will, 20, warned others to avoid the bargain deal on the social media website after he was unable to use his booking for the holiday he had chosen.

The programmer originally paid £129 per person for a weekend break with his girlfriend.

Their holiday was set to be between July and August, with the deal costing slightly more than the normal £99 as it was peak time.

However, despite being told initially that they would be going to Venice, they were then told it had sold out, and would have to go another time of year.

Will tweeted : "We booked excited for July-August for £129 each and got told on Thursday after having to call them three times because no one would talk to us that we got Venice 100 per cent and would be booked the next day when someone calls me.

"Of course they didn't call me so I waited five days.

We booked excited for July-August for £129 each and got told on Thursday after having to call them 3 times because no one would talk to us that we got Venice 100% and would be booked the next day when someone calls me. Of course they didn't call me so I waited 5 days ... — Will (@WillGB21) July 15, 2019

"After five days I called them and they said they ran out of Venice for July-Aug as they overbooked so can do between September-March for me, no compensation added.

"I couldn't do September-March which is exactly why we paid more to do July-Aug.

"The guy was rude on the phone and have had many people complain the same."

Will was then offered a hotel in an alternative city, which he said was miles from the centre.

He added: "He then said he can alternatively give me Brussels, so I asked what hotel and the hotel was two hours from the centre of Brussels with no transport from the airport to the hotel.

The guy was rude on the phone and have had many people complain the same. He then said he can alternatively give me Brussels, so I asked what hotel and the hotel was 2 hours from the center of Brussels with no transport from the airport to the hotel... — Will (@WillGB21) July 15, 2019

Sorry forgot to add the 3rd option they gave me before they said "there's nothing we can do", they did offer us Venice in the end for 3 nights as they can't do the 2 originally promised, but that 3rd night would cost an extra £80 per person, no thank you mate, can shove it — Will (@WillGB21) July 15, 2019

"They did offer us Venice in the end for three nights as they can't do the two originally promised, but that 3rd night would cost an extra £80 per person, no thank you mate, can shove it.

"I have now got to go harass for my money back, bye friends. But every time I talk to one of them they direct me to the other, #mysteryholiday goals."

"If you have any sanity in your life. Do not buy this mystery holiday. Save yourself the hassle a buy a nice holiday elsewhere."

He added: "Even if you get one of the lower ones they might not even be able to book your holiday again due to overbooking so will just tell you to go get a refund, which is an impossible task with Wowcher not wanting to claim responsibility for giving a refund.

Even if you get one of the lower ones they might not even be able to book your holiday again due to overbooking so will just tell you to go get a refund, which is an impossible task with Wowcher not wanting to claim responsibility for giving a refund. — Will (@WillGB21) July 15, 2019

"You can get drawn Dubai and still end up in Berlin or them saying get a refund and that is a scam."

Other social media users also complained of similar problems.

Elle, from Cambridge, wrote : "Absolutely DISGUSTED with weekender breaks, booked the mystery holiday through @wowcher phoned to find out our destination and was told Brussels.

"Called them back half an hour later to be told it was no longer available, nor were ANY holidays in July/August which we had already paid EXTRA for (£129 instead of £99).

"Offered a holiday in SEPTEMBER instead (which should have been £99) but was then told we would NOT be refunded the extra we had paid and instead had to pay an EXTRA £25 each to book this break."

Which we had already paid EXTRA for (£129 instead of £99). Offered a holiday in SEPTEMBER instead (which should have been £99) but was then told we would NOT be refunded the extra we had paid and instead had to pay an EXTRA £25 each to book this break (2) — Elle✨ (@ellegwhitex) July 11, 2019

She was also told that they had oversold by 11,000 people and wouldn't be able to compensate anyone for different dates.

Tom Clasby also tweeted : "Please can someone contact me from @Wowcher_Support @wowcher this mystery holiday is a scam the hotels we got offered aren’t even in the destinations we got offered! 2 hours away!"

The £99 Mystery Deal includes holidays to Europe as well as Dubai, Bali and Las Vegas with customers not told where they are going until they book the package.

The latest Mystery Deal offer has already been bought by over 4,600 people.

A Wowcher spokesperson told Sun Online Travel: "Wowcher has worked closely with Weekender Breaks to offer this hugely popular and exciting Mystery Holiday deal, and will always work with our merchants to resolve any customer satisfaction issues.

"We are able to secure the preferred travel dates and flights for most customers who have purchased a Mystery Holiday, and continue to do so- meaning that thousands of customers are delighted with their trip.

"n a small number of instances, and as outlined in the deal’s terms and conditions, this is not possible due to flight availability - and we work hard to be able to offer the next best dates and times.

"We ask that customers are flexible in these instances, and we will always deliver them a quality holiday at great value.

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"At Wowcher we ensure a high level of customer service and are currently in contact with the customers mentioned in the article to resolve any issues."

Despite the complaints, one man was lucky enough to pay £99 for the mystery holiday - and ended up spending four nights in Dubai.

Liam, 21, bagged the holiday with his friend, Craig, and stayed at a three-star resort in the city.

Sun Online Travel has also contacted Weekender Breaks for comment.

Get extra savings with The Sun Vouchers including discounts and offer codes for Wowcher and many more similar retailers.

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Small gesture for a Big Heart

This was a gift from my class to our tutor. Our tutor has been amazing over the past 2 years and this was a small gesture for a big heart. She hasn't used it yet.

Date of experience : May 21, 2024

Reply from Wowcher

Thank you for taking the time to review your experience using Wowcher. We are delighted to hear you are satisfied with our service and will be sure to pass on this feedback! Many Thanks Wowcher

Excellent service great customer…

Excellent service great customer service solved my problem. As soon as I reached out to Wowcher and the problem was solved. Highly recommended.

Date of experience : June 05, 2024

Aviod Wowcher, false advertising and failing to fulfill the deal advertised

Purchased a Priority Pass deal that was supposed to be for 50% off Standard membership and 2 Lounge visits. Upon purchasing the offer and trying to redeem it on the Priority Pass website. I was presented with a discount of 10% of the standard membership fee NOT 50% as stated on the promotional deal. I reached out to Wowcher via their contact channels and was told to wait 3 business working days for a response back. Today marks the 4th working day and still no resolution. After reaching back to Wowcher, I am being offered a refund that I don't want rather this matter resolved. Under the consumer law, Wowcher has a responsibility in fulfilling what they advertise otherwise this falls under false advertising and sale misconduct. I want my matter to be resolved and yet I am being faffed around by them.

Date of experience : June 06, 2024

Thank you for your review. I am sorry to hear that, I can see your case has been passed over to the dedicated team, they will contact you on your case in the next 24 hours. Many Thanks Wowcher Team

A great way to grab a bargain

Quick and easy way to grab a bargain. I used to think the redemption of the vouchers was difficult but it’s so easy.

Thank you for your review, we are very pleased to hear you are happy with the service you received. Many Thanks Wowcher

Bought and paid for a patio set and…

Bought and paid for a patio set and received a patio set cover only. The fact that they sub contract to Evri is a huge mistake as Evri are notoriously disastrous. I won’t be using Wowcher again.

Easy to navigate great price fast…

Easy to navigate great price fast payment and received all the info I needed

Great deals always willing to help if…

Great deals always willing to help if you are stuck too and help with any queries quickly x

Date of experience : June 04, 2024

I had no trouble at all it was very good

I had no trouble at all it was very good I don't want to pay a monthly payment so cancel ❌ it thank you

Amazing company

Amazing company! Love how easy the website is to use and love how much variety there is on the website!

It was an easy process buying my…

It was an easy process buying my purchase, and I was kept up to date with the process

I bought a spa voucher on 23rd April…

I bought a spa voucher on 23rd April and have been three weeks trying to reserve the service and was told by the spa vendor that they have never sold this service to Wowcher.com so I should get a refund. I have wrote to Wowcher and even attached the spa vendor’s response but they don’t want to reimburse my money back. They kept saying in 3 working days will be sorted out after 3 days again the same. Can someone help me to understand what entity regulates them to make them reimburse my money please ? They’ve just replied that only a voucher credited to them can be given not reimbursement. I don’t think this is truth. Can someone help me please ? Good to see a quick response below, give me my money back and I will update my review!

Thank you for your feedback, I'm sorry to hear of your experience. If you can provide more information, we will be more than happy to assist further. Kind regards Wowcher

Easy to book

Easy to book, informative and easy to understand. Options were made clear and so was the pricing.

Thank you for your review, we appreciate the feedback and will relay it back to the appropriate team. Many Thanks Wowcher Team

Lots of choice

Easy to choose product and easy instructions to redeem voucher when product picked and paid for

Thank you for taking the time to write us a review. We are pleased to hear you’ve had a great experience! Many Thanks Wowcher

The site was easy to navigate

The site was easy to navigate, it's user friendly and of course the prices are fantastic.

Wowcher If I could rate 0 I would

If I could rate 0 I would, Recently paid £19.99 for a mystery garden deal on wowcher. I don't know why I did this, as after I paid my money I thought of the term "if it sounds to go to be true it probably is" to say I've been duped is an understatement. Almost £20 for a set of battery operated lights that isn't worth £10 in local stores. I shall never use this company again . I would strongly advise anyone I know to do the same! If i could post the picture of this, I would... absolutely disgusted In response to your reply, if you could identify how I could give more information as I have no contact information and the item came with no paperwork apart from a wowcher address label! also exactly what you expect, I would be more than happy to forward this on to you

Just what I was looking for

Just what I was looking for. Easy to redeem & website easy to navigate

An easy process to buy an item the…

An easy process to buy an item the choices are vast and the costs so reasonable.

Very good site

Very good site , the articles are very affordable. With a quick delivery also

My code MGFXNN-4NCH3V wouldn’t redeem

My code MGFXNN-4NCH3V wouldn’t redeem. Kept saying no product found. Went through help but that was useless as told to wait 24hrs for another advisor to help. Service is poor

Thank you for your feedback, I'm sorry to hear of your experience, we will get back to you through whatsup. Kind regards Wowcher

Great value

Great value. A bit confusing to redeem and know what's happening

Booking travel online? Here's how you can avoid scams

Morgan Macfarlane arrived at her hotel in Orizaba, Mexico, last May, ready to quickly drop her bags off and go get dinner. But when she tried to check in, an employee told her they weren’t fully operational yet and didn’t have an advanced booking system.

She had booked the room and prepaid about $40 through Airbnb and pulled up the confirmation on the platform’s app on her phone. 

“And he was like, ‘That isn’t our listing,’” the 27-year-old digital advertising associate and travel content creator said.

While the address was the same, the listing she booked turned out to be fake, she said. Airbnb refunded Macfarlane’s money, and she paid in cash to stay the night at the hotel. An Airbnb spokesperson said the host had since been banned.

"False listings of course have no place on our platform," the spokesperson said in an email. "The host never received any money through Airbnb since we handle the payments for reservations and hosts do not receive initial payouts until 24 hours after a successful check-in."

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Macfarlane is not alone.

A recent survey of more than 7,000 adults in seven countries – including over 1,000 in the U.S. – from online protection company McAfee found that 35% of American respondents had been the victim of a scam while booking travel online, or know someone who has. The survey results released earlier this month also showed that 40% of those who had money stolen lost over $1,000 prior to their trip as a result.

Is Airbnb safe?: Check for these four red flags to avoid scams as a guest on your next stay

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Among U.S. adults surveyed, 13% also said they had given credit card information to a fake website that was then used for fraudulent payments. Here’s how travelers can avoid falling prey to travel booking scams online.

How can travelers avoid scams online?

Steve Grobman, McAfee’s senior vice president and chief technology officer, said travelers should be on their guard while browsing. “The scammers know that there are people that are bargain hunting,” he said.

◾If travelers are looking at listings through a third party, they need to read reviews for the specific property, in the case of a vacation rental, for instance. Macfarlane said the listing she booked didn’t have any reviews but had photos that looked legitimate.

◾If travelers are not browsing on a well-known travel site, such as Airbnb or Vrbo, they should pay close attention to the payment methods accepted. Grobman warned never to pay by wire transfer, cryptocurrency or gift cards, which they often will not be able to get back.

“The scammers will actually sometimes use the fact that something is a good deal as rationale for why they're insisting on those forms of payments,” he said. “They'll say, you know, ‘How can we offer such a good deal? It's because we don't have the overhead of traditional credit cards.’”

◾If a deal looks too good to be true, Grobman added, it probably is. 

He said that fraudulent sites look “almost identical” to legitimate ones, making it very difficult to tell them apart. Those running the fake site may even add forged ratings, and vary them so they look more real.

“They'll do things like that to add credibility, because people have gotten in the habit of looking for things like ratings or looking for certain telltale signs that we all see on legitimate sites,” Grobman said.

He suggested trying to validate that the site exists, such as checking to see whether it has been referenced in legitimate media outlets.

Fake booking sites may also use some of the same techniques as above-board businesses, like buying keywords on Google and tracking users who may be looking for those sites. “That's why if you visit one of these sites and decide not to make a transaction, you could still get a targeted ad popping up in your browser and social media a couple of hours later, that would be for the same location that you might have been researching,” Grobman said.

◾Using a VPN, or virtual private network , that hides your IP address and physical location can help prevent that kind of tracking, he noted.

Booking travel with a VPN: Can using one save you money on hotels, car rentals? I tested it out

Can you use ChatGPT as a travel agent?: Here's what I learned about AI vacation planning

What can you do if you get scammed online?

If a traveler paid by credit card, they can call the credit card company and dispute the charge, which a scammer will have a much harder time justifying than a real business. For those who have booked through a reputable broker but run into an issue with the person who listed the property or other service, Grobman said those platforms can typically mediate.

Travelers who may have been the target of a scam can also report it to the Federal Trade Commission and their state attorney general, according to the FTC’s website .

“If you can stick to sites that have a high reputation and have safeguards in place, that's always preferable,” Grobman said.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

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Unsolicited - verified purchase.

Wowcher UK has a rating of 1.1 stars from 273 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers complaining about Wowcher UK most frequently mention customer service, trading standards, and email address problems. Wowcher UK ranks 680th among Marketplace sites.

• Service 159
• Shipping 125
• Returns 124
• Quality 122

This company does not typically respond to reviews

“Horrible customer service”

Bought 2x treatment voucher from Wowcher tried booking with the merchant they said they could not honour the vouchers cause they had honoured 100treatments without any payments from Wowcher. Went back for a refund and it's been close to impossible. Over 2weeks on a WhatsApp chat. Pure waste of time and energy. Never again. I NEED MY REFUND.

“Robbers and thieves”

Paid £87 for heated blankets didn't arrive so contacted customer service and told my wowcher had expired so can't get a refund absolutely sick as we are pensioners I didn't realise you had press a third button to get purchase.please stay clear of this company. Wish I had read the reviews before buying,

Reviews (273)

Reviews that mention popular keywords

• Follow Sarah D.

Ordered a 3 tier heated airer with cover. Took over 6 weeks to arrive...with no cover. Report issue and was informed they would send the cover separately. Chased 2 weeks later and was told they are out of covers and offered £10 refund. A replacement cover costs £40 and the product is pretty useless without the cover. I requested to replacement cover or return for full refund and have had zero response since. Scam company importing cheap chinese crap. AVOID

• Follow Silvia Z.

Disgusting company that doesn't take care of its customers and the only thing that they look at is profit and scamming customers. My voucher was going to expired in a few days and I went to the website in my phone to download and use it that day. By mistake and because the website is not designed properly I pressed the button "extend" I even didn't notice it. I download the voucher and closed the website. I opened my email and I received the bill of the extension of the voucher...than I didn't want to buy at all! They took the money without any warning and any message to make aware the customer that he was going to buy something! Absoluting appalling behaviour, a behaviour that a scam website could have. I used the voucher the same day, as I was planned to so I DIDN'T NEED the extension. I try to explain to them but the customer service is totally pointless, they see money in and it is the only thing that they care, again, disgusting! Never ever again! Million of other site do your job much much better and without scamming people, you should be reported!

• Follow Linda F.

I ordered a laptop on 5 th dec, it never arrived, u can't speak to anyone no contact no, WhatsApp is a waste of time, I don't know how they are getting away with scamming people. I've lost £130 my only hope is PayPal,it needs investigating

How easy is it to get a hold of customer service at wowcher?

Impossible. They ignore you via every channel in the hope you will give up trying.

Can you share a success story using wowcher?

No I cannot. 1 item ordered was not delivered. Other item I ‘claimed' I think they call it too early and now it'll expire before I can use it. I thought I was claiming a voucher to enter on a website when I was ready but no I set off a ticking clock.

Don't deal with this company. item i ordered a 'swing chair' did not arrive. i found it impossible to contact any one. money down the drain.

Ordered item pad with pay pal and never received, how do you redeem a wowcher code,, i placed an order on 14/11/22 to wowcher for a garden storage box and paid 43.98 and have never received it how can i contacts them if they exist., can’t see your question ask to get answers from the wowcher uk staff and other customers..

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Mindfully American

15 Online Scams All Travelers Should Be Aware Of

Posted: June 5, 2024 | Last updated: June 5, 2024

Whether you’re gearing up for an international escape or a local road trip, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the thrill of travel. But before you hit “book” on that next well-deserved vacation, be mindful of these red flags to steer clear of online travel scams.

Avoid being one of the many Americans who lose their travel funds to fraud. The tips here could save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

1: Too Good To Be True

According to the Federal Trade Commission , you should be wary of any advertisement for a “free” vacation. More often than not, these attention-getting headlines lead to hidden fees or taxes that can add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars.

2: Robocalls

No matter what they’re calling about, companies that use robocalls to try to make a sale are engaging in illegal activity unless they have written consent from you to receive calls that way. Most likely, this is a scam, and you’ll want to avoid going to any website or filling out any online form they ask you to. 

3: Get the Right Documents

If you’re planning to travel overseas, you’ll likely see plenty of online ads offering to help you get a travel visa, passport, or other necessary travel documents. These companies are either fraudulent or will charge extremely high fees for services you can get for free on the US Department of State website. 

4: Double Vision

Scammers take full advantage of vacation rental sites by either duplicating existing bookings or making up listings for properties that don’t exist. For added security, be sure to book a vacation rental through a legitimate company site. 

5: Fly Free

Traveling by private plane certainly sounds luxurious, and scammers know this, sometimes advertising chartered flights with lodging and tours included. Before you pay in full, double-check the approved list of public chartered flights kept by the US Department of Transportation’s Special Authorities Division.

6: Mistaken Identity

If a travel website is littered with spelling errors, it’s likely a scam. Since many of these digital travel scams originate outside the US, customer-facing tools like websites and ads are often riddled with mistakes. 

7: Not Very Social

One piece of advice from the Better Business Bureau is to check a travel website’s social media links. If the links don’t lead to actual Facebook or Instagram accounts, or if you’re unsure if the company is legitimate, avoid it altogether. 

8: Paid in Full

Be wary of online travel scams that ask you to pay for your trip in full more than 60 days before your departure date. Typically, to dispute a charge on your credit card, you have to do it within 60 days of receiving your bill, which is why many scammers demand payment so far in advance. 

9: Method of Payment

If a company asks for payment in a non-traditional method like reloadable gift cards or wire transfers, it is likely a scam. Always pay with a credit card so you have your credit card’s fraud protection backing your purchase. 

10: Fake It ‘Til You Make It

Always check out a company’s reviews before booking with them. If they only have terrible or glowing reviews, they could be faking the positive ones. Look through reviews on third-party sites like TripAdvisor or double-check the site’s credentials with the Better Business Bureau to ensure legitimacy. 

11: Stay and Pay

If you’re asked to make a payment outside of the booking engine where you’re making your reservation, don’t do it. These online scammers have likely duplicated a booking and are trying to get payment without flagging the website. 

12: Transparency Is Key

A legitimate hotel or lodging website should always have photos of the room you’re planning to book. If you can’t find photos online of the hotel room, cruise ship, or wherever you’re planning to stay in advance, it’s likely not real. 

13: Double Check the Check-in Details

If you’re booking a last-minute trip, be sure to call the hotel or airline directly to confirm your reservation. Day-of bookings are 4.3 times more likely to be a scam, according to travel fraud research performed by Sift . 

14: Competitive Rates

Just like with a free trip, if the rates seem too good to be true, they probably are. If the price of airfare or a hotel room is significantly less on one website when compared to all the other booking engines, it’s likely a digital travel scam. Call the hotel or airline directly to confirm if you’re suspicious. 

15: Bad URL

One of the easiest ways to spot an online travel scam is to double-check the website’s URL. Legitimate websites usually start with the characters “https://” which denotes a secure site. If the URL looks off or contains random letters and symbols, it’s likely an online travel scam. 

The Bottom Line

In 2022, travel-related scams cost US consumers over $105 million, accounting for 16% of all fraud reported by the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network. As of May 2023, consumers had reported over $265,140 lost to digital travel scams, which averages to $700 per incident, according to the Better Business Bureau . 

Play It Safe

When it comes to travel scams, be vigilant. Look out for deals that seem too good to be true, and always book directly with a hotel or airline whenever possible. 

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Aviation safety is constantly under public scrutiny. When the door flew off a Boeing 737 in January, it made headlines for months. The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a bill giving the Federal Aviation Administration $105 billion to hire more air traffic controllers, improve runway safety and even train flight attendants in self-defense.

Yet the safety of short-term rentals, available on platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo , receives far less attention.

When a fire at an illegal Airbnb rental in Montreal killed seven people last year, it was primarily local news. Social media is filled with tips for improving the safety of a rental — such as checking for hidden cameras — yet it’s difficult to know whether these address real or imagined threats. That’s partly because no regulatory agency oversees the safety of short-term rentals.

A safety Wild West

“Imagine if Delta Air Lines said you have to bring your own oxygen tank — you’d say, 'No way, I’m not getting on there,'” says Justin Ford, the director of short-term rental safety and certification programs at Breezeway, a property operations platform for short-term rental property managers. “Yet people are saying you should bring your own carbon monoxide alarm to a rental. We, as an industry, should be embarrassed by that.”

Airbnb insists the problem is minor.

“With over 1.5 billion guest arrivals to 220 countries and regions, safety issues on Airbnb are incredibly rare,” an Airbnb spokesperson said in an email. “We are committed to helping our global community travel and host safely on the platform. We continually invest in these efforts, including through dedicated policies, resources for hosts and guests, and support like our 24-hour safety line, and we partner with experts to help inform our work.”

Yet the scope of the problem is difficult to assess. These rentals remain largely unregulated, stymying efforts to track and report incidents. And, unlike aviation safety, there is no clear party responsible for maintaining the safety of short-term rentals . Is it the hosts? Or the platform? Or local governments?

As it turns out, nobody really knows.

Slips, trips and gas leaks

The heat was off when Jack Epner checked into an Airbnb in Spain, so he messaged the host about turning it on. The host said the heater had a potential safety issue and was reluctant to turn it on due to her “fear of the house exploding.”

“Her 'solution' was to give me a giant tank of butane for my bedroom — a giant tank of flammable gas that I could smell leaking,” Epner, who is nomadic, explained in an email.

The experience soured him on the short-term rental platform.

“I simply don't want to deal with them ever again,” Epner said.

Some experts say safety issues at short-term rentals are not usually this dramatic.

Ford, the safety expert, says, “83% of issues are due to slips, trips and falls. That’s where we’re seeing the injuries happening.”

According to Ford, improper lighting, missing handrails and even area rugs can cause accidents. He says that hosts can enhance safety by improving these features in their rentals, but that the real problem lies in the lack of safety standards across the industry.

“The big challenge is that there are standards for most commercial properties, but a lot of those standards don’t extend to short-term rentals,” Ford says. He adds that this is true "in about 95% of locations."

Who’s in charge here?

Some local governments have tried to require safety inspections for short-term rentals.

The city of Portland, Oregon, requires basic safety requirements for rentals, such as a working smoke detector and bedrooms that are up to code. Yet, as part of the city’s struggles to enforce its short-term rental regulations , it has inspected only 14 properties since 2019.

“Resources and permit fee costs act as inspection limitations,” Robert B. Layne II, senior communication coordinator for the city of Portland’s Bureau of Development Services, said in an email, explaining why so few properties have received these basic safety checks. The fees for registering a property would have to be drastically increased to cover inspection costs.

And while short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo offer safety guidelines for hosts, they have shied away from mandating inspections.

“Airbnb banned cameras in their properties,” Ford says. “Why can they do that but not require a deck inspection? They’re being selective in what they do.”

It’s a game of kick the can involving safety, with nobody — hosts, platforms or local governments — taking full responsibility. Ford says another group may need to step up to improve guest safety.

“The insurance companies need to stand up more and demand changes,” Ford says, suggesting that short-term rentals are getting harder to insure and that safety inspections could impact hosts’ bottom line if insurers demand them.

How to stay safe

Airbnb and Vrbo show which safety features, including carbon monoxide alarms and fire extinguishers, are included in each property. Safety-minded guests can filter results by those that contain these features.

Guests should remain aware of the unregulated nature of these rentals and seek properties managed by professional hosts, according to Ford. Messaging potential hosts and asking about basic safety information is a good way to determine how seriously they take guest safety. Ask about:

Fire alarm batteries. 

Deck inspections. 

Pool fences. 

Bunk bed railings. 

And Ford suggests that guests with families talk to their children about potential hazards, especially with swimming pools.

“We’ve seen a lot of pool drownings lately,” Ford says. “We need to have these discussions with our children about pools.”

Note: Because of an editing error, Breezeway was originally noted as an online communication platform for short-term rental property managers. It is a property operations platform. The article has been updated to reflect this change.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

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State Aid for Local Transportation

E-Scene June 2024

2023 Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Solicitation Summary

By: Steven Prusak, P.E., Active Transportation Engineer

On April 24, 2024, the 2023 Active Transportation (AT) and Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Infrastructure Advisory Committee convened and approved 20 projects for funding as an outcome of 2023 competitive SRTS Infrastructure solicitation. State Aid received 39 application submittals with a total request of $22.3 million in SRTS Infrastructure funding.

The 2023 AT and SRTS Infrastructure Advisory Committee established procedures and used specific criteria, including pedestrian and bicycle planning processes, demonstration of need and existing risks, potential to improve safety, project readiness and service to priority populations, to determine funding selections. Additionally, the 2023 AT & SRTS Infrastructure Advisory Committee considered geographic equity and entity equity across and among the following five selection pools.

• Cities of the First Class
• MnDOT Metro District Communities
• Greater Minnesota Counties and State Aid Cities
• Greater Minnesota Non-State Aid Cities and Townships
• Greater Minnesota Federally Recognized Indian Tribes

For additional information, please refer to the 2023 Program and Project Summary (PDF) for a full list of selected projects that shows the amount of SRTS Infrastructure funding, location of each project, and a state map of project locations. The 2023 Applications Summary (PDF) provides summaries of all applications that were received during the 2023 SRTS Infrastructure solicitation, including the reason why projects were not selected, when applicable.

A few friendly reminders for project selections:

• All entities received notice of project selections via email on May 14, 2024.
• All projects are required to follow the State Aid Process for project/plan approval, see State Fund Grantee User Guide (PDF) .
• All selected entities may begin the plan development process, including working with your DSAE to request a State Aid Project Number. Then, please email the SRTS Infrastructure SAP/SP number(s) to Steven Prusak for tracking purposes.
• Please remember to include within the subject line on all project email correspondence: program name, SAP/SP #, and local entity grantee name (For example: SRTS, SAP/SP XXX-XXX-XXX, ABC City).

We anticipate another SRTS Infrastructure Solicitation of up to $8.5 million to launch in Fall 2024. Additional information will be posted to the website below and announced via email in the months ahead. If you have any questions regarding Infrastructure Grants - Safe Routes to School - MnDOT , please contact Steven Prusak at [email protected] .

Thanks again to the 2023 AT and SRTS Infrastructure Advisory Committee and the entire State Aid team on a job well done!

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• Fact Sheets

Fact Sheet: Presidential Proclamation to Suspend and Limit Entry and Joint DHS-DOJ Interim Final Rule to Restrict Asylum During High Encounters at the Southern Border

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration took decisive new action to strengthen border security, announcing a series of measures that restrict asylum eligibility, and significantly increase the consequences for those who enter without authorization across the southern border. These extraordinary steps, which will be in effect during times when high levels of encounters exceed our ability to deliver timely consequences, will make noncitizens who enter across the southern border ineligible for asylum with certain exceptions, raise the standard that is used to screen for certain protection claims, and speed up our ability to quickly remove those who do not qualify for protection.

These actions follow a series of steps that the Administration has taken over the past three years as it prepared for the end of the Title 42 public health Order, and since it was lifted last year, including surging personnel, infrastructure, and technology to the border, issuing the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways Rule, and referring record numbers of noncitizens into expedited removal. Over the past year, we have removed or returned more than three quarters of a million people, more than in any fiscal year since 2010. Despite these efforts, our outdated and broken immigration and asylum system, coupled with a lack of sufficient funding, make it impossible to quickly impose consequences on all noncitizens who cross irregularly and without a legal basis to remain in the United States.

The Administration has repeatedly called on Congress to provide the resources and legal authorities needed to secure our border. The measures announced today will better enable the Department to quickly remove individuals without a legal basis to remain in the United States, strengthening enforcement and change the calculus for those considering crossing our border irregularly. However, they are no substitute for Congressional action. We continue to call on Congress to provide the new tools and resources we have asked for to support the men and women on the frontlines.

President Biden issued a Presidential Proclamation to temporarily suspend the entry of noncitizens across the southern border. The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General also jointly issued an interim final rule that, consistent with the Proclamation, generally restricts asylum eligibility for those who irregularly enter across the southern border – including the Southwest land and the southern coastal borders. The rule also limits fear screenings to those who manifest a fear or express a desire to file for protection and heightens the screening standard for statutory withholding and claims under the Convention Against Torture. Taken together, these measures will significantly increase the speed and scope of consequences for those who cross our borders irregularly or who attempt to present themselves at Ports of Entry without authorization, allowing the Departments to more quickly remove individuals who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States. The restriction on asylum eligibility will be discontinued when encounters fall below certain levels but will come back into effect if encounters rise again.

The rule makes three key changes to current processing under Title 8 immigration authorities during periods of high border encounters:

• First, noncitizens who cross the southern border unlawfully or without authorization will generally be ineligible for asylum, absent exceptionally compelling circumstances and unless they are excepted by the Proclamation.
• Second, noncitizens who cross the southern border and are processed for expedited removal while the limitation is in effect will only be referred for a credible fear screening with an Asylum Officer if they manifest or express a fear of return to their country or country of removal, a fear of persecution or torture, or an intention to apply for asylum.  
• Third, the U.S. will continue to adhere to its international obligations and commitments by screening individuals who manifest a fear as noted above and do not qualify for an exception to the Rule for withholding of removal and Convention Against Torture protections at a reasonable probability of persecution or torture standard – a new, substantially higher standard than is currently applied under the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways rule.  

Like the Proclamation, the rule provides for an end to these enhanced measures following a sustained reduction in southern border encounters. Specifically, these measures are in effect until 14 calendar days after there has been a 7-consecutive-calendar-day average of less than 1,500 encounters between the ports of entry. The measures would again go into effect, or continue, as appropriate, when there has been a 7-consecutive-calendar-day average of 2,500 encounters or more.

During periods of high encounters, the Proclamation will apply across the southern border. Lawful permanent residents, unaccompanied children, victims of a severe form of trafficking, and other noncitizens with a valid visa or other lawful permission to enter the United States are excepted from the Proclamation.

In addition, the suspension and limitation on entry and rule will not apply to noncitizens who use a Secretary-approved process—such as the CBP One mobile app—to enter the United States at a port of entry in a safe and orderly manner or pursue another lawful pathway.

Noncitizens who cross the southern border and who are not excepted from the Proclamation will be ineligible for asylum unless exceptionally compelling circumstances exist, including if the noncitizen demonstrates that they or a member of their family with whom they are traveling:

• faced an acute medical emergency;
• faced an imminent and extreme threat to life or safety, such as an imminent threat of rape, kidnapping, torture, or murder; or
• satisfied the definition of “victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons” currently provided in 8 CFR 214.11.

Consequences

Noncitizens who are subject to the rule’s limitation on asylum eligibility and who manifest or express a fear of return to their country or country of removal, express a fear of persecution or torture or an intention to apply for asylum, but do not establish a reasonable probability of persecution or torture in the country of removal will be promptly removed.

Those ordered removed will be subject to at least a five-year bar to reentry and potential criminal prosecution.

The Proclamation and rule will significantly enhance the security of our border by increasing the Departments’ ability to impose swift consequences for individuals who cross the southern border irregularly and do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States.  Together, the Proclamation and rule make critical changes to how the Departments operate during times when encounters are at historically high levels—levels that, in the absence of these changes, undermine the government’s ability to process individuals through the expedited removal process. These changes will enable the Departments to quickly return those without a lawful basis to stay in the United States and thereby free up the asylum system for those with legitimate claims.

These extraordinary measures are a stop gap. Even with these measures in place, the Departments continue to lack the authorities and resources needed to adequately support the men and women on the frontlines. The Administration again calls on Congress to take up and pass the bipartisan reforms proposed in the Senate, which provide the new authorities, personnel, and resources that are needed to address the historic global migration that is impacting countries throughout the world, including our own. Until Congress does its part, we will continue to take any actions needed under current law and within existing resources to secure the border.

• Border Security
• Immigration
• Biden-Harris Administration
• Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
• Department of Justice (DOJ)

Lawsuit says American Airlines kicked 8 Black men off plane, citing body odor

Three of the men sued American Airlines in federal court Wednesday morning.

Key takeaways

Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed.

• Three of the men sue airline, claiming “blatant and egregious race discrimination.”
• Lawsuit says no legitimate reason for action; American says it’s investigating the claims.
• Passengers eventually allowed back on flight, but one calls it “horrible,” “traumatic” experience.

Did our AI help? Share your thoughts.

Three Black men sued American Airlines in federal court Wednesday, claiming they were victims of “blatant and egregious race discrimination” after employees ordered them and five other Black men off a plane in January.

Airline representatives told the men, who were traveling from Phoenix to New York, to return to the gate to be rebooked, according to the lawsuit. An employee eventually told them the reason: Someone on the plane had complained about body odor.

When they first were told to leave the plane, the plaintiffs were “annoyed and frustrated that they were getting bumped” and would probably get home late, attorney Michael Kirkpatrick said. Then they realized that all the booted passengers were Black men.

“It hit them like a ton of bricks,” Kirkpatrick said.

American Airlines said in a statement Wednesday morning that it takes claims of discrimination “very seriously.”

“Our teams are currently investigating the matter, as the claims do not reflect our core values or our purpose of caring for people,” the statement said.

Videos of the incident, taken by some of the men, show the passengers in disbelief on the boarding ramp as they express shock, ask for an explanation and tell the employees that their treatment amounted to discrimination.

“I agree. I agree,” replies a woman wearing a lanyard and badge.

“Y’all just took like eight Black people off the plane,” one man says. “What?”

American ultimately allowed the passengers back on the plane and continued to John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The plaintiffs — Xavier Veal, a production assistant; Emmanuel Jean Joseph, an actor; and Alvin Jackson, a musician and music teacher — all live in New York City and had booked a flight home from Burbank, Calif., with a layover and plane change in Phoenix. They did not know each other before the flight, were not sitting together and did not see the other five men again.

The lawsuit claims the airline’s decision to remove the men was not based on any “legitimate rationale.” An airline employee ordered the men off the plane one by one without an explanation, the lawsuit says.

It “is near impossible to imagine that American would ever treat white customers in a similar manner,” the lawsuit says.

The body odor complaint came from a White male flight attendant, according to the suit. The lawsuit says none of the men suing the airline had offensive body odor and that none were accused directly of an offense.

Airlines mention body odor in their contracts of carriage that list reasons passengers can be refused boarding. In American’s case, it says passengers must “be respectful that your odor isn’t offensive (unless it’s caused by a disability or illness).” Veal called the airline’s reasoning for removing him and his fellow passengers “ridiculous.”

A woman who was on the flight said that while the men were off the plane, the remaining passengers heard an announcement that an issue with body odor was being addressed, according to Kirkpatrick, an attorney with the Public Citizen Litigation Group. American could not find alternate flights for the men and, after about an hour, let them get on the flight again, the lawsuit says.

“We’re walking through the aisle of shame, if you will,” Veal, 36, told The Post in an interview. “It was horrible. It was a really traumatic experience.”

Veal said there was “visible tension” on the plane when they boarded again. At the baggage carousel later, he said, some passengers said that what had happened to the men was terrible. Veal, who lives in Queens, connected with Joseph and Jackson at baggage claim, and the three decided to pursue a suit against the airline.

Veal said he has experienced racism in his life but that this was a new scenario.

“Unfortunately, I’m a Black man and I live in America,” he said. “It wakes you back up to the reality that I can’t just go to the store; I can’t just do regular things like take a plane home.”

American Airlines faced criticism in 2017 for its treatment of Black passengers, including removing people from flights, which prompted a travel advisory from the NAACP. The group lifted the warning the following year.

Though American allowed the men in January to get back on the plane and fly home, the experience was “traumatic, upsetting, scary, humiliating, and degrading,” the lawsuit says.

“None of the White passengers were taken off the plane and humiliated and embarrassed,” Kirkpatrick said.

The suit seeks an unspecified amount of compensation and punitive damages. Kirkpatrick said the plaintiffs also want the airline to reform its practices to prevent such an incident from happening to anyone else.

“Somebody should have stepped up and said, ‘Wait a minute. We can’t do this. This is wrong,’” Kirkpatrick said. “But instead, nobody stepped up and intervened to stop it from happening.”

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