Passengers Cheated By Kuwait-based Travel Website

Passengers buying airline tickets using an online travel booking company that includes a Kuwait landline number to contact for services have reportedly been defrauded.

Bookings for the forthcoming Eid Al-Fitr celebrations have risen in recent weeks. A huge majority of travel reservations are now made online through airline and local travel agency websites.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), which is in charge of overseeing and regulating internet trading in Kuwait, has apparently been swamped with complaints about the travel website, not just from Kuwaitis but also from individuals in surrounding countries. Irate travellers are contacting the government because the website's customer support number is a Kuwaiti Ministry of Communication landline. Companies can only get landlines if they have a valid license from MoCI.

People who purchase plane tickets through the 'false' website can pay through a variety of venues, including directly through the website that gives the best deal. Customers that choose the cheapest option to fall into the trap and purchase the ticket. The traveller receives a call from the website a few days before their flight, alerting them that the ticket price has increased and that they must pay the difference, which is usually 10 to 30% higher.

Passengers can cancel their reservations, but reimbursement is only guaranteed after a week. Attempts to call the website's customer service by landline are pointless because there is no such number.

Hundreds of people are said to have lost money as a result of this con. According to sources at the Government of Communications and Information Technology, the ministry is working with the Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA) to take action against the platform, which includes shutting down the website.

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