Consumer Protection is acting quickly to close down a bogus travel website which is offering ridiculously low airfares and operating without a licence. The website -www.AusFlightz.net- is hosted overseas and is using a travel agent licence number and ABN of a legitimate travel business. It is also falsely claiming to be an agent for major airlines. The physical address on the site does not exist and the phone number has been disconnected.

Consumer Protection Commissioner Anne Driscoll said the Department launched an investigation after receiving complaints from licensed travel agents who were approached by consumers asking them if they could match the low fares.

“To sell travel in Western Australia you must be licensed and this business definitely does not hold a licence, despite its claims,” Ms Driscoll said. “The airfares being advertised are well below market prices, with the site claiming that the fares being offered are cheap because they are exempt from paying fees and taxes. We strongly recommend that consumers avoid making any bookings or revealing any bank or credit card details on this site until our investigations are complete.”

Consumer Protection is approaching the web hosting company overseas to suspend this account and is continuing to investigate. If in any doubt, travel consumers are urged to contact Consumer Protection to check that the agent or website they are dealing with is on our register of licensed agents. Consumers who may have had dealings with this particular website are also asked to come forward by calling us on 1300 30 40 54 or by emailing consumer@commerce.wa.gov.au