Is Globehunters Legit or Scam? BEWARE of Fake Reviews

Globehunters is an online travel agency that offers flights, hotels, tours, vacation packages, and other travel services. They advertise having the “lowest prices” on flights worldwide.

But is Globehunters legit company that can be trusted? Or are they a scam?

In this extensive review, I’ll analyze Globehunters closely to determine if they are legit and worth booking travel through.

Let’s dive in.

Globehunters Review: Overview

Globehunters is a UK-based online travel agency headquartered in London. They were founded in 2010.

Some key facts about Globehunters:

• They sell flights, hotels, vacation packages, tours, and other travel services worldwide. Some of their most popular destinations are flights to Orlando, Dubai, New York and more.

• They advertise having competitive pricing and claim they will “hunt down” the best travel deals.

• Globehunters is registered in the UK under the company name A1 Travel Deals Limited. Their company number is 07098753.

• They are ATOL and IATA accredited. This provides some consumer protections when booking travel.

• Globehunters does not have any physical office locations. Purchases must be made online or over the phone.

• They offer customer support via email and a UK phone number.

Is Globehunters Legit or Scam?

Is Globehunters Legit? There are several key factors that can help determine whether an online travel agency like Globehunters is legitimate or not. Here is an assessment across some of the most important criteria:

Company History and Reputation

Globehunters has been around since 2010, giving them over 12+ years in business. This long history helps establish them as a legitimate company.

They are also registered as a real business in the UK under A1 Travel Deals Limited.

However, Globehunters does not have an amazing reputation based on consumer reviews:

• On Trustpilot, they have 3,486 reviews and a 4.6 out of 5 star rating. This seems decent on the surface. However, if you read through the reviews, many of the 5-star ratings are from new accounts with only 1 review. There are also concerning 1-star reviews about poor customer service.

• On review sites like TripAdvisor, the majority of recent reviews are very negative. Customers complain about bait-and-switch tactics, terrible customer service and not delivering on their bookings.

The poor reputation is a red flag about Globehunters’ legitimacy. While they are a registered business, their customer service and booking practices raise concerns.

Accreditation and Protections

Globehunters states they are accredited by:

• ATOL (Air Travel Organiser’s License) – This provides protection when booking flight inclusive trips and packages. It guarantees refunds if a company goes out of business.

• IATA (International Air Transport Association) – This is essentially a trade group for airlines and travel companies. Being IATA accredited does not offer direct consumer protection.

The ATOL certification does offer some legitimacy and consumer protections for Globehunters as a UK travel agency. However, many of the complaints about Globehunters relate to poor customer service despite having ATOL backing.

Pricing and Booking Experience

Is Globehunters Legit? Globehunters advertises having the “lowest prices” on flights and travel. In some cases, they may offer cheap fares compared to booking directly with airlines.

However, many former Globehunters customers report bait-and-switch tactics where advertised prices are not honored. The booking experience is also described as confusing and misleading.

For example, the advertised price may not include checked baggage fees. These are then added after the booking process which increases the overall cost.

The cheapest fares often have the most restrictions as well. So you can end up paying more if you need to change or cancel the booking through Globehunters.

Customer Service and Support

Poor customer service is one of the most common complaints about Globehunters in online reviews. But, Is Globehunters Legit?

Many former customers describe frustrating experiences trying to get help from Globehunters’ call center and support staff. They struggle to make changes to bookings or get timely responses from the company.

Globehunters does offer customer support via phone and email. But the quality of service seems to be severely lacking based on feedback from previous travelers.

This is a major red flag regarding their legitimacy as a travel agency.

Pros of Booking With Globehunters

Is Globehunters Legit? While there are several concerning factors about Globehunters, there are some potential advantages to booking through them:

• Cheaper pricing – They may offer lower fares compared to other travel sites, especially when running special deals and sales. But the pricing often comes with many hidden extras and fees.

• 24/7 support – Globehunters has customer support available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via call and email. However, the quality of support is frequently criticized.

• ATOL protection – When buying flight inclusive trips, ATOL provides protection if the company goes bankrupt before your trip. This gives some financial security.

For certain bookings like basic flights, you may find Globehunters offers a lower fare than competitors. But the trade-off is very poor customer service and misleading sales tactics.

Cons of Booking With Globehunters

Unfortunately, there are several compelling reasons to avoid using Globehunters as your travel agency:

• Poor customer service – This is by far the most common complaint about Globehunters. Their support staff is difficult to deal with and unhelpful when issues arise.

• Hidden fees – The advertised price often excludes extras like baggage, seat selection, etc. This increases the real cost.

• Inflexible policies – Changing or canceling bookings can be very expensive and complicated with lots of restrictions.

• Bait-and-switch experience – Misleading sales tactics are described like advertising prices that are not honored or pressuring customers to “upgrade” for bags and other addons.

• Lack of responsiveness – Many reviews mention Globehunters being unresponsive to booking inquiries, emails, and calls. Communications frequently go unanswered.

• Questionable sales tactics – Besides bait-and-switch pricing, reviewers describe high-pressure sales tactics to get customers to spend more after booking.

The poor customer experience appears to be the norm at Globehunters based on hundreds of negative reviews. There are too many red flags to recommend them as a legitimate travel provider.

Is Globehunters Legit? Consumer Reviews and Complaints

One of the best ways to evaluate an online travel agency is by analyzing feedback from previous customers in consumer reviews.

Here is an overview of the most common complaints, criticisms and concerns found in Globehunters reviews:

Bait-and-Switch Pricing

Many reviews mention attractive flight prices advertised online that were not honored after booking. Additional fees were added or availability at the advertised fare was suddenly unavailable. This “bait-and-switch” tactic is deceptive.

Aggressive Upselling

After booking, Globehunters agents put immense pressure on customers to “upgrade” the flight with add-ons like checked baggage, seat selection, priority boarding, etc. This increased the price drastically.

Hidden Fees

The initial prices shown often excluded mandatory fees like baggage, payment fees, and booking fees. After completing the booking, these added fees increased the cost significantly beyond the advertised price.

Poor Customer Service

Once a booking is made, customers describe huge challenges getting any support from Globehunters’ call center and agents. Issues with bookings or changes were ignored.

Refund Difficulties

Trying to get a refund from Globehunters for any reason such as a cancellation is depicted as extremely difficult, slowed down intentionally and only possible after escalating complaints.

Failure to Honor Bookings

In some severe cases, Globehunters took payment but never actually ticketed the flights. Customers only found out when airlines had no record of the booking.

Misinformation About Baggage Policies

Is Globehunters Legit? Some reviews mention Globehunters providing incorrect information about the baggage allowances included, resulting in surprise luggage fees at the airport.

Based on these widespread complaints, it appears Globehunters engages in shady business practices and misleading sales tactics that take advantage of travelers. This reinforces why they cannot be recommended as a legitimate travel agency.

Expert Tips to Avoid Getting Scammed By Travel Sites Like Globehunters

Booking travel online comes with risks like getting scammed. Here are some tips to avoid shady sites:

• Always research the company first – Spend time reading reviews from independent sources like TripAdvisor, Trustpilot, Reddit, specialized forums, etc. This will reveal the true customer experience.

• Beware of too good to be true pricing – Super cheap fares that undercut everywhere else often come with catches like hidden fees or inflexible policies. Make sure to compare prices across multiple sites.

• Book directly with airlines when possible – While not always the cheapest option, booking directly avoids issues that can happen when third party agencies are involved. You have more control.

• Use credit cards for added protection – Paying with a credit card provides an extra layer of protection thanks to features like chargebacks. Avoid paying unknown travel sites directly with a bank transfer.

• Confirm all details in writing – Make sure any specifics like seat selections, baggage allowances, cancellation terms are all confirmed over email in writing. Verbal assurances are not enough.

• Read the fine print carefully – Shady vendors often rely on confusing terms and policies. Read through their website carefully and know what you are agreeing to.

• Be wary of high pressure sales tactics – A reputable company should never pressure you to book on the spot or upgrade after booking. Walk away if you feel manipulated.

Following these tips when evaluating any online travel agency can help you avoid getting ripped off.

Is Globehunters Legit or a Scam? Verdict

After extensively reviewing Globehunters, I cannot recommend them as a legitimate travel agency due to far too many red flags including:

• Hundreds of terrible, 1-star reviews describing bait-and-switch tactics and nightmare customer service
• Misleading and confusing booking experience designed to upsell customers
• Frequent problems with unresponsive and unhelpful support staff
• Questionable pricing practices like advertising unavailable fares to drive bookings
• Buried fees and limitations that end up increasing costs after booking

While Globehunters is a real registered business in the UK and has ATOL certification, their poor reputation says it all regarding their legitimacy.

The potential savings are not worth the bait-and-switch experience and awful support you are likely to experience booking travel through Globehunters.

There are much better and more ethical travel agencies to book through where you will get transparent pricing and honest customer service.

In summary, Globehunters seems to rely on manipulative sales tactics, misleading advertised prices, and confusing travelers to make bookings through them.

I would recommend avoiding this company completely and booking directly through airline and hotel sites or reputable travel agencies with predominantly excellent reviews instead.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Globehunters

Is Globehunters a real company?

Yes, Globehunters is a real registered business in the UK operating since 2010. However, being registered does not automatically make them a legitimate company based on the overwhelmingly poor customer feedback.

Is it safe to book through Globehunters?

No, Globehunters should be considered unsafe to book through based on their bait-and-switch tactics, excessive hidden fees, and terrible customer support described by previous customers. There are too many red flags to recommend using this travel agency.

How can Globehunters offer such low prices on flights?

Globehunters is able to offer cheap fares by not including fees for baggage, seat selections, and other extras in the advertised price. They also advertise prices that may be unavailable which draws in customers. The real cost ends up being much higher.

Does Globehunters have hidden fees?

Yes, Globehunters is known for adding many hidden fees that increase costs like baggage fees, payment fees, seat selection charges, and fees to make any booking changes or cancellations. Their advertised prices often exclude these extras.

What happens if I have an issue with a Globehunters booking?

You will have to go through their notoriously terrible customer service, which often fails to resolve issues according to reviews. Changing or canceling flights booked through them can also be very difficult and expensive.

Conclusion: Find a Reputable Travel Agency Instead

I hope this detailed review has provided plenty of insights into Globehunters and whether or not they can be considered a legitimate travel company.

Based on extensive research into their history, reputation, questionable sales tactics and overwhelmingly negative customer reviews – I believe Globehunters falls into the category of an untrustworthy agency to avoid when booking travel.

You will have much better experiences and avoid potential scams by choosing reputable travel sites that offer transparent pricing, excellent customer support and flexible booking policies. Do your research to find companies with predominantly 5 star reviews from verified buyers.

No destination is worth the nightmare that comes with booking through disreputable vendors like Globehunters. Your dream trip starts with trusted travel partners!

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