Traveling? Do your homework.

​   Truth in Advertising 

     

   There’s no doubt that traveling this world costs a lot of money. And in this economy, we like to know what we are getting for our money before we commit, not after. To do that we usually jump on the Internet and do a Google search for the places we want to go. We look at travel brochures, travel videos, or, in the old days, make a trip to the library. The Internet can give you whatever you want to know. That App like Google earth will give you birds-eye view photographs, providing you have the address or coordinates. When we rented our condo  on Luquillo, Beach, Puerto Rico, we did not have the address. it was FlipKey‘s policy to not provide details, until after one paid the fee.  Even communication with the owner was monitored by FlipKe and the owner was not allowed to send private emails to potential renters who might ask for current photos.  FlipKey provided their own photographs and property descriptions, which usually helped promote their facility.

            

   The photographs in this blog shows the difference between what was advertised and what was actually there. The first photograph shows a nice beachfront beyond the property fence, teaming with tourists enjoying the sand and surf. We rented this condo for 30 days. Never once was there a sandy beach with tourists and sunshine. Yes, we had the sunshine but that was all. The other photograph shows the coastline towards yonder trees with sand and surf all the way. The truth is, there was no beachfront for the entire month we were there.   The beach in front of our condo property would’ve been impossible to walk in the pounding surf that continually crashed into the concrete seawall protecting the backyard. Access to the beach was farther down on both sides. The closest access was to walk out the front door to the street, turn right and walk about a block to a basketball court. One could walk across the court and  out onto the sandy beach. The other direction was much farther to walk . 

  

   Had we known there was no beach access as depicted in these photographs before we rented, would we still have rented? Perhaps. But it was disappointing to know that we could not step out our back door onto the beach as it appeared in the FlipKey photograph. As you travel this world, you are at the mercy of the advertising department.  Sometimes, what they claim and what is real, May often be different.