Parents lose money, children lose their dreams of a vacation. It's hard to say what hurts more. A camp that's canceled can happen, and a dishonest organizer can be checked and caught, but it's not always possible.
The journalist of “Uwaga!” TVN is contacted by mothers who bought a seaside holiday for their children for around three thousand zlotys from the same person. The children did not go to the camp because it did not take place. – The children suffered because of this, not to mention the parents' budgets. The children suffered the most because they waited a whole year for this holiday and were left out in the cold, I suspect that most of the children did not go anywhere – says Marlena Mierzejewska, one of the injured people.
On social media, the camp organizer Katarzyna S. seems engaged, and the camp participants are having a good time on the sessions that took place because others were told there would be no trip. “She doesn't answer the phone, or she hangs up after two rings,” says Ms. Aleksandra, another victim.
Katarzyna S. has not been allowed to organize recreation at all since March last year. The Masovian Marshal's Office banned her from doing so after it was reported that the woman was operating without the necessary registrations. – We cannot issue a second ban, the only thing we can do now is to report this to law enforcement agencies – says Izabela Stelmańska from the Masovian Marshal's Office.
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How to avoid being fooled?
The Katowice prosecutor's office is conducting an investigation into the case, one of the victims reported it. He was not the only one, because she allegedly did not pay the owner of the guesthouse for last holiday. – After a few weeks, she stopped contacting us. We were cheated and we have not received the money to this day – confesses Karolina Budz from the guesthouse in Murzasichle. – Grey zone, illegal activity. On a macro scale we have the example of Wojtek in Zanzibar, and on a micro scale it is the activity of this lady. These are two absolutely reprehensible examples – points out Marek Kamieński, traveler, court expert in the field of tourism.
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How not to be fooled? Check – advises the Polish Chamber of Tourism. – Every holiday for children and youth that lasts longer than 2 days must be reported to the education authority and we can check by clicking on the website of the Ministry of Education, i.e. nocleg.men.gov.pl – explains Katarzyna Turosieńska from the Polish Chamber of Tourism.
If the organizer is not on the MEN website and is not displayed in the register of tour operators, then a red flag should go up. Customers of companies from the grey zone cannot count on a refund from the Tourist Guarantee Fund.
Katarzyna S. is not listed in the register. She does not answer her phone. “Attention!” TVN wrote that it is already returning the money. “People who have tainted my reputation will be held accountable, and the matter of the report is harassment” – the journalists quote the message.
Main image source: “Attention!” TVN