Many Lao guest hotels don't answer emails.

There have been many posts on this forum from travellers complaining that such-and-such a guest house or hotel does not answer their emails. Regular posters usually advise that the original poster telephone instead.

Apart from the limited English of many Lao hotel staff, it may be the case that they just don%26#39;t take emails seriously anymore.

I handle the email enquiries and reservations for a resort in Laos and every day receive two or three emails like the two pasted below, which I received today.

Greetings,

I enquire for reservations for 4 couples coming for their honey moon at your property,I would like you to get back to me with the following.

1. The availability of the dates

2. The Daily cost for the required dates

3. The total cost for the lenght of their stay.

4. Do you accept credit card payment.

The arrival date for the couples will be 20th Dec and they will depart on 30th Dec 2008 ,Their stay will last for 10 days.

Do get back to me with the requirements as stated above.

Kindest Regards,

Mr William

Tel: +44 70457 90678

+44 70457 90689

Hi

I want you to prepare a five[5] days tour program in your facility for my Clients.They are From Jordan Island and shall be touring round your state and some other place in your country.they re coming to your country for their vacation.

They are just 2 couples.

Mr %26amp; Mrs Marcint

Mr $ Mrs Lucerles

Arrival date: 10th Dec 2008

Departure date :15th Dec 2008

Number of days: 6 days

Number of Guest: 4

Confirm availability and get back to me with your rates and total cost so that i can give you my credit card details for a deposit payment.

George Moore

At first, I followed up enquiries like these. The farthest I got, after 7 or 8 emails going backwards and forwards, answering questions, etc. was something like the following: ';We have hired a security firm to provide bodyguards for our clients during their conference in Laos and will require you to make payment of US$1,500 to them on our behalf. You should add this payment to your total billing.';

Never having heard of conference participants needing bodyguards in Vientiane, we telephoned the emailer and heard a very excited man with a heavy African accent rambling on incoherently!

As we receive 2 or 3 of these emails per day I assume it is not only our resort but every hotel and guest house in Laos (maybe the world!) receiving these. To follow up the enquiries is very difficult, time-consuming (esoecially for Lao staff)and ultimately pointless. I usually no longer even open such mail since they all contain the same tell-tale signs. These are:

1. The message line is always in upper case bold.

2. The email is always from someone making a booking for someone else.

3. The email always refers to %26#39;your facility%26#39; or %26#39;your property%26#39;, never to the name of our resort.

4. The email always refers to %26#39;your country%26#39; or %26#39;your state%26#39;, never to Laos.

5. There is always a request to make advance payment by credit card.

I know many regular posters on this forum are connected in various ways to guest houses and hotels and would be interested to hear other people%26#39;s experiences of this and if anyone has gone so far down the line as to find out exactly what the scam is (credit card fraud? money laundering?). Also, perhaps they could pass on the 5 tell tale signs above to the Lao receptionists they know.

Regards,

Philip

Many Lao guest hotels don't answer emails.

I get several of these a week as well - tell tale sign of this scam is that they will always say that they will provide credit card details to secure the booking - from my experience, most travellers do not voluntarily offer to provide credit card details unless requested.

Cheers

Lee

www.luang-prabang-hotels.com