scammed by ta?

Re: scammed by ta?

• Jells2dot0 mod

  

  January 2013 edited January 2013

  From my experience, travel agents who charge fees usually do so because they are the top in their field and get a ton of requests, so they only want to work with people who are serious about booking. Those agents also usually offer perks in their packages, like room upgrades, resort credits, special personalized excursions, etc. If that's the case, then you are paying more because you are getting a meticulously planned trip by an expert who provides exceptional packages and experiences. If you have an "apples to apples" online quote that is less, bring that to the agent and see if he/she can match it. If their quote is more because of extra, then they probably will not match it. You then need to decide if it's worth spending more for the expertise and having them design your trip.
  
  That is all assuming the person is legit. I'm sure the agency has a website. See if they are affiliated with the major agent networks, like Virtuoso, IATA, CLIA, etc. All of the agents I have worked with list those credentials on their site.
  
  EDIT- also from my experience, agents are not offered breakdown in costs depending on the supplier they use. They may be able able to get a break down of land versus air, but that's it. So, when your agent is saying the wholesaler can't or won't provide it, then I think that is legitimate and makes sense. I know it's frustrating to not see if broken out, but suppliers would be revealing valuable contract information if they were to release that breakdown.

   

  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

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• OliveOilsMom member

  

  January 2013

  Have you tried googling her name/company with "reviews"?  You can find out a lot by checking on the reviews.  Remember that some people who have good experiences don't always create reviews, so they can sometimes be lopsided and taken with a grain of salt.

  

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• alithebride member

  

  January 2013

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_scammed-by-ta?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:11Discussion:984dc17f-f341-4dac-8736-63b9c1b26074Post:9cfe99b5-b8d8-402e-9c60-6a80ffacbe58">Re: scammed by ta?</a>:
  [QUOTE]From my experience, travel agents who charge fees usually do so because they are the top in their field and get a ton of requests, so they only want to work with people who are serious about booking. Those agents also usually offer perks in their packages, like room upgrades, resort credits, special personalized excursions, etc. If that's the case, then you are paying more because you are getting a meticulously planned trip by an expert who provides exceptional packages and experiences. If you have an "apples to apples" online quote that is less, bring that to the agent and see if he/she can match it. If their quote is more because of extra, then they probably will not match it. You then need to decide if it's worth spending more for the expertise and having them design your trip. That is all assuming the person is legit. I'm sure the agency has a website. See if they are affiliated with the major agent networks, like Virtuoso, IATA, CLIA, etc. All of the agents I have worked with list those credentials on their site. EDIT- also from my experience, agents are not offered breakdown in costs depending on the supplier they use. They may be able able to get a break down of land versus air, but that's it. So, when your agent is saying the wholesaler can't or won't provide it, then I think that is legitimate and makes sense. I know it's frustrating to not see if broken out, but suppliers would be revealing valuable contract information if they were to release that breakdown.
  Posted by Jells2dot0[/QUOTE]
  
  AGREE!!!
  some TAs do charge fees.
  if she's over by 1500 ask her to correct it. it's not set in stone is it?

   

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• alithebride member

  

  January 2013

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_scammed-by-ta?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:11Discussion:984dc17f-f341-4dac-8736-63b9c1b26074Post:399d3a1b-933b-479a-af93-24862e8db906">scammed by ta?</a>:
  [QUOTE]so i thought i had found this amazing travel agent who was an itaian travel specialist. She cgarged a 300 dollar fee but i thought that since she specialized in italy she would get me some amazing deals/ She sends me a quote which is 1500.00 dollars over budget. nothing was itemized no quotes for hotels, excursions, no breakdown of cost. Her pricing did not add up and was actually more than what i fonund online. I requested more specific information of where our money was gping and she refused to do that stating that is how all travel agents work and she couldnt tell us the wholesalers price. I said ok what about the excursions, how much is the driver, she would not disclose that either. I do not feel comfortbale just paying a lump sum with no itemization of where the money is going. What the hell?! This can't be normal .. can it?
  Posted by firewaterx[/QUOTE]
  
  do you want to share your trip? I've been a few times lately and can look it over.

   

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• firewaterx member

  

  January 2013

  Yes we payed the fee up front . She said she was an Italian specialist . The price she gave me was kin of absurd to me considering I saw hotels I liked a lot more for less money ... She gave me a lump land sum initially 7600 for 11 nights split between positano and ischia with a driver to and from airport stop in Pompeii and a half day trip to ravello. Meanwhile the 4 or 5 star hotels I looked at are on average 400 at most and that is sea view !! So where did all that money go !! Then I asked her to cut the price because she went over . She sends me an itenarary that is only 700 less with no half day excursion and the 5 star sea view rooms downgraded to a 4 star standard double room ...the average price of those is only 250315 online so where is the money going again that quote was for 6800 again that does not include airfare... I don't know doesn't that seem odd to you ?

  

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• Jells2dot0 mod

  

  January 2013 edited January 2013

  Be sure when you are pricing things online that it includes all taxes. You'd be surprised- taxes add up VERY quickly. Travel agent packages include taxes where they can. Also, the excursions could certainly add up to be quite a bit, especially if she is using higher end operators. So, your package online probably doesn't cover that. To make sure you are comparing apples to apples, have her only quote the hotels and the things you are seeing online. It has to be the same dates, same room, everyhthing. Again, you can't compare things that aren't the same. So, if you see a price online for a hotel room, be sure she is quoting the exact same thing.

   

  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

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• chelseamb11 member

  

  January 2013

  I don't care how legit she is.  If she cannot give you a breakdown, I'd ask for the fee back and tell her you're taking your business elsewhere.  If she refuses, I'd contact the BBB.

   
  
  Teachery Blog
  

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• Jells2dot0 mod

  

  January 2013

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_scammed-by-ta?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:11Discussion:984dc17f-f341-4dac-8736-63b9c1b26074Post:943e9b34-beb4-445f-97c1-fbcdc934b1e3">Re: scammed by ta?</a>:
  [QUOTE]I don't care how legit she is.  If she cannot give you a breakdown, I'd ask for the fee back and tell her you're taking your business elsewhere.  If she refuses, I'd contact the BBB.
  Posted by chelseamb11[/QUOTE]
  
  I think that is completely unfair. As someone who is friends with a few TAs, I know for a fact that agents do not receive breakdowns of cost depending on the supplier. Suppliers have contracts with airlines and resorts and if they were to divulge their terms, it would release their terms to the public and therefore provide a head's up to their competitors the terms of their contracts. So, to file a claim with the BBB over something the TA can't do anything about because of contractual issues is just flat out wrong and hurtful to that person's business. If she is not legit, then that is a totally different story.

   

  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

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• HoneymoonMe

  

  January 2013

  I agree w/ Jells2dot0. Check out the websites and check to see what affiliations she's with. IATA is the world-wide legit card, bonus points if she is with invitation-only groups like Virtuoso because they've been vetted heavily. 

  
  

  I know several agents will ask for a fee up front for new clients to ensure that they're not wasting time....though a lot also will "credit" this money towards your trip once it's booked. If it makes you feel better, ask her if she's willing to do this since this is coming over budget.

  
  

  Ask what perks (if any) are included with her booking the hotels than just "rack" rates online. The hotel rate could be $20 more a night but include breakfast, transfers, room upgrades at check in, etc. You'd be surprised too how quickly the money adds up when you put everything together (tips, tax, daily hotel fees, etc).

  
  

  Worst case? She's marking the package up. You are well within your right to have her adjust the itinerary to fit within your budget, and to explain that you don't feel comfortable with a blanket charge. If she is using a wholesaler and she doesn't know the itemized costs, she could go the extra mile by giving you a breakdown of ballpark prices for each reservation. Don't be overly accusatory initially---just tell her you want to better understand where you can cut costs without sacrificing what's important to you (ie the better hotel room). 

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