Travel agent accused of theft

[montekat]

This just makes me mad! How does anyone think they can get away with it? I realize that readers of CC are very much aware of things related to cruising and booking, but come on, this cruise was "booked" a year in advance and no one thought to ask for the cruise documents, luggage tags, etc.? I do feel sorry for the people who were involved.

 

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20111105/NEWS01/111050339/Travel-agent-accused-theft?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Local

[vacruizer]

The same thing happened in our area a few years back. It was a whole travel agency taking deposits but not making the bookings. They would then use deposits down the road to scramble and make bookings at the last minute. The thing eventually collapsed and a bunch of people lost their money - everything from cruises, to honeymoons, to Alaska fishing trips.:mad: Just goes to show you should always check out your agency and NEVER pay them directly. Use a credit card and make sure the charge comes straight from the cruise line and not the TA.

[BeccaBecca1713]

I recall a thread here on CC this past year where someone was nervous because they had paid their cruise in full to a TA but the TA would not give them their booking number. All the details sounded so fishy. Never found out if the person got their cruise or not.

 

I'm not anti-TA, but that's yet another reason I prefer to just book directly through Carnival.

[katiepe]

There are crooks and thieves in every business..:(

[LucyR.]

I protect myself by getting my booking confirmation number and cabin number when I book a cruise. If they can't do that for me I don't book a

cruise with them.

 

A friend of mine was told she had to wait until the afternoon to get her booking number. She waited and never got a call-back from the T.A.

I advised her to call back and get the booking # and she got it.

 

There is no reason not to get a booking number unless the computers are down. I can always call my credit card company to cancel the booking if it

seems like there is a serious problem. But I have never had to do that.

[woodey]

I work in the Casino Industry and have for over 20 years now...I learned many many years ago that if there is a way to scam people out of money or cheat them out of money they will try and try and try and it does not matter if it is a employee or a grandmother of 90...... if they can get to it they will try.....really sad that there are people out there like this.....

[larkz]

This kind of crime is usually the result of "kiting," or robbing Peter to pay Paul.

 

The person spends some of the deposit money, hoping to cover it with the next client's deposit, on and on down the line, until they've "borrowed" so much that they can't cover it anymore. This is the same way that embezzlement often escalates from raiding an account for a loan, until they've reached thousands or millions of dollars of theft.

 

On its face, it's obvious to anyone that they can't simply steal their client's money without getting caught. Instead, they slip into it bit by bit until the entire pyramid collapses.

[crusinpsychRN]

Some time ago there was a thread with a news story that a travel agent robbed a customer's house when they were on the cruise.

[msstarr22]

Ok I have to play devils advocate. There are crooks in every line of business, from the guy who takes home a roll of toilet paper to the true thief. I am a retired TA I loved my work. I played by the book. I come from a day when there were paper tickets that we had to write out to building the honeymoon of your dreams out of scratch! The island info was there and there were no special programs to help you put it all together. We took cash and gave you and invoice. It has all the laws and policies printed on the back. Not a computer sheet with just the basics I have seen done. Nothing wrong with the way it is done but you knew that the laws were there. You trusted the client and they trusted you. That started to change when checks bounced and credit cards were stolen ones. We needed more forms of ID to book a trip. I would stay in our office until after midnight, to let a client know that there was a death in the family when they were in Europe or book a family from Africa to Disney. The world is a hard one now and I am saddened that these incidences

put a smear on an industry that is trying to just hang in there to help the ones who really want an agent to help them through what for some is overwhelming or who just doesn't have the time to invest in their vacation but want it perfect!

[DebJ14]

There are crooks and thieves in every business..:(

 

Yes, remember when the Royal Caribbean employee was arrested. She took info about people and was involved in a ring that burglarized houses of people while they were out on a cruise. Booking directly didn't help those folks - dishonest people everywhere.

[xitappers2bx]

first, this isn't common, so while it does happen, there's more fraud happening in other places than travel agents. yes, it's becoming more and more popular, but travel agents, when you find one whom you like (find them through recommendations from friends!!) they are invaluable and better than anyone any cruise line will give you. when you have a good travel agent, they'll call you when the price drops and deal with the lines for you so you get a credit, they deal with all documents, and fill everything out so you don't have to. if a person, especially the leader of a group, doesn't ask for a receipt or invoice regarding their cruise, and doesn't check the website (which we do the MINUTE we get the call that our cruise is booked to see it online) to make sure its correct, that's a massive failure on the part of the group leader. yes, what the agency did was wrong, BUT why in heavens name did the person organizing the cruise not check it out carnival's site, and why did not one single person of that group not ask for a receipt? that would have been an easy, fast, and early way to realize that they had been swindled.

 

if you dont allow yourself to be a victim, you won't be a victim.

[SE NC]

This is one reason I always book with my favorite Carnival PVP !!!!!!!:D

[Guest LoveMyBoxer]

LOVE my online TA and have been using them for years. One thing to make sure of is that when your credit card is charged for the deposit, it is paid directly to the cruiseline and NOT the TA.

[AmberTeka]

This is an excellent thread. Every new and a lot of experienced cruisers should be forced to read it. It would save..heartbreak..anger...so much good it would do!

 

The first cruise my DH and I took..after a hiatus of 25 years..was in 2005. We booked through the travel agency of a big Southern Dept. Store Chain. Posh Dept. Store. The TA booked us on an old Celebrity ship..in a balcony.I got home..read the booklet..THAT SHIP HAD NO BALCONIES. IT HAD IS..OV AND SUITES. Called her back. She giggled. Silly her. Finally..the young assit. got us on the Westerdam. Lovely ship. since then we have made 18 cruises. Most I booked myself. With the Line.

 

Then in order to get OBC ..once..I went with an Online Big T.A. The TA was a little short..but got me what I wanted. I went back.and back..Now I would not book a cruise without him. I have my confirmation within minutes of speaking to him. The cruise line debits my Credit Card..not the TA Company. Anything I have requested..from a table for two on one cruise..to dining times...he has delivered. Ditto OBC with every cruise..help with military credits..which on Princess are OBC...sometimes I am booked with rates I never heard of..He as saved me money everytime.

 

He made a beliver out of me. A GOOD Travel Agent..is up front..tells the truth..gets your booking number..confirmation to you pronto...calls you back quickly..I mean..

I was down on T.A. I WISH I HAD KNOWN all of this..when we first set out to sail again in 2005.

 

When we sailed before our daughter was born..twice on NCL..in the early 70"s..we paid cash at their Office in Miami..then drove out and caught the ship. The Sunward. Beautiful Ship. Then later..the Skyward. Food. Lavish.Wonderful Activies..not a lot.Stablizers..non existant. Young.In Love. Great memories.