Family Cruise Ruined by TA

[bigboy61]

Hello there!

 

This is my first post, so if this is in the wrong place, please move it.

 

Get ready for a long story.

 

Back last year, I started to plan a cruise for my grandmother's 80th birthday. My grandma's wish was for all her children to get together on an Alaska cruise before she passed. I have never cruised before, so I am already in over my head. 

 

I ask about this on the large Reddit group asking people about this. I have a couple TAs reach out to me over there, and I decide to go with one. She is licensed with CLIA and under a well reviewed host.

 

So we start planning. We get everything squared away and ask the family to start paying. The travel agent wants payments via Venmo or PayPal. My relatives become suspicious and so they vet her and have me vet the reservation more. They are satisfied once this is complete and we proceed. 

 

Everything moves along fine up until last week. The TA keeps refusing to provide booking numbers claiming that the Princess app is new and they have asked her not to let all of us into the app at once. Well, my Uncle, understandable, starts to get suspicious and fed up with the runaround. He calls Princess, and the only reservation for our group was canceled back in February! None of us are in any reservations.

 

The TA claims the reservation is still safe. My Uncle has had it and filed a claim with Venmo and with her previous host agency. She then cancelled our rooms (which didn't appear to exist) since my uncle submitted the claim.

 

She is saying she is going to refund us via her E&O insurance, but I have no idea whether to believe her or not. 

 

So here we are out 30k, my reputation with my family is ruined, and my grandma's 80th birthday cruise is ruined! All because this TA was, at best, playing some booking shenanigans.

 

I don't quite understand the angle of the TA. She seems to have a legitimate business, so not sure what was happening. I think the original cruise may have been canceled so she could book the cruise outside of the host so she could take all the commission. That's just a guess. I have no idea why we weren't rebooked.

 

What is her angle here? Anyone know? Anyone experienced something like this before?

Edited April 21 by bigboy61
Changing wording

[hallux]

32 minutes ago, bigboy61 said:

The travel agent wants payments via Venmo or PayPal.

Sorry, but this is a red flag to me.  The TA should be asking for a credit card number and permission to charge direct to the cruise line for your reservation.  That is the ONLY way I would do a reservation with a TA.

[bigboy61]

1 minute ago, hallux said:

Sorry, but this is a red flag to me.  The TA should be asking for a credit card number and permission to charge direct to the cruise line for your reservation.  That is the ONLY way I would do a reservation with a TA.

You are correct. After further research, that is what I found but too late now. To her credit, she also offered the option of paying direct to Princess by calling her with our credit card number or something like that.

[PORT ROYAL]

41 minutes ago, bigboy61 said:

Hello there!

 

This is my first post, so if this is in the wrong place, please move it.

 

Get ready for a long story.

 

Back last year, I started to plan a cruise for my grandmother's 80th birthday. My grandma's wish was for all her children to get together on an Alaska cruise before she passed. I have never cruised before, so I am already in over my head. 

 

I ask about this on the large Reddit group asking people about this. I have a couple TAs reach out to me over there, and I decide to go with one. She is licensed with CLIA and under a well reviewed host.

 

So we start planning. We get everything squared away and ask the family to start paying. The travel agent wants payments via Venmo or PayPal. My relatives become suspicious and so they vet her and have me vet the reservation more. They are satisfied once this is complete and we proceed. 

 

Everything moves along fine up until last week. The TA keeps refusing to provide booking numbers claiming that the Princess app is new and they have asked her not to let all of us into the app at once. Well, my Uncle, understandable, starts to get suspicious and fed up with the runaround. He calls Princess, and the only reservation for our group was canceled back in February! None of us are in any reservations.

 

The TA claims the reservation is still safe. My Uncle has had it and filed a claim with Venmo and with her previous host agency. She then cancelled our rooms (which didn't appear to exist) since my uncle submitted the claim.

 

She is saying she is going to refund us via her E&O insurance, but I have no idea whether to believe her or not. 

 

So here we are out 30k, my reputation with my family is ruined, and my grandma's 80th birthday cruise is ruined! All because this TA was, at best, playing some booking shenanigans.

 

I don't quite understand the angle of the TA. She seems to have a legitimate business, so not sure what was happening. I think the original cruise may have been canceled so she could book the cruise outside of the host so she could take all the commission. That's just a guess. I have no idea why we weren't rebooked.

 

What is her angle here? Anyone know? Anyone experienced something like this before?

Apologies for bringing bad news…. Had a similar problem, unfortunately the agent acted as an agent only for us.  Therefore, under the agent’s terms and conditions, there was nothing we could do.  The agent just walked away unscathed 

[Markanddonna]

You learned a very hard lesson. Many people think that a travel agent is a great option. Maybe, but only if you know them or they are from a reputable company. Most often, we prefer to book the cruise through the cruise line.

 

So sad to hear about this for everyone!

Edited April 21 by Markanddonna

[ontheweb]

17 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

You learned a very hard lesson. Many people think that a travel agent is a great option. Maybe, but only if you know them or they are from a reputable company. Most often, we prefer to book the cruise through the cruise line.

 

So sad to hear about this for everyone!

Please do not make it sound like there are a lot of TAs who act like the one the OP unfortunately found himself booking with.

[Mary229]

I am sorry. I hope you get your money returned.  I hope your mother lives a long  life and you find another way to gather.  I see you are in South Carolina- there are many great vacation cabins in the Smoky Mountains maybe try those but please find an agency in your home town, walk into their office and sit down and tell them what you want. 

[bigboy61]

1 hour ago, PORT ROYAL said:

Apologies for bringing bad news…. Had a similar problem, unfortunately the agent acted as an agent only for us.  Therefore, under the agent’s terms and conditions, there was nothing we could do.  The agent just walked away unscathed 

Thanks. I never signed a contract though so I guess that's a good thing for us.

[bigboy61]

37 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

You learned a very hard lesson. Many people think that a travel agent is a great option. Maybe, but only if you know them or they are from a reputable company. Most often, we prefer to book the cruise through the cruise line.

 

So sad to hear about this for everyone!

Yep. I wanted a TA because of the group size and because I have never cruised before. It is indeed a hard lesson. 

[bigboy61]

4 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

I am sorry. I hope you get your money returned.  I hope your mother lives a long  life and you find another way to gather.  I see you are in South Carolina- there are many great vacation cabins in the Smoky Mountains maybe try those but please find an agency in your home town, walk into their office and sit down and tell them what you want. 

Thanks! We still may do something with her. I think we will still try to do a cruise eventually again. Probably not this year though. 

[Toofarfromthesea]

1 hour ago, bigboy61 said:

You are correct. After further research, that is what I found but too late now. To her credit, she also offered the option of paying direct to Princess by calling her with our credit card number or something like that.

 

I'm so sorry this is happening to you.  I don't have much to offer because I've never heard of a situation like this.  One of the things posters here drummed into my head when I was a cruise newby was to be sure my deposit was charged to my credit card by the cruiseline, not the TA.  And every cruise I've booked has been with a TA and this never happened.  But that advice is too late for you.  I hope this works out for you. 

 

And don't let this discourage you from using a TA in the future.  Thousands of bookings have been made through a TA on this site and this is the first time I've heard of someone encountering this situation.  There are reasons to use or not use a TA, but this isn't one of them.  It is supremely unfair for someone to suggest that your situation is a reason to not use a TA.  And for the record, I'm not a TA.

[bigboy61]

3 minutes ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

I'm so sorry this is happening to you.  I don't have much to offer because I've never heard of a situation like this.  One of the things posters here drummed into my head when I was a cruise newby was to be sure my deposit was charged to my credit card by the cruiseline, not the TA.  And every cruise I've booked has been with a TA and this never happened.  But that advice is too late for you.  I hope this works out for you. 

 

And don't let this discourage you from using a TA in the future.  Thousands of bookings have been made through a TA on this site and this is the first time I've heard of someone encountering this situation.  There are reasons to use or not use a TA, but this isn't one of them.  It is supremely unfair for someone to suggest that your situation is a reason to not use a TA.  And for the record, I'm not a TA.

Thanks. I am sure there are LOTS of good TAs. Sadly, there are also a few not good ones (at best) as well. 

[GeezerCouple]

1 minute ago, bigboy61 said:

You are correct. After further research, that is what I found but too late now. To her credit, she also offered the option of paying direct to Princess by calling her with our credit card number or something like that.

 

Welcome to CruiseCritic!

 

And SO sorry that this is your "introduction to cruising"!

Hopefully, you will indeed have a chance to take a cruise in the future (maybe next year?) all together.

And please do ask here, step by step, if you have ANY concerns or questions, given your experience.  It would make sense for you to be extra cautious, given your unfortunate experience.

 

None of this sounds okay; you are right to be concerned.

It's hard to keep track of everything you wrote, and all of the "warning signs".  I'm not sure why you relied upon Reddit.  My understanding is that there is a lot of sketchy "things" that go on there (on Reddit).  (We do not ever use Reddit; I am relying only upon what I've read in several places, which is why we don't deal with them.  At all.  And one part of DH's work involves considerable "social media", but *not* Reddit.

 

This is a "bit late" (as in, "too late", unfortunately), but especially given that she did accept regular credit cards, why did you use something like Venmo?  It's probably good to learn from this just "don't use Venmo", and especially not when it is possible to use a regular charge card.

Also, if you were checking that she was licensed, was she *really* licensed or did you just accept her statement that she was?

(Current licensing can be verified through the appropriate licensing agency/etc.)

 

Please note:  I am NOT trying to "dump" on you here.  This is a very important learning experience for others, too.  And perhaps you'll also become aware of other ways fraudsters can operate.  It's very unfortunate that this happens, but... it does...

And it's far too easy for some people to think "this would never happen to me", until something like this *does* happen.  Honest people aren't constantly thinking, "What kind of scam could be hidden here!?"  And whenever doing something new - cruising for all of you - it isn't always obvious what the "regular routines" are, etc.  [See below; I'm hoping there will be a way for you to get your money back... maybe.]

 

For one thing, what/who is a "host"?  If that is a legitimate travel AGENCY where this so-called TA works, then you should be in touch with them... yesterday...

And what is this about *previous* agency?  She's worked with two of them recently?

 

Note that the TA is continuing to engage in those "shenanigans".

IF everything truly is fine, and the reservations are still "safe", then why in the world would she need to involve her E&O insurance, which I assume is "errors and omissions".  She's claiming there are NOT any "errors" or "omissions"!

 

A HUGE red flag (well, one of them, alas) is the statement that "the Princess app is new and they have asked her not to let all of us into the app at once".

Say what?

Princess is a very, very large company.  If their website or app can't handle your family group, how in the world are they dealing with tens of thousands of passengers who sail on their many ships every day, every week, every month..., with each ship holding thousands of passengers!?

 

What evidence do you have, still, that the TA really does have a "legitimate business"?  That would actually be encouraging, given some protections that might be involved.  Do you know that she *really* works for an "agency"?  If so, again, there should be some protections there, but not if she was only masquerading as being affiliated there.

 

This amount of money is probably well beyond small claims court.  I'd suggest a single, quick meeting with an attorney, to find out how you can go after this "TA".  The amount of money you mention may put this into a serious legal category.  (IANAL, so I won't speculate about categories or names of crimes, etc.)

It is possible (maybe not probable, but *possible*) that a letter from an attorney will get her to take action that will at least make your family whole, even if it doesn't help others who may have been scammed.

 

And you all SHOULD file complaints with assorted regulatory agencies, including her state's Attorney General's office.  There may be other victims, but the AG/etc., can't see a pattern if victims don't report.

 

Good luck, and we hope that you all do end up spending special time with Grandmother!  And a cruise, eventually. 🙂 

 

GC

[Markanddonna]

This amount of money is probably well beyond small claims court.  I'd suggest a single, quick meeting with an attorney, to find out how you can go after this "TA".  The amount of money you mention may put this into a serious legal category.  (IANAL, so I won't speculate about categories or names of crimes, etc.)

It is possible (maybe not probable, but *possible*) that a letter from an attorney will get her to take action that will at least make your family whole, even if it doesn't help others who may have been scammed.

 

And you all SHOULD file complaints with assorted regulatory agencies, including her state's Attorney General's office.  There may be other victims, but the AG/etc., can't see a pattern if victims don't report.

 

Absolutely agree with the above!

 

 

[bigboy61]

2 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

None of this sounds okay; you are right to be concerned.

It's hard to keep track of everything you wrote, and all of the "warning signs".  I'm not sure why you relied upon Reddit.  My understanding is that there is a lot of sketchy "things" that go on there (on Reddit).  (We do not ever use Reddit; I am relying only upon what I've read in several places, which is why we don't deal with them.  At all.  And one part of DH's work involves considerable "social media", but *not* Reddit.

Yes, I agree now. I think there are legitimate people out there that can help you out. Case in point, I had someone get me an awesome deal from T-Mobile via Reddit. However, there are indeed many scammers. This was my first mistake. 

 

4 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

This is a "bit late" (as in, "too late", unfortunately), but especially given that she did accept regular credit cards, why did you use something like Venmo?  It's probably good to learn from this just "don't use Venmo", and especially not when it is possible to use a regular charge card.

Also, if you were checking that she was licensed, was she *really* licensed or did you just accept her statement that she was?

(Current licensing can be verified through the appropriate licensing agency/etc.)

Yes, this was my second mistake. Her explanation made sense though. 

 

4 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

Also, if you were checking that she was licensed, was she *really* licensed or did you just accept her statement that she was?

(Current licensing can be verified through the appropriate licensing agency/etc.)

Yes, she sent us copies of information including her CLIA card, her driver's license, and tax forms. 

 

5 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

For one thing, what/who is a "host"?  If that is a legitimate travel AGENCY where this so-called TA works, then you should be in touch with them... yesterday...

And what is this about *previous* agency?  She's worked with two of them recently?

She is with Main Street travel agency. It's a MLM, but a legitimate travel agency nonetheless. However, at the same time, she claims to be independent. Her CLIA has Main Street on it. Our original reservation was with Main Street. 

 

6 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

Princess is a very, very large company.  If their website or app can't handle your family group, how in the world are they dealing with tens of thousands of passengers who sail on their many ships every day, every week, every month..., with each ship holding thousands of passengers!?

I work in software development and I agree. This is a joke. 

 

7 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

IF everything truly is fine, and the reservations are still "safe", then why in the world would she need to involve her E&O insurance, which I assume is "errors and omissions".  She's claiming there are NOT any "errors" or "omissions"!

Good point. However, she is claiming she is filing for E&O because the cruise can't be fully refunded since we're within 60 days. 

 

8 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

What evidence do you have, still, that the TA really does have a "legitimate business"?  That would actually be encouraging, given some protections that might be involved.  Do you know that she *really* works for an "agency"?  If so, again, there should be some protections there, but not if she was only masquerading as being affiliated there.

Her CLIA card, website, tax returns, and Venmo (watching transactions). I also continue to follow her on Reddit and it seems she has a legitimate business. I am obviously a simpleton though so I could be 100% wrong. 

 

9 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

And you all SHOULD file complaints with assorted regulatory agencies, including her state's Attorney General's office.  There may be other victims, but the AG/etc., can't see a pattern if victims don't report.

My Uncle has done this, and I have family working with authorities.

[ldubs]

3 hours ago, bigboy61 said:

 

Good point. However, she is claiming she is filing for E&O because the cruise can't be fully refunded since we're within 60 days. 

 

 

She can't just call up her insurer and say pay this.  The E&O coverage will kick in should there be a judgement or should the insurer decide to settle up to avoid litigation.  

 

It sounds like the she is still playing games.  I hope it all works out for you and your family.  

Edited April 22 by ldubs

[klfrodo]

4 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Please do not make it sound like there are a lot of TAs who act like the one the OP unfortunately found himself booking with.

I think it's disingenuous to downplay what the OP experienced. As with any profession, there are bad actors out there and the first line of defense, I would think, would be that the good actors acknowledge that and then do everything in their power to ensure the bad actors get buried under the prison.

[ldubs]

10 minutes ago, klfrodo said:

I think it's disingenuous to downplay what the OP experienced. As with any profession, there are bad actors out there and the first line of defense, I would think, would be that the good actors acknowledge that and then do everything in their power to ensure the bad actors get buried under the prison.

 

I think you completely misunderstand the comment you are quoting.   

[ontheweb]

7 hours ago, klfrodo said:

I think it's disingenuous to downplay what the OP experienced. As with any profession, there are bad actors out there and the first line of defense, I would think, would be that the good actors acknowledge that and then do everything in their power to ensure the bad actors get buried under the prison.

I in no way meant to downplay what the OP went through with this TA. I just wanted to emphasize that this is not normal. There are great TAs out there. There are good TAs out there. And I think I can say safely even the not so good ones who may just be order takers are at least honest.

[ontheweb]

6 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

I think you completely misunderstand the comment you are quoting.   

Thank you, and I do believe the comment I had made was pretty straight forward. I really do not see how it could be construed to in any way downplay the seriousness of the situation the OP went through.

[bigboy61]

I am sure there are lots of good TAs out there--just not mine. 

[Mike981]

Dang Bigboy, that stinks.

 

I wish I could help, maybe reach out to Christopher Elliot. This is what he does and the very least, his website should have options for you.

[ontheweb]

15 hours ago, Mike981 said:

Dang Bigboy, that stinks.

 

I wish I could help, maybe reach out to Christopher Elliot. This is what he does and the very least, his website should have options for you.

I understand he specializes in suing cruise lines, but does he also specialize in suing Travel Agents?

[GeezerCouple]

49 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

I understand he specializes in suing cruise lines, but does he also specialize in suing Travel Agents?

 

I don't think Elliot "sues" anyone.

His is a "consumer help" site.  That can include just about any "issue", not just cruise lines, and not just travel, either.

Recently, there have been some vacation rental issues mentioned.

But it can also be just purchases of <something>.

 

They apparently can make a huge difference.  That's part of the good news.

What we don't/can't know is what percentage they even help with, or, importantly, help with *successfully*.

 

But I'd certainly give them a try!

 

GC

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

I don't think Elliot "sues" anyone.

His is a "consumer help" site.  That can include just about any "issue", not just cruise lines, and not just travel, either.

Recently, there have been some vacation rental issues mentioned.

But it can also be just purchases of <something>.

 

They apparently can make a huge difference.  That's part of the good news.

What we don't/can't know is what percentage they even help with, or, importantly, help with *successfully*.

 

But I'd certainly give them a try!

 

GC

OK, my bad. Isn't there a law firm that does specialize in going after cruise lines? I guess I confused Elliot with them.