Travel Agent Hanky Panky

[ecowen]

Here's another saga related to my organizing a group cruise for 8 friends in September:

 

I gave one of my friends the number of my T/A that I was working with. He copied the number down wrong, called directory assistance, and was given a number for a different agency with a similar name.

 

He called that agency, asked specifically to speak with my T/A by name, and was told, "she's not available, but I can help you."

 

Not available! She didn't even work there!:eek:

 

He ended up booking it through them, thinking he was getting the best deal that I told him he would get. Now we'll never know if he got a good price, since it has gone up since then, and it's a pain to coordinate the group through 2 different T/A's. Grrr. . .:mad:

[ladysail2]

That is stretching the truth limits, isn't it? But a commission is a commission. It is maddening but not the end of the world. What goes around comes around and by taking the high road, you're a better person. It just gives you the opportunity to book your next cruise with the original agency...thereby letting you look forward to another cruise.

 

Hope that makes you feel better about the snafu :)

[Galer99]

Suggest that your friend report the shoddy and downright dishonest behavior to either the local Better Business Bureau or the section of your state Attorney General's Office that deals with consumer fraud. This type of behavior reflects poorly on the whole profession and should be reported.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

Gale

Oregon

[ecowen]

The agent who misled my friend was not a fly-by-night T/A. It was. . .:confused:

 

Royal Caribbean! That's right, he was given the direct line to Celebrity Cruises and booked directly from the line.:eek:

 

So, now I'm trying to help my T/A reclaim the booking that was rightfully hers. Any advice?

[wv4891]

You can always have your TA take over the direct booking from Celebrity, I have booked directly and had my TA take it over. Celebrity will not raise the price of the cabin if your TA takes over the booking. But as to getting a price break now that it has gone up, I would leave that for the TA to try and figure out.

 

 

 

The agent who misled my friend was not a fly-by-night T/A. It was. . .:confused:

 

Royal Caribbean! That's right, he was given the direct line to Celebrity Cruises and booked directly from the line.:eek:

 

So, now I'm trying to help my T/A reclaim the booking that was rightfully hers. Any advice?

[Danno]

Uggg...who needs a mad customer so bad that they have to go and STEAL one!!

 

By the time you sail I expect you may have met the minimum requirements for sainthood...hang in there!!

[cruisinjudy]

If he booked direct there is no problem at all. And there just could have been an agent there with the same name. Just have Celebrity move the booking to your travel agent. There is no need to get upset. I generally book direct and then transfer the booking to an agent.

[ecowen]

If he booked direct there is no problem at all. And there just could have been an agent there with the same name. Just have Celebrity move the booking to your travel agent. There is no need to get upset. I generally book direct and then transfer the booking to an agent.

The problem is that he's already paid in full, and transferring is no longer allowed.

 

Good point about the name. . .my T/A does have a very common name. Next time I'll have to find one with a funny name.;)