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9 ways to tell if your travel pro is crooked
Most agents are competent and work hard, but there are always exceptions
But there are exceptions to every rule. Take Kathleen Rossano of East Brunswick, N.J., who was recently sentenced to a 10-year prison term for stealing more than $75,000 from her travel agency. Prosecutors had charged her with offering luxury vacations to her friends, taking cash payments, billing the expenses to her agency’s credit card and then pocketing the money.
It was the fourth time she’d been convicted of taking money from former employers.
A month later, her former agency, Cruise Value Center, collapsed without paying the cruise lines what they were owed and leaving customers in the lurch. One of the clients recently contacted me in a panic after her cruise line demanded an additional payment of $2,544 for her vacation because the cruise line had been stiffed by the agency.
While the odds of running across another Rossano are remote, they still exist. The Federal Trade Commission recorded 14,903 complaints in the travel and timeshare category in 2007 — nearly twice as many as a year before.
How can you tell if your agent is trouble? Here are a 9 signs:
1. Demands you pay in cash
Reputable agencies accept credit cards, and you’d be well advised to use plastic when you make a travel purchase. Why? Because you’re protected by the card if something goes wrong — say, your airline goes bankrupt or your hotel burns to the ground. Or even if your agent runs off with the money without paying for your trip. “I’ve never heard of a legitimate travel agent only accepting cash,” says Stacy Small, president of Brentwood, Calif.-based Elite Travel International. “This would immediately set off a red flag.” (That isn’t to say you should never consider a wire transfer, she adds. Some overseas travel companies offer a 3 to 4 percent discount for cash purchases, but even then, Small recommends using a credit card.)
2. Acts funny when you bring up commissions
Travel agents make money in two ways: by charging a booking fee or by taking a commission from a travel company. If you ask about an agent’s compensation, a travel adviser who is on the up-and-up should be willing to openly discuss bonuses, so-called “overrides” and other forms of commission. Responses such as “What I’m making is none of your business” are a sign of trouble. In fact, it may mean the agent is trying to sell you a vacation that isn’t in your best interests. “My pet peeve is to see an agent push a client into a cruise or tour that may not suit the client, but doing it anyhow because one, it’s easy, and two, they get a better commission,” says Patricia Dwight, owner of Adventure Travel, an agency in Summerville, S.C. Travel agents want to be considered “professionals” in the same way we do real estate agents or financial advisors. Yet the commissions and compensations of those professionals are clearly disclosed. Why not those of agents?
3. Has no certifications
Although there’s no accrediting agency for American agents that’s comparable to, say, a bar association, there are groups that suggest your travel professional means business. Having an International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN) card is a sign your agent is for real. Other organizations that may signal a seriousness of purpose include membership in the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) or a certificate from The Travel Institute, which accredits agents based on their expertise. Although no one requires these certifications, my rule is: the more paperwork, the merrier. For example, the top one percent of travel agents in the country belongs to an invitation-only network called Virtuoso. “It reduces complexities, uses network members for exclusive relationships, and opens up access to many luxury experiences,” says Pamela Hurley Moser, whose agency is a Virtuoso member.
4. Adds a booking fee to your bill after you’ve decided to buy a vacation
An agent on the up-and-up will disclose all fees, surcharges and extras before you make a booking decision — not afterward. Agents who tell you, “Oh, by the way — there’s a $50 booking fee” are being less than upfront with you. And who knows what else they’re not telling you? “It’s important to have everything in writing, so there is a paper trail to follow, and being up front always,” says Cindy Harris, an agent with Travel ’N Dive Adventures, which specializes in diving, snorkeling and fishing destinations. Harris says a good agent treats clients like friends — “with courtesy, honesty and respect.”
5. Doesn’t know a thing about where you’re going
If your travel advisor has never heard of the destination you’d like to visit, that may not be a good sign. If it’s a well-known place (“Orlando? Where’s that?), you might want to slowly back away toward the exit. “The most important quality in a good agent is destination knowledge, and the ability to match the perfect vacation with each and every client,” says Chet McDoniel, owner of Off to Neverland Travel, which specializes in Disney destinations. “The ability to listen and custom tailor each and every itinerary is crucial to being of service to my clients.”
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