Buyer Beware! SCAM

[RJ2002]

Folks that are suggesting to only do business with the cruise line are missing the boat here (no pun intended). Yes, that's much lower risk, but the message here is to 1) select a known and reputable TA if you go that route, and be suspicious of anything that seems out of norm. Thankfully the OP got this resolved, but I would not suggest people stray away form legit and very helpful (and often better priced) TA's.

 

sdmike has it right. If you are using the website where different TA's bid for your business, always look very carefully at the background of the TA you are considering. You can do this on the bidding website itself (they have ratings and comments on the various TA's). In addition, I always research the TA independently. The larger, well known agencies with an established presence on the web should be fine. I steer clear of the smaller agencies and independent TA's.

 

I'm glad this eventually worked out for the OP.

[MsTabbyKats]

There is a way to make personal payments through Paypal that don't incur a fee.

 

There is...but the payer has to mark it as "personal".

 

Since the TA is holding the money...and paying a fee....he's most likely using it for something personal. It certainly isn't making interest.

[cruzsnooze]

Always book with the cruise directly with the cruise and you never have to worry. You also can call them and they will help you, especially if you need to get a fare reduction.

[TwizzlersAddict]

Always book with the cruise directly with the cruise and you never have to worry. You also can call them and they will help you, especially if you need to get a fare reduction.

 

Or book with a reputable agent that will answer questions, handle price drops and offer you additional perks.

[mpk218]

Always book with the cruise directly with the cruise and you never have to worry. You also can call them and they will help you, especially if you need to get a fare reduction.

 

Yes , very safe . But you are not going to get that 10% in OBC going direct;)

 

For my currently booked cruise , thats $800 from TA .+ $150 from NCL..

 

Just do your homework ..... And if you need help Ask your CC family :D

[CactusFlower527]

There is a way to make personal payments through Paypal that don't incur a fee.

 

 

However that's not allowed and someone receiving large funds would be shut down in a hurry. The 'fee free' method paypal is what we call "friends and family" like when a friend pays you for their half of lunch, or you son for the $20 he borrowed last weekend. For goods/services - there is always a fee....................... Paypal has really cracked down and I do know many people that are circumventing the system and getting caught. Seriously, a merchant should never tell anyone to remit via the Personal/friends & family tab of paypal. Big No-No, and the person remitting loses ALL of the protection that PayPal offers to buyers.:eek:

[QuiGonJohn]

We're not allowed to use Proper names of any Agencies or Company names of any sort.

I'm not sure I understand the reasoning that we cannot mention specific TA's we may have used.

 

If I book a cruise through ABC-XYZ Cruises and saved a significant amount of money, and then I were to post that info somewhere on this site, it would seem to me I am doing more of a service to other cruisers, than I am just touting that company for blatant advertising type purposes.

 

Especially since we are allowed to name specific Tour Operators or Shuttle Services, as long as they are replies in a related thread.

 

NOTE: ABC-XYZ Cruises is a fictitious name I made up for illustrative purposes only.

[Demonyte]

I'm not sure I understand the reasoning that we cannot mention specific TA's we may have used.

 

If I book a cruise through ABC-XYZ Cruises and saved a significant amount of money, and then I were to post that info somewhere on this site, it would seem to me I am doing more of a service to other cruisers, than I am just touting that company for blatant advertising type purposes.

 

Especially since we are allowed to name specific Tour Operators or Shuttle Services, as long as they are replies in a related thread.

 

NOTE: ABC-XYZ Cruises is a fictitious name I made up for illustrative purposes only.

 

This is very simple if you think about it. Cruise Critic gets money for endorsing agencies that are willing to pay them so it's just a good business sense not to allow any competing agencies mentioned - there is no similar business interest between CC and other service providers like tour operators or shuttle services.

 

Also if cruise agencies were allowed to be mentioned, there would be a ton of agents spamming the boards and advertising their services and/or people getting better deals for referring more business to their TA.

[QuiGonJohn]

Thanks for the response. I did not realize that certain travel agencies have a financial relationship with Cruise Critic. Guess I don't pay attention to ads when I surf the web.

 

Another case of the bad apples spoiling it for everyone else. I know if I were looking to plan a cruise, and found out about or heard about CC, I would come here hoping to find info on good deals. In my case, I did not learn about CC until after I booked. But still think it's great for various tips, ideas, and meeting others, such as the roll calls.

[newmexicoNita]

Always use a credit card. Never, ever use a debit card for this.

 

She Who Must Be Obeyed books direct with the cruise line.

 

I agree about debit versus cc unless you, personally know the agent and the company. Some people do not use CC. I know, that sounds silly in today's age, but it is true...

 

As for always booking through the cruise line, this is a matter of opinion and will always be a debate. Both ways have advantages and drawbacks. I choose to use an agent, for a lot of reason, others feel like you, direct is the best.

[davids68girl]

Even when you book through a TA you do not make payment to them. They pay cruise line directly with your credit card number. Your credit card statement should always show the cruise line, not the TA, as the payee.

 

I would never make a payment to a TA's account since that is not how cruise lines operate with a TA.

 

This. If you book with a TA the TA will use your cc number to pay the cruise line directly. They should never, ever be asking for anything to go into any personal account-ever.

[NMLady]

I'm not sure I understand the reasoning that we cannot mention specific TA's we may have used.

 

If I book a cruise through ABC-XYZ Cruises and saved a significant amount of money, and then I were to post that info somewhere on this site, it would seem to me I am doing more of a service to other cruisers, than I am just touting that company for blatant advertising type purposes.

 

Especially since we are allowed to name specific Tour Operators or Shuttle Services, as long as they are replies in a related thread.

 

NOTE: ABC-XYZ Cruises is a fictitious name I made up for illustrative purposes only.

 

Well, if naming agencies were to be allowed there'd be no way to prevent an agent from becoming a CC member and claiming to have used their agency for a good deal. No way to sort real referrals from spam ones.

[rimom71]

I now have no doubt that I am using the same agency as the OP. And to the OP...THANK YOU!...had I not read your post I would not have begun to do my research. I am currently 44 days prior to sailing on Breakaway (assuming my cruise actually gets paid for by the agent) and they have received nothing but my deposit. Unfortunately, NCL is unable to tell me exactly how much has been paid so far, even when I bumped it up to the supervisor. I paid $750 in deposits, so I'm assuming that's what I stand to lose.

 

I contacted the CEO of the bidding agency/clearinghouse/whatever, and he let me know that they had severed their relationship with this agent based on the Paypal issue. He also suggested that I contact the Florida BBB and make a complaint. For the poster who suggested that one read the reviews of the bidding agencies, I did prior to booking, and this TA's were all glowing. The CEO assured me that they had a problem-free relationship with this guy for several years up until the last month or so.

 

I am still getting the run-around from the TA, who is asking me to "have faith" but that it "will not be resolved today". I followed up our phone call with a firmly-worded email demanding that he use my money (which he has had since July) to actually pay for the cruise that he booked me on, TODAY. Next step is to freeze the Paypal/Credit Card transaction and hope for the best.

 

UGH. This is not looking promising. Oh, and incidentally, he also apparently did not use the travel insurance money that I paid him to purchase travel insurance, because neither of the companies listed on my invoice from him has any record of me or my husband.

 

This is a potentially expensive learning experience....:mad: Yeah, if it looks "too good to be true", it probably is.

[nyc12345]

Do not book with a TA that ask for payment to his/her paypal account. My TA gives me great rates, amenities and watch for price drop, yet he collects payment and process them directly to NCL, without ever going through the company.

 

Hope those who booked through this person will have positive outcome at the end...

[deerby27]

I am the original poster of this thread. If you paid PayPal with a credit card, you can also dispute that payment with your credit card company. You are definitely using the same guy, he gave me the same "have faith" speech. It seems to me that he is a one horse operation and he is playing a shell game with the funds he gets upfront. I have done everything I can to mess this guy up and I hope that everyone that he has scammed will get it resolved without loosing any money or most importantly their cruise.

This guy is an aboration, most TA's are very trustworthy. I have cruised over 30 times and used many different TA's and NEVER have I had a problem.

Keep the faith.

[shepherdqueen]

Folks that are suggesting to only do business with the cruise line are missing the boat here (no pun intended). Yes, that's much lower risk, but the message here is to 1) select a known and reputable TA if you go that route, and be suspicious of anything that seems out of norm. Thankfully the OP got this resolved, but I would not suggest people stray away form legit and very helpful (and often better priced) TA's.

 

Perfectly said SD Mike. We have used reputable TAs without any problems.

[SissasMomE]

I am the original poster of this thread. If you paid PayPal with a credit card, you can also dispute that payment with your credit card company. You are definitely using the same guy, he gave me the same "have faith" speech. It seems to me that he is a one horse operation and he is playing a shell game with the funds he gets upfront. I have done everything I can to mess this guy up and I hope that everyone that he has scammed will get it resolved without loosing any money or most importantly their cruise.

This guy is an aboration, most TA's are very trustworthy. I have cruised over 30 times and used many different TA's and NEVER have I had a problem.

Keep the faith.

 

Same goes for you as well - file a complaint with the Florida Attorney General. Even though you got your money back, still file the complaint. They will investigate him. I'm sure there's many more than just the 2 of you that he is doing this to.

[deerby27]

I am not done yet, I have filed complaints with BBB, CLIA, PayPal, *************, this thread on CC. This is not my first rodeo, this guy will wish he never messed with me.

[rimom71]

I'm with you Deerby, we are documenting like crazy and have already made this whole day very difficult for him. We called NCL corporate and suggested that they look into this TA and to check if others are booked with him, but they did not seem interested in pursuing that avenue....The TA did tell my husband "you're not the only ones!" as if that should be comforting?!

 

I sent the TA an ultimatum email and will be filing all the complaints after he (hopefully) pays NCL my final balance. He has 24 hours.

[QuiGonJohn]

We called NCL corporate and suggested that they look into this TA and to check if others are booked with him, but they did not seem interested in pursuing that avenue.

I think it's kinda piss-poor that NCL won't look into this from their end. They should be overly concerned if someone is selling their cruises and doing a shady business at it. Kinda sounds like they're saying "oh well, too bad for anyone duped by this, you're on your own".

[navy60wife]

I am not sure this was a scam. Something else but not a scam.

[European_CruiseGirl]

I am not sure this was a scam. Something else but not a scam.

 

Yep. Sounds like the guy is experiencing a serious cashflow problem. He is paying when he gets more money (from poor new customers).

[deerby27]

The purpose of this post was to alert other cruisers of a potential problem, not put a label on something. Using the word SCAM gets peoples attention.

[Swells1]

Yep. Sounds like the guy is experiencing a serious cashflow problem. He is paying when he gets more money (from poor new customers).

 

Isn't that a Ponzi scheme?:confused:

[bambione]

OP, thank you for starting this thread. As someone who hasn't cruised a lot this was very informative. Hopefully this information will cause other cruisers to be aware of possible fraud situations. I certainly hope the one cruiser that booked her passage through this TA will resolve her situation.