So miffed about TA...just need to vent

[rdsxgrl28]

If this is how they are treating you now, how do you think they will rtreat you onee they have your bookingI would not count on ggreatt service from them or even return phone calls etc. Let it go. Don' t stress yourself over a situation it is so easy to walk away from. IMMO, but, you did ask. :) If you book with them and are unsatisfied, you will need their permission in order to remove the booking f rom them and move it elsewhere. You are lucky you learned about them so early in the process.

 

 

I'm going with this answer. You dodged a bullet.

 

We had a similar experience, not a blow off in the beginning. Our former TA just went radio silent about 3 months out from our sail. Learned our lesson & dropped not only her but her company since even her supervisor was like "Oh Well"

[sail7seas]

I'm going with this answer. You dodged a bullet.

 

 

 

 

 

wELL PUT

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a similar experience, not a blow off in the beginning. Our former TA just went radio silent about 3 months out from our sail. Learned our lesson & dropped not only her but her company since even her supervisor was like "Oh Well"

[dsrdsrdsr]

Sounds to me like you got lucky. Picking a travel agent off youtube is a pretty good way of losing a lot of money because the internet is home to a lot of crooks. If you pick an unknown travel agent with no personal recommendation and no physical way of contacting them, there is a fair chance that they will take your booking and your money and give you nothing, or poor service, in return.

 

This one didn't take your money, which means there's a fair chance they're honest. Useless maybe, but honest. You've learned your lesson about dodgy internet sites, and it hasn't cost you anything - be pleased!

[sjudis]

I had a similar experience and even went so far as to transfer my booking that I had made with the cruise line. I emailed this guy several times but he was more concerned with HIS traveling and you tube videos that it took forever for him to get back to me. I ended up canceling and lost $100. Plus the $700 I paid up front for insurance. His response? Kindly do not dispute the $100. Fee and too bad about the insurance

I contacted my usual TA and not only did she get me a great deal on the same sailing but she was able to transfer the insurance as well!

This was a $100. Lesson for me. You tube videos are great but do your research before giving these so called TA’s your business

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Velvetwater]

To me it sounds like:

a) She couldn't give you a better quote so blew you off

b) She didn't have the invoice so blew you off

 

I wouldn't take it personally and as others have said you are probably better off without her. If she couldn't meet your requirements she should have worded it more professionally but there we go.

 

Interesting you mentioned it was a youtuber/TA as I used to watch a channel where 2 sisters did cruise blogs and went on cruises and were TAs. Most of the comments below the videos were the normal stuff but there were also one or two complaints from their bookings every now and then.

[ontheweb]

I had a similar experience and even went so far as to transfer my booking that I had made with the cruise line. I emailed this guy several times but he was more concerned with HIS traveling and you tube videos that it took forever for him to get back to me. I ended up canceling and lost $100. Plus the $700 I paid up front for insurance. His response? Kindly do not dispute the $100. Fee and too bad about the insurance

I contacted my usual TA and not only did she get me a great deal on the same sailing but she was able to transfer the insurance as well!

This was a $100. Lesson for me. You tube videos are great but do your research before giving these so called TA’s your business

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

If the $100 fee was made using a credit card, it might very well have been profitable for you to dispute it through them.

[mnocket]

Not an excuse for the TA's poor behavior, but is it possible that once you put a booking on 1-day hold the cabin becomes unavailable for bookings - even to a TA? The cabin can only be booked by the person with the hold? I don't know, just guessing.

[Toofarfromthesea]

 

 

 

 

 

From what I can tell, and is what contrary to what this individual promotes on their website and their YT channel, they really aren't interested in new quotes. They seem to only want active bookings (done within the last 2 months) so they can transfer the booking to themselves. Seems like easy money to earn a commission on something and not have to do a whole lot of work.

 

I will not mention name or website as I'm sure that's a no-no anyway.

 

Thoughts?

 

They are entitled to do business as they please. You are entitled to not use them if they do business in a way that doesn't please you. Why you would take the time to write a post about it? Dunno.

 

I regularly use the site that lets you specify a cruise and have multiple TAs give me quotes. I am always very detailed in what I want - including cabin class and promotions I want the quote to include. On a typical request I might get 7-8 quotes. Invariably most of them do not address my specific detailed request and are just generic quotes. I don't contact those further. I'd never consider making a post complaining about them - I just avoid them. I would DEFINITELY not even consider doxxing them in violation of board rules. It isn't like they damaged me in some way. I'm happy to find out right away that I can dismiss them from contention for my business.

Edited July 22, 2018 by Toofarfromthesea

[drsel]

They are entitled to do business as they please. You are entitled to not use them if they do business in a way that doesn't please you. Why you would take the time to write a post about it? Dunno.

 

I regularly use the site that lets you specify a cruise and have multiple TAs give me quotes. I am always very detailed in what I want - including cabin class and promotions I want the quote to include. On a typical request I might get 7-8 quotes. Invariably most of them do not address my specific detailed request and are just generic quotes. I don't contact those further. I'd never consider making a post complaining about them - I just avoid them. I would DEFINITELY not even consider doxxing them in violation of board rules. It isn't like they damaged me in some way. I'm happy to find out right away that I can dismiss them from contention for my business.

I know which site you are talking about and I get your point.

The problem is that the agents don't have a secure payment gateway and want you to voice out your CC info on phone or email it to them.

Do you give your CC information by email or phone? Is it safe to do so? What are the risks?

[Toofarfromthesea]

I know which site you are talking about and I get your point.

The problem is that the agents don't have a secure payment gateway and want you to voice out your CC info on phone or email it to them.

Do you give your CC information by email or phone? Is it safe to do so? What are the risks?

 

By the time we get to the point of booking we will have exchanged a few emails, which will give me a little better sense, but there are no guarantees. I don't worry too much because I always use a credit card. Sure there is a risk something goes screwy, but:

 

A) I don't think it is any more likely with an online TA as with other online vendors, and

 

B) it is a convenience risk, not a financial one. Worst case is a bad charge shows up, the cc company cancels the account and provides a new account with a new number and new card(s). It is inconvenient to have to wait for new cards to arrive (but we have other cards on other accounts so it is no big deal to us). A bigger inconvenience is resetting your info for any automatic charges you have set up. It is usually pretty easy to do but it takes time and is an inconvenience. And finally you may need to update your card info on any vendor's that you store card data for faster checkout. All inconveniences, but not a penny lost.