Advice needed on dodgy travel agent please

[bkkflo]

So after making the decision to go home at Christmas for 10 days I tried to book a ticket online with Thai airways. My BKK bank card wasn't playing the game so I went to a travel agent in BKK. They arranged the flights and booked it all and I paid cash (30000) so all was sorted. I was given a print out of the confirmed itinerary. This all happened on the 3rd of August and I never thought about it again.

This week I was looking to book some connections separately in my home country so I logged on the Thai airways to check the exact times etc. My flights didn't seem to exist so I called the travel agent. They handed me to the boss who said that my reservation number had changed and emailed me an itinerary with the wrong dates! I called back and the agent said it was the wrong itinerary, was just some staff doing training bookings, and emailed me the correct itinerary.

By this point I was getting suspicious so I called Thai airways who said that I had never had a confirmed ticket in August booked. Also the agents were holding me on flights but nothing was ticketed and paid for, and the new cost to ticket this was now 72000. These flights are now getting close to full (01 Jan).

I called the agent who just got super pissed and started yelling saying they will fix it, mai pen rai, blah blah. Just wait! Now I am demanding a ticket and they are just saying wait wait its fine. Any advice as to my next move because I need these tickets, don't have 72000 and am close to losing my shit with this agent!

[stoneyboy]

Book online next time using someone reputable.

I can't for the love of me see why anyone would use an agent in this day and age.

I fly at least 10 times a year between Bangkok and the UK never with a hitch and always book online.

Good luck with your agent.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[bkkflo]

I tried to book online but my card did not work. I have no alternative cards and it was a sale fare so I needed to book ASAP. I also never usually use an agent but had no other way to pay with cash.

[craigt3365]

I tried to book online but my card did not work. I have no alternative cards and it was a sale fare so I needed to book ASAP. I also never usually use an agent but had no other way to pay with cash.

Your card might be like mine, only a debit card. My Bangkok Bank card doesn't work either. Luckily, I have mastercards from my bank back home. There are some very reputable agents, and depending on your routing, can really save you money (like multiple stops, long layovers while enroute, etc). But some here are very dodgy, as can be true anywhere in the world.

There were some reports of agents not handling this properly in the past. I'd recommend giving your agent a few days to sort this out, without getting upset. If that doesn't work after about a week, then I'd start pursuing this with the travel agents association. Probably even file a report with the police. Keep copies of everything, including email exchanges.

Are you here or back home? If here, go visit them in person. Stay cool, even if there are problems. I know, hard to do. Here's some previous threads that might be good to read:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/391425-travel-agency-scam-with-tickets/

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/374844-pattaya-tour-company-scam-uncovered-by-angry-foreign-customers/

[Tywais]

I would say the biggest mistake was not promptly checking online that the booking had gone through. At least personally I would have been checking daily after paying the agent to verify that it had been done.

[HeijoshinCool]

You also had the option with most local airlines, to pay at the bank, or a 7-11.

As for what to do now, only thing I can think of is take your story and receipt to the police, trying to calmly get your money back, and spend half of it on a turkey from Villa Market for Christmas in LOS.

Could be fraud, but more likely incompetence and face. Either justifies a refund.

[stevenl]

Is the agent (as required) TAT licensed? If so, go to TAT.

[Andyfez]

Yep, they forgot to book it, and now they've put you on a waitlist that probably won't clear.....

[rollrunna]

I cant understand why you didn't get ( or wait for ) the confirmation of booking immediately from the T Agent... then of course the E Ticket would come same way as soon as the funds were paid in( presumably you paid in cash to T agent... so no escuse for not booking immediately on your behalf......... T agent do use online booking!

I use a Visa DEBIT card when booking online and never have a problem with acceptance...

I wish you better luck...but does sound like u may at best , just get u r cash back...

[rotary]

The Travel Agent industry is a declining business worldwide due to:

(1)The ease of booking online "your way"

(2)Avoiding problems with travel agents no matter if in Thailand or other countries

Travel agents are going the way of the fax machine, still a few around but hard to find a good one

Edited October 23, 2013 by rotary

[Andre0720]

Nothing is quite the best way to do things in Thailand

2 years ago, I booked online with Air Asia, from Phuket to Udon.

Mastercard.

Flight out ok.

Coming back, Air Asia claimed they never got payment from my Mastercard.

I printed the Mastercard debit to Air Asia for them to see.

No way.

Had to buy another ticket.

Never got my money back.

[flyingdoc]

I agree!

I fly between the U.,K and BKK all the time, and always book online.

If you have any trouble with a credit card, offer to pay into your branch of their bank, and it will be credited immediately, so you will not lose your booking.

[rollrunna]

a printout of reservation and Itinerary is not a Booking nor the E ticket both of which are immediate upon payment and .which I would have expected after handing over the cash to buy a 'sale ticket ' from a T Agent.

[NanLaew]

The agent has already committed a fraud by taking the OP's money and sending a totally bogus itinerary. That's all the proof the OP needs to seek legal recourse be it through TAT, the ever helpful BiB or a shonky local lawyer.

In the meantime, I hope the OP has the funds to purchase alternate travel as the ideal situation of getting a full refund in time to use that for a new ticket purchase isn't going to happen. The blackout and otherwise heavily restricted Christmas & New Year holiday window dates are already in place and getting a bargain with TG (and pretty much any carrier) isn't an option any more.

[DGIE]

ask them until when shall you wait

[rct99q]

The agent queued it to the ticketing department who by the time they got to it probably missed the ticketing deadline. Most online seat sale fares of this type give agents 24 hours to issue ticket. As such they were probably unaware of the missed itinerary until you called to confirm. At which time they tried, as one poster mentioned, to waitlist the cheaper class (G,H,L) in hopes it will clear...which unfortunately for you, it probably will not.

Do not hesitate, contact Thai Airways, TAT, Thai Travel Agents Association and lastly the police. Explain your situation with all the documents and emails you have. Personal and phone conversations will not be of much help other then to establish a timeline.

Good luck it was probably an honest mistake but one the agency needs to honor. No exception.

EDIT - I should add however if the agency is a big producer for Thai Airways there is a chance they will get a waiver to issue under the original rules or get one seat cleared on a waitlist.....so you may not be hooped yet...

Edited October 23, 2013 by rct99q

[fxe1200]

You can check your booking with your six digit (letters and numbers) booking code and your booking name (family name) always at virtuallythere.com (Sabre) or checkmytrip.com (Amadeus). If you find your booking, ok, if not, you are in trouble. I recommend this procedure to everybody, who is booking through an agent, or even online.

Edited October 23, 2013 by fxe1200

[soistalker]

Immediately go to the police. Thai police don't want to help you, but you have no choice. I'd also stand out front of their office and tell every foreigner who wants to go in what happened to you. I did that before in Pattaya and it worked. I had a ticket, tried to move the date and was put on a waiting list. My new date came up, but when the travel agent couldn't reach me, she cancelled the original reservation AND the new date. I was stuck for another 6 weeks and was running low on money. I stood in front of her shop for several hours, telling my story and suggesting that customers go elsewhere. They sorted it out, but I still got the shaft on B2500.

[Ulic]

Take a few deep breaths. Resign yourself to the probability you are not going home on your dates for the price quoted.

If lucky maybe, but be happy if you get your full payment back and lesson learnt.

[jacko45k]

Yep, they forgot to book it, and now they've put you on a waitlist that probably won't clear.....

A travel agent that 'forgets' to make bookings, yeah great!

A confirmed booking printout should be produced when the money is handed over.

Then you go home and check it.

Don't be naive.

[saroq]

I used a travel agent in Chiang Mai who did this sort of thing to me several times. At first I put it down to stuff ups. I was never prevented from flying but after I got the call one day asking "can I fly today and not tomorrow I'll meet you at the airport with the ticket" I decided to do it all on line. You can't trust some agents once they have your money. You'll just have to sit tight and see how it plays out.

[shaurene]

I never use agent, I just booked to New Zealand for my wife, I booked through Thai Aiways on line. They give you the choice to pay by card or go to a Thai office within 72 hours to pay, you can pay by cash or use a debit card there. I chose to pay at the Thai office, (there is a Thai office in every major town, city. When I confirmed on line I was sent electronic ticket within seconds.

Sorry I have used an agent, Cheap Tickets.Co .Th. They are part of the biggest airline booking company in the world and they a cheap and good.

[Estrada]

Sounds like a bucket shop. Airlines have special deals with tour operators who are allocated low prices for a block of seats which are tied to their Travel Brochures which include hotels also. If not all these holidays sold, they have to sell off their reserved seat allocations in a hurry. So travel agents may take your money and then buy the tickets for the off loaded seats at the very last minute so that they make more commission. That is why they are getting angry. It usually works out fine and you are none the wiser. I am surprised that Jan 1st seats are filling up rapidly as this day many people do not travel and the seats are sold at bargain prices. I used to travel around the world on bucket shop seats, often using parts of around the world tickets. Never had much problem and saved a lot of money on many trips.

[elgenon]

How do you book a ticket online if you don't have a printer? When in Thailand I don't have a printer.

In the States I use a travel agent. She is Chinese and can do things I can't. I still get the airline's online price. I was eligible for a "free" ticket to Thailand. Cathay wanted me to languish on a wait list until the day before I departed for a 3 month trip..How can you plan a 3 month trip the day before? She got me the ticket well in advance of my departure date.

Edited October 27, 2013 by Tywais
Changed to standard font

[rct99q]

Eventually the online business will do away with most traditional brick & mortar travel agencies. There are still some advantages. Loyalty programs, ticket waivers, net fares to name a few are still common for agencies.

Case in point, not too long ago, I worked for a very busy corporate office in Canada and we would get 100 waivers. These would allow us to waive inventory, ticketing deadlines, class availability, waive upgrade fees, free name changes etc. As a high producer for AC it was an added bonus. Along side this (as most agencies are) we were provided with net fares onto which we would add our own commission. These net fares had many advantages not available to on line reservations (length of stay min/max, flexible returns, cancellations).

However as airlines have nearly eliminated any commission structure to agencies these days the on line fares are getting very close to (but not better then, yet) what a high producing, revenue generating ticket office can get.

[Tango7]

Had a similar issue a while ago.

Booked through an agent I used a number of times before, got sent the flight details. All looked correct until I tried checking in.

The agent hadn't paid for the flight even though they had taken our money.

I don't think they were deliberately trying to rip me off, they were trying to juggle the cash they had and book what they could and ours wasn't possible.

We were massively p'eed off as you can imagine and had to pay for new tickets there and then.

At this point, having the high ranking police officer as a family friend kind of helped get our money back but it took 18 months of slow, small payments to recover it all.

I was extremely miffed at the time but what they'd done is use our money to pay for other tickets thinking they had plenty of time to get more money and pay for ours. There was no direct intent to defraud us. It was just terrible management that went wrong.

[wooloomooloo]

I was extremely miffed at the time but what they'd done is use our money to pay for other tickets thinking they had plenty of time to get more money and pay for ours. There was no direct intent to defraud us. It was just terrible management that went wrong.

You're too forgiving.

I wouldn't require the services of a police officer to sort this mess out. Just diplomatically spell out the inconvenience, aggravation and additional expense caused and that I expect my money back as soon as. I'd drop in the office every week to remind them.