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Original poster

Holiday Scam Help

94 replies

Asvan · 18/12/2024 20:39

Hi everyone.

Please be kind to me I know I have been very naive here.

In April this year I booked a trip of a lifetime for me and my family with a local travel agent. The package included flights transfers and hotels. The travel agent had been recommended to me by a friend who had travelled through them a few times before. I did my research and the travel agent had good online reviews etc. The travel agent told me that they were agents for ATOL holders.

I paid them 2 installments of 5k each via bank transfer in April and June. The money went to a business account. They sent me booking confirmation and an invoice and everything seemed legitimate.

Since then the travel agent has been in constant contact and answered all our questions etc.

I was due to fly out with my family this Saturday but I got a call from the agent last Tuesday to say that there had been an issue with our booking and our trip was cancelled. The reason he gave was that their UK based supplier had gone bankrupt and he can't give us a refund.

After that call he hasn't answered any of my calls and has blocked me.

Another family has got in contact with me and they lost 14k under similar circumstances with the same travel agent last year He point blank refused to pay them.

I did some fishing and there were no plane tickets or hotel reservations made in our names.

I am so gutted that our trip has been cancelled and now I stand to lose 10k. I have been saving up for this trip for nearly 3 years and I am just so angry at myself.

Please can anyone advise on what my next steps should be? Will the bank give me my money back? Do I have to report this to police? Are there any other agencies that I need to report this travel agent to? The whole situation has left me so anxious and I am so embarrassed that I have been a victim of something like this.

If I don't get my money back, what can I do to warn others about this scamming agent?

OP posts:
Wolfpa · 18/12/2024 20:45

Do you have travel insurance? I would check with them first.

The bank could try and make a claim through APP scam procedures but you may have to prove it’s a scam rather than a supplier going bankrupt.

Original poster
Asvan · 18/12/2024 20:48

Yes I have Post Office travel insurance. How would I prove it's a scam?

OP posts:
LIZS · 18/12/2024 20:52

Assume there was no abta or atol accreditation?

Fireworknight · 18/12/2024 20:56

Contact your bank also.

If you paid by debit card, you can apply for a Charge back, whereby the bank will refund services not provided. It’s not automatic, you have to apply for it.

Original poster
Asvan · 18/12/2024 20:57

LIZS · 18/12/2024 20:52

Assume there was no abta or atol accreditation?

No but he said his supplier was ATOL protected. I have been so stupid haven't I? I feel physically fit, I just can't comprehend how anyone could do this.

OP posts:
Original poster
Asvan · 18/12/2024 21:00

Fireworknight · 18/12/2024 20:56

Contact your bank also.

If you paid by debit card, you can apply for a Charge back, whereby the bank will refund services not provided. It’s not automatic, you have to apply for it.

Edited

Do you think this will cover me? As far as my checks went it was all above board and I actually knoew people that had travelled via this travel agency. However it has since come to light that some people like me have been scammed.

OP posts:
Mooselooseinmyhoose · 18/12/2024 21:00

First thing you do is call the police. Of course you haven't done anything wrong why wouldn't a travel agent seem legit?

Either they have just stolen your money or they were not protected the way they claim. Report to the police, get a crime number then speak to your travel insurance provider. You won't be the first person this has happened to. X

Original poster
Asvan · 18/12/2024 21:00

Fireworknight · 18/12/2024 20:56

Contact your bank also.

If you paid by debit card, you can apply for a Charge back, whereby the bank will refund services not provided. It’s not automatic, you have to apply for it.

Edited

I paid by bank transfer.

OP posts:
Original poster
Asvan · 18/12/2024 21:02

Mooselooseinmyhoose · 18/12/2024 21:00

First thing you do is call the police. Of course you haven't done anything wrong why wouldn't a travel agent seem legit?

Either they have just stolen your money or they were not protected the way they claim. Report to the police, get a crime number then speak to your travel insurance provider. You won't be the first person this has happened to. X

Thank you I will get onto this in the morning. I have not slept for over a week and I am just not thinking straight. I am absolutely devastated.

OP posts:
LIZS · 18/12/2024 21:03

ATOL only covers packages with flights and situations like airline failure, ABTA is the bond covering travel agents.

LIZS · 18/12/2024 21:05

Did you communicate online, if so Action Fraud might be interested or Trading Standards. You may be able to make a Money Claim online/Small Claim against the scammer.

Perplexed20 · 18/12/2024 21:11

You haven't done anything wrong. I agree with previous posters - contact the police. This looks like fraud.

Original poster
Asvan · 18/12/2024 22:15

All contact was via WhatsApp and over the phone.

OP posts:
LIZS · 18/12/2024 22:32

Any invoices, confirmation of booking etc?

Original poster
Asvan · 18/12/2024 22:44

Yes I have a invoice and confirmation of booking.

OP posts:
Honeysuckle16 · 19/12/2024 00:02

Is the business still trading? If it is you could also sue them through small claims court. You should write them a letter telling them they must refund you or you will take action within 14 days. If no response, start the court process. CAB have advice about this online.

Original poster
Asvan · 19/12/2024 02:20

Honeysuckle16 · 19/12/2024 00:02

Is the business still trading? If it is you could also sue them through small claims court. You should write them a letter telling them they must refund you or you will take action within 14 days. If no response, start the court process. CAB have advice about this online.

Yes it's trading. I will look into this. Thank you.

OP posts:
helpfulperson · 19/12/2024 07:53

Have you anything in writing regarding the supplier and who they are? If not as a start that's what I would be insisting on. Then you can check if they exist and have collapsed. That will make the difference between it being badly managed and a scam.

Original poster
Asvan · 19/12/2024 08:23

helpfulperson · 19/12/2024 07:53

Have you anything in writing regarding the supplier and who they are? If not as a start that's what I would be insisting on. Then you can check if they exist and have collapsed. That will make the difference between it being badly managed and a scam.

No I asked for this after everything was cancelled l but as I said before he's been ignoring me ever since.

OP posts:
EnglishGirlApproximately · 19/12/2024 08:33

Hi OP feel free to DM me. I work in the industry and may be able to do some digging for you. Was the agent part of a larger consortium?

NeighbourHitMyCar · 19/12/2024 08:42

Op, just to reinforce what someone else has said about small claims court. I actually took Vinted to small claims last year. All you need is a registered UK address which you can look up via companies house.

It took me 40 minutes to fill out the paperwork online and I paid a fee-but you get the fee back if you win.

Your claim seems cut and dry here

I would first contact your travel insurance though and see if you are already covered this way

AndrewAccount · 19/12/2024 10:26

Hi @Asvan , very sorry to hear about what happened. My name's Andrew McQuarrie and I'm a journalist at Travel Weekly magazine. I wonder if you might be able to send me an email with some further details about your situation? My email address is: [email protected]

Original poster
Asvan · 19/12/2024 10:28

NeighbourHitMyCar · 19/12/2024 08:42

Op, just to reinforce what someone else has said about small claims court. I actually took Vinted to small claims last year. All you need is a registered UK address which you can look up via companies house.

It took me 40 minutes to fill out the paperwork online and I paid a fee-but you get the fee back if you win.

Your claim seems cut and dry here

I would first contact your travel insurance though and see if you are already covered this way

Do you know how much this would cost? I don't have anymore money to lose.

OP posts:
Movinghouseatlast · 19/12/2024 10:30

If he is still trading then get a claim in via Small Claims asap.

In future never pay big stuff like this in advance by bank transfer. Pay by credit card which gives more financial protection.

Movinghouseatlast · 19/12/2024 10:33

Please do some research so you can get the ball roling. Search small claims on gov.uk website.all the details are there. It's not expensive.

Have you called the police/ action fraud yet?

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