Part 9 - Cruises & Tours Unlimited

I had the pleasure of speaking with Chad Burt a couple of days ago. Chad is one of the owners over at A.S.A.P Cruises, dba Cruises and Tours Unlimited (CTU). I had originally mentioned their company in my blog post “Part 8 – Moving Forward” in reference to filing a complaint with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). I felt it was necessary to include their information in the complaint because that had been Amy’s (or Elizabeth’s) host agency.

It’s not entirely clear when she was active with Chad’s company, but she is definitely not active with them now. Chad reached out to try and help his company save face by requesting that I alter the blog directing people to list his company on their complaints. Being tied to this scandal is bad for business even if it’s not a national story. My gut reaction was that I didn’t care about him saving face but, after speaking with Chad and considering his points, I nearly made the decision to honor his request. After even further consideration a few things have been made clear.

First I’ll talk about his points. Number one, Chad’s company suspended the account Amy was using immediately after receiving the very first complaint. Secondly, Chad says he’s working with the state of Florida to supply whatever information they need to assist in their investigation. Next, what Amy did was not only against company policy, but also against Florida state law. The money she took from people went directly to her PayPal, not through CTU. And lastly, Chad seemed to show great integrity by joining the facebook group in an effort to answer questions and guide people to the information they need to try and get their refunds.

Those are all valid points, and I believe him when he says that he “can’t stand it when people like [Amy] pop up”, and CTU is making some strides in the right direction which will no doubt lead to fewer of these types of situations for them in the future. However, I don’t believe that CTU did everything they should have to ensure that Amy was properly registered with the state and I don’t believe Chad is being as forthright and honest as he first seemed to be. In conversations with the FDACS compliance department I have learned that, as an agency licensed as a “Seller of Travel”, the onus does in fact lie with Cruises and Tours Unlimited to ensure that all their agents have all properly registered. Chad has maintained that his company cannot take responsibility for Amy’s wrongdoing and that, with regards to excursion monies, may be entirely true. However, his company still allowed Amy to book clients vacations, either on her own or through Elizabeth’s account, without the proper licensing. This could make CTU and/or Amy liable for a fine of up to $5000 per incident.

If CTU had done their job to ensure Amy was properly licensed it’s entirely possible that she would’ve been unable to make bookings, therefore wouldn’t have been able to plan group cruises, and therefore wouldn’t have taken money for excursions or deposits that she could then abuse for her own financial situation. Obviously Amy’s actions are to blame for the bulk of this situation, but the checks and balances that are in place don’t mean much if the companies that are supposed to ensure compliance aren’t doing their job.

A few points to remember in order to avoid problems like this in the future: Never pay money directly to a travel agent.

• Travel agents can handle payment information, but all payments should be processed by the vendor. If an agent is booking you a cruise with Carnival, your credit card statement should show a charge from Carnival not So and So Travel Company.

• Be sure you get an invoice from the cruise line and/or the travel agency within a week of making the booking.

• I know that Cruise Brothers, my host agency, has a department that creates all customer invoices manually to ensure accuracy. This causes a slight delay in getting the invoices out, but this delay should take no more than 5 business days. Any more than that and someone isn’t doing their job.

• The invoice should show the total for your trip including any travel protections, excursions, or other extras you booked at the time of initial deposit. It should also show how much you’ve already paid, how much you have yet to pay, and the final payment date.

If at any point you feel uncomfortable with the situation STOP and ask for their CLIA or IATAN number.

• Don’t hesitate to ask if they have all required licenses.

• Don’t be afraid to ask to speak to their supervisor with the agency.

• Reputable people will not take offense or be bothered to answer any of these questions.

Part 10 - Making Progress