Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site sdcrdcf.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utcs!lsuc!pesnta!hplabs!sdcrdcf!shaprkg
From: shaprkg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Bob Shapiro)
Newsgroups: net.nlang.india,net.travel
Subject: Re: travel agent in NYC: CAVEAT
Message-ID: <1754@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 11-Feb-85 10:14:29 EST
Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.1754
Posted: Mon Feb 11 10:14:29 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 13-Feb-85 19:05:55 EST
References: <138@sbcs.UUCP>
Reply-To: shaprkg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Bob Shapiro)
Distribution: na
Organization: System Development Corp. R+D, Santa Monica
Lines: 31
Xref: utcs net.nlang.india:70 net.travel:1077
Summary: 


   re your experience with the Indian travel agent.


   There is an excellent possibility that this was not a travel agent but
rather a ticket broker.   I suspect the reason you went to her in the first
place is that she offered a lower price than you could get at a standard
agency.  In the Indian and Far East market there are many ethnic brokers who
will get you tickets at a discount.  They are usually not travel agents.
There are many ways of arranging these discounts but it is illegal for an
authorized travel agent to do it.  e.g. They may get the tickets written by
someone overseas who is not restricted by American law or they may get
enormous override commissions because of their volume and rebate part of this
commission.  (These tickets are usually marked non-refundable)

   When you deal with someone who gives you a price that is too good to be
true it is caveat preemptor.  I would suspect that you should never deal by
mail and by credit card whenever possible.  In my experience as a travel
agent I would offer the following:

   1. You were pretty lucky - after all you eventually got your tickets. In
      many cases people never see them.

   2. Have a little talk with the airline. (But probably they will do nothing)

   3. If this is a legitimate travel agency write to IATA. Any honest travel
      travel agency will give you the address.

   4. Have a little talk with your local bunko squad. It is illegal to keep
      your money like that in my state (California) and I suspect it is also
      in New York.