Probabaly the best way to check whether the operator is a reputable one is to ask him to provide you with a list of his recent clients & write to them. Happy Travels!
Posts: 9 | Location: India | Registered: 13 March 2007
I agree with VP. Asking for a list clients and contact them directly. You can use the web as a source. Try googling the name of the company or some unique string. For example, try costaricaholiday uk.
Another item is to check to review information on their website to find out more information about the business. We have a trip planning note on this topic on our main website Slow Travel.
Posts: 7430 | Location: Edmonds, WA | Registered: 25 October 2001
I agree also. Ask for references. A good travel agent/consultant should not have any trouble with providing you with names and telephone numbers of at least two current/former clients.
Also, in the US, another good source to check for travel agent credentials is American Society Of Travel Agents (ASTA) I do not know if they have a similiar organization in the UK.
I agree that ASTA would be a good place to start. You may also want to contact an organization like ARC (Airline Reporting Corporation) to see if they have had problems or have suspended the agency's ticketing operations. ARC controls agencies' accredidation for issue airline tickets. (www.arccorp.com)
Do a thorough online search for that travel provider to see if someone has posted reviews (positive and negative) about them.
See if there is a tour company association in your area to inquire about complaints.
References should certainly be easy for them to provide.
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