Additional charge for ATOL bonding made by travel agent? Is this right?

neo3670

Hey guys, just trawled the internet and cant seem to find a definitive answer, so i thought i would ask you helpful lot instead!

Just booked a holiday with 321 travel, advertised price for the holiday was correct so paid by debit card, but then told i had to pay an extra £18 per traveller for ATOL bonding??? That was an additional 5% on the holiday cost!! When i queried this charge they said it was compulsory, so i bit my tongue and paid. So now i have looked into it, apparently travel agents operating the scheme have to pay £2.50 per person into the the fund, but the CAA, who oversee the scheme state that it is INCLUDED in the holiday cost not in addition to it? Can anyone else shed some light on this?

Many thanks!

Bob_the_Saver

Hey Guys, (don't you just hate people who say that!)

Dunno, I always book things myself not through an agent,
I never charge myself anything extra, because I'd refuse to pay.

You might read another companies blurb for some info,


http://www.naturallymorocco.co.uk/about-us/atol-protected.html

bagand96

ATOL protection is £2.50 a head. It should be included in the final holiday cost. Some companies choose to itemise it but it should only ever be £2.50.

£18 each is a joke. I'd ask them to justify it. Might be worth contacting ATOL too, they may have a stance on this issue (equally they may not)

Alan_Bowen

It sounds like they are lying to you, ATOL protection is as stated £2.50 per person and by law the price you are quoted should include the fee. They appear to have a licence for just 1000 holidays and their ATOL number starts with a T which means the money is protected by the Travel Network Group, although they haven't changed the name from TTA on their website. It may be 'innocence' on their part or it may be intentionally misleading but they cannot add £18 to a price you have already agreed

neo3670

Hello Peoples! (Any better Bob???!!! Hate is such a strong word don't you think?)

Anyway thanks, appreciate all your comments, think i will have another chat with 321.

junpit

Hi

Any luck with 321 on this? There charge is now £19 and they have charged me it 8 times for outgoing and incoming flights (4 seats per plane). This is highway robbery.

Its added £150 onto my holiday and it looks to me like a con. Strangely enough they mentioned it like it was a one-off fee ie £19 for the entire holiday.

The guy didn't confirm a final amount to me and my confirmation had all the charges.

Alan_Bowen

The sounds like a seriously misleading price indication which can be a criminal offence, you should be told the total price at the time of booking and ATOL Protection is still £2.50 per person. I suspect they are charging you the fees they pay the TTA for use of an ATOL licence but that is not your issue, if they quote a price, that is all you should pay. I would contact the CAA who run the ATOL scheme and your local trading standards office at your local council