Big Congrats to fellow CDN Diser - TMLI

[NikP]

I would like our Canadian Diser's to join me in saying Congratulationsto our fellow Canadian Dis member - TMLI. Tracey is now working as an agent for Dreams Unlimited Travel.

I am sure she will be greatly missed at her old agency, but a welcome addition to Dreams. She definately knows her stuff. If you are booking with Dreams, it will be nice to have a fellow Canadian to assist with your planning.

Tracey, please don't blush. I was very happy with the service you provided for me in the past. I just want to let everyone here know how magical you are. Best of luck at Dreams Unlimited.

Niki P

 

[CdnDisneyNut]

Congrats Tracey

 

[fivebyfive]

I'm all about the congrats, but TMLI resides in Ontario, doesn't she??? Sorry to rain on the parade but what TMLI is doing is illegal.

Before I get jumped on for this post, let me preface this by explaining that my aunt is a complaints officer for TICO (Travel Industry Council of Ontario).

On page 14 of TICO’s Education Standards, the first line of the first paragraph states “All three provinces (Quebec, BC and Ontario) have made it illegal for a travel agent to carry on business unless that business is registered with the province.”

Dreams Unlimited Travel is located in New Jersey and therefore they are not an Ontario registered seller of travel.

If TMLI use to work for an Ontario store front travel agency, this should be common knowledge for her. Reason being as of July 1st, all travel agents in the province of Ontario must have taken (and passed) the TICO Education Standards Exam. More information on the TICO exam can be found here: http://www.citc.ca/tico/en/train-tico-intro-e.asp

TICO (The Travel Industry Council of Ontario) is an organization mandated by the Ontario government to administer the Ontario Travel Industry Act, 2002 which governs all of the approximately 3,000 travel retailers and travel wholesalers registered in Ontario. It is illegal to work as a travel agent through a non-TICO registered travel agency.

But don't take my word, as I'm sure that there are Ontario travel agents on the Canadian boards here on the DIS who are legal in Ontario and who can confirm what I've just said.

 

[Mickey1Fan]

Wouldn't it only be illegal if she is selling to clients living in Ontario? Aren't they web based?

Congratulations Tracey.

 

[fivebyfive]

My aunt emailed me some cases of Ontario residents who were caught selling travel services through a non-TICO registered agencies:

http://mytico.ca/consumer/press_release.php?release=../press_releases/pressrelease-rosescurtisep08

http://mytico.ca/consumer/press_release.php?release=../press_releases/pressrel%20-%20jpelosi-tigereaglesports%20-%20dec2008

Yes, TICO takes this stuff very seriously.

From the government of Canada, about TICO/Travel Industry Act:

http://www.gov.on.ca/mgs/en/News/STEL02_047489.html

Right under Registration, it reads:

"In order to operate a business, a travel agent or wholesaler must be registered with the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO)."

Again, given the fact that Dreams Unlimited is a US agency, they can not be TICO registered.

Dreams wouldn't know a thing about this, because it's an Ontairo specific law. However, a TA residining on Ontario should. And we all know that 'ignorance of the law is never an excuse...'

 

[aGoofyMom]

I have met TMLI, and enjoyed her and her DH's company.

I would think it would be better to allow her to speak for herself before jumping to conclusions and making accusations of illegal activity.

 

[CanadianGuy]

Don't know about any of this but I'm not very impressed with TICO's website - attempting to search their database returns a giant error with no results.

Regardless - fighting about this on the internet is pointless.

Just pointing that out.

Knox

EDIT : 21 minutes later - it's now working... go figure. My apologies to TICO.

 

[laura001]

I have met TMLI, and enjoyed her and her DH's company.

I would think it would be better to allow her to speak for herself before jumping to conclusions and making accusations of illegal activity.

I don't think that anyone is accusing TMLI of anything, only a discussion brought about by the OP's post about working as a TA in Ontario without being part of TICO. I don't know TMLI at all and would never judge anyone, and to me it doesn't seem like anyone is. It is an interesting subject and obviously not a lot of people know much about it.

You can never be too informed that is for sure.

 

[brighteyes]

ITA agree, no one knows what is going on in one's private life. While there have been no outright accusations of anything illegal, the strong implication was there. I do not understand how a simple congratulatory thread has turned into this.

I am not going to debate the legality of tmli's job because I do not know the details because that is not my business. I see no reason to debate this in this forum. I trust that she can make her own well informed decisions regarding her life.

I am however going to wish her a big congratulations which was the intention of the OP.

Stephanie

 

[CanadianGuy]

ITA agree, no one knows what is going one's private life. While there have been no outright accusations of anything illegal, the strong implication was there. I do not understand how a simple congratulatory thread has turned into this.

I am not going to debate the legality of tmli's job because I do not know the details because that is not my business. I see no reason to debate this in this forum. I trust that she can make her own well informed decisions regarding her life.

I am however going to wish her a big congratulations which was the intention of the OP.

Stephanie

Amen.

 

[fivebyfive]

EDIT : 21 minutes later - it's now working... go figure. My apologies to TICO.

...and I'm willing to be that in your search, Dreams Unlimited didn't come up.

I would think it would be better to allow her to speak for herself before jumping to conclusions and making accusations of illegal activity

I'm sorry if it sounded as if I was jumping to conclusions, but TMLI lives in Ontario, she's working as a TA for Dreams Unlimited. Dreams Unlimited is in the US, US agencies can't be TICO registered. It was a pretty simple deduction. If I'm wrong in those facts, then 1,000 apologies to Tracey!

I see no reason to debate this in this forum. I trust that she can make her own well informed decisions regarding her life.

Bare in mind that I could of just emailed my aunt about TMLI, but I would NEVER do that. Rather, I was saying all of this in HOPES that TMLI reads it, does her research about TICO (and the laws involved) and therefore chooses to align herself with a TICO registered travel agency and continues to make dreams come true.

Regardless - fighting about this on the internet is pointless.

Who was fighting?

I was doing TMLI a 'favour' by telling her. I mean can you imagine if she booked someone for a WDW vacation, said person wasn't happy because she didn't provide them with an invoice (or other such nonsense) as per TICO law? Then that client complains to TICO about her? Trust me, it wouldn't be pretty. She would be facing hefty fines and jail time.

That all being said, I'm not sure why my posts are being deleted, I've re-read them and nothing is offensive in them. So, I'm done trying to help out here. Hopefully TICO doesn't catch Tracey or I'm completely wrong and she lives in another province.

 

[yxe dad]

YES CONGRATS!!!!!

I wish I could get paid for all the planning I do for friends and family.

Shayne

 

[Disney_Mama]

Congratulations

 

[CanadianGuy]

There are a number of agendas at play here that I'm not at all comfortable should be on the open boards - period.

Regardless.. what started out as a nice thread has turned into something else entirely. If you have issues, take it up with TICO or whoever you please and/or take it to private messages.

This thread is done.

Sheesh.

Knox