Can a travel agent cancel a reservation without your knowledge?

[leeserw]

I'm not sure if this is the place to ask this question. We've booked with a TA for the first time. It was a great deal so we took the plunge and paid upfront for our trip. Since then our reservations have dropped off several times. She then sends me a new conf #. She wasn't paying - just rebooking. I called to Disney to see if my current reservation had been paid in full. They said because it was booked by a TA they can't see that information and that only the TA can make changes to my reservation and that the reservation isn't technically mine until I check into the resort. So here's the question - would it be possible for her to cancel my reservation and my family show up to Disney and find we have no reservation? How do I know that she has paid in full without simply taking her word for it? I have a receipt showing I paid her but nothing showing she paid Disney.

 

[Dreamin192]

Have you asked her why she is cancelling and rebooking? Is it to get a better deal or something? If so, will you be refunded the price difference? It sounds a bit weird to me but I never use a TA, I am too much of a control freak. I have changed our reservation many many times but it's always because of price or I changed my mind on the resort.

 

[josiegracesmom]

I am a TA and when you make a booking with Disney, they immediately send over an email confirmation showing it paid. The only way you don't get an instant email is if you pay by check, and the check has 3 days to get there. I email over the confirmations to my clients as soon as I get them, that way they have a record of it. Just make sure you are using a REAL travel agent, not someone who bought the $29 package off the internet. Ask if she has an IATA number. That is scary. Good luck.

 

[leeserw]

Thank you for the quick replies! She said she has an IATA #. She says this is all happening because she is moving from a travel agency to doing it on her own. I know other people who traveled with her. Some were happy and other said it was a nightmare. I'm going to have her forward the email saying she paid. Thanks for that info!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

can they, yes. This is the biggest issue with using a travel agent is that you can't do much with the reservation on your own. Ask her for a receipt.

 

[aaarcher86]

Thank you for the quick replies! She said she has an IATA #. She says this is all happening because she is moving from a travel agency to doing it on her own. I know other people who traveled with her. Some were happy and other said it was a nightmare. I'm going to have her forward the email saying she paid. Thanks for that info!

I'm side eyeing this.

I'd be surprised if a company allowed her to take her booked trips with her.

Definitely request a Disney receipt.

 

[georgina]

There are periodically stories on the news about TAs scamming families and not booking their trips.Please let us know what you find out!

 

[wilkeliza]

Sounds fishy to me. If she honestly made the move on her own accord and with the permission of the agency she worked for then she should have notified all her clients. If she just jumped ship from the agency she worked for she most likely would not have been able to take clients with her. Also if the discount you got was an agency exclusive her leaving that agency means you could loose that entire discount as Disney may not offer it to her. I would ask for the Disney receipt and confirmation number so you can put it in MDE so that you can see your reservation is there and valid.

 

[disneykelly]

Hopefully this gets taken care of for you, but my advice to anyone booking with an independent agent or agency is to ensure that they are licensed and bonded.

 

[Allison]

Could they? Sure, they control the reservation.

Would an agency let an agent take a client when they leave the company? Unlikely.

Could the agent cancel the reservation under the current agency and rebook under a new one without the client knowing? Seems likely.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Smells fishy. I hope you don't get hosed up on this.

 

[DisneyMomma1216]

I'm also a TA, and send all of my clients the information they need for their reservation (i.e - bookings, dining, and payments) as soon as I receive it. I have also used a travel agent who switched between agencies while I was booked with her. However, she called me and let me know exactly what was going on, and sent me the necessary documents I needed every step of the way. Don't hesitate to ask for any and all info you need, especially an email confirmation. I would ask for all emails/confirmations associated with your trip, so that you're caught up with everything going on as well. Good luck, and I hope it all works out!

 

[leeserw]

She cancelled the trip with the agency and rebooked on her own after getting her TA#. Disney said it must be paid in full because I was allowed to check in online (which I did yesterday). They said if anything was owed then it wouldn't let me check in. But I'm afraid she'll cancel it before I go and get her money back. I know of no one she has scammed but she's been doing weird stuff the last 6 months. I emailed asking for the confirmation emails from Disney. Everything shows up perfectly on mydisneyexperience but I'm not able to see any amounts (which makes sense but leaves me nervous). Thanks again for all the help!

 

[DisneyMomma1216]

She cancelled the trip with the agency and rebooked on her own after getting her TA#. Disney said it must be paid in full because I was allowed to check in online (which I did yesterday). They said if anything was owed then it wouldn't let me check in. But I'm afraid she'll cancel it before I go and get her money back. I know of no one she has scammed but she's been doing weird stuff the last 6 months. I emailed asking for the confirmation emails from Disney. Everything shows up perfectly on mydisneyexperience but I'm not able to see any amounts (which makes sense but leaves me nervous). Thanks again for all the help!

Unfortunately, you won't see any totals, or amounts when you book through a TA, being that they booked for you. However, when a TA makes a payment, or your final, no matter which it is, they automatically get an email confirmation, which they are then supposed to forward to you - which will show you the amounts. I would screenshot/print out whatever your MDE says - reservation numbers, fastpasses, dining, whatever.. just in case. I hope she works with you, and this all gets handled professionally. I'm sorry your experience so far isn't so magical. As a TA, and a fellow Disney addict, that bums me out. Fingers crossed it all turns around, and you have a wonderful trip!

 

[aaarcher86]

She cancelled the trip with the agency and rebooked on her own after getting her TA#. Disney said it must be paid in full because I was allowed to check in online (which I did yesterday). They said if anything was owed then it wouldn't let me check in. But I'm afraid she'll cancel it before I go and get her money back. I know of no one she has scammed but she's been doing weird stuff the last 6 months. I emailed asking for the confirmation emails from Disney. Everything shows up perfectly on mydisneyexperience but I'm not able to see any amounts (which makes sense but leaves me nervous). Thanks again for all the help!

You can do online check in without it being paid in full. The PIF date is 30 days out for packages and at check in for room only and disney let's you do online check in at 60 days out.

If nothing else she sounds a little... Unethical. I probably wouldn't use her again.

 

[Hikergirl]

OP, you need to demand that she sends you copies of her confirmations from Disney. I've used a TA a few times and anytime I made a payment through them they sent me an email with the confirmation on it, same when it was paid in full.
If she gives you the run around, or refuses then I would cancel your reservation and your services with her and look for someone else.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Wow. What she did was highly unethical. If an agent leaves an agency, those reservations should stay with the agency as they were booked under their IATA. And to use your billing info to book, cancel and re-book without your knowledge or permission? Very bad.

Did you book a package or room-only? Was it a Walt Disney Travel Company booking or some sort of agency exclusive? I'm going to guess it was WDTC as she wouldn't have been able to get you the same agency rate if she left the agency. Did you book with a credit card? If so, check to see what amounts have been going on and off your card and who the payments went to. If she booked directly with Disney, you will see those charges listed as WDW charges on your credit card statement.

As others have said, demand to be sent the Disney confirmation. I would let her know that if you don't receive it in a timely manner, you will be contacting Disney and lodging a complaint.

I might suggest calling Disney again and asking to speak with a supervisor. There have been reports of guests being so dissatisfied with how their TA reservation was handled that Disney will transfer that reservation back to the guest. I think you have a good case for having that reservation transferred.

 

[IrishNYC]

She is super shady! I would get her on a three way call with Disney, and while on the line fire her as my TA and request that the booking be transferred to your control. It's late in the game for that so it may not be allowed but once booked your reservation number never should have changed.

 

[leeserw]

I didn't know they could transfer it to me. That's what I would love to have happen. It was not booked through WDTC. Apparently she was using the agency's # without their permission. So she had to file for her own #. She got it and re booked.

You can do online check in without it being paid in full. The PIF date is 30 days out for packages and at check in for room only and disney let's you do online check in at 60 days out.

I did not know this. So that means it's not paid in full. I was all excited b/c it let me check in online. So glad you told me that.

 

[IrishNYC]

I'd get on the phone right now with her and Disney!