Issue with our TA, advise please!

[karasmom]

Thank you, I will do this!

I love Disney and its CM with all my might - except the ones that answer the reservation hotline (luckily I found one amazing one and have her extension). You can make 20 calls and get 20 different answers on some things. Anyways.... Please put your foot down about Guest Services! They will be able to fix this.

Also mention about the $100 contract... That seems like something Disney would not agree with and they might need to look into the TA.
Does your contract by any chance also state hoe long she has to get back to you?

 

[kandb]

Ask to speak with a supervisor when you call. Disney can help you. I am sure somewhere down the line this issue has come up with someone else. Try googling her name and see if anything comes up from the web. I am sure you are not the only one that she is not answering. Let us know how you made out and good luck.

 

[Aurora0427]

If you know your confirmation number, you can call and add ME yourself, and you have lots of time to do that. Ditto with the room requests...you have forever. I think these things are not a big deal. But I have to wonder if the TA is worried that you are going to have her make those arrangements and then change them again, it does sound like you've moved things around a lot of times already. Still, I do think that hearing back within 48 hours would be more than reasonable.

Really? We are going to blame the OP for the bad service provided by the travel agent? Come on. People move things around constantly. That's part of the job. If the TA doesn't like it, she should choose another line of work.

 

[scrapquitler]

Really? We are going to blame the OP for the bad service provided by the travel agent? Come on. People move things around constantly. That's part of the job. If the TA doesn't like it, she should choose another line of work.

I didn't mean it to sound as bad as it did. I think the TA should be getting back to her quicker, but maybe she's not used to so many changes. And the things that still need to be changed really are things that don't have to be done until later.

 

[DJFan88]

Not really, not if they could've jumped on a preferred that's now not avsilable. I never really understood the purpose of using a TA.

 

[scrapquitler]

Not really, not if they could've jumped on a preferred that's now not avsilable. I never really understood the purpose of using a TA.

The things I meant were the things she mentioned about having the children's birthday celebrations added into the the notes, room checkin requests and the DME reservation. With almost 6 months until her trip, those are not urgent matters to be tackled today.

 

[DJFan88]

Ok, but I agree with the poster who said it's their job. I mean who wants someone who's suppose to be working for you blowing off your phone calls because she doesn't think something should be done yet.
The OP said they told her the TA has to do the dining for her .

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I seem to hear more and more TAs not doing a good job.

It just isn't that hard to book directly with Disney.

Sometimes, they might save some money. But it seems like the savings come with a bunch of headaches.

 

[wilkeliza]

The things I meant were the things she mentioned about having the children's birthday celebrations added into the the notes, room checkin requests and the DME reservation. With almost 6 months until her trip, those are not urgent matters to be tackled today.

The problem is the client asked for it to be done and it hasn't. Yes they aren't urgent matters but if you ask for something to be done because you are paying someone to do it and they don't respond or do what is requested then you start to wonder why exactly are you paying them?

 

[Sue M]

I hope it all works out for you.

 

[Em's GiGi]

If I'm understanding the OP correctly, she's saying that she had TWO opportunities to switch to her preferred resort or a better room at a new resort and the TA failed to respond to her request while those options were available, and since she could not make either change independently the OP is stuck with her second choice resort. Sure, some of the requests are things that could wait (the birthdays and ME) but they are also things that could have been done at the time of the initial reservation which would put the OP's mind at ease about them. That TA's failure to respond and get her client a better deal - or the deal she preferred! - is completely irresponsible and there is just no excuse. I'd be furious, especially after the SECOND time.

My understanding is that Disney TA's do not charge for their services as they are paid by Disney, and I know Disney packages can be cancelled without penalty up to a certain time frame before the trip - but either way, this should not apply to a September trip at this early date. I'd be quite suspicious of a TA who is telling you that you would lose money in this situation; it surely does not sound like a Disney TA!! Disney should know that she is double dipping - charging you AND Disney for her services!!

I'd be so furious I'd lose the $100 bucks just to regain control of my trip. And who knows, there may be another special deal coming up which would recoup that money if you can handle it yourself - like the two opportunities she already missed. I think I would DEMAND the refund with no charge to you and tell her that you will take her to small claims court for the difference if she refuses to make you financially whole after this mess. I think with your documentation you have a winning court case for a refund as she has essentially abandoned you as a client, with the refusal to return your calls/emails and her failure to take advantage of the deals YOU found. That's really TA malpractice. I don't know if TAs have a Code of Ethics but she is surely violating one if it exists.

I'd follow the protocol listed previously by going through the supervisor or guest services to take control of your own reservation, AND leave a facts-only review about her care, concern and attention to your reservation - or lack thereof. That kind of treatment is truly inexcusable and I hope you can find the energy to get angry about how you have been treated and what it has cost you.

 

[bumbershoot]

I spoke to a very sweet CM that said only the TA can change the info. I also need to add ME to our reservation.

You can add that easily. But DME doesn't show up on MDE. So it's totally possible you have it already. You can call them directly, but I like to just go here: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/airport-transportation-reservation/

Our contract with her states that if we cancel then we lose $100.

Ugh. There are countless TAs who do NOT charge anything. Disney doesn't charge. Using a TA that charges for things that Disney doesn't charge for is just painful.

The email states that any modifications to our resort, tickets, or dining has to be through the TA only.

Resort, yes. Tickets? If you got a package and you want to change the number of days, sure. If you got just a room and want to buy tickets, just do it. Dining, oh absolutely not. The CM was totally wrong.


But...celebrations and room requests aren't things that need to be put onto the reservations now. I haven't yet had a CM mention anything about a birthday except for once at DisneyLAND.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

If I'm understanding the OP correctly, she's saying that she had TWO opportunities to switch to her preferred resort or a better room at a new resort and the TA failed to respond to her request while those options were available, and since she could not make either change independently the OP is stuck with her second choice resort. Sure, some of the requests are things that could wait (the birthdays and ME) but they are also things that could have been done at the time of the initial reservation which would put the OP's mind at ease about them. That TA's failure to respond and get her client a better deal - or the deal she preferred! - is completely irresponsible and there is just no excuse. I'd be furious, especially after the SECOND time.

My understanding is that Disney TA's do not charge for their services as they are paid by Disney, and I know Disney packages can be cancelled without penalty up to a certain time frame before the trip - but either way, this should not apply to a September trip at this early date. I'd be quite suspicious of a TA who is telling you that you would lose money in this situation; it surely does not sound like a Disney TA!! Disney should know that she is double dipping - charging you AND Disney for her services!!

I agree. A good Disney TA will know a clients resort/room preferences and will keep an eye out for both availability and promos. There is zero excuse for her to ignore your e-mails and not switch you over when your preferred resort/room and discount came out. Many good EarMarked agency TA's are ready and waiting on the morning a promo is released with their existing clients' reservations and preferences so they can jump on promos. They also know to keep watching throughout the promo to see if availability pops up. That's their job. The other request, while they could wait, there is absolutely no reason why they aren't already noted on your reservation - yes, that can be done during the initial booking or, if the booking was done online, takes one simply phone call to Disney.

There is no such thing as a "Disney TA". TA's do not work for Disney. There are TA's that specialize in Disney and there are EarMarked agencies, but all TA's can still book with other vendors. They are independent businesses. Because of that, a TA or agency can enter into a separate contract with a client to charge fees above and beyond the cost of booking a Disney vacation under Disney terms and conditions. Just know, many TA's do not charge fees for their services. They simply rely on the commissions earned from the vendors (Disney, Universal, cruise lines, etc.). Unfortunately, you booked with a TA that works on a fee structure in addition to Disney's terms and conditions.

I agree with other PP's. I would call Disney and ask that this reservation be reverted to you and explain why. Unfortunately, you may also want to cancel the credit card you booked this reservation under. If the TA has your cc and you take control of the reservation, she may go ahead and charge you that $100.

 

[tiggergal15]

OP...have you called the TA? Or just emailed?..I would be calling and emailing and letting her know that her lack of response is unacceptable and that you Have missed out on some deals because of no communication and be asking why. I would be slightly understanding if she has had a personal crisis but then I would be cancelling and rebooking things myself directly with Disney.
I always do my vacations myself because of all these posts with issues.
Yes stuff still comes up but I deal with it myself right away and make immediate decisions that fit my needs.
Hopefully you are not going to depend on this person to make your ADRs and FPs+. I would really be stressed then.
Good luck.

 

[Aurora0427]

The problem is the client asked for it to be done and it hasn't. Yes they aren't urgent matters but if you ask for something to be done because you are paying someone to do it and they don't respond or do what is requested then you start to wonder why exactly are you paying them?

What's crazy is she shouldn't be paying them! We've used at TA through MEI and never paid her a dime! She gets a percentage from Disney!

 

[lilkitty819]

I would be sending her a note that if she does not contact you in so much time, that you will be calling the Better Business Agency and report her! See if that gets you a response.

 

[Lavitz]

Thanks OP for sharing. I'm sure you're saving others hassle by not choosing a travel agent what charges a fee when you can easily find out that doesn't.

Keep us updated on whether Disney helps you when you call. Keep asking for someone higher if the person you're speaking with can't help.

 

[baivasps]

We just used a TA for the first time because it was the best deal. I read to make sure that your credit card was processed by Disney and not the TA. If your credit card was processed by Disney and you were to cancel Disney should refund $200 on your credit card. What procedures are in your contract for the TA to keep $100? Will they charge that separately to your credit card. Then maybe you could have your credit card company deal with the dispute. Just a thought.

Be careful when it comes time to pay the remainder of the balance. If the TA is processing your payment themselves, I'd be afraid to give them any more money.

Even if some of your requests can wait until closer to your trip, your TA should still take care of them when asked. At a minimum they should respond to you that they have it on their calendar so you know everything is ok.

 

[Monkeyfeet]

So, I know some may not agree with how I have handled this but I had to do what I felt that I needed to do.

I am not the best at speaking up, so I felt that I needed that I had to address my concerns with her directly first.

Last night I emailed her my concerns. I stated that I was upset that we lost out on another resort as well as an upgrade in a room due to her not being able to be contacted. I then added on the few other concerns that I had. I told her how I was going to proceed if I did not hear back within three days. I also said that I will be leaving a negative review, but the wording of that will depend on how she proceeds.

She responded today and she admitted wrongdoing and is in the process of releasing our reservation to us.

I thank you all for your encouraging words!

 

[maxiesmom]

So, I know some may not agree with how I have handled this but I had to do what I felt that I needed to do.

I am not the best at speaking up, so I felt that I needed that I had to address my concerns with her directly first.

Last night I emailed her my concerns. I stated that I was upset that we lost out on another resort as well as an upgrade in a room due to her not being able to be contacted. I then added on the few other concerns that I had. I told her how I was going to proceed if I did not hear back within three days. I also said that I will be leaving a negative review, but the wording of that will depend on how she proceeds.

She responded today and she admitted wrongdoing and is in the process of releasing our reservation to us.

I thank you all for your encouraging words!

Good. Did she state why she was ignoring you for so long?