Travel Counsellors reports ABTA to OFT
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Travel Counsellors has reported ABTA to the Office of Fair Trading (OfT) accusing its members of misleading customers over financial protection.
The company has highlighted examples to the OfT of ABTA members that refer to full financial protection although ABTA’s bonding covers the business but not the customer’s money.
ABTA has advised its members not to use ‘fully bonded’ after a complaint from Travel Counsellors in early 2011 but the issue has been raised again following the collapse of association member Express Bookers, which was only covered for accommodation only.
David Speakman, chairman of Travel Counsellors has now called on the association to ‘do the right thing’ and punish members that do not comply to its advisory notes, although ABTA said it already penalises members that do not comply to its Code of Conduct.
The association said it monitors its members’ website through spot checks and asks members to remove misleading claims. “ABTA has a rigorous system of measures in place, designed to ensure that members trade fairly and provide accurate information,” it said in a statement.
“Any member that is found making a misleading claim will be asked to remove it or amend it. Failure to do so will likely result in a charge being brought against that member under ABTA’s Code of Conduct. In the vast majority of cases, members act quickly to amend any inaccurate information before they are penalised, however any member found to be in breach of the Code may be charged and, as a result, fined or ultimately expelled from the association. ABTA has for many years worked with the Office of Fair Trading to enforce transparency across the industry, and we will continue to do so,” the association added.
