Travel agent issues..

[zookeepersuzy]

I'm trying to coordinate with MIL for a long weekend in Scotland. MIL suggested we use a travel agent. She has used this TA before and was happy with her, so I said that was fine because I thought she might have some suggestions that are not on trip advisor.

It has taken almost 3 weeks for this TA to get back to me any prices for flight/train/car. I had looked when we started this and now prices are now almost double. (or so she says, I just looked and found a flight for £40 less than her quote..)

Am I obligated to book through this woman if she hasn't given me any information I didn't already know/email her about? I don't feel like she's really done anything more than checking prices in her most recent email. She hasn't given us any new ideas for things to do or hotel recommendations. (I found an apartment online & she said they don't book apartments, so I'd have to do that on my own.. but didn't suggest any hotel alternatives even though I said we didn't NEED an apartment.) She did offer to prebook a tour that I found online.. but hasn't actually booked it yet.

Can we just walk away from the TA? We're really not interested in this trip at 2x the cost for travel. (we are visiting MIL in the UK, this is not a weekend trip from the US.)

[emilyinchile]

Of course you're not obligated. She's given you a quote. I can't think of a situation where a price quote obligates you to purchase the service if you don't like what's being offered.

[frlcb]

You don't have to book anything with her. I don't understand the love for travel agents in the UK, my in-laws use them all the time too. It is so much easier to book yourself.

[zookeepersuzy]

Thanks for the replies.

I don't understand the love for TA's either, but I figured it couldn't hurt to see what she had to say. I'm disappointed that she has been so slow/useless. We've been "talking" for almost 3 weeks and she hasn't actually suggested a specific hotel yet. The trip is supposed to start july 11. Now when I look on my own, almost everything is booked solid so we might have to skip Scotland this year and go next time we visit the family.

[frlcb]

Where in Scotland are you guys planning on going?

[mudslide]

No, you don't have to book through her. Especially if her service is unsatisfactory.

If her service had been at least satisfactory, then it isn't cool to give her a bunch of work then go, "JUST KIDDING, I booked elsewhere". I think that is just common courtesy though.

[zookeepersuzy]

Jun 26, 2012 18:56:37 GMT -5 mudslide said:

No, you don't have to book through her. Especially if her service is unsatisfactory.

If her service had been at least satisfactory, then it isn't cool to give her a bunch of work then go, "JUST KIDDING, I booked elsewhere". I think that is just common courtesy though.

I agree that it would be crappy to take an itinerary she put together and run off to book it somewhere else, but I don't feel like she's actually done much. Her first reply to our email took into account one thing we said we were interested in & then routed us strangely with unnecessary back tracking and staying 3 days in a city that wasn't even on our list but 0 nights in a city that I specifically mentioned I would like to stay in overnight. I ended up putting together the timeline and attractions and asked her for help looking for accommodation and travel.. which she hasn't done. I've just found the whole thing to be incredibly frustrating and slow.

frlcb said:

Where in Scotland are you guys planning on going?

edinburgh/inverness

We're just going to skip it this trip and look again next time. I think we'll be happier/more relaxed not trying to cram in what we want to see there in a long weekend.

[mudslide]

Oh, don't get me wrong! I don't think her service was up to par. Sorry if I didn't make that clear!

There are good agents out there. And there are crappy ones.

[zookeepersuzy]

Jun 27, 2012 1:23:47 GMT -5 mudslide said:

Oh, don't get me wrong! I don't think her service was up to par. Sorry if I didn't make that clear!

There are good agents out there. And there are crappy ones.

No worries.

I think I'm just a little high strung about the whole thing!