Consumer question on ATOL and trading names
By Darren Cronian on Thursday, May 12th, 2011

This evening I received an email from a consumer who has lodged an official complaint with an online travel agency and they have not responded to any of her letters and numerous telephone calls since February.

Consumer question on ATOL and trading names

Concerns over consumer protection

This company has come into my radar on many occasions before and I noticed that the trading name and website was not included on the ATOL record for the company name, despite displaying the logo on its website.

The company does have other trading names which are included, so why not this one?

This got me wondering if a consumer booked through this website, would they be financially protected. It does not sound right to me – I smell something fishy, but don’t want to mention the company concerned in case I am completely wrong.

Any thoughts?


Related posts

Please enter your email address to receive my free newsletter

 



5 responses to “Consumer question on ATOL and trading names”

Sam Clark | 13 May, 2011 at 9:03 am

Hi Darren,
It is not neccessarily fishy, though it is definitely not best practice. It is unusual as it is very simple to add trading names and websites to an exisiting ATOL liscence. It depends on the trading name used when issuing an ATOL confirmation. The trading name and website should certainly have been registered with the CAA and even more so if the ATOL confirmation was issued in the same (Non registered) ATOL trading name.

Report this comment

Nick | 13 May, 2011 at 1:54 pm

Darren

Go to the CAA website. Type in the atol number.
See if there is a match on the list of websites and / or trading name

If no match send an e-mail to enforcement@caa.co.uk
If your still worried even with a match you can still send an e-mail.

Report this comment

Darren Cronian | 13 May, 2011 at 11:00 pm

Thanks for the advice Nick & Sam.

I’ll contact the CAA, because the trading name is not on the ATOL page for the company name. I realise what you are saying Sam, but surely the CAA should be enforcing companies to reveal all trading names.

I’ll update this post when I have some more information.

Report this comment

David | 14 May, 2011 at 3:46 pm

Hi Darren. I get several calls a week from people ringing in desperation to get answers to problems with a particular company that is well known out there and also they say they haven’t received a booking confirmation or had any contact at all. They also say that the prices advertised did not exist and they were only informed many hours after giving their credit card details that the price had increased. These people call my company thinking they have booked with us but it’s not us. There is some terrible customer service and bad practice going on.

Report this comment

Darren Cronian | 15 May, 2011 at 2:50 pm

I think I know what company that would be David. It is amazing how many times the same companies come up in my email inbox.

Report this comment