Don't Lose Your Money To Unreliable Travel Agents

As avid followers of corporate travel agencies and developments in the travel agent and management industry - we thought we’d share this article with you as a warning to be careful which agencies you trust.

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Hundreds of criminal cases have been opened with the South African police, alleging that the owner of travel company Hello Darlings has failed to make good on holidays for which clients collectively paid millions.

Five-star holidays on the crystalline shores of Mauritius and the Maldives. A hot air balloon ride high above Cappadocia in Turkey. Lavish dinners in Dubai. This is what was offered to thousands of travellers from South Africa. Many of these would-be holidaymakers say they spent years saving money for these one-in-a-lifetime experiences.

So, when these all-inclusive holidays were advertised at massively discounted rates – including two-for-one deals – travel-hungry South Africans jumped at the opportunity.

But those holidays, already paid for in full, are unlikely to materialise, and refunds aren't coming either.

Hello Darlings' disgruntled customers claim that Moosa has absconded with their hard-earned cash. The travel company's website has been deactivated, and nobody can get in contact with Moosa.

Customers who were due to travel this week didn't receive their airline tickets. Resorts, where they were due to stay, say that no such bookings exist.

Stories of shock and frustration fill a Telegram group, set up to consolidate information and help bring Moosa to book. Business Insider South Africa spoke to several customers, of the thousands that populate the Telegram messaging board, scorned by Hello Darlings.

"We are upset, angry and disheartened. Covid has been tough financially and emotionally, and now this on top of it all. We used all our savings to finance this trip, and we are now left high and dry," one Hello Darlings customer, who wished to remain anonymous, told Business Insider SA about an R30,000 trip booked for April.

"I see people saying how could we book with her, but the thing is, I know people who went successfully on her trips."

Attorney Farhana Asmal, who is representing several Hello Darlings' clients, said the company was first registered in 2018 and, for the first couple of years, delivered on its promises. Things started going seriously wrong in late 2021 when travel was negatively impacted by the discovery of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

Unable to travel, due to flight suspensions and border closures, clients began requesting refunds but were met with a barrage of excuses as to why they couldn't be repaid. Some opted to postpone and keep their paid bookings intact, while others, sensing something wasn't right, applied more pressure.

Moosa's excuses and delays regarding the non-payment of refunds grew more outlandish and longwinded. One client, who was due to travel to Turkey later in March, said, during their last conversation earlier in the month, Moosa had even blamed the lack of communication on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Yusuf Abramjee, who's been active in compiling details of the alleged scam and getting the South African Police Services' Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) involved, said that more than 200 criminal cases had been opened by Friday.

How to avoid another Hello Darlings travel trap

And while Hello Darlings' clients fight for justice, Abramjee and the Association of Southern African Travel Agents (ASATA) have provided tips on what to look for before handing over money for a holiday.

"The golden rule is: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Alarm bells should go off if your holiday is a real steal," Otto de Vries, CEO of ASATA, told Business Insider SA.

"Unfortunately, ASATA is contacted regularly by consumers whose holiday plans have gone awry because they booked a holiday package that was simply too good to be true, or were scammed and defrauded by a travel provider."

ASATA represents more than 90% of South Africa's travel industry in terms of market share, including retail travel agents, corporate travel agencies and managers, wholesalers, and suppliers of travel-related products and services.

Travel businesses bearing the ASATA stamp are bound to a strict code of conduct, and clients dealing with these companies are assured of professional service, ethical conduct, and trustworthy behaviour. Clients can check whether their travel provider is an ASATA member, by running the business' name through the association's website.

When booking a holiday, never pay via EFT, said De Vries. All of Hello Darlings' dealings were done through EFT payments, which has left clients with limited recourse.

"If you're pressured into paying via EFT only, this actually means you're paying by cash. If you pay by EFT, you will struggle to get your funds reimbursed if the supplier is found to have committed travel fraud," said De Vries.

"Safeguard yourself by paying on a credit card, so your purchase is protected. If you have paid by credit card and you encounter a problem with the supplier, you can engage the bank to reverse the payment, provided you are within the right timeframe."

Questionable marketing – blurry, fuzzy logos or low-resolution images – is another red flag. In the case of Hello Darlings, almost all the offers were marketed exclusively through social media, with the business making use of influencers to punt their holidays.

Never-ending excuses, like those offered by Moosa, are also signs of serious trouble, added De Vries.

"If your travel supplier keeps making excuses, there's a good chance they're up to no good. If you're not getting your vouchers and air tickets timeously and queries are continuously answered with excuses, alarm bells should certainly be raised."

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Article originally posted on Media24