A Travel Agent Responds

In response to last month's story about problems with a Texas-based diving tour seller, Coral Dreams Scuba (some of its clients estimated that as much as $100,000 in trips paid for were not delivered), we received this:

"I own and manage a travel agency for scuba divers. Here in California, it is illegal to sell trips without being part of the California Sellers of Travel organization. We pay an annual fee into an insurance fund to reimburse people if an agency goes bankrupt. I also have to pay the annual fee for my LLC, the required insurance, and my county fees. I must display my CA seller or Travel license number on all communications.

"I have to have a special bank account that they call a "trust account" (often called an 'escrow' account). If I use any funds in that account to buy anything for me, my business, anything except my clients' travel, I can go to jail.

Many people in California sell travel without doing any of this. I pay almost $10,000 a year to stay in business. Yet these people are getting away with it. It is such a shame, as so many people have lost money booking with people like this."

-- Lynn Morton
Deep Connections Dive Travel